The afternoon sun hangs low outside the tall windows of the Piltover University library, casting long shadows across the tables where students sit hunched over their books and scrolls. You're supposed to be studying—really, you are. The stack of papers in front of you should demand your attention, but your mind is elsewhere, wandering far beyond the pages of your textbooks.

Instead of focusing on your notes, your pen dances across the your notebooks, drawing line after line, curve after curve. A slow, almost hypnotic motion, like the pull of something invisible, tugging at you. The arcane rune. The one you've seen in your visions, the one that's been at triggering your rune tattoos. You can't help it. Your hand moves with purpose, sketching the familiar intricate symbols, the glowing lines, the delicate balance between order and chaos.

You shove the sketch aside with a quiet sigh, pushing yourself away from the desk to stretch. It's late, and the library is growing quieter, its halls now mostly empty. You gather your things, holding your doodled book loosely near your chest. You're lost in your own mind, considering your next steps—what to do about the rune, about Viktor, about everything—and it's easy to forget your surroundings.

Which is how you end up colliding with someone in the hallway.

"Ah!"

You stumble back slightly, blinking in surprise, and then immediately straightening yourself up. "I'm sorry," you mumble, barely noticing the person you've bumped into, too wrapped up in your own thoughts.

"No harm done." A warm voice, smooth and confident, responds. "I wasn't paying attention either."

You look up, and for a moment, you're caught off guard. Standing before you is a tall man, his brown neatly combed hair unharmed by the collision, his confident smile replaced by an amused but curious expression.

The book that you had been sketching in all afternoon had slipped out of your hands, falling to the ground. Without thinking, the man bends to pick it up, his yellow gaze falling on the sketch you made—of the rune. His eyebrows shoot up, his expression shifting from casual to suddenly intent.

"That's..." he begins, his voice tinged with surprise, "that's identical to something we've been researching in the lab!" He explains.

You freeze, feeling a chill race down your spine. You'd thought no one would recognize it. But this tall man does... he's staring at it with wide yellow eyes.

The man studies the page for a moment longer, clearly fascinated, then looks back at you, "Sorry...what was your name again? My name is Jayce, I work with one of the Professors here as an inventor, currently working on a product called Hextech." he says, your reply, "My name is (Y/N), it's a pleasure to meet you..." Jayce comes back to meeting your gaze. "I am sorry for the sudden shock, it's just... well, what are the chances of someone drawing this, like this particular material that we've been researching, it's crazy!"

You shrug awkwardly, trying to hide your nervousness. "I suppose it's just a coincidence. I've always been drawn to drawing random shapes and things."

Jayce smiles, clearly intrigued. "I'll say. This is... pretty extraordinary. How about this? Why don't you come with me to the lab? I'd love to show you something."

The offer is sudden, and you almost hesitate, but how could you, this is a given opportunity to understand what the arcane rune is more in depth, without getting in trouble. Jayce leads the way through the twisting corridors of the university, the soft sounds of his boots echoing as you follow behind.

Your memories come flooding back from the previous night before, the lab is a sprawling with paper, junk, metals, chalkboard equations, hextech pieces, unfinished work. The Arcane Rune, sitting there glimmering in its container. The air smells faintly of metal and magic, a heady mixture that pulls at your senses.

Jayce seems eager to share, gesturing enthusiastically to a large table in the center of the room. "This is where we've been studying the rune crystal, we've decided to call it the arcane, Viktor and I have been experimenting with its properties for months now. There's something about it that we can't quite figure out. It's powerful, ancient, and yet..." He trails off, eyes narrowing in thought.

You take it all in again, the machinery, the books, the glowing runes that seem to pulse with their own energy. It feels both familiar once again.

Jayce continues, his voice dipping into a lower tone. "How do you know about this rune? It's not exactly common knowledge."

You hesitate for a moment, eyes darting over the intricate machinery. A white lie forms on your lips. "I've heard rumors... from some people. People who deal with... old magic."

Jayce nods, though you can tell he's still a little skeptical. "Huh. Well, you seem to know quite a bit about it for someone who's just 'heard rumors.'" He's still clearly amazed. "It's impressive."

Just as Jayce is about to say something else, the door to the lab creaks open, and Viktor steps inside. His presence fills the room as his cane hits the floor with every step he takes, you feel your heart skip a beat. His amber eyes immediately lock onto you.

His sharp gaze then flickers over to Jayce. "Jayce," Viktor says, his voice low. "What's going on here?"

Jayce glances at you, then back at Viktor. "Oh, nothing—just giving our new friend a tour of the lab. She, uh, seems to have a bit of an interest in the rune we're working on."

Viktor's eyes flicker back to you, his expression unreadable. There's something in his gaze that makes your chest tighten. He knows. He must know.

Viktor's gaze softens only slightly. "Is that so?" His tone is measured, and there's an edge to it. "Interesting."

You can feel the tension in the air, the unspoken questions lingering between you all. Viktor's uncertainty is palpable.