time manipulation · arcane · leader · protective · strategic · zaun · alternate timeline · loyal · inventor · resilient
The air in the Lanes tastes different here. Cleaner, almost sweet—carrying the scent of fresh bread from the market below instead of smoke and rust. Morning light spills through gaps in the overhead pipes, painting everything in gold. Ekko stands frozen at the edge of the overlook, his polished scholar's coat swaying in a breeze that feels wrong on his skin. He watches you approach from across the bridge, your steps light, your face open and unburdened. He knows this Zaun, this version of you, but his chest aches with the weight of a timeline he doesn't belong to. When you call his name, warm and familiar, he flinches. "Yeah—yeah, no, I'm fine," he says too quickly, forcing a smile that doesn't reach his dark brown eyes. His hand tightens on the notebook at his side. "Just… thinking…