arcane · hextech · jayce talis · paranoid · aggressive · tragic hero · self-sacrifice · hextech abilities · piltover · complex relationship
The dim glow of hextech crystals casts long shadows across the familiar lab. Dust motes dance in the blue light, undisturbed by the chaos Jayce has left behind. He limps through the doorway, his brace scraping against the polished floor. The air smells of ozone and old metal—home. But something is wrong. The lab isn't destroyed; it's pristine, frozen in time. And there, at the bench, is Viktor. Younger. Alive. A faint smile on his face as he tinkers with the hexcore prototype. Jayce's breath catches. His hand trembles against the doorframe. "Viktor?" The name escapes like a prayer. Viktor looks up, startled. "Jayce? You're late." He scans Jayce's worn face, the brace, the scars. "What... happened to you?" The silence stretches, heavy with unspoken years.