5

Art knew he had come off a little weird to Ezreal the first time they met by mentioning his parents. He seemed more like a fan, or even a stalker, and that was obviously not his intention.

Fortunately, Ezreal didn't bring it up much, and Art managed to get along with the blondie very well over the past few days at school. They spent their time talking about adventure stories— well mostly, Ezreal did as he talked about his parents expeditions across Runeterra. He just listened, genuinely interested in the stories he shared.

Other than that, Art introduced Ezreal to some games from his past life and may or may not have used magic to cheat on some of them.

Through these interactions, Art learned a few things about Ezreal. The kid was quite smart for his age and unruly, which he expected from the Prodigal Explorer.

But that was it... Ezreal was still just a child and knew nothing beyond the stories his parents told him about their journeys across Runeterra. He was far from the Ezreal that Art knew from the game's lore.

However, Art wasn't discouraged. He wanted to get close to the blonde-haired boy before he grew up.

As someone who would one day travel the world and find powerful lost artifacts, Art had several plans that required Ezreal's help. It was best to befriend him while he was young when kids were naïve and didn't care much about who they made friends with.

Manipulative? Sure, but his intentions were good

Art genuinely wanted to be his friend, but he also needed all the help he could get, especially in a world where danger was around every corner. To travel the world, he needed to use every resource he could find to protect himself.

Naturally, those plans were still far off into the future. He was still a child and needed time to grow. 

For now, Art wanted to enjoy his childhood, keep training his magic, and explore what Piltover had to offer.

Today, Art was doing just that, as Ezreal was treating him to lunch after Art won a "fair and square" game of paper football against him. He had woken up early, enjoyed a hearty breakfast of fluffy pancakes, scrambled eggs with cheese, fresh, hot chocolate, and set out in the afternoon, choosing to skip lunch.

He took a fancy carriage to the Bridge of Progress, one of the bridges connecting the north, old Piltover, and the south, new Piltover, positioned above the man-made river dividing the city.

Half an hour later, Art arrived at his destination and got off the carriage after tipping driver.

Now standing by the side of the road, he scanned the crowd for Ezreal. After a short while, he spotted Ezreal on the other side of the bridge, the blondie standing amidst the crowd with a bored expression on his face.

At the same moment, Ezreal spotted him and waved energetically. "Hey, Art, over here!" he called out loudly, enough to embarrass Art. Art let out a sigh and facepalmed, then looked left and right before crossing the road. He approached Ezreal with a friendly smile. "Morning," he said. "Good mor—" Ezreal was cut off by the audible rumble of his stomach.

Art raised an eyebrow. "Hungry already?"

Ezreal laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, I'm starving. I skipped breakfast this morning to save room in my stomach for later."

Art chuckled and patted Ezreal on the shoulder. "Alright, lead the way."

Crossing the bridge together and arriving at the Alcove District, the two boys headed to the market of this district and were soon greeted by the enticing aromas. The bustling street was filled with vendors and stalls, creating a vibrant hub for the city's working class and visitors seeking affordable yet delicious meals.

For foodies and people born with a golden in their mouths like Art and Ezreal, this place was heaven.

It was Art's first time here; he had always stayed in the rich part of Piltover, and the food he ate reflected that.

So the enticing smells around him couldn't help but bring back memories of Art's old world. Some of the food here resembled those from his world—corn dogs, chips, and burgers were among the items he saw, though they went by different names.

Ezreal glanced at Art and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"You pick, I'm fine with whatever."

"Let's go for this one," Ezreal pointed to a burger stall. "I didn't get to try it last time I was here." 

"I swear you've been everywhere in this city. Let me guess, you've been to the undercity." Ezreal shook his head and said, "Nope, but I want to. I've heard from my dad and mom it's an entirely different world down there. I'm gonna ask if I can come with them next time they go."

As they approached the stall, the stall owner greeted them with a friendly smile. "What can I get you boys today?"

"We'll have two of your best burgers," Ezreal said, handing over the money.

The owner nodded and quickly set to work, assembling the burgers with practiced ease. The boys watched as he added fresh lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and a generous dollop of sauce to the sizzling patties. Within minutes, the owner wrapped the burgers in paper and handed them over.

"Here you go, enjoy!" he said.

Ezreal and Art took their burgers and found a nearby bench to sit on. As they unwrapped their food, Ezreal continued, "Imagine all the stuff we could find down there."

Art took a bite of his burger and nodded. "It'll be dangerous."

Ezreal smiled, taking a big bite of his own burger. "Of course. But that's what makes it exciting, right?"

Art remained silent for a moment, mulling over the idea. "Maybe when I'm older..."

After finishing their burgers, the two boys stood up and began wandering through the market, eager to see what other stalls had to offer. They bought a variety of foods, and decided to share each dish to make room for more. The food quickly added up, leaving them both feeling quite full and bloated, especially Ezreal.

The blondie had overestimated how much his stomach could take. Having overindulged, he found himself with a stomachache, his face turning pale as he clutched his abdomen.

Despite Art's repeated warnings, Ezreal had chosen to ignore them, and now he was paying the price.

"You should head home," Art suggested, patting Ezreal's back in an attempt to comfort him. "Staying out might make it worse."

""I'm fine," Ezreal insisted, standing up as though he'd fully recovered. But just as he spoke, he leaned to the side of the street and began to vomit. "Bwahhh... I feel better now... bwahhh."

"Dude you have to go. Stay here. I'll get a carriage for you."

"No, don't... I'm, I'm fin.... bwahhh."

For most people, this would have been a clear sign to head home. But not for Ezreal. It took him throwing up five times before Art finally persuaded the stubborn boy to leave.

"Dude, seriously, you can't stay here like this," Art said, patting Ezreal's back again. "I'm getting you a carriage."

Ezreal groaned but didn't protest further. Using body enhancement magic, Art carried him to bridge of progress and quickly waved down a passing carriage and explained the situation to the driver.

"Please take my friend home," Art said, handing over some money for the fare. "And here's a little extra if he throws up in your carriage."

The driver nodded and helped Ezreal into the carriage. As the driver cracked the whip, the horses began to trot forward. Art waved goodbye and then turned, leaning against the bridge railing. He took a moment to enjoy the view, watching the ships below on the man made river. "Should I go leave or later?" As the breeze caressed his face, Art pondered for a moment before deciding to stay. He didn't want to go home; it was rare for him to venture out, and besides, no one was home anyway. Both of his parents were tailors for the wealthy people of Piltover, and the clothing they made usually took time to complete, leaving them barely any time to spend with him.

Of course, Art wasn't bothered by this. He was mentally more mature than children his age, and understood why his parents needed to work. He wasn't a snobbish brat looking to cause trouble just to get their attention. 

"Guess I'll go it alone," Art muttered to himself.

As he made his way back to the market in the Alcove District, which took about fifteen minutes, a sudden commotion caught his attention.

People were shouting, and a crowd quickly gathered around the source of the disturbance.

Curious, Art made his way towards the noise, weaving through the throng of people. As he got closer, he saw patrolling Enforcers confronting a large crowd of people from the Undercity, easily identifiable by their worn and rugged clothing.

Suddenly, a deafening explosion rocked the area, sending people into a frenzy of panic. Art's heart raced as he ducked down, shielding himself from the debris. As the dust settled, he glanced up to see a plume of smoke billowing from a nearby building. The air was thick with the acrid stench of burning metal and chemicals.

A second explosion followed, this one even closer. Art's instincts screamed at him to flee, but a sudden whistle-like sound from above made him freeze and look up.

"Watch out!" someone in the crowd screamed.

A large, cylindrical object landed and immediately began to glow a menacing red; cracks splintered across its surface, and then—boom!

In that split second, Art's life flashed before his eyes. Acting on pure instinct, he backed away and threw his hands up defensively, bracing for the impact. In that heartbeat of desperation, a shield of translucent blue energy materialized around the explosive, containing the explosion and sparing not only his life but those of everyone nearby.

"Wow, did I just do that?!" Art thought as he felt a burst of excitement, though his fingers were still shaking and his heart racing wildly from the near-death experience. 

It had been six years since he first discovered he could use magic. Mistakes with body enhancement magic were a thing of the past, and he could now lift larger objects using telekinesis magic and found other ways to apply it, like flying. But, he had never stopped trying to learn other forms of magic.

From anime magic to movie magic, even demon summoning ritual which included the star of david, candles and his own blood, Art tried it all to use other form magic. 

So despite his nearly dying, all he could think of was to rush home and experiment with this new magic. 

However, just as Art was about to ran away like the rest of the crowd, he heard shrill whistles in the sky. He looked up and saw more bomb in the air, with at least a dozen plummeting directly toward him. 

As if that weren't bad enough, the people from the Undercity he had seen earlier started attacking the Enforcers.

"Ah fuck! Seriously, what are the chances?" Art muttered in fustration…