4

It was refreshing, like a good night's sleep as Art enjoyed the comforting touch of his blanket. He rolled to his side, wanting to lie in bed all day.

But his peaceful morning was soon interrupted when his mom entered the room and opened the blinds. Sunlight poured through the windows, lighting up his bedroom. "So bright..." he muttered sleepily, pulling the blanket over his head. "...just one more minute, Mom."

He wanted to sleep a little longer, but his mom had other plans. "Art, it's time for school."

Reluctantly, Art pulled the blanket off and saw his mom standing by the window, wearing an apron. He yawned as he got out of bed. "Okay, Mom."

"Aren't you excited for your first day of class?" Lilah asked cheerfully, adjusting the apron strings.

"Not really," Art muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, too bad. You're going regardless," she crossed her arms. "Now, hurry up and get ready."

He sighed, stretching his arms above his head. "Okay, Mom." 

"I'll be downstairs making breakfast," Lilah said, giving him a reassuring smile before turning and leaving the room.

Art reluctantly got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom. He turned on the tap and splashed water on his face. Raising his head, he grabbed a towel from the shelf and glanced at himself in the mirror. He lowered his head, then lifted it back up again.

In the mirror stood a cute black-haired boy with thin rosy lips, a sharp jawline, and a small, delicate nose. He grinned, and the boy in the mirror smiled back, revealing bright, pearly white teeth. 

Yet, his most striking feature was his unique eyes, colored in different shades of the rainbow.

Six years had passed, and this was now what Art looked like. He didn't know why his eyes were like this and could only guess it was due to magic frequently entering his body, specifically, the use of body enhancement magic. 

He could think of no other reason for his eyes' mutation... unless it was a hidden cheat skill given to him by the god who sent him to this world. He should have been worried about it, but he didn't particularly mind, as his eyes only enhanced his looks. It also wasn't harmful; even the doctor said it posed no risk.

"Hey, you little narcissist! That's enough looking at yourself in the mirror. Come down for breakfast!"

While Art was admiring himself and making faces in the mirror to appreciate how cute he looked for a few minutes, his mom's voice resonated through the house. "I wasn't!" he shouted back, flustered. "I-I was brushing my teeth."

Caught in the act, he quickly brushed his teeth, just as he had claimed, before slipping into his school uniform.

The suit was entirely black, adorned with bright gold buttons, lapels, and pockets. His black gloves fit snugly over his small, delicate hands, adding to the sharp, well-fitted look.

Satisfied with his reflection in the mirror, Art walked down the stairs and sat at the simple yet fancy dining table. His dad, sitting at the head of the table, was already eating breakfast prepared by his mother.

Of course, being upper-class citizens, they could have easily employed servants to cook for them, but his parents opted for a more humble lifestyle.

Art simply grew up under the care of his mother and father, and no one else. It was through them that he had become fluent in Velarian, the main language his parents spoke, as well as some of his mother's native language, Ionian.

Besides learning the language, he also learned more about his surroundings, including his father's occupation. His father was a tailor who owned Zalie's Expeditionary Outfitters & Haberdashery, a renowned store in the north of Piltover. The store supplied and designed clothing for Piltover's wealthy elite and even noble clans.

More importantly, the most vital piece of information he had learned was that it seemed the people of this world had not yet harnessed the power of Brakern crystals, meaning hex technology had yet to be invented... or at least not publicly.

In the lore, Hextech was a newly emergent fusion of elemental, spirit magic, and technology, creating exquisite artifacts usable by anyone, not just those with natural arcane abilities. It harnessed the magical energy contained within the extremely rare Brakern crystals.

Art suspected that Clan Ferros might have already discovered the potential of the crystals but had not yet revealed this to the public. Alternatively, it could be that no one had figured out an effective way to harness the crystals' powers and make them widely known in Piltover.

None of this mattered much to Art. Perhaps in the future, he could hunt scorpions and sell their crystals for money, but for now, he was content. He could use magic and preferred to spend his time practicing it rather than getting involved in technology.

As Art started eating, he decided to chat with his dad to past time. "So, Dad, any interesting projects at the shop today?" he asked between bites.

His dad looked up from his meal, a smile spreading across his face. "Actually, yes. We just received a new shipment of fabrics from Ionia."

"We should go there sometime," Art said, his eyes lighting up at the idea of meeting Ahri and other champions from that region, although he hadn't met any in his region yet.

Zalie chuckled, nodding. "Maybe when you're older," he said, ruffling Art's hair.

"Stop it, I just styled my hair," Art protested, swatting his dad's hand away before quickly fixing it.

"Alright, alright."

Art smirked, taking another bite of his breakfast. "Thanks. But seriously, Dad, I think it would be an amazing trip."

His dad laughed. "Okay, I get it."

Art quickly ate the rest of his breakfast, feeling content. He put his dishes in the sink, gave his dad a quick hug, and said goodbye. He grabbed his school bag and walked to the entrance of his house to be dropped off at school by his mother.

As he walked, he relished the morning air and the vibrant streets of midtown Sidereal Avenue. This part of Piltover was always bustling, known for its dense concentration of shops catering to all walks of life. Apothecaries, leatherworkers, tailors, and other artisans' shops filled the avenue.

Occasionally, he greeted some familiar faces on the way to school, many of whom he had gotten acquainted with through his father and mother.

Before long, he arrived at the primary school entrance in The University District, situated in the northernmost part of Piltover. Children were gathering near the entrance of the school building, which featured an impressive and intricate architectural design. 

Of course, it was nothing compared to the grandeur of the University of Piltover, just a few blocks away from his school.

That place was too much in Art's opinion. They had invested too much in that building. Some of that money could've gone to helping those whose lives were ruined by the greed of the wealthy. Then again, he wasn't really one to talk about charity work. He had never done anything to help the unfortunate himself, in either this life or his previous one… But the thought counts, right?

Pushing these thoughts aside, Art turned to his mom. "Alright, see ya mom."

"Good luck on your first day! Make some new friends," Lilah said, smiling warmly as she fixed his collar.

"Don't worry. With a face like mine it'll be easy to make friends," Art replied jokingly.

"You little..."

He quickly gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before she could finish speaking and entered the gates of the school building. Guided by his seniors, he found his classroom and took a seat at the back – a spot only cultured men and women know as the 'protagonist seat.'

Unfortunately, the seat was already claimed by a kid with blonde hair and blue eyes who was nearly as good-looking as Art himself.

"Might as well befriend this guy," Art thought, having long decided not to be the quiet kid or the loner of the class. He needed to make some friends, and this kid seemed like a good start.

"Hi, I'm Art," he said, extending his hand. "What's your name?"

"It's Ezreal." 

Art raised in surprise and asked, "Did you just say your name was Ezreal? And by any chance, are your parents archaeologists?" 

Ezreal's eyes widened. "How do you know that?! Wait! That must be it." He clicked his fingers and pointed at Art. "You must be a fan!"

Not sure how to respond, Art scratched the back of his head as he took his seat beside Ezreal and cleared his throat. "Yeah, guess you could say that…"

———————————————— Intermission: Ezreal Lymere's Logs 1 

Monday, JAN 1, 979 AN

Mom said It's always good to have my own diary if I want to become an explorer in the future, but how do I start this?

Dear diary? Hello? Greetings diary?

Yeah, let's just go with the first one.

Dear diary,

Getting ready for school checklist:

√ Make the bed

√ School uniform (supplied by Zalie's Expeditionary Outfitters & Haberdashery, on Sapphilite Row)

√ Breakfast (Mhh, those waffles and eggs were pretty good, as expected from mom)

√ Brush my teeth (I think it's clean let me check. Yep, it's clean)

√ Backpack

I'm all set.

Now it's time to go to school!

___________________________

Tuesday, JAN 2, 979 AN

Dear Diary,

Boring, boring, boringgg!

The class was so boring!

I found what the teacher taught me was rather easy, and I had nothing to do all day in class.

If it weren't for my friend (his name is Art by the way), I would've died from boredom. Unlike the rest of the class who were still learning their ABC's, he was smart for his age even smarter than me who was always praised for being a genius and very athletic just like me and I was glad I had someone to spend my time with.

Yesterday, we spent our time playing this game Art invented called paper football. It was a game where you first fold paper into a triangle. Then, you hold the football in a flicking position and your friend should hold up their hands to replicate a field goal post. Flick the football and you and your friend would alternate turns.

For some reason, Art kept winning (is he cheating?), but I'll bound to win soon, no, I will practice today some more and win tomorrow.

___________________________

Wednesday, JAN 3, 979 AN

Dear diary,

Art and I had a bet that if I win, I would treat him to lunch and if he win, I would treat him to lunch this weekend.

I was confident I would win, but in the end, I LOST!

I don't know how, but I'm sure Art cheated. When the paper football was going to miss, it would curve every time and he would score a goal.

It was unfair. I swear I'll figure out his secret (for now I need to ask dad for some money).

___________________________

Friday, JAN 4, 979 AN

Dear diary,

I still can't get used to writing, I even forgot to write what happened yesterday. Actually, it doesn't matter, nothing much happened in school besides flirting with the girls.

Now that I think about it. Art doesn't really interact with girls, does he? What did he say again? It was something to do with the FBI?

Anyway, tomorrow, I'm going out with Art to have lunch, but do I have everything packed in my bag?

Mhh let's make sure:

√ Money

√ Water bottle

√ Tomorrow's clothes

Okay, we're good, time to sleep and wake up early tomorrow.