Chapter 75: Spin The Wheel (1)

Orion stood at the edge of Progress Bridge, his gaze numb as he took in the bustling streets before him. It was Progress Day, and people were celebrating!

But Orion was met with a world too bright, too alive. The festival thrived around him, laughter, music, and the hum of Hextech ringing through the streets.

Six years ago, this moment would have made him feel accomplished.

Now? It felt distant.

And the Void's power? Bound by chains of the Arcane, contained like Pandora's Box, waiting to be unleashed. A dangerous balance, one he had created.

From where Orion stood, he spotted familiar faces- people from his past, oblivious to his return.

Jericho, the chef still tending his food stall, the barber he once visited, a shopkeeper whose kid he had saved by accident. They lined the bridge, engaging happily with topsiders, their lives untouched by the past.

A strange feeling stirred in his chest.

It wasn't just resentment, nor simple anger. It was something deeper, something he couldn't quite name. Was it the years lost? The silence from those he once fought for? Or was it the rotting in prison while life here carried on, uncaring for his suffering?

Orion's gaze dropped to the ground beneath his feet. Was this the same line Ekko had crossed in that alternate universe? It felt like it as he stepped over it.

In the distance, he immediately spotted Ekko and Powder together by an artificer's stall, chatting enthusiastically while the shopkeeper waved his arms in distress.

'A date?'

Powder's iconic blue hair stood out against the bustling festival, and Ekko- dressed in his heavy garb with his unique, white hairstyle contrasting against the vibrant background- looked like they could have been part of a traveling circus.

A small smile tugged at Orion's lips as he moved forward.

Nearby, Claggor and Mylo were at a carnival game, taking turns shooting at pop-up figures with toy guns, heckling each other like old times. Gert was with them, giving Mylo a playful hip bump before flashing him a grin.

Mylo blushed, flushing red but quickly wrapping a hand around her waist affectionately, pulling her in closer. Claggor watched approvingly, returning his focus to line up another shot.

'The world really has changed for the better,' Orion thought. But despite the warmth, something inside him remained hollow.

In the distance, the roar of cheering spectators echoed through the festival.

Pressing onward, Orion stopped at a nearby stall and purchased two skewers of meat in exchange for a single silver coin. Thanks to Silco's generous donation, he wouldn't have to worry anytime soon.

His steps carried him toward an open square, where a massive, ornate tent dominated the space. No, not a tent. A temporary building.

Teal and green metal frames held up a glass ceiling, reflecting the Progress Day lights. Intricate artwork adorned its structure, and large purple drapes billowed at the entrance, swaying in the breeze.

At the front stood Caitlyn, stationed at her post.

Jayce approached her from behind, flicking the brim of her Enforcer's hat with a smirk. She rolled her eyes as they bantered before she reluctantly smiled and refocused on her task.

'Some things haven't changed.'

Orion's smile faded though as his gaze drifted up toward the towering building behind it. It was the building Jinx infiltrated to steal certain items.

The building which housed Jayce and Viktor's Hextech gemstone, research papers, and all future works.

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"Why not just buy purple?" Ekko asked, confused.

Glancing back with a smug look, the artificer looked increasingly distressed. Using their cunning street wits, they haggled a rather expensive gadget down to nearly half price.

Rolling her eyes, Powder tossed the energy stabilizer into the air haphazardly.

"Why not just wear one layer of clothes?" she shot back.

"It lets me store more things and provides better protection. Plus, I think it looks cool."

"Exactly," Powder said playfully, eyeing up the gadget with excitement. "Same goes if I buy red and blue. I can make different shades of purple for my art."

Ekko nodded understandingly.

Flowers, boxing gloves- a spinning pendant necklace- she had drawn it all and had become quite good with her paintings. They all resided in her new hideout inside a ventilation shaft on industrial-sized spinning blades.

His mind wandered to the painting of Orion she had never thrown away, the one she was now trying to remodel in remembrance.

"Do you still miss him?" Ekko hesitated, but the question lingered on his mind.

Powder's eyes widened before flickering back to him with annoyance. "Do you really have to bring that up now? Of course I do. Who doesn't? Everyone had a soft spot for him, even Vi and Vander after their fight!"

Ekko raised his hands defensively. "I know. I wasn't questioning your reason. I get it. Benzo's death left me scarred too. Everything is changing though. Soon, I won't have to do this anymore... so I was starting to think about the future..."

"He left because of us," Powder murmured, her gaze distant, emotion creeping into her voice. Shaking her head, she sighed. "Just drop it, Ekko. I'm enjoying this time now, with you. Aren't I?"

"Yeah..."

Powder joined in on many of Ekko's attacks on Silco's facilities, despite Vander's warnings. She refused to be seen as useless and placed much of the blame for their suffering squarely on Silco's shoulders.

Vi had also taken part, and when words no longer worked, Vander himself had begun assisting- reluctantly, but inevitably.

He couldn't bear the thought of losing them, not after what had happened with Orion.

Vander knew Orion was dragged off but with magic outlawed in Piltover, Greyson made it clear. If he made any move to save him, the Enforcers would unleash their full force not just on Vander, but on everyone associated with him.

Despite his promise to the kids, it was the last great secret he kept. Orion hadn't run away-he had been imprisoned for life. There were already dozens of mages rotting in Stillwater Hold, some for decades. Vander had convinced himself Orion would be no exception.

Ekko and Powder exchanged renewed smiles as the echoes of an audience's cheer cut through the crowd's noise. They moved toward the artist's stall.

They smirked at each other, unaware of the artificer sending distressed warning signals to the artist's stall, where the shopkeeper had begun to pale at their approach.