Archive of Our Own

Jayce had forgotten his journal on the table.

Viktor would return it, of course, but with all of the excitement over Hextech, who could blame the man? They had floated through the air, as if strewn across the sky and hung up amongst the stars. Passing that gear through the power of the crystal, it truly felt like magic did exist and they had invented it together. Last night was revolutionary, as Jayce would put it.

But now that the sun had sunken past the horizon, moonlight poured through the window of Viktor’s dormitory, illuminating the worn book in his hands. He turned the page he was on, fingers delicate as they brushed over Jayce’s rushed scrawl. As he had mentioned the night before, Jayce’s signature ended off every page. Viktor shook his head, allowing a small chuckle. Jayce should have invested in a custom stamp with his name on it — it would be more time efficient for his strange habit.

After skimming over the sections he had already read, Viktor found new writing. The pages were filled to the brim with equations, FAILURE written in ostentatious red and crossed out under the scribbles upon scribbles. It was quite obviously Jayce’s notes from earlier in the evening; he had taken the time to jot observations down with every attempt, surprisingly meticulous for such a brash man. Jayce’s name was still signed on the bottom of each and every page, as if to spite Viktor for bringing attention to it. It was almost as if Jayce wanted Viktor to see it.

Curiously, Viktor flipped backwards to the previous page to see if the trend held up — and paused at the contents. Placed between scribblings and intricate schematics was… himself? He blinked multiple times, as if to clear his vision. But it was still there when he looked again and again and again; akin to an interobject between the notes, there was a drawing of… himself. The pencil was light and the art sketchy, as if tentative.

Jayce… hadn’t wanted him to see this. This notebook was Jayce’s personal sanctuary — of course it was meant to be private. Viktor took a deep breath and forced his eyes to leave the drawing, focusing instead on the notes written around the sketch.

I have a partner: Viktor…

• I don’t know his last name.
  • Ask him his last name.

“When you are going to change the world, don’t ask for permission.”

Jayce’s handwriting, as consistent as it had been throughout the entire journal. The page was signed, just like the others.

Viktor forcefully closed the book, the sharp thump of the pages depicting himself and his words colliding until they vanished back into nonexistence. Seeing himself perceived by another person… it made everything feel too real.

He had been one of the many neglected children in the Entresol, and then he had become one of the many neglected teenagers in the Entresol, and then he had become a slightly-less neglected student at the University of Piltover, and then he had become the sort-of-neglected Dean’s assistant, and now—

He ran a thumb over the brilliant blue that emblazoned the hammer on the journal’s cover. It lacked the jubilance of the crystal from Jayce’s bracelet, the one Viktor had handed to him after finding him on the edge. That had only been last night — and yet, it felt like a lifetime ago.

Viktor exhaled heavily, tilting his head back against the glass of his window. Jayce saw him, just like Viktor saw him. Jayce saw him as an equal — not just a Zaunite climbing out of the sumps, grasping for a future under Piltover’s clear skies. And maybe, Jayce had never had someone to see himself and his Hextech dream.

Maybe… they made each other real.

Viktor breathed a laugh, found a pencil from his desk and opened Jayce’s journal once more. Turning to the first blank page, he continued on from Jayce’s previous observations.

Results

—————

• Alternate layout of the runic script was successful.
• Crystal was stabilized, causing an explosion quickly followed by an implosion.
  • An inverse reaction?
  • Can this be recreated?
• We created Hextech. Magic through science. It is revolutionary.

Looking over his work for a moment, his pencil hovered over the bottom of the page. Well. Might as well keep it consistent, right?

Viktor Lenkov

He closed the journal and stood from his sitting position against his window, finding his cane propped against the wall with ease. He would retire for the night and return Jayce’s journal in the morning; the man might need it for his presentation to the Council tomorrow about the upcoming era of Hextech.

Placing the journal on his desk and leaning his cane against it, Viktor slipped into bed, knowing that the future of science awaited him the following morning.