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The last thing that Jayce believed that he would see was the sheer fear and acceptance of fate etched on his partner's stressed-aged face. That view was suddenly over taken from the blinding white light that erupted from their clasped hands. A loud ringing became louder than the thoughts in his head.
As soon as their end began, it came to its conclusion. An uneasy but weirdly comforting silent darkness enveloped the pair, and with that they were no more.
Well, at least in Piltover.
***
A strange but welcome warmth enveloped Jayce , the soothing hum of warmth that seemed to pulse through the air. Jayce stirred, groggily opening his eyes to the soft golden glow of an unknown room. It looked old but cared for, loved .
His head throbbed, his body ached, no longer floating in the arcane, and there was a deep silence, one that felt both strange and familiar. He pushed himself up, noting the absence of the dull pain in his leg, blinking in the small stream of sunlight emerging through the moth-eaten curtains that framed the window.
The air however had a lightness to it, as though it breathed off both the magic of the arcane and technology in perfect harmony. He glanced around, his gaze resting on a bed of white linens, soft and comfortable, but unfamiliar. A more thorough look through the room however sent a chill through his spine.
He was alone.
"Viktor?" Jayce whispered, his voice hoarse as he struggled to sit up.
His mind raced, recalling the chaotic events that had transpired—the collapse of Zaun, the experiments gone awry, the devastation. Viktor. His former friend. His ally. His adversary. His partner .
His heart skipped a beat as the image of Viktor, lying on the cold stone floor, flickered in his mind. Had they made it out? Were they... alive? Jayce couldn't remember.
The sound of soft footsteps interrupted his thoughts, and he turned to see Viktor standing in the doorway, framed by the light from the hallway. For a moment, their eyes met, and neither of them spoke. The tension in the air was thick, laden with the weight of everything that had come before.
Viktor looked different—distant, yet more grounded. His features were younger, healthier, the lines of his body smooth and seamless as though the years of pain and struggle had, for a moment, been paused.
"You..." Jayce started, his voice breaking as he stood, rushing forward towards his partner .
"I—what happened? Where are we?"
Viktor remained silent for a long while before he answered, his voice soft yet steady. "I don't know. I woke up here too, not long ago. But... It feels like a place where time sits still. A place where things... heal."
Jayce's brow furrowed as he took a few hesitant steps forward, closer , his feet unsure against the unfamiliar floor.
He needed answers.
He needed to understand .
"Is this... a dream? Did we die?" His heart clenched as the question left his lips. The thought of losing everything they had fought for was in vain, losing Viktor was too much.
Viktor gave a small shake of his head, his face impassive but the faintest hint of something softer flickering in his golden eyes.
"No. It is not a dream, Jayce. This place... It exists outside of what we know. Perhaps it is not quite our world." He stepped into the room till there was a small distance between the pair, his voice tinged with curiosity. "It is like a space suspended between what was and what could have been."
Jayce swallowed, his chest heavy with a mixture of emotions. The overwhelming chaos of the world they had known, the dangerous push and pull of their ideologies, the war between progress and the cost of it. He had been fighting for a better future, but at what cost ?
"Do you feel it?" Viktor asked, his voice barely a whisper. He stepped closer, placing a hand Jayces shoulder —a gesture so simple yet profound. "The air here... it's different. It's as if it recognizes us."
Jayce nodded slowly. He could feel it too—the air wasn't heavy with the tension of conflict, nor was it saturated with the sharp smell of smoke and oil. It was light, calming. It was... peaceful.
"But why are we here?" Jayce asked. "Why us?"
"I do not know," Viktor answered, his voice quieter now. "Perhaps we are being given something we have never had: a moment of respite. A chance to reconsider."
Jayce could feel the weight of Viktor's words, and for the first time in a long while, he let himself truly listen to the silence around them. It was not the silence of abandonment, nor the silence that came with failure. It was something else—something that invited reflection.As if reading his thoughts, Viktor moved even closer, leaving only a sliver of light between the pair.
"I know what you're thinking. You wonder if we can go back to Piltover, to Zaun, and fix everything. But can we? Is that even possible anymore?"
Jayce shook his head slowly, the reality of his former ideals settling in. "I thought... I thought we could save them, Viktor. That we could find a way to bridge the gap, to bring progress to both sides. But it feels... impossible now."
Viktor nodded, and there was a quiet understanding in his gaze. "Perhaps it was never about saving them, Jayce. Perhaps it was about understanding them—understanding each other."
Jayce looked at Viktor then, really looked at him. He saw the years of pain in his eyes, the sacrifices he had made for his vision, the quiet determination that had always guided him. And for the first time, Jayce truly understood the depth of their connection—not just as partners but something so inexplicably difficult to describe.
"I’m glad you're here with me Viktor." Jayce murmured, his voice barely above a whisper. "Wherever here is anyway."
Viktor's expression softened, turning into one of longing. "Me too Jayce, me too."
For a moment, there was a fragile quiet between them, the kind of silence that spoke volumes more than words ever could. In that moment, Jayce realized that the world they had known—the chaos, the inventions, the wars—was behind them. Perhaps they had failed in some ways, but they had also learned. They had learned the value of compassion, of understanding, and of seeing one another not as enemies, but as two souls caught in the same struggle. Jayce closed the gap embracing the man in front of him like he did just moments ago, or was it ages ago. Jayce decided that it didn't matter as he placed his head on Viktors shoulder.
Viktor slowly brought his arms up to embrace Jayce but quickly held onto him as if he was going to disappear at any moment. His eyes slowly closed as he buried his face in his partner's neck.
"Do you think we can find a way to heal it?" Jayce asked quietly whispering into Viktors shoulder, his voice filled with a newfound resolve.
Viktor pulled back and looked at Jayce who, illuminated by the golden light that bathed him in warmth and softness. "I do not know. But maybe, Jayce... maybe we do not need to fix everything. Perhaps we can begin again. Start something new."
Jayce nodded, feeling something deep within him settle—a peace he had not known in years. Whatever this place was, it was a chance. A chance to breathe, to think, to be free of the constant pressure of expectations. To forge a new path as two men who had seen the depths of both light and darkness and had chosen to move forward together.
"I think I can live with that," Jayce said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Viktor's eyes softened, and for a brief moment, the weight of all their years of struggle seemed to lift, leaving only the quiet, comforting embrace of possibility.
Jayce felt his heart beating faster now, not from the weight of their past, but from something new, a pull toward Viktor that had always been there, lingering in the space between them. It was something unspoken, something they had never dared to voice, but in this place, in this moment, the silence between them felt like an invitation.
Viktors gaze never leaves Jayce’s. There was no fear in his eyes, no doubt, only understanding, and something more. Jayce’s breath hitched as he reached out, his fingers brushing Viktor's cheek, a gesture so intimate it made his heart race.
"I... Viktor," Jayce whispered, his voice trembling with emotion. The words felt too small, too weak for what he felt, but it didn’t matter. The moment stretched between them, and it was enough.
Without another word, Viktor closed the distance between them, his lips meeting Jayce’s in a kiss that was both tentative and certain. The world seemed to stop for a moment, as if holding its breath, and then, for the first time in a long while, Jayce felt at peace. In Viktor’s arms, he felt understood, accepted, and together, they shared a kiss that spoke of everything they had been through, everything they had lost, and everything they could still be.
When they pulled away, Viktor’s gaze softened, his lips curling into a small, knowing smile. Jayce’s chest swelled with something deep,something warm, and he knew, for the first time, that whatever came next, they would face it together.