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Jayce's room was a treasure trove of the illicit. Many of the components scattered across his workbench were contraband strictly prohibited by The Council. From the jagged structural wear and the faint scent of sulfur, it wasn't hard to tell where Jayce had scavenged them: Zaun.
The undercity was a sprawling black market where legal constraints dissolved into the emerald smog. If you had the coin and the lack of a survival instinct, you could find anything there.
"You two get along well. I have a class, so I'm leaving first," Caitlyn said, feeling like a third wheel amidst the sudden technical jargon. She walked out, conveniently clicking the apartment door shut behind her.
With the Kiramman heiress gone, Kael's posture relaxed. He picked up an ancient, runic relic and flashed a playful smile. "Senior Jayce, you're quite bold."
"Ahem, you know how it is. Exploring science requires... a calculated risk," Jayce replied, using his thumb and index finger to gesture a tiny gap.
"Is it really just a little bit?" Kael reached out and flicked aside some blueprints, revealing a rough, deep blue crystal sphere embedded in a metal disc.
"Careful!" Jayce lunged forward to stop him. "The structure of that crystal is dangerously unstable."
"I can see that," Kael said, his eyes scanning the blueprints. To any other ten-year-old, it was scribbles; to Kael, it was a map of raw, volatile magical energy. "Senior Jayce, you're trying to harness the Arcane. If the Council finds out, expulsion will be the least of your worries."
Jayce froze, his face a mask of shock. "You... you can read the theory? Just from looking at it?"
Kael put a finger to his lips and made a zipping motion. "Don't worry, Senior. My lips are sealed."
The Partnership
"I haven't succeeded yet," Jayce admitted, his shoulders slumping. "If I had a working prototype, the Council would support me. They value progress above all else."
"That's the catch-22, isn't it?" Kael flicked the crystal with his finger. A slight vibration broke the internal balance, causing a tiny spark of blue lightning to arc across the room. Jayce nearly jumped out of his skin. "If this thing explodes, this whole floor goes with it."
"Kael, don't scare me!" Jayce pleaded. "I just need the right method. I've seen magic save lives; I know it can be controlled."
Kael flipped through Jayce's notes, noting the man's inherent narcissism—his name was stamped on every page. "I have a better idea. Why don't you let me join the research? I'm quite interested in this Hextech."
Jayce was delighted. It wasn't just about having an extra hand; it was the validation of his life's work. "Are you sure? It's dangerous."
"If we're caught, just say you coerced me. I'm just a child, after all," Kael said smoothly.
Jayce's mouth twitched. A child? This kid has a plan for everything.
Kael looked at the crystal. In this world, Hextech was a bridge between science and the raw power of Runes. But Runes were dangerous—they possessed a primal consciousness that had destroyed entire civilizations. The Piltovian elite were repulsed by magic because their ancestors had been its victims.
"Since resonance activates the energy," Kael suggested, picking up a piece of chalk, "perhaps there's a specific frequency that can stabilize the output? Like a harmonic dampener?"
Jayce's eyes lit up. He began writing formulas on the blackboard as Kael supplemented and corrected them. For the first time in months, Jayce felt the scent of a breakthrough.
The Study Materials
"I need to find a safe place to test this," Jayce said, handing Kael a spare key to the apartment. "You can stay here to study for the entrance exam. Just... don't touch the box under my bed. You're too young for those 'materials'."
Kael gave a knowing nod. Jayce's face turned bright red. How does he even know what that implies? Are kids in Ionia just born precocious? After Jayce hurried out to find a test site, Kael looked at the box of study notes. Jayce had passed with full marks, and his notes were comprehensive—covering everything from Piltovian history to the arts. Kael didn't care about history, but he needed those "noble points" to ensure his admission.
The Girl from Zaun
Meanwhile, four figures were crossing the bridge from the undercity. Vi, a red-haired girl with fire in her eyes, led the way. Since the bridge clash years ago, the tension between Piltover and Zaun had eased into a fragile peace, but the "Trench" still left its scars.
"Vi, are you sure about this?" a chubby boy asked. "The Enforcers nearly caught us last time."
Vi touched her forehead, remembering the stinging pain of the tile Kael had thrown at her a few nights ago. "Last time was a fluke. If it hadn't been for that meddling brat on the roof..."
She waved her hand, signaling the group to move silently across the Piltovian rooftops. She had a target in mind, and this time, she wasn't planning on failing.
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