In the blink of an eye, half a month passed.
January 1, New Year's Day.
Runeterra turned to a new page, clean and untouched like a blank sheet of paper, waiting for someone to write new stories upon it.
A new year represented a new beginning and carried with it countless hopeful meanings. It allowed the many people who had suffered setbacks during the previous year to look toward the future with renewed expectations and recover their confidence.
Today was also an exceptionally important and momentous occasion for the twin cities.
With the completion of Demacia's Hexgate, the two sides had chosen January 1, a day filled with hopeful symbolism, as the date of their first official meeting.
The event had also been publicized well in advance. To the people of the twin cities, today was no less important than the annual Progress Day.
Outside the Hexgate industrial complex, the crowds stretched as far as the eye could see. People from both Piltover and Zaun had gathered there, waiting eagerly for what was about to happen.
Dressed in a formal suit, Jayce slowly stepped onto the elevated platform. His face and upper body were projected onto several enormous screens surrounding the area through the Secret Key device.
This was the latest achievement developed from Secret Key technology, which was now capable of recording and projecting video.
As a result, everyone present could see Jayce clearly.
Jayce knew that as well. He composed himself, then began his speech.
"Everyone, we are about to witness a great moment in history! This also represents an important step forward for the twin cities!"
"Today, our most important ally will arrive in Piltover through the Hexgate behind me. To celebrate the completion of the Hexgate and the arrival of our allies, let us all witness this moment together!"
Excitement filled Jayce's face as he reached this point in his speech. He raised his clenched right fist high above his head.
His voice spread across the entire venue through the loudspeakers.
Thunderous cheers immediately erupted from below, and the atmosphere surged to a fever pitch.
The people stared at the towering Hexgate complex with eyes filled with longing and anticipation. For Piltover, this was undoubtedly one of the most important steps in its entire history.
Inside the Hexgate complex, at the teleportation terminal, the councilors, senior officials, and nobles had already finished their preparations.
Hearing the deafening commotion outside, they exchanged glances, their hearts also surging with excitement.
Luke stood upon a towering platform and looked down at the teleportation terminal, a majestic structure comparable to the Sun Gates.
Directly across from him stood a massive circular array. All around it were installations composed of various sophisticated machines, which together formed the entire terminal.
The interior was enormous, spacious enough to accommodate several airships at once.
This was the arrival point.
The airships transported from Demacia would materialize here.
After meticulous testing and countless repeated experiments, they had essentially eliminated every possible problem. There would be no unexpected accidents during the teleportation process.
Luke opened his Secret Key. A message from Jarvan IV had just arrived.
"Ready."
"They're ready," Luke announced as he turned around.
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone tensed involuntarily.
Heimerdinger, who stood at the front of the group, did not hesitate.
"Activate the Hexgate!"
"Activate the Hexgate!"
As the order was relayed, an ocean-blue radiance slowly illuminated the terminal, making everyone feel as though they had been submerged beneath the sea.
Blue light began flashing across the machinery on both sides.
At the same time, the Demacian terminal activated its own teleportation process.
The massive circular array suddenly released a dazzling brilliance. Every magical rune carved into its surface began to shine.
Electric currents surged as magic poured from the Hextech crystals, gradually forming a subtle energy field in the air.
A mysterious distortion rippled through the space above the array.
The next second, a deep hum echoed through the terminal.
Amid the dazzling light, an airship from Demacia abruptly materialized.
Countless tiny blue motes scattered through the air like butterflies. The agitated magical energy immediately settled, and the radiance gradually faded.
Then Luke heard a familiar voice.
"Luke!"
Jarvan IV stood at the front of the airship, dressed in ceremonial pale-gold armor with the crown of the crown prince resting upon his head. He gazed excitedly at Luke, his expression filled with longing after their long separation.
"Jarvan!"
A smile immediately appeared on Luke's face as he stepped forward to welcome him.
Then he saw another figure slowly emerge behind Jarvan IV. Luke immediately dropped to one knee and saluted respectfully.
"Father!"
Seeing his actions, everyone behind him swiftly dropped to one knee as well, offering their most solemn welcome.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
As the representative of the twin cities, Heimerdinger was the first to speak.
The representatives of Piltover and Zaun behind him followed.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
The Demacians accompanying Luke needed no prompting. Seeing people from their homeland again filled them with even greater longing.
Jarvan III walked over to Luke and personally helped him to his feet. His kindly face was covered with a warm smile.
"Everyone, please rise."
Although he frequently communicated with his younger son through the Secret Key, those conversations could never compare to seeing him in person.
Jarvan III felt genuine pride in everything Luke had accomplished.
Jarvan IV felt the same.
After helping Luke to his feet, Jarvan III approached Heimerdinger and extended his hand in a friendly greeting.
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor Heimerdinger."
"Greetings, Your Majesty."
Heimerdinger maintained the same courteous and friendly manner as he shook Jarvan III's hand.
From this moment onward, diplomatic relations between Demacia and the twin cities had officially begun.
While they were speaking, another person walked over from beside Jarvan IV and unceremoniously ruffled Luke's hair.
"You brat. It really has been far too long."
"Aunt Tiana."
Luke could not help smiling with relief.
"Aunt Tiana!"
Lux happily hurried over and threw herself into Tiana's arms.
More familiar figures emerged behind them one after another.
Augatha, Lev, Wenward, Kahina, Garen, Sébastien, Barrett, and, most importantly, Fiora.
Luke and Fiora's gazes met, and they smiled at each other.
All their longing had been kept hidden within their hearts. At this moment, no words were necessary.
"This is incredible. We really crossed the entire distance in an instant."
Kahina's eyes widened as she looked around in amazement.
None of them had ever imagined that they would one day be able to cross such an immense distance so effortlessly.
They had not even felt anything during the teleportation. Their vision had merely flickered, and they had arrived at their destination.
"It truly is remarkable."
There was also a trace of excitement in Wenward's voice.
After witnessing such advanced technology with his own eyes, he realized that Demacian science still had a very long road ahead.
At the very least, however, he could now see endless possibilities.
The arrival of Demacia's senior officials, nobles, and even Jarvan III himself was more than enough to demonstrate Demacia's sincerity toward the twin cities.
The people of Piltover and Zaun could feel that sincerity as well, so they handled the reception with even greater care, seriousness, and ceremony.
"The twin cities have prepared a banquet for everyone, and the people outside have already been waiting for a long time. We can catch up later. For now, we should head outside."
Seeing that everyone seemed ready to stand around talking for quite some time, Luke interrupted them.
The group immediately began moving toward the exit.
No matter how excited they felt, everyone knew that today was only the beginning for both sides.
The true beginning would come once the Hexgate beneath their feet began operating at full capacity.
Jarvan III walked at the center, with Jarvan IV and Luke on either side of him. Heimerdinger and the councilors walked to their right as the entire group emerged from the Hexgate complex.
Their images were immediately projected onto the enormous screens.
In an instant, the cheers came crashing down like a tidal wave. The people of both cities erupted with excitement.
There was no doubt about it.
They were witnessing history.
They were witnessing the birth of the great Hexgate and the beginning of a historic alliance.
Jarvan III smiled and waved to the crowds on both sides. Cheers and excited cries rose and fell without end, continuing for what seemed like an eternity.
Jayce stepped forward, and Luke introduced him.
"This is Jayce, one of the inventors of the Hexgate."
Jayce solemnly dropped to one knee.
"Greetings, Your Majesty. It is an honor to meet you."
"Please rise."
Jarvan III personally stepped forward and helped him to his feet. His eyes were filled with warmth as he spoke.
"It is also my honor to meet an inventor as exceptional as you. Creating technology like this is a truly remarkable achievement."
"The Hexgate was not my invention alone. There should have been two of us standing here today."
Jayce's voice was humble but sincere. A fleeting trace of sorrow passed through his eyes.
"His name is Viktor," Luke added from beside him.
After the incident half a month ago had been completely resolved, Viktor had submitted his resignation and prepared to leave Piltover.
Jayce had been utterly confused and had done everything he could to persuade him to stay.
It was not because he needed Viktor as a powerful assistant.
He wanted his closest friend to remain at his side.
Their Hextech technology was about to become famous throughout the world, and their names were destined to be remembered by history.
Yet Viktor had chosen this exact moment to withdraw from public life.
Jayce could not understand it.
Viktor, however, remained firm. He insisted that he had to leave and that his decision had already been made.
With no other choice, Jayce eventually agreed.
After that day, Viktor seemed to vanish entirely. No one saw him again.
No one except Luke.
Luke knew that Viktor had decided to devote himself to developing an entirely different kind of technology.
It would transform the frail human body and allow ordinary people to become stronger.
At the same time, Viktor wanted to do something for Zaun.
In terms of technological advancement, Zaun had fallen far behind Piltover. Viktor believed it was time for him to return to his homeland and work alongside his people to improve it.
Viktor also wanted to avoid all outside interference, so he had deliberately told only Luke about his plans.
Luke had never spoken about them to anyone else.
Of course, Luke had also provided Viktor with a considerable amount of funding.
He knew his investment would produce returns before long.
"I truly hope I will have the opportunity to meet him," Jarvan III said regretfully.
The group continued onward, greeting the people along the way as they slowly made their way toward the banquet hall that had been prepared for them.
Once the banquet began, the atmosphere became filled with joy and friendship.
Outside, the people of the twin cities celebrated the historic moment as well. Both Piltover and Zaun were overflowing with excitement.
"Huh? Where did His Highness go?"
Beside one of the banquet tables, Kahina approached Lux and looked around in confusion.
Lux was sitting primly with a large pile of desserts she had collected arranged before her. She was just about to begin eating.
"No idea. Why bother worrying about him?"
Kahina stared at her in silence.
Seeing that Lux never forgot about food, regardless of the circumstances, left her somewhat speechless.
Kahina also noticed that Miss Duelist had disappeared.
To be honest, as a woman, she had already noticed that there was something unusual about the relationship between His Highness and Fiora.
That was one of the reasons she had hesitated to approach him.
Miss Duelist was so exceptional. Compared with Fiora, Kahina felt as though she fell far short in every way.
Thinking about that, Kahina looked at her closest friend.
Lux was happily enjoying her desserts. Cream clung to the edge of her soft pink lips, and her expression was as carefree as the sweet but clueless girl next door.
Kahina sighed inwardly.
I don't even know how I'm supposed to help you when you act like this, Lux.
"Why are you looking so miserable on such a happy day?"
Lux finally noticed the worried expression on Kahina's face.
"Stop looking so gloomy. I've made lots of friends here. I'll introduce you to all of them later."
"Lux…"
Kahina looked at her, hesitating as though she wanted to say something.
"Hmm? What is it?"
Lux blinked her large eyes and gazed at her innocently. Her clear eyes contained no trace of ulterior thought.
"It's nothing."
Kahina gave up.
"What's gotten into you today?"
Lux gave her a strange look. She felt certain her friend had something to say, but after thinking about it for a while without reaching any conclusion, she simply stopped worrying about it.
Jarvan IV raised his wineglass high.
"Cheers!"
Seeing that, Lux immediately raised the glass of soda beside her and cheered along with him.
"Cheers!"
She had clearly thrown herself wholeheartedly into the banquet's festive atmosphere.
At the same time, the rear garden was completely deserted.
Luke and Fiora sat side by side upon a bench.
Their fingers were interlaced, and they simply held hands in silence, as though they could convey all the longing of the past several months through that single touch.
After a while, Fiora finally spoke.
"You told me to wait a little longer, but I ended up waiting all this time."
Luke sounded somewhat helpless.
"Things progressed more slowly than I expected. Besides, coming here would have required you to spend more than a month on a ship. I didn't want you exhausting yourself. Wasn't it much easier to teleport here in an instant?"
"Being worried about tiring me out was only an excuse. You were really afraid I would interfere with your plans, weren't you?"
Fiora glanced sideways at him. A faint trace of jealousy drifted through her cool, clear eyes.
After arriving, she had immediately noticed that the number of women surrounding him had increased yet again.
She already knew something about the situation, but seeing him surrounded by a whole crowd of beautiful women still left her feeling somewhat jealous.
She had originally planned to come here by ship.
The journey would only have taken a little over a month, and she would have arrived eventually.
Instead, she had waited an additional two months.
Luke immediately realized that she had begun overthinking the matter.
"Is that really the kind of man you think I am?"
Fiora responded with a question of her own.
"Then what kind of man do you think you are in my heart?"
"Naturally, I'm a handsome, charming, tall, brilliant, courageous, and utterly peerless gentleman."
The corner of Luke's mouth lifted as the praise poured effortlessly from his lips.
Taking even a second longer to compliment himself would have been disrespectful to his own greatness.
Fiora could not help laughing. Her elegant lips curved upward.
"You left one thing out."
"What was it?" Luke asked curiously.
"Shameless."
Fiora chuckled softly.
"That happens to be one of my finest qualities. It seems that very quality was what allowed me to win Miss Duelist's heart."
Instead of feeling embarrassed, Luke smiled proudly.
"You truly are shameless."
Fiora scoffed softly.
Her clear, gleaming eyes remained fixed upon him. They were like a tranquil lake reflecting the moonlight, shimmering gently and drawing his gaze toward them.
Then she slowly closed her eyes and slightly raised her face.
Luke leaned down and gently pressed his lips against her cool, delicate ones.
Every unspoken word and every trace of their love disappeared into that kiss.
Their hands remained tightly clasped, neither of them willing to let go.
Months of separation had only drawn their hearts closer together.
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