Welcome to Zaun

Dark clouds shrouded the moonlight, and Piltover was steeped in silence at night. Aside from a few bright lamps guiding the Enforcers on their patrols, there were scarcely any sources of light.

Suddenly, bright flames erupted from a tower near Piltover Academy, scattering outward like blossoms cast by a celestial maiden—gorgeous and dazzling.

BOOM!

A few breaths later, the sound of the explosion followed the flash of fire, and the shockwaves came one after another.

The calm was shattered, and the aftermath even swept as far as the Noxus Embassy.

Before an open window, the shockwave stirred Ryan's pristine white mage robes, making them rustle.

He stood at the embassy windowsill, quietly admiring the beautiful fireworks blooming against the night.

Firelight reflected in his eyes like crimson lotus flowers, breathtakingly beautiful.

The tower collapsed with a thunderous crash. Sparks ignited the surrounding buildings, while stones flung by the explosion mangled the streets beyond recognition.

"The opening act of the night has declared that no one will sleep tonight."

Katarina looked at the unusually tall figure before her with a complicated expression, awe in her eyes.

"You did nothing, yet you orchestrated the entire situation tonight. How did you know Stevan would betray them?"

The people who had appeared along the shore defense line tonight were the Ferros Clan's hidden forces.

"There is someone standing before you who can force your father to kneel. Then, by coincidence, your father wants you to do something you are unwilling to do. What would you choose?" Ryan casually laid out the situation facing the brother and sister.

Katarina thought for a moment before answering uncertainly, "I might submit, but I can understand why some people would choose to betray their family."

"How is that betrayal?"

There was amusement in Ryan's voice.

"Stevan is very satisfied with everything the Ferros Clan currently possesses. He only wishes to grow old peacefully as head of the family. His greatest wish may be to watch his children and grandchildren grow up happily."

"That sounds rather heartwarming. Is Councilor Camille the problem?" Katarina asked, somewhat confused.

"Camille is not wrong either. She is willing to compromise with Noxus for the sake of her family and Piltover. But compromise is meant to give the family a chance to grow stronger. If sacrifice cannot bring prosperity to the family and the city-state, she will turn her blade on the family members content with the status quo and purge the family anew."

Ryan shook his head, thinking of Swain. He truly was very much like Camille.

He had met Swain when he had first entered the military. He had established himself through magic, while Swain had earned merit by reporting his own family for treason.

At the time, Ryan had happened to be assigned under his command.

At first, Ryan had not thought much of Swain, believing him to be someone who would destroy his own family for profit. But as he got to know him better, he discovered that Swain possessed absolute rationality. Though he was not particularly strong, his strategies and wisdom inspired admiration.

Most importantly, his intentions were pure. It seemed as though he had been born for the Empire. If it could make the Empire stronger, he was willing to sacrifice everything. In that regard, Camille could not compare to Swain at all.

"What about this other pair? You seem to have even greater expectations for them."

Hearing the commotion outside the window, Katarina raised a brow and looked down, just in time to see two hooded figures darting through the street below.

"I mentioned before that Zaunites place the hopes in their hearts upon certain things."

Ryan paused before continuing.

"Jinx used to be called Powder. There are two personalities within her, corresponding to those two names. In the eyes of their sister, Vi, whether she is Jinx or Powder, she is still the Powder in her heart—the one who could do nothing right and needed her sister to lead her."

"And in Powder's eyes, Vi is the sister whose acknowledgment she desperately longs to hear. She craves her sister's love and affirmation."

"Jinx, however, is the exact opposite. She was born on the night Vander died. She had wanted to save Vander, but her mistake killed her companions instead. Jinx was born because Vi berated her and accused her of being a jinx. She should have been a madwoman, with crazily seeking revenge on Vi as the meaning of her life. But because Silco carefully cherished her, she became this contradictory person instead."

For some reason, Katarina could hear a trace of regret in Ryan's words.

After thinking it over, she still offered her own assessment.

"A Zaunite tragedy."

Ryan agreed inwardly, but when he thought of the request Silco had made of him not long ago, he could not help falling into contemplation.

His gaze lingered on Jinx's departing back, as though he were weighing whether she was worth doing something for.

As the tower endured its barrage of rockets, not only did Piltover become noisy, but even Zaun could hear the disturbance from across the way.

Walking along a dim street, Camille suddenly halted and frowned as she looked back toward Piltover.

"What is it?" Vi asked curiously.

"Someone has been sacrificed for Piltover's future."

Camille continued forward, her expression unchanged.

"That explosion just now... Something happened in Piltover, didn't it?"

Caitlyn's face darkened frighteningly as she grabbed Camille's arm, one of the few parts of her body that was still flesh.

Her senses were exceptionally sharp, and she had also heard the explosion coming from Piltover. Coupled with Camille's mention of sacrifice, this was clearly far more complicated than it seemed.

"Kiramman, this is war. We kill their troops, and they capture our king."

"Who was sacrificed?"

Caitlyn's tone was icy. This was completely different from the justice she wanted to uphold, and she did not agree with Camille's beliefs at all.

If justice required sacrifice, then those who died should be people like them on the front lines. Why should innocent civilians in the rear be dragged into it?

"Perhaps your mother. Perhaps my younger brother. Or perhaps Heimerdinger. At the very least, someone of status."

There was not the slightest trace of emotion in Camille's voice, as though even if her younger brother had been sacrificed, it had nothing to do with her.

"How can you be like this? No, I need to go back and protect them!"

Unable to stomach Camille's methods, Caitlyn turned to leave, but Jayce grabbed her and shook his head.

Disbelief filled her eyes as she pressed her lips together.

"Why?"

"She is right. We do not know what happened in the city, but if we return now, then they will have died for nothing."

Jayce was not as cold-blooded as Caitlyn imagined. Hesitation and pain showed on his face, yet he still met her eyes without wavering, refusing to yield in the slightest.

"Cupcake."

Vi walked over from the front and hooked an arm around Caitlyn's neck.

"There are so many Enforcers in Piltover. One more of you makes no difference, and one less of you makes no difference either. But we cannot do without your help in taking down Silco."

Caitlyn closed her eyes, lowered her head, and fell silent.

After a long while, she finally took a deep breath and opened her eyes again.

"Sorry. I lost my composure just now. We need to pick up the pace."

"We are already here. Kiramman, do not let justice become your weakness."

Camille viciously hurled her grappling hook forward, then leaped and lunged ahead.

ZZZT!!!

An orange-yellow laser streaked across the spot where she had just been standing, leaving behind a deep scorch mark.

"Welcome to Zaun!"

Thanks to "Just Want to Look at Those Boundless Clouds Again" for the 500 reward!