"Welcome to Zaun, you two late-night visitors."
The shorter man stepped forward, his distinctive white mohawk raised high, curiosity inevitably written across his face.
"I'm Ekko. This is Pete. The people above sent us here to receive you two."
Ekko sized up the two beautiful girls before him. Neither of them had even a hint of Zaun about them.
Still, he noticed several details.
From Seraphine, he could smell Zaun—a scent born of chemical fumes, something that clung, more or less, to anyone who had once lived in Zaun.
But he was less certain about the other one. Within Orianna's beautiful eye sockets were not ordinary black-and-white eyes, but a pair of pale blue irises, deep blue light gleaming in their depths.
He felt like he had seen those eyes somewhere before. More than once.
"Hello, I'm Seraphine, and this is Orianna. I'm very happy to be in Zaun. This place is far better than I imagined."
Seraphine blinked her bright eyes playfully at Ekko.
This man's Soul Song was filled with dreams of saving Zaun, while the silent Pete's heart was likewise full of love for Zaun.
Oh, so this is the real Zaun!? It really is a little different from what I imagined.
The group headed deeper into Zaun. Orianna stepped off her tablet, though she still habitually remained silent. Seraphine, on the other hand, eagerly asked:
"Mr. Ekko, your outfits are so cool. Are you Enforcers who protect Zaun?"
"Just call me Ekko. We don't bother with Piltover etiquette here. I'm a police officer with Police Squad Two. We're similar to Enforcers, but there are plenty of differences too. We don't care where you came from—so long as you're a Zaunite, you can join us!"
Ekko pointed at the Zaun emblem on his iron armor, his face filled with conviction.
He had not expected that in just half a day, his impression of present-day Zaun would change so greatly.
Helping the poor.
Providing work to those who needed it.
Doing their part for Zaun's future clean air and sweet water.
He had never felt life was so fulfilling.
"Hehe, Ekko, you'll definitely become Zaun's Camille someday!"
Standing on her tablet as it carried her forward, Seraphine's face was full of curiosity about this unfamiliar place.
"Wait, who did you say?" Ekko's eyes suddenly widened.
"Lady Camille, Piltover's finest Enforcer in the past." Seraphine covered her mouth and laughed.
She could hear Ekko's soul singing a song of memories. Although she did not know why he had connected Camille with Orianna, it did not stop her from giving this adorable boy a small hint.
At the mention of that name, Ekko jolted, realization spreading across his face.
Oh, Zaun above, I remember!
It was Camille. That quiet girl's eyes were exactly the same as Camille's.
He had heard Vi, who was still scraping by in Piltover, mention that Camille's eyes had originally been sapphire blue. Later, they had turned pale blue because she had received a Hex Crystal transplant as a heart.
So, this girl before him...
He buried his shock deep inside and tried to keep his body calm, forcing his voice to remain steady.
"I've heard of Lady Camille's great reputation. I hope to become someone as great as her. We've entered Black Alley now!"
Listening to the song of his soul, Seraphine could not help covering her mouth lightly.
This boy was really interesting. The moment Black Alley was mentioned, his soul abruptly changed, and its song was full of sorrowful memories.
Who was Vi? Who was Silco? Who was Benzo?
Oh, what a song full of love, hate, and tangled emotions. It was so sigh-worthy.
"What is Black Alley? Why does it have 'black' in its name?"
Listening to the song of his soul, Seraphine asked eagerly.
"Black Alley used to be the darkest place in Zaun. The pollution here was the worst. Day or night, you couldn't see the blue sky, not even a trace of light from it," Ekko explained.
As he spoke, he thought of the time when he had lived in Black Alley. Bitter memories often left the deepest impressions.
"But now, you can still see the stars in the sky."
Seraphine pointed upward. Through the gaps between the densely packed buildings, a bright star could be seen glittering in the night sky.
"Yeah. You can see the stars now." Ekko's expression was hard to read, his tone filled with emotion.
He had never imagined that one day, Black Alley would be able to see the starry sky, something that should have belonged only to Piltover.
"Mr. Viktor returned with the technology he learned in Piltover. In just one month, he completely changed this place. He also made Zaunites understand that this land wasn't beyond saving after all."
Ekko thought of the figure he had seen that afternoon. The man's entire body had been wrapped in metal plating, concealing his appearance, but Ekko could hear from his voice alone that Viktor carried a heart that loved Zaun.
At least when it came to devotion to Zaun, Viktor was exactly like those of them who had been born and raised here.
"Everyone admires him so much. I really want to see what he looks like in person."
Seraphine opened her adorable eyes wide, pricking up her ears to listen to the melodies sung by the souls around her.
Zaun truly was different from what she had imagined.
"Ekko, you keep talking about Zaun in the past. What was it like?"
She was rather curious about it. Every soul from the past mentioned it. Whenever they did, their voices carried resistance, yet they could never avoid it.
"Zaun in the past?"
Ekko's steps paused slightly, a trace of nostalgia in his eyes.
"A dump ravaged by Piltover. The rivers were contaminated by industrial wastewater, and the air was filled with the smell of rot mixed with something pungent."
"I can't imagine that smell. The air now..."
Seraphine's delicate nose twitched, satisfaction spreading across her face.
"It has a faint floral fragrance."
"That's an air freshener developed by Mr. Viktor. Under his leadership, Zaun will become even better," Ekko said with heartfelt feeling.
"Hehe, Zaun is such a beautiful city now. But I think its transformation came not only from Mr. Viktor, but also from every one of you who loves Zaun."
Tilting her head, Seraphine narrowed her eyes as she listened to Ekko's Soul Song, then repeated it aloud.
"Who rules Zaun isn't important. What matters is igniting the passion in all of us born in Zaun to build our homeland. Every one of us is willing to contribute to our home."
"Are you from Zaun too?"
Her words struck straight at Ekko's heart, and he could not help asking hesitantly.
"Ah?" Seraphine blinked, realizing she had forgotten to change the words. She hurriedly explained, "Both my parents came from Zaun, so this place counts as half my hometown too. It's my first time here, and it's truly surprisingly wonderful."
I've stumbled my way through to Chapter 50. I never expected this book's numbers to be so good. I'm truly grateful to all of you readers for your support and tips.
Everyone in Runeterra has their own unique story. Every one of them is a heroic figure worthy of song and tears.
But due to the main perspective, word count, and my own limitations, I may end up glorifying some heroes, diminishing others, or even pushing certain characters to the margins. I've done my best to handle it, but sometimes it really isn't easy. Either the conflict is lost, or a character's image is damaged. I'll do my best to work things out and connect every thread, so every character can show their charm through some part of the story.
Finally, thank you all for your support! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
P.S. Thanks to "Ordinary Warrior" for the 500 tip!
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