Chapter 18 – Shadows Beneath the City
The day after the kiss felt different.
Steven woke up with a strange warmth lingering in his chest, his mind still wrapped in the memory of Sera's touch, the softness of her lips, the quiet connection they'd shared. Everything else faded to the background, if only for a moment. Even the humming of tools and scattered blueprints in his workshop couldn't quite compete with it.
But peace in Piltover never lasted long.
It began with murmurs.
Steven sat by a windowsill in the Academy's lounge, nursing a cup of coffee while reading a dusty tome on crystallized energy flow. Sera joined him a few minutes later, sliding into the seat beside him with a smile.
"Morning," she said, nudging his shoulder. "You look unusually dreamy today."
He chuckled. "Just thinking about how I might survive another lab inspection without blowing up half the bench."
Before Sera could respond, the news broadcast flickered to life across the room. Students nearby turned their heads toward the display, and within seconds, the lounge grew silent.
A stern-faced reporter appeared on the screen. Behind her were visuals of smoke and unrest flickering footage from the depths of Zaun.
"This morning, reports confirm a series of coordinated riots in Zaun's industrial sectors. Several chem-baron facilities were targeted, and damage estimates are already rising. Piltover officials have yet to respond publicly, but tensions between the upper city and Zaun continue to escalate."
Steven leaned forward, brows furrowing.
"Eyewitnesses claim the riots were not entirely unorganized. Some described strange weapons and 'masked figures' leading coordinated attacks, armed with enhanced tech and smoke-based disorientation tools."
Sera blinked. "That's… not just a protest."
"No," Steven muttered. "That sounds planned. Precision tactics, advanced gear? Something's changing down there."
Zaun had always been a place of chaos. Toxic fumes, unchecked ambition, and desperation bred innovation and rebellion. But this wasn't random violence. This felt like a warning.
"I know Zaun's rough, but this is new," Sera said, voice lower now. "You think it's a new gang or…"
"Could be," Steven replied, eyes still locked on the screen. "Or maybe something bigger. There were masked figures, advanced tech. Someone's leading this."
His mind immediately raced to potential culprits. Silco's name floated through his memory, along with the violent legacy Zaun had carved into the world. But then came a more terrifying realization.
"What if someone's building up a war machine?" he whispered, almost to himself.
Sera raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
He exhaled slowly. "Weapons. Gear. Leaders. They're arming up. Zaun doesn't rise like this unless someone wants it to."
She looked at him with a mix of concern and curiosity. "What do we do?"
Steven stared at the flickering images again. He didn't have an answer. Not yet. But something was stirring in Zaun, and he could feel it in his bones — something that could change everything.
And if he wanted to be ready for it, he'd need more than just ideas.
He'd need to finish the Project Archive – Echo Tech.
Project Archive – Echo Tech – Current Priorities:
Web Slinger – Initial tests successful.
Repulsion Bracer – Minor stability issues.
Recon Visor – Needs calibration for night ops.
Hidden Blade – Now installed for personal defense.
Shock Ring – Undergoing power limit tests.
Tactical Blaster – Concept sketches underway.
Arc Reactor – On hold (insufficient funding).
Later that evening, Steven sat alone in his workshop, his mind still haunted by the images of Zaun. The kiss with Sera had marked the start of something real something warm.
But the shadows of the undercity didn't care about warmth.
And he couldn't afford to be unprepared.