Chapter 23 – The Hidden Power Within
The sounds of distant chaos grew louder with every passing second. The sharp cracks of explosions echoed through the streets of Piltover, mixing with the panicked cries of the citizens who fled in every direction. Steven's mind raced, but his body felt like it was frozen in place.
Sera's hand gripped his arm tightly, her fingers trembling as she looked up at him, eyes wide with confusion. "Steven, what's happening? What's going on?"
He couldn't answer her. His thoughts were scattered, unable to focus on anything except the fear clawing at his chest. He was supposed to be the protector, wasn't he? A man who could change the world, who could build weapons, create technology, fight battles. But in this moment, he felt nothing but weak.
The blasts in the distance weren't caused by him, he wasn't the target of this destruction. But as the streets turned chaotic and the explosions rang out, Steven realized something.
He was powerless. He had no way to fight this. No army, no training, no strategy. The designs, the prototypes, the plans he had spent months building , they were just… toys. They were nothing in the face of real danger. His inventions weren't enough. He had built a life based on a façade of self-reliance, a belief that technology and willpower could solve everything. But in the face of an attack, in the face of real violence, he was just like everyone else. Helpless.
Sera's voice broke through his spiral of self-doubt. "Steven! We need to get to safety. Now!" She pulled at his arm, her face pale, but her voice still held a strong undertone of urgency.
He turned to her, and for a moment, he couldn't move. His legs felt like lead, his mind caught in the vice grip of fear. What could he do? What good was his genius if it couldn't protect the people he cared about?
But then, as the realization hit him, something else flickered in the back of his mind, a faint, pulsing energy that he couldn't quite place. It was as if something deep inside him was stirring, beckoning him to pay attention.
...
...
"Steven?" Sera's voice was now full of concern, but before he could answer, a distant rumble sent a shudder through the ground, followed by the scream of sirens and the blare of alarm bells. The city was under siege.
Sera tugged him again, her grip insistent, but Steven was lost in his thoughts. He wasn't the hero he thought he was. He had been so caught up in inventing gadgets, in trying to create something useful, that he never considered what it would mean to truly protect the ones he loved.
"I'm not enough," Steven muttered to himself, the weight of the realization crashing over him. He couldn't protect Sera. He couldn't protect the city. And as the rumbling continued, he felt like a small, insignificant piece in a world that was far too big for him to control.
Sera's hand was still on his arm, pulling him forward, but her voice softened, her eyes searching his face. "You're more than enough, Steven. I believe in you. We just need to—"
Before she could finish, a deafening explosion erupted from nearby, the shockwave sending them both stumbling. Dust filled the air, and the ground trembled beneath their feet. Panic surged in Steven's chest as he instinctively reached for Sera, pulling her close as debris rained down around them.
They ducked into a nearby alleyway, pressing their bodies against the cold stone wall, gasping for breath. Steven's heart raced, his mind spinning as he tried to assess the situation. But all he could focus on was the feeling of helplessness that gripped him tighter than any enemy ever could.
He had nothing.
Nothing but his inventions — and even those couldn't save them now.
Sera, on the other hand, didn't seem to share his fears. She was calm, her hand gently resting on his, her gaze steady. "We need to move. There's no time to waste. If we stay here, we'll be caught in the open."
"Yeah…" Steven swallowed hard, his voice shaky as he spoke. "I know. I just… I don't know what to do." His voice cracked, the vulnerability spilling out before he could stop it.
"You don't have to have all the answers," she said, her voice a quiet reassurance in the midst of chaos. "We'll figure it out together. We always do."
Together.
He wanted to believe her. He wanted to feel the same certainty she did. But how could he? How could he keep up the façade when everything he had been building for so long felt so utterly useless now?
"We need to get back to the Academy," Sera continued, breaking through his spiral. "I know you've been training and planning. You've got more than just gadgets up your sleeve, Steven. You've got… heart. That counts for more than you think."
He was quiet for a moment, unsure of what to say. Her words felt like a lifeline thrown into a storm, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn't enough.
"I can't be weak like this," he muttered, more to himself than to her. "I can't just keep making things and hoping they'll save me when it matters most."
"You're not weak, Steven." Sera's voice was firm, her gaze unwavering. "You're scared. But that doesn't make you weak. It makes you human."
She gave him a soft smile, though it didn't reach her eyes entirely, and that's when Steven realized just how much this attack was affecting her too. She was trying to be strong for him, but her own uncertainty was buried beneath her words.
For the first time since he had arrived in this world, he saw the world not through the lens of the story he thought he understood, but as it truly was, chaotic, unpredictable, and full of people just trying to survive. They weren't characters in a story anymore. They were real, with fears and hopes and dreams. And even Sera — his close friend, his confidante — was just as vulnerable as he was.
"I've been thinking too much," he said, looking down at his hands, clenched tightly at his sides. "I've been so caught up in my inventions that I've forgotten what's really important. I thought I could just invent my way out of problems… but maybe it's not about the tech after all."
Sera's grip on his hand tightened, and for the first time in a while, Steven let himself lean into the comfort of her presence. He wasn't alone in this fight, even if he felt weak. And maybe, just maybe, that was enough for now.
For the first time in days, he could feel a tiny flicker of hope rise within him. He wasn't done. He still had a chance. And together with Sera, he would find a way to survive this.
The storm had come, but they weren't alone in it. And with that thought, Steven took a deep breath, ready to face whatever would come next.