Arcane: Broken Mechanism

Sirion caught up with the group at the turn of a narrow alley. They stopped, talking among themselves. Vi was giving out directions with a wide smile, Powder was jumping around, waving her arms, and Claggor and Mylo were laughing about something of their own.

"Oh, look who caught up," Vi grinned, noticing Sirion. "Well, he survived his encounter with Оericho."

"Yeah, thanks for your concern," Sirion replied sarcastically, coming closer. "Is it okay that you just left me there alone?"

"We thought you were going to run after us! And you stayed?" Powder, her eyes wide with surprise, came closer. She looked very embarrassed and smiled at him guiltily.

"Like I had a choice," Sirion replied, crossing his arms. "While you were running away, I had to sort things out with him."

"Ha, sort things out!" Mylo chuckled. - That big guy would just grumble and that's it.

"Not exactly" Sirion threw a reproachful look at Mylo." By the way, I paid for your whole "friendly company."

"Are you serious" Vi raised her eyebrows, looking at him in surprise:

"What do you think?" Sirion asked, shrugging. "He clearly wasn't going to let you go on your word of honor."

Vi scratched the back of her head in embarrassment, and Claggor clapped Sirion on the shoulder:

"That's the way to go, Sirion! Now you're definitely one of us."

"Yeah" Sirion muttered, but there was a slight weariness in his voice.

"Well, you know... thanks! We really didn't want to leave you there." Powder came closer, awkwardly placing her hand on his shoulder.

Sirion looked at Powder again. Her childish nature made him smile involuntarily, but his thoughts returned to the same thing: he had never really thought about his height. Now, standing next to the others, he felt like a real "giant" among his peers for the first time, even with his height of 157 centimeters, which was slightly below the average for 13-year-olds in his home world and in his country. Ecco and Powder were clearly younger than him by a year or two, but they looked like they could get lost in a crowd of younger children.

His gaze slid to Vi. She was obviously older than the others - her confidence and leadership demeanor gave it away unmistakably. And although the difference in their heights was minimal, even these few centimeters made him feel a little awkward. But that was okay: when people like Benzo and Vander were nearby, he realized that even in his current body, he was far from the tallest.

Zauna, he began to notice, was a place where tall people could be counted on one hand. The atmosphere played a major role here: toxic air, minimal access to sunlight, a constant lack of proper nutrition. All this clearly left its mark on the development of the locals. But even in this darkness there were exceptions. Vander and Benzo, for example, seemed like they were from another world. There was something almost frightening in their size and height, as if nature had decided to compensate for the general weakness of others.

Sirion suddenly wondered: "I wonder if this body is part of the general rule or an exception in itself?"

"They didn't want to, but they left," he teased, grinning.

"Okay, okay, my mistake. I owe you. I'll pay you back," Vi nodded, her smile was light, but her gaze was still tenacious, like that of a predator who is always ready to attack.

The words were confident, but Sirion sensed something more. Perhaps it was her habit of not showing weakness, but there was a wariness in her gestures.

Vi was not used to trusting easily. Not in Piltover, not in Zaun. In Piltover it was expected: the sterile streets and polished facades hid many vices, and the shiny badges of the peacekeepers often hid a corrupt core. There, trust was a weakness, and the weak were quick to disappear.

But even Zaun, her home, was not always a refuge. As much as she loved those narrow streets, filled with toxic fumes and the noise of machinery, as much as she was proud to have grown up in their chaos, she knew well that there were many locals who cared nothing but their own gain.

Sirion watched her thoughtfully. Vi looked like a person who would go to the ends of the earth for her friends, but at the same time she was always on guard. For her, trust was more the exception than the rule, and only a few were worthy of this exception. She looked at him again, as if assessing.

"And you, by the way, are holding up well. And in general," she added, "good for you that you paid. Not everyone would have had the courage to do so after the look from Jericho."

"Consider it my way of apologizing," Sirion shrugged, hiding his hands in his pockets.

"See, it's not that scary," Powder smiled.

"I hope so," he answered.

"Enough chatter," Vi interrupted, waving her hand. "It's time to move on. There's still something to do before nightfall."

"What is it this time?" Mylo asked lazily.

"A surprise," Vi answered shortly.

Sirion merely shook his head, but a small smile appeared on his face. Despite their habit of leaving him to "figure things out on his own," he felt that following them had been worth it.

Vi, without waiting for any objections, waved her hand and led them further along the narrow and gloomy alleys. He had already moved after her, but paused for a second. When they left Benzo's shop it was about 7 pm, now it was about 9 pm. It would probably be better to end today's journey, which he quickly told Vi about.

"It's all nonsense, you'll have time to go where you need to later," she threw over her shoulder.

Sirion frowned, thinking that it was time to get rid of the company and find a way to return home.

"Hey, I actually need to..." he began, but Vi waved her hand away, not even turning around.

"Nonsense. The house won't run away. And where would you go? You're part of our team now, so get used to it."

Sirion sighed, realizing that arguing was useless. He put his hands in his pockets and continued walking behind, looking around. Neon signs hung on cracked brick walls, casting a cold glow over the alleys. Most advertised cheap drinks, gambling, or promised services of dubious nature. People milled about, almost all dressed poorly, but with a certain defiance. Some added acid-green hair, others homemade jewelry made from scrap metal.

There were establishments on every corner that smelled of sweat, cheap alcohol, and cigarettes. Strip bars with flashing lights beckoned to customers, and drunken shouts and music could be heard from the doors. The smell of burnt fat mixed with smoke wafted through the open windows of dive bars. Sirion frowned. This world seemed both alien and familiar. Everything here breathed chaos and survival, but he felt that there was a strange harmony to it.

"Hey, keep up," Vi called, looking back.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," he muttered, quickening his steps.

Powder was jumping up and down cheerfully next to him, chatting about their previous outing. Ekko was arguing with Milo about who was faster, and Klaggor was thoughtfully fiddling with some mechanism he'd found.

"We're almost there," Vi said, her voice drowned out by another rumble somewhere in the distance.

Sirion sighed again. "Something tells me this place won't be any better than the previous ones," he thought, looking at the approaching shadows of another alley.

He thought about the fate of the characters in Arcane. Vi, to be honest, didn't evoke a lot of positive emotions in him while watching. Her character herself started a big mess in the series, which everyone else then had to clean up. She was a rebel with a lot of problems due to her teenage years. Milo and Claggor died quite early, partly at the hands of Silko, partly at the hands of Powder.

Powder… Her image always evoked only sympathy in Sirion. In the series, she was a kind, sincere girl who just wanted to be useful, wanted to be accepted. He remembered how her big blue eyes shone with joy when she found even the slightest reason to feel part of the team. However, the world around her was too harsh for such a gentle nature.

Her clumsy attempts to help ended in failure, and Milo's ridicule and mistrust only worsened the situation. Even Vi, who seemed to be her support, sometimes broke down, not understanding how fragile her younger sister was. Sirion remembered how hard it was to look at her mental state after the explosion. Her shaking hands, her empty gaze, in which one could read not only guilt, but also a complete awareness of her uselessness. It was painful.

After the timeskip, things only got worse. Powder, who had become Jinx, was a completely different person. Crippled by her pain, she had become a chaotic, destructive force that was both frightening and pathetic. Sirion couldn't stop thinking about how many things could have turned out differently if she had been treated kinder, if she had felt needed.

And now, walking next to this small, happy girl, he suddenly felt a strange responsibility. This was a chance. A chance to change something. If only he could figure out how to help her, if only he could be the one who would accept her completely, without ridicule or judgment.

He stole a glance at Powder, who was walking next to him and happily telling something, smiling from time to time. "You deserve better, you all deserve better." - he thought, gritting his teeth.

But interfering too much with their fate... is it right? Maybe it's better not to see them too often, so that history can take its course. Sirion himself planned to get out of Zaun in the future, and unnecessary connections, especially with such people, could prevent him from doing this... But on the other hand, he really wanted to make sure that they survived. And he should think about everything in great detail.

Sirion walked along the narrow, winding alleys of Zaun, looking at the guys in front of him. Powder was chatting cheerfully with Ecco, and Klaggor and Milo were joking, as always, as if they did not notice the weight of the world around them. Vi walked ahead, confidently making her way, and from time to time she turned around to check if everyone was following her.

"But is it right?" he thought, looking at them. They were too alive, too real to perceive them as just characters from a TV series. But at the same time, he knew that interfering in their lives could lead to consequences he didn't even know about.

"Maybe I shouldn't be around them too much," he mused, looking at Powder's frail figure. "If their story takes a different path because of me, then who knows what will happen? What if it gets even worse?"

On the other hand, it was excruciating to realize that he already knew what awaited them. Milo and Claggor were doomed. Vi and Powder would lose each other and go through hell. Ecco... he would survive, but at what cost?

"But I want them to survive," he clenched his fists, looking at Powder, who at that moment laughed, looking at something in the window of another store. "I want them to have a chance at another life. Is that so bad?"

He took a deep breath, trying to get his thoughts in order. It was a choice between two extremes: either step away completely and let things take their course, or take a risk and try to change their fate.

"I need to think this through", he decided. Interfering could be too costly, for them and for him. Sirion had his own plans, too. He wasn't going to stay in this rotting city forever. Getting out of Zaun was his goal. The extra connections could become an anchor, dragging him down.

But even so, the thought of leaving them made him feel strangely guilty. Maybe he needed to find a balance. Be there, but not too much. Help, but not change the course of their lives too radically. Sirion glanced at Vi, who had stopped to wait for the others. Her confidence and determination always impressed him, even if he didn't always approve of her actions.

"I'll figure it out, he thought, quickening his pace to keep up. But for now... let it be as it is. At least for a while."