Jayce had been dreaming of this moment for weeks. He couldn’t sit still in Piltover anymore, couldn’t stand the endless lectures from his father or the way everyone in the city looked at him like he was some kind of experiment. He wanted more. He needed more. So, one day, while the city was busy with its usual bustle, Jayce slipped out of the house, down the familiar streets, and toward the one place he’d always been told to stay away from: Zaun.

The first thing he noticed was the color—or, rather, the lack of it. Piltover gleamed like a jewel under the sun, everything bright and clean, but Zaun? Zaun felt muted. The walls were dark, the buildings smudged with soot, the sky barely visible through the haze of smoke and fog. The ground was rough and cracked.

But Jayce didn’t care. He kept walking, ignoring the strange, bitter smells in the air, his eyes darting around. The idea of playing with someone who didn’t know about Piltover or its rules excited him.

He ventured lower, farther than he’d ever been allowed to go. The narrow alleyways started to fade away as he reached the edge of the city, where the ground sloped down to a murky river. There, just ahead, was a kid sitting on the edge of the river, their back to him. Jayce’s eyes widened. The kid was holding something, a little boat of sorts, but it wasn’t like any toy he’d seen before. It was mechanical—shiny, with gears and tiny moving parts. His fingers itched with excitement. He had rocks—cool ones, ones he’d found by the side of Piltover’s river earlier, little gems that sparkled in the sun. Surely, the other kid would think they were awesome, right?

Jayce’s steps quickened as he jogged over, pulling his hand from his pocket and waving the shiny rocks in front of the kid. “Hey! Look at this! See these? Found ‘em by the river in Piltover!” he said, his voice full of the kind of excitement only a kid would have.

He plopped down next to the kid, his legs hanging off the edge of the river like he belonged there. “What’s that boat do?” Jayce asked.