Viktor finally pushed open the heavy doors to the lab, then stopped in the doorway, his tired amber-brown eyes scanned the room. There, by one of the tables, was Heimerdinger, as chipper as always, gesturing enthusiastically with his tiny hands. But it wasn’t Heimerdinger who drew Viktor’s attention—it was the… bear of a man standing next to him.

He was tall. Taller than Jayce. His broad shoulders stretched the fabric of what had to be custom-tailored clothes, and every inch of him seemed… expensive.

Viktor didn’t even need to guess; this guy wasn’t from Zaun.

Heimerdinger was chatting animatedly, probably explaining some intricacy of Hextech. Viktor caught snippets of words—“resonance fields,” “stabilization parameters,” the usual. But this man… he wasn’t just listening. He was nodding thoughtfully, as though he actually understood what Heimerdinger was saying. That was surprising enough.

Most outsiders had no patience for Hextech mechanics.

“Ah, Viktor!” Heimerdinger’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. The yordle waved a tiny paw enthusiastically. “You’re just in time! We were just discussing your and Jayce’s recent advancements. Truly remarkable work!”

The bear—because that’s what Viktor’s brain kept labeling him—turned to face him now. Then nodded in greeting.

“You must be Viktor,” the man said calmly. “Heimerdinger’s been telling me about your contributions. It’s an honor to finally meet you.”

Viktor blinked, unsure how to respond. The man was polite, sure, but there was something about him that made Viktor feel… scrutinized. Not in a hostile way, but like the man was peeling back layers to see what was underneath.

Viktor wasn’t used to that.

Most people looked at him and saw only the surface—the thin frame, the mechanical leg, the awkward engineer who preferred machines over people.

He finally cleared his throat. “Yes, well… It’s… good to meet you too,” he said, his tone more clipped than he intended. “I assume you are… a colleague of some sort?”