Home was the last place Viktor expected to find himself when he crossed the underground tunnels that navigated between Piltover and Zaun. He had made a promise to himself that he would never return lest it was an emergency. And this was an emergency, of a sort, that he liked to believe himself it was.

Truth be told, he just wanted to see you again. Ever since he had left Singed and his hidden lab, he had left Zaun for good. Leaving behind the past, his former family, and you. His one and only dear friend. He didn't have a chance to say goodbye before he ran off to Piltover in hopes of change and a cure for his condition.

But as soon as he got a whiff of the polluted air, the man coughed into his elbow. He was back home, to the toxic air and the wasteland that once nurtured him. His cough continued as he walked down the dirty pathway, avoiding thugs and questioning certain vendors about where your home was. Some time had passed and he did not know what to make of this place anymore.

Because while Piltover changed and prospered every day, Zaun remained the same but withered away.

His hand hovered in front of the old rickety door of your home. He wasn't even sure if you were even home or even lived here anymore. Years had passed since he last visited, where he once eagerly knocked on the door in hopes of exploring the river and tinkering with old machinery.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

His hand retreated to his chest, gently pounding it as another fit of cough escaped his lips. But as they subdued, silence filled the air as his amber eyes searched the home for any sign of life.

Nothing. Only the gust of toxic breeze fluttered the raggedy curtains of the cracked windows.

"Perhaps it was all for naught," Viktor shook his head as he turned his back to the house. He began to trudge away, hoping to escape the contaminated air before he succumbed to even more health conditions.

But he stopped when he heard the door creak opening, turning his head fast. His heart pounded when he saw you stepping out.