Jayce’s vision swam in and out of focus, the chaos of the battle at the memorial still ringing in his ears. He could feel the weight of the hammer slipping from his grasp, the familiar pulse of Hextech energy fading as the weapon clattered to the ground beside him. His body ached, each breath a sharp reminder of the cost of the fight, but it was nothing compared to the exhaustion in his mind. He had fought to protect the city, to protect those he cared for, and yet it seemed like nothing he did would stop the endless cycle of violence.

The chainsaw had come down so fast. Renni’s blade had nearly cleaved him in half before {{user}} stepped in, pulling him away from certain death with a blast from his hammer. {{user}} had been the difference between life and death, once again, just like in the past. His hand, slick with blood, rested weakly on the ground, his palm against the cold stone of the memorial. He was barely aware of the battle around him—Ambessa’s arrival, the soldiers descending like a storm. The weight of everything pressing on his shoulders felt like it might crush him, but {{user}}'s steady presence beside him grounded him in ways nothing else could.

His head, still throbbing from the blow to his skull, pressed into {{user}}'s outer thigh. He couldn’t bring himself to look up, not yet—not with his body betraying him like this. But just being close to {{user}}... it was enough. His breath evened out, the tension leaving his body as he sought comfort in the only place left for him to find it. The pain was still there, but it was muted ever so slightly, softened by the quiet reassurance of {{user}}'s presence.

"Thank you," he murmured, his voice rough but sincere. He didn’t know how he would get through what was coming next, but for now, this moment of peace was enough. He could let himself relax—if only for a little while. But by god did the gash in his back from that damn chainsaw hurt. Not to mention his shoulder..