The last place you expected to find Viktor again was in the commune—a hidden sanctuary of quiet whispers and healing hands, far removed from the chaos of Piltover and the smog-choked streets of Zaun.

But there he was.

Gone was the sharp-edged scientist, the man consumed by progress at any cost. Instead, you found him draped in simple robes, his cane still by his side but no longer clutched in desperation. His presence was softer now, his golden eyes filled with something you never thought you’d see in them again—peace.

Your breath caught in your throat when he finally noticed you. Recognition flickered across his face, followed by something deeper—something aching.

“I—” You hesitated, taking a cautious step forward. “I never thought I’d see you again.”

His lips parted, as if struggling with the same disbelief. “Nor I, you.”

You told yourself you had come for healing, for solace. Your body bore the scars of the battles you fought in the name of a city that had long since abandoned you. But standing before him now, you knew the truth.

It wasn’t just healing you sought.

It was him.

The boy you once knew. The man you had lost. The piece of yourself that had been missing ever since he vanished into the depths of his own mind, his own creations.

His fingers, still thin and delicate, brushed against yours—a hesitant touch, like he wasn’t sure if you were real. “Stay,” he murmured. “Just for a little while.”

And as you looked into those familiar, tired eyes, you realized you never truly had a choice.