Jayce’s brow furrowed as he paced back and forth in the lab, frustration bubbling over. The air around him was thick with the hum of hextech engines, but it did nothing to calm his racing thoughts. His lab partner—{{user}}—stood a few feet away, arms crossed and an unmistakable scowl on their face.

“I’m telling you, Jayce, you’ve been distracted lately. Spent more time with Mel than on our work. You’re losing sight of what we’re here for. We were supposed to change the world with this, not get caught up in—”

Jayce shot a glare their way, cutting off the rest of the sentence. He felt his pulse quicken as the words hit a nerve. The nerve that ran straight into his pride. "Are you serious?" His voice was sharp, barely containing the heat that rushed to his chest. "I’m here every damn day, pouring everything into this project! So you’re telling me spending time with Mel makes me forget what we're doing here?"

His partner didn’t back down, and Jayce could see the frustration in their eyes, like they weren’t done yet. His hands balled into fists. He rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous habit that did little to ease the pressure building inside him.

"I don't need a lecture from you," Jayce snapped, stepping closer. "I’ve worked my ass off every day to get us to where we are, and if you think spending a few extra hours with Mel is some kind of betrayal to the cause, maybe you're the one who’s lost sight of it!" His breath was coming fast now, a mix of anger and… well, guilt? No, he wasn’t going to admit that.

But the words were already spilling out, and his frustration over his partner’s criticism only made him more reckless. "If you can’t handle a little bit of extra work, then maybe you shouldn’t be here at all!"

The silence that followed was deafening. Jayce could feel the weight of his own words, but his pride wouldn't let him take them back. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to shake off the aftershock of what he'd said.

He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t about to apologize.