Before the rise of the city-states there were only small villages of people. These villages of people were resourceful against the creatures that plagued the earth. For a while there was peace among the villages of man. That was until man got too strong and learned too much about the world. No one knows when people first started killing each other, but ever since the world was thrown into chaos. Many villages banded together to defend themselves against their once friendly neighbors. Most of the villages fell and got swallowed up by more powerful village tribes. The once peaceful villagers were now gripped by fear and began to lose their trust in their so-called "allies." Huge battles determined the strong from the weak and many battles took place every single day. As villages grew from their numerous victories so did their enemies and before long the strong would clash swords.
The world was constantly in war and necessity only created more powerful weapons and brought out horrible new magic which devastated the landscape. Some people realized their own destructive tendencies and banded together to right the wrongs they had committed. The Institute of War was the product of powerful wizards in an attempt to stop magic from destroying the world. The idea actually worked with all the main factions of the world being able to come to an agreement to send representatives to decide the outcome of battles without the loss of civilian life. However, it only delayed the inevitable destruction that people will bring upon themselves…
Jack always wanted to be a summoner. It seemed so cool to him. Maybe that was him being selfish, but hey, protecting the world from itself seemed cool. It wasn't going to be possible for Jack though, he didn't have any magical capability. Being told by his mother that his dream was impossible didn't help with that problem. "Jack! Why don't you give up on those silly dreams of becoming a summoner and learn to be a cook instead?" his mother would say. Jack lost his dream and learned the craft of cooking. He helped out with his family's diner and lived life going through the motions. Until one fateful evening brought him a chance to save another life.
It was mid-afternoon when Jack was walking back from a grocery run when he encountered a gang harassing a group of women. Jack walked past them minding his own business, keeping his head down. The pleas of help seemed to go through one ear and out the other. Jack quickened his pace, but one of the women grabbed his arm, begging to help. Jack's eyes widened in shock when one of the gangsters ripped the women off of Jack. Jack dropped his groceries and punched the gangster as hard as he could in the liver. The man went limp causing the other gangsters to see what was going on. They pulled out their hextech revolvers causing Jack to run towards them.
They fired shot after shot, most of them going wide. The women all screamed as they ran away from the fight. Jack did everything that came to mind to survive. He dodged and weaved between the magic infused bullets. One shot tore through his shoulder as he tackled one of the men to the ground. He wrestled the man to the ground to take the gun out of the man's hand. Some more bullets pierced through Jack's chest as he got the gun and held one of the gangsters in front of him.
"Don't shoot or I will kill your friend here!"said Jack wheezing.
"Go ahead and kill him he isn't our friend." called out one of the men.
"No, please don't I have a family." pleaded the man that Jack held hostage.
Jack didn't have a chance to act when the rest of the gangsters opened fired on Jack and the man. Jack and the man slumped onto the ground bleeding to death from their gunshot wounds. The gangsters surrounded Jack's body and started kicking him.
"This is what you get for messing with the Crimson Raiders." called one of the men.
"Hey, stop it." said one of the men dressed better than the rest of the gangsters. He was probably the gang's leader. "Boy, you are one dumb son of a bitch. All you had to do was walk away and this wouldn't have happened to you. But you messed up and now you have to pay." he put the barrel of his revolver to Jack's knee. "Listen kid, it was nothing personal but you got in the way." he said before blasting Jack's kneecap.
Jack's wails of pain echoed down the wide streets. Tears filled his eyes. No one coming to his rescue. His vision was getting blurry and the world was fading to black. A boot to his face brought him back to reality. A kick to the gut reminded him that he was going to die. He closed his eyes and wondered, was it worth it. He chuckled at his own stupidity. He was grabbed by the neck and throttled until his eyes fluttered open.
"What's so funny punk?" asked the man. "Can you even hear me? I said what is so fucking funny punk? Answer me!" screamed the leader when Jack didn't answer. "That's it. Give me the knife. I'm going to cut this fucker's ear off."
One of the men handed the leader a serrated blade. The leader pressed the cold serrated steel against Jack's face.
"You feel that? That is going to be the blade that cuts your ear off." taunted the man.
All of the other men laughed at Jack's condition. They were all screaming for the leader to cut Jack's ear off already. The leader happily obliged in his comrades sadistic wishes. Jack grit his teeth and prepared for the worst. He didn't want to give them the satisfaction of making him scream to stop. The leader cut Jack's ear off halfway before tearing the rest of the ear off. Jack screamed in pain despite his wishes to not. He wasn't tough, he was weak and pathetic. But he could die happy knowing that he saved some people.
He smiled in the grim situation causing the gangsters to become even took the time to break the bones in his body before starting to rip out his teeth one by one before finally deciding it was time to end Jack's life. The leader put the barrel of the gun to his head.
"Any last words kid?" asked the leader.
Jack only smiled with his missing teeth and bloodied face. He closed his eyes and accepted his death. But it never came. He heard a scream of rage followed by shockwave.
He opened his eyes to see a pink haired beauty pummeling the group of men into the ground. He smiled, better late than never. He chuckled one last time before giving in to unconsciousness.
When Jack finally came to his senses, he could only laugh at the state he was in. He was covered gauze and had casts on all of his limbs. He was hooked up to so many tubes and medical machinery. He couldn't feel any part of his body or even move, probably because he was on heavy painkillers and sedatives. He looked around his hospital room, admittedly he couldn't see much because he couldn't move his neck. He wished his mother didn't see him in this state. He was such a sorry mess, for god's sake he breathing out of a tube. His mother would be worried sick when she heard what happened to Jack. Oh gods, what about the medical costs. There was no way in hell that his family could afford the medical bill.
Jack could only wait in anxiety for what would happen next. A nurse came into Jack's room an hour later and noticed that Jack was awake. She checked some of the equipment before leaning close to Jack.
"There are some people that want to talk to you, is that okay?" the nurse asked averting her eyes from directly staring into his.
"Who are they? Is one of them my mother?" Jack wheezed out weakly.
"Yes, as well as some officers."
"Can you send the officers first? I don't think I'm ready for my mother to see me in this state." said Jack with a weak smile.
The nurse wordlessly left. Soon after three people walked into the room. One of them was the pink haired beauty that saved him. The three officers sat in chairs besides Jack.
"Hello, Jack. My name is Caitlyn. How are you feeling?" asked a black haired woman.
Jack examined the features of her. He saw the badge on her uniform. She was a captain and from her looks alone she was probably the type of person who followed the rules to the letter.
"I've never been better," Jack joked to no one's laughter. "Well, I'm thankful to be alive at least. Is the one of the other wounded men better? I used him as a shield to stop them but they shot through him to hit me. Those men didn't even give a thought about that man. I just wanted to know if he was okay. I didn't want him to die. He said he had a family and I don't want to be the direct cause of killing someone's father."
"Sorry he didn't make it in time. He's dead." said Caitlyn solemnly. Jack didn't say anything, he only glanced downwards briefly. "All those men who hurt you are behind bars and awaiting trial. You saved those women. On the behalf of those women, I personally thank you for your actions. I'm sorry for what it has costed you."
"It's okay. I still would have done the same even if I died. I don't regret my actions. I'm curious how much is my medical bill going to cost. I don't think my family could afford to keep me alive." Jack said with a grimace.
"Don't worry about the costs. It is being covered by the women you saved as gratitude," said Caitlyn quickly to ease Jack's worries. "Anyways, I'm curious of what kind of punishment you would want for the men who hurt you."
"I want those men to have a second chance. I-" began Jack.
"Are you crazy?" interrupted a man holding a large hammer. "Those men almost killed you and you want to give them mercy. Are you sure you weren't hit too hard in the head?"
"Jayce be quiet, let him explain himself." commanded Caitlyn.
"Well I believe that people deserve second chances, because not all of us are fortunate enough to born into decent lives. I at least don't want them to have the death sentence." Jack said. "I know I sound idealistic but then again, I never had the fate of people's lives in my hand before." Jack looked at the pink haired beauty. He noticed her tattoo underneath her eye "I never got to thank you for saving my I was unconscious at the time, but I am fine now so thank you. I am thankful that you saved my life."
"How can you act so normally after what happened to you?" the tattooed girl asked.
"Well, I am still in shock I guess. Right now, I don't know how to react. I'm just hoping life will get back to normal for me." Jack slowly said. "There is nothing wrong with me right?"
"I'm sorry Jack, but with your injuries there were some parts of you that had to be removed and replaced. You-" Caitlyn began. She visibly swallowed. "You lost your right leg from below the knee. You also have some shrapnel in your heart that the doctors couldn't remove. The only thing keeping you alive is an electromagnet in your chest."
Jack was silent for a long time. He didn't know how to process this new information. Caitlyn led everyone outside of Jack's hospital room. Caitlyn, Vi, and Jayce could hear the silent sobs from outside the door. Vi clenched her fists in anger. Caitlyn put a hand on Vi's shoulder. Vi's angry eyes met Caitlyn's understanding ones. Vi brushed off Caitlyn's hand. She picked up a chair and threw down the hospital hallway before running away into the raining night. Caitlyn sighed in disappointment. She was hoping to ease her partner's worry by showing her the person she had saved. But she made the whole situation worse. Caitlyn motioned for Jayce to follow her. She knew where Vi would run off to.
"God damn it! I am so fucking useless. I can't even save save one goddamn person!" screamed Vi as she smashed broken down cars with her gauntlets.
She destroyed everything in her path before collapsing to her knees. She stared at the stormy skies, rain making her hair stick to the side of her face. She remembered all those people she saved from the mines. They were so thankful to be saved and they weren't injured. But she saw in Jack's eyes his lies. She could tell he didn't want any of them to worry about his conditions. She detached her hextech gauntlets and reached into her pocket to pull out a wad of folded paper. It contained all the names of the gang members who hurt Jack. She vowed vengeance upon the gang members and the rest of the gang. Never again will another weakling be abused.
She was from Zaun the underbelly of Piltover and she learned growing up that only the tough kids could survive the corruption. People like Jack died quickly and no one close to them had time to mourn for them. Looking back at her life now, she felt anger. Back then she wasn't strong enough to save her fellow survivors in the slums, but now she felt like she had no excuse. She was more experienced now than she ever was when she was younger, but looks like she wasn't experienced enough.
"You know it isn't your fault." called out a familiar voice.
Vi quickly crumpled the paper and shoved it into her pocket before turning around. It was Caitlyn standing beside her police cruiser. Vi glanced through the front windshield to see Jayce sitting in the passenger seat.
"There was too much distance between you and Jack when the call came in. You can't blame yourself for Jack's injuries." Caitlyn continued. Vi eyes twitched. "Listen what happened in the past can't change, you just got to get over it." Vi averted her eyes and scoffed. "Don't do something stupid."
"What did you see in me when you came to ask for my assistance against the local gangs of Zaun?" Vi asked staring directly into Caitlyn's eyes.
"Well," Caitlyn began, pausing briefly. "I saw a girl with a lot of potential to do good."
"And what do you see now?" Vi asked sardonically.
"I see a partner that lost her way and needs some guidance." Caitlyn answered sympathetically. "This isn't what Jack would've wanted. He doesn't want revenge. He just wants everything to go back to normal."
"How could you say those things? How could people like you and Jack act like everything is alright when everything clearly isn't?" Vi asked vehemently.
Caitlyn was in deep thought and each passing moment only made things tenser. Vi was waiting for a simple answer to a complicated question. No matter what answer Caitlyn formulated in her head, none of them seemed good enough to appease Vi's anger. None of them ever would.
"I-" Caitlyn began. "I-I don't know." Caitlyn finished truthfully.
Caitlyn looked away dejectedly. Vi angrily sighed before picking up her gauntlets. She didn't know what she expected to happen when she confronted Vi. Maybe she thought it would somehow magically work out in the end. But life was never that easy. Caitlyn wished she had a convincing answer but she had nothing. Vi brushed past Caitlyn without a second glance. What happened to the confident sheriff of Piltover.
"Wait." Caitlyn blurted out. Vi stopped in her tracks. "I just wanted to say one last thing before you go." Vi turn to look at Caitlyn expectantly. "Maybe you should take a break from work. I was hoping you could use that time to spend with Jack and clear your mind." Vi didn't say anything and just walked away.
Vi thought about what her partner said. Could she really come face to face with Jack again? She slammed the door shut as deposited her gloves onto the floor. She sprawled herself across her bed and stared up at the ceiling. Jack probably didn't want to see her face anymore. The only problem was that Vi wanted to atone for her mistake. She groaned as she rolled over trying to get more comfortable. She sat up in her bed, too frustrated to fall asleep. She got up and headed over to her punching bag and tried to tire herself out. She was restless, even though her body was sore, her mind was going a million miles be hour. Maybe she should visit Jack. Just once or twice.
Jack didn't expect to see Vi the next day. He actually wasn't expecting anyone after his mother saw the state he was in yesterday. It was a serendipity nevertheless that Vi showed up. Jack warmly greeted her and joked about not expecting to be so famous. Vi didn't laugh at his joke and instead wanted to have a serious conversation.
"Listen, I came here today to say I'm sorry for not being able to save you sooner." Vi said eyes downcast.
"Hey, I don't blame you. There was no way anyone could save me sooner. The fact you were able to save me at all just proves how strong you are." Jack stated truthfully. He noticed Vi's doubtful look. "Listen, don't get caught up because I got seriously injured. I don't want to drag anyone down because of me."
"How could you be so selfless? Why don't you care more about yourself?" Vi asked.
"I could never be selfish not after losing my friend." Jack began speaking softly. "I always got sick easily and didn't find it fair at all. I hated the gods and anyone else that controlled my fate, until I met my best friend. He had a worse life than mine, but he still found it in himself to be strong for others and make them happy so they can forget their pain. We used to make songs and jokes commenting on the unfairness of the world around us. He always was so idealistic about the world and would always say that when all the weak people in the world banded together that we'd be able to do anything. I looked up to him, quite literally too, he was 6' 5" and I'm only a measly 5' 5". He always had a smile on his face not matter how hard the situation got and I respected him enough to try and be like him. He passed away though, he was only eighteen and got killed by a drunk driver. So everyday I have to be the better person and try to make the world a brighter place with my few talents to make up for his absence." Jack finished, tears welling up in his eyes in reminiscence. He blinked his tears away and looked towards Vi. "Hey, do you just want to talk about random things? I find it always helpful to talk."
"I'd like that." Vi said softly.
Jack smiled and began to talk to Vi anything that came to mind. Vi didn't remember how to hold a conversation at first, but Jack helped to get the ball rolling. Before she knew it, Vi found herself laughing and smiling. Hours of talking passed before it was interrupted by the nurse coming in to replace Jack's IV drip.
"Well it's getting late," Jack began looking outside to see the sun-setting. "You should probably get going to make it back home before midnight."
"Thank you for your time. It meant a lot to me." Vi said blushing like a schoolgirl.
"Trust me, it should be me thanking you. If it weren't for you, I'd just be waiting here alone in complete silence." Jack said smiling brightly.
Vi couldn't help but feel her heart flutter in her chest. She stuttered her goodbye before quickly running away in embarrassment. She heard Jack's laughter from down the hall. Vi pouted cutely, surely it wasn't that funny to him. Well, at least he's happy that alone made Vi's trip worth it.
For the next couple of days, Vi would spend her afternoon talking to Jack about anything. Day after day was a new experience and Jack was the center of it for Vi. She didn't know it but she was falling for him. When Vi got back to work after her three day sabbatical, all of her co-workers could tell that she was in a good mood, by the spring in her step. Caitlyn was happy to see her partner so cheerful.
"Someone's looking awfully happy." Caitlyn teased.
"Well it's your fault that I'm in such a good mood." Vi replied with a pout. "I never got to thank you for your advice. I talked to Jack and it really helped."
"I think everyone in the department could tell that it worked." joked Caitlyn. "I'm just glad to have my partner back."
Jack didn't expect anyone to magically appear in front of him in a bright flash of light. But then again, that wasn't necessarily what one would call a normal occurrence. The person that appeared was cloaked in a holy white cowl and seemed to have no body. The air seemed laced with electricity causing Jack's hairs to spike up. Jack's initial reaction to the sudden appearance was shock, but it was immediately replaced by curiosity. The stranger's presence felt oddly familiar.
"Hello, who are you?" asked Jack with a frown.
"An old friend." the figure responded curtly.
"Uhh, okay?" began Jack confused at the stranger's response. "Why are you here?"
"I'm here to give you the power you wanted but never had. I'm here to bestow you my magic." the figure stated moving closer to Jack.
"Wait, what magic? I thought that magic couldn't be suddenly manifested." Jack quickly spitted out.
"Listen, I've got no time to explain."
As soon as the figure finished saying the last syllable, Jack felt a rush of energy course through his body like a raging river. It was overwhelming. Jack's body started violently convulsing as his vital monitors started blaring. Jack could hear distant shouting as his eyes started to roll up into his head. Then it all went dark.
Jack's next memory was being resuscitated with a defibrillator. He was surrounded by six medical professionals who were shouting commands. He saw one of the nurses injecting him with a syringe and before he knew it he was back into a state of unconsciousness.
Jack awoke with a gasp, eyes fluttering open. He tried to get a bearing of his surroundings but found out quickly that he couldn't move his body. He noticed a doctor sitting down in a chair besides Jack holding a clipboard.
"Ah, Mr. Rein you're awake. Well, it appears that you had a seizure which lead to a cardiac arrest. Does your family have any members who are known to have seizures?" asked the doctor.
"Uhh, not that I know of sir." Jack replied with uncertainty.
"Well, do you have anyone in your family that possesses any magical capability?" asked the doctor flipping over a page.
"No sir. Why are you asking?"
"Well Mr. Rein, it seems like you are the very first documented case of a person manifesting their magical capability." the doctor answered with a smile as he dropped the bomb on Jack.
Jack had so many questions. How had he developed magic after not having it? Did last night actually happen? Did that mysterious stranger actually give him magic? The doctor interrupted his thoughts and brought him back to reality.
"From our recordings you have quite the large reserves of mana. Mana if you didn't know yet is the essence of magic. It is what powers our spells and therefore our hextech technology. Since you just recently developed your magical abilities, I suggest that you go to the Institute of War and enroll in the summoner program as soon as you are released from our care. You will be able to safely foster your magic behind the walls of the institute."
Jack's heart soared above the clouds. Was this real life? Could he actually become a summoner? Could he finally be able to achieve his childhood dream? Jack smiled with giddy. He finally calmed down enough to ask a couple of questions.
"So when can I be released from the hospital?"
"Well earlier than expected due to your latent magical abilities manifesting. Your body is healing at an accelerated rate due to all of your mana. It is bolstering your body's abilities. You should be able to be out of your cast and start your physical therapy within a day or two."
"Hey, doc, what am I going to be doing in physical therapy?" asked Jack.
"You're going to be practice using your robotic prosthetic leg."
Jack could only smile at the good news. Things were starting to take a turn for the better. Suddenly Jack, felt an odd sensation shiver throughout his body as if telling him that he just jinxed himself. Jack shrugged off the feeling and smiled brightly. The future was going to be great. There was that odd sensation again. Jack frown, what could the sensation possibly be? A premonition perhaps? Maybe it was confirming that he was going to have an extraordinary future? The sensation came back this time it was amplified as if it was really against what Jack thought. Jack frown, wouldn't that mean that his life was going to get extremely difficult in the future? The sensation came back once more. Wait, what? If the sensation only came to deny what he thought, did that mean that he was actually going to have a good life? Jack swore that he felt as if someone slapped their forehead as hard as possible within Jack's mind. What could that feeling possibly mean? Jack swore he heard someone cursing as they slam their hands on a mahogany desk. Wait, how did he know it was a mahogany desk? Was he going he going crazy? Jack swore he heard someone angrily scream, "I give up, you stupid fuck!" Perhaps Jack had heard someone from a different hospital room.
Jack was about to shrug off the sensation. But then suddenly the air got heavier. Light started to pool in the center of the room and solidify into a shape. The light increased in intensity causing Jack to close his eyes and turn his head away. The light slowly faded away revealing the stranger from yesterday night.
"Oh hey it is you. So are you the reason that I have my magical powers?" asked Jack curiously. The figure only sighed angrily before answering.
"Yes, I was trying to tell you that life is going to get hard without freaking you out, but you are too dull to understand." complained the figure.
"I'm sorry for not understanding before, but I understand now." Jack apologized sincerely. "So what exactly is making my future difficult?"
"There is going to be a threat that develops that is going to threaten all existence as we know it and I need your help to stop it." the figure stated. The figure held up its hand before Jack could ask a question. "No, I can't do it by myself because I am technically dead. Also I can't tell you my name or else I will fade out of existence. Yes, I know what you are thinking because you are my host. I lend you my powers in exchange for your services. All I need you to do is stop the future threat from destroying the world. I'll help you out with understanding my powers as you gain experience with it."
The stranger faded away back into particles of light which made their way into Jack's body. Jack gasped as he felt a cold presence of something entering his body. That sensation was going to take a while to get use to. Jack shrugged it off. Now he knew a general idea of what his future held. Hopefully he could help this stranger out and help him accomplish his task.
"I sure hope so too, old friend." whispered the stranger within his mind.
Okay that was new. Definitely going to be a while to get use to a person talking to him in his own head. Jack wanted to ask the stranger some more questions but there was a knock on the door. Jack looked out the window to see the position of the sun. The only person who would be coming in at this time would be…
"Come in Vi. I was waiting to talk to you." Jack called out.
"Hello Jack. What did you want to talk about?" Vi said upon entering the room and closing the door behind her.
"So Vi, you know how when I was a little boy that I had the dream of becoming a summoner? Well, now I have the chance to be a summoner. Yesterday, I somehow was able to manifest my magical abilities. Isn't that great?" Jack stated happily.
"That's great. Maybe we could meet in the Institute. After all I am one of the champions representing Piltover." commented Vi, fully supportive of Jack's dream.
"Yeah, we could become the best summoner and champion duo ever." said Jack with a cheeky grin. He lost his grin when he thought about his mother. "The only problem that I have to deal with now is how to break the news to my mother. She won't be pleased with my shift in jobs. But maybe when I start making more money as a summoner that she wouldn't worry about it too much. Then maybe I could take care of her better and give her the life that she deserves." Jack sighed. "Anyways I'm going to get these casts off hopefully by tomorrow and start physical therapy. Apparently mana reinforces you body making it easier to heal. That was helpful to learn."
"I'm so glad that you were able to recover so quickly." Vi said hugging Jack.
Jack blushed because he couldn't complete the hug since his arms were still in their casts. It made the whole situation awkward when Vi realize too that Jack was still in casts. They both laughed it off like good friends would. They to talk about different things to pass the time.
The next day quickly rolled by and Jack was out of his cast and was already in physical therapy to get accustomed to his prosthetic leg. It didn't take long for Jack to get used to the prosthetic leg. The hardest part of getting use to his prosthetic leg was cleaning his stump. Jack always became uncomfortable when he had to wash his stump. It was a constant reminder to him that things were never going to back to how it was before Jack decided to stand up for someone. But maybe that was a good thing. It only took, Jack five days to get accustomed to all the responsibilities of his new robotic leg. Jack was finally able to leave the hospital after a day of testing to check up on his current health condition.
Now all Jack had to do was tell his mother of his ambitions. He made his way to the family diner that he and his mother ran. He saw his mother serving a table some food. He waited for his mother to finish serving the table before talking to her. He got his mother's attention by tapping on her shoulder. His mother almost fell to her knees in shock.
"Jack?" she whispered loudly in shock. "What are you doing here? How are you even here?"
Jack led his mother to a more private place they could talk before explaining what happened. His mother couldn't believe what Jack was saying even though she could see Jack in front of her. However her shock was quickly replaced with anger when Jack told her his goals on becoming a summoner.
"Jack, you can't become a summoner even if you have the magic now." Jack's mother spit out bitterly.
"Why can't I? If I could become a summoner then I could make enough to support you and me better, then we could be running this business." Jack reasoned.
"No, my decision is final. You aren't allowed to become a summoner!" shouted Jack's mother.
"At least allow me to understand the reasoning why. I just want to know why I am not allowed to now." Jack spoke trying not to get aggravated.
Jack's mother looked at him in horror. She didn't respond to Jack and instead stormed off and went back to work. Jack sighed in anger. Why didn't she trust him enough to tell him the answer to his question? All he wanted was to know. What was so hard about telling him an answer to a simple question? Jack took some deep breaths before heading down into the kitchen. He didn't speak to his mother as he got back to work. He washed his hands thoroughly before starting to cook. His mother tended to the tables while Jack prepared the various orders. Jack only had one thought on his mind while he was working. He had to convince his mother to let him become a summoner. The stranger in his head agreed and told Jack that they could use a magical spell to "convince" her. Jack brushed off the suggestion. He was opposed to using force against his own mother. He had to do it his way. The stranger warned that if Jack took too long to convince his mother that he was going to use force. Jack promised the stranger that it wasn't ever going to get to that point.
Jack's work ended and it was time to confront his mother. Jack waited for his mother to finished locking up the diner before starting his argument. But his mother wasn't going to have it. As soon as Jack began talking, Jack's mother slapped Jack across the face.
"I thought you stopped having your silly dreams of becoming a summoner." his mother cried. "Why did you start pursuing them again?"
"Mom, I gave up on my dream because I never had the chance, but now I do. Can't you just support your son's dream." Jack pleaded.
"I have no son anymore." she cried out. "I don't want to see your face anymore!' she screamed running away.
Jack tried to run after her but couldn't move. He tried to call out for her, but he couldn't speak. He wanted to move or to speak but was unable to do so. What was happening to him? The stranger only softly apologized saying that it was "better" this way. How could the stranger say things like that? Couldn't he see that this isn't what Jack wanted? Jack's body seemed to move on its own away from the direction that Jack's mom ran towards. Jack tried to move but the will of the stranger was stronger. Jack couldn't even cry as he headed towards his future.
Jack was sitting on a bullet train heading towards the Institute of War. He was staring out the window, trying to get over the fact that the stranger made him walk away from his mother after she basically disowned him. Was the stranger going to stop at nothing to accomplish his task? The stranger gave no response to Jack's mental question. Jack's mourning was interrupted by a deafening laugh coming from outside his train compartment. Jack decided to check out who could possibly be making such a loud laugh. Jack was surprised to see what seems to be a teenage girl teleporting all over the place, causing some havoc. Jack noticed that her path of chaos was gradually getting closer to him until… *SLAM* The girl teleported in front of Jack and headbutted him, causing both of them to fall to the ground.
"Owwie," pouted the girl cutely as she rubbed her forehead. "Sorry Mister, are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm alright." Jack said as he got up to his feet. He stuck his hand out to help the girl back onto her feet. She gladly took his hand, making Jack notice all of her unique features. "I'm Jack, what's your name? Also, how can your hair be bright changing neon colors?"
"I am Zoe the Aspect of the Twilight and Divine Messenger of Targon at your service." Zoe stated childishly. "My hair can change colors because of my magic. I'm going to be one of the new champions coming to the league." Zoe stated jumping up and down, hair getting brighter with each hop. "What about you? Are you a new champion as well?"
"Oh no, not me. I heading to the Institute of War to become a summoner and learn to harness my magic." Jack answered.
"Wow, really?" Zoe said enthusiastically. "That's so cool."
"I know, right? My thoughts exactly." Jack said mirroring Zoe's enthusiasm.
"OMG, like, we're on the same wavelength. Let's be best friends."
"Of course. It would be a real shame if we weren't friends after getting along so well." Jack said, sealing his fate with crazy.
"Do you like mooncake?" Zoe asked randomly.
"It's the only the best Ionian pastry ever. Why are you asking? Don't tell me you could smell the mooncakes I have."
"Gimme mooncake!" Zoe said aggressively, tackling Jack to the ground.
Jack quickly pushed her off and made a run for it. He had to consume his delicious dessert before she could take it from him. He was saving that mooncake for a special occasion. There was no way that he was going to let some teenager steal his food. He unfortunately forgot about her ability to teleport. He saw her teleport in front of him gaining the edge. Jack lunged forward and tripped Zoe. He ran up ahead gaining a few precious inches before feeling a hand wrap around his ankles and tripped him. He looked up to see Zoe skipping by, blowing a raspberry as she passed him. It was too late to make a come back. Zoe held up his wrapped mooncake above her head in victory.
"Ha-ha. Victory is mine!" Zoe gloated full of fake pride. "There, there, I shall split the winnings like a humble victor."
Zoe unwrapped Jack's mooncake, split it into to perfect halves and handed Jack of a slice. Zoe ate her mooncake and moaned in ecstasy.
"MMM, SO GOOD!" Zoe moaned out. "Where did you get this get this mooncake from?" asked Zoe with a fiery passion in her eyes.
"I made it myself, here you can have my slice. After all you won it fair and square." Jack said giving her the slice.
However, little did Jack know that Zoe stopped paying attention after Jack admitted that he had created such a delicious masterpiece. Zoe pressed her small body against Jack's. Jack blushed profusely at her actions. It got worse when Jack tried to back up and ended up falling onto his back. Zoe just got on top of him, giving Jack some doggy eyes. Did this girl not know what she was doing to him? His heart was racing.
"You must make me more of those mooncakes when you have the chance." Zoe said with doggy eyes. She pressed her body more closely to Jack's for extra measure.
"Okay, okay, I'm promise. Just got off of me please. It is really embarrassing." Jack complained, giving up easily to Zoe's pressure.
Zoe cheered and helped Jack back up to his feet. She said she had to go do other things and left in a poof of sparkles. That was one weird girl. That was no girl, that "girl" is actually a couple millenniums old. She is quite literally a magical goddess. Jack was shocked to hear that news from the stranger residing in his mind. How could that teenager be a goddess? And on more pressing matters, how could Jack tell that the stranger was using air quotations? Don't you dare start fucking questioning this shit man. Hmm, maybe the stranger was right. Of course I'm right. I'm always right. Jack shrugged it off as he sat back down in his cabin. It was nice to meet new interesting people ever now and then.
Jack woke up with a start when the intercom blared out the news that the train has arrived at the Institute of War. Jack groggily stumbled out of his train cabin with his luggage. Jack became wide awake when he laid his eyes upon the Institute of War for the first time. The beauty of the architecture alone was enough to enraptured Jack's undivided attention. You could stop looking at the architecture now. We have to go. Oh shit, the stranger is right. Jack quickly looked around. He was suppose to be following the other summoner want-to-bes but he had completely lost them. Jack could only curse his bad luck. Hey, it is not bad luck. You are just stupid for wasting your time admiring a stone wall. Jack couldn't argue against that logic.
Now, how exactly was Jack going to find a way out of this situation? The stranger was silent, even he couldn't find a way out of this mess. Jack decided to do the only logical solution. Try to find a person who could point him in the right direction. Jack set off wandering in a random direction in hopes of finding someone, anyone. Wait, you shouldn't have thought of just finding anyone! What did that mean? Oh no too late. What did that mean? Jack didn't notice but he had clearly walked past a wooden sign that read: Do Not Step On Plants.
