"I've never seen Sevika with a kid before," he said, amusement dancing in his tone. "You must be someone special."

My heart skipped a beat. I froze, unable to respond, every muscle in my body tense. My mind screamed at me, Don't get attached. Don't you dare get attached to this man. He's doomed. The thought was like ice in my veins. Vander, the heart of Zaun, was destined for tragedy. And I... I wanted to live longer than 25 this time.

I knew I was being selfish, but the truth was simple, I was terrified.

When I didn't reply, Vander tilted his head, a trace of concern creeping into his expression. "Do you not like cocoa?" he asked gently, his voice pulling me out of my spiraling thoughts.

Guilt hit me like a punch to the chest. He sounded worried, and here I was being cold. To Vander. My throat tightened as I managed a tiny whisper. "I like it."

His face brightened, a simple but genuine warmth that made my chest ache in ways I didn't want to think about. He nodded toward the mug. "Good. It's not every day I make this, you know. Special occasions only."

I tried to muster a smile, but it probably looked more like a grimace. Before I could think of what to say, a high-pitched, energetic voice chimed in beside me.

"It's really good!"

My head snapped to the side, and there she was—Powder. Younger, her face free of the shadows the future would bring, bouncing excitedly on the stool next to me. She had an energy that felt like it could power the entire Undercity, her wide blue eyes filled with curiosity and mischief.

My stomach twisted, and I had to wrestle the panic clawing its way up my throat.

"Hi! I'm Powder." she chirped, her voice as bubbly as her personality.

"Hi, i'm Liz" I whispered, barely able to get the word out.

Her gaze darted to the bunny clutched in my hands. She leaned forward with the kind of fearlessness I envied. "What's his name?"

"Uh..." I stammered, suddenly hyper-aware that I'd never named it. My mind scrambled for something, anything. "Carrot?"

It came out as more of a question than an answer. Powder's eyebrows shot up, and before I could cringe at myself, another voice joined in from my right.

"Carrot?"

I turned slowly, as if moving too fast would shatter the moment. And there she was. Vi. A ten-year-old Vi, her face sharp with confidence but still untouched by the scars of what was to come. She looked at me like she was trying to figure me out, and all I could do was stare.

Oh my god. It's Vi. VI.

My hands clenched the bunny tighter as I tried not to lose it. Every instinct screamed to fangirl, to tell her how incredible she was, how much she deserved to be loved, how she was worth every bit of admiration in the world. My eyes must've been shining with pure awe because Vi raised an eyebrow at me, a smirk tugging at her lips.

Vi. Her voice was skeptical, the kind of tone you'd expect from someone who saw through every bit of nonsense in an instant. She slid onto the stool next to Powder, her short hair slightly mussed, her sharp eyes giving me a once-over. "That's a bunny, not a vegetable."

Heat flushed my cheeks as I clutched the bunny tighter. "It's just a name," I mumbled defensively.

Powder giggled, swinging her legs under the stool. "I think it's cute! Carrot the Bunny!"

Vi smirked, but there was no malice in it. "Well, at least it's original." She leaned her elbow on the counter, her posture relaxed but her gaze quietly assessing me. "So, what's your deal? You from Piltover or something?"

My throat tightened. How was I supposed to answer that? I wasn't exactly from Piltover—or anywhere, really—not anymore. "I... just got here," I said vaguely, my voice barely above a whisper.

Vi raised an eyebrow. "Got here? Like, to Zaun?"

I nodded, avoiding her gaze. "Sevika brought me."

Powder beamed, clearly excited. "Are you gonna stay? We don't meet new people much. Most of them are boring anyway."

I managed a shaky smile, though the weight of her innocent words felt like a stone in my chest. "I don't know."

Vi's smirk softened into something more thoughtful. "Well, if you're sticking around, you better get used to it."

"No kidding," I muttered, glancing nervously around the bar.

Powder suddenly leaned closer, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Wanna see my tricks?"

"Tricks?" I asked, my brows furrowing.

She nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah! I can make stuff explode! Not big stuff, just... little stuff. It's fun!"

"Powder," Vander cut in, his voice calm but firm.

She pouted, but his raised eyebrow silenced her.

Vi snorted. "Don't worry, she won't blow up anything important."

"Great," I muttered under my breath, gripping my bunny even tighter.

Powder giggled, completely undeterred. "You're funny!"

I wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not, but before I could decide, Vander set another mug on the counter. "Vi, don't scare her off," he said with a knowing smile.

Vi shrugged, leaning back. "Just being honest."

Powder nudged me with her elbow. "You're gonna like it here, I promise."

I swallowed hard, my chest tight as I looked at her bright, hopeful face. I wanted to believe her, but the shadows I knew were waiting for all of us felt too close. They thought I was here to stay, am i supposed to tell them its just an impromptu visit?

I joined them in drinking cocoa, letting their chatter wash over me. Powder talked a mile a minute about something she saw in the market—something about a man with a cart full of "the shiniest gears ever"—while Vi threw in teasing comments that made Powder huff dramatically. I barely spoke, too caught up in the sheer impossibility of it all. Vi, my favorite character—no, a living, breathing person—was here, right next to me. And Powder, so full of life, unbroken by the pain I knew was coming.

"Your hair is really curly!" Powder exclaimed suddenly, her wide eyes locked on the unruly halo framing my face.

"Looks like a bird's nest," Vi added with a sly grin, her tone just sharp enough to make Powder giggle.

I bristled slightly, instinctively smoothing a hand over my head. "It's nice," I grumbled, though my voice lacked any real heat.

"Looks like a nice bird's nest," Vi quipped, leaning back in her chair with a smirk.

Powder gasped, swatting at Vi's arm. "Don't listen to her! I like it. It's, uh... bouncy!"

"Bouncy?" I repeated, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Powder nodded enthusiastically, her own short, uneven pigtails bouncing as if to emphasize her point. "Like springs!"

Before I could respond, Powder's eyes lit up with a new thought. "Where are you from?" she asked, her voice brimming with curiosity.

I blinked, scrambling for an answer that wouldn't make me sound like an idiot. "Uh... that way," I said, pointing vaguely toward the door of the bar.

"You don't say?" Vander's deep chuckle rumbled from behind the counter, his amusement plain. His kind eyes twinkled, and I realized he wasn't making fun of me—he was just trying to lighten the mood.

"So, are you Sevika's kid?" Vi asked, her head tilting as she gave me a curious look.

"No," I said a little too quickly, the word coming out sharp and defensive.

"A family friend, then?" Vander chimed in, his brow furrowed slightly in thought.

I hesitated. Did it really matter? Did I even know the answer? I settled on something that felt safe. "Something like that."

Vi squinted at me, clearly not satisfied with my vague response, but Powder didn't seem to notice. "I like Sevika! She's scary, but she's cool. Do you think she's cool?"

"Cool isn't the word I'd use," I muttered, sipping my cocoa to hide my unease.

"Sevika?" Vi snorted. "More like a walking bad mood. If she smiled, her face might crack."

Powder giggled again, her laughter infectious. "Yeah, but she's got that awesome arm!"

"And a personality to match it," Vi shot back, grinning as she leaned her chin on her hand.

"Better than being boring!" Powder declared, crossing her arms in mock defiance.

Vander cut in, his voice calm but teasing. "Alright, that's enough picking on Sevika. She might come back and hear you."

Vi snorted but didn't argue. Powder just shrugged, her attention already shifting back to me. "So... what's your bunny's favorite color?"

I blinked at her. "Uh, probably gray?"

"Gray?" Powder scrunched up her nose. "That's boring! What about blue? Or yellow? Or pink?"

"Powder," Vi interjected, rolling her eyes. "It's a stuffed animal. It doesn't care."

"Well, I care!" Powder shot back, her hands on her hips.

"You care about everything," Vi teased, earning a playful glare from her sister.

I couldn't help it—I laughed. It was small and brief, but it felt real, and for a moment, the weight in my chest eased.

Vander smiled at me from behind the counter. "That's better," he said softly. "It suits you."

The warmth in his words caught me off guard, and I quickly looked down at my mug, feeling both grateful and unsettled by the kindness in his tone.

I didn't want this moment to end.

But, of course, it did.

The door creaked open, and every sound in the bar seemed to pause for a heartbeat. I turned instinctively, my stomach knotting as a pair of rough-looking men stepped inside. Their eyes swept the room, lingering for a moment too long on Vander before moving to the rest of us.

Vander straightened, his warm demeanor replaced by something harder, sharper. "Can I help you?" he asked, his voice calm but carrying an edge.

Powder leaned closer to me, her chatter falling silent as she picked up on the tension in the air. Vi shifted on her stool, her posture suddenly alert.

I gripped my bunny tighter, the warmth of the moment slipping away as a chill settled in its place. Welcome to Zaun, I thought grimly.

The tension in the room erupted like a storm. One of the rough-looking men lunged at Vander, his hand flashing to the knife at his belt.

Vander moved faster than I thought a man his size could. He sidestepped the attack, caught the guy's wrist, and slammed it into the bar with a sickening crack. The knife clattered to the floor as chaos exploded around us.

"Stay close!" Vander barked at me, shoving me behind him.

But close was relative when the entire bar turned into a battleground. Fists flew, tables overturned, and curses echoed through the room. I ducked as a bottle shattered above me, the glass raining down like jagged hail.

"Hey, newbie!" Vi's voice rang out over the chaos, full of adrenaline-fueled glee.

I turned to see her grinning like she was having the time of her life. She ducked a punch, then retaliated with a sharp jab to her attacker's gut, sending him stumbling. Before I could process what was happening, she grabbed the back of my shirt and yanked me out of the way of a flying chair.

"Watch your head, bird's nest!" she laughed, even as she dodged another swing.

"I wasn't—!" I started to snap, but the words died in my throat as someone else barreled toward us.

Vander intercepted, his massive hand closing around the man's arm and hurling him across the room like a sack of potatoes.

"Behind the bar, now!" Vander shouted over his shoulder.

I scrambled to comply, clutching my bunny like a lifeline as I ducked behind the counter, nearly colliding with Powder, who was already crouched there.

"Oh, hey!" she chirped, her blue eyes wide with excitement. She was peeking over the edge of the counter like a kid watching her favorite sport.

"What are you doing?" I asked, my voice high-pitched with panic.

"Commentating!" she said brightly. Then, cupping her hands around her mouth, she yelled, "Dodge left, Vi! Ohhh, nice punch!"

I peeked out just in time to see Vi land a solid hit to someone's jaw, sending the guy sprawling onto a table. Powder let out a cheer. "Yes! That's gotta hurt!"

"Powder, this is not a game!" I hissed, ducking back down as a bottle flew over our heads and smashed against the wall.

"Are you kidding? This is awesome!" she replied, practically bouncing in place. "Vander just threw that guy through a chair! Did you see that?"

"No! I'm too busy trying not to die!"

Powder giggled, completely unfazed by the chaos around us. "Relax! You're fine as long as you stay back here. It's like an unspoken rule here, behind the bar is off limits." She popped her head up again, her eyes sparkling with glee. "Whoa! That one almost got Vi!"

I risked another glance and saw Vi dodging a swing, laughing. She kicked a stool into someone's shins and used the distraction to deliver a brutal uppercut.

Vander, meanwhile, was a force of nature. He didn't dodge—he didn't need to. Every hit he delivered was decisive, sending his opponents sprawling. At one point, he caught a guy mid-charge and slammed him into the bar so hard it rattled the mugs.

"Look at him go!" Powder cheered. Then, turning to me, she added, "Isn't this the coolest thing you've ever seen?"

"No!" I snapped, clutching my bunny tighter. "This is terrifying!"

"Eh, you'll get used to it." Powder gave me a reassuring pat on the arm before poking her head up again. "Ohhh, that's gonna leave a bruise!"

The brawl raged on for what felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only minutes before the remaining thugs decided they'd had enough. One by one, they staggered out of the bar, leaving behind a mess of broken furniture, spilled drinks, and groaning bodies.

As the dust settled, Vi sauntered over to me, wiping a bit of blood from her knuckles. Her grin was wide, her cheeks flushed with exhilaration. "So," she drawled, "you're great in a fight. Totally helpful."

My face burned as I glared at her. "Sorry I didn't know how to fight like a professional street brawler!"

Vi tilted her head, her grin turning sly. "Professional? Nah. I'm just better at not standing around like a scared little duckling."

"I wasn't—"

"Duckling!" Powder interrupted, giggling as she climbed out from behind the bar. "That's perfect!"

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "Can we not make this a thing?"

Vander cut in before Vi could respond, his voice firm but amused. "That's enough, Vi. And Powder, stop egging her on."

Powder shrugged, still grinning as she began picking up a fallen stool.

I leaned back against the wall, still catching my breath, when the door creaked open again.