Chapter IV – What's next?
When Ekko and Caitlyn finally emerged back to the surface, the sun had risen, casting its warm light over a city still heavy with the shadows of the night before. The ascent had been even quieter than the descent. Neither Ekko nor Caitlyn had fully processed what they found—or rather, what they didn't find.
Ekko found himself unexpectedly relieved that Jinx might still be alive. He'd fought her, and they had come perilously close to killing each other. Yet, despite everything, the thought of her survival brought him an inexplicable sense of relief. Caitlyn, however, felt differently. While she took pride in her instincts proving correct, the revelation left her with two pressing concerns. The first was the danger Jinx posed: not only was she still alive, but the staged death suggested she might be planning something. The second weighed even heavier—should she tell Vi? The question had haunted her throughout their climb.
"What are you going to do?" Ekko asked as they reached the top.
"For now, I think it's better not to tell anyone. After all, not finding her body doesn't prove she's alive. I don't want to cause panic or give people false hope. After everything that's just happened, people don't need more to worry about."
"You still didn't answer my question," Ekko said, narrowing his eyes.
"If she's alive, she needs to be judged for her actions." Caitlyn said firmly.
"So, you're going after her?"
"At first, I'm going to figure out how she managed to survive such a fall."
"Funny how you keep dodging my questions," Ekko replied with a faint smirk.
"Speaking of questions, what about you? What are you going to do?" Caitlyn shot back, deflecting again.
"Same as you, I guess," Ekko said casually.
"You're not planning to help me, are you?" Caitlyn pointed out.
Ekko hesitated before responding. "I know Jinx's actions have had devastating consequences for you, but I don't think 'justice' is what she needs most right now."
"It's not just about me, Ekko. Jinx is dangerous!" Caitlyn snapped.
"Would you still feel this way if she wasn't the one who killed your mother?" he asked quietly before walking away, leaving Caitlyn alone with her thoughts.
When Jinx woke up, something felt off. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her head, but everything seemed wrong. As she opened her eyes, the light dazzled her, and it took a few seconds for her vision to adjust. When her eyes finally focused, she realized everything was upside down—literally. Half of her upper body was hanging over the void. She quickly pushed herself upright, moving away from the pit with the help of the Shimmer. The movement sent a sharp pain coursing through her body, and she immediately regretted it. Her mind was foggy, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened.
Looking down at her injuries, she saw that the cuts on her thighs had almost fully healed, while the ones on her belly were still there, though much shallower. The Shimmer had done its work, but it wasn't enough to mask the damage completely. The sight of her wounds sent a wave of nausea through her, and she had to concentrate hard to avoid throwing up.
She had no idea how long she'd been unconscious, but judging by the light filtering down from the top of the Hexgate, the sun had finally risen. She needed to think—she needed a plan. Survival hadn't been part of her intention; in truth, she hadn't planned anything. The only certainty she had in that moment was that Vi thought she was dead, and it needed to stay that way. She couldn't remain in these tunnels forever, but she also had no idea what she would do with the rest of her life. Even though she had promised herself to stay alive—or at least to try—for Isha's sacrifice, she couldn't imagine a future she wanted. In fact, she couldn't imagine any future at all. Her entire life had revolved around what Silco wanted from her. The only time her life had felt like it had real meaning was when she was with Isha and Vander, but they were gone. She had felt lost before, but this time it was different—she was more lost than ever, and utterly alone.
Vi was the only person left, but she couldn't go back to her. Then it hit her—she needed to leave. Everyone in Zaun and Piltover knew her—nearly everyone, if she was honest. Staying here wasn't safe. If anyone recognized her, all her efforts to break the cycle of violence would be for nothing. She didn't need to know exactly where to go—anywhere would do, as long as it put distance between her and Vi. It wasn't much of a reason to live, but it was something. And right now, something was better than nothing.
She pulled herself together; she had to get out of these air ducts. The sunlight streaming in allowed her to see at last. Carefully, she edged closer to the rim of the duct. From her vantage point, she guessed she was roughly halfway between the top and bottom of the Hexgate. Escaping this way was out of the question—not with her injuries. Her only option was to navigate the maze of tunnels formed by the ventilation ducts.
Turning back toward the massive propeller, her gaze fell on the blood trail smeared across the floor. She froze as the monster from last night clawed its way back into her mind. Closing her eyes, she focused on her breathing, trying to force the haunting image to fade. She had to move—if she stayed here too long, someone would find her.
When she opened her eyes, the monster was gone. A faint smirk curled her lips as she aimed her hand in a 'finger gun' gesture at the blood trail, miming the shot and letting out a soft 'pow'.
Sliding between the enormous propeller blades, something on the ground caught her eye. A glint of blue light. She painfully crouched down and saw it was her gun—likely dislodged during the crash. She picked it up, checking it briefly before sliding it back into the holster at her waist.
As she started to leave, a low growl echoed behind her. Her breath hitched. It was the same sound she'd heard before. Instinctively, she unholstered her weapon and fired into the void. The sound of her shot ricocheted through the cavernous space, and she spotted movement above— a raven, its wings beating rapidly, as it flew upward into the heights of the Hexgate.