Chapter III – The descent

That night, Vi thought she'd never be able to sleep. Her mind wouldn't let her rest, but her body was so exhausted after everything that had happened that day. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the look in Jinx's eyes just before she fell into the void. Now that the adrenaline from the fight had faded, she could feel every bruise and cut on her skin. Her body ached terribly, but not as much as her heart.

She glanced at the little pill on the nightstand. Caitlyn's father had offered it to her earlier, saying it was for sleep. At first, she'd been angry and had slapped the pill from his hand. She didn't need a Piltover magic pill. She couldn't trust Piltover people—she didn't even know if the pill was really for sleep.

Caitlyn's father quietly bent down, picked up the tablet from the floor, and straightened up, his expression calm and understanding.

"When my wife died, I couldn't sleep for days," he began gently. "I didn't want to take pills—I thought it was weak, and I was afraid. My wife had just died. In my mind, I wasn't supposed to be able to sleep. What kind of husband could go to sleep and forget anything when his wife had just died? It felt like my punishment for being alive when she wasn't." He paused, his gaze falling on the pill in his hand. "But then I realized—not sleeping wasn't going to help me. People need to sleep to heal, to get better. I couldn't let myself fall apart—for Caitlyn… and for Cassandra. It wasn't what she would have wanted."

Vi felt a wave of embarrassment. Her sister had been responsible for the death of his wife, and yet he had offered her a place to stay and treated her with compassion. When he tried to help, she had been awful to him. She thought of what Vander would have said about her behavior.

"I don't want you to feel like you have to take it," he said softly, holding the pill out to her. "It's your choice. But take it with you, just in case."

He offered the tablet to Vi, and she stared at it, lost in thought. After a moment, she let out a quiet sigh and slipped it into her pocket.

Vi was startled by a yawn—her own. She glanced to her side. Despite the darkness, she could make out the silhouette lying next to her in the bed. Caitlyn looked so peaceful. As Vi watched her, she remembered what Tobias had said. For the first time in a long while, she felt safe, like when she had been with Vander. She took the pill and swallowed it.

Caitlyn couldn't sleep either. Her mind wouldn't quiet. She had learned to trust her instincts, and right now, something didn't feel right. Was Jinx really dead? She needed to know. Because if she was right, it meant people were still in danger. No one else could die because of Jinx.

She could feel Vi's body gradually sinking into sleep—it was the perfect moment. Caitlyn slipped out of bed, quietly changing into more appropriate clothes before slipping away as silently as a ghost. She made her way through Piltover, heading toward the Hexgate door, only to realize it was much deeper than she had expected. As she stood, staring into the void, a voice called out from behind her.

"Can't find sleep?" Ekko said, approaching Caitlyn.

When he reached her, she was sitting on the edge of the abyss, her legs dangling in the void. He sat down beside her.

"Nobody can survive such a fall," Caitlyn said, still staring into the emptiness.

"From here, it's about 200 feet to the Hexgate heart," Ekko replied, his voice detached.

"You think she's dead?" Caitlyn asked.

"Don't you?" Ekko answered, surprised by her question.

"The only way to know for sure is to go down there, but I have no idea how to reach the ground."

"I can help with that. I've been down there once," Ekko said, standing up and extending a hand toward Caitlyn.

Caitlyn's mind raced. How did Ekko know all this? What was he doing down there? Too many questions spun in her head, but she had to focus. She was there for one thing: to know if Jinx was really dead.

The elevator wasn't working, but there was a security ladder. They began the long descent, the silence heavy but fitting with the surrounding darkness.

"Is Vi aware of this?" Ekko asked, breaking the silence.

"No, and no matter what we find down there, she mustn't know!" Caitlyn responded firmly.

"So what? If, by some miracle, we find out Jinx is alive, what then? You're going to lie to Vi for the rest of her life?"

"I don't know, okay? Let's see what we find, and then I'll figure it out."

They continued their descent, finally reaching the bottom. In front of them, the entrance loomed, a bright blue light emanating from within. The vault door had been forced open, the melted metal around the hole a testament to the destruction. As they were about to uncover the truth, both of them froze. All night, they had wanted to know, but now that the truth was just a few meters away, they weren't sure if they were ready for what they might find.

The coldness of the place was almost biting. Caitlyn let out a sigh, the mist from her breath hanging in the air, before she took a cautious step forward. Ekko followed, staying alert and on guard.

The first thing they saw was the body of the steel beast lying motionless on the copper dome in the center of the room. Its body was badly damaged, evidence of a powerful explosion. As they searched the rest of the room, Caitlyn's eyes caught the head of one of Jinx's Monkey Grenades, scattered among the debris. But Jinx was nowhere to be found.