Chapter VII:
"What seems to be the problem with it?" Counselor Kiramman asked, looking up from the desk of her study.
Powder felt out of place in the mansion. Everywhere she looked, elegance and prestige screamed back at her. Even the invitation she'd received in the mail seemed expensive, laced with the scent of lavender and traced with gold.
She resisted the urge to fidget with her sleeves. Her hands were already balled into fists at her sides, nails biting into her palms.
"I've been struggling to find alternative power sources that give off zero fuel emissions for the generator," Powder said, doing her best to keep her voice even. She was desperately trying not to just throw her hands in the air like she usually did when she got stressed.
Her mind raced back to her workshop, the sound of the generator whirring to life still fresh in her ears. A success.
She paused.
The bag of crystals felt like a heavy weight in her pocket.
"So," Powder said, reaching into her pocket. "I had these… crystal fragments that I decided to test, and they work. Way better than I could have expected. In fact, they're perfect. No maintenance needed whatsoever." Her eyes brightened. "With these, I could power hundreds of generators. More than enough to power both cities indefinitely!"
Powder couldn't help the bubbling in her chest. The crystals, the same ones that had taken so much from her, could now give back. To Zaun, to Piltover, to everyone.
It felt like a full circle.
She held the shards out for the counselor to see, hands trembling from the sheer adrenaline coursing through her veins.
But Powder realized something was wrong the moment she saw the counselor's face.
Nothing changed immediately. But there was something in her stern eyes. A subtle shift in the air between them, like the feeling just before a storm breaks. Powder felt her stomach twist.
Counselor Kiramman lifted her head. Slowly, she stood up and moved to the window behind her study. "There's a reason why I picked you that night at the Innovation Hall, Powder. Do you know why that is?"
Powder's mouth went dry. She suddenly had the distinct feeling that the conversation had veered into dangerous territory.
Counselor Kiramman gestured for her to come closer. Powder followed, joining her at the other side of the sill.
The counselor looked over the city below them. The sprawling veins of Piltover and Zaun were laid out in pretty patterns. But it wasn't the streets that Powder's eyes were drawn to.
It was the apartment.
The apartment they had tried to rob all those years ago.
The apartment that sat right across the street from where they stood.
The pins started connecting in Powder's head, a slow but inevitable click of realization. Her eyes drifted toward the wall, where a framed picture sat neatly between the curtains. A boy and girl stared back at her, grinning.
Powder's breath hitched.
The apartment. The crystals. The explosion. The day Vi—
She recognized those faces. She'd just—never seen them so full of life. Never imagined what they might've looked like without rubble on top of them. Never suspected which families they might've belonged to.
Her head flashed. She remembered. She saw the two of them, lying not so far away from Vi on the floor.
Powder didn't even realize she was shaking until she felt Counselor Kiramman's hand wrap around hers.
"I don't blame you for what happened," Kiramman said softly. "Jayce, my daughter Caitlyn… they knew the risks, working with such material."
"I'm so sorry." Powder's voice cracked. The tears came faster than she could hold them back. "I—I didn't know. I should've never brought those here."
She felt Counselor Kiramman's grip tighten. Powder's vision blurred further.
"I know who you lost with it as well, Powder," the Counselor said, no stronger than a whisper. It sounded almost motherly to the ears.
Powder wiped her face roughly with her sleeve. "But—if you knew it was me—why would you let me—why would you trust me with this? I—I'm the reason that—"
Counselor Kiramman's gaze softened. "Because I've seen what you can create when you care. And I believe that you are capable of even greater things."
They both turned back toward the crystals that lay on the desk. The light from the setting sun refracted through them, casting fractured beams of color across the polished wood.
"We outlawed Hextech after that day," Kiramman said. "But… I had a feeling that some good might still come out of it one day."
Counselor Kiramman was staring at her, studying her like she was the only thing around. Her hair was almost entirely grey, the freckles that decorated her cheeks worn and faded. Powder couldn't help but squirm,
"You're not… angry?"
A warm, weathered hand lingered against Powder's shoulder. "There's no changing the past. But we can decide how to shape the future."
Powder wasn't sure what to say. She could only nod.
"That's why I trusted you, Powder." the Counselor bent over to pick up the crystals, placing them back in Powder's hand. "And I know a certain professor who might be able to help you bring the entirety of your vision into reality."
"Professor Heimerdinger." Kiramman smiled for the first time. "I'll arrange a meeting, but it'll be up to you to convince him."
Powder had heard of him before. His name was often mentioned amongst the greatest minds. A chance to work with somebody like him? Never in her wildest dreams.
"Thank you, counselor." Powder tried but failed to add more words.
"No need." the Counselor returned to her chair, leaving Powder standing by the window. "And you can call me Cassandra. I think it's fair to say that you and I are more than acquainted with each other, now. Don't you think?"
Powder nodded again. The air felt lighter now, reminding her to breath. She exhaled.
This time, she was going to get it right.
Author's Note:
Woop woop! Thanks for reading :) Let me know your thoughts!