That night, Jinx barely slept.
She lay on the floor of the small house the villagers had given her, staring at the wooden ceiling. The lantern's glow flickered against the walls, but it wasn't enough to chase away the darkness creeping into her mind.
"You belong to the Void."
She hated how the words stuck, clawing at the edges of her thoughts. She could still hear them, even now, whispering in that awful, hollow voice.
Jinx squeezed her eyes shut and tried to think of something else. Bombs. Fireworks. That time she painted Fishbones pink just to mess with Silco—
No. Not him.
Her fingers curled into fists.
She turned onto her side, willing herself to ignore the whispers. She wasn't some weak little kid. She was Jinx. She could handle this.
She had to.
But as soon as her eyes drifted shut—
—she wasn't in her room anymore.
The floor beneath her wasn't wood, but something… wrong. Twisting. Shifting. Like black silk stretched too thin. The air smelled of rot and static, heavy with something unnatural.
Jinx's pulse spiked.
"Alright," she muttered, pushing herself up. "I really hate this."
A flicker of movement caught her eye.
In the distance—if distance even meant anything in this nightmare—something moved. Tendrils of violet and black coiled through the air, reaching, pulsing like a living wound.
And standing at the center of it all was her.
Jinx froze.
The figure was almost identical. Same blue hair, same sharp grin. But her eyes…
They weren't hers.
They were Void.
The copy tilted her head, smiling with too many teeth. "Took you long enough."
Jinx's mouth went dry.
"What the hell are you?"
The other Jinx spread her arms, as if presenting herself like a prize. "Me?" Her grin widened. "I'm you."
Jinx took a step back.
"Nah. Don't think so."
Her doppelgänger chuckled. "You can lie to yourself all you want, but we both know the truth. The Void doesn't take just anyone. It calls to the broken ones."
Jinx stiffened.
"You don't belong here," the other her continued, taking a slow step forward. "You never have. Not in Zaun. Not in Piltover. Not even in this pathetic little village."
She gestured around them. "But here? Here, you make sense."
Jinx clenched her jaw. "You're real full of yourself, huh?"
"Oh, I'm full of a lot of things," her doppelgänger teased. "Power. Clarity. A little bit of existential dread, but hey, who doesn't have that these days?"
Jinx didn't laugh.
She gripped Fishbones, heart pounding.
The other Jinx sighed. "You don't get it yet, do you? You've been running so long, you forgot to ask the important question."
Jinx swallowed. "…And what's that?"
Her twin's grin turned sharp.
"What if you're not running from me?"
The shadows coiled. The ground beneath Jinx cracked.
"What if you've been running toward me this whole time?"
Something yanked at Jinx's chest, a force so strong it felt like the air had been knocked out of her lungs.
She gasped—
And then—
She woke up.
Jinx shot upright, drenched in sweat.
The room was spinning, her head pounding like a war drum. She gripped the blanket beneath her, trying to steady her breath.
It was just a dream.
Just a dream.
But when she looked down at her hands, her fingertips were stained with something dark. Something violet.
And it was real.
Jinx stared at her hands.
The violet stain clung to her skin, dark and pulsing, like ink spilled on paper. It didn't fade. It didn't smudge. It just… sat there, soaking into her fingers like it belonged there.
Her breath hitched.
No. No, no, no. This isn't happening.
She scrambled to her feet, wiping her hands on her pants, on the blankets, anything—but it wouldn't come off.
The dream wasn't just a dream.
She needed to move.
Jinx threw on a jacket, shoved Fishbones over her shoulder, and bolted out the door.
The village was still half-asleep, mist curling around the rooftops as the sun barely peeked over the mountains. The air was crisp, the scent of damp earth and morning rain hanging heavy.
Jinx didn't stop running until she reached the outskirts, past the rice paddies and wooden fences, where the trees stretched high and the wind whistled through the leaves.
She needed someone to tell her she wasn't crazy.
She needed Ekko.
She found him in a clearing near the river, tinkering with some weird little device, probably another one of his time-jumping gadgets. He was crouched over, muttering to himself, completely unaware that she was standing there until—
"Oi."
Ekko jumped, nearly dropping the tool in his hands. "What the—?!" He turned, eyes narrowing the second he saw her. "Jinx?"
She crossed her arms. "We need to talk."
Ekko wiped the grease off his hands and stood up. "Alright. Talk."
Jinx hesitated. She hadn't actually thought this far ahead.
She couldn't just say she had some Void nightmare and woke up with weird stains on her hands.
Ekko wasn't stupid. He'd start asking questions.
And she wasn't sure she had the answers.
So, she settled for something vague. "Have you ever had a dream that… I don't know, felt too real?"
Ekko frowned. "You mean like a vision?"
"Sure. Whatever." She shifted, suddenly feeling exposed. "I had one last night. And it… it wasn't normal."
Ekko studied her for a moment. "What happened?"
Jinx flexed her fingers, feeling the stain still lingering on her skin. "I saw something. Someone. A version of me. But, like, wrong. Void-y. She said…" Her voice trailed off.
Ekko's expression darkened. "She said what?"
Jinx exhaled sharply. "That I wasn't running from her." She met his gaze. "That I was running toward her."
Ekko didn't react at first. He just looked at her, like he was trying to figure out if she was messing with him. But Jinx didn't joke about this stuff.
And he knew that.
Finally, he sighed. "That's… not good."
"No kidding."
"Did you feel anything? Hear anything else?"
Jinx hesitated.
She could tell him about the stain. About how it hadn't gone away.
But something in her gut told her not to.
Not yet.
"Nah," she lied. "Just the usual nightmare fuel."
Ekko ran a hand through his hair. "Alright. Look. Ionia's full of weird energy. Spirits, magic, all that stuff. Maybe you picked up on something."
Jinx frowned. "Picked up on what?"
"I don't know." Ekko crossed his arms. "But if it's Void-related, we need to be careful. That stuff doesn't just show up for no reason."
Jinx scoffed. "Yeah, well, tell that to my subconscious."
Ekko didn't laugh.
He just gave her a look.
Jinx sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "So what now?"
Ekko glanced toward the mountains, where the mist seemed thicker than usual.
"I think," he said, "we should start paying attention to the real world."
Jinx frowned. "Meaning?"
"Meaning if something's wrong, we won't be the only ones who notice."
And sure enough—
Before either of them could say another word—
A scream echoed from the village.
Jinx and Ekko sprinted back toward the village, their boots kicking up dirt as another scream tore through the morning air. The mist, once soft and peaceful, now clung to the ground like a suffocating fog. Shapes moved in the distance—dark, shifting figures slithering through the haze.
Jinx's gut twisted.
This wasn't just some ordinary attack.
Something was wrong.
Ekko skidded to a stop beside her, eyes darting between the rooftops. "Do you see them?"
Jinx narrowed her eyes, adjusting her grip on Fishbones. Shadows flickered in and out of view, moving too fast, too unnatural. But the worst part?
She knew this feeling.
The Void.
A crackling sound echoed through the air, like static crawling under her skin. Then—
A figure emerged from the mist.
Its body was twisted, hunched over with too many limbs. Its skin was dark, shifting between solid and not, like it wasn't fully here.
Jinx felt her blood run cold.
She knew this thing.
She'd seen it before—
In her dream.
"Jinx," Ekko said, voice low, "please tell me you don't know what that is."
She swallowed hard. "Uh. Define 'know'?"
The creature twitched, its head snapping toward them. Its mouth—if that was a mouth—split open, revealing jagged, glowing teeth.
Jinx barely had time to react before it lunged.
She rolled sideways as the thing crashed into the ground where she'd stood, claws digging into the earth. Ekko flipped backward, reaching for his bat, but before he could swing, the creature vanished—reappearing behind him in an instant.
Teleporting? Oh, that's just unfair.
"Ekko, move!" Jinx yelled.
But he was already on it. His bat flared with energy as he ducked and rewound, blinking backward just as the creature's claws sliced through the air. He reappeared a few feet away, breathing hard.
"Okay," he panted. "I really hate Void creatures."
Jinx grinned, despite the situation. "Took the words right outta my mouth."
The creature let out a low, distorted hiss and started to move again—but this time, it wasn't alone.
Three more figures stepped out of the mist.
Jinx's grip on Fishbones tightened. "Alright," she muttered. "That's more Void freaks than I planned for before breakfast."
Ekko clenched his jaw. "You good?"
Jinx smirked. "Always."
She lifted Fishbones, took aim, and—
BOOM.
The missile tore through the air, slamming into the nearest creature and sending it flying backward in a burst of violet energy. But before Jinx could celebrate, the others charged.
Ekko swung his bat, landing a crackling hit on the second creature's side. Jinx spun, firing another round, but the last one dodged—twisting its body in ways that shouldn't be possible.
"Ugh, that's just creepy," Jinx groaned.
Then—she felt it.
A pressure at the back of her mind.
Like something was watching.
She staggered, her vision blurring for half a second.
And then—
A voice.
"Come home, little spark."
Jinx froze.
The words slithered through her skull, deep and familiar.
She knew that voice.
It was hers.
But not.
The same voice from the dream.
Her own voice, warped and wrong and calling her back.
The moment of hesitation cost her.
One of the creatures lunged—too fast—too sudden—
Jinx tried to move, but her body wouldn't listen—
And then—
A blast of light erupted from the side, slamming into the creature and disintegrating it on impact.
Jinx gasped.
A figure stepped forward through the mist.
Robe flowing. Eyes glowing.
A woman—calm, powerful—her presence radiating something ancient.
She turned to Jinx, her gaze sharp as a blade.
"You," she said. "We need to talk."
Jinx blinked. "Uh." She glanced at Ekko. "Did we just get rescued?"
Ekko, still catching his breath, nodded. "Yeah. And I don't think that's a good thing."
Jinx frowned, looking back at the woman.
Because something about her felt familiar.
Like she'd seen her before.
But that was impossible.
…Wasn't it?
The air still crackled with energy from the woman's attack, the scent of something unnatural lingering. Jinx's heart was hammering in her chest, but she forced herself to grin, trying to play it cool.
"So," she drawled, propping Fishbones on her shoulder, "I'm guessing you're not just some random Ionian monk out for a morning walk?"
The woman's glowing eyes studied Jinx, unreadable. "No. And you are not just a lost girl running from ghosts."
Jinx's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second.
Ekko stepped forward, still gripping his bat. "Alright, lady. Who are you?"
The woman tilted her head slightly. "My name is Suhani. And I've been expecting you."
Jinx narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, see, that's not creepy at all."
Suhani ignored her sarcasm, turning her gaze toward the mist where the Void creatures had disappeared. "They are hunting you, Jinx. The longer you stay here, the more they will come."
Jinx swallowed. She knew this wasn't a coincidence. That voice in her head—the one that sounded like her but wasn't—this was all connected.
Ekko exchanged a glance with her. "Jinx," he said carefully, "is there something you're not telling me?"
Jinx opened her mouth—then hesitated.
What was she supposed to say? That she'd been hearing her own warped voice whispering to her in her dreams? That she felt like something inside her was pulling her back into the chaos she thought she'd escaped?
That even in Ionia, she wasn't safe from herself?
Yeah. That'd go over great.
Suhani took a step closer, lowering her voice. "The Void doesn't just take, Jinx. It calls to those who listen."
Jinx stiffened. "I'm not listening."
Suhani's expression remained unreadable. "Aren't you?"
Something cold curled in Jinx's stomach.
Because, deep down, she wasn't sure.
The woman let the silence hang for a moment before sighing. "You need to come with me. There is something you must see."
Jinx crossed her arms. "And what if I don't?"
Suhani turned her gaze back to the misty forest. "Then the next time they come… you won't be able to stop them."
Jinx forced herself to laugh. "Pfft. Please. I just blew one of them up."
Suhani met her eyes, and for the first time, there was something almost sad in her expression. "And did it stay dead?"
Jinx opened her mouth—then stopped.
Because… no.
The Void never truly died.
A chill ran down her spine.
Ekko sighed. "I hate when cryptic people are right." He turned to Jinx. "Look, I don't trust her either, but we need answers. If this has anything to do with what's been messing with you—"
"I'm fine," Jinx snapped automatically.
Ekko gave her a flat look. "Jinx. You hesitated in a fight."
She flinched.
Because that never happened.
Suhani simply waited, patient.
Jinx gritted her teeth.
She hated this. Hated feeling like she wasn't in control. Hated the idea of needing someone else to help her. But more than that…
She hated not knowing what was happening to her.
She clicked her tongue. "Fine. But if this turns into some mystical 'Jinx, find inner peace' crap, I'm out."
Suhani smiled slightly. "I assure you, peace is the last thing we'll find."
Jinx frowned. "Y'know, you really gotta work on your reassuring tone."
Ekko sighed. "This is a terrible idea."
Jinx grinned, despite herself. "Yeah. Let's do it."
Jinx followed Suhani through the dense Ionian forest, her fingers twitching at her sides. The trees here were massive, their roots twisting like ancient veins through the moss-covered ground. Strange glowing insects flitted between the branches, casting an eerie blue light.
Ekko walked beside her, his bat resting on his shoulder. He wasn't saying much—probably still pissed about the whole Jinx almost getting herself killed by Void monsters thing.
Suhani led them to a clearing where a massive stone temple loomed, half-buried in the roots of a gigantic tree. The entrance was cracked, vines curling around the ancient carvings. Symbols Jinx didn't recognize glowed faintly on the stone.
"Well," Jinx muttered, "this definitely doesn't scream 'not a trap'."
Suhani ignored her and pressed a hand against one of the glowing symbols. The stone groaned as a hidden door slid open, revealing a staircase leading down into darkness.
Ekko gave Jinx a look. "I really hate underground places."
Jinx grinned. "Aww, c'mon, scaredy-cat. Maybe there's treasure."
"Or death."
She shrugged. "Same thing, really."
Suhani stepped inside, her voice calm. "If you wish to understand what's happening to you, Jinx, this is where you'll find your answers."
Jinx hesitated.
A part of her wanted to turn around, go back to the village, pretend none of this was happening. But she couldn't ignore the voice in her head. The whispers. The way her reflection in the water sometimes moved when she didn't.
She needed to know.
Jinx exhaled sharply. "Fine. But if something jumps out at me, I'm shooting it."
With that, she stepped inside.
The air inside the temple was thick, heavy with something old. The walls were lined with more glowing symbols, and the deeper they went, the colder it got.
At the bottom of the stairs, the tunnel opened into a vast underground chamber. A massive stone mural stretched across the wall—faded but still visible.
Jinx squinted at it. "Huh. Creepy art."
Ekko ran a hand over the carvings. "This looks really old. Older than anything I've seen in Piltover."
Suhani's voice was quiet. "This temple predates even the first settlers of Ionia. It was built to contain something… dangerous."
Jinx frowned. "Oh, great. Lemme guess. Void stuff?"
Suhani didn't answer right away. Instead, she walked to the center of the room, where a circular stone pedestal stood. She reached out and placed her palm against it.
The entire chamber rumbled.
Jinx's hand went to her gun instantly, but before she could react, the mural shifted. The carved figures twisted, changing shape as if something was waking up beneath the stone.
And then—
A voice whispered in Jinx's ear.
Come back to us.
Jinx froze.
It wasn't just a voice.
It was her voice.
But distorted. Wrong. Like an echo of herself from somewhere else.
The symbols on the wall flared, and suddenly, Jinx saw something—
A vision.
She was standing in a city swallowed by darkness. The sky was a sickening shade of purple, torn apart by jagged black rifts. Buildings crumbled into nothingness as massive creatures—void-born, monstrous—crawled from the abyss.
And there, in the center of it all—
Was her.
Or… something that looked like her.
But its eyes were pure Void. Its smile was wider, wrong, stretching across its face like a cracked mask. Its hands dripped with violet energy, and it was laughing.
Jinx staggered back, gasping as the vision shattered.
Her pulse was racing. She felt sick.
Ekko grabbed her shoulder. "Jinx! What happened?"
She looked up at him, her breath shaky.
"I think…" she swallowed, "I think I saw the future."
Suhani watched her carefully. "Not the future."
Jinx's stomach twisted. "Then what was that?"
Suhani's expression darkened.
"A warning."
Jinx sat on a cold stone ledge, staring at her trembling hands. The vision still burned in her mind, seared into her like a scar she couldn't erase. That thing—that twisted version of herself—wasn't just some nightmare. It felt real. Too real.
Ekko paced a few steps away, arms crossed. "Okay. So, what? The Void wants you? Why?"
Jinx exhaled sharply. "Like I know. Maybe I left an open invitation."
Suhani's voice was calm, but her gaze was sharp. "You don't understand, Jinx. The Void doesn't just want anyone. It seeks out those who are fractured. Those who already live in chaos."
Jinx's jaw clenched. "And you think that's me?"
Suhani didn't look away. "You saw the vision."
Jinx scoffed, shaking her head. "Right. Because weird purple nightmares are totally reliable."
But the truth was, she knew. Deep down, she knew that wasn't just some random hallucination. She'd felt it in her bones.
The thing in the vision—her Void self—hadn't just been a reflection. It had been a possibility.
Ekko's voice broke through her thoughts. "There's gotta be a way to stop this, right?"
Suhani turned toward the ancient mural again, running her fingers over the faded carvings. "The Void doesn't just take—it corrupts. It finds weaknesses and exploits them. If it's reaching for Jinx, it means she's at a crossroads."
Jinx's stomach twisted. "A crossroads?"
Suhani nodded. "A choice. It hasn't taken you yet, which means you still have control. But if you ignore this…" She gestured toward the mural, where the final carving showed a shadowy figure being consumed by the darkness. "…then eventually, you won't."
Jinx bit her lip. "So what, I'm just supposed to 'fix myself' before the Void turns me into some cosmic horror?"
Suhani turned to face her fully. "You don't need to 'fix' anything, Jinx. You need to understand yourself."
Jinx huffed out a laugh. "Great. More cryptic monk wisdom."
Suhani didn't react. Instead, she walked over and placed a hand on Jinx's shoulder.
"You're afraid."
Jinx's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "You think?"
Suhani's voice softened. "Fear isn't the enemy. But running from it is."
Jinx let out a slow breath, fingers twitching at her sides.
This was too much. Too fast.
She wasn't used to dealing with feelings—not like this. Normally, she'd just bury them under explosions and bullets until they went away.
But something told her… this wasn't something she could outrun.
The Void was watching.
Waiting.
And if she didn't figure this out soon—
It would come for her.