Hi again! Sorry for the delay. I think I'll change my posting day to Saturday or Sunday since I don't have much time during the week. Hope you'll like this chapter! As always, feel free to leave a review—positive or negative.

I'm still getting messages about art commissions… and I'm still not interested (though I know those people probably don't even read the fics).

Enjoy !

Chapter VIII – Too far gone

As Caitlyn moved forward, searching for more evidence, she was quickly stopped by the maze of tunnels stretching before her. They twisted and branched off in every direction, an endless web of paths where she could easily lose her way. She needed a plan—going in blindly would be reckless. Reluctantly, she turned back, reminding herself that she still had to examine the bottom of the Hexgate.

But the moment she stepped into the chamber, a chill ran down her spine. The beast's body was gone. How could a creature of that size just disappear like that? When she and Ekko had first seen it, lifeless and torn apart by the explosion, she had no doubt it was dead. But now, with everything she had discovered, with Jinx surviving the impossible… could she really be sure? The thought made her uneasy.

No. She exhaled, grounding herself. That thing had been nothing more than a lifeless heap when they left. Someone must have moved it. But how? And more importantly, why?

She scanned the area, searching for any sign of what might have happened. There were no drag marks, no blood trails leading away. Nothing. It was as if the thing had simply vanished into the air.

As she carefully combed through the room for any overlooked clues, a sudden movement caught her eye—a raven, pecking at the ground as if searching for something. Caitlyn frowned. What was a lone raven doing here? The place was deserted, lifeless. Pushing the thought aside, she kept scanning the area until something else drew her attention—Vi's second gauntlet, lying discarded among the rubble. Relief flickered through her for half a second, but as she reached for it, she noticed something was missing. The Hextech crystal that powered it was gone.

She needed to find it. Something bad was coming; she could feel it. And without the crystal, the gauntlets were useless. She looked around, trying to figure out how she could possibly find that small blue sphere among all the debris. She was so focused that she nearly jumped when the raven suddenly took off, its wings beating noisily. But this time, something caught her attention—a bright blue gleam in its beak. Caitlyn's stomach tightened. The crystal.

She pulled out her rifle and raised it, peering through the scope to confirm what she had seen. There was no doubt—the Hextech crystal was clutched in the raven's beak. Without hesitation, she steadied her aim and pulled the trigger.

Caitlyn stood in front of Vi, lost and unsure of what to do. She couldn't tell her that Jinx was alive, but what she had found at the bottom of the Hexgate unsettled her. She wanted to share it, to have Vi by her side in this—but she knew she couldn't take that risk.

She took the gauntlet and the crystal from her bag and handled them to Vi.

"These were the only things that survived the explosion. I'm sorry," she said, unable to meet her gaze.

She had done it. She had lied. The weight of it settled deep in her chest, leaving her feeling dirty and hollow. She had gone too far, and there was no turning back now. If the truth ever came out, she knew she would never be forgiven.

The sight of the gauntlet sent Vi back to that terrible moment—Jinx's fingers prying the crystal free, the weight slipping from her arm. She remembered the sheer helplessness that had crashed over her. She hated that feeling, hated being powerless. If only it had been just her arm keeping Jinx from falling—she wouldn't have flinched, she would have found a way to save her. But instead, she had been forced to watch her sister disappear into that seemingly endless void.

Vi took the gauntlet and the crystal, slipping it on before powering it up to check if it was still working. A sense of relief washed over her as the blue light from the crystal spread through the metal. In that moment, she silently vowed never to let anyone or anything make her feel as powerless as she had before. She owed that to Jinx. To Powder.

The two girls headed back to Piltover. As they walked, the distant murmur of a crowd reached their ears. Drawn by the commotion, they approached cautiously, only to find a gathering of people around Vander's statue.

Caitlyn and Vi discreetly climbed a few facades, staying out of sight to get a better view. In the dim light, Caitlyn recognized a few familiar faces—Sevika and Ekko. Then her gaze shifted to the statue. She had never really paid much attention to it before, but the crowd wasn't focused on Vander. They were looking at something behind him.

Caitlyn continued moving, stepping around to see the back of the statue, with Vi following, though still unsure of what was happening. Only when they reached the other side of the street did they finally see it. Jinx.

Both of them froze in shock. Caitlyn's heart pounded as she instinctively raised her scope, using it as a binocular to get a clearer look at the figure behind the statue. Her breath caught—but then she exhaled in relief. It wasn't her. Just a statue. It was disturbingly realistic, depicting Jinx with her fist raised to the sky, her face tilted downward. Caitlyn gestured for Vi to look through the scope. News of Jinx's death had finally reached Zaun's depths.

Vi's vision blurred with tears as she took in the sight of Vander and Jinx, immortalized back to back. It was hard to look at, yet at the same time, a strange sense of relief washed over her. At least now, they were at peace. Side by side.

Without a word, Vi climbed down, leaving Caitlyn behind, and made her way to Ekko at the foot of the statue.

"Vi… I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't find you," he said, his voice faltering as he caught sight of her. He shifted uncomfortably, the truth lingering on the tip of his tongue as he watched Vi, her grief so raw over a sister who wasn't dead, but he couldn't bring himself to speak it.

"I needed time alone," Vi said, exhaling as if, for the first time in a while, some of the weight had begun to lift off her shoulders.

Ekko glanced toward Piltover, then back at Vi. "I know they hated her up there," he said, his tone laced with both bitterness and pride. "But here in Zaun, she was a hero."

Vi swallowed hard. Her throat felt tight, her emotions a tangled mess she wasn't ready to face—not yet. She forced out a breath and nodded.

"Thank you, Ekko," she murmured, her gaze lingering on the statue. In that moment, the words echoed in her mind—words she would never forget.

"Still don't get it, huh, sis? I'm always with you. Even when we're worlds apart."