A fucking Kiramann . Vi lay in bed, still recovering from the injury she’d earned in the pipes. Scraps of sunlight managed to filter through the tall buildings surrounding Vi’s apartment. Cold air, as fresh as you could get in Zaun, mixed with the acidic smell of cigarettes that wafted in through an open window. Someone was probably smoking in the adjacent apartments.

  She was half-leaning on the pillow stacked against the wall, with holes in the drapery. A dent in the bed was uncomfortably pressing into her hip. She rested on one of her hands behind her head, and in the other, she held an empty shimmer vial, examining it. It was the same one that had saved her life a few nights before.

  Vi closed her eyes and massaged them. Just what she needed—a complete mess on top of the hell that her life had become.

  She didn’t know what to think. She was certain Caitlyn would leave her behind, and she would end her pathetic existence right there, on the slimy curb. It would have been fitting, really—a perfect metaphor for her life—dying for nothing, forgotten. To be honest, by now, she almost expected to die after a fight. After the mess the past two years had been, she would have welcomed it as a relief. Not that she wanted to die; it just sometimes seemed easier.

  But she couldn’t give up. As long as there was hope—for her, for Powder, or Jinx, whoever she was now. Blue plaits flickered in her mind, and she could recall the child’s laughter from her childhood. As long as there was hope that she could get her sister, her life, back, all of it was worth it. Even if Jinx made it without her, she just had to fight for her. But she didn’t know how.

  She hadn’t thought she’d end up in this position. Investigating shimmer was not on her bucket list, but if that meant keeping Jinx out of trouble, then hell yeah, she would do it—even if her sister would not want it.

  She took a deep breath, and her stomach protested. She hadn’t eaten anything today yet. Groaning, she pushed herself off the pillow. She was so hungry she salivated at the thought of slugs from Jericho. That Kiramann girl was a mess. And trouble. Vi didn’t know what to think about her. On that day, she was certain the woman was lying, that she was covering for her parents and had an ulterior motive, but... doubts kept creeping in. It made no sense that she would come back and help her. She was either extremely naive or lying. Her actions so far indicated the first option. Who in their right mind goes into Zaun asking for shimmer to investigate it?

  Twice now, she had found the woman throwing herself into dangerous situations with no regard for her own safety. Figures. If she was a councilor’s daughter, she probably had a hero complex or something—completely cut off from reality. She was beautiful, though. All legs and those eyes... She had this kind of ephemeral beauty Vi always found disarming. And she was easy to annoy. Vi liked teasing her, the way she would blush and lose her composure for a fraction of a second. Like she was a different person in those swift moments—softer and more... free. It didn’t matter though. What mattered was that she had involved Vi in this shimmer business, and now there was no coming back. Not when Jinx’s life was on the line.

  Vi scoffed as she climbed down the stairs of the building where she rented her small apartment. Then again, she saw the woman’s face when she shot Silco’s thug. It was her first kill, no doubt. And she’d done it to save her. Vi wasn’t sure if that sat comfortably with her. She didn’t want to be in debt to the woman. And now she’d saved her twice. What could be her motive if she was lying? It made no sense for her to pursue Vi if she knew about her parents' operation. If she didn’t, she was clearly naive enough to think that they weren’t involved. Of course, they were. Every Piltover elite at the top was like that.

  Vi swallowed an uncomfortable thought as she walked the street to Jericho. She took a seat waiting for her food and took out a small piece of paper she had taken from the underground chamber. She preached a lot about trust to Caitlyn, but... she wasn’t stupid. And she wasn’t about to fall again for someone pretending to be on her side.

  She looked at the list written on the paper. The permit to the Hexgates was strong evidence against Caitlyn. It didn’t look forged. Only Pilties could have granted that. And it had the same pattern at the end as the one on the boxes.

  The Kiramann crest.

  It looked like she had some investigating to do on her own.

  Hexgates towered over the city. Vi always found them more ominous rather than the prideful symbol of the City of Progress, introducing the best era in Piltover’s history. It was just a way for rich people to get even richer. Though the air in Zaun was a fraction cleaner now, than it was when she first got into Stillwater.

  Inside, the shiny construction was a maze of metal platforms, machinery that she didn’t understand concentrated around the source of power, Hextech, that powered the gate. The pass she found had the specific gate listed, so Vi decided to go to that one.

  She went alone. No need to involve Cailtyn if she was going inside Kiramann’s trap.

  The Gala was one of the three most important events in the social life of Piltover's elite. It was the venue for major announcements, a place where the triumphs of the city’s social elite were paraded for all to see, and where the most significant deals were made behind closed doors. Or at least, that’s how it was presented to the public.

  To Caitlyn, however, it was just another pompous, shallow occasion for the bored rich to flaunt their newest clothes and engage in gossip and condescension.

  But this time, she was on the receiving end of the condescension. She hadn’t expected it to affect her so much. Her usual sense of confidence took a hit under the scrutinizing gazes of the numerous wrinkled, gold-plated faces. No matter how often she reminded herself that these people didn’t represent much beyond their wealth, she still felt somewhat deflated.

  This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

  The tall ceiling of the government building was illuminated by Hextech lamps that levitated among and above the gathered guests without any mechanical support. Their bluish light cast unflattering shadows on some of the guests, making them visibly angry. Typical, Caitlyn thought.

  She decided that since she was already here, she might as well use the opportunity to gather some information.

  But she’d have to approach it differently. No more rashly shouting her opinions and throwing temper tantrums like a child over the indifference of those around her. She needed to be smarter, to set her ego aside.

  First, she decided to observe Markus discreetly—who he spoke to, who his allies were. Of course, she knew it wouldn’t be easy, but maybe she could get a hint about who else was involved in the shimmer scheme.

  Her mother called to her as she mingled with some diplomats from a neighboring city that had recently established trade relations with Piltover, thanks to the opening of the Hexgates.

  “Caitlyn, come, meet Mr. and Mrs. Singer. They are good friends of mine.” Caitlyn turned in surprise toward the couple and shook their hands.

  “Nice to meet you.” She offered her most charming smile. It was the first time her mother had mentioned these people, and already she called them good friends? With her cold demeanor, Caitlyn could count on one hand the number of times her mother had called someone a “friend.”

  “Are you... working together?” she asked.

  “Yes, we’ve had a cooperation with the Kiramann Industries for... what, three years now, my dear?” The man looked at his wife, who nodded.

  “Three wonderful years. Our business has never flourished so much.”

  “And what exactly do you deal with, Mr. and Mrs. Singer?” Caitlyn couldn’t keep the curiosity from creeping into her voice.

  “Caitlyn, let’s not bore our guests with business talk,” her mother interrupted sharply. She turned to the couple. “My hopes are that she’ll one day take my place at Kiramann Industries, which is why she’s so curious. Let me show you the latest Hextech device; you won’t believe your eyes!”

  Caitlyn relaxed when they left and she didn’t have to follow them. Three years? It could be a coincidence. The past three years had boosted almost every part of Piltover’s industry. But shimmer had started circulating just over three years ago… She’d have to investigate it, if only for peace of mind.

  She noticed Markus disappearing behind a corner into one of the less populated corridors. Taking a glass of champagne, she moved in the same direction, careful not to draw attention.

  As she navigated through the crowd, something caught her eye.

  For a moment, she thought she saw a flash of bright pink among the sea of people. She stopped scanning the crowd. No, it couldn’t be. Why would she be here? There was no reason. Her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed with an embarrassing realization: she had hoped to see Vi.

  Cursing herself, she continued on her way. But then, the bright pink appeared before her.

  And not just before her, but in front of everyone, as the lights flickered and the power failed. A children’s song echoed somewhere, and a bright pink image appeared on the walls. It was difficult to make out, but everyone stood frozen, wondering if it was part of the exhibition. The song ended abruptly. Someone shouted in alarm. The image on the walls looked like... a monkey holding something?

  A loud crash shook the room as several explosions went off, dust filling the air as the walls trembled. The crowd erupted into panic. Caitlyn frantically searched for her parents, terrified that something had happened to them.

  Figures emerged from the dust on levitating boards, dressed in bizarre outfits with their faces covered, weapons in hand. One of them wore no mask. It was a woman, slim but strong, with two long blue braids, dressed in striped pants.

  “Hey suckers, let’s have some fun!” Her raspy voice and chaotic expression filled Caitlyn with dread.

  It was the first time Caitlyn had seen Jinx in person since meeting Vi. She froze. She saw the raw power, the pure maniacal insanity, and... evil. Was this what Vi was fighting to save Piltover for?

  Before she could fully process it, another woman on a levitating board noticed Caitlyn standing motionless and drew a pistol. She smiled as she pointed it at Caitlyn.

  “Aand, poof!”

  But before she could fire, a shot rang out from somewhere. Markus and his enforcers flooded the room and fired at the assailant, who quickly retreated, avoiding casualties. All that was left was Jinx’s maniacal laughter echoing through the space.

  “Caitlyn!” Her father’s voice broke through the chaos, snapping her out of her stupor. She quickly scanned the area. The sound felt distant, like it was coming from a tunnel. Her ears were still ringing from the explosions. Stumbling, she made her way toward him. Someone lay on the floor, and she rushed to help the man—an older gentleman with a broken arm. She didn’t recognize him. Together, they limped toward her father, where her mother, covered in ash, ran to her and hugged her tightly.

  “Caitlyn!” her mother cried, clutching her as if her life depended on it. “I thought she was going to shoot you!”

  “I’m fine, Mom,” Caitlyn said gently, returning the hug.

  With her pass to the Hexgates, a hastily fabricated excuse about a technical checkup, and a hood pulled over her head, Vi bypassed the guards at the entrance. Now, all that was left was to get into the administration office at the top of the tower, where the import and export documents were kept.

  She took the main stairs up, and once she was sure she was alone, she detoured and squeezed into the ventilation system. Figures, she thought as she crawled on her hands and knees. Once a pipe rat, always a pipe rat. At least the ventilation pipes were cleaner than she'd expected.

  She moved silently through the tower’s various sections, sweat trickling down her forehead, until she finally reached the administration office. It was the third room she checked, and the numerous lifts and contortions required had ensured she’d have sore muscles by the next day.

  Fortunately, the guards were scarce. Some fancy party in the center probably, she thought with disdain.

  The documents were organized alphabetically, but as she flipped through them, nothing stood out. She picked up a stack of recent deliveries to Piltover—nothing unusual. Moving to the export section, something finally caught her eye. The same pattern etched into her brain: the Kiramann crest. Various goods were delivered with the stamp, but most of the papers bore the Kiramann name along with detailed descriptions of delivery dates, quantities, and extensive logs.

  Except for one.

  It didn’t carry the Kiramann name, only the same crest. The document was titled "Singermann Deliveries to Piltover: Three Hundred Liters of Fuel." No further details.

  Caitlyn swallowed and folded the paper. She glanced at the clock on the wall—she couldn’t stay longer; the guards at the entrance would become suspicious.

  She saluted them on her way out of the tower, the document safely hidden in her pocket.

  Now it was time to make a decision if she trusted Caitlyn or not. And she had a history of trusting the wrong people.