The air crackled with tension.

Sometimes, when the universe threatened to change, the arcane could feel it. The earth seemed to shake with every step beneath your feet.

Your head felt light as your shoulders were pulled lower and lower. Your body was made of stone, marble, carved from the same polished surface you just walked over.

Jayce and Viktor stood by your side. It wasn't the first time you three had appeared like this and you hoped it wouldn't be the last after this meeting.

Taking a deep breath, you came to a halt in front of the Council's huge door. Your ears were deaf and yet you could hear your own heartbeat. Muffled words came through to you.

"(Y/N).", your name called by Jayce's voice scratched the furthest point in the back of your mind.

Swallowing hard, you forced down the feeling of nervousness. A hand placed itself on your shoulder, your own found it and intertwined your fingers.

"We mustn't let any doubts show now.", your voice was firm, your mind clear. "We will convince them. Even if it's just one of them."

Your gaze jumped to Viktor's. He stood upright, his grip tightly wrapped around his crutch without having to lean on it. Kindered had done a great job with him.

The sight of him delighted you. At the same time, you feared it might harm you. Heimerdinger himself was a being of the arcane. He would feel it if something had changed.

And yet.

You reached out and gave his shoulder a confident squeeze.

"We will change everything.", Viktor smiled.

"And then make the world a better place.", Jayce pressed his forehead against your temple.

The touch and love you felt from him still made you tremble. Maybe one day you would get used to it. But until then, you would savour everything, the tingling he made you feel, the warmth and the urge to kiss him.

Everything blurred into an ocean, immersing you in soft water. You felt like you were floating, flying even.

"It's time.", you exchanged glances with Jayce and Viktor one last time.

"We're ready.", Jayce smiled.

Viktor nodded. The brown of his hair looked almost black in the darkness. Only his eyes sparkled, as golden as the future that was slowly approaching.

Would it be able to right the wrongs of the past?

Or would everything crumble to dust and ashes?

Whatever it was, you would not be alone. Never again. With a heavy rumble, the huge door in front of you split open.

Bright light spilled across the marble floor of stone. The world of darkness was engulfed by light. Your eyes watered. And yet you lifted your chin, took the first step and entered the council chamber.

The power of this event hit you. The air seemed to vibrate, crackling with electricity and tension.

All the members had already taken their seats at the Council table. As always, Heimerdinger sat at the head or in the most central seat.

To his left, Salo had already taken his seat, then Shoola and Bolbok. To his right were Mel Medarda, Jayce's vacant chair and Cassandra Kiramman.

On a chair next to her sat Caitlyn.

The way the cards had reshuffled themselves was ironic. Once you had been in her place, a shadow of your father to fill a hole that could never be filled. It didn't matter what footprints she had to fill, she would leave her own to be filled as well.

A tingle crawled up the back of your neck. All the hairs on your body stood up. You could feel the tension reflected in the faces as you approached your father's chair.

Slowly, almost reverently, you stroked the gold and velvet backrest.

How many times had you wondered what it must feel like to sit in this chair as one of the most powerful people in all of Piltover?

Now you knew. It was something between disgust and a high you couldn't describe. You felt so powerful that it made you nauseous.

Jayce took his place opposite you. Your gazes met. Without letting on, your eyes travelled on, exchanging silent words with Caitlyn Kiramman.

She nodded. Her mother stared into the circle. She was really good at not letting on. You still remember your father's words when he first taught you about the council members.

"She's cool and deliberate, my boy.", he had said with a snort. "But be careful. She can be a snake in the grass or a powerful ally."

At that moment, the old words, spoken years ago to teach you something, brought a sense of unease. Again you had to look at her.

Maybe today she would turn out to be a snake in the grass. At best, she would keep her word.

And yet.

You could hardly believe that there were good people in this council. The last few weeks had convinced you otherwise.

On the other hand, you were no better yourself. In the end, you were all cut from the same cloth. Greed and power were great motives to be interested in something.

Nevertheless, you had to admit that you had strayed from your actual goal. At the beginning, you had tried to win Jayce over in order to gain a better position in the trade.

Now you had fallen for Jayce, his cute love for a better world and the vision of making life worth living for everyone. Money had long ceased to be your driving motivation. That didn't make you a good man, but perhaps you weren't quite as bad as previously thought.

"Let's begin.", Heimerdinger opened the floor.

And as always, everyone obeyed him. He claimed that all members of the council were equal, but his influence outweighed that of others ever since the council existed. Eventually there were one or two leaders and the others followed.

"I don't understand why we're here again.", Bolbok turned his mechanical head.

"Some of us seem to want to waste our time.", Medarda remarked with a gesture.

You rolled your eyes almost imperceptibly.

"This is an important matter.", you insisted.

"The Council doesn't seem to share this opinion."