Your eyes were firmly fixed on the bullet. Every fine detail was visible, the tiny sparks created by the heat of the shot and the black powder that still stuck to the metal casing.

The hairs on the back of your neck stood up.

Suddenly, time seemed to slow down.

A warm lightning bolt stabbed through your spine again. Blue sparks jumped out of your skin and surrounded you like a swarm of firelights. The bullet came at you so slowly that you turned your head to the side and dodged it as if you were faster than the shot itself.

All at once, heat coursed through your entire body. Muscles tensed, senses sharpened. One step to the side and you were three steps ahead, one jump and the earth began to shake beneath your feet.

Caught off guard, the two men jumped back and drew their weapons.

More shots came flying at you, but you dodged them, just like the first one. Your feet seemed to barely touch the ground, it felt like the air was carrying you.

With unusual ease, you grabbed the larger of the two by the arm, dragged him to you, and punched. Bones broke under your fists. Blood splashed up and wetted the muddy ground with red stains.

Gasping, he fell to his knees and had to hold his face.

The second tried to catch you with his fist, but your hand shot up and caught the blow. Threateningly you glanced at him out of the corner of your eye while you stood with one foot on his partner's back and your grip on his hand tightened.

Breathing heavily and with eyes wide open, he looked at you.

Your gaze wandered down to him. Your eyebrows rose in surprise.

He was wearing Marcus' boots.

"The sheriff was with you.", you said with a calm voice and dark eyes. "Where can I find him?"

The man swallowed hard. Beneath you, the taller one groaned.

"What is it?", he asked in a hoarse voice. "This... is not the effect of shimmer..."

You bit your lips.

"Yes, it is.", you said, knowing that they would never tell anyone anyway. "And the Arcane."

"But... how is that possible...? People born with these abilities don't come to Zaun."

A bitter taste spread in your mouth.

"I wasn't. It was... a cursed gift.", your grip tightened around his hand. "But you may as well not care. The sheriff. Where is he? And what business do you have with him?"

But despite the threat, the men did not give in.

With teeth clenched in pain, the man fell to his knees in front of you. His arm was trembling.

It would not be long before you would crush his bone.

Below you, the other man moved.

Your attention wandered to him for a moment. With more pressure, you pressed your foot to his back.

An exhausted gasp escaped him as his face hit the ground and he collapsed under the weight.

It was exactly this tiny moment of carelessness that the other took advantage of.

His free hand rose. He lashed out and struck with such force that everything went black for a moment.

Torn from your feet by the force, you fell to the ground, but caught yourself again and slid a few meters away.
Immediately the bigger one jumped back to its feet and shot itself again.

Again you dodged the bullet. Perhaps this new, unnatural power made you feel cocky, but you had to smile at the pitiful attempts to attack you. With a jump you tried to kick the pistol out of his hand.

But you misjudged.

Instead of hitting his hand, the kick landed on his head. Hit by the inhuman force, his head snapped to the side. He lost his footing and slammed into his partner.

Together they crashed to the ground with such force that bones broke and blood spurted. Dust twirled up and stone cracked.

The big one died first, instantly and without further resistance.

The second one, however, did not want to give in. Gasping in pain, he raised his head. Blood poured from his nose and he could hardly open his eyes properly.

"The sheriff.", threateningly you came towards him, but stopped a few steps away. "My patience is running out. Speak quickly and I will let you live."

But instead of accepting the offer, he just laughed. His hand slipped inside his jacket.

You tensed up at the movement. Your eyes were glued to his hand. The blue light wrapped around your body. The force was so strong that the ground splintered under your feet.

"Don't.", you warned him.

But again he could only laugh.

"Go to hell.", he pulled out a grenade.

You had only a second before the explosion shook the sky. But in that tiny moment you recognized something strange on the grenade. Not only was it oddly shaped, like a fish with pointed teeth and a mouth, but the shell was also decorated with pink and blue paint.

You just managed to jump away as the world was drowned in heat and deafening noise. The earth trembled under your feet. Dust swirled up and made the dirty air inscrutable.

When the dry wind blew away the cloud, a hole appeared. Soot and gravel covered the ground.

There was no trace of the two bodies left.

"Shit!", you squinted your eyes and rubbed your forehead. "That went fantastically..."

You thought it had all been for nothing, when your eyes fell on the charred remains of the grenade. Carefully, you slide into the hole and pick up the shell. It was a strange construction, complex and yet simple. It was definitely not one from Piltover, that much was certain.

But the strangest thing about it remained the colorful paintings. It looked confused, made no sense.

Confused, you twisted and turned it to all sides. But nothing added up.

Why did this man blow himself up?

And why didn't he want to talk to you about Marcus?

Stranger even, he had separated from him. That alone made no sense. At least not if he had been a friend.

And if he had been an enemy, why had Marcus been with them?