At two in the morning, in the alley behind Forgen Tavern, two sneaky figures kept their distance from each other—until the slightly shorter one suddenly jogged up to the other, held out her hand on purpose, and he took it. Hand in hand, they headed out toward the street.
Trailing behind the two adults was a tiny child.
Isha stared at the pair walking together up ahead—Logan and Jinx—and her little face went all round and soft like a marshmallow. She looked completely done with them, hugging her head and grumbling as she followed along.
Did they seriously forget about me?
Little Isha thought about it, getting more and more annoyed.
———
Rebirth [1]Day went off perfectly.
Sure, there were still plenty of shortcomings. Logan had talked big in the Council Hall, claiming he'd make it grander than Piltover's Progress Day—but in reality, aside from Zaunites themselves, most people in Piltover had no idea Zaun was holding a major holiday celebration at all.
If it hadn't been for the fireworks—especially that gigantic one that completely outshined Piltover's—then last night, Zaun would've basically been partying in its own little bubble.
Even so, every Zaunite stayed up late. At three or four in the morning, the streets were still packed with people, and the Undercity Enforcers were patrolling everywhere, terrified someone would drink too much and start trouble.
Zaunites really don't care what anyone else thinks of them. As long as they're living well, that's enough.
So on Rebirth Day, everyone was happy.
And after Rebirth Day came Zaun's legally mandated long holiday—but Zaunites can't sit still. So even though it was an official break, plenty of people voluntarily went to work anyway.
Logan wanted to cry.
Where was he supposed to find employees this good anywhere else?
As long as the work was safe and the pay was steady, they didn't even need fancy perks. They were full of passion and drive—so much that even if nobody watched them, they still wouldn't slack off.
Logan figured it was probably because Zaunites now felt like they were building Zaun—laying bricks for their own home—so they weren't like they'd been in Piltover, killing time and coasting whenever they could.
So because he lacked experience, even though everyone else thought Zaun's first-ever Rebirth Day was flawless, Logan still felt like something was missing.
Looks like, in the future, Zaun would need someone whose job was specifically to run festival events.
Having fun is a skill. Getting a whole crowd together to have fun happily is even more of a skill—it takes real leadership and good ideas. Logan could talk the big-picture plan all day, but when it came to actually executing it, he honestly had no experience.
New Year's Day—January 5th, around noon.
Logan's family was eating lunch. Jinx was pressed in close beside him. Silco was there too—he'd been coming over constantly these past couple days. Aside from breakfast, he'd show up for lunch and dinner to mooch meals.
At the table, Vi held her bowl and shoveled food in with zero grace, her eyes flicking between Logan and Jinx.
"Why have you been smiling so gently the last couple days?" Vi suddenly said to Jinx after setting her bowl down. "It's weirding me out."
Something was off. Really off.
As an Undercity Enforcer, Vi had trained her eyes sharp—tiny shifts in someone's expression, subtle changes in behavior, anything unnatural, she could catch it instantly. And the changes in Jinx these past two days were huge.
So huge that even Vi couldn't get used to it.
This wasn't the manic, chaotic Jinx. This was… the Powder she remembered. The soft, gentle Powder.
Vander and Silco both looked up at the same time. The two of them were technically meeting each other's eyes, but it was obvious where their attention really was—both of them were watching Logan and Jinx out of the corners of their eyes.
"Shut your mouth and eat," Jinx shot back at Vi, arching a brow. "Can't food plug you up for five minutes?"
Vi blinked.
Good. That was the right flavor. That was Jinx.
Vi snorted with a grin. "So the sweet side is just for Logan, huh? Not even a little bit you're willing to share with your sister?"
Jinx ignored her. She put a rib into Isha's bowl, then grabbed a piece of meat for herself and crunched down with her small white teeth.
Vi raised her eyebrows and teased Logan. "Logan… did you two do something a couple days ago?"
"I mean, she almost never wore lip stuff before. When I first met her, her lips were pale purple, dry as hell, peeling and everything. But look at her now—damn. Soft, red, shiny. And she's even wearing lipstick."
Vi wanted to say it outright: did you two confess in private? Because Jinx used to never bother dressing up at all.
"I noticed it too." Silco dabbed his mouth with a napkin, looking at Logan with a chill in his eyes.
Why had he been coming to Logan's place every day lately?
Wasn't it because he'd noticed something was off with Jinx on the second day after Rebirth Day?
A smile stuck on her face. When she went shopping with him and Isha, she stopped buying snacks and toys—and started buying things teenage girls liked. Lipstick. Foundation. Even pretty skirts.
But Jinx had never worn skirts before. Not once.
Silco was the person who'd spent the most time with Jinx. If anything changed in her, he'd be the first to notice.
And privately, he'd told Vander right away. Vander had gotten serious immediately.
Two dads, stressed out of their minds over Jinx.
Seeing Vi staring at him and asking such a question, Logan cleared his throat, thought for a second, and said, "It's… uh. Something happened. Small thing. Not worth making a big deal out of."
"Why are you asking Logan? Ask me!" Jinx immediately stepped in front of Logan, clearly annoyed. "And why do you two care so much about our business?!"
"If you've got time to worry about that, Vi, you should go up to Piltover and check on that cop girlfriend of yours. And you—Vander—Silco's already started looking for women. I've met the woman he's got his eye on. Yeah, she's a bit older, but she's got presence. She's really pretty, and she fits Silco."
"But what about you?" Jinx kept going, completely unloading on everyone at once. "Have you ever thought about finding a mom for me and Vi?"
"Fine—me and Vi are grown. You don't have to worry about us anymore. But can you think about yourself for once?!"
Jinx was at full firepower, blasting her own family.
Vi's teeth practically itched.
Caitlyn again. Caitlyn again.
I've said it ten thousand times, I'm not with her. Yeah, I respect her a lot—but I have boundaries, okay?!
Silco, meanwhile, stared at Jinx, genuinely speechless. He never expected Jinx to think he and Renata Glasc were that kind of relationship. But… finding a mother?
If Jinx needed it, Silco could consider it.
Not for himself.
For Jinx.
Renata actually might not be a bad option. She definitely wouldn't agree willingly—but if he tempted her with power and status, she might loosen up. A contract marriage could stabilize Zaun's politics too.
It wasn't a terrible plan.
Silco actually started thinking it through.
And Vander?
He turned to look at Silco like an idiot, completely floored that Silco had done something that huge behind his back without saying a word.
"What are you looking at me for?" Silco rolled his eyes when he caught Vander's stare, lifted his cup, and took a sip of juice. Smacking his lips, he said, "Jinx, swollen lips aren't good for lipstick. Watch yourself. Stop wearing it—or you can just kiss Logan less—"
"Ahem—cough—cough!" Logan coughed hard, cutting Silco off.
And Jinx, who'd just stood up to take on three people at once, silently sat back down. She tucked her blue hair behind her ear, lowered her head, and ate obediently, her cheeks flushing red.
Her lips really were swollen. She'd bought lipstick to cover it up—but Silco was right: once she put it on, it got itchy and uncomfortable.
Mm.
Needs kissing to stop the itch.
"Wait—hold on." Vi looked completely lost. "Why are you all making those faces? What—what the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Logan stole a glance at Vi, and there was a bit of disdain in his eyes.
You don't even understand that… and you want to lecture me?
Vi had this whole "I'm experienced" persona—always acting like some veteran who knew everything. But if it actually came down to the real thing, she was a blank sheet of paper.
She hadn't had the chance when she was young. Then she got locked up.
And as for why Jinx's lips were swollen… well.
Logan and Jinx had been practicing.
Anyone who kisses a lot knows: beginners are usually clumsy, but they also love doing it—so the only way to stop swelling is to keep practicing until you can kiss a lot without wrecking your mouth.
Logan looked at Jinx, who was eating with her head down like she was guilty, and he couldn't help finding it funny.
We still have to work at it, Jinx.
Tonight we're doing more sets. Double training.
Can't skip the daily homework.
——————
Deep in the Undercity, there was a place called Highstone Mine. It used to be a gang-owned private mine, but after Zaun's gangs were dissolved, it was seized as public property and absorbed into Zaun's treasury.
Now, the ones responsible for extracting ore from it were "Renni's company"—a legitimate mining business made up of former gang members.
Today, Renni brought her son down into the tunnels with her. The mine had shut down for the Progress Day stretch, but people were still assigned to guard the place. Official holiday or not, some jobs can't just stop—Undercity Enforcers, soldiers… On Rebirth Day, Vi had been worked like a dog, hadn't she?
But shifts existed, so people were happy to take turns.
As long as they didn't have to work during the two days of Progress Day itself, wasn't that fine?
Renni had gotten word from a miner yesterday. The man swore he'd heard something strange at the bottom of the mine. At first, he thought it was rats skittering around—but as the sound grew clearer, he realized it was… talking.
Like it was speaking some kind of language they couldn't understand.
"Here, Ms. Renni." The miner led the way nervously. "That's where I heard it. The closer I got to falling asleep, the louder it got, and then… I didn't dare go down to look."
Renni listened, took a flashlight, and looked at the people beside her. "All right. Let's go see."
The employees followed her into the mine.
After going a few dozen meters, they reached a pitch-black shaft. A hoist machine sat beside it, along with an iron ladder miners could use to climb down into the depths.
Renni went first. Several employees climbed down after her.
"I don't hear anything," Renni muttered as they moved deeper, her brow tightly furrowed. But she also knew the miner wouldn't dare lie to her—she might have "gone legit," but her old reputation was still very much alive.
"I really heard it," the miner insisted. "I'm not lying!"
Renni could only keep going.
But the deeper they went, the colder the air became—and there was a stench of blood in it.
There was polluted wastewater in the tunnels too, seeping down through the soil. Zaun still hadn't fully solved its wastewater treatment—outside of the residential communities, plenty of places were still being poisoned.
Just as Renni was starting to think the whole trip was a waste of time, she heard it—
A whisper.
"Luminar ascensus,vitae aetherialis nexus"
It was a language Renni had never heard in her life.
She instantly raised the flashlight and shone it forward—only to see that the passage ahead was filled with massive boulders.
Then… where was that voice coming from?
Renni felt a chill crawl up her spine. But she forced herself forward, closing in on the boulders. The closer she got, the clearer the sound became.
It was as if the voice was calling to her.
Guiding her.
Slowly approaching, Renni's eyes suddenly rolled upward—and she started walking forward like a sleepwalker, dull and empty.
The adults with her didn't notice what she was doing.
But the little boy who'd come along did.
"Mom!"
His shout snapped Renni awake. She bit down hard on the tip of her tongue—pain dragging her back into clarity—and she yelled, "Everyone! Back up!"
"Back up!"
At her command, everyone started retreating, Renni included.
As they ran, Renni scooped the little boy up into her arms, her face filled with fear.
What the hell had just happened?
It felt like her consciousness had been unplugged—like she'd been wrapped in blood, drowning in blood and darkness. If not for her son's voice, Renni couldn't imagine what she might've walked into.
Back at the mine entrance, Renni stood there smoking. The hand holding the cigarette was trembling.
A man who'd followed her since her Chem-Baron days leaned in and whispered, "Boss… there might be something valuable behind those rocks. Should we—"
"Fuck off." Renni slapped him across the face and snapped, "Don't bite off more than you can chew. That's not something we can handle."
"And besides—if Silco finds out about this, I'm gonna be shipped off to Bilgewater tomorrow dealing with pirates."
"Don't give me any more of your dumb ideas. All right—send someone to the Council Hall. Report this to the people above us."
"The thing inside that mine…"
Renni swallowed, then said seriously, "It's dangerous."
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[1] Yup, Rebirth is better