A new life
The world can sometimes be cruel, and for Lara, life had never been kind. At just 19, she had received a devastating diagnosis: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a rare and incurable disease that causes a progressive loss of motor function and body control.
Now confined to hospital, she lived with the knowledge that her days were numbered. Doctors had given her a life expectancy of three to five years, but her condition had worsened much faster than expected. She had already lost the use of her legs, and she knew the end was near - a matter of days, at most, before her last breath was extinguished.
To occupy her days and escape harsh reality, Lara had immersed herself in an animated series: Arcane. It had become her refuge, her escape, and also her favorite series. Today marked a special moment for her: the release of the latest episode. A bittersweet thought crossed her mind: At least I'll die having seen the end of my favorite series.
Despite the weight of her illness and the isolation it imposed, Lara had found a ray of sunshine in her daily life: Eva. This nurse, barely older than her, was still a medical student and shared with Lara a simplicity and gentleness that made their conversations comforting. Eva was more than a nurse's aide; she had become a friend, a support in the most difficult moments. She was the one who helped Lara dress, bathe and do all those things she could no longer do on her own.
That morning, Lara felt a touch of excitement mixed with her usual weariness. The latest episode of Arcane was coming out today. She pressed the call button beside her bed, and a few moments later Eva entered the room with her usual smile.
"Good morning, Lara. What do you need?" she asked, her soft voice filled with benevolence.
Lara raised her hand slightly to point to the bedside table. "Can you hand me the remote, please?"
Eva nodded and handed it to her without hesitation. "Of course. Are you planning to watch something special?"
A flash of enthusiasm crossed Lara's eyes. "Yes, the latest episode of Arcane."
Eva smiled broadly. "Then let's watch it together! That is... if you don't mind waiting until I finish my shift."
Lara nodded gently, a furtive smile on her lips. She reached for the glass of water beside her, but the seemingly simple gesture seemed insurmountable. Her hand dropped to her lap, trembling, and a sigh of exasperation escaped her. How could something so trivial have become such an ordeal?
Eva, who was discreetly observing the scene, approached and picked up the glass before handing it to Lara. "Here. What's wrong? Are you in pain?" she asked gently.
Lara reached for the glass with difficulty and took a sip before answering, her voice trembling with emotion:
"No, it's not that... It's just that I can't take it anymore. Nothing's easy. Even drinking a glass of water takes energy I don't have any more. It used to be natural... Now it's all complicated. This damn disease... it's taking everything away from me. It's going to kill me."
Eva laid a comforting hand on Lara's. "I know how unfair it is. But you're not alone. I'm here."
Lara simply nodded, stuck in her thoughts, unable to stop imagining what her life would have been like if she hadn't been ill; it was only a matter of time before she died of her illness.
That evening, Eva finished her shift and headed straight for Lara's room. She had promised that they would watch the last episode of Arcane together, and she always kept her promises. Entering, she found Lara already settled in, her eyes glued to the screen, a slight but sincere smile lighting up her face.
"Ready?" Eva asked, taking a seat beside her.
Lara nodded. "More than ever."
For a moment, everything seemed perfect. The two young women laughed, exchanged enthusiastic comments on the story and debated their favorite characters. For once, Lara managed to forget about her illness, even about her fragile body. She was living this moment to the full, lulled by the series and by the comforting presence of Eva, whom she now considered more than just a nurse: a true friend, perhaps the best she'd ever had.
But the happiness was short-lived.
Suddenly, Lara tensed. A searing pain shot through her, so brutal that she let out a small, muffled cry. She brought a trembling hand to her chest, gasping for breath as her eyes filled with tears.
"I'm... in pain," she murmured weakly, the features of her face distorted by suffering.
Eva gasped and rushed to press the emergency call button. Returning quickly to Lara's side, she grabbed her hand, squeezing it gently to bring her some comfort.
"Breathe, Lara, breathe. You're going to be fine, I promise," she said in a firm but gentle voice, trying to mask the worry that was gnawing at her. "The doctor will be here any minute. Hang in there, I'm here."
Lara, overwhelmed by pain, barely nodded, tears rolling silently down her cheeks.
Eva stayed by his side, refusing to let go of his hand. She whispered reassuring words, even as she felt her heart clench. The happiness of this shared moment was gone, replaced by anguish and helplessness. Yet she knew she had to stay strong, for Lara's sake, to continue to bring her the strength she seemed to draw from their friendship.
When the door finally opened on a doctor and a nurse, Eva released a sigh she hadn't even realized she was holding in. But she didn't let go of Lara's hand.
Despite the best efforts of the doctors and nurses, nothing seemed to ease Lara's pain. They intensified, relentless, as if her own body were abandoning her. She knew it in her bones: this was the end.
She wanted to live so much more. To see the world, to know love, to laugh until her stomach hurt. But her illness had decided otherwise. As her eyes began to close, a cold chill settled over her. A strange, profound sensation. So this is what it's like to die, she thought, a touch of sadness in her heart.
With a last breath, a fleeting thought crossed her mind: If only I could have another chance...
Then she felt a breeze. A soft, unexpected caress, like a breath from somewhere else. Was it real? Was her mind playing tricks on her? Lara opened her eyes slightly, but the room seemed blurred, like a dream.
Then a voice came, soft and melodious, almost inaudible.
"My poor child... You haven't had an easy life. Perhaps you are the one missing to protect them. Go and live."
These words resonated within her, like a promise or a call to something greater. Lara tried to answer, but no sound escaped her lips. A strange serenity came over her, a gentle warmth contrasting with the cold that had invaded her body.
Her eyes closed one last time, a sigh escaping her lips.
And everything went black...
Suddenly, Lara opened her eyes. A hubbub of indistinct voices surrounded her. Was she... alive? Her heart raced. How could this be possible? Was this a dream? One last trick of her mind before she sank for good?
She tried to regain her composure and looked around. Everything was dark and dusty. She seemed to be in some kind of mine. Farther away, silhouettes were milling about, chatting amongst themselves. They held pickaxes and wore miner's helmets. The place smelled of earth and damp rock, an oppressive atmosphere she'd never experienced before.
Before she could think any further, a loud voice sounded beside her:
"Ruin, move! The cracks won't mine themselves!"
Lara turned abruptly, bewildered. "Huh? Me?"
A burly man, covered in dust, stared at her with an irritated expression. "Yes, you! Who else here would be called Ruin?"
Ruin? The name resonated strangely with her. No, it couldn't be. Her name was Lara. She was sure of it.
Confused, she looked down and noticed a miner's helmet lying by her feet. Machinically, she picked it up. But what she saw in the metallic reflection chilled her.
The face facing her was not her own.
A woman with features not her own was staring back at her. Her black hair was mixed with flaming red locks, a strange and captivating combination. Lara instinctively raised a hand to her head, touching those strands that didn't belong to her. Was this reflection real? Was it her?
She took a step back, feeling her breath quicken. None of this made sense. Where was she? Who was this Ruin they were talking about? And above all... what was she doing in this body that wasn't hers?
A girl approached her with an encouraging smile. Without a word, she put a hand on her shoulder, gently adjusted the helmet on her head and chuckled:
"Ruin, hurry up. If Silco's men see you hanging around, we're both screwed."
Lara froze, her heart missing a beat. Silco. The name rang in her mind like an alarm bell. It couldn't be true... not here. Not now. Was it really this Silco? But how? But why?
Before she had time to answer, the girl grabbed her hand and pulled her further into a secluded corner of the mine. She moved with an almost instinctive assurance, scanning her surroundings with a nervous gaze, as if every shadow could conceal danger.
She handed Lara a pickaxe, her expression both serious and compassionate.
"Take this. Pretend you're working."
Pretending to hit the rock, Lara glanced discreetly at the girl who had helped her. Her breath caught for a moment. She resembled Eva, her nurse friend, the one who had looked after her until her last breath. But this "Eva"... or rather this version of her, looked different.
This girl had a more confident air, a hard, combative energy that Lara had never seen in her friend. This uncanny resemblance only added to the confusion.
Lara concentrated again on her fake work, but her mind kept coming back to that name: Silco. It couldn't be. Silco only existed in Arcane. And the Fissures? A fictional place, straight out of the series. She shook her head, trying to make sense of the impossible.
Am I really... in Arcane? The idea seemed absurd. Unreal. Yet everything here seemed so tangible.
A few henchmen paced the mine, keeping a watchful eye on the workers. Their cold stares made Lara shiver. She struck the rock a little harder, imitating the movements of the others. Eventually, the men left the area, and the tension in the air eased slightly.
The girl approached her, a look of relief on her face.
"It's all right, they're gone. Are you all right, Ruin?" she asked softly.
Lara hesitated, but replied: "I'm fine... thanks. But... where are we exactly?"
The girl arched an eyebrow, puzzled. "Seriously? Don't tell me you got hit again?" She stared at her for a moment, then resumed, "I already told you not to respond to their provocations. These guys are just looking for an excuse to come down on you. You're lucky they didn't insist this time."
Lara nodded mechanically, but her thoughts were swirling. Ruin. That name sounded wrong, like a label stuck on her.
"I just bumped my head alone, I guess," Ruin replied, giving a nervous chuckle.
She could feel the confusion growing inside her. Everything seemed unreal, as if she were living in a strange dream. But what troubled her even more was that she felt no pain. For the first time in a long time, her legs were moving freely. She was standing, balanced, unaided. This detail should have upset her, but the strangeness of the whole situation took over.
"Well, are you coming, Ruin? We've finished our shift, it's time to go home," threw in the girl, picking up her own helmet.
"Uh... yes. But... where to?" replied Ruin hesitantly.
The girl stopped dead in her tracks and turned her head towards her, clearly surprised. "Home, of course. Are you sure you're okay? You seem completely out of it today."
Her previous teasing tone disappeared, replaced by genuine concern. She approached, scrutinizing Ruin's face intently. "Are you sure you're all right? You don't look your normal self."
Ruin felt her heart clench. This girl had the face of Eva, her nurse friend. She even shared that natural benevolence, that warmth she'd missed so much. Yet she knew it wasn't her. It was someone else, in a world that should never have existed.
She inhaled deeply, searching for an answer that might explain her strange behavior. "To tell you the truth... I think I hit my head or something. Ever since I woke up earlier, I've had memory loss. Everything's a bit hazy."
The girl frowned, obviously concerned. "Okay, that must be it. You really don't look well. Look, we'll go home, you get some rest, and if it doesn't get better, we'll go see someone. Okay?"
Ruin nodded, trying to appear reassured. But deep down, she knew this explanation was just a Band-Aid on a much more complex situation. She followed the girl without further question, her thoughts swirling in her head.
As she left the mine, Ruin felt her breath catch. Before her, Zaun lay in all its dark, chaotic splendor. Flickering neon lights projected green and orange glows onto decrepit walls, while chimneys belched thick smoke into the heavy air. The metallic smell, mingled with that of rust and oil, was almost suffocating. She blinked, hoping it would all go away, but nothing changed.
It was real.
She followed the girl who had helped her, trying not to trip over the uneven cobblestones. They passed an all-too-familiar sign: The Last Drop. A shiver ran down her spine. This bar was at the heart of everything in Arcane, and seeing it here, so alive, so tangible, plunged her into a mixture of fascination and dread.
The girl turned to her. "Are you going to stand there all night? Come on, let's go home."
Ruin nodded and quickened her pace. Her thoughts were whirling. If all this was true, then she was in Arcane's world. And if she was in Zaun... At this time Silco shoud had take the control.
After several minutes of walking through dark alleys, they arrived at a dilapidated building. The girl pushed open a rickety door, wincing at the metallic creak. "Come in."
The apartment was modest, barely furnished. A rickety table, an old sofa and a small, rudimentary kitchen occupied the main room. A door at the back probably led to a bedroom. Everything seemed worn by time, but there was something welcoming about it despite the poverty of the place.
"Sit down. I'll get something to drink," the girl said, setting a bag down in the corner.
Ruin sat on the sofa, looking around. Every detail confirmed what she still refused to accept: she was no longer in her own world. She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to sort out her thoughts.
When the girl returned with two glasses of water, Ruin raised her head. "Listen... I know this might sound weird, but... can you remind me of your name?"
The girl frowned slightly, surprised, but settled down opposite Ruin. "You don't remember me?"
Ruin looked down, searching for an excuse. "Not really... Since earlier, everything's been a blur. I think I've taken a big blow to the head."
The girl seemed to hesitate, then replied, "I'm Keira. And you're Ruin. Do you even remember this?"
Ruin nodded, silently repeating the name in her mind. Keira. It sounded good. But what troubled her even more was the striking resemblance to Eva, her nurse friend. She had the same face, but her look and attitude were much harsher.
Keira spoke again, her tone softening: "Don't worry. With a little rest, your memory will come back. But if it gets worse, let me know. I don't want to have to fetch shimmer to cure you, understand?"
Ruin nodded. Understood. Thanks... for everything."
Keira gave him a smile. "Go on, get some sleep. We'll see how you feel tomorrow."
Ruin got up and headed for the small bedroom. The air was cold, and the sheets on the bed looked rough, but she lay down with a sigh.
She put a hand on her legs, realizing again that they responded perfectly. No pain. No weakness. This should have filled her with joy, but all she felt was growing anguish.
Staring at the ceiling, she murmured to herself, "Why me? Why here?"
Zaun's silence was only interrupted by a thud in the distance, like a rumble. Perhaps an explosion. Perhaps a warning.
Ruin closed her eyes, her mind agitated by a single thought:
"If I'm still alive, there must be a reason."