Beyond the Walls
Ekko’s hoverboard zipped through the dense forest, weaving between gnarled trees and over uneven ground. Lux lay limp across one shoulder, her body motionless but breathing faintly, while Powder hung weakly in his other arm, her head buried against his chest.
“I’m not a jinx... stop... please... I didn’t mean to...” Powder’s murmurs were faint, but the anguish in her voice was undeniable. Blood dripped steadily from her hands, painting a trail of crimson on the forest floor.
Behind them, Warwick’s guttural growls echoed through the woods. He was no longer human, only a beast now—relentless, bloodthirsty, and unyielding. Twigs snapped and leaves rustled violently as he pursued them, his glowing eyes a beacon of fury in the shadows.
Ekko’s breaths came in sharp gasps as he pushed the hoverboard harder, his mind racing for a plan. The ruins had been behind them, but Warwick’s relentless pursuit hadn’t stopped. As they broke through a patch of dense foliage, Ekko’s eyes caught a familiar sight—the bunker.
The same bunker where they had found the mysterious glowing room with the kneeling statue. The same bunker where Lux’s magic had drawn them. It was their only chance.
He didn’t hesitate. Ekko adjusted his grip on Lux and Powder, his hoverboard weaving frantically as he spotted the familiar patch of ground concealing the bunker’s entrance. The faint remnants of moonlight glinted off the rusted hatch buried in the earth, hidden beneath layers of vines and debris. Skidding to a halt, he stumbled off the board, his body trembling with exhaustion.
Quickly, he knelt down, brushing dirt and leaves away to reveal the hatch. His fingers worked frantically, flipping the concealed latch. The heavy metal door groaned as he pulled it open, the sound reverberating through the quiet forest.
He placed Lux down gently at the edge of the hatch, her head slumping to the side, her breaths faint and shallow. Powder was barely conscious as he eased her off the hoverboard, her legs wobbling beneath her as she swayed, leaning heavily against him.
“Come on, Powder,” he urged softly, his voice strained as he supported her weight. Her bloodied hands clung weakly to his vest, her body trembling as if she could barely hold herself together.
“I didn’t mean to... I didn’t mean to...” she murmured, her voice broken and distant, her tear-filled eyes staring at nothing.
Ekko’s heart wrenched, but he didn’t have time to stop. He scooped Powder into his arms once more, lowering her carefully into the narrow laddered shaft of the bunker. With one hand gripping the rungs, he climbed down swiftly, his muscles screaming in protest. The distant roar of the beast pursuing them echoed through the forest, drawing closer with every passing second.
Once they were underground, Ekko laid Powder down on the cold steel floor before climbing back up for Lux. The banging of Warwick’s claws tearing through the forest made his chest tighten. He hoisted Lux over his shoulder, her limp body a dead weight, and descended into the bunker, sealing the hatch behind them with trembling hands.
Inside, the air was cold and thick with silence, save for the muffled snarls growing louder from above. Ekko staggered deeper into the bunker, carrying Lux and guiding Powder along as she stumbled behind him, clutching her arms around herself.
“Come on, Powder,” he whispered, glancing back at her.
The dim corridor led them to the glowing room, the faint light spilling out like a beacon in the darkness. Inside, the statue of the kneeling woman stood motionless, bathed in an eerie radiance from the mysterious inscription on the wall.
Ekko set Lux down gently in the corner of the room before turning to Powder, who had collapsed onto her knees in the middle of the chamber. Her face was pale, her tear-streaked cheeks glistening in the light as she rocked back and forth, whispering incoherent apologies.
“I didn’t mean to...” Powder murmured, her voice trembling. “I didn’t mean for this to happen. Tali... Vi... everyone... they’re gone. I destroyed them. I destroy everything.”
“No,” Ekko said firmly, kneeling in front of her, gripping her shoulders. “Powder, listen to me. This isn’t your fault. You didn’t launch the rocket. You didn’t know what would happen. This isn’t on you.”
Her wide, tear-filled eyes met his, and for a moment, he thought he saw a glimmer of hope. But then her gaze faltered, and her trembling hands flew to her head as she shook it violently.
“No, you don’t understand!” she screamed, her voice cracking. “I made it! I made the rocket! I thought it would be beautiful, but it killed them. I killed them. Just like Vander... Milo... Claggor... Vi. I killed them all!...I’m a…Jinx.”
Her cries echoed through the room, and Ekko’s chest tightened as he watched her unravel. “Powder,” he whispered, his voice breaking. “No... you’re not—”
“I am!” she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. Her voice became distant, almost haunted. “I’m a jinx... I ruin everything I touch... everyone I love...”
She clutched her head tighter, her nails digging into her scalp as she trembled violently. She saw Vi’s face, her sister’s voice ringing in her ears. “You’re a jinx, Powder. That’s all you’ll ever be.” Then Silco’s words followed, his voice calm and insidious. “You’re perfect as you are. You’re Jinx. Embrace it.”
“No! No!” she screamed, her hands gripping her hair as she crumbled further. “Stop it! Stop!”
“Powder, please!” Ekko grabbed her arms, pulling her into a tight embrace. She fought against him for a moment, but then her strength gave out, and she collapsed against him, sobbing uncontrollably.
“I can’t... I can’t stop it, Ekko,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I don’t know who I am anymore. Help me... please...”
“I’m here,” Ekko said softly, his own tears spilling over as he held her tightly. “I’m not leaving you, Powder. I promise.”
Powder’s sobs quieted into ragged breaths, her face still pressed against Ekko’s chest. He held her tightly, as though letting go might shatter her completely. His voice was low but filled with urgency as he whispered, “You’re not a jinx. You’re Powder. You’ve always been Powder.”
Her shoulders shook, and she pulled back just enough to look at him. Her tear-streaked face was a portrait of anguish, her lips trembling as she tried to speak. “How can you say that after everything? After what I’ve done?”
Ekko cupped her face, his thumbs gently brushing away her tears. His brown eyes locked onto hers, unwavering. “Because I know who you are. I’ve always known. You’re not the monster you think you are. You’re my Powder—smart, stubborn, and... someone I’m madly in love with.”
Her breath hitched, her wide eyes searching his for any hint of doubt. “You... you love me?”
“I do,” he said firmly, his voice breaking with emotion. “And I always will. Nothing is going to change that.”
Powder stared at him, her chest rising and falling as fresh tears spilled over. “But I keep ruining things... hurting people... I can’t stop it, Ekko. I don’t know how to stop it.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, his voice soft but steady. “You’re not alone in this anymore. You don’t have to do it on your own. We’ll figure it out together.”
But their fragile moment of solace was shattered by a thunderous BANG! The walls of the bunker trembled.
Warwick was here. The beast’s guttural growls echoed through the corridors, followed by the screech of claws against metal.
Ekko’s heart pounded as he glanced toward the door. They had nowhere left to run.
Another deafening BANG! shook the room, and the door groaned under Warwick’s relentless assault. Ekko shifted his hold on Powder, his mind racing.
As the door buckled under another blow, Ekko whispered to Powder, his voice steady despite the terror rising in his chest. “I’ve got you. Just stay with me, Powder. No matter what happens, I’ve got you.”
Ekko held Powder close as the room trembled again, dust and debris falling from the ceiling with each thunderous bang. Warwick’s snarls echoed louder, closer. The beast’s relentless assault was making quick work of the heavy bunker door.
“We need to think of a way out of here,” Ekko said, his voice tense but steady. Powder, still shaking, took a deep breath, trying to steady herself as she nodded.
“Okay... okay,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying.
Ekko gently loosened his arms around her, stepping back to check on Lux, still slumped unconscious against the wall. “Stay close,” he urged her as he crouched beside Lux, checking her pulse and murmuring, “Come on, Lux... wake up.”
Powder, left standing, wiped her tear-streaked face with trembling hands. As she took a step back, her legs wobbled slightly. She reached out to steady herself and instinctively grabbed the cold, outstretched hand of the statue behind her.
The moment her bloodied hand made contact with the stone, a faint shimmer pulsed through the air. Powder froze, looking down in confusion as tiny droplets of her blood slid down the statue’s hand and onto its base.
Suddenly, the entire room seemed to shift. A deep, grinding noise filled the air, and the statue’s eyes glowed faintly, flickering to life as the wall behind it groaned and began to move.
“Ekko,” Powder called out, her voice laced with shock.
Ekko’s head snapped up, his eyes widening as he watched the wall shift, stone sliding away to reveal a sleek metallic door. Faint light glinted off its surface, and a glowing panel with a single button lit up beside it.
“What the...?” Ekko muttered, quickly moving to Powder’s side. They exchanged a stunned glance, neither understanding what had just happened.
Before they could process it further, another massive crash shook the bunker, and the door across the room buckled inward, screeching under Warwick’s relentless strikes.
“He’s almost in,” Ekko said sharply, his mind racing. He glanced at the door revealed by the wall and then at the glowing button. “We don’t have time to think. This might be our only shot.”
Powder nodded, her face pale but resolute. Together, they grabbed Lux and half-carried, half-dragged her toward the mysterious door. As they approached, the panel emitted a soft hum, and the metallic door slid open, revealing a small, cylindrical lift bathed in dim, bluish light.
“Inside, now!” Ekko urged, helping Powder step into the lift with Lux in tow. Once inside, he turned and slammed his palm onto the glowing button.
The lift door began to slide shut just as Warwick let out an earth-shattering roar and burst through the bunker door, his massive frame crashing into the room.
Time seemed to slow. Powder’s heart pounded as she locked eyes with the beast. For a moment, Warwick hesitated, sniffing the air, his glowing red eyes narrowing as he fixated on her.
“Close, close, close!” Ekko shouted, his voice cracking.
Warwick lunged just as the lift door slid shut with a hiss, his massive claws striking empty air. He crashed into the now-sealed doorway with a bone-rattling impact, his enraged snarls reverberating through the bunker.
For a split second, it seemed as though the beast would tear straight through the lift’s barrier, but before he could strike again, the mechanism triggered. The wall outside began to shift, grinding and groaning as the metal panel slid back into place. Stone and steel reconfigured seamlessly, erasing any trace of the lift’s entrance and leaving Warwick clawing at an unyielding, solid wall.
Inside the lift, Powder clung to the railing, her breath shallow and erratic. Ekko pressed his back against the wall, holding onto Lux tightly as the cylindrical chamber hummed and began its descent. The faint vibrations of the lift moving downward were the only sound, muffled by the indestructible barrier that now separated them from the raging beast above.
“What just... what just happened?” Powder whispered, her voice barely audible.
Ekko’s chest rose and fell rapidly, his heart still hammering from the near escape. He shook his head, glancing at the walls of the lift, their metallic surface glowing faintly with an otherworldly light. “I don’t know,” he admitted, his voice strained. “But we’re safe... for now.”
Powder’s hands trembled as she stared at them, her blood still smeared across her fingers. Her wide eyes darted between the glowing button on the lift’s panel and Ekko. “That statue... my blood...” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ekko didn’t answer immediately, his gaze fixed on the panel as the lift continued to descend. The hum of the machinery was steady, a stark contrast to the chaos they’d left behind. He gave Powder’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure it out,” he said simply, his voice low but firm.
After what felt like an eternity, the lift jolted to a stop. The doors hissed open, revealing a narrow corridor lit with dim, flickering lights. The air was colder, and a strange, subtle hum echoed from somewhere beyond.
Behind them, a soft groan broke the tense silence. Ekko turned quickly, his heart leaping as Lux’s eyes fluttered open. She blinked groggily, her face pale and disoriented. “What... what happened?” she asked weakly, her voice barely audible.
Ekko gave a small, weary smile. “A lot,” he replied, his tone laced with both relief and exhaustion. “You’ll catch up soon enough.”
Lux tried to sit up, but Powder crouched down, helping her stabilize. Lux winced, pressing a hand to her head as her gaze scanned the corridor ahead. Her expression shifted suddenly, her brow furrowing. “There’s... something ahead,” she whispered. “A huge magical energy. It’s... overwhelming.”
Ekko and Powder exchanged a glance, uncertainty flashing between them. “How huge?” Ekko asked cautiously.
Lux hesitated, her voice trembling slightly. “Bigger than anything I’ve ever felt. We have to be careful.”
The three moved forward cautiously, their steps echoing in the narrow corridor. At the end, a large, imposing metal door loomed before them, its surface etched with faint, intricate patterns that shimmered faintly in the dim light.
“Here,” Lux said softly, her hand brushing the cold metal. “It’s behind this.”
With a hesitant nod, Ekko and Powder stepped beside her. Together, they pushed the door open, its heavy frame groaning as it revealed the room beyond.
The sight took their breath away. The massive chamber was bathed in bright, artificial light, the source of which seemed to be an intricate network of electrical systems running along the walls and ceiling. But at the heart of the room stood a colossal glass encasement, its sheer size dwarfing anything they had imagined.
Inside the encasement was the anomaly. It pulsed with raw, volatile energy, swirling with vivid blues, purples, and violent streaks of red. The power emanating from it was palpable, making the air feel thick and heavy. It was at least five times larger than the anomaly Ekko had once seen deep in the heart of Piltover’s hex gate.
Powder stepped closer, her eyes wide with a mixture of awe and fear. “What... is that?” she breathed.
Ekko’s fists clenched at his sides as he stared at the colossal, swirling force. “I’ve seen something like this before,” he said, his voice low and tense, his eyes tracing the shimmering arcs of unstable energy. “An anomaly.”
Powder turned to him, confusion and awe flickering in her expression. “An anomaly?”
He nodded, his gaze fixed on the pulsating core. “Yeah. I saw one in Piltover when I went with Jayce and Heimerdinger. It was... nothing like this, though. This is much larger.” His voice faltered slightly, the weight of its power sinking in.
Lux took a step closer, her face pale as she clutched her staff tightly. “The magical energy here is tremendous,” she whispered. “It’s alive, almost. Like it’s waiting for something.”
Ekko’s jaw tightened. “I helped create a miniature version of this once,” he admitted, his voice quieter now. “For my Z-Drive. It took everything Heimerdinger and I had to keep it contained... and even then, it was risky.” His eyes flicked back to the anomaly, fear mingling with the determination in his gaze. “But this? This doesn’t seem like just an experiment gone wrong. Someone built this for a reason.”
Powder’s breath hitched, her earlier guilt momentarily forgotten as she stared at the swirling force. “Who would even do this? And why?”
Ekko shook his head, his expression hardening. “No clue. But it’s not here by accident.”
Lux, standing between them, inhaled deeply and stepped forward. “Whatever it is, we need to figure it out. Fast.”
The three stood together, dwarfed by the enormity of the anomaly and the mystery it presented. For a moment, there was silence—except for the faint hum of arcane power that seemed to resonate in their very bones.
[The next chapter will be the final chapter of Act 2. Feel free to comment , if you have figured out who could've encased the anomaly ]