Ink to Ashes / Arcane Fanfiction Viktor x Reader

17

(hey hey, popping up here to add a little warning for brief violence and a bit of threat towards the end of the chapter ooooOOOOooo 👀)

Your steps faltered when the pair of you reached the bridge connecting Piltover to the Undercity. You weren't entirely sure why. It wasn't the structure itself that sent a rush of cold adrenaline through your body (if anything it was a rather peaceful thing - nothing particularly threatening about it.). No, not that. It was more because of the symbolism it held. A space between worlds. Neither here nor there. Once you were over, you were in uncharted territory.

Viktor noticed your hesitation, and cast you a sidelong glance. "Last chance," he murmured.

"To what?"

"To turn back."

You rolled your eyes. "For the person who seemed so desperate for me to come along," you said, mustering as much confidence as you could into your pace out of pure spite, "you seem pretty adamant I don't."

"I wouldn't be able to forgive my-" He quirked his eyebrows as he registered your remark. "'Desperate'? When have I ever been desperate?"

You stifled a laugh, though it quickly sank in your throat as the bridge came to an end.

Into the Undercity.

Perhaps it was just your paranoia, but once over the bridge, you swore the air... changed. It wasn't just the scent of it, though there was a smoky tinge to it that definitely hadn't been there before. It became thicker. Heavier. Denser. It weighed upon you like raindrops on a leaf, threatening to spill and tip you over.

Instantly the buildings grew closer, shorter, shabbier, leering and leaning over passersby. Streets turned narrow and winding, and before you knew it you were completely disorientated.

You kept you chin buried in the fabric of the cloak, eyes fixed firmly to the uneven cobbles beneath your feet. Puddles of concerningly coloured liquid pooled in cracks. Shards of glass littered the floor like snow.

"Are you alright?" Viktor asked.

You jumped and straightened, unaware of how far inwards you had withdrawn until then. You managed a small nod.

You were fine, you tried to convince yourself. It was fine. You were still under the same sun, still only a short distance from the place you called home. Just in a new, different place.

With a considerably higher crime rate. And a noticeable drug problem. And a severe lack of authority.

Fine.

As if hearing your thoughts, Viktor slowed to amble alongside you.

"The area we're going to is safe," he said. "It's not too far in. I know it well."

"You've been here before?" you asked. Though you were grateful for an opportunity to talk, you still kept your voice hushed. The streets were oddly quiet; you'd only seen a few passing glimpses of pedestrians, lingering on corners, ducking down alleyways.

Viktor sucked in a breath, as if to respond, but hesitated. You looked over at him, and saw a slight crease between his brows. The glazed surface of his eyes told you he was thinking deeply about something. When he spoke, his tone was hushed.

"I grew up... here. I'm from the Undercity."

"Oh."

You instantly regretted making the small sound. It had slipped from your lips by its own accord. The silence that followed was suffocating, and you spoke quickly to smother it. "What was it like?"