Muj Milacek | Viktor Arcane x Reader

As the Seasons Change

Your magic had to be the most temperamental thing you'd ever encountered. You'd spent countless hours trying to get it to do something, anything other than pull you towards the Gemstones. You didn't want to risk absorbing them, you didn't know how much one could affect you. While you couldn't deny that using magic was probably the coolest thing that had ever happened to you, as far as you could remember, it wasn't worth the risk. Not yet, anyway.

You often wondered if you'd be able to heal whatever illness would affect Viktor in the future if you were able to get enough magic, but you worried that by the time you had that kind of power you'd already be out of your mind. You had a hard time imagining willingly hurting anyone, but the Professor's warnings had been clear and you'd be a fool not to listen. Although, you had a feeling that if it came down to saving Viktor's life and potentially losing your mind, you'd take that risk. Maybe that thought should have scared you, but in a way, it provided you comfort. Whether or not they could figure out how to save his life through science, your magic would be a strong backup option.

However, as it stood, your magic was basically useless. In the few months you'd been there, it had done almost nothing. Sometimes you could feel it under your skin, like an electric zap that came from your chest, but you could never control it.

It was summer in Piltover, the warm air caressing your skin as the sun shone brightly from above. You were in the lab with Viktor, Sky was on an errand and Jayce was grabbing some tools from his family's forge.

There was a window cracked open, allowing a warm breeze to blow through, the scent of fresh-cut grass wafting through the lab. It was peaceful, you were reading a book on magic history, and Viktor was tinkering with a portion of the Hexgate. You had gotten lost in the pages and were only brought out of it when you realized Viktor was standing in front of you, a small potted cactus in hand.

You raised an eyebrow, "Are you decorating the lab? It could use a bit more life in here," You looked around, the drab silvery blue walls and desks making it seem sterile. Which you guess was the point of a lab, but you liked the idea of some plants sprucing up the place.

Viktor chuckled, "No," He placed the cactus down on the desk in front of you, "I had a theory, perhaps your magic would respond better to something living, something with an energy of its own."

You put your book down, staring at the cactus, "That... may work. I guess it can't hurt to give it a shot."

Viktor smiled, "I'll leave you to it."

He walked back to his desk, leaving you alone with the prickly plant. You wondered if maybe something without thorns would have been a better idea but you weren't about to complain. How hard could they be to pick out if you accidentally exploded it?

Emotions were the key to your magic, specifically strong ones. You knew this, but it was much harder to conjure them up naturally than it sounded.

It normally took Jayce a few hours to get to the forge and back and Sky would likely be gone all day so you had time. You put your hands on either side of the pot, trying to imagine a small flower sprouting out of the top. You pulled on happy memories, times you'd spent with Viktor, and your growing friendship with Sky. You thought of the Winter Solstice and the bracelet that now hung from your wrist, how close your face had been to Viktor's, and the way his arms felt as he pulled you in for a tight hug. You concentrated on those memories, trying to recreate the warm feeling in your chest. As the minutes ticked by you found yourself getting more and more agitated. You had really hoped it would work, it had been a promising theory, but it didn't seem to matter how much life the plant contained, your magic was simply too stubborn.

It had been an hour by the time you took your hands off the pot, clenching them into fists at your sides. You were beyond frustrated. It had been months since you'd done any magic, every attempt ended with nothing. It felt like a waste of time and energy and you were frankly sick of it. You didn't like feeling like a failure. What use were you if you couldn't do something as small as make a cactus bloom? How were you supposed to save your friends if you were as useless as this stupid plant?