Immortalized | Viktor - arcane

Hextech

"What did you think of the trial?" Mel asked Rose as they wandered through the dark halls of the council building after hours.

Rose had taken over Elora's shift to give her the night off, after the trial. Mel didn't stay at the council building after hours very often and Rose knew it had to do with the trial. They were already nearing Heimerdinger's lab.

"It was unprecedented, to say the least." Rose said. "I never imagined seeing the council debate magic."

"Well, we never thought creating magic was something that could be done." Mel said. "Although, I am a little disappointed to see it go to waste."

Rose remembered the way Mel had drawn a confession out of Jayce and how she never outwardly spoke in favor of dismissing his research.

"Is that why we're here?" Rose asked.

"Precisely." Mel hummed before they turned the corner, smiling slightly at Rose's observation.

Ahead of them down the hall, Rose could make out two figures fiddling with the lock of a door in the dark.

Rose narrowed her eyes at the two figures finding them familiar in the low lighting from the dim flashlight they had fixed on the door. She knew the council building well enough to know they were outside Heimerdinger's office. Beside her, Mel pulled out a flashlight that she had been holding behind her back and quickly turned it on, shining it in the two figures faces.

"Viktor?" Rose asked quickly as he shielded his eyes from the light. He glanced at her briefly but stayed quiet. Behind him stood the man from the trial, Jayce Talis.

"Hm." Mel hummed with amusement. "Willing to risk exile for your endeavor. That's quite the conviction."

"Councilor!" Jayce began, fumbling to create an excuse. "What a surprise to see you."

"Wait a minute, this isn't my bedroom?" Viktor turned to the door with key still in the lock and laughed while pretending to look over the keys in confusion.

"Please," Jayce stepped forward. "We can prove that it works."

"Oh, can you?" Rose asked eyeing Viktor carefully. Last she heard Jayce's theory had potential, now he had gone and proven it without telling her.

"You couldn't do so earlier today, how is tonight any different?" Mel asked.

"We figured out how to stabilize it." Viktor rose to his feet.

"You're the professor's assistant." Mel looked to Viktor, then to Rose and back again.

"No, he's my new partner." Jayce corrected.

Rose couldn't help her eyes from widening slightly when she heard Jayce's declaration. She wondered what that meant for them and if Viktor would be leaving the academy.

"Even if you manage to prove your theory, the council would destroy it." Mel told them.

"Heimerdinger will recognize the potential." Viktor stated.

Mel only scoffed. "He already does. It scares him. It scares them all."

"What about you?" Jayce asked the question that had been weighing on Rose's mind since the trial that morning.

"I recognize that any worthwhile venture involves risk." Mel stated.

The sound of someone whistling and the heavy footfalls of a guard's boots interrupted their conversation. It grew louder with each step and they all realized their curious conversation would be cut short.

"Councilor, this technology, it's real. And no matter what happens here, it's going to change our world." Jayce insisted. "We should be the ones to lead it. Piltover, the land of progress, equality, innovation. I know it sounds impossible, but when have we ever let that stop us? Please, just give us a chance."