The Clockwork Heart (ViktorxOC)

Chapter 4: Secrets in the Shadows

Two days had passed since Khione's last Arcane History class, but those two days felt like they stretched on for weeks. Her mind kept circling back to that moment—Jace's sharp questions, the tension in the air, and the unspoken connection between them. Magic had always been forbidden in Piltover, something to be feared and dismissed, but now it seemed like a doorway to something bigger. Something more.

Today, Khione stood by the window in her dormitory, looking out over the city. Piltover was bathed in the early morning light, a sharp contrast to the storm brewing in her thoughts. She could still feel the weight of her family's expectations pressing down on her, urging her to follow the path they had set out for her—mechanics, medicine, honor. But now, she was beginning to question everything.

Her gaze shifted to the cluttered desk behind her. The mechanical heart she had been working on sat in pieces, unfinished. Nearby, her notes on medical devices were scattered, half-completed diagrams and blueprints sketched in elegant detail. But something else had taken hold of her attention recently.

On the edge of her desk lay a blank notebook. She had purchased it just yesterday, and the pages were still untouched. This notebook would be different from her others. It wouldn't contain diagrams of gears or anatomical studies. No, this notebook was meant for something far more dangerous—magic.

She could barely admit it to herself. The thought of combining magic with mechanics went against everything Piltover stood for, against the rigid beliefs her father had drilled into her since childhood. But the idea had taken root, and now, it was impossible to ignore.

Khione glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She brushed a hand through her silver hair, letting it fall naturally around her shoulders before quickly pinning it back with a ruby clasp. Today, she didn't bother with the meticulous routine of perfecting her appearance. There was no time for that. Her thoughts were elsewhere.

After a moment's hesitation, she reached for the gold powder on her desk, brushing it lightly over the freckles that crossed her nose. The dust shimmered in the morning light, hiding the imperfections she couldn't allow herself to show.

She turned back to the window, her heart racing as she thought about what might happen next. She hadn't seen Jace since their last conversation, but the questions he had stirred up within her had refused to settle. She knew they couldn't talk openly—not with Livia and the others always watching, always waiting for any sign of weakness.

But maybe... maybe she would find a way to speak with him again.

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The mechanics classroom was filled with its usual hum of activity when Khione arrived. Students were already gathered in groups, chatting quietly as they prepared for the day's lecture. Khione slid into her seat, her gaze sweeping the room as she noticed Livia and her friends settling nearby.

"Khione!" Livia called out, her voice light and cheerful. "We were just talking about the Caelum Garden event this weekend. You're coming, right?"

Khione smiled politely, though her thoughts were elsewhere. "I'll see if I have time."

Livia pouted, but quickly returned to her conversation with the others. Khione barely heard them. Her mind was still turning over the possibilities that magic could offer, the forbidden knowledge that was just out of reach.

The professor began the lecture, his voice droning on about the finer points of gear alignment in automated machinery. Khione picked up her quill, poised as if to take notes, but the material felt tired, repetitive. She had mastered this long ago. Her mind wandered, and for the first time in her academic career, she struggled to focus.