Tides of Zaun

II

The streets of Zaun were a labyrinth, and Jinx navigated them with the kind of reckless confidence that came from knowing them as well as she knew the pulse of her own heartbeat. She thrived in the chaos, the danger. It made her feel alive, made her feel like she was more than just the broken pieces of who she used to be.

But tonight, something felt different. Her hands shook, just barely, as she checked the ammo in her gun. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she swallowed hard against the sudden tightness in her chest. She hated this—this feeling that crept up on her when she least expected it, like the world was closing in. Like she was still just Powder, lost and afraid.

A movement in the shadows caught her eye. Her pulse quickened, but not from fear. No, this was something else entirely. She spun around, gun raised, and there he was. Ekko. His face was half-hidden beneath the hood of his cloak, but she'd know him anywhere.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she spat, though her voice lacked the venom she intended.

"Watching you burn down the city," he replied calmly, stepping into the light. "Same as usual."

She rolled her eyes, though the sight of him stirred something inside her she wasn't ready to deal with. She'd thought she'd left that part of her behind—left him behind. But here he was, standing in front of her, as if all the time that had passed between them didn't matter.

"You're still playing hero?" she sneered, trying to cover up the fact that her heart was beating faster than it should have been.

"I'm trying to save Zaun," he said quietly, and for a moment, his eyes softened. "You can help, you know."

The laugh that bubbled out of her throat was bitter and sharp. "Help? Me? You really think I'm the kind of person that saves things now?"

He took a step closer, his gaze steady on hers. "I know who you are, Jinx. And I know there's still something worth saving in you."

For a moment, just a brief second, she faltered. His words hit her in a place she didn't like to acknowledge, a place she'd buried so deep under layers of chaos and destruction that she'd almost forgotten it existed. She hated him for it. Hated him for still seeing her, still believing in her, when she'd done everything to prove she wasn't worth saving.

"Stay out of my way, Ekko," she whispered, turning her back on him before he could see the crack in her mask. "I'm not yours to fix."

But even as she disappeared into the shadows, she couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, he was right.