𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 || A Timebomb Fanfic

Unraveling Truths

·:*¨༺ ♱✮♱ ༻¨*:·

The sky above Zaun was heavy, the air thick with an ominous tension that seemed to reflect the storm brewing inside Ekko’s mind. He had walked away from Sira without a second glance, his heart still reeling from her confession. His steps were sharp and deliberate as he stormed through the streets, but there was no destination, no place where he could escape from the weight of it all.

She loves me.

The words echoed in his mind, a bitter reminder of how tangled everything had become. His pulse quickened. He couldn’t think straight. He had a mission—he had to find Jinx—but the very thought of her was a twist in his gut.

Was she running from him? Or was she running from the Firelights?

His thoughts were interrupted by a quiet voice, like a whisper carried by the wind.

“Ekko.”

Ekko paused, his body stiffening. The voice was familiar. Too familiar.

He turned sharply, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the alley. He saw her standing there—Jinx.

She was leaning against a rusted wall, her face partly hidden in shadow. Her wild blue hair was tangled, her eyes guarded, as if she were waiting for him to say something first.

Ekko’s heart pounded, but he couldn’t find the words. She looked... different. The usual wild chaos in her expression had been replaced with something softer, something broken.

“Jinx,” he said, his voice low and hesitant.

She pushed off the wall and took a step toward him, her gaze unwavering. “You came for me.”

Ekko hesitated. “Of course I came for you. What the hell are you doing out here?”

Jinx’s lips twisted into a faint, bittersweet smile. “Running.”

He frowned. “From who? The Firelights?”

Jinx tilted her head slightly. “From everyone.”

Ekko clenched his fists, his anger flaring. “You can’t keep running, Jinx. You have to stop. The Firelights are coming for you.”

Jinx’s eyes flashed with a mix of defiance and pain. “I don’t care about the Firelights, Ekko. I don’t care about anyone. I can’t—”

“You can’t keep pushing everyone away!” Ekko’s voice rose, sharp and desperate. “You think running is going to fix anything? It’s not.”

Jinx’s face twisted with a mix of frustration and sadness. “I’m not running from you, Ekko. I’m running from me. From everything I’ve done. From the people I’ve hurt.”

Ekko’s breath hitched. She looked so small, so vulnerable. For a moment, the walls he had built around himself seemed to crack.

“Jinx...” He reached out, his hand trembling slightly, but she stepped back, keeping her distance.

“Don’t,” she said softly. “Don’t pretend like you’re the one who can fix this.”