Fangs ✶ Arcane.

𝟬𝟬𝟯 A Meet With Selia

Chapter Three
A MEET WITH SELIA

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   The lab at Piltover Academy hummed with soft energy, a quiet symphony of innovation and purpose.

   Crystals embedded in fixtures cast a faint glow, illuminating rows of blueprints pinned to walls, half-assembled machines scattered across workbenches, and endless notes scrawled in varying degrees of clarity. The faint aroma of heated metal and solder lingered in the air, mingling with the sharp tang of ink and paper.

   Cressida and Lysander were settled at their usual workstation in the far corner, their presence a steady constant in the ever-evolving space. The air between them was calm and familiar, carrying the kind of quiet understanding that came with years of collaboration.

   Cressida's focus was unshakable, her sharp gaze locked on a sheet of schematics. Her pencil moved in precise, deliberate strokes, occasionally pausing to erase and adjust a calculation. She worked with the meticulousness of someone who refused to leave room for error. Beside her, Lysander leaned back slightly in his chair, his boot hooked on a rung as he deftly manipulated a set of copper components. Tools clicked against metal as he tightened tiny bolts, the rhythmic sound punctuating the otherwise quiet space.

   "Cress," Lysander said, breaking the silence. He held up one of the components with a flourish, its polished surface catching the light. "Tell me that's not the cleanest alignment you've ever seen."

   Cressida glanced over, arching a skeptical eyebrow. "It's acceptable."

   "Acceptable?" Lysander echoed, feigning deep offense as he placed a hand over his heart. "You wound me."

   "I'll call it exceptional when it lasts more than five minutes under stress," she replied, a sly smile curving her lips before she returned her attention to the schematics.

   Before Lysander could retort, the door to the lab creaked open. The sound drew both of their gazes toward the entrance, where Viktor stepped inside. His cane tapped softly against the floor as he crossed the threshold, his lean frame illuminated by the warm light. He hesitated for a brief moment, his sharp eyes scanning the space as if taking inventory before making his way toward their table.

   "Viktor," Cressida greeted, her tone polite but edged with professionalism. "Something on your mind?"

   Viktor paused, his grip on the head of his cane adjusting slightly as he looked between them. "Yes, actually. I've been working on a cooling system for my prototype, but I've encountered some...complications." He glanced at the tools and blueprints scattered across their workstation. "I thought perhaps you might offer insight."

   Cressida and Lysander exchanged a brief glance, a wordless conversation passing between them. Lysander's lips twitched into a subtle grin, one that didn't go unnoticed by Cressida, though she chose not to comment. Instead, Lysander gestured toward an empty stool. "Pull up a seat. Let's take a look."

   Viktor nodded and moved to the table, carefully unrolling a series of diagrams he'd brought with him. As he spread them out, the intricate design work immediately caught Cressida's attention. She leaned forward, her curiosity evident in the way her fingers hovered just above the parchment before tracing one of the pathways.

   "This," Viktor began, pointing to a central chamber on the blueprint, "is intended to regulate temperature across the core system. But no matter how I adjust the flow mechanism, it overheats within minutes of activation."