Figures of Eight ₈⁸₈ Arcane - Ekko ₈⁸₈

"What's the importance of eight?"

"You, Aster. You're the importance."

A LOVE STORY IN WHICH;

Aster, a young girl from the undercity, hates change. Ekko, an inventor from the same city, embraces it. Aster and Ekko grew up in the same run down, dangerous streets of Zaun, both shaped by crime and loss. But while Aster fought for freedom from Silco's grasp, Ekko's quick mind pushed him toward starting a new civilization, setting him on a different path. The two of them couldn't be more different-and yet, fate keeps pulling them together.

OR;

Aster notices something about Ekko the first time they cross paths-he's always observing, always calculating. In the shabby streets of Zaun, Ekko blends into the undercity, a kid with the perfect balance of street smarts and connection. He moves through the crowd with ease, chatting with people you wouldn't pin him to know, always a smile rooted deep into his face. But Aster sees the subtle flicker of something deeper, a quiet glare of hardness that lies beneath his confident personality. There's an edge to him, a weight of responsibility that even his smart mind can't fully escape. The more Aster watches him, the more she realizes there's more to this boy than the mask he wears for the world.

Despite their different worlds, with each run-in, something between them begins to flourish. It's not just attraction, but an understanding, a connection they can't quite explain. Is it that their past is eerily similar, or the fact that Aster feels the deep urge to get closer to this boy due to the way his brown eyes hint at something unspoken?

₈⁸₈ Thinkin' in figures of eight and it's easy cause I know what it adds up to. ⁸₈⁸

"Wait, what?"

"Azzy, it's as easy as 8+8. It always equals sixteen."

"Right. So, I still don't get it."

"Oh my."