EVEN WITHOUT NAMING YOU

CHAPTER 1

The guards were shouting orders and trying to surround her, but the figure was slipping away with incredible grace, her hands throwing off bright flashes. The young woman seemed to be fleeing, but her powers were betraying her. With every burst of light, she became more vulnerable. Jinx didn't need to think long. She slipped out of the shadows, positioning herself to intercept the soldiers. She leaped onto one of them, bringing him down with a precise blow, then turned towards the young magician who had drawn her here.

The fugitive looked at her, a gleam of distrust in her eyes, but she didn't have time to say anything. The other guards were getting closer. Without a word, Jinx grabbed the young woman by the hand, pulling her with her into a darker alley to escape.

"You're not safe here," Jinx murmured, her gaze as cold as the street they were hiding in. The magician looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and confusion. She wore a hood that partly covered her face, but Jinx could see the fear in her eyes. Jinx slipped into the shadow of a narrow alley, a figure that almost melted into the gloom, her piercing gaze scanning the horizon to ensure no one was following them. The young magician she had just saved seemed out of breath, but she wasn't the type to collapse immediately. Jinx watched her, her violet eyes shining under the pale light, filled with a strange glow, marked by the Shimmer. She leaned against the cold wall, trying to steady the agitation in her gut. The world around her seemed to stretch in a nearly familiar stupor. You talk about fleeing, but you're fleeing too, she thought, watching the magician. But she knew that this girl wasn't the type to be afraid, even if she was trying to hide her anxiety.

"Are you okay?" Jinx asked, her gravelly voice betraying a tone less interested than she thought. But she still waited for an answer, a reaction. The magician took a deep breath, brushing her face with her hand. Her breath was still short, but she was already straightening up, a glint of annoyance in her eyes.

"Who... who are you?" Her voice betrayed an undisguised worry, but also curiosity. She was studying Jinx as if looking for an answer in her eyes, in that glow that was unlike anything she had seen before. Jinx shrugged, as if it didn't concern her. She was used to hiding in the shadows, becoming a nameless figure.

"Jinder. That's it," she replied, her tone as cold as her posture, without even a direct glance. She knew she shouldn't say more, especially not now. The mystery was what protected her. Lux seemed perplexed, but didn't press the issue. Instead, her eyes locked onto Jinder's gaze, which, even in the shadows, shimmered with that strange violet hue. Her pupils seemed to devour the light, and a cold sensation ran down the magician's spine.

"You... you look..." Lux trailed off, searching for her words. "Strange."

Jinx straightened, observing the magician with an amused eye. "That's what everyone says," she said, shrugging, a note of defiance in her voice. "But honestly, I don't care." She leaned in slightly, studying Lux more closely. "You're fleeing too, aren't you? We're in the same boat."

Lux rolled her eyes, almost nervously. "What do you mean by that?" Her hand went to her hood, pulling it down a bit further over her face to hide a new sense of discomfort rising within her.

"You know exactly what I mean," Jinder replied in a murmur, her gaze still bright on Lux, but in a way that suggested everything could be understood in that look. Lux looked away, feeling the tension rise in the air.

Lux furrowed her brow, a flicker of indignation lighting up her eyes. "You want me to trust you, but you barely give me an answer. Why are you helping me then?"

Jinx fixed her with a calculating look, and a curious smile curled on her lips. "Why not?" she said, turning slightly away. "Let's call it a deal. You keep your secrets, I keep mine. And we help each other."

Lux considered this response, and something in her, a mix of challenge and need, seemed to respond. "You saved me. So, I owe you something. Come to my place, if you want. It's a safer place." Her offer wasn't a request, but a gesture marked by a slight tension, a recognition that hung in the air.

Jinx studied her, her gaze cold and calculating. She had never heard of this magician, but she knew there were reasons behind all of this. One small step back, and a big step forward, she thought. That's how it worked with her. She never committed without knowing where she was going, and this invitation was just another riddle in a world that made no sense anymore.

"I take what I want. But I don't make promises." Jinx let out a small, almost bitter laugh before looking up at the horizon. "We'll see if it serves us."

As they prepared to leave, Lux glanced at Jinx. Her gaze lingered on the young woman's arms—scratches, visible burns, and a bit of dried blood marred her skin. The sweat on her forehead and the tense aura surrounding her hadn't gone unnoticed. Lux bit her lower lip, holding back the question she was dying to ask. But it was obvious. Jinx was injured.

"You... you seem hurt," she said after a pause, her voice softer, almost hesitant. "I can... heal you. If you want."

Jinx turned her head towards her, her gaze icy. She hated when people mentioned her injuries. But deep down, she knew the mage was right. "No need," she growled. "I can handle it myself." And it wasn't entirely false; the shimmer gave her near-miraculous regeneration at times. Because Jinx knew, in that explosion, whether she tried to escape or not, she should have died.

Lux insisted, her eyes full of sincerity. "I'm not letting you walk away like this. You saved me, at least let me return the favor. It's the least I can do."

Jinx, after a moment of silence, shrugged in resignation, letting out a sigh. "Fine. But we don't talk about it after. No questions." She fixed Lux with an intense stare, her violet eyes glowing with that strange light. A warning. A tacit pact.

Lux nodded without replying, accepting the silence Jinx had imposed. Without another word, she led the young woman through the dark alleys of Demacia.