There was one thing for certain; you needed to talk to Viktor.
After your 'vision', as you'd taken to calling it, he was the only thing linking you to this strange world. As Heimerdinger had promised, a doctor was sent by, rousing you from your restless sleep. He asked some standard medical questions that, for the most part, you didn't know the answers to, your family medical history was probably buried right alongside all the rest of your knowledge on your family. He told you that you had a mild concussion and that you should stay here for observation and relaxation for a few days until you were recovered. He also ordered no visitors, much to your dismay. Once you had calmed down, you were brimming with questions that the nurses were starting to find tedious to answer, however, they humoured you anyways.
As far as they knew, you were simply an amnesia patient, they did not know how you got there or anything about the blue void you asked about. They looked at you with concern and you were careful not to bring it up again. You learned you were in a hospital in the city of Piltover in a world called Runeterra. Professor Heimerdinger was the head of the governing body also known as the Council here, Jayce and Viktor were his students and Viktor was, until recently, his assistant. There were two parts of Piltover, one being where you were now, the wealthy neighbourhood teeming with discovery, and the Undercity, the poorer section that was subject to high rates of crime and violence. You felt a certain pull in your chest, similar to the one you had during your vision, at the mention of the Undercity, the disdain clear on the nurse's face as they talked about the lower class. You didn't see anything this time, but you felt there was something important about that place, something you were missing. You would have to inquire more later, hopefully with a less biased party as your nurse was willfully ignorant to most of the goings-on there.
On your last day, you were brought in for x-rays and blood tests to confirm that you were good to go. Once the tests were done it was late evening. The nurse handed you a set of plain clothes and lead you back to your room to change. You sat on your bed, starring down at yourself, feeling as if you were in someone else's body. The white shirt was loose on your torso, the high neck was a soft comfort. You'd tucked the shirt into the mid-rise pleated blue pants you were given that ended just a bit below your ankles and slipped on white socks and black shoes that reminded you of Mary Janes you had had in your childhood. You smiled at the simple memory, fleeting as it was. At this point you'd take anything, your memories were barely returning, and though you had been warned it could take a while for them to fully return if they ever did, you were desperate for any hint as to who you were, how you got here, and why this world looked so different.
There was a light knock on the door, breaking you out of your reverie. You stood up, brushing off your pants nervously and straightening your shirt. No one had knocked before, the medical staff usually just came right in.
"Come in." You called, shifting anxiously from foot to foot.
The door opened and in came a familiar face.
"Good day, my dear, are you feeling better?" Heimerdinger asked as he trotted quickly into the room. You tried to control the shock on your face. It wasn't that he had been necessarily rude last time you had spoken, but he had been very suspicious. You weren't expecting a warm greeting like that, but you appreciated it all the same.
"Yes, I am, thank you."
"Good to hear!" He exclaimed, clasping his hands together, "If you would follow me I have made some arrangements for you."
Without another word he strode out the door, quickly followed by a little puffball with horns that you hadn't noticed earlier. Your eyes widened briefly, what was that thing and when would this place stop surprising you?
You looked around the hospital room one last time, it had become familiar and almost comforting to you. At least here you know what to expect, but there weren't even any windows for you to look out of to get an idea of what the rest of the city would be like. It wasn't like you had many options and you were just glad you weren't being tossed out on the to streets. If Heimerdinger had made 'arrangements' you could only follow and hope that they were better than being totally on your own in a world you were pretty sure you did ot belong to.
The walk out of the Hospital was silent, minus the pitter-patter of Heimerdinger's feet and the snuffles and squeals of the animal you were assuming was his pet.
"This is the campus Hospital," Heimerdinger explained once you had stepped foot outside, the sun blinding you, making you squint and blink rapidly until your eyes adjusted, "you will be staying at the Academy Dorms for now. I will be responsible for your wellbeing, it seems only fitting since it was my students who brought you here."
"How did they bring me here?" You asked, staring wide-eyed at the courtyard before you. It was beautiful, the cobblestone paths were kept perfectly clean, a large fountain bubbling gently in the center of the square, perfectly trimmed hedges lining the edges. People were milling about in outfits similar to the ones that Jayce and Viktor had been wearing. However, the building before you is what really took your breath away. It was massive, made of engraved stone and gleaming gold metal, the stained glass windows arching high above. You could barely believe how beautiful this place was, how pristine it felt without all the extra detail and dirt you were used to seeing in the small glimpses of memories from back home.
"We do not have an answer to that yet, I'm afraid. However, Jayce and Viktor are working on it as we speak. They may be reckless but they are some of the most brilliant minds we have ever had at the academy, I'm sure they will be able to figure it out." Heimerdinger puffed his chest, a proud tone to his voice. You smiled softly at him, grateful for any help they were willing to give.
You followed Heimerdinger the rest of the way into the academy, marvelling at the tapestries and trophies displayed along the hallway inside.
He brought you to the 10th floor, thankfully taking the elevator. He lead you to a door at the end of the hall that was numbered 1070. Inserting the key in the lock that was almost too high for him to reach, he opened the door.
"Come along." He instructed as he trotted into the room. It was about the size of your hospital room. A bed was placed in the corner, made up with soft white and blue sheets, however, this bed was in a wooden frame instead of a metal one. The walls were off-white, the flooring made from dark wood. On the other side of the room was a door leading to a washroom with the basics of what was needed, a sink, toilet, and shower. There was a small window leading out to an inner courtyard, a dark blue curtain hanging to the side. There was a small closet beside the bathroom as well, its door propped open. You could see inside were some of the uniforms you had seen some of the students wearing. You smiled, it was better than you were hoping for.
"This is one of the first-year student dorms," Heimerdinger explained, "you should fit right in, with how many students we have here no one should know that you are not one."
You nodded, "Thank you, but I don't know how to repay you for this."
"Don't worry about that, it is not your fault you were involved in this mess," Heimerdinger assured you, "though I would advise you refrain from telling anyone else about what happened to you, magic is not the most welcome around this city."
You frowned, "Magic?"
"Yes, that was how you arrived here, the crystal you flew out of what one charged by magic." Heimerdinger looked at you inquisitively.
"Oh." Was all you managed to get out. As far as you were aware, magic was no more than a fairytale.
"Viktor and Jayce can explain more to you tomorrow, for now, try to settle in, I have a feeling you will be staying here for some time." How comforting. "Should you need anything my office is on the fourth floor, number three hundred and sixty-five."
You nodded again, "Thank you."
"No problem, my dear, someone will be around here at nine tomorrow morning to bring you to the boys' lab." Heimerdinger trotted out of the room, his pet in tow, "Bye for now!"
"Bye." You answered meekly, the door shutting behind the small man, leaving you alone in your room once more.
You sat down on the bed with a heavy sigh, rubbing your eyes. All you had been doing for the past few days was resting, you had been itching for something to do, however, that short walk had taken more energy out of you than you had anticipated.
'At least this bed is comfortable' You thought, taking your shoes off and laying down. You'd already eaten at the hospital, and even though you could probably eat again, the thought of trying to find food and spending time around people you did not know in an unfamiliar setting made your stomach roll with anxiety.
You got up begrudgingly after feeling your eyelids start to get heavy. Quickly scanning the closet you found a pair of soft pants and a shirt that you assumed were pyjamas. Throwing them on, and putting your current clothes away, you made your way to the washroom. Grabbing the toothbrush that was left for you and washing your face.
You didn't have a clock or watch so you didn't know the time, but looking outside let you know that it had gotten dark. With your brain feeling foggy, and your body heavy, you plopped yourself into bed and were quick to doze off.
The past few nights your dreams had been uneventful, something you had been disappointed about as you'd been hoping you would have more memories. You should have been more careful what you wished for. Your dream that night was a vivid and graphic nightmare. You started in darkness, an acidic burn eating its way across your skin as you felt it consume you. You flailed around until your hand hit a solid metal door, pushing it open. You struggle to move your feet, ignoring the smoke as it billowed into the room. You were finally able to break free, escaping that terrible darkness and running through fire, the burning building around you turning to ash as you hopelessly looked for a way out. You were panicked, smoke making it difficult to breathe as you ran past dead bodies, the stench of burning flesh filling your nostrils. You cried out for help but heard no answer except for the creaking of the roof as it collapsed on top of you. You threw your hands up around your head and squeezed your eyes shut, bracing for the impact that never came. Instead, the floor beneath your feet dropped out, the heat of the fire making way for the bone-chilling cold of the water you had just plunged into. You held your breath, searching around you with wide, terrified eyes, for the surface of the water. You thought you saw a light and used the remaining strength in your tired limbs to swim towards it. You broke to the surface, gasping and wheezing for breath. When you had gotten air into your lungs your eyes were drawn to the light you had seen. It was a burning warehouse situated on the docks. By the way it looked, you knew this was not a memory, it was not from your home. It had the same lack of detail that the rest of Piltover had.
Was that the burning building you were just in? And how did you get all the way out into the water? Swimming over to the closest dock you hauled yourself out of the river, panting on the run-down wood. You heard shouting from nearby, the high-pitched voices of children screaming.
You looked towards the noise, barely enough energy to hold your head up, and squinted trying to make out the figures in the alley ahead. There was a massive mangled body lying on the ground, not breathing. Behind that were two girls, one with bright pink hair and the other with blue. The pink-haired one was running away from the other as she sobbed, screaming after her to come back.
"Vi, Vi, please come back! Please, Violet, I need you!" The little girl wailed.
You wanted to go, help the little girl who was in distress, but your body would not move, you were frozen in place. Powerless as a group of shady figures walked over to her sobbing form, one with a knife in hand. You tried to scream for her to watch out, but no sound came out. You were helpless.
To your surprise the girl launched herself into the man's arms, the man curling himself around her. While you found momentary relief that the girl was not murdered before your eyes, that feeling vanished when the man looked directly at you, one normal eye, one black and orange, piercing your soul as you heard a disembodied laugh ring in your ears. You closed your eyes trying to block out all the input your brain was getting. You felt a scream building in your throat and you unleashed it, crying as you fell back into the darkness.
The scream died in your throat as you sat up in bed, gasping as your chest heaved. You were shaking, covered in a thin sheen of cold sweat. You sat in your bed, taking in your surroundings, trying to slow your racing heart as your mind reeling from the events of your nightmare. You weren't sure if that was similar to what had happened with you and Viktor. While you didn't know his past, you were pretty sure that the events of that vision was set in the future. With this one, you weren't sure. You didn't recognize any of the people or the area it was set. The girl with pink hair reminded you of the woman you had seen in the blue void, but she had been taller, likely older, and you hadn't been able to see enough of them to make out their facial features.
You let out a sigh of frustration, wishing things could just make sense. You got out of bed slowly, wobbling on unsteady legs, and made your way over to the window.
The first rays of morning light were just starting to peak out in the sky beyond the Academy walls. You were hopeful you had time for a shower, you didn't want to greet Viktor and Jayce looking sweaty, your hair completely out of control.
By the time you were done getting ready, Academy uniform securely in place, there was a light knock on the door.
You felt your heart flutter as you stepped up to open it. Outside stood a girl about your age, her dark curly hair tied up in a bun on the top of her head. She had beautiful dark skin and deep brown eyes that shone with a sense of curiosity, much like Viktor's. She held out her hand and smiled, "I'm Sky, assistant to Viktor and Jayce, I'll be bringing you to the lab."
You clasped her hand, feeling yourself relax at her genuine friendliness.
"Nice to meet you, Sky, I'd tell you my name too if I knew it."
You hoped that she was aware of your situation, being their assistant and all. To your relief she kept her bright smile plastered on her face and let out a small giggle.
"Hopefully we can figure that out soon, you can trust Viktor, he could figure anything out." She gushed, a blush rising to her cheeks.
"And Jayce?" You asked, recognizing the look of someone who was star struck.
"Oh yes, of course, Jayce is brilliant too." She rushed, turning to indicate you should follow her.
You chuckled to yourself. You could hardly blame her. From the little, you had seen of Viktor he was certainly an attractive man.
"Oh, and I brought you this," She pulled out a muffin and handed it to you, "Professor Heimerdinger often forgets to tell the new students about the cafeteria, he's too caught up in his own little science world to think about food."
Your stomach growled at the sight of the muffin, "Thank you." You mumbled, embarrassed that your stomach had given you away.
Sky led you up to the 15th floor in companionable silence.
"This is the lab." She explained, bringing you through two sets of double doors, "We are just setting up so please excuse the mess, though knowing these two, there's likely to always be stuff everywhere."
Opening the main door to the lab your eyes widened as you took in the space. The room was huge, with large windows to the far side letting in a lot of natural light. As Sky had warned, it was a mess. There were desks strewn with disorganized papers, chalkboards filled with strange-looking characters, that now that you thought about it you had seen all over the signs in the Hospital, and many scientific looking objects scattering the floor. You frowned as you realized you hadn't seen a single instance of written English, which was the only language you had heard people speaking. Maybe English wasn't their first language, and they were doing it just for you, but that also seemed unlikely, everyone but Viktor had a similar accent to yours.
The two men were crouched over a desk examining papers and standing in a light blue glow that looked like it came from the table.
They didn't look up when you and Sky entered, too entranced in their work to notice. Sky rolled her eyes and cleared her throat.
"You have a guest." She said, gesturing to you. They quickly straightened and turned around, all eyes in the room landing on you, making your cheeks heat up at being the centre of attention.
"Our apologies," Viktor picked up his cane that was resting against the desk and both men walked over to you.
"I don't believe we have been formally introduced," Jayce said, sticking out his hand, "I'm Jayce, and this is my partner Viktor."
You shook his hand, and Viktor's as well when he offered it. When you touched Viktor's hand you felt a strong shock, blue light zapping between you both. You jumped back, holding your hand, mouth falling open in shock.
"What was that?" Jayce asked, echoing your thoughts.
You shook your head, "I don't know." It felt like you were saying that a lot these days.
"Hmm, perhaps it has something to do with our Hextech Gemstone." Viktor pondered, turning around to walk over to the desk again. You looked towards the blue light, now unobstructed, and couldn't help but feel drawn towards the small crystal. You took a few steps forward, your skin seeming to crackle with energy. It was like it was calling to you, drawing you closer, a white noise sound whispering in your ear. You stood beside Viktor at the desk, unable to take your eyes off it.
"That is what you shot out of three days ago," Viktor explained, "it's magic combined with technology, and the first time we stabilized it you appeared."
"We haven't had anymore surprise visitors since then, the only one to come through was you." You hadn't noticed Jayce walk up beside you, his voice louder than you had expected, whipping your head towards him. The white noise dying down as you did so.
You looked back at Sky, a notebook in her hand as she furiously jotted down notes.
"Have you remembered anything else since we last saw you? Anything that could help us piece together why this happened?" Jayce inquired. You could tell he wasn't trying to be pushy, but a strange girl showing up out of a magic crystal with no recollection of her name or home was too good of a mystery to resist.
You looked at your feet, you could tell them about the dream, or what you saw with Viktor, but you didn't want them to think you were insane. People didn't just have visions of the future or past, and while the crystal was magic, you were sure that you weren't.
"No," Jayce's face dropped, "but I don't think there was magic where I come from. All my memories are vague but it looks different than it does here, I looked different."
"Different? How so?" Viktor inquired. His voice was gentle, bringing you to look at him shyly, his amber eyes full of questions.
"It's difficult to describe but it was like it was in more detail," You explained, Viktor raised his eyebrow, "I look... smoother? I guess. Like I used to be able to see more wrinkles, scars, and pores on people but here it's like those little faults have vanished."
"Interesting," Viktor concluded. Silence hung in the air as the scientists tried to picture what you had just said. You looked down at the desk again, your eyes were drawn to some of the papers laying about. They were all written in that same strange lettering that you had seen on the chalkboard and in the hospital.
"What language is this?" You broke the silence, pointing at the sheets.
Both of Viktor's eyebrows raised this time.
"It's the language we're speaking. Are the doctors sure you didn't have more than a mild concussion?" Jayce asked tactlessly, earning him an exasperated look from Viktor.
"You can't just ask people that, Jayce." He scolded. You felt laughter escape from your throat before you quickly cut it off.
"Sorry, this is all just a little crazy. I think my head is fine, but this is definitely a different alphabet than mine."
"Could you show us?" Viktor asked, accepting the small chalkboard brought over by Sky and handing it to you.
You took the chalkboard, hesitating as you felt the weight of their curious stares on you. They were open, not suspicious, which was a relief, but it also made you feel a bit more like a science experiment than you would have liked.
You wrote out the alphabet in your messy handwriting, feeling self-conscious of your writing ability. Hopefully, they wouldn't be able to tell. You handed the board back to Viktor when you were done, Jayce and Sky crowding behind him to look at what you wrote.
"It is the same number of characters, yet these symbols are all different. How interesting." Viktor mused. Great, you were stuck in this world with no ability to read or write anything understandable by anyone other than yourself.
"We have a few more preparations to do with our testing equipment before we can start trying to figure out your relation to the Gemstone, perhaps you'd like to use that time to start learning how to use our alphabet. I have a feeling it will be helpful down the road." Viktor offered, handing the chalkboard back to you.
"Okay," You said, he was probably right and it wasn't like you can do anything else. You had no idea how to teach yourself a new written language, but Sky set you up at a small desk in the corner with some extra paper and pencils and helpfully wrote their alphabet beneath yours.
"I hope the letters line up correctly, let me know if it isn't making sense and we will figure it out." She said with a smile. You nodded and thanked her, letting them get back to working on a strange-looking helmet with wires attached all around. You assumed that it was for you but you were too scared to ask what for. You just hoped it didn't have anything to do with shocking you because it looked like some sort of electric torture device. The minute you see a chair with straps attached you are going to be out of there as fast as your legs can take you.
The hours started to roll by as the sun moved slowly across the sky. You were getting tired from looking at the same characters over and over again, copying it again and again. You pinched the bridge of your nose, feeling a headache coming on. School was never your forte, and this was bringing you right back to that frustrating feeling you always felt when you watched your fellow students excel, leaving you behind. You couldn't even feel happy about remembering this fact, the frustration with not perfectly mastering a new alphabet on your first try was eating you up. Or maybe it was your stomach growling for food. You still didn't know the time, and now you realized that even if you did, the numbers would look different. You would have to ask for them to be written down too.
It's then that you hear Jayce ask Sky to grab some lunch from the cafeteria. She rushed out, notebook tucked under her arm with the promise to be back soon. You flopped your head in your hands, thank God, you were sure your stomach was about to start eating itself.
You heard the light clacks of Viktor's cane coming towards you, making you look up as he approached.
"How are your studies going?" He asked, leaning on the desk.
You huffed a laugh, "About as well as I expected."
"I'm sure you will make progress soon," Viktor smiled gently, picking up a piece of paper you were writing on. It had the letter G in their written language written all over it, trying to master the way the lines cross through the middle. "Your G is looking better already."
You leaned back in your chair, a shy smile on your face as you look out at the papers sprawled in front of you, "Now I just need to remember it."
"That is always the tricky part." Viktor agreed before lowering his voice and abruptly switching topics, "I am curious to know what happened when you first saw me, I saw your eyes lit up blue like the Gemstone, I've never seen anything like that before."
Your eyes darted towards where Jayce had just been, now nowhere in sight.
"Don't worry, Jayce has gone to the back of the lab to grab more parts. We have a few minutes before he returns." Viktor assured you upon seeing you searching for his lab partner.
"I didn't know my eyes lit up blue." You said dumbly, still trying to process what was happening.
He hummed, "It was unexpected, but you knew my name, and I have a feeling that has to do with what you saw."
You looked away, your cheeks burning under his gaze. There was no judgment there, but an intensity you were not yet ready to meet.
"How do you know I saw anything?"
Viktor shrugged, "An educated guess, a hypothesis if you will."
You let out a tired sigh, looking back up at him, flashes of what you had seen covering your vision. He had looked so sick, how were you supposed to tell him you think he is going to be dying?
"I don't really understand what I saw," You started, pausing to gather your thoughts and shake that awful image from your head, "but it was you, except you looked different, older, more tired," you took a deep shaky breath before continuing, no longer able to look at him, "you looked like really sick, like you were dying."
You heard him hum to himself, you could almost hear the gears turning in his head as he tried to figure it out.
"You had a crutch instead of a cane, and your hair was longer," You looked back up at him, his brow furrowed as he stared into the distance, "so if what I saw will happen then I think you still have time."
"Some good news among the bad then." He gave you a dry smile, your heart beating faster as you stared at him. His sharp cheekbones made him look so serious, but his smile, even a small one, was enough to make your chest tighten. 'Uh oh' you thought, 'that's not good'.
"I heard someone say your name too." You added, "That's how I knew it."
"Did you recognize the voice? Did they say anything else?"
You shook your head, your throat clogging up, you didn't know how to tell him it was you and that you weren't just saying his name, you were begging him to stay, feeling like you'd already lost him.
"I think for now it is safest if this stays between us until we know more. I trust Jayce and Sky, but it will not help anyone if they were to jump to conclusions," Viktor rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "and maybe our tests will show us the information we are missing."
You felt the tension release from your body, yes, answers were what you needed. You were more than ready, after everything that had happened so far you doubted that the results could shock you now.
"Speaking of which," Viktor stood up from his spot leaning on the desk, "I hear Jayce stomping like a wild animal on his way back, are you ready?" Viktor offered his hand to you to help you up.
"I heard that!" Jayce called, appearing from the back room, a box full of mechanical parts you could not name in his hands.
You laughed, taking Viktor's hand, happy that it didn't give you both a shock this time, and stood up.
"Let's do this."