You startled awake, once again covered in a cold sheen of sweat. You heard birds chirping outside your windows and looking over you saw the sun rising over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day. You groaned and rolled over, flipping your pillow on top of your head. You must have slept well over twelve hours and somehow you were still exhausted. Granted, your sleep hadn't exactly been restful. While you couldn't remember the contents of your dreams, you were sure that they were similarly hectic to the dream you had had yesterday.
Huffing to yourself, you got out of bed and headed to the bathroom, hoping to wash away some of the exhaustion that had settled in your bones. Your shower left you feeling refreshed, the bags under your eyes still broadcasting to everyone that you hadn't slept well, but there wasn't much you could do about that for now. You grabbed one of the bars that had been in the box yesterday and silently ate it as you looked out the window, watching people chatting and laughing as they walked through the courtyard below. You stifled a laugh when you watched someone so absorbed in reading the book in their hands that they didn't see the pole in front of them, running headfirst into it. You felt a little guilty for laughing as they walked away rubbing their head, but you couldn't help yourself, slapstick was a whole genre of comedy for a reason.
You looked at the clock, squinting at it as if that would reveal the secrets to its confusingly scribbled numbers. You were unsuccessful in your endeavor and decided you were going to head towards the lab and hope for the best, if you were early you could wait outside, if you were late you hoped that they would forgive you, they hadn't specified a time anyways.
You smiled politely at the people you passed on the way there, scanning them for anyone with pink hair. That girl had to be important, you weren't sure if she was the kid from the docks, but the gauntlets she was wearing looked vaguely like they contained blue light similar to that of the Gemstones. She had to be connected to Hextech at some point, though Viktor did not know anyone matching that description, maybe Jayce did. How you were supposed to ask if he knew a pink-haired, tattooed girl, in casual conversation was beyond you at the moment, but you hoped you had time to figure it out.
You arrived at the lab and knocked on the door
"Come in." Came Viktor's voice from inside. You opened the door to find Jayce, Viktor, and Sky already there, each at their own desk, hard at work.
"Sorry I'm late," You said, smiling sheepishly, nervousness building in your chest, you were still embarrassed about yesterday, "I can't read the numbers on the clock so I gave it my best guess."
"Ah, yes, it makes sense that our numbers would be different as well, we will write them down for you to add to your study." Viktor turned around in his chair to face you. You had no time to thank him or process the way seeing him again made you feel. Instead, you felt that feeling of an explosion in your chest, electricity dancing in the air and kissing your skin with tiny shocks as you were propelled to a different time.
You were still standing where you had just been, but what was once a bright, sunny lab was now shadowed with darkness, the only light source in the room coming from the blue and purple orb on the desk ahead of you. Sitting in front of the desk was a man with his back turned towards you. The back brace that appeared to be melded into his skin threw you off momentarily, but the thin frame and familiar hair made you realize who it was. Viktor, thin and pale like how you'd seen him in your first vision, was hunched over, his breathing rapid as a metal-on-metal scratching noise filled the empty space between you.
Suddenly, the room shifted around you, you wobbled as your balance was thrown off, your brain struggling to understand why the room was moving and you weren't. It spun so you were now standing in front of the desk, much closer now, and able to see Viktor's face. His body was covered in bloody marks, runes you did not recognize, as he used a metal tool to carve more in his leg brace. The look on his face was a mixture of determination and desperation, sending chills down your spine. Viktor placed the tool on the desk and grabbed another, this one was used to inject a shiny purple liquid into his leg. You recognized the liquid but you didn't know how. It was Shimmer, a drug from the Undercity. How Viktor got some you had no idea, but you doubted it was legal.
He took a shaky breath, hands trembling as he brought the injector to his leg. With one final breath out he stabbed it into his thigh. His initial groan grew as the purple liquid rapidly spread through him, searing through his veins and making his eyes shine a bright purple, quickly morphing into a ragged scream that tore out of his throat, freezing you to your core.
You wanted to move, do something, anything, to help but you were stuck. The only thing you could do was watch on in horror as Viktor sliced open his palm, clutching his hand in a bloody fist, hesitating as he gasped for air. With a slow and shaky hand, he reached out for the orb, its metal exterior twisting and turning, creating a high-pitched whine, as though it was desperate for Viktor's blood.
Viktor opened his hand and allowed his blood to flow into the orb as it swallowed it hungrily, sucking it out of him in a way that made you feel sick.
Panicking, Viktor screamed in pain and tried to pull his hand away, but the orb released a light purple wave that seemed to catch him and pull him in like a fish caught on a hook. His hand connected with the orb, his shrieks echoing around the empty room, the runes he had carved into his body lighting up with that same purple light. It got brighter and brighter, Viktor's screams seeming to surround you as you looked away, trying to shield yourself from the light. You put your arm in front of your face, squeezing your eyes shut as you felt tears wet your cheeks.
Before you knew it, the sound cut out and the light disappeared, leaving you standing where you had been, breathing rapidly as you lowered your arm.
All three people in the lab were now standing, looking at you like you had two heads.
"Are you alright?" Sky asked, walking over to you and placing a gentle hand on your arm.
"Yes, sorry, just got light-headed there for a second." You laughed awkwardly, not able to meet her eye contact. You glanced at Viktor, the bewilderment on his face a good indication that your eyes had glowed blue again. You looked away sharply, his screams still ringing in your ears.
If anyone noticed the tears falling down your cheeks they thankfully didn't say anything.
"Come sit, then." Sky led you towards the desk you had been sitting at yesterday, all your notes still where you left them.
"Thank you." You were grateful for her care and hoping she had only noticed your weird behaviour and not your eyes glowing blue.
"I'll get you some water." She said, smiling at you before hurrying out of the lab.
"You sure you're okay? You looked like you were going to pass out." Jayce inquired.
You smiled weakly, "Yes, I'm fine, I promise."
"Let us know if that changes, it could have something to do with what happened yesterday." Jayce pointed out, your nod of agreement seemed to satisfy him and he turned back around the continue working at his desk.
You hung your head in your hands, staring blankly at the notes in front of you, trying to make sense of what you had just seen. It was definitely in this lab, and that was definitely Shimmer, which you were pretty sure was a dangerous drug. You could tell the orb was magic, and with the metal runes covering it you guessed it had something to do with Hextech. You thought of Viktor, covered in scars, the sheer desperation in his eyes, and the horrific pain he must have been in. You wondered briefly if he currently has the back brace as a part of his disability or if that will be given to him later as his sickness starts. It's then that it hits you that you just saw Viktor in basically nothing but his underwear and you can't help but blush. The seriousness of the situation had clouded that fact, but now that you were analyzing it, it was hard to ignore.
You were so deep in thought, trying to piece together your vision, you didn't notice that Viktor was now standing by your desk until he cleared his throat.
You shot up, trying, and failing, to suppress the redness of your cheeks, made worse by the tears you had shed that made your eyes a matching pink.
He raised an eyebrow, "May I ask what you saw this time? It seems to have caused you a great deal of distress." His voice was low enough for Jayce to be unable to hear.
You pursed your lips, "I still don't understand it, it all happened so fast."
Viktor said nothing and waited patiently as you looked into the distance, eyes darting about, picturing what you had just seen. You wanted to put it gently, no one should have to know that they will get deathly sick one day, let alone that they would go through tremendous pain to try to stop it, at least that's what you were assuming was happening. You didn't even know if it worked. It could have killed him for all you were aware. Yet keeping this from him didn't feel right either.
Your voice was shaky as you relayed what you'd seen, breaking as you described the way you'd seen him. You couldn't bring yourself to look at him when you talked, but when you were done you brought your gaze back to his. He was looking at you intently, the gears already turning.
"I have never heard of this 'Shimmer' before, but this orb you described must be a future Hextech invention. Do you remember any of the runes it had?" He asked after a few moments of silence.
"Um, maybe?" That hadn't been your main focus but if you thought hard enough there were a few symbols you could recall.
"Could you write them down for me?" Viktor pulled a blank stack of paper from your stack.
You did as requested, a total of five symbols scribbled across the page.
"I'm sorry I don't remember any others, I wish I could be of more help." You sighed in frustration, "I feel like I only ever give you bad news."
He put his hand on your shoulder, the contact making your heart rate pick up, "This is more than I would have had without you, and I much prefer knowing what is coming, I like to be prepared."
You smiled ruefully, "If you say so."
"I do." He said with a matter-of-fact tone that made you choke out a laugh.
Sky came back in with a cup of water as Viktor folded the paper and stuffed it in his pocket. You thanked Sky for her help and both her and Viktor went back to their chosen workspaces.
Everything was blissfully quiet as the morning progressed, leaving you to stew in your worry. There was time, you knew that for sure, but this future was still looming over you, and with your fast-growing attachment to Viktor, this was going to get messy.
You tried to practice your letters, but you kept getting distracted by your vision. There had to be something you were missing. What was even the point of seeing that if it wouldn't be helpful?
As the sun reached the highest point, Sky announced that she would be going to grab lunch for everyone again.
"Could I come with you?" You pipped up, "I still don't know where the cafeteria is."
"Of course!" Sky said, upon receiving the go-ahead from her bosses, "I'll show you."
You did need to know where to get food, but you also felt your skin crawl at the idea of staying locked away in this lab any longer. You couldn't get the picture of Viktor screaming, his body wracked with pain, out of your head. You were hoping that some fresh air would help wipe that picture from your mind.
On the walk there you exchanged idle chitchat, leaving most of the talking to her as you asked questions about her projects and ideas, which she was more than happy to gush about. While you didn't understand most of it, her genuine enthusiasm made you smile. It wasn't until you were in line at the cafeteria that you asked how she knew Viktor and Jayce.
"I only met Jayce recently," She adjusted the glasses on her face, pushing her tray along as the line progressed, "I've known Viktor since we were kids, we lived in the same area growing up and we were some of the only people from the Undercity to come to the Academy so we've gotten along over the years."
You hadn't known Viktor or Sky were from the Undercity, but with the way you saw the nurses talk about it, you weren't surprised that it wasn't the first thing they told you. You hoped that Sky telling you was a sign of trust.
"He asked if I could be an assistant at the lab only a few days ago and I couldn't pass up the honour of working with him." She blushed as she spoke, twirling a curl around her finger.
"Seems like you hold him in high regard." You teased, a smirk on your face. She seemed to catch your implied meaning as she looked away, embarrassed, and rambled on.
"Of course! He's the smartest person I know, besides Heimerdinger, he can do anything he puts his mind to. How could I not admire that?"
You had to wonder if Viktor knew about Sky's crush on him, it had been immediately obvious to you, but it can be hard to ascertain someone's feelings when they are directed at you. You wondered if he felt the same about her and tried to suppress the jealous twang in your heart, rationally you knew you'd only know him a few days, but you couldn't help the feelings that had begun to grow from the moment you saw him. You liked Sky and would try to be happy for her, you didn't want to go making rivals already, you barely had any friends as it was.
More teasing words died in your throat as you felt the familiar eruption in your chest, barely giving you any time to shield your eyes from the people around you before you were thrust into yet another vision.
This time all you could see was Sky, her face contorted with fear as she clung on to something that you were unable to see. It was silent, though from the wind rushing through her hair and clothes you were pretty sure there should have been sound. The lighting was a dark purple, her mouth opened in a sob as darkness flooded her body, tearing her apart piece by piece until she was nothing more than a scattering of dust in the wind.
You came back to reality quickly, the vision over almost as soon as it had started. You stumbled forward, catching yourself on the shelf you had been pushing your tray along.
"Are you alright?" Sky asked, catching your arm.
You smiled shakily at her, memories of her screaming flashing quickly before your eyes, "Just a little light-headed, I think I may go lay down."
Without waiting for a reply you abandoned the tray and fled the cafeteria, practically running back to the elevator.
It felt like your heartbeat was in your throat, the woman in the elevator with you throwing you concerned looks.
You felt like you were about to throw up, your stomach gurgling unhappily as you got off at your floor. You sped through the hallways, your hands shaking vigorously as you put the key into the lock and turned. You stumbled into the bathroom, a ringing noise in your ears as your vision blurred at the edges. Looking at yourself in the mirror you looked as pale as a ghost, your lips had become almost the same colour as the skin of your face, and your eyes drooped as a cold sheen of sweat coated your skin. You splashed some water on your face, hoping it would bring you back, but as your vision continued to fade and your breathing increased in speed, you knew you needed to lay down. Using the last of your strength you tumbled onto your bed, face buried in your pillow as you tried to block out the horrible pictures of Sky's death.
You recognized this as a panic attack, meaning you'd likely had them before or at least seen other people go through this. Rationally you were aware that this would be over eventually, but the feeling like you were dying was never something you could get used to.
You don't know how long you lay there, trying your best to count your breaths until they evened out. It could have been minutes or hours, since you still couldn't read the clock and were not super familiar with using the sun to tell the time, you didn't know what time it was.
You sat up slowly, allowing your body time to adjust to the new position before getting up to go back to the bathroom. The colour had returned to your face, though you were still sweaty, your baby hairs plastered to your forehead. Sighing, you washed your face, scrubbing hard enough to turn your skin a bright red. You brushed your teeth for good measure, trying to get the fuzzy, dry feeling from your mouth. You tied your hair back in a quick ponytail and applied a generous layer of deodorant. You looked presentable enough, but the thought of going out there again made your anxiety worse.
Sky probably thought you were weird now, your outburst and escape in the cafeteria was enough to make anyone look at you funny. That was twice in one morning you had caused a scene and you could only hope she wouldn't hold it against you. On top of that, you were worried about seeing people again and having more visions, you didn't think you could handle seeing anyone else die today. How were you supposed to face anyone if you kept predicting such awful events?
A light knocking on your door brought you out of your head and back to the present. You swallowed nervously and attempted in vain to smooth the wrinkles from your shirt.
You opened the door to find Viktor standing there, a small bundle wrapped up in his hand.
"Seeing as you ran out of the Cafeteria like a bat out of hell, as they say, I thought you might want your lunch." He teased, holding out the bundle to reveal a sandwich inside the wrap. You groaned, smacking your hand over your face.
"It was that bad, huh?"
"Sky was much kinder in her description but we got the general idea." He was smirking, that son of a bitch. You wanted to smack that smug look off his face. Or kiss it, your brain added unhelpfully.
"Well thank you so much for bringing me this sandwich and rubbing in my face how I made a fool out of myself." Your voice dripped sarcasm but you smiled nonetheless, you really appreciated the food.
Viktor looked down the hallway and then back at you, "Was it another vision?"
The smile slipped off your face as flashes of Sky melting flickered before your eyes.
"Would you like to talk about it?" He offered. You sighed, it probably would be better to tell someone, you didn't know how long you could keep it to yourself for. Wordlessly, you stepped back, motioning for him to enter the room. You closed the door behind him, not missing how his eyes darted about, taking in your sparse room.
You sat at the head of your bed, "Sorry I don't have any chairs, but your welcome to sit here." You vaguely motioned to your bed.
He sat down at the edge, about halfway down the bed, patiently waiting for you to talk.
"It was Sky this time." You started, rubbing your arm, "I couldn't see much, I don't know where she was, I only saw her face, but there was a lot of wind, a purple light I couldn't hear anything this time, but it looked like she was screaming or sobbing or something," You took a shuddering breath before continuing, "and then it was like this darkness ate her up and all that was left was ash."
You could feel tears welling up in your eyes again and tried your best to shove them down. At least when you'd seen Viktor's future he had been alive, close to death, but still alive. Even if that orb had killed him, at least you hadn't seen it. Watching someone turn to ash before your eyes was probably the most unpleasant experience you'd ever had. You could feel that in your gut.
Viktor put his hand on your knee, his face soft with sympathy, "I don't think anyone could blame you for running away after seeing that."
You huffed out a laugh, "Too bad they all just think I'm a wimp who can't handle a light head."
Viktor shrugged, "I don't think that."
You wiped tears from your eyes and smiled, "Thank God for that."
"Gods have nothing to do with this." He said with a cheeky smile, earning another laugh from you.
"Honestly, at this point, I'm not going to rule anything out."
Viktor lifted his hands up in fake surrender, removing his contact from your leg, your heart swelling with longing for him to put his hand back. "I can't argue with that."
You mulled over your thoughts, so much information racing through your head.
"I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing with this information, I barely understand most of it." You frowned, the voice from the void had said that only you could change things, but you had yet to figure out how. If only they could have been a little less vague and a little more helpful, preferably with fewer visions of horrific deaths.
"Whatever it is, you won't have to do it on your own. We can figure it out together, I'm sure of it." Viktor had a determined gleam to his eye, lifting your spirits once more.
You nodded, smiling at the beautiful man before you, "Together."