The Sump hadn't been stable lately.
Topside had already had two major incidents, pushing the relationship between Piltover and Zaun back into a tense stalemate. And this time, the Sump didn't even bother hiding it—right in front of Piltover, it openly showed another face of itself.
Starting a few days ago, ordinary people in the Sump stopped going outside and hid in their homes. Even so, gang members would still kick their doors open, claim it was a "security inspection," and then raid the place—dirty hands taking whatever they could. The residents were furious, but they didn't dare say a word.
Piltover's Enforcers didn't intervene directly in what was happening in the Sump, because they understood perfectly well: whatever was going on deep in Zaun this time was a huge mess—and dangerous. Without a direct, absolute order from their superiors, they weren't about to risk their lives just to do routine patrols.
How much did they even get paid in a month? Was it worth dying for?
And for Zaunites themselves, this whole incident was just another display of how things worked now that Silco was on top. Ever since Silco took over, Zaun had completely changed. People had gotten richer—but it had also gotten even more chaotic.
As long as power stayed in his hands, he didn't care about turf wars under him—especially the little gangs killing each other. In fact, Silco would even deliberately encourage it, using the hatred those small gangs had for each other to redirect their hatred away from him, maintaining his position and authority.
And under those circumstances… a new gang appeared in the Sump.
A group of young people who used to belong to the Lanes gathered together, carrying weapons that looked like junk but worked frighteningly well. They began seizing territory at high speed, building their own force.
And on the turf they took, there was often a piece of graffiti: a blue-and-pink flower, like shattered petals.
But nobody cared.
Because in Zaun, new gangs popped up every day.
On the second floor of The Last Drop, Silco stared at Sevika with anger in his voice.
"So tell me—how many days has it been now?"
"It's been ten days," Sevika answered with her head lowered. Most of the doodles on her face had faded, but faint traces remained. The fluorescent-marker mess Jinx had drawn on her really did last an absurdly long time.
Silco picked up a document on the table—paperwork sent over from a Shimmer plant in the west. He looked over the records and frowned, then asked Sevika:
"Where are they?"
Sevika replied, "They're not in the Sump anymore. I've checked everywhere they could be. We turned every house upside down. We didn't even spare the orphanage. There's no trace of them."
"I thought you weren't someone who made excuses," Silco said. "So what are you doing right now? This is the second time."
He tapped the tabletop with a finger, set the document down, and looked at Sevika.
"If you've searched the Sump, then search the Entresol. If they're not at the Entresol, then go to the Promenade. Do I really need to teach you how to do something this simple?"
Sevika fell silent.
After a long moment, she raised her head and met Silco's gaze.
"And then what? If we still don't find Jinx at the Entresol or the Promenade, are you going to send people Topside to look for her?"
Silco: "…"
His good eye narrowed. His voice turned ice-cold.
"Am I to understand you have a problem with me?"
"Of course I do." Sevika took a hard breath and didn't look away. "Ever since that brat grew up—no… she hasn't even grown up, she's still just a kid—every time she causes some stupid disaster, you're the one cleaning up after her. You really think she sees you as a father? Or is it that you can't live without this 'daughter' of yours anymore?"
"And right now, you want to send people to the Entresol, and to the Promenade, at a time like this?" Sevika's voice sharpened. "Our smuggled goods are still sitting in a Topside precinct. A lot of our people are still locked up."
"Silco—what matters more to you? Her, or Zaun?" Sevika asked, finally saying the question she'd wanted to ask for years. "Do you even remember what you told me back then?"
Ever since Jinx got older—Sevika had been forced to deal with her messes over and over. The trouble Jinx caused, the asses she couldn't wipe clean—Silco always made Sevika clean it for her.
What the hell—was Sevika some kind of disposable wipe?
"Enough," Silco said, his gaze dark and venomous, like a snake watching prey.
"I'll forgive you. This once—consider it payment for that arm." His eyes flicked to Sevika's mechanical limb. Then he continued, calm and deadly. "But if there's a next time, you won't be standing here talking to me."
Silco stared at her, completely serious.
"I mean it."
That threat shut Sevika up.
But then she said, immediately after, "Is that so? Then I genuinely don't know what kind of choice Jinx will make when the time comes."
"A choice?" Silco repeated.
Was Sevika saying Jinx would choose Logan… or choose him?
Silco scoffed and spoke casually, dismissively.
"She's with that boy on a whim. That's just how she is—she plays around, she does whatever she feels like."
"That's not who I'm talking about," Sevika said.
Silco's brow tightened. "Then what are you saying? Speak clearly."
Sevika's voice turned flat and cold.
"It's Vi. She's back."
The moment those words fell, Silco's pupils shrank violently.
——————
In a street district of the Lanes, Caitlyn paced back and forth with her hands behind her back, head lowered, worry written all over her face.
Should I give up on her?
No. I couldn't. She was the one I brought down here—so I had to be the one to bring her back.
But in Zaun… what could I even do by myself?
I hated the power House Kiramman gave me. I believed everyone was equal. But now that I didn't have that family power behind me, I couldn't do anything at all.
Caitlyn felt torn.
And from a shadowed corner nearby, a weak voice spoke up.
"Can you stop walking back and forth in front of me? It's annoying. Understand?"
"What am I supposed to do?" Caitlyn hurried over the moment she heard Vi's voice. She crouched down and looked at her.
Vi opened her eyes, coughed once, and rasped, "What do you mean, what are you supposed to do… How would I know what you're supposed to do?"
As she spoke, Vi's expression suddenly went distant. She looked past Caitlyn's shoulder, like she was seeing something else entirely. Her eyes drifted, her voice softening.
"I shouldn't have left you…"
Caitlyn froze.
She took out a towel, pressed it firmly against Vi's abdomen, and whispered, "It's okay. I can tell—you're a good person."
After those words, Vi's eyes slowly closed again.
She slipped back into unconsciousness.
Caitlyn stood up, at a loss.
But right as she was standing there, stunned, a group of people suddenly emerged and surrounded them.
They wore ragged clothes—obviously Zaunites—but their mental state was different from the people Caitlyn had run into on the way here.
They looked thin, but alert. Lively. Especially the brown-haired young man in front.
No… he hadn't been ruined by Shimmer?
The moment they closed in, Caitlyn snapped her rifle up and aimed.
"Stop!"
"I'm Enforcer Caitlyn!"
Her voice was tight with nerves.
Somehow, at a time like this, she suddenly remembered what Vi had said right after they left Stillwater Hold—that Zaunites would strip her clean and devour her whole.
"Enforcer?"
"Relax, cop. We're not here to hurt you," the young man said, raising his hands. He took another step forward.
"I said stop! One more step and I'll shoot!"
"Wait—please, listen to me!"
"I'm Marsen. I'm Vi's friend." His face was earnest as he spoke. "The one behind you—that's Vi, right?"
"We know her."
Caitlyn blinked, startled.
Marsen kept his hands up, expression sincere.
Seeing that, Caitlyn slowly lowered her rifle.
"She's injured," Caitlyn said.
"I know," Marsen replied. "I've been following you for a while."
Then he turned and gave orders without hesitation.
"I know how to treat her. Willa. Manzu. Help me get Vi up—we're going back."
And Caitlyn stood quietly to the side.
She didn't stop them.