THE WORLD BELOW (VixCaitlyn) / a dive into season two

Strength

Walking down the empty streets of Piltover, Caitlyn was overcome by an anxious, uneasy feeling of estrangement. The dust an debris from the explosion had settled weeks ago; and yet her hometown was forever changed, a mere shadow of its former glory.

Many had fled in the days following the attack and the progressing Zaunite independence, losing their assets in the mining colonies and some other, less respectable enterprises. Chaos and fear had left mansions and palaces abandoned, stores operating behind shut doors, economies plummeting and goods becoming more scarce by the day. As weapon manufacturers the Kiramman family had been able to soften the blow of the crisis, but to what cost?

Caitlyn looked to the side, where her mother was sitting upright in an elegant wheelchair. As one of her guards pushed her through the eerie silence of that cloudy morning, wheels stuttering over the plastered street, the lady let her vacant stare get lost somewhere in the distance, expressionless.

"Caitlyn" she spoke, after long silence.

"Mother? Are you alright?" Caitlyn stopped instantly and bowed down to Cassandra's level.

"Calm yourself!" she explained, with a mix of irritation and amusement "Everyone is behaving like I might just die any moment. Not to worry, I will let you know when I plan to do so."

"Oh, don't say that" Caitlyn said with a chuckle.

"I must admit that I have been wondering, Caitlyn. Are you expecting to see that 'stray' at the armstice? You did mention she was somewhat of a person of interest in her... circles."

"Vi..." Caitlyn uttered "I don't know, I have not heard from her since..."

"Since she carried you home that night? That seems hard to believe." Cassandra's eyes were scanning her daughter's face for a sign she might be hiding something.

"It's the truth, she left that same night." Caitlyn said bitterly, avoiding her mother's stares "After all, I was of no more use to her after the council. Why would she come back?"

"Alright, I might believe you on that first part" Cassandra said with a sigh, signaling her guards to keep pushing "The latter, less so. I daresay that it is quite unusual to have one's daughter returned twice, be it limping, crying or barely conscious, by the same person."

Caitlyn didn't respond.

"Be that as it may, it would be a pity if she wasn't a part of this. An ally with insight on the other side is invaluable, but who am I telling this. I know you have been making your own arrangements, dear." Cassandra said, in a somewhat proud tone.

"That's all it was. Business." Caitlyn affirmed "I will speak to her if she comes."

Cassandra nodded. "Good." she added.

But Caitlyn felt everything but.

One side of her wished for nothing more than to see those gray-blue eyes appear behind a raised hood, or for an agile figure jump out of an alley and ensnare her with her honeyed words, but the other was so incredibly scared of what she might say. She shuddered, remembering her recurring nightmares: Vi would always, without a doubt, choose her sister over a Piltover enforcer.

Lost in her own thoughts, Caitlyn did not realize they had arrived at the armstice field. Through the rising fog, soaked in city lights, the figures standing on the other side seemed unreal, like spirits crawling in the shadows. A tall person approached her from the distance, his face blurred in the mist. Still, Caitlyn recognized the familiar features of her childhood friend.

"Jayce..." she uttered "I hope we are not late."

"Councilor Kiramman, Ms. Kiramman." he replied sternly "You are just in time. We are still waiting for the clocktower to ring, any moment now. How are you feeling, Councilor?"