Runeterra: Arcane - CH 2

A month ago, I died.

You’d think I’d be more upset about that. And well, if you had asked me that about… three weeks ago or so, the answer would’ve been a resounding yes. But now? Not so much. I think by now I was at the stage of acceptance with a touch of depression, just a tinsy bit.

To be entirely honest, the details of it all are still quite blurry, like trying to remember a weird dream after waking up. But I know this much: I was in an elevator, and then I wasn’t. There was light, dead people, screams, I thought I was in hell, but it turns out I wasn’t, then there was more chaos, and then—poof—I woke up here, in a fictional bar of a fictional world.

Runeterra. Zaun.

The world… of League of Legends.

I still was wrapping my head around that. Reincarnation alone was already a big pill to swallow, one that most people generally connect to Jesus, but reincarnation in an entirely different universe, one that you knew as fiction? I honestly had no idea what to make of that, but hey… I was alive.

Sighing, I leaned against the counter, absentmindedly tracing the wood grain with my finger. Vander’s bar had become my new home in the past month, a place to sleep, eat, and think too much about Isekai’s and their now biblical implications. Needless to say, the thinking part was the problem.

The truth of the matter? It wasn’t just real. It was too real. In Isekais you see animated characters go from their world, an animated world, to a new world… which is also animated. No matter how good the anime is, you still know that it isn’t real… but here? Everything felt as real as it could possibly get. The splintery wood under my fingertips, the grimy-sticky smell of alcohol lingering in the air, the beat of music vibrating through the floorboards, everything.

I could taste the bitterness of beer on my tongue, whenever I stole a beer from Vander, who was adamant I didn’t drink, I could feel the ache in my muscles from another day spent hauling crates around the bar. This life, its sensations were no different to the ones of my past life. This was my new reality.

Haha… The smells alone were enough to convince me of that. Industrial fumes, damp metal, and something faintly sweet and poisonous always lingered in the air down at Zaun. I was breathing it in every day now. The thought used to freak me out. Now? I barely noticed it. Even though the air here was so polluted that it would probably be healthier to smoke.

“You’re spacing out again,” Vander called from the back, his voice carrying over the sound of clinking bottles, and people talking.

“Am not,” I shot back instinctively. He didn’t respond, but I could feel his smirk from here.

That man was far too good at reading people. That’s probably why kids gravitate toward him like moths to a lantern.

And speaking of kids…

“Powder, that’s cheating!” Violet’s voice rang out from somewhere upstairs, followed by the sound of footsteps and muffled giggles.

I smirked. The two sisters had been around the bar since I woke up, though it took me a couple of days to officially meet them, considering I was in and out of commission more than not during the first week. Powder’s the younger one, was shy and energetic, while Violet, or Vi, as she prefers to be called, was head-strong and hot-headed. They’re a handful, but in a good way.

I glanced at my hands, turning them over. They were small, thin, and covered in faint scrapes from helping Vander around the bar. It’s been a month, and I still wasn’t used to seeing them. They weren’t my hands, not the ones I’d lived with for over two decades.

How old am I now? No idea. My body didn’t come with a birth certificate or a user manual, which honestly… would’ve been hella helpful. I was taller than Vi, which makes me think I’m maybe a year or two older than her—10, maybe 11? Maybe less? It’s a guess at best.

“Hawk, you’re doing it again.”

Vander’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts. He was leaning on the counter now, a glass in his hand, one eyebrow raised like he was trying to figure me out.

“Doing what?”

“Getting that far-off look,” He paused, taking a sip. “You sure you’re not overthinking things?”

I shrugged, looking away. He wasn’t wrong. But to be fair… who wouldn’t in my situation? Not that he knew about my situation… this kind of thing wasn’t exactly conversation material, not unless I wanted to end up in an Asylum or something. So, seeing I couldn’t talk with anyone about it, the only thing left for me to do was… this.

Overthinking’s been my hobby lately. What else am I supposed to do when I’m stuck in a world I only half understand

Before I could come up with a reply, the front door creaked open. Powder burst in, her face flushed and her pigtails bouncing as she ran straight for Vander.

“Vander! Vander! Vi cheated again!”

“Did not!” Vi followed close behind, arms crossed and glaring at her sister. “You’re just mad I’m better than you. It all skill sister.”

“Girls, enough,” Vander said, holding up a hand. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried weight. The kind that made you stop talking.

Powder huffed, puffing out her cheeks in defiance before plopping onto a stool. Vi rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter, crossing her arms like she hadn’t been the one storming in moments earlier.

“Kids,” Vander muttered, shaking his head but smiling all the same.

Watching the three of them interact was… weirdly comforting. Vander had a knack for handling them, balancing patience and firmness in a way that felt natural. I’d seen him break up fights, share stories, and even braid Powder’s hair more than once. The guy was rough around the edges, but he had a soft spot a mile wide. He was a big softie.

Lucky for me, I was a kid now too. So his soft spot extended to me. Though I tried to help around as much as I could, I was no freeloader.

“Hey, Feathers,” Vi said, interrupting my train of thought. She looked me up and down like she was sizing me up for a fight. She did that a lot. Though it wasn’t exclusive to me, she did that with everyone.

“What?”

“Come play cards with us.”

I blinked. “Cards?”

“Yeah, you know, cards.” She made a shuffling motion with her hands. “You do know how to play, right? Or is that too much for you?”

It was definitely a challenge.

“Fine,” I said, pushing off the counter. “But don’t get grumpy when I win.”

“Ha! In your dreams. Birdie.”

I rolled my eyes and followed them upstairs, shaking my head. Might as well have some fun.

-——————————————- -——————————————- -——————————————-

The room we used for games was a mess of mismatched furniture and random junk Vander had collected over the years. A lopsided table sat in the middle, its surface covered in scratches and stains. Powder shuffled the deck with a grin that said she was up to something. And she was up to something, and I was in on it… but that was for later.

“You’re not cheating, are you?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course not!” she said, a little too quickly.

Vi snorted. “Yeah, sure. She’s totally not cheating.”

“Am not!”

I rolled my eyes, sitting down across from them. Powder started dealing the cards, and I couldn’t help but smile. Her sleight of hand could use some work, but she was on the right track.

What would the old me think if he saw me now?

Probably laugh. Or maybe he’d feel sorry for me. After all, this wasn’t some video game or anime plotline I could enjoy from the safety of my couch. And Runeterra wasn’t safe… at all.

“Your turn,” Vi said, snapping me out of it.

I glanced at my cards, then at her smug face. She thought she had me beat, but little did she know Pow-pow and I, had a secret alliance, and she was helping me win. In return, she would get two cookies and a voucher for an activity together of her choosing.

Powder grinned at me. Her eyes sparkled with mischief, and I knew I had made the right choice roping her into an alliance. She might have been the youngest at the table, but the kid had the instincts of a con artist.

“Alright, Knuckles,” I said, arranging my cards into what could only be described as an absolute disaster of a hand. “Prepare to lose.”

Vi, aka Knuckles, leaned back in her chair, smirking as she glanced at her cards. “Bold words for someone who’s about to eat my dust.”

Powder giggled, giving me a quick, subtle nod. The plan was simple: she’d slip me a winning card when Vi wasn’t looking. It wasn’t the most honorable strategy, but hey, alliances were made to be exploited.

“Your move, Birdie,” Vi said, tapping the table impatiently.

I took a deep breath, placing a card down like I had all the confidence in the world. It wasn’t until Vi slapped down her own card that I realized I had no idea what game we were even playing. In my defense, they keep changing the games we play on a daily basis, and there’s only so much a man can remember before you start forgetting.

“Wait,” I said, frowning. “What’s the goal again?”

Vi groaned, dragging a hand down her face. “Are you serious? You agreed to play, and you don’t even know the rules?”

“First of all, I’m adaptable, and second… you two play a different game every day…” I shot back. “Just tell me what I’m doing wrong, and I’ll adjust.”

“You’re doing everything wrong!”

“No shit Sherlock, I have no idea what I’m playing!”

“Who the hell is Sherlock?!”

Powder giggled again, clearly enjoying the show. She placed her card down with the most innocent expression I’d ever seen, and Vi immediately glared at her.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Nothing!” Powder chirped, but her playful grin betrayed her.

Vi narrowed her eyes at both of us. “You two are up to something.”

“Us?” I said, feigning shock. “I’m offended. I would never—”

“You’re literally the worst liar I’ve ever met.”

It wasn’t even an insult at this point; it was just a fact. I sighed, shrugging as I leaned back in my chair. “Fine. No schemes here, just pure skill.”

Vi didn’t look convinced, but she turned her attention back to her cards anyway. Powder shot me a quick look and tapped her deck, signaling she was about to make her move.

Powder’s mischievous grin grew as she slid her next card onto the table. It didn’t look particularly special to me, but Vi’s reaction was instant. Her smirk vanished, replaced by a mix of suspicion and frustration.

“What’s that supposed to be?” Vi asked, pointing at Powder’s card.

“It’s a win,” Powder said, her voice dripping with innocence. “Isn’t it, Hawk?”

“Looks like a win to me,” I said with a shrug, trying to keep my face neutral. Inside, I was already tallying up my cookie debt.

Vi groaned, slapping her hand of cards onto the table with an angry huff. “This is rigged! I knew you two were plotting something.”

“Rigged?” I gasped, clutching my chest like she’d just insulted my honor. “How could you say that? And to your sister at that? Have you no shame? Can you see we are naturally talented in the art of playing cards?”

“More like naturally annoying,” Vi shot back, though I caught the corner of her mouth twitching.

Powder giggled, scooping up the cards and starting to shuffle them again. “Another round?”

“Obviously,” Vi said, crossing her arms. “I’m not going down without a fight. Double or nothing!”

I raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that? I don’t want to crush your spirit or anything. Besides, you are already doing my chores for a week… you sure you want to extend that to two?”

“Oh, please. I’m gonna wipe that smug look off your face so hard it’ll stick to Powder instead.”

“Hey!” Powder protested, though she was laughing too hard to sound offended.

-——————————————- -——————————————- -——————————————-

The next game was just as rigged as the first. Powder’s shuffling technique involved more throwing than actual shuffling, and Vi who was far too busy looking at me; to see what her little sister was doing, took every opportunity to accuse me of cheating, whether I was or not. I was cheating, but I wasn’t the one she needed to stop.

“Are you hiding cards?” Vi squinted at me as I casually leaned back in my chair.

“Me? Hide cards? I’m offended, truly.”

“You’re sitting on something.”

“It’s a chair,” I deadpanned.

“Move.”

“Yeah… right, you just want the most comfortable chair in this room, I’m not dumb.”

Vi rolled her eyes, but before she could argue further, Powder interrupted by slamming down her final card with dramatic flair.

“Ha! I win!” she declared, throwing her hands in the air.

Vi stared at the card, her mouth opening and closing like a fish. “How?! That doesn’t even—”

“She wins,” I said, cutting her off with a grin. “The card doesn’t lie. That means you owe me three weeks of chores and you owe powder two weeks of dessert, and three days of chores.”

Vi groaned, dropping her head onto the table. “This game is stupid.”

“It’s only stupid when you lose,” Powder quipped, sticking her tongue out.

I chuckled, leaning back and stretching my arms over my head. “You created the game, and yet… you were outmatched.”

Vi sat up, glaring at both of us. “Next time, we’re playing something real. Something you two can’t rig.”

“We won fair and square,” I said, winking at Powder.

“Did not!” Vi huffed.

-——————————————- -——————————————- -——————————————-

As the night came, the energy in the room softened into something quieter. Powder leaned against Vi, half-asleep and clutching the cards like they were some kind of treasure. Vi didn’t seem to mind, though she kept giving me the occasional side-eye.

“You’re too smug for your own good,” she muttered.

“It’s part of my charm,” I replied, flashing her a grin.

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue.

I glanced out the window, watching as lights outside painted the sky in a sickly green hue. It wasn’t beautiful, at least not in the way sunsets or starry nights used to be, but it had its own kind of charm. A toxic, somewhat post-apocalyptic charm.

Powder let out a soft snore, and Vi carefully adjusted her so she was more comfortable. The sight made me smile.

“I don’t get you,” Vi said suddenly, her voice quiet enough not to wake Powder.

I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”

“You’re… weird. Like, you don’t talk about where you’re from or anything. And you’re always staring off into space, like you’re thinking about stuff nobody else gets.”

I shrugged. “Maybe I’m just mysterious.”

“Or maybe you’re just weird,” she said, though there wasn’t any malice in her tone. “Whatever. Just don’t mess with Powder, okay? She likes you, for some reason.”

“Don’t worry,” I said, my voice softer than usual. “I wouldn’t mess with her. Besides, you like me too, admit it.”

Vi scoffed, crossing her arms defensively. "Keep dreaming, Feathers."

I chuckled.