Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

On the other side of the basement, a little blue-haired girl turned on a dim light. Beside her were three boys.

As soon as she saw Cipher, she couldn't wait to rush over to him. Her small feet stumbled in her hurry, but she didn't slow down. Being small in stature, she could only hug his leg tightly.

In the original story, the girl had severe mental trauma after witnessing the tragic death of her parents when she was young. Later, she accidentally killed her family with explosives and experienced a series of misunderstandings with her elder sister, Vi, eventually turning into the deranged and despairing Jinx.

Jinx's fate was almost entirely a tragedy, bringing misfortune to those close to her. Each step of her fall had been inevitable, like dominoes lined up by cruel fate.

But in Cipher's view, Jinx was actually a product of the irreconcilable class conflict between Piltover and Zaun.

Only by resolving these class struggles could similar tragedies be avoided. Otherwise, even if Jinx were eliminated, the crushing weight of inequality would create another broken soul, another victim of Piltover's cruelty.

The cycle would continue endlessly, turning more children into weapons against the world that had failed them.

Precisely because he knew of her tragic fate in the original story, he developed a special attachment to her. Among the four younger siblings, she occupied at least half of his affection. Every time he looked at her, he saw both what she was and what she might become.

"Cipher, I was so scared! I was almost caught just now! I was afraid I'd never see you again!" The girl buried her face against his leg.

Her voice carried a sobbing tone, and her body trembled slightly, clearly terrified. Her small hands clutched at his clothes like she was afraid he'd disappear.

Cipher, knowing how sensitive and fragile her mental state was, picked her up and gave her a big kiss on her dirty little face. Her eyes widened in surprise.

Gently, he said, "Powder, don't be afraid. The bad guys have already been chased away by me."

"Huh?"

Touching the spot he had kissed, she seemed flustered. Her fingers traced where his lips had touched, as if trying to hold onto the moment.

She had been hiding from the enforcers for the past few days and hadn't had access to clean water in Zaun, so she hadn't washed her face in several days. Her body carried a strong odor, the kind that came from living in Zaun's depths.

Feeling embarrassed, she snuck a glance at Cipher.

Instead of showing any disgust, he smiled warmly and pulled her and Vi into his strong arms.

Quickly lowering her head, Powder began rubbing her little face like a shy rabbit. The more she rubbed, the redder her face became. An unfamiliar emotion rose in her heart—she was no longer afraid.

In Cipher's arms, the world's darkness seemed to retreat.

"Claggor, I told you! Cipher prefers Vi and Powder, especially Powder. He likes her so much he never lets go of her!"

In a corner of the basement, a skinny boy with quick eyes and a quicker tongue, complained bitterly to his companions.

"Come on, Mylo. Vi and Powder are girls; they need comfort. You don't need to be jealous," said Claggor, who was chubby and good-natured. His round face creased with understanding as he didn't envy them at all and even smiled as he tried to console Mylo.

"Sigh, you're so open-minded. Sure, Powder and Vi are his sisters, but we're his brothers! Look at how biased he is! He wears his favoritism on his face, and I just can't stand it!"

Mylo kept grumbling, pouring out his jealousy like vinegar.

His words had no real bite to them; they were more habit than hurt. But he wasn't genuinely resentful; he just liked to run his mouth.

To him, Cipher was a much more reliable figure than their foster father, Vander. Now that the danger had passed, he felt completely at ease, which resulted in his inability to keep his chatterbox mouth in check.

Safety just made him bold.

Though he tried to keep his voice down, he underestimated Cipher's sharp hearing.

"Mylo, what are you mumbling about over there? Come over here right now. Claggor, and Ekko, too—let's eat some chocolate!"

"Coming!" The three boys called out in unison, their feet scuffling against the floor as they hurried over.

Powder held her chocolate with both hands, munching happily. Her eyes sparkled with each bite, savoring the rare treat.

"Chocolate is so good! I haven't had it in days. If only we could eat it every day!" Her voice was full of wonder, like she couldn't believe such a thing existed.

"Powder, this stuff is expensive. Be grateful you even got to eat some," Vi said disapprovingly. She was worried that Powder's words would make Cipher think she was ungrateful, especially since chocolate was a luxury.

Her protective instincts never rested.

"Don't worry. Someday, I'll make sure you can eat chocolate every day until you're sick of it!"

Cipher ruffled Powder's messy hair and laughed indulgently.

"Really? Then you'd better keep your word! I'll eat chocolate every day until I'm sick of it!"

Powder laughed along with Cipher, leaving Vi feeling like the odd one out. Annoyed, she silently chomped on her chocolate, glaring at Cipher as if she were biting into something much worse.

Her protectiveness of Powder sometimes made her bristle at how easily he could make her sister smile.

In front of his younger siblings, Cipher acted like the head of the family. While his two sisters were close to him, his two younger brothers were more reserved and hesitant to speak freely around him.

Each had found their place in this makeshift family—Vi the protector, Powder the dreamer, Mylo the critic, Claggor the peacemaker.

As for Ekko, it was even worse—he was Vi's younger brother and ranked at the bottom of the hierarchy.

For now, he could only play the role of an accessory. He sat quietly, watching everything with intelligent eyes that missed nothing.

Mylo watched Cipher playing around with his sisters and couldn't help but mutter under his breath again. However, he didn't dare speak up for fear of being scolded by Cipher.

Instead, he shot Claggor a knowing look, as if to say, "See? I told you he spoils Powder the most."

Claggor pointed at the chocolate he had shared with Mylo, signaling him to just focus on eating.

The chocolate was limited in quantity. After being split among the five of them, it was barely enough for a taste. But even that small amount was a treasure in Zaun.

After finishing her portion, Powder rubbed her belly, tugged on Cipher's sleeve, and shyly said, "Cipher, I'm hungry. Do you have any bread? I'm not picky!"

Her eyes were hopeful but uncertain.

Cipher almost burst out laughing. She claimed she wasn't picky, yet she specifically mentioned bread. Her little schemes were written all over her face.

In Zaun, children usually ate things like mutated swamp frogs, oversized sewer rats, rotting fish and shrimp, or the entrails of animals Piltover residents wouldn't touch.

These were often boiled together into a paste, emphasizing quantity and "cleanliness" over quality. The smell alone would turn stomachs above ground.

Bread—even the low-quality black bread mixed with sawdust—was considered a rare luxury for Zaun's children.

Each loaf was worth its weight in hope.

But Powder would only make such requests of Cipher. She knew Vi and Vander were too poor to afford bread. Her careful choice of who to ask showed wisdom beyond her years.

"Alright, let's head upstairs. I'll cook something for everyone," Cipher said with a wave of his hand, ready to show off his cooking skills to them.

When they returned to the tavern, the usual crowd of rowdy patrons had already left. The familiar comfort of home shattered at the sight of the man behind the bar. Standing in the spot where Vander often stood was someone unexpected.

"Silco? Why are you here?"

"Where's Vander? What did you do to him?"

Before Cipher could do anything, Vi stepped forward, assuming a defensive stance. She protectively placed Powder behind her and stared at Silco with intense vigilance, her eyes never leaving his face.

Silco was dangerous—someone who could harm the alleys of Zaun and disrupt its fragile order. This was what Vander had told her. Every instinct screamed at her to run, to take Powder and hide.

"Vi, it's been a few days since we last met. Is this how you greet me? Not even a polite hello?" Silco said, unfazed.

Knowing Vander's habits, he reached for an unmarked bottle of liquor and poured a glass for himself. Then he poured another for Sevika, the cold and intimidating woman sitting opposite him. Her eyes watched them all like a hawk studying prey.

Finally, he spoke in a slow, deliberate tone, "I just arrived. If you want to know where Vander is, you'll have to ask your brother."

Vi turned to Cipher with a puzzled look, but his attention was on an envelope Silco had placed in front of him.

The envelope looked old, with yellowed paper on the outside. Its edges were worn smooth by time and handling.

"Blisters and Bedrock—you were right. The heaviest burden in life is learning to let go," Silco said, handing him a glass of liquor.

He raised his own glass, gesturing for Cipher to join him for a drink.