Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

"Sevika, bring the food in now," Cipher called out, his voice carrying to the kitchen. The clatter of plates and pans echoed through the doorway, along with hushed voices arguing about proper serving order.

Steam rose from freshly cooked dishes as Sevika tried to maintain order in the cramped kitchen. "Careful with those plates!" she barked, watching Powder bounce near the counter.

Despite her attempts to keep things organized, Powder was the first to emerge from the kitchen. She was too young, and Sevika worried she might break the plates.

The food was so plentiful that it made her realize today must be an important occasion. She didn't want any accidents to cause embarrassment in front of the new boss.

Sevika had great respect for Cipher. She believed he could lead Zaun to rise again.

His inventions were groundbreaking—any one of them could have allowed him to leave the poverty and hardship of Zaun behind and live a comfortable life in Piltover. He wouldn't have had to stay in Zaun, breathing its toxic smog.

But he didn't.

He stayed in Zaun and fought for it.

He shared a meal with those most if not all in Piltover would consider beneath them.

Such a person was worth following.

"Cipher, Cipher! Is today a special day? There's so much good food! This bread is so soft, like cotton!"

As soon as Powder arrived, she bounced straight into Cipher's arms, naturally wrapping her arms around his neck. Her small face rubbed against his chest, leaving smudges of dirt that he didn't seem to notice or mind.

He teased Powder by pinching her little nose. "Today's a family reunion, so of course, there has to be delicious food. Did you sneak some already?"

Powder vigorously shook her head to deny it. "I didn't! You're lying! I just… just had a tiny little bite! That doesn't count as stealing!"

Watching Cipher play with Powder, Silco seemed deep in thought. He knew Powder hadn't bathed in days and smelled… awful. He could smell it even from a distance. Yet Cipher held her close as if she were made of gold.

He didn't seem to mind at all.

Instead, he enjoyed teasing her, even when she smudged soot from who-knows-where onto his face, leaving it blackened.

Adults playing with kids—this was something only Piltovians seemed to have time for.

In Zaun, whether adult or child, every day was a painful struggle for survival. The weight of mere existence crushed any chance for such simple joys.

Even the most loving parents rarely had the time or energy to play with their children. Too busy trying to keep food on the table, a roof over their heads, to think about games or laughter.

Sevika soon brought out all the food with the other kids.

After confirming there was nothing urgent, she picked up her coat. "I'll be off. I'll come back tomorrow. If there's an emergency, send someone to find me."

"What do you mean 'off'? Stay and eat with us."

Cipher poured a bowl of mushroom soup for Powder, teaching her to dip her bread into it to make it taste even better.

Sevika gave him a helpless look and said irritably, "You're having a family dinner. What would I be doing here? I'd just be in the way."

She had no family. She was an orphan. Or rather, most people in Zaun were orphans. The city had a way of taking parents early, leaving children to grow up fast or not at all.

"Anyone who's willing to fight for Zaun's rise is family. Sit down and eat with us."

Cipher carefully cut a piece of steak and fed it to Powder. He spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, without even turning his head.

Such simple words, yet they held the weight of mountains for some.

Sevika found herself unable to take the step forward to leave.

After hesitating for a moment, she decided to sit in the seat Vi had prepared for her. The chair creaked under her weight, but it felt solid.

"Family"—for many in Zaun, this word was warm but distant. Like the lights of Piltover above, visible but forever out of reach.

Silco watched this scene and fell into deep thought. After sipping some mushroom soup, he finally spoke. "So, this is your definition of family? Not about blood ties, but recognizing those who fight for the same ideals? I think I understand your governing philosophy now."

"It's certainly appealing, but it's a tall order. Are you sure you can pull it off?"

Cipher casually responded while eating a piece of fruit Powder had fed him. "Of course. As long as a family works together, nothing is impossible."

The mood shifted like Zaun's toxic clouds—swift and dark.

Sevika, who always wore a cold and stern expression, suddenly spoke up. "What about your siblings' issue? How are you planning to solve that? They blew up a Piltovan noble's building. Just getting rid of the enforcers won't solve the problem. They won't let this go."

As soon as Sevika said this, Vi, Powder, Mylo, Claggor, and even Ekko's faces darkened significantly.

They all knew they'd caused big trouble recently, but in truth, no one besides Cipher fully understood why Piltover wouldn't let the matter rest.

The building Vi and the others accidentally blew up was one thing. The real issue was the Hextech gemstone Powder had taken.

It was this thing that fell to the ground and caused the explosion that destroyed the building. The Piltover Council was worried that the gemstone could be used in Zaun to develop advanced weaponry, which was why they had ordered the enforcers to act so ruthlessly.

"At that time, I just wanted to teach the Piltovans a lesson. I didn't expect to cause such a big mess."

Vi lowered her head in pain.

The delicious food had lost its flavor. She was the one who had led the charge, so she felt the blame was on her. 

But Cipher smiled faintly. "Sevika, they are also your siblings. We share the same vision. For Zaun's rise, we are one family. And with family, you need to learn to be forgiving and understanding."

Sevika's cool expression darkened. She didn't like Vi or Powder.

For a long time, and even now, she believed these two were the reason Vander had become a weak and useless man.

The strength he once had, dissolved by love.

But compared to Vi, who had made a name for herself at a young age on the streets, Sevika disliked Powder even more. The girl was everything Zaun couldn't afford to be—weak, dependent, soft.

As she saw it, Powder was a child who couldn't survive alone in Zaun. The harsh reality of their world had no place for such softness.

And now, Powder had been clinging to Cipher the whole time without getting down. Like a barnacle on a ship, refusing to let go.

So, she didn't like Powder at all—not even a little. They were incompatible in every sense.

Oil and water, fire and ice.

"Vi, you don't need to feel guilty. The fact is, this time you've done something incredible. You're heroes of Zaun."

Cipher spoke with a cheerful smile, saying words that left everyone present either shocked or skeptical. Then he turned to Powder and asked, "Where's the glass ball you found in that room? The blue one."

"It's with me!"

Powder reached into her pocket, took out a few blue glass balls, and handed them all to Cipher like she was offering a treasure. Her small hands cupped them carefully, treating each one like a precious gem.

"Is this thing special?"

Silco noticed the glint of excitement in Cipher's eyes. It was the same look he got when working on a new invention.

"It's a Hextech Gemstone—the cutting-edge technology Piltover is currently researching. It's far more reliable than that brainless potion of yours."

Silco's face turned dark. "It's called Shimmer, not some 'brainless potion.' It has immense potential!"

Cipher ignored him and picked up one of the Hextech gemstones to admire it. He held one up to the light, watching it sparkle.

The thing was indeed beautiful, like a sapphire, but the energy it contained was absurdly high. A gemstone this small was enough to destroy an entire building.

This scene made Silco, Sevika, and even Vander—who had been too dispirited to do anything but feign death—open their eyes wide in shock.

They realized that Cipher's words were likely true and not just an excuse to defend his siblings.

Vi noticed the adults' unusual reactions. She carefully chose her words and asked, "Is this thing valuable? Did we get something really good from Piltover?"

"Valuable? Haha, Vi, Hextech gemstones can't be measured in terms of money. This technology is groundbreaking—it's a masterpiece of the era. Science has pried open the door to arcane."

Cipher, thrilled, kissed Powder on the cheek, causing her to blush and hide her face like a shy ostrich. Her giggles muffled against his shirt.

However, his words made Silco frown. Cipher had also said back then that the Shimmer potion had "opened the gateway to the arcane." Silco had dismissed it as a ridiculous statement.

But now he was saying the same thing about the Hextech gemstone.

Since when was arcane magic so cheap? Could anything open the gateway to it? The questions multiplied in his mind like rats in Zaun's depths.

"Are you sure? Do you even know what you're talking about?"

Silco looked at him with concern, worried that Cipher might have overworked himself and lost his senses.

The excitement in the young man's eyes bordered on mania.

Had the brilliant mind finally cracked under pressure?