Monday morning, ash-fog hangs heavy over Drain Street. Raikaru and Ekoo sat side by side at the workbench, continuing their observation of the machine fragment wedged between them. It was a continuation from last night. The pale blue light pulsed quietly as always. "[serious]The potential difference at the junction point—it really can't be explained by Chemtech," "[cold]Of course not. I've been saying that from the start," A drone sat perched neatly on Ekoo's lap. The moment Raikaru brought a pair of tweezers close to the machine fragment— The workshop door opened. "[excited]Good morning! So this is Screw Hole's place... wow, it really is in an alley! Scientifically speaking, the poor location actually creates the perfect counterintelligence effect——" A tall young man with silver hair swept in, his hair flowing behind him. An ID card hung from his neck—a metal plate with fine lettering. A student ID from Hextech Academy, Piltover's pinnacle of technical education, the place where the Council poured twelve million Crowns in annual research funding. Electronic equipment wrapped around his left wrist. Vivid crimson eyes darted around the workshop, found Raikaru and Ekoo, and then—— Stopped. On Ekoo's drone. "[excited]...This output can't be explained by standard Chemtech power. Could I analyze the acoustic data?" That face wasn't a researcher's face. It was the face of a man in love. Raikaru watched in silence for a second. Then, reflexively, he stood up and wedged his body between the two of them. "[serious]Who the hell are you," "[excited]Oh, sorry! I'm Ryou. Third-year student at Hextech Academy, I came to Zaun for a technical research internship. I filed the proper paperwork for the Bridgeway this morning. Got through the checkpoint in five minutes," Ekoo's eyes narrowed. Five minutes with just a filing slip. If you're a Piltover citizen, that's all you need to cross the Bridgeway. For a Zaun resident like Ekoo, it's a completely different story—fifty Crowns in examination fees and a guarantor required. Raikaru knew that. Ekoo knew it too. Neither of them said anything. * "[serious]If it's a research internship, take a look and get out," "[excited]But this drone is really interesting! I've never seen a design like this before," Ryou flashed a smile at Ekoo. A straight, dazzling smile. Ekoo pulled the drone closer to her chest. "[cold]...Don't touch it," "[serious]That's what I said," Raikaru stepped forward. He didn't even know why he did it. He just... stepped forward. Ryou started rummaging through his bag. What came out was a white box. It had a ribbon on it. "[excited]Oh right, a gift! It's cake from a pastry shop in Piltover, the one near the Council building——" When he opened the box, a sweet smell wafted out. A raspberry tart. Powdered sugar dusted carefully on top. The kind of thing you rarely saw in Zaun. Ryou offered it to Ekoo. Raikaru quickly snatched it away. "[serious]Too sweet for a Zaun stomach. You'll get sick," He took a bite right then and there. It was delicious. Ryou stood frozen with a dumbfounded expression. Ekoo picked up the drone and smacked Raikaru on the back of the head with it. "[angry]What are you doing eating it," "[serious]No, I'm just being health-conscious——" "[angry]Shut up!" The door to the neighboring bar, "The Rusty Faucet," cracked open slightly, and Gwen poked his head out. Watching. He looked like he was having fun. "[sarcastic]Three of them today," He withdrew immediately. * By noon, Ryou still hadn't left. "[excited]So, why don't I improve the drone's propulsion unit from my end? With Hextech technology, I can boost energy efficiency by at least thirty percent. Chemtech has its limits," Hextech—the power technology using Hex crystals that Piltover monopolized. In Zaun, acquiring it through legitimate channels was extremely difficult, and using it without permission meant equipment confiscation and fines of five hundred Crowns or more. "[serious]Hextech is illegal in Zaun," "[excited]It's exempt for research purposes. I have a special permit from the Council," His face was cool. Raikaru had nothing to say. "[cold]Don't touch either of them," The drone discharged at both of them simultaneously. Crack. Raikaru and Ryou were both slammed into the shelf. Two metal cans fell. Raikaru found himself pinned under a can, hearing Ryou say "ow, ow, ow" beside him. (Why am I getting slammed into a shelf next to this guy?) He had no idea. He could only see Ekoo standing with her arms crossed. Her mouth was a straight line, but the tips of her ears were just slightly red. * Tuesday afternoon. The three of them stood around the workbench, looking at the machine fragment. Ryou took notes in his internship logbook with one hand while placing his Academy-issued portable terminal with the other. "[serious]I'm cross-referencing this emblem's shape with the industrial standards database, but nothing matches," "[serious]It's not a Chemtech workshop stamp either," Raikaru reached his arm across the desk. That's when the terminal's sleep mode disengaged, and the screen lit up. It was a design schematic. A scanned old document. In the upper right corner of the cover——an emblem. The exact same design carved into the surface of the dented machine fragment. "[serious]That emblem——" Ryou's hand moved fast. He grabbed the terminal and flipped the screen face-down. "[serious]That's research material. Please don't look at it," The bright expression from moments ago vanished. A different face showed through. A calm, calculated face. "[serious]Do you know what that emblem is," There was a pause. One second. Two seconds. "[serious]...I think it's just a coincidence. Old industrial standard stamps tend to look similar," His voice was calm, but his grip on the terminal didn't loosen. Raikaru looked at Ekoo. Ekoo had drawn the drone close to her lap, hugging it tightly against her. Her expression was——like she knew something, but couldn't say it——. The air in the workshop changed. The chaos from before seemed like a lie. It became quiet. * Wednesday morning. Ryou was here again. Raikaru tidied up repair requests while watching Ryou fiddle with his terminal at the edge of the workbench out of the corner of his eye. Ekoo was checking the drone's wings. The door was knocked on. A middle-aged man entered. A drab jacket, an expressionless face. An armband on his left arm—the emblem of the Grindgear Workshop Collective, which controlled sixty percent of Zaun's economy. "[cold]Raikaru, the repair technician of Screw Hole. An official notice from the Smokestacks headquarters," He placed an envelope on the desk. It was sealed with wax. Raikaru broke the seal and read the paper inside. It was a short document. The point was simple——hand over the machine fragment. "[cold]This is a direct request from Workshop Master Volga himself. It's not something an independent repair technician like yourself should possess," His voice was emotionless. Like he was reading from a script. "[serious]I refuse," "[cold]I see," The messenger continued. "[cold]In the event of refusal, the Union will issue a notice to all parts wholesalers, procurement dealers, and business partners throughout Drain Street. Cooperation with repair technicians outside the Union is prohibited. We await your response within three days," With that, he left. The door closed quietly. Raikaru stood holding the notice. Three days. All of Drain Street's suppliers would disappear. Forty to fifty jobs a month that he'd been scraping by on. Parts procurement. He remembered being turned away by Danen Metal Workshop yesterday——that was just the beginning. "[serious]...Hey," He looked at Ryou. Ryou was gripping his portable terminal tightly. Not looking at the screen. His expression was difficult. Ekoo stared at the door where the messenger had vanished, her eyes sharp. * In the evening, Ryou closed his internship logbook. "[serious]I'll stop here for today. ...Is it okay if I come again tomorrow?" He asked Raikaru. He was looking at Raikaru, but slightly off to the side. "[serious]Do whatever you want," "[excited]Then I'll be back!" He left with oddly high spirits. The door closed. Ekoo watched his back and spoke. "[cold]...Why's that guy so energetic every time," "[serious]I don't know either," Silence fell. The chemical lamp hissed and crackled. From outside, the sounds of Drain Street at night drifted in. Ekoo's eyes fell on the machine fragment on the workbench. "[cold]Raikaru. Are you going to do what the Union says?" Raikaru shook his head. Ekoo let out a small breath. "[whispers]I see," Just one word. In that single short word, relief and worry were mixed in equal measure. Ekoo said nothing more, put on her coat, and left. The drone followed. Raikaru was alone. On the workbench, the notice and the machine fragment lay side by side. The pale blue light of the fragment pulsed quietly. The emblem from Ryou's terminal design. The three-day deadline from the Union. The way Ekoo's expression had seemed to know something. Three things spun around in his head. Two large forces were simultaneously reaching out toward one small repair shop. The machine fragment's light offered no answers. It simply continued to pulse, quietly, endlessly.