Chapter Text
The Academy was silent that morning, the corridors were empty, the students were on vacation; the only ones moving around the building were enforcers... and the two young creators of the wonderful Hextech: Jayce and Viktor.
Viktor...
The first time you saw him was when he was just the assistant to the dean of the academy. He was investigating the disaster that his future partner, Jayce, had implicitly caused with his theory. It was at that moment that you and Viktor exchanged glances. It felt like a magical experience, an electric shock, an arrow shot by Cupid himself, an astral vision. You felt it right there: he was the person of your dreams.
It was difficult to describe exactly what happened in your heart when you thought of Viktor.
Even though you had never spoken to him before, his presence touched you deep, deep inside. There was something about the way Viktor moved, the way his gaze was lost in the horizon of his thoughts, that drew you in hopelessly. You had seen him, of course. You'd had the chance to be close enough to watch him while he worked on his research or while he wandered the halls of the place, but none of that had given you the courage to approach. Not only that, but you watched him with respect, almost a silent adoration, that kept you at a distance, even as the desire to meet him burned in your chest.
Your role in the prestigious academy was clear: to fulfill the responsibilities of an enforcer. You had no prominent rank, no important job in this world of geniuses; your simple job was to guard the area where Jayce and Viktor's lab was located. Sometimes you were assigned other surveillance duties, but the lab was the place you always returned to.
Today, as so often, you walked with cautious steps, always with one eye on the lab door and the other on the surroundings. The image of Viktor was constantly in your mind, his slim and elegant figure, always focused on what he had in his hands, as if nothing and no one could interrupt his thoughts. It was impossible not to admire such devotion. But at the same time, you were consumed by the pain of the distance that existed between the two of you, that invisible barrier that prevented you from getting close to him and saying something to him, even if it was just a simple word. This was not the case with Jayce, Viktor's partner.
Viktor and Jayce. It was impossible not to notice the relationship between them. They were almost always together, spending long hours in the lab, discussing theories or working on their research breakthroughs. Often you would find them in conversations so deep and intricate that it was like watching two great minds from another world, a world you could never enter. It wasn't jealousy you felt, or at least not just jealousy. It was more a feeling of being a spectator, always on the edge of something incredible, but never able to be part of it.
You knew that Viktor and Jayce shared a connection that went beyond science. There was a kind of complicity between them, the way their words intertwined, the way their thoughts seemed to merge as they worked together. The way Viktor looked at Jayce... there was something about that look that made you uncomfortable. It was a deep, almost inseparable bond, something that made you feel a kind of emptiness inside.
Once again, you were “patrolling” near the lab door. You could hear Jayce talking excitedly about one of his theories, and Viktor, in his calm, measured tone, correcting or adding his own thoughts. It was a dance that repeated itself every day, but you found it harder and harder to stay out of it; you wanted to hear everything. Sadly, you had to keep your distance; it would be embarrassing if someone saw you like that, obsessed with a man who didn't give a damn about you.
You had never talked to Viktor before. You hadn't dared. Every time you saw him, you felt the words fade from your mouth, as if you had forgotten how to articulate a coherent sound. Instead, you preferred to stay in the shadows, watching like an invisible presence, so close and yet so far away. It was easier that way. It protected you from the pain of wanting something you knew would never be yours.
The day had passed slowly, as it always did when you were near the lab. Everything seemed to pass in a bubble of silence until you heard their voices. Without realizing it, you had begun to walk toward them. The sound of footsteps echoed in your ears, but you couldn't stop. You wanted, no, you needed to see them up close one more time. You needed to see how they communicated and how the world they shared seemed so far from your own.
As you entered the hallway leading to the lab, you watched Viktor and Jayce leave the room, discussing something you couldn't hear clearly. For a moment, it seemed that nothing and no one could keep them apart. Suddenly, Viktor stopped and his eyes swept down the hall. You froze, an indescribable fear gripping you. No, you couldn't let him see you. You quickly turned away, but before you could hide...
—Who's there? —His voice broke the silence. The sound of his direct tone made you shiver.
Your hands clenched nervously as you tried to form an excuse, something that would sound natural, but the words never found their way to your mouth. Adrenaline coursed through your veins and the air became thick. It was hard to think clearly when he was around, when you felt so exposed.
—Is that someone from the security? —asked Jayce.
You could do nothing but listen, your face flushed with embarrassment. Viktor never acknowledged you, and the simple fact that you had remained invisible in his eyes was something that gave you peace but at the same time hurt you bitterly. Would it be so hard for him to notice you?
And at that moment, the two men walked away. Viktor was immersed in his world of calculations with Jayce at his side... then a pang of jealousy shot through your chest. It wasn't the kind of jealousy that came from wanting Viktor to pay attention to you, but a deeper, crueler feeling, as if you were destined to always be a shadow in his life.
The worst of all, you couldn't help it.
You had grown accustomed to being invisible to Viktor, to accepting your role in the background of his world. But for a second, as the unique sound of his cane faded, a part of you wished with all your soul that he could see you. That he would recognize you. And even though you knew it was just a dream, a fleeting thought that would soon disappear, you clung to the hope that someday, maybe, that day would come.
They were the reflection of everything you wanted but could never have.