Chapter Text
The horrific tragedy of his life falls on one of Piltover's sunniest and hottest summer days. If Janna had been his witness, he would have wanted to erase that day from his memory forever, confess all the sins of his life, so that the shackles of consequence would leave him, so that he could breathe clean, free air and never make the same risky mistakes again.
But life turned its back on him, mercilessly and sternly showing him his place in life, like a naughty puppy. This is how Jayce Talis felt when he appeared before the council. His body was illuminated by what felt like a billion spotlights, trying to burn a hole in his conscience, his soul, and his last hope. He stood stiffly in the center of a huge, expensive, and dark hall, while his body worked hard on its own, nervously and even hysterically fiddling and cutting at the dark, calloused skin of his hands, in an attempt to calm his overwhelming anxiety and insecurity.
But his gaze remained serious and confident, and there was still a spark of determination and a desire to defend himself in his bright eyes, although his thick eyelashes fluttered slightly, revealing his vulnerability. The council members looked down on him, like predators who had cornered a small animal, ready to pounce on him if he showed any hesitation or fear.
Jayce's goals were simply harmless, and he wanted to bring something to the world that would completely change their existence - ordinary magic. The combination of magic and science could create an incredible boom in all aspects of human life! It could improve medicine, the economy, trade, and even finally... Help the Undercity achieve what any people deserve - better living conditions and sovereignty. Talis believed that his new invention would be so beneficial that he could establish a relationship between the two cities. Perhaps he was too naive and ambitious.
Perhaps he just didn't understand the most obvious things.
Perhaps he was much more stupid than he thought..
Perhaps he had completely lost his head with his dreams...
But the people around him only looked at him with animalistic fear, with unwavering disbelief. And in an instant, it was as if the carpet had been pulled out from under his feet - everyone was completely against his actions, everyone in this room was too old-fashioned to give magic even the slightest chance. No one saw life the way he did, and that was the most painful part, even his own mother was surprised by his statement in a bad way.
That's when Jayce realized how much trouble he was in. He would never be able to wash this dirt off himself, and how could his dreams be nothing more than dirt? Never. But Janna was kind to him, giving him one last chance, which he knew he would use for the wrong reasons.
The final decision was to expel him from the Academy. It was a huge shock for Jayce, to lose the opportunity for a good education, to lose his main creation of life, to lose the support of his family, and to be left in the dust. For a moment, he thought, "It's like someone has cursed me. Have I really earned this?"
That's how it is in life. You want the best for everyone, you want to change everything around you, but everyone else doesn't care about the future, and you end up being isolated like a rabid animal. But he's still alive, still in his crumbling, dust-and-gunpowder-covered house, with beams and belongings scattered around him, a huge hole in the wall, and the oppressive night of Piltover looming before him.
Today, he had lost everything he had ever strived for in his life. From the terrible snowstorm, the hellish cold that had taken his mother's life, the loss of her delicate fingers, and the encounter with the unknown wizard who had stood tall over him and his mother's almost lifeless body, the stranger had helped them without hesitation, leaving behind a small crystal that he now held in his trembling hand.
All of it was for nothing if he couldn't achieve that success... If life had been a little more lenient, he would have fulfilled his dream, and then he would have found his endless happiness.
His eyes were glassy with grief and exhaustion, and a few tears welled up on his lashes, but he didn't let them fall, instead gently wiping them away with the back of his hand. A sharp lump formed in his throat, preventing him from taking a deep breath, and intrusive and increasingly dark thoughts began to creep into his vulnerable mind.
"Perhaps there is an alternate reality where I have finally recreated my invention. It has helped many, made them happy and saved so many innocent lives," he felt sorry for himself, thinking that such thoughts would cheer him up a little. But it only sounded like a sarcastic remark to himself for his stupid mistake, he nervously ran his hand through his dark hair, feeling his heart beating in a frenzied rhythm. "If I were more confident in front of the council, maybe I could convince them? My weakness played into their hands... I should have done something else."
But the more he analyzed the situation, the more he sank into this dark abyss, it enveloped every part of his body and took him down with it. As he gazed at the nighttime Piltover, he realized how insignificant he truly was, that whether he existed or not, it would have no impact on the city. So perhaps his dream was futile?
No! Absolutely not!
He was angry with his chaotic thoughts, disagreeing, disappointed, and completely broken. What should he do now? Should he simply continue his father's blacksmithing business and pretend that this whole magic situation was just a silly dream or a tall tale? Jace closed his eyes, mentally grappling with his rational mind and his heart, but each option felt wrong in its own way.
He paced back and forth around the edge of the cliff, and the height beneath him seemed to mock them and call to them. Everything around him seemed to want to push him away, to stop his attempts to achieve his goal, and it was incredibly frustrating.
"If life wants me dead so bad, it's not going to get it!" Jayce thought firmly, his thick eyebrows furrowed and his mind in a whirl. In Piltover, he felt like an outsider, different, an outcast, but there's another place where every person who doesn't fit into society's mold can feel at home, "Zaun..."
This thought was impulsive, probably inconsolably stupid and naive. However, he was so tired and broken, he just wanted a little release and a new experience. He would give up everything and... Maybe his mother and Caitlyn would understand him.
No, they would definitely understand him.
The Zaun in night looks much more active than the daytime Piltover. It seems to be on the highest level, and there are a lot of people here, as well as colorful shops and vendors who look at Jayce with suspicion.
He was here not long ago, and he was even more cheerful and lively, and even though he was terrified of the Undercity, he tried to be as unassuming as possible, and even better, friendly and polite. The locals clearly recognized his Piltoverian nature at once, looking at his tanned, shiny skin, his toned body, and the healthy glow in his eyes that completely identified him as a high-class resident.
This time, he was better prepared for the outing. He chose the neatest but worn and drab outfit of dark, baggy pants, a black sleeveless T-shirt, and a matching dark jacket, knowing the merciless cold of Zaun, along with a pair of formal black platform boots. To be honest, he had no idea where these clothes came from in his wardrobe, and it was possible that some of them belonged to his father, as he had not sorted through his belongings in a long time.
He also hastily gathered some of his belongings, so as not to go empty-handed to the place where he was going to stay for a while. Otherwise, he was quite poor, having taken only a few items and money, which might not be enough to stay in motels. Jayce wasn't sure if there were any in the Undercity.
He was quite gloomy this time, and he could see a couple of men shying away from him with a touch of fear. Jayce could understand that, with his physical strength, he could be a real threat to some of the Zaunites, but he had no fighting skills, as he was a blacksmith, not a fighter. Fortunately, no one wanted to test his stability. If he was going to spend a significant amount of time here, especially on the lower levels, he needed to learn self-defense or at least acquire a practical weapon.
Sometimes Jayce would watch Caitlyn practice shooting a gun. He was always fascinated by the way she was so engrossed in the process, so focused, and always hit the target. Her small hands had much more power than his big blacksmith's hands, and while he could create weapons, he wasn't necessarily good at wielding them. But now that he was in such a dangerous place, he wondered if he could actually learn to use a gun. Perhaps he wasn't as bad at shooting as he thought?
Although he remembers one time when Caitlyn reluctantly, with her guidance, allowed Jace to try out the gun. It was an extraordinary feeling, not to say that he was completely delighted, but a pleasant anticipation swept through his body. However, to his shame, he must admit that he did not do a good job, and he felt a pang of disappointment in himself. The wiry girl shot better than an adult man, but on the other hand, he was incredibly proud of his friend. She worked incredibly hard to achieve her goal of becoming a Peacemaker. And Jayce could still console his inner ego.
It seems like a good idea to get a gun right now. But he'll save that idea for later. He wants to unload, maybe have a strong Zaun's drink and forget himself in a pathetic drunken state until he's kicked out of the bar. That sounds like a good idea.
That's why he goes down to the very bottom of Zaun, to the levels where there's nothing but crime. His naive Piltover mind thinks that as soon as he steps into the lower levels at night, he'll be surrounded by local bandits, robbed, beaten, or even killed. But instead, he finds himself on a surprisingly empty street.
He breathes a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of calm, and observes the small stream of people heading towards what appears to be the "main street." Jayce quickly gets into their rhythm and notices that there are more people around in an inebriated state, clearly drunk and cheerful, staggering in different directions, which means that there is a bar nearby.
And his instincts don't lie to him. He sees a bright, even eye-popping, glowing sign that reads "The Last Drop." A place like this could only be called a bar. Jayce chuckles to himself and gently pushes the door open, surprised by the unfamiliar atmosphere of the bar, which is quite different from the more civilized and reserved bars in Piltover.
Here, everything is filled with a light atmosphere of excitement, people are actively discussing and laughing drunkenly, playing billiards and cards, and soft jazz pleasantly caresses his ears. It's actually not that bad. His gaze falls on a small stage in the corner, where the red curtains are slightly swaying and muffled voices can be heard. It seems that various performances are still taking place here.
Jayce approaches the bar, where a towering man stands, surprisingly with incredibly kind eyes. The bartender, with a blissful, contemplative expression, is wiping dirty glasses with a similarly dirty cloth, but upon noticing the new customer, he raises his eyes in interest, placing the glasses on a shelf.
"Welcome, newbie. What do you want?" The man's voice is soft, but very low. Jayce, to be honest, doesn't know much about alcohol and stupidly stares at the cabinet with bottles of alcohol for a few seconds.
"Whatever you pour, I don't care," he replies a little dryly. The bartender nods understandingly, and after a moment, Jayce finds himself holding a wide glass with a golden-brown drink. He hopes that the alcohol will be strong enough to cover up his current problems for a while.
The alcohol burns his throat uncomfortably and Jayce almost spits it back in shame, good he forces himself to swallow every last drop. He was too quick to drink it all at once, this drink is clearly not to his liking, too tart, bitter, without even a small sweetness or softness inside. Like pure alcohol. Do people here really drink like this?
Jayce is impressed in a bad way. But on the other hand, maybe it's for the best. The more unpleasant alcohol is, the stronger it is? Right? He will allow himself to lose himself in such vile drinks for a day, or maybe for a longer period.
His mother would obviously be furious to find out what her only and most beloved son was spending his life on. He has already disgraced her honor in front of the council, in front of the Kirammans in particular, so he can hardly do any worse. Jayce is mildly comforted by the thought that after his long journey, Zaun will return home, embrace his mother, but he will never admit to her what he did in the Undercity. Perhaps he will tell Caitlin, and then he will return to his blacksmithing, forgetting about it as if it were a feverish dream. It is a good plan.
"You're not from around here, are you?" The bartender's voice suddenly rang out, causing Jayce to jump. He looked up at the large man with a tired expression, his eyes filled with curiosity and condescension. After all, bartenders are always willing to listen to people's problems, and Jayce was feeling pretty shitty and a little tipsy, so he could already feel his tongue loosening up at the mere question from a stranger.
"That's right, I'm from Piltover. But... I've faced such horror in my life that I've probably lost my mind and decided to seek my fortune here in Zaun," Jayce said with a sadly laugh, running a hand through his already unkempt hair. The man chuckled thoughtfully in response, wiping the bar counter with the same cloth he used to clean the glasses.
"I've been working on this for years. It was supposed to be the greatest invention of all time, a game-changer! It was supposed to help the world. But, thanks to a series of unfortunate events, I've lost everything: my education, my family's support, and now I'm just a crazy person who's interested in magic!" With each word, Jayce's anger grew stronger. His voice rose involuntarily on the last word, and some of the onlookers turned their attention to him. This attention made his ears turn a little red, but he continued his tirade. "This explosion... I was robbed, but in the end I was accused of some far-fetched crime. I didn't want to harm anyone, my invention was supposed to be for the better! But it was unstable, unfinished, it attracted so much attention to me and I... I should have really taken better care of it..."
For Jayce, everything seemed to stop. People's voices became muffled, the music faded, and everything became darker. He squeezed his eyes shut, clutching his hair in his fist, pulling so hard that he painfully pulled out several hairs from his head, a nasty feeling of disappointment and fear of the future covered him with a new wave. He wanted to hide and curl up in a corner so that no one would ever bother him again, and live out his tragedy endlessly. He was pathetic, unbelievable.
But the bartender's gaze was still soft, and he continued to wipe the bar counter smoothly, seeming to await Jayce's next words. However, Jayce had already expressed his thoughts, and he could only breathe heavily, forcing himself to drink the unpleasant alcohol. It was as terrible as his day had been.
And suddenly it came to Jayce. It came in a soft, body-piercing voice, spreading like hot tar over his skin, burning his flesh. He looked up in surprise at the source of the noise, directly at the stage, and could barely contain his genuine shock as he watched the scarlet curtains open smoothly, and an elegant, thin figure emerged with a confident stride. It was a very wiry young man, with sharp features, his sunken cheekbones visible through a small mask that appeared to be... A peacock? It was obviously a bird of some kind. There were many colorful feathers on the mask, as well as on the man's dark, curly hair, which were slightly awkwardly sticking out in different directions, but they fluttered and shone beautifully under the artificial light of the bar.
Jayce swallowed hard, looking down. His face was so flushed, he couldn't tell if it was from the alcohol or the incredibly hot reaction his body was having to the man's appearance. His blush was from his ears, spreading to the side of his dark neck, and he suddenly felt so hot. He... He had never suspected that he might have any attraction to men. But this guy on stage, he was charming, captivating, and Jayce felt a peculiar heaviness in his lower body when the guy looked at him, his unusually golden eyes visible through the slits in his mask.
This man was unusually well-dressed for such a place. His clothes were neat and colorful, and he might have even been from a brothel, as there were some vulgar details in his outfit. He wore dark stockings on his legs, high platform boots, and short shorts that accentuated his thin thighs. A dark corset emphasized his unhealthy, thin waist and ribs, and he wore a black mesh tank top with ruffles that covered his thin arms up to his wrists and part of his neck up to his collarbones. Through the mesh, he could even see a large number of moles on his pale body, and this guy was the epitome of beauty.
"Good night, my dear compatriots. I am overjoyed to perform my latest song in such a beautiful venue and with such a beautiful audience." The man flashed a flirtatious smile, still staring at Jayce, causing him to fidget uncomfortably in his seat.
He elegantly walked further onto the stage, stopping at a suddenly-appearing high chair in the center near the microphone. With the grace of a cat, the man arched his back, adjusted his mask, and gracefully sat down on the chair, crossing one leg over the other. His hips splayed out on the chair, causing Jayce to almost choke and rudely break the heated silence. However, it seemed that everyone was just as captivated by the man on stage as Jayce himself.
"I'm very pleased to see my regular fans here and... Of course, there are some new faces." The man's velvety voice sent a wave of electricity through Jayce's body. Especially when he caught a quick glance from the man. Had he caught the attention of this beautiful man? Jayce was indeed very handsome, as many had mentioned... But now it seemed like an incredible stroke of luck.
"I'm going to perform your favorite song "Stars over Zaun" today," The audience broke into cheers and applause, some drunk even whistled rudely at him. And Jayce could barely force his hands to move, in a half-hearted attempt to pat him.
When there was silence in the room. The man gently brought the microphone closer to his mask, he lifted it slightly, allowing the audience to see only his thin, weathered lips. But Jayce felt an overwhelming urge to bite into them, and he almost spilled his drink in surprise.
His voice flowed softly, echoing off the walls of the bar and immediately creating an inimitable atmosphere around him. The people obediently fell silent, listening to the words with trepidation, and from their sensitive gazes, Jayce could tell that the song was addressing very deep issues for the city. The soft rhythm of the guitar echoed, and Jayce noticed an unremarkable dark-skinned girl who looked similar to the man, wearing a similar outfit and a crow-like mask. Her fingers skillfully strummed the guitar strings, sending a wave of goosebumps down Jayce's body.
Jayce was shocked. There were plenty of music venues in Piltover, and there was even a music festival with a lot of professionals, but not even the most patriotic or sad song could make Jayce shed tears like a child, especially in a dirty bar at the bottom of the Undercity. It must have been the alcohol affecting him. Jase wanted to believe it...
The singer swayed gently from side to side to the rhythm of the song, causing the audience to follow suit, and in no time, the entire room, including Jayce, was swaying gently to the song. Even at the most popular and crowded festivals, he had never felt such a sense of soul. He had hated concerts at Piltover, with its serious atmosphere, boring songs, and people pretending to be fun in such dull places. But here, he felt like a part of the city, captivated by the song and deeply moved by its message. This singer could have gone into politics if he had been more ambitious.
And the song ended as abruptly as it had begun. The crowd burst into applause, and Jayce was one of the first to join in, his excitement palpable. He must have looked like a child in a candy store, because when he heard a soft chuckle from beside him, he forced himself to turn his head.
"It seems our Prince's song has distracted you from your troubles," the bartender said softly, and Jayce was surprised to find himself agreeing. The man's soft singing made him forget about everything around him, and his ears felt as if they had been in paradise.
"I... I'm just so shocked... Who is he?" Jayce's voice trembled slightly as he struggled to find the right words. The bartender cast a quick glance at the singer, who was accepting flowers from his audience and showering them with gratitude.
"His stage name is 'Prince Peacock', which is quite a proud name, isn't it? His real name... I don't think he's ever told me his real name. We usually just call him 'Prince'. He's a regular performer at my bar, and my customers are always delighted to see and hear him. He writes his own songs and performs them with his friend, 'Black Raven'. People are drawn to his song themes, always about Zaun, always about our lives," the man explains softly, taking a pipe box from the shelf and lighting it, causing Jayce to cower from the pungent smell of smoke.
"He's... Beautiful..." Jayce says involuntarily, watching as the Prince takes the money that the audience has kindly given him. He's chatting softly with some of them, and his gaze is fixed on the way he's standing on his feet. Is he tired? Is he sick? "Does he work in a brothel?"
"Don't be silly! He's the cleanest person in this bar, maybe besides you," the bartender chuckles, shaking his head in amusement and putting the pipe back in his mouth. Jayce bites his lip awkwardly, feeling ashamed of such assumptions. But Prince's appearance reminds him of the outfits of prostitutes. He mentally chastises himself for such crude thoughts.
The Prince straightens up elegantly, showing off his perfect posture. Jayce once again catches himself thinking about how narrow the singer's waist is and how many dirty thoughts are running through his mind. Okay, he definitely knows that he's attracted to men. The Prince's golden eyes meet Jace's green-gold eyes again, and Jayce's hands start to sweat just from looking at this god. And oh, dear Janna, he could swear that he sees the Prince smiling at him through the mask. Jayce is ready to collapse.
"Thank you for this short but heartfelt song. It exists because of you, and I'm performing it for you in this bar. You're a wonderful audience! I'll see you tomorrow on a similarly wonderful night," Prince Peacock says softly, bowing gracefully and causing the people to clap their hands in delight once again. The Prince turns his back on the audience and finally disappears behind the red curtains, leaving Jayce with a strong urge to follow him.
He quickly places a few coins on the bar counter and practically jumps up from his seat, almost forgetting his bag of belongings. The bartender can't help but chuckle at his departure, but then his gaze becomes complex and sad.