Chapter 25 – The Trigger
The sky was burning.
A sickly red haze blanketed the city, flames licking at the walls of buildings. The air was thick with smoke, stinging his lungs. Screams and shouts filled every street, blending into an indistinguishable cacophony of chaos. Piltover, gleaming, proud Piltover was under attack.
Steven stumbled through the warzone, his body a ragged mess. His side bled freely, the gash deep and warm. His shirt hung in tatters, the fabric clinging to his skin where it wasn't torn away. One of his Repulsion Bracers sparked, half-destroyed by an explosion. He could barely feel his legs as they carried him forward, moving on instinct, dragging him through the wreckage and mayhem.
Civilians, bloody and broken, streamed past him, fleeing the violence that had engulfed the city. A child clutched their mother's side, their wide eyes filled with terror as they ran. Somewhere in the distance, the distant crackle of flames mingled with the deep rumble of buildings collapsing. It was a nightmare — a nightmare that had come to life.
Sera was just ahead of him, guiding people to safety, her voice cutting through the panic. She ushered a child into a hiding spot behind a cart, her face a perfect mask of determination. She was a force of nature, unshaken, unyielding.
But deep down, Steven knew — this was no place for her. She wasn't a soldier. She wasn't made for this. She was his light in the dark, the only constant in a world that was quickly spiraling into chaos. And yet, here she was, putting herself in the line of fire for people she didn't know.
He should've told her to leave. Should've found a way to get her out of here.
"Steven!" Her voice broke through his haze of fear and guilt. She waved him over, her eyes flicking between him and the madness around them. "We need to regroup—!"
He stumbled forward, fighting against the weight of his own body. His chest felt heavy with each breath. He couldn't stop shaking. The sight of her — so strong, so resolute — only made it worse. It made him realize how powerless he truly was. He was just a man. Just an inventor. Just a survivor.
And she was more than that. She was everything.
Then, the hum came.
A low, mechanical whine that made his bones rattle. He looked up instinctively. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. And there it was.
A Zaunite dropship.
The sleek, dark silhouette of the ship cut through the smoke, its cold metal frame gleaming under the flickering light. The door hissed open. A figure dropped down — not a monster, not a beast, but a man. Masked. Armored. Armed.
A green canister glowed ominously at his chest. His weapon was already raised.
"GET DOWN!" Steven shouted, his voice hoarse.
But it was too late.
The crack of gunfire rang out, sharp and deafening. The first bullet struck Steven in the side, and everything went numb. The world blurred at the edges, his body jerking in response to the force of the impact. He staggered, the ground rushing up to meet him. His knees buckled, and he hit the stone hard, everything spinning around him.
Then came the second shot.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. The world went silent except for the sound of his ragged breaths. He turned his head, his bloodied vision struggling to focus, just in time to see Sera fall.
The bullet found its mark. Right in her chest.
Sera's body jerked. Her face contorted in pain. Her legs buckled beneath her. She fell — not in slow motion, but fast. Too fast. It was like the whole world was trying to tear itself apart.
"No—!" Steven's voice cracked. He reached for her, but it was too late. His body felt heavy, as if the very air around him was pushing him down. The pain in his side, the numbness in his limbs, it all seemed insignificant compared to the weight of what he was watching.
Sera crumpled to the ground beside him. Her hand twitched, reaching for him. Blood pooled around her, staining the cobblestones beneath her. Her eyes, those beautiful, warm eyes, sought him out, desperate, confused.
"I'm here," Steven whispered, his voice barely a breath. "I'm here, Sera. Stay with me."
Her fingers brushed against his, a fleeting touch. Her lips parted, but no sound came. Her eyes stared into his for one long, agonizing moment before they lost focus. She blinked once, and then... her gaze went blank.
And just like that, she was gone.
The pain — the real pain — hit him then. It was a slow, agonizing wave that crashed into his chest, knocking the breath out of him. It was like a hole was carved straight through his heart, leaving nothing but emptiness behind. His body trembled, his chest heaving with the weight of his grief.
The world became a blur. Sounds came to him from far away, disconnected, muffled. His head spun. His blood pooled beneath him, warm and sticky. But all he could feel was the absence. The absence of her.
Her smile. Her voice. Her warmth. All gone. Stolen from him in an instant.
Sera... His mind screamed, but his voice wouldn't work. His body refused to obey. All he could do was lay there, staring at her lifeless body. There was nothing left in the world but her cold form and the crushing, suffocating grief that threatened to swallow him whole.
And then — the thing he hadn't expected.
His grief surged. It exploded. It consumed him, filling his body with something raw, something primal. It was a storm, a rage, a force of nature.
[GACHA SYSTEM ACTIVATED]User recognized: Steven LiamCondition: CriticalVital Signs: UnstableEmotional State: Trauma – Catastrophic Grief
Initializing Emergency Override…
Activating Randomized Pull…
[GACHA ROLL – COMPLETE]Acquired: Spider Sense– Heightened reflexes and danger detection, allowing for faster reaction times and awareness of threats in the environment.
Sync rate: 100%.
The world around him seemed to snap into sharp focus.
His body jerked as the energy surged through him. It wasn't just physical. It wasn't just about healing. It was mental, too. His mind sharpened, his senses became acute, every movement of the air, every sound, every shift in the atmosphere now as clear as a bell. His heart hammered in his chest, and his breath came in ragged gasps.
But it was clarity.
His Spider Sense was alive.
He could feel it, like a whisper at the back of his mind, guiding him. His limbs no longer felt sluggish, no longer sluggish with pain. He was aware. Hyperaware. And everything moved in slow motion.
The Zaunite — standing over Sera's body, his weapon raised — was moving too slowly.
With a roar, Steven pushed himself to his feet, his body guided by instinct.
The Zaunite fired.
Steven dodged, his body twisting, slamming into the ground and rolling into a crouch. The bullet barely grazed his side, but it was nothing compared to what surged inside him now. Focus.
His body moved before his mind could catch up. He dodged effortlessly, the bullet grazing his side, but he barely felt it. Every motion was fluid, guided by something he couldn't explain but didn't care to understand.
The second bullet came, but this time, Steven was ready. He ducked and wove with fluid precision, his limbs moving faster than he ever could have imagined, guided by his Spider Sense. The world had become a symphony of movements, and he was in perfect tune with it.
[HIDDEN BLADE – EMERGENCY DEPLOYMENT]– A retractable blade designed for stealth and quick, lethal strikes. Silent. Deadly.
A flash of metal.
With a flash of light, the hidden blade shot out from its sheath. It was cold, sharp — a perfect instrument for what came next.
The world blurred as Steven closed the distance between him and the Zaunite. He moved like a predator. No hesitation. No fear.
The Zaunite tried to bring his weapon up again, but it was too late.
Steven's arm shot out with lightning speed. The hidden blade sliced through the air with a deadly hiss. It embedded itself deep in the Zaunite's throat.
The man gurgled, his hand spasming around his weapon, but it was over.
He dropped.
Steven stood above him, panting, every fiber of his being thrumming with adrenaline. The Spider Sense hummed in the back of his mind, keeping him alert, but he couldn't focus on it now. He could only see her. Her lifeless form. Her blood. Her absence.
His heart broke all over again.
The battle was over. But for Steven, the war had just begun.
Staggering over to Sera, he collapsed to his knees beside her. His shaking hand reached out, brushing her cold cheek. He leaned down, resting his forehead against hers, tears flowing freely down his face.
"Sera…" he whispered, his voice cracking.
But she didn't answer. She never would again.
And with that, Steven passed out.