Chapter Text
Jinx stood before the mirror in a dimly lit restroom, its pristine edges framing her reflection like an unfinished puzzle. The overhead light flickered faintly, casting uneven shadows across the tiled walls. A soft hum of distant chatter seeped through the walls, muffled but constant, a reminder of the students bustling through the Piltover Academy halls just beyond the exit.
Her eyes, unhidden and glowing a vivid purple, stared back at her from the mirror. They were mesmerizing, radiant even, yet they felt like a burden, an unmistakable giveaway of her true origin.
She let out a slow breath, reaching up to touch the smooth surface of her cheek, almost as if to ground herself. It had been so long since she’d really seen herself.
The blue contact lenses she always wore were cradled in her palm, tiny lies that shielded her from suspicion. She turned them over, the cool material catching the faint, flickering light. Removing them, even for a moment, had become a luxury now. Living at the Academy meant being surrounded by people constantly, all a mix of students, professors, scholars. They were all brilliant, curious and observant, a threat to her secret should she push her luck.
Speaking of, it was actually pure luck that she’d stumbled into this empty restroom, however temporary. The silence here was a gift, allowing her a fleeting moment to exist as her unfiltered self. Still, she felt exposed, vulnerable, as though someone might burst through the door at any second and shatter her fragile sense of privacy. But she couldn’t stop. Not today.
Today was… special, in a way. Her breath hitched at the thought, and she shifted her weight, gripping the sink’s cool edge.
Her gaze dropped to the contacts in her hand again, fingers curling tighter around them. For a brief, wild moment, she imagined chucking them into the trash, watching them disappear forever.
Screw the lie. Screw everything.
Why should she have to hide who she was? She’d been doing it her entire life, suppressing the truth of her alien blood, her strange abilities, her identity. It was exhausting. She was tired. Tired of pretending, of shrinking herself to fit into a world that might never truly accept her.
Only her family and her best friends knew… they accepted her for who she was.
Her fingers hovered over the trash bin, indecision wracking her. But as the thought lingered, the sounds outside grew louder, footsteps echoing down the hall, laughter and chatter breaking the quiet.
She tensed. Her reflection stared back at her, her glowing eyes almost daring her to take the plunge.
Would today be the day she finally stopped hiding? Or would she slip those lenses back in, put on her mask, and face the world as the version of herself they all expected to see?
For the first time in a long time… Jinx wasn’t sure. The answer had always been easy.
“ Hide it from the world. We can’t know what people would do to you if they knew. ” Vander’s gruff, protective voice echoed in her head, a familiar weight she couldn’t shake. She hated that her father was right. He always was when it came to things like this. The mere idea of alien life was dismissed by most people as wild conspiracy, a fantastical myth for dreamers and lunatics.
Her own existence was proof that those myths were real, and that would certainly cause an uproar like nothing this world had seen. Should she truly reveal herself, there was no telling what would happen to her.
Would the scientists study her? Hunt her? Fear her?
Her frown deepened as the questions ran circles in her mind. She glanced back at her reflection, the pale light illuminating every detail of her face. Her glowing purple eyes shimmered, beautiful but unnatural, a reminder of everything that set her apart from the humans she lived among.
With a heavy sigh, she reached for the lenses in her palm. The itch of their presence was immediate as she slid them back in place, dulling the radiance of her true self. When she looked back at the mirror, the purple glow was gone, replaced by a perfect shade of blue. This blue hue in her eyes matched her blue hair perfectly, the strands so vivid they almost glowed themselves under the harsh light.
She had a long braid hanging over her shoulder now, shifting as she adjusted her stance. It had gotten longer over the past year, almost reaching past her chest. It was neat and tight, strands woven together meticulously, one part of herself she could control, at least. She reached up, tugging gently at the braid, a small gesture of comfort. For now, she thought, this was the version of Jinx the world would see.
The sharp, shrill sound of the bell echoed through the hallways, its chime signaling the end of the brief reprieve that lunch offered. Jinx’s shoulders slumped as she heard it, the weight of the afternoon already pressing down on her. Another sigh escaped her lips, soft but heavy with reluctant acceptance.
She lingered by the mirror, her gaze fixed on her reflection for one last moment. “Alright,” she muttered under her breath, squaring her shoulders.
With a sharp turn, she left the mirror behind and reached for the door. The cool, metal handle gave way with a soft click , and as the door swung open, she was greeted by the stark, artificial glow of the academy’s hallway lights. They hummed faintly, reflecting off the polished floors and pristine walls, a clinical brightness that felt too harsh for her mood.
The bustle of students filled the air, some lingering by lockers, others moving briskly to their next class. Their chatter simply blended into a low, constant hum in her ears.
Jinx took a breath and stepped into the hallway, the noise enveloping her like a second skin. Her lips twitched into a practiced smile, one she didn’t feel but knew she had to wear. It was a façade she needed today… just to get through this special day.
The long braid hanging down her chest swayed slightly with each step as she melted into the sea of students.
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The soft scratch of chalk against the board and the steady drone of Professor Jayce’s voice filled the classroom, but Jinx barely registered any of it. She sat slumped at her desk in the far corner of the back row, her hand moving aimlessly across the notebook in front of her. The scrawl of her pen was more an unconscious rhythm than a record of the lecture, half-formed words and looping scribbles taking the place of actual notes. Around her, the room hummed with muted chatter and the faint rustle of turning pages, but it all blurred into white noise.
“Hey, Jay, you alright?”
Ekko’s quiet voice cut through her haze, drawing her back to the present. She blinked, masked eyes snapping up to meet his. His brow furrowed slightly, his warm brown eyes reflecting nothing but concern. His notebook sat untouched in front of him, his full attention now directed at her.
Her lips curved into a small, reflexive smile. No matter what, Ekko always had this way of grounding her, pulling her out of her head when she got stuck in it. She’d been so lucky to find a friend like him, and she reminded herself of that on a daily basis.
“Yeah, I’m fine, just... thinking,” she lied, her voice light but lacking conviction. She hated lying to him, especially after everything they’d been through. He deserved the truth, but she couldn’t tell him. Not here. Not now. There were too many people around.
Ekko tilted his head slightly, studying her with the same mix of curiosity and worry he always seemed to have when she dodged a question. His hand rested on the desk between them, and for a moment, she thought he might press further. But instead, he leaned back in his chair, giving her a slight nod.
“Alright,” he said softly, though she could tell he wasn’t convinced.
Her gaze dropped back to her notebook as guilt twisted in her chest. No one else knew what this day meant for her, except Vi. Her sister had been there the day everything changed, the day Vander found her in the back alley behind the Last Drop.
Ekko deserved to know too, though. He was the only other person outside her family who knew the truth about her, about who she really was. He’d never judged her for it, never treated her differently. In fact, he’d been overjoyed to learn about it when she told him a year ago. She knew she could trust him with this too.
She bit her lip, her hand tightening slightly around the pen. Maybe after class, she thought. Maybe then, she’d finally tell him.
“You know,” Ekko whispered again, leaning slightly closer to her. His voice was low enough to avoid catching the professor’s attention, but it carried just enough warmth to chip away at the weight pressing on her chest. This time, there was a hint of a smile playing at his lips, a mischievous one that made it clear he was trying to lighten her mood. “Lux told me she’s got some free time tonight. We could hit the movies together, maybe grab some junk food on the way?”
Jinx hesitated, the offer tugging at her in two different directions. She always spent this evening alone. It had become her quiet tradition, a way to process everything this day meant to her. The only exception had been that one time Vi had found her on the roof of the Last Drop and stayed with her, breaking through the wall of silence Jinx had built around herself.
If she wanted Ekko to understand what today meant, and why it mattered so much to her, maybe he should be there too, just like Vi.
But then there was Lux. It was always fun hanging out with her. Somehow, Lux had a way of turning the most boring things into something fun, almost magical. Whether it was sneaking into Piltover’s library after hours or turning a late-night snack run into an impromptu scavenger hunt, it always turned into something.
Trouble wasn’t something Jinx and Ekko got into often, at least not here at the Academy, but when they did, Lux was always part of it. Their little trio of troublemakers. The thought of spending the evening with both Ekko and Lux was tempting, almost enough to make her push her feelings aside.
Still, Jinx couldn’t shake the heaviness in her chest. Not tonight. Not on this night.
“I’m… not so sure tonight’s gonna work for me,” she said softly, her voice barely audible over the students’ silent murmuring. She glanced down at her hands, fidgeting with the edge of her notebook, the tension in her shoulders clear.
Ekko raised an eyebrow, his concern deepening, but before he could ask, she looked back at him, her eyes just a little brighter now with determination. If she was going to let him in, it had to be tonight. It wasn’t an easy thing to do, but this was Ekko. Her best friend. He had to know, or this would just happen again next year.
“I was actually thinking…” she started, hesitating for just a moment before the words spilled out. “We could go to our spot tonight. Just the two of us? I’ve got something I’d… well, something I’d like you to know.”
The way his expression softened at her words made her heart ache just a little less. Ekko nodded, his easy going grin replaced by something quieter, more sincere. “Yeah, uh, sure. I’ll just let Lux know after class.”
Her smile widened just a bit, the edges softening as relief washed over her. The hard part was over. Now it was just a matter of waiting for tonight, a weight she had carried for so long finally feeling just a little lighter.
She cast a glance at Ekko, who gave her a small, reassuring nod before leaning back in his chair, clearly content to leave the conversation there.
Turning her attention back to the front of the room, Jinx let her gaze settle on Professor Jayce, who had finally wrangled the class into silence. The low hum of murmurs died out, replaced by the sharp tap of chalk against the board as Jayce scribbled diagrams and equations with practiced precision. His enthusiasm was undeniable, his voice carrying a mix of authority and genuine passion for the science he was explaining. Even though she wasn’t entirely focused, she could still catch the occasional sparkle of excitement in his eyes when he delved into the deeper mechanics of the material.
Jinx and Ekko knew most of this already, but there was the occasional piece of knowledge neither her or Ekko had learned just yet.
Jinx’s desk was scattered with her own haphazard notes, half-formed sketches of gadgets and quick doodles of her classmates mixed in with actual class material.
She absentmindedly twirled a pen between her fingers, jotting down notes now and then, though her mind still drifted. Her thoughts danced between the coming evening, the secret of this day, and the small spark of hope that she’d made the right decision to share it.