((Quick address to Ionia: We return iure, it wasn't nuked. I mentioned before that it was only going to st a feters, I really didn't want to leave Piltover in the end just yet.

  It ended up being a good segment with lots of potential, but rushed by the end.

  Hopefully everyone e least the taste of Ionia in this writing. For some, it will be disappointing because they e a lot more.

  I was struggling to write it because I just wao return. I gave it my best effort but it was still rushed because of my desire.

  On the positive side: We have affected ionia lore so it will be easier to return and explore!

  We eveurn again before Act 2 potentially, or touch this spirit realm I keep seeing and maybe involve Janna (though i'll need help here or in discord with that maybe)

  I also make some of them e to Piltover to hunt him down perhaps.

  I saw fuoo. Perma magical passage to teleport in that spot, or perhaps Orion use teleportation now? Does that space Orion experienced ieleport mean something evil lurks there?

  There are plenty of Ionias that be brought to Piltover.

  We affected some characters directly: Akali, Shen, Kennen, and two lore characters.

  I've spent literal hours researg Ionia, apparently I've only scratched the surface.

  That being said: Let's start the discovery of new Piltover!--------------------------------------///////Warning - Darker depis of trauma this chapter///////// One year after Orion's disappearance - Uy side of Piltover River//

  Stumbling out from the ruined warehouse, Orion's legs shook as he struggled to stay upright.

  Nothing looked much different on the surface. Outside of the wreckage of the warehouse, there were nhter colors or new symbols of hope dotting anything.

  Well maintained buildings stood proudly on one side of the river, while rusted tin and decay lined his side.

  'Where do I even go?' Orion thought grimly, staring out at the polluted river, faint lights scattering rays of light across the dark river surface.The memory of bombs detonating around him surged back, making him flinch.

  'Yeah...I don't even knoon after that fight. I'll take a peek at the Last Drop, at most.'

  His gaze shifted down to his garments.

  Ionian clothing- while not unon in Piltover, a hub of trading- didn't suit his features. He didn't look Ionian, just wore their garb.

  Dark green tunic with Kinkou patterns, a brown sash, and golden trim, all marking him as part of the Kinkou Order.

  Orion stared down at his tunic before letting out anh, 'I have to get rid of this too, or people could associate my as with the Kinkou Order. Then they'll REALLY e after me- if they aren't already.'

  Even after a year of training, which focused more on trol than bat, Orion doubted he could take Shen in a fight. That man had too much experience- Orion would just find himself in a coffin.

  While tinuing to assess his situation, faint echoes of ughter erupted from a nearby alley. Three emerged from the shadows, all sharing a simir, malnourished build close to Orion's, though the man in front carried a on.

  The leader ical thug from Piltover- no shirt, brown jacket, baggy pants, and a mask resting on top of his head?

  'I guess that wolf mask stands out' Orion thought, amused. 'Looks like it's modeled after Kindred?'

  The others two looked more ridiculous. One wore a shirt with the Diva of Zaun, Scratch's guitar drawn on while the other-

  'Is that a pink microphone?'

  Orion's eyebrows furrowed as he stared at the pletely out of pce color on his shirt.

  'Is there some new craze in the Uy while I've been gone?'

  "What's an Ionian doing out here all alohe leader sneered, boung the blunt end of his machete on his shoulder."Doesn't look Ionian." One of his goons chuckled. The other taunted, "Not very smart either."

  'Ah, shit. Here we go again.'

  Strangely, he didn't feel threatened or bothered by them as they approached. Maybe because he was older? No. Their malnourished, feeble frames were pathetipared to the traiudents at the Kinkou temple.

  'Hold on... shouldn't nature be giving more of a damn here? This pce is so out of ba's a joke!'

  Orion fumed in silence, especially after what happened, fetting about the street thugs until they were directly in front of him.

  "Strip." the leader demanded, smirking.

  "What?"

  "You're a fug vegetable. I doubt you have anything worthwhile. Stri-"

  Before the leader finished, Orion raised his palm, eling magito a focused burst.

  A bright blue explosioed against the man's chest, hurling him back several meters, his machete dropping with a noisy ctter.

  The other two hesitated, looking back toward their fallen leader stunned. Orion took a calm step forward.

  Without a word, he gripped the oh Scratch's symbol by the head and delivered a sharp gut punfused with magic. The man folded instantly, body lifting from the ground before he colpsed in a crumpled heap.

  Orion's cold gaze shifted to the st ohe oh a pink symbol. The man dropped to his knees with tears welling up.

  "Ah, yoing to start g now?" Orion scoffed, stepping toward him.

  Shrieking, the man decided it wasn't worth it, and scrambled to make a run. Orion exhaled, releasing the st remnant of his magi the previous punch.

  'That training paid off...' Orion looked down at his knuckles, turning his wrist. The trol felt better, less fatigue, but it still burned. 'Less effort, but I'm not there yet.'

  The thug wheezing on the ground received a sharp kick to the temple, knog him out cold.

  "They would be so mad at me." Orio out an amused chuckle as he ripped off the thug's bck Scratch shirt and brown pants, repg the Ionian tunic he previously wore.

  'Eh, I look...' Orion grimaced in disapproval, gng over at the leader he knocked meters away. 'Jacket!'

  Yeah, he took his browher jacket. Orion really missed his old o had more pockets, but this would do.

  Oriohe bask in his hand. It's design was curved and made of metal, the bck wolf attached to it c part of his natural brown hair wheried it on.

  'It's a bit much' Orion frowned. 'But it'll do. No telling who's friend or foe yet..'

  "How do I sound," Orioed his voice behind it. The words came out slightly muffled, distorted. Not ideal.

  The vision wasn't the greatest either- limited- easy to be blindsided.

  'Did Silco win? Did Shimmer take over? Or did things truly ge...'

  Orion's vision fshed to the two pairs of haunted eyes h in the warehouse window just before the explosion.

  "Whatever," he groaned, shoving the memory back as deep as possible.

  Patting the thug's pockets, he found two silver s- probably money for the three of them to eat.

  Rolling them in his hand, he sighed, and with relut pity shoved one ba the leader's pocket.

  He then grabbed his Ionian clothes, unsteadily walked toward the river's edge, and tossed them in before disappearing into the streets of the Uy.

  'Should I reect if they're doing alright?' Orioioned his involvement with Vander and the gang again. 'It doesn't seem to turn out well for me...'-----------------------//Powder's perspective//

  "Get out of my face, sleazeball!"

  Powder watched as her sister, Vi, viciously shoved a bald drunkard out into the streets from the Last Drop. Powder had turhirteely. Vi was sixteen.

  It had been a full year sihe explosion at Riverside.

  Vaepped outside, drawn to the otion this drunkard had caused. He had ged so much sihen. More violent. More proo snapping.

  The man tensed immediately, muttering, "I'm sorry..." before meekly stumbling away.

  Many nights, Powder caught Vander p copious amounts of liquor into a cup aloaring out into ay bar. Sometimes, she noticed him gng sideways, as if expeg someone- someone familiar- to sit beside him and lift his spirits. But the bar remaiy, and his face would harden with disheartened silence.

  After the i, Vaold them everything. About Silco. He warhem o approayone ected with Silco's influence.He told them about Orion's involvement, and how Varied to stop Silco from corrupting him- which led to all of this.

  Sihen, a silent war raged in the Uy. Vander would return home many nights with blood stained gaus and fury etched into his face. Powder didn't uand the full extent of it- only that had everything to do with Silco.

  And every month, Vander would take Ekko to the cemetery to mourn Benzo. Powder and the gang would tag along, equally sharing in the loss. Even now, none of them could visit without shedding tears.

  But what haunted Powder the most was Orion.

  "I'm sorry..." Powder watched as Vander k at his grave, his face hollowed with guilt. "I killed your family... and I killed you. And I lost the lives of so many..."

  Fshes of the memory seared Powder's mind, sending her into fits ripping at her hair, fling, or shouting randomly. Images of his desperate face, begging face- before it all went silent, like her broken mooy.

  And now, as the drunkard staggered away from the Last Drop, Powder saw it again. The man's figure blurred in her mind, repced by Orion's retreating figure.

  A sharp, pained whimper escaped her lips. She shrieked, startling Vi and Vander as they both turned, armed.

  "Hey, Pow-pow, let's have some juice together, yeah?" Vi's voice softened, her face twisting with as she reached out gently.

  For Powder however, it was too much. Without thinking, she shoved Vi's hand away, breath hitg.

  Breathing heavily, she looked up at them both, seeing the hurt and fusion in their eyes. Tears welled up as she clutched her arm, whispering, "Sorry..."

  Her gaze flickered to the side, uo meet theirs.

  Blink, Blink

  Powder paused, her gaze stu an alleyway, her emotions freezing for just a moment. An unfamiliar wolf-masked person, a worn brown jacket, bck Scratch shirt, and brown pants.

  Somethi familiar, gnawing at her sciousness, she couldn't quite pce it.

  "Pow-Pow?" Vi's voice cut through the haze, causing Powder to blink. She quickly looked back at Vi as if waking from a trance. Vi looked , reag out with both hands, gently cupping Powder's face.

  Powder blinked again, swallowing as she nodded, but her eyes drifted back toward the alley.

  The figure was gone.

  Shaking her head, Powder g tightly to her sister before they retreated baside, sinking into her sister's f embrace.

  "That's a good girl," Vander's deep voice rumbled as he smiled warmly, ruffling her longer hair with his oversized hand. "I think I'll make something special tonight. What do you say, aye?"