Chapter 11 – Unseen Paths
The sun had long passed its zenith, casting Piltover in an amber glow as Steven found himself running, once again, through the city's winding streets. This time, though, he wasn't running with the same urgency that had driven him before. He wasn't calculating his next move or obsessing over his inventions. For the first time in weeks, Steven found himself just... running.
His legs burned, but the exhaustion didn't feel like a burden anymore. The rhythm of his feet hitting the cobblestone was oddly calming. It gave him time to think. And as he passed through familiar districts and unfamiliar alleyways, his mind wandered.
He wasn't sure how long he could keep up this routine of late-night tinkering and early-morning workouts. The strain on his body was catching up to him, but worse than that, his mind felt like it was starting to fray. No matter how much he tried to push forward with his projects, the nagging feeling that something was missing refused to go away.
More and more, he realized he was running toward an ideal that felt just out of reach. The inventions, the designs, the "Project Archive – Echo Tech," they were all part of his grand vision. But what was the point if he wasn't even sure he'd survive long enough to make them a reality?
And so, he ran.
...
...
As Steven jogged deeper into Piltover's lower districts, the sounds of the upper city slowly faded. The clang of machinery, the bright energy of Hextech streets, were replaced by quieter, older noises the rattle of cartwheels over uneven cobblestone, the low hum of ancient streetlights, and the murmur of people from behind small, tucked-away storefronts.
The narrow streets had a different kind of life here one that didn't depend on the mechanical wonders of Piltover, but on the endurance of the people living in its shadow. He ran past ragged shops selling hand-woven fabrics and street vendors hawking salted meats. This part of the city was more real, less polished but it also had a raw beauty to it. A beauty that was hidden behind the bustling life of the upper city.
Steven slowed as he turned another corner, finding himself in a small, quiet courtyard. The type of place he would've missed had he not been exploring. The air smelled of damp stone and old wood, the ground littered with autumn leaves that hadn't been swept away yet. The moon was rising above, casting a silvery light over the space.
He stopped for a moment, catching his breath. Sweat slicked his brow, his heart still pounding from the run, but there was something about the stillness of this hidden corner of Piltover that helped him reset. He closed his eyes, taking in the peace that the courtyard offered a rare commodity in a city that never seemed to slow down.
Then, as if the universe itself had decided to nudge him in a new direction, he heard a voice.
"Careful, young one. Piltover's streets can be deceiving."
Steven jumped, caught off guard by the sudden presence of an old man standing just a few feet away. His clothes were simple worn but neat and his long, silver hair was tied back into a knot at the base of his neck. The stranger's posture was calm, almost serene, but there was something about the way he stood that spoke of experience a lifetime of lessons learned the hard way.
"Sorry," Steven said quickly, embarrassed at being caught off guard. "I wasn't paying attention."
The old man studied him carefully. His eyes were sharp, far younger than the lines on his face suggested. "The mind races. But the body must follow its own pace."
Steven frowned, unsure what the man meant. "Uh, yeah... I guess," he replied. "Just... running for some exercise, I guess."
The man's lips quirked into a slight smile. "Exercise is good for the body. But the mind ah, the mind is where it begins."
Steven narrowed his eyes. He didn't like being read so easily, but something about this man felt... different. "Who are you?" he asked, finally breaking the silence.
The old man bowed his head in greeting. "My name is Banyu. I am from faraway lands, beyond the borders of Piltover, from the serene lands of Ionia."
"Ionia?" Steven repeated. He had heard of it distant, mystic, full of philosophers and warriors who spoke in riddles. And marvel on the legends of Ionia. The people of Ionia weren't the sort to travel often to Piltover.
Banyu smiled, as though reading Steven's thoughts. "Yes. It is far from here, and yet not so different. Life is the same everywhere. It moves, and we must move with it. But sometimes, we forget to listen."
Steven was about to ask what Banyu meant when the old man's gaze sharpened, and his voice grew softer. "I see you run, young one, but you run for the wrong reasons."
Steven stiffened. "I'm just running to stay in shape," he said, though he wasn't sure why he felt the need to defend himself.
Banyu shook his head, his expression calm but filled with a depth that made Steven feel small. "You run because you are lost. Not physically, but spiritually." He stepped closer, and Steven instinctively took a small step back. "You are seeking something, but you do not know what it is."
Steven felt an uneasy chill creep down his spine. The old man's words hit too close to home. He had been running for something, hadn't he? Maybe not from something, but certainly toward something. His inventions. His survival. His future.
"I... I don't know what you mean," Steven muttered, uncomfortable with how deeply the old man seemed to see into him.
"You will," Banyu said simply. "In time, you will see that strength is not just about the mind, or the body, or the tools you wield. It is the balance of all three."
Steven swallowed. "What are you saying?"
"I can teach you," Banyu said, his voice like the calm before a storm. "A discipline that will strengthen your body, sharpen your mind, and fortify your spirit. A way to move when the world tries to move you."
Steven's heart skipped a beat. He had heard of martial arts, of course. But this? A stranger offering to train him?
"Martial arts?" Steven repeated, skeptical. "I'm not sure I'm cut out for that."
Banyu's smile widened. "That is why you need it. Not for combat. But for understanding yourself. For preparing for the challenges ahead."
Steven hesitated. The practical side of him the inventor, the thinker rejected the idea. He didn't have time for this. He had work to do, projects to finish.
But then he remembered the last few weeks: his inventions, his failed attempts, the endless nights spent tinkering and dreaming of a future that seemed impossibly distant. He needed something else, something more. Maybe this was what he had been missing.
"I'll think about it," Steven said, surprising himself.
Banyu nodded. "I am here, should you choose to learn."
The old man turned and began walking away, his every step deliberate, as though the earth itself bent to his will.
Steven stood in the courtyard for a moment longer, the words lingering in his mind. There was something in Banyu's calm presence that tugged at him something that felt like it might be the missing piece he'd been searching for all along.
As Steven jogged back to his dorm, the streets of Piltover seemed different. The wind felt colder, the shadows deeper. But somewhere in the distance, a faint light flickered the possibility of something more. Something beyond tech. Something that could shape him into more than just a man with tools and ideas.
Maybe, just maybe, it was time to run toward something else.