Ernie's steps were slow, but her heart raced.
Especially at the moment she glimpsed Jayce Talis through the veil's fabric. Her heart pounded like an engine injected with fuel, roaring within her chest.
But it wasn't blood her heart pumped; it was boiling, relentless vengeance.
It was him.
It was him who had taken her child, her only one.
Her blood, her future—what she carried for ten painstaking months, enduring hardship, cherishing hope.
Because of him, Jayce Talis, her child had been laid in a tiny coffin before their life could even begin, buried beneath the soil to decay and rot.
It was all because of him!
Ernie's fists clenched tight, her nails digging deep into her palms.
Since her son's death, she hadn't slept a single peaceful night.
Every time she closed her eyes, all she saw were her son's lifeless, hollow eyes staring back at her.
Why?
Why does he get to stand here, unaffected, pretending as though nothing happened?
Ernie's gaze shifted from Jayce Talis to the venue's entrance.
The doors had already been sealed by her people disguised as enforcers. Her tool of vengeance was being brought to her now.
Soon—so very soon—she would have her revenge.
But then...
Something wasn't right.
Ernie noticed a red-haired woman climbing over the barriers, visibly agitated as she spoke. However, she was promptly stopped by enforcers.
She had noticed something, but so what?
Everything was still going as planned. Today, Ernie would avenge her son.
She would make these arrogant, sheltered Piltover elites feel the wrath and ridicule of Zaun.
"This woman..."
Link Star stood behind Ernie, observing the subtle tremors in her body brought on by excitement and rage.
"...She's thrilled by the anger she's about to unleash."
Through the veil, Link could feel the torrent of emotions radiating from her—a surge of pure hatred, like a stormy sea crashing with violent waves.
It was a primal fury, stripped of all other emotions, devoid of reason, existing only to scream and destroy.
He didn't know why he could feel this, as if some instinct told him the shape of her emotions and the color of her soul.
It was strange, unexplainable, almost mystical.
But now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
The enforcer carrying the satchel containing her weapon stopped briefly in front of Link, pulling him from his thoughts.
Focus. The situation at hand was far more pressing.
Ernie and her crew were already in place. It was time for Link to act.
His eyes locked on the satchel placed near Ernie's feet. His target, however, wasn't Ernie—it was the enforcer carrying the signal flare.
That person needed to be subdued immediately.
"—We've endured great losses, but I promise you!"
As Mel Medarda's voice echoed through the hall, Link made his move.
From beneath his cloak, his exoskeleton-covered arm shot out, his hand striking like a serpent's fangs at the enforcer's neck.
The enforcer's exposed skin, marked with tattoos, prickled with goosebumps upon contact with Link's cold, steel grip. Before they could react, Link pressed on their nerves, rendering them instantly unconscious.
The enforcer's eyes rolled back as their body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
Ignoring the surprised stares of those around him, Link hoisted the limp enforcer up and stepped on the satchel at Ernie's feet.
Ernie sensed the disturbance and instinctively reached for the satchel.
Something had gone wrong—but no matter. As long as she could grab her weapon, she could salvage this.
Yet, as she tugged, she found the satchel immovable, pinned under a steel-encased foot.
When she looked up, she saw her hopes crumble.
The enforcer she relied on was now being used like a ragdoll in Link's grip, their lifeless body crashing into her.
The impact knocked Ernie over, her hood falling away, revealing her face. The crowd erupted in screams.
"Enforcers! Enforcers!"
A woman pointed at Link, shrieking in fear.
Nearby, a man stepped forward, but upon seeing the incapacitated enforcer in Link's hand, he hesitated, retreating with his family.
The venue descended into chaos.
Surrounded by armed enforcers, Link remained calm, even as weapons were trained on him.
"Cease your actions immediately! Kneel with your hands on your head!"
One of the enforcers barked orders, while others cocked their rifles, ready to fire.
Link didn't respond. Instead, he kicked the satchel toward them, simultaneously tearing away Ernie's disguise.
When her true identity was revealed, gasps and whispers rippled through the crowd.
"She's from Zaun!"
"A chem-baron! How did someone like her infiltrate this event?"
From her vantage point on the stage, Mel Medarda frowned deeply.
This memorial was meant to bring solace to Piltover and restore confidence after the recent tragedies. Yet, chaos had erupted before it even began.
What was happening?
Her eyes met Caitlyn's in the crowd. A silent signal passed between them, and Caitlyn nodded, stepping forward to assess the situation.
Meanwhile, enforcers surrounded Link, ready to strike, their patience wearing thin.
What would he do next?