The soft clink of glass and the rustle of polished wood echoed through the expansive halls of the Haldane estate. At just five years old, Theo Haldane was already a boy of curious contradictions. His small hands gripped a delicate puzzle, his furrowed brow betraying a focus far beyond his years. Most children at his age played with toys or listened to nursery rhymes, but Theo, surrounded by the towering bookshelves of his family's study, had already mastered games of strategy that even adults struggled to comprehend.
His dark hair, neatly combed as always, framed a face that was already far too serious for someone so young. His sharp blue eyes—eyes that could pierce through the surface of any problem—moved with careful precision as he pieced together the scattered fragments of his puzzle. Each move seemed calculated, deliberate. Every piece he fit into place brought a small but satisfying smile to his lips, though his expression rarely betrayed excitement. It was simply another problem to solve.
In the next room, his tutor was busy arranging tea, her voice a soft hum of routine. She never once looked in on him, never wondered if the young heir might need more playtime or less study. There was no need. Theo never needed play. He needed challenges, problems to unravel, answers to questions no one had asked.
At five years old, Theo was already solving puzzles and riddles that baffled adults, building structures out of blocks that seemed impossible. He'd mastered reading far ahead of his peers and had already begun to absorb the basics of arithmetic and science, though he often dismissed his tutors' lessons as "too simple." His world was one of patterns, logic, and precision—things that most children didn't learn until much later, if at all.
Yet, for all his intelligence, there was something else about Theo that set him apart: his solitude. He didn't crave the attention of his peers or the companionship of other children. He was content, even in his young age, to observe and understand the world in a way that felt distant from the other children in Piltover. To them, life was a game of playdates and toys. To Theo, life was a puzzle to be solved, a mystery to be unraveled.
And in the city of Piltover, where wealth, power, and progress blended into one seamless machine, Theo Haldane would grow to be a key player—whether he wanted to be or not.
"Ha!" Theo exclaimed, a triumphant smile spreading across his small face as he placed the final piece into the puzzle.
"Hilda!" Theo called out, his voice rising slightly, with the kind of certainty only a child so young could possess.
He turned toward the other room where his tutor, Hilda, was busy arranging tea.
"I'm done," he announced again, a little louder this time, as though his work was an important discovery she needed to witness.
Hilda, looking up from her tasks, raised an eyebrow but smiled softly, always bemused by Theo's unfailing focus.
"Well, I do believe you are becoming quite the expert, Master Theo," she said as she stepped into the room.
"You know, Theo, we only have a couple of puzzles left until you've solved them all," Hilda said, walking closer to where Theo sat, his little hands still resting on the completed puzzle.
Her voice was warm, though there was a hint of amusement in her tone as she looked at the stack of puzzles strewn across the room.
Theo stood up and turned to face her, his expression serious as always. "But we could always get more," he replied, his words full of innocent logic, as if the idea of running out of puzzles never even crossed his mind.
There was a slight tilt to his head, the way a child would respond when something simple was being asked that they didn't quite understand.
Hilda paused, her smile both fond and exasperated as she studied him. "Do you understand just how many puzzles you already have?" she asked, gesturing around the room with a sweep of her hand. "Look at this place."
Theo's gaze followed her hand, taking in the chaos of the so-called playroom. The room, though vast and lavishly furnished, was crammed with hundreds of games, puzzles, and toys. From stuffed plush animals neatly arranged on shelves to intricate, complex puzzles that would challenge even the sharpest minds, the room was a clear testament to the wealth and influence the Haldane family commanded. Expensive wooden boxes, gold-trimmed puzzles, and high-end toys all mixed together in a jumble that seemed more like an archive of privilege than a playroom.
Theo, who was not one to focus on the things that surrounded him, glanced around the room with a vague sense of recognition, but without really understanding what Hilda was pointing out. "I don't," he said simply, his tone matter-of-fact. "So?"
Hilda sighed, the fondness in her eyes evident despite her frustration.
She had long since grown accustomed to these kinds of exchanges with Theo, who often lived in his own world of intellectual pursuits, unaware of the subtleties of the world around him. "It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head with a small, resigned smile. "We can think about that later. Right now, it's time for lunch. Let's go."
Theo stood up and walked toward Hilda, who was patiently waiting by the door. As he reached her, they both began their walk toward the dining room.
The hallway they walked through was a testament to the wealth and sophistication of the Haldane family. On one side, the walls were lined with intricate works of art, each piece more impressive than the last. Framed portraits, finely detailed sculptures, and landscapes inlaid with gold leaf—all of it spoke to the immense fortune the family had amassed over generations.
On the opposite side, large windows offered an unobstructed view of Piltover in all its splendor. The city stretched out before them, with its gleaming towers reaching into the sky, bustling streets below, and the distant river that sparkled in the sunlight. From this vantage point, the city looked like a utopia, its wealth and power clearly visible in every inch of the horizon.
Theo, his mind occasionally drifting from the grandeur around him, looked up at Hilda as they walked. "Hilda, will Mother and Father eat with us today?" he asked, his tone casual but with a hint of hope, as if the question were one he often asked, but never quite received the answer he wanted.
Hilda glanced down at him, her lips pressing into a thin line.
Her gaze softened, and a small, almost pitying smile tugged at her expression as she answered, "No, Master Theo. They could be here, but they're busy with work." She said it with a tone of sympathy, her heart aching for the boy who was so often left alone.
Theo, trying not to let his disappointment show, nodded slowly. "I see..." The words were almost automatic, a response he had given so many times before, but the sadness in his voice lingered just beneath the surface.
Theo knew, on some level, that his parents' work in trade and commerce was important to the city of Piltover. What exactly they did, however, was a mystery to him. They were always busy, always working—distant figures in his life, their faces more familiar in portraits than in person. Despite the luxury that surrounded him, he couldn't help but feel a pang of emptiness from their absence.
Hilda, sensing his growing melancholy, looked at him with a touch of sadness in her eyes. "Maybe they'll be free by dinner," she suggested gently, trying to offer some hope, though she knew it was unlikely.
"Okay," Theo replied, his voice distant. He said it so quietly, his eyes fixed ahead as they continued to walk, unwilling to show just how much it bothered him.
Hilda sighed softly as they reached the dining room, her heart heavy for the lonely boy she had come to care for.
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AN: Hello, everybody! This is a story I'm working on. I'm a huge fan of Arcane and wanted to write something about it. I'll try my hardest, but please bear with me as English is not my first language. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to ask!