The city of Zaun hums with the rhythm of progress, its skyline a jagged silhouette against the haze-filled sky. Ekko strides through its streets, his movements fluid and deliberate, like the gears of a finely tuned machine. His Z-Drive hums softly at his side, its surface etched with intricate runes that pulse faintly with temporal energy. To the people of Zaun, he is both an enigma and an icon—a symbol of resilience and ingenuity in a city that thrives on innovation but teeters on the edge of chaos.
Long before the League of Legends, before the summoners bound his essence to the Rift, Ekko was a child of the undercity—a product of Zaun’s sprawling industrial labyrinth. Born into poverty, he grew up in the shadow of Piltover’s gleaming spires, where the air was thick with the stench of alchemical waste and the streets were ruled by gangs. His parents were low-level laborers, their lives defined by toil and survival. They worked tirelessly in the chem-forges, their hands calloused and their spirits worn down by years of hardship. Yet despite their struggles, they instilled in Ekko a sense of curiosity and determination—a belief that even in the darkest corners of the world, there was always room for change.
From a young age, Ekko displayed an insatiable curiosity about the world around him. He would scavenge scraps from the junkyards, piecing together crude contraptions that baffled his peers. By the time he was ten, he had built his first chemical reactor—a rickety device that exploded spectacularly, leaving him scarred but undeterred. “Failure is just another variable,” he muttered to himself, brushing off the burns and starting over.
As he grew older, Ekko’s fascination with mechanics deepened. He began experimenting with discarded hextech components, tinkering with devices that others deemed useless. His talent quickly earned him a reputation among the local gangs, who saw potential in his inventions. One such gang, the Serpent Wardens, took him under their wing, offering him protection in exchange for his skills.
It was during this time that Ekko met Jinx, the Loose Cannon. Jinx was chaos incarnate—a whirlwind of destruction and unpredictability. Her antics ranged from petty vandalism to full-scale assaults on critical infrastructure, each attack more audacious than the last. While others feared her volatility, Ekko found himself drawn to her rebellious spirit.
“You’re too serious,” Jinx teased one evening as they sat atop a crumbling rooftop, watching the city below. “You need to loosen up.”
“And you need to focus,” Ekko replied, his tone light but firm. “Chaos without purpose is just noise.”
Their interactions were fleeting but impactful, each encounter reinforcing Ekko’s belief in the importance of balance. While Jinx reveled in anarchy, Ekko sought to channel it—to turn chaos into something constructive.
Ekko’s transformation began when he stumbled upon a cache of volatile chemicals hidden in the depths of Zaun’s underground tunnels. The substances were unlike anything he had ever encountered—glowing with an otherworldly energy, their properties defying conventional science. Intrigued, Ekko began experimenting with them, combining them with hextech components scavenged from the junkyards. His breakthrough came when he created the Z-Drive, a device capable of manipulating time itself.
The Z-Drive allowed Ekko to rewind moments, giving him the ability to undo mistakes and explore alternate outcomes. At first, he used it sparingly, testing its limits in controlled environments. But as he grew more confident, he began using it in combat, dodging attacks and countering opponents with precision timing. The device became an extension of his will, its power amplifying his natural agility and resourcefulness.
Yet the Z-Drive came with risks. Each use drained Ekko’s energy, leaving him physically and mentally exhausted. More troubling was the realization that tampering with time carried unforeseen consequences. Small changes could ripple outward, altering events in ways he couldn’t predict. Despite these dangers, Ekko refused to abandon his invention. To him, the Z-Drive was more than just a tool—it was a symbol of hope, a reminder that the future was never set in stone.
The League of Legends offered Ekko a new stage—a battlefield where he could test his skills and spread his message. On the Rift, he faced opponents who challenged him in ways he hadn’t anticipated. Some, like Camille, wielded precision and strategy, their movements calculated and efficient. Others, like Dr. Mundo, embodied chaos and unpredictability, their attacks wild and relentless.
But no opponent tested Ekko quite like Cassiopeia. Cassiopeia’s mastery of manipulation and deception posed a unique challenge, forcing Ekko to adapt his strategies on the fly.
“You can’t outthink me,” Cassiopeia purred during one encounter, her serpentine form gliding effortlessly across the battlefield.
“Outthinking isn’t the only way to win,” Ekko retorted, rewinding time to dodge one of her venomous strikes.
Their battles often ended in stalemates, neither able to fully overcome the other. Yet despite their differences, there was a mutual respect between them—a recognition of the skill and determination that drove them both.
Back in Zaun, Ekko continued his experiments, delving deeper into the mysteries of time and space. He clashed with Singed, the Mad Chemist, whose own experiments focused on creating weapons of mass destruction. Singed saw Ekko as a rival, a threat to his dominance in the field of alchemical innovation.
“You’re reckless,” Singed observed during one of their encounters, his tone laced with disdain. “Your methods lack precision.”
“Precision is overrated,” Ekko replied, his grin wide and unsettling. “Sometimes you just need to break things to see how they work.”
Despite their animosity, the two formed a reluctant partnership. Singed provided Ekko with rare chemicals and resources, while Ekko served as a test subject for Singed’s most dangerous experiments. Their collaboration led to groundbreaking discoveries—but also devastating consequences.
In quiet moments, Ekko reflects on the nature of his journey. He has faced countless adversaries, survived numerous close calls, and achieved feats that once seemed impossible. Yet he knows that his story is far from over. The pursuit of knowledge is endless, its rewards fleeting and ephemeral.
He climbs to the rooftop of his workshop, his Z-Drive resting against his shoulder. The moon hangs low in the sky, its light casting long shadows across the landscape. Below him, the city of Zaun stretches out, its streets alive with the hum of machinery and the chatter of its citizens. Ekko allows himself a rare moment of reflection, his thoughts drifting to the sacrifices he has made and the battles yet to come.
Somewhere deep within him, he feels a flicker of doubt—a whisper of uncertainty amidst the cacophony of certainty.
Is knowledge truly worth the cost?
He shakes off the thought, focusing instead on the present. The void calls to him, its whispers urging him to continue his mission. Yet he wonders if there is more to his role than mere destruction. Could he, in his own way, serve as a bridge between worlds—a harbinger of both chaos and renewal?
He raises his Z-Drive, the light of distant stars reflecting off its shimmering surface. The wind carries the scent of ash and ruin, a reminder of the worlds he has conquered.
Progress will prevail.
One moment at a time.