Arcane: Mage from Noxus

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The Twin Cities arc is completed there.

Next Arc - Rise of an Empire

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"Two late-night visitors, welcome to Zaun."

Among them, the shorter man stepped forward, his distinctive white mohawk catching the dim light, a curious expression on his face.

"I'm Ekko, and this is Pete. The folks above sent us down here to welcome you two."

Ekko studied the two striking girls in front of him. Neither had the rough, hardened air of someone born and bred in Zaun.

Still, he noticed a few details.

From Oriana, he could catch the faint, lingering scent of Zaun—a chemical tang that clung to anyone who had spent time here. It was subtle but unmistakable to a native-like him.

The other girl, though, left him uncertain.

Orianna's crystalline blue eyes glimmered with an unnatural light, faintly glowing as though charged by some unseen energy. Those eyes... they stirred a distant memory.

He had seen something like them before—more than once.

"Hello! I'm Seraphine, and this is Orianna. We're so glad to be here. Zaun is much better than I imagined!"

Seraphine's bright eyes sparkled as she winked at Ekko mischievously.

His soul's melody was vibrant, brimming with hope and ideals of a better future for Zaun. Even Pete, silent as he was, emanated an unspoken love for the city.

So this was the real Zaun? Seraphine mused. It was a little different from the stories she'd heard.

The group began walking deeper into the labyrinthine streets of Zaun. Orianna followed silently, her delicate movements mechanical yet graceful. Seraphine, however, bubbled with curiosity.

"Mr. Ekko, your outfits are so cool! Are you some kind of law enforcement protecting Zaun?"

"Just call me Ekko. We don't bother with Piltover manners down here," he replied with a grin.

"I'm a peacekeeper with Zaun's Second Patrol. It's like the enforcers, I guess, but way more flexible. We don't care about where you come from—anyone who's loyal to Zaun can join us."

Ekko tapped the Zaun crest etched into his battered armor, his face alight with pride.

To Seraphine, Zaun was revealing itself in layers. The city wasn't just grime and danger. It was also a place where people supported each other, fought for change, and dreamed of a future filled with fresh air and clean water.

"Hehe, Ekko, I bet you'll be Zaun's Camille someday!"

Seraphine teased as she balanced effortlessly on Orianna's mechanical tablet, carried forward with practiced ease.

"Wait—what did you say?" Ekko's eyes widened in shock.

"Ms. Camille. She was once Piltover's most renowned enforcer," Seraphine said, covering her mouth as she chuckled softly.

She had caught fragments of Ekko's soul-song, a melody tinged with memories of the past.

Though she didn't fully understand why Ekko linked Camille and Orianna, she couldn't resist dropping a small hint.

The mention of Camille sent a chill down Ekko's spine. His face betrayed his surprise.

Oh, Zaun above! He remembered now.

Camille. Those sapphire-blue eyes... They were just like Orianna's.

He had heard Vi once mention Camille's transformation during her time in Piltover. Her sapphire eyes had grown paler over the years, a byproduct of the Hextech crystal implanted in her chest.

So… could it be?

Ekko forced himself to stay composed, hiding his rising unease. He fought to keep his tone steady as he spoke:

"I've heard of Ms. Camille. She's a legend. But, uh, I'm not aiming that high." He cleared his throat.

"Anyway, we're almost at the dark alley."

Listening to the melody of Ekko's soul, Seraphine lightly covered her mouth, her expression tinged with surprise and amusement.

This boy is truly fascinating. When he mentioned the Black Alley, the tone of his soul's song shifted entirely. It became saturated with a deep sadness—memories of loss and regret.

'Who is Vi? Who is Silco? Who is Benzo?'

Oh, how complicated this song was, full of love, bitterness, and hatred. Its sadness struck her deeply.

"What is the Lanes? Why is it called that?" Seraphine asked, her voice bright with curiosity as she continued listening to the song of Ekko's soul.

"The Lanes was once the darkest, most polluted place in Zaun," Ekko explained.

"It didn't matter if it was day or night—no blue sky here, no light. The air was thick with toxins, and the buildings seemed to smother any hope."

As he spoke, his voice carried a weight of bitter yet vivid memories of a life he once knew in the Lanes.

"But now you can see the stars," Seraphine said, pointing upward.

Through the gaps in the tangled structures overhead, a single bright star twinkled in the distance.

"Yeah… I can see the stars now," Ekko replied, his expression distant, his voice tinged with awe.

He had never imagined that one day he would stand in the Lanes and look up at the starry sky.

Such a sight had always seemed reserved for Piltover's elite, far removed from the grime of Zaun.

"Mr. Viktor returned from Piltover with his revolutionary technologies," Ekko continued.

"In just one month, everything began to change. He showed us that Zaun wasn't hopeless after all."

He recalled seeing Viktor earlier that day. The man was encased in iron, his face obscured, but his voice carried an unmistakable passion for Zaun.

Viktor's unwavering love for their city mirrored that of a native Zaunite, even if his methods were sometimes questioned.

"Everyone admires him so much," Seraphine said, her wide, curious eyes sparkling.

"I really want to meet him in person."

As they walked, Seraphine tilted her head slightly, listening to the harmonies of the souls around her.

The music of Zaun was layered and raw—so different from anything she had imagined.

"Ekko, you've mentioned the old Zaun a few times. What was it really like back then?" she asked, her voice full of curiosity.

Ekko paused, a wistful look crossing his face.

"The old Zaun…" he began slowly, his tone thick with nostalgia.

"It was Piltover's dumping ground. Mountains of industrial waste towered over us, rivers choked with toxic runoff, and the air reeked of rot and acrid fumes. You couldn't escape it. It was everywhere."

"I can't even imagine that smell then," Seraphine said, wrinkling her nose. She took a deep breath, her expression softening into a smile.

"Now, the air has a faint floral scent."

"That's thanks to Viktor," Ekko said, nodding.

"He developed the air purifiers. And under his guidance, Zaun keeps getting better."

"Hee hee, Zaun is becoming a beautiful city," Seraphine said, her voice warm.

"But I think the change isn't just about Viktor. It's also because of everyone here who loves Zaun."

Tilting her head slightly, she echoed the song she heard in Ekko's soul:

"It doesn't matter who leads Zaun. What matters is that those of us who call it home find the courage to care for it, to build it, and to make it better for all of us."

Ekko's steps faltered slightly as her words struck a chord in him. He looked at her, his expression hesitant.

"You're from Zaun?" he asked quietly, unsure if he had misunderstood.

"Huh?" Seraphine blinked, realizing her slip of the tongue. She quickly corrected herself.

"My parents are from Zaun, so it's kind of my hometown too. It's my first time here, though, and it's… so much better than I imagined."