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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Seraphine gazed at the towering structures silhouetted against the darkness of Zaun's night.

Though the high-rise buildings were worn and crumbling, the moonlight bathed them in a soft glow, lending them an unexpected beauty.

Zaun's prosperity was a far cry from Piltover's grandeur, but its people carried a spirit that was no less vibrant.

As she walked, Seraphine glimpsed a few fragmented souls—shadows of despair and hardship. Yet, most of the voices she heard were singing songs of hope, their melodies rising above the gloom like fragile beacons.

If Piltover was the City of Progress, then Zaun must surely be the City of Hope.

Seraphine silently reshaped her impression of Zaun, the reality before her replacing the prejudices she had once heard.

The Zaun of rumor was a place of lawlessness, chaos, and despair.

But the Zaun she now saw was different. Perhaps it had suffered and still bore deep scars, yet its people clung to a quiet determination, yearning for freedom and a better life.

Listening to the symphony of souls striving for hope amidst despair, Seraphine felt a pang in her chest.

Perhaps she could do something for her parents' homeland...

When they arrived at the door of Forgan's Tavern, Seraphine turned to Ekko and asked suddenly,

"Ekko, if you had the power to share your voice, what would you do?"

"Share my voice?" Ekko tilted his head, scratching the back of it as he puzzled over her question.

"You mean, like, letting people feel what I'm thinking?"

When Seraphine nodded, Ekko grinned after a moment's thought.

"I'd make sure those pompous topsiders saw the truth—that we Zaunites aren't what they think we are."

"That's a great idea. Thank you, Ekko!"

Seraphine smiled, her eyes glimmering with a newfound excitement. Waving goodbye to Ekko, she followed Orianna into Last Drop.

For the first time, her path felt a little clearer.

'Mr. Ryan... is this why you brought me to Zaun?'

Her heart fluttered with resolve. She yearned to hear the song of his soul, and she vowed to try harder. One day, she would.

Inside the tavern, Seraphine ascended a narrow staircase alongside Orianna, stepping into a modest office.

The room was dimly lit, with bookshelves flanking its walls. A bespectacled, frail woman stood by a desk, her expression unreadable.

Leaning casually against one of the bookshelves was a blue-haired girl, flipping through a book with an air of detached melancholy.

But it was the figure seated at the desk that commanded attention. Encased entirely in metal, his form was imposing, exuding strength and intellect in equal measure.

Mechanical arms protruded from his shoulders, glowing faintly with Hextech energy.

Seraphine's heart stirred as she heard Viktor's soul.

It was unlike anything she had ever encountered: precise, unyielding, and devoid of human desires. Where others carried messy, vibrant melodies, his was a song of perfect order—a machine's serenade.

Viktor's soul sang of progress, evolution, and an unwavering hope for Zaun's prosperity. Seraphine had thought Katarina's soul was pure, but Viktor's felt even more focused, driven by logic and vision.

"Greetings, Mr. Viktor," Orianna said, bowing gracefully.

"Mr. Ryan asked me to convey his regards."

Viktor's glowing eyes regarded Orianna with quiet intensity as she spoke.

Seraphine, sensing this was not her moment to speak, stepped aside. She drifted toward the blue-haired girl by the shelves. Unlike Viktor's pristine melody, the girl's soul was tangled and chaotic—a storm of emotions that fascinated Seraphine.

Zaun was no longer just a name or a distant memory. It was a place of resilience, complexity, and hope, and she felt privileged to be a part of its story.

"Welcome, great pioneer, Miss Orianna."

The deep blue glow of Viktor's eyes shone from within his iron helmet, piercing as if they could unravel everything about her.

Encased entirely in his Hextech-enhanced armor, Viktor had sacrificed his flesh to become something greater—a Herald of evolution.

While his current form was far from aesthetic, he was determined to embrace and master it. Everything he did was for progress, for the pursuit of mechanical ascension.

Unexpectedly, Viktor had found a kindred spirit. He had learned about Orianna only recently, through Katarina's network.

Unlike Camille, who had undergone Hextech augmentation under the guidance of others, Orianna had achieved her transformation independently, relying solely on her own knowledge and skill.

"Mr. Ryan told me that you would be able to answer my questions," Orianna said, her voice steady. Her own glowing blue eyes met Viktor's with unwavering confidence.

"Clockwork demon—that is the path I have chosen."

"Clockwork refers to mechanical ascension," Viktor responded with measured respect.

"Demon..., I assume you mean an 'enchanted soul.' Orianna, it seems you wish to preserve your emotions."

Walking the path of mechanical ascension himself, Viktor quickly grasped the meaning behind her words.

"I believe the key difference between a mechanized being and a lifeless machine lies in emotion and the soul," Orianna replied with a faint smile.

"Mechanization doesn't necessitate the loss of emotion. Emotions reside within the soul. I imagine you, Mr. Viktor, understand this well."

Viktor pondered her perspective before responding.

"The soul may store emotions, but the expression of emotions often requires hormones—physical responses from a biological body. Without a body, can the soul still truly feel the joy it perceives?"

"Mr. Viktor," Orianna countered, her tone calm but piercing, "does your mechanical evolution bring you joy?"

Her question gave Viktor pause. He reflected silently for several moments before murmuring, almost to himself:

"Can the emotions rooted in obsession—obsessions of the heart—still bloom without a body? If the soul ascends to a certain threshold, perhaps it can fully express emotion beyond the confines of flesh... Yes, perhaps mechanical ascension brings with it the potential for a transcendent soul."

Orianna nodded. "This is the very path I am pursuing, Mr. Viktor. At first, I believed mechanization would inevitably lead to the loss of emotion. But I realized that if the soul or one's will is strong enough, emotions can persist, even without a biological body."

She spoke with quiet conviction, remembering the moment she replaced her own heart with a Hextech core.

Most of her sensations had dulled; her body no longer produced the chemicals that once drove her feelings.

Yet even so, she could never forget the love and pain she felt for her father. That emotional connection lingered, unshaken, even as her physical form changed.

"It's a fascinating theory," Viktor admitted, his mechanical claws flexing subtly.

"However, it requires fortifying one's soul to a strength few can achieve before emotions fade entirely. It's a more arduous road than most would dare to tread."

Viktor's tone softened, his admiration for Orianna evident. Though he did not fully share her view, he understood and respected her determination.

For him, emotions were secondary to progress. Yet her belief that the soul could transcend mechanical constraints struck a chord.

"This is the road you've chosen, and I cannot predict what lies ahead for you," Viktor said, rising from his chair.

He walked to the bookshelf, retrieving a thick notebook filled with meticulous records.

Handing it to Orianna, he added, "Perhaps this research may help you on your path."

The notebook contained all of Viktor's experimental data on mechanization and the fusion of Hextech components—a treasure trove of insights.

This wasn't just Ryan's intention; Viktor genuinely wanted to aid a fellow traveler.

"Thank you for this gift, Mr. Viktor. I hope you achieve the glorious evolution you seek." Orianna accepted the notebook with a graceful smile.

"There's no need for thanks," Viktor replied.

"Every seeker of progress yearns for companionship on their journey. May you, too, achieve glorious evolution, Lady of Clockwork—Orianna."

As Viktor and Orianna delved deeper into their exchange, their words brimming with shared ideals and ambitions, Seraphine found herself elsewhere in the room, standing before the blue-haired girl who had been idly flipping through a book.

Jinx.

The two locked eyes, neither speaking, their mutual curiosity evident.

Seraphine saw chaos and pain swirling in Jinx's soul, a melody unlike any she had heard before.

And Jinx, for her part, seemed to be sizing up Seraphine with the same intensity.

A silent conversation passed between them as they studied one another, their worlds momentarily colliding in a way neither could fully comprehend.