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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"Sister, are you reading a book?"

Seraphine blinked her large, curious eyes and pointed at the upside-down book Jinx was holding.

"Sister? I don't have a sister!" Jinx snapped, looking visibly annoyed as she glanced to the side.

Seeing her reaction, Seraphine's smile widened, her delight clear.

Jinx was such a complicated soul—duplicitous in the most fascinating way. Her songs reflected it too: sometimes chaotic and explosive, other times vulnerable and seeking solace.

"But… you're older than me," Seraphine teased, her voice sweet and melodic.

"So, I should call you Elder Sister~"

Jinx's irritation deepened. She wanted to retort but hesitated, recalling Sevika's biting words. Sevika had said she wasn't as good at confronting her own emotions as Silco. The memory made Jinx pause before muttering:

"Do you even have a real sister? Like, actually?"

"Really? Aren't you my sister~?" Seraphine tilted her head, her expression a mix of confusion and innocence.

"And Sister Orianna, Sister Katarina—they're all my sisters too."

"Ah! I'm talking about a real sister! Someone who came out of the same womb!" Jinx groaned, tossing the upside-down book aside.

She glared at Seraphine like she was an alien.

The urge to pull out her gun and blast the girl's head open just to see how it worked inside was almost too strong to resist.

"Damn Silco," she muttered under her breath.

"And Vi… why didn't she ever tell me?"

Her tone turned bitter. "Just because she joined Piltover? Heh. Vi isn't as perfect as she thinks she is."

Seraphine blinked, her ears twitching slightly as she instinctively leaned closer to Orianna and Viktor, seeking safety. Her soft voice followed, curious yet cautious:

"Does it really matter, though? I've heard some sisters are… broken. They don't just take their sister's toys—they try to throw their sisters away."

"That's got nothing to do with me!" Jinx snapped, clutching her head.

"Vi's not like that!"

She instantly regretted engaging Seraphine in such a deep conversation. Talking to her was like speaking with a child untethered from reality.

Seraphine's world was ethereal, almost detached. Asking her anything meaningful was a mistake.

"Vi? That name sounds familiar…" Seraphine pouted slightly, tapping her chin as if trying to recall where she'd heard it.

"You've heard of her?" Jinx's voice turned sharp, and she stepped forward, gripping Seraphine's shoulders with both hands.

Her gaze was intense, almost electric, making Seraphine avert her eyes nervously.

"I think so…" Seraphine stammered.

"I live on Workshop Street in Piltover, and I've heard some of the customers mention Vi. They said she works as a bodyguard for Councilor Kiramann and is part of Piltover's Enforcers."

Her voice wavered slightly, and she left out the less savory parts she'd overheard—whispers of jealousy about Vi's rise from the undercity and harsh criticisms of Caitlyn, Piltover's respected sheriff, for being too close to Vi.

"Damn it… so it's really her."

Jinx's grip loosened as her hands dropped to her sides. Disbelief washed over her face.

She muttered to herself, "Viktor's intel was right… Vi's really part of the Piltovian Law Enforcement. And she's… protecting some fancy counselor now? Did she forget everything she said to me?"

"That… sounds like someone important to you," Seraphine offered cautiously, her melodic voice soft.

"Ha! Important?" Jinx barked out a laugh, but there was no humor in it.

"What's so special about a violent girl with short pink hair who thinks she's better than everyone just because she's got a stupid 'VI' tattoo on her face?"

Jinx spoke with disdain, but her eyes never left Seraphine as if searching for confirmation.

But soon, her expression darkened as she heard Seraphine's excited response:

"That's right! The magistrate said Vi was a girl with short pink hair and a strange tattoo on her face. Is she your sister?"

"It's her! But she's not my sister. Tch. How could she be my sister when she was cozying up with the prankster we hated the most? Ugh, go away. You're annoying."

Jinx turned her head sharply, desperate for solitude. Yet, as she caught sight of Seraphine's tearful expression, a pang of guilt surfaced. She couldn't help but recall the night she was on a mission with Sevika.

If it were Silco in her place, he would've told this little girl how Vander had failed them all.

If Silco could face those truths… why couldn't she?

"I… she…" Jinx hesitated, her words faltering on her lips.

"You're from Zaun; she's from Piltover," Seraphine said softly, noticing Jinx's conflicted expression.

Her tone was apologetic as she added, "Oh… I shouldn't have said so much."

Seraphine hadn't intended to dig at Jinx's scars, but the tormented melody resonating from Jinx's soul made her want to help.

"Forget it. There's nothing to say."

Jinx forced out a laugh, hollow and bitter. If it weren't for Sevika's jabs over the past few days—and the books she'd been reading—she might have shot Seraphine on the spot.

But now…

With a mix of frustration and hysteria, she blurted out:

"Her name is Vi. She was my sister. She abandoned me when I needed her most. When she called me Jinx that day, my sister exploded and died! Why should I care about her now? What's the point?"

Her voice rose suddenly, drawing the attention of Viktor and Orianna, who had been engrossed in their conversation nearby.

They glanced over but, noticing the tension, chose to turn back to their discussion, steering it toward machinery.

Seraphine covered her ears lightly, looking at Jinx with caution and sorrow.

Seraphine wasn't Vi, but whoever this Vi was—she sounded hateful.

When Jinx needed her sister, Vi discarded her. When Jinx didn't need her sister, Vi gave her the name "Jinx" like a curse.

"Well, you wouldn't understand even if I explained it." Jinx's voice was quieter now, tinged with exhaustion.

"It's all in the past. I've almost forgotten about her."

Jinx shrugged, her exaggerated disdain plastered across her face.

"But… if you've really forgotten her, why does hearing her name upset you?" Seraphine asked gently, blinking as she offered her suggestion.

"Maybe you should meet her and talk things through."

"Who wants to see her?" Jinx scoffed, throwing her arms out dramatically.

"She's probably living in some uptown bigwig's mansion, soaking in a bathtub bigger than our entire apartment and eating fancy food I've never even heard of!"

She let out a sharp, mocking laugh.

Though Jinx's words and expressions screamed resistance, Seraphine's connection to her soul told a different story.

Beneath the chaos, Jinx's pain still lingered.

Seraphine exhaled quietly in relief. She hadn't failed.

As Viktor and Orianna wrapped up their discussion, Orianna approached, placing a gentle hand on Seraphine's shoulder.

"Seraphine, we'll be staying at the here n tonight. That's acceptable, yes?"

"Zaun is where my parents were born. I'd love to experience life here," Seraphine said, nodding enthusiastically.

She activated the floating platform beneath her feet and followed Orianna toward the exit.

Before leaving, she turned back and gave Jinx a warm smile and a small wave.

As they rounded a corner, they spotted a short man in a fur-lined coat emerging from an office, his expression dark and calculating.

The intensity of his mismatched eyes made Seraphine instinctively shrink back. Still, she managed to speak, her voice soft and a little nervous:

"Mr. Silco, Jinx said she'll be like you one day."

Before he could respond, she quickly manipulated her platform and hurried after Orianna.

Silco's expression stiffened at her words.

For a long moment, he stood there, unmoving. Then, as if reaching some decision, his lips curled into a faint, calculating smirk.