Arcane: Mage from Noxus

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"That's it? I think they'll agree that what happened to Zaun is beyond Piltover's control. I never thought Piltover would have to be forced into recognizing Zaun's independence. It's sad to see Piltover this weak."

Camille wore a self-deprecating expression.

"Meredith, I don't understand your hesitation. You could destroy it all in an instant with your strength, and I wouldn't be able to stop you."

As she spoke, her tone grew colder, her expression even more detached.

"Ms. Camille, why use brute force to solve what can be handled with intelligence? Strength is merely the guarantee that we won't overturn the table."

Ryan shook his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Three months—neither too long nor too short. I believe you'll have a fresh perspective on the Twin Cities by then."

"Ego is the most fatal weakness of the strong," Camille said sharply.

"Peace talks only happen when strength is equal. You can't be great forever, Meredith."

"If I can't remain great, I'll look forward to being surpassed one day," Ryan replied, his expression brimming with confidence.

It was as though no challenger could unsettle him, and instead, he welcomed challenges as a source of amusement.

"By the way, Ms. Camille, I nearly forgot—I received a letter not long ago."

He clapped his hands, producing a parchment document from within his coat. Holding it delicately between his fingers, he let it dangle in the air, the intricate family magic seal gleaming faintly in the light.

In Runeterra, nearly all major families—except those of Demacia—possessed unique magical seals that symbolized their lineage. A document bearing such a seal was tantamount to the family patriarch's personal handwriting.

Ryan had no family backing him, yet in his possession were three seals: one belonging to Katarina's family, the Du Couteaus; another to Jericho Swain; and the last, sealed upon the document he now displayed.

Camille raised an eyebrow, her expression shadowed by a hint of sadness.

"He's always like that. He thinks I don't understand him, that I'm nothing more than a ruthless machine."

Her gaze shifted to the document, and she immediately recognized the seal of the Ferros family—the very seal she had entrusted to her younger brother, Stevan.

This letter represented the Ferros family's submission to Ryan and Noxus, an unmistakable declaration of their allegiance. It also carried another message: she had been abandoned by her own family.

Camille didn't need to read it to know what it said. Her family's sincerity in joining Noxus would hinge on a singular, sacrificial offer—herself, delivered to Ryan or the Trifarix.

And yet, she didn't resist. She had been born to ensure her family's prosperity. While she disagreed with Stevan's approach, she wouldn't risk angering Noxus by defying their will.

"Really, no regrets?" Ryan asked, watching the determination harden in her gaze. With a small sigh, he withdrew the letter.

"I once thought he didn't understand you. But now, I'm certain—he knows you better than anyone."

Camille's composure faltered ever so slightly, her face betraying a rare flicker of surprise.

Standing just behind Ryan, Viktor regarded Camille with a tinge of pity.

"When I was still a teaching assistant at the Academy," Viktor began, his voice tinged with nostalgia, "my first mentor took me to the Ferros family's library. There, I stumbled across an experimental report written by Stevan."

"I didn't know my brother conducted experiments," Camille said, raising an eyebrow.

Her curiosity sparked by the mention of her sibling's work.

Viktor continued, his voice thoughtful. "Experiment No. 312: Human-Machine Integration. The data confirmed earlier findings: emotions reside in the depths of the brain, not the heart. The brain's chemical secretions dictate consciousness. All augmented subjects underwent cognitive control surgery—except for one anomaly."

"What does that mean?" Camille asked her tone now tinged with intrigue.

"You're not as perfectly rational as you like to believe," Viktor stated plainly.

"Everyone knows that machines eventually break down, Ms. Camille. And you—your augmentation has been flawed from the start. Your family abandoned you, but in truth, it was Stevan who wanted you to abandon them."

"The latter hypothesis is amusing," Camille said with a sharp smile, though her tone carried an edge of bitterness.

"But I prefer the former."

Her words dripped with sarcasm, yet her eyes betrayed a quiet storm of emotion.

She hadn't returned to the family estate since the events of the previous night. The bombing in Zaun had left its mark on her, and in its aftermath, the Ferros family's intentions became glaringly clear.

She knew it all too well—her purpose was no longer her own.

It had been years since Camille last returned, and the family she once knew no longer existed in its original form.

She... She couldn't remember exactly when it happened but realized she was no longer needed.

Camille sighed softly. There was no sadness in her expression, only an overwhelming sense of relief.

Ryan's expression didn't falter, though his gaze sharpened slightly.

"Swain once told me that you're the same kind of person as he is," 

"But not as thorough. You claim decisiveness, yet hesitate when it matters most. You've long understood that Stevan could never rebuild the family's legacy, yet you raised him anyway, fueled his hunger for power, and even killed Hakim—the one man you once swayed—because of it."

Ryan didn't flinch as he laid bare her choices, stripping them of sentiment.

"There's no denying it," Camille admitted, her voice devoid of emotion.

"My lingering attachments are my greatest flaw. But that's not the answer I seek, Meredith."

Her eyes locked onto Ryan's, unwavering. She hadn't killed Hakim herself, but his death was her doing. She had no intention of defending her actions.

"Does the answer even matter?" Ryan said, his tone flat.

"In the face of time and inevitable endings, our initial motives become irrelevant."

"Perhaps you're right," Camille murmured, a faint smile playing on her lips. Relief flickered in her cold, calculating eyes.

Whether her brother's actions were selfish or, in some twisted way, for her sake, the outcome had already been decided. What was the point in dissecting it further?

Just as it had been back then—when she orchestrated the attack on herself to sever her ties to Hakim and forced herself to commit to augmentation surgery.

Everything she had done... had been for the family.

But now, she was tired.

She withdrew the scroll Ryan had handed her the day before and opened it before him.

It was a sheet of parchment inscribed with intricate runes, each one written in blood. The symbols shimmered, both mesmerizing and sinister.

"Trifarix," she said with a faint smile, "perhaps it's time for a new view."

Camille delicately cut her finger. A single drop of her blood fell onto the parchment, igniting it in a burst of crimson light.

The runes on the scroll danced in the air, coalescing into two glowing sigils—one sinking into Camille's heart, the other embedding itself in Ryan's brow.

The contract was sealed.

From that moment on, Trifarix gained a new member: Camille.

"Ms. Camille," Ryan said with a subtle smirk, "Trifarix welcomes you to our ranks. We encourage any internal challenges. In Noxus, strength reigns supreme."

"Sounds fair," Camille replied, raising an eyebrow.

The contract's magic carried more than a bond—it also conveyed knowledge of Trifarix's structure. Camille had assumed Swain would be its leader, but to her surprise, Ryan held the position.

What piqued her curiosity further was the identity of the third member: the frontline commander waging war against the Freljord.

Noxus was changing... and perhaps its future would be far from the one Swain envisioned.

"This isn't urgent," Ryan said casually.

"Let the prelude of the Twin Cities conclude first. For now, you can discuss the details of the peace talks with Viktor. I won't be participating."

Ryan had gained the answer he sought. Rising to his feet, he walked toward the door. As he reached the threshold, he paused briefly.

"The first line of the letter," he said without turning back, "states that the Ferros family will always follow the will of Camille Ferros. You are the executor the family will forever rely on."

With that, he left the room, not waiting for her reaction.

Camille stood motionless, her eyes glowing faintly blue as a twitch crossed her face. A fleeting smile broke through her stoic demeanor, but she quickly regained composure and turned to Viktor, her tone apologetic.

"Mr. Viktor, for Zaun's independence to be recognized, there will be a price. Ferros will demand compensation for last night's actions."

"I don't deny that," Viktor replied, though his tone carried hesitation.

"But your actions in Zaun—"

"If you fail, you pay for the consequences of failure," Camille interrupted sharply.

"That's the cost for those who flee in haste."