Arcane: Mage from Noxus

There was brisk applause.

Everyone present was generous with their clapping as if wishing for the girl to overcome her difficulties.

The hesitation on Orianna's face began to fade. She looked at Seraphine, who offered her a warm smile filled with encouragement.

Gathering her resolve, Orianna stood up and bowed respectfully to both Seraphine and Ryan. Her words carried a note of heartfelt sincerity:

"Mr. Ryan, Seraphine, thank you for your help."

Seraphine, ever brimming with optimism, gave Orianna a bright nod.

"Come on, Orianna. I need to practice this song to get into the best state of mind."

As she softly hummed the minor tune of Requiem, faint pink motes of light swirled around her, dancing like starlight. The sight was mesmerizing as if she were a living embodiment of music.

Orianna nodded, her hesitation fully dispelled. She turned to tidy up the operating table—her heart steady and determined. Tonight would mark her departure from the home she'd known for over a decade.

Some things were meant to be let go.

While Orianna prepared for what lay ahead, Colin returned.

To Seraphine's utter shock, Colin had barely stepped inside when a syringe of anesthetic was plunged into his neck.

He collapsed without a word, unconscious. Orianna dragged his limp form onto the operating table without missing a beat.

Seraphine stared, wide-eyed and speechless.

Ryan's calm voice brought her back to reality.

"Miss Seraphine, you mentioned your parents were from Zaun?"

His question cut through her stunned silence. She blinked, looking at the three calm individuals before her and wondering if she was overreacting.

This may be how normal fathers and daughters communicated.

"Y-Yeah, they're from Zaun," she replied hesitantly, her voice softening as she continued, "but I'm fine."

Her expression brightened as she spoke of her parents, happiness lighting up her features.

Ryan tilted his head, smiling faintly.

"Why the 'but,' Miss Seraphine? Do you disapprove of Zaun?"

"This..."

Seraphine faltered. Ryan's question caught her off guard.

She had never been to Zaun herself, but her parents often spoke of it in negative terms.

Occasionally, Zaunite customers visited her music workshop, and their souls often carried a heavy, oppressive weight.

Still, in her heart, she harbored a small wish to visit Zaun someday—a place where her parents had spent their childhood.

With everything happening recently between Piltover and Zaun, perhaps it wasn't as bad as she had been led to believe.

After a moment of thought, she shook her head firmly.

"Mr. Ryan, I don't know much about it, but I don't think I should let prejudice blind me. I'll go there and see for myself someday."

Ryan's smile widened slightly. "How about tonight? Once Orianna's experiment is complete, I'll introduce her to someone. You can come along and see for yourself."

Seraphine hesitated her parents' warnings echoing in her mind.

"But… my parents will be worried…"

"I'll take care of that," Ryan assured her, his voice steady.

"Don't think about it now. Orianna needs you. You're a trustworthy soul singer, and that's what matters."

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder before standing and leaving the workshop with Katarina.

To Ryan, Seraphine's presence was just a precaution to bolster Orianna's confidence.

In his eyes, the girl who had already accomplished so much on her own was destined to succeed—with or without their help.

After leaving the house, Seraphine's cheerful singing echoed behind them. Katarina, curious, glanced at Ryan and asked, "Are we going to her house now?"

Ryan idly toyed with the hex gem he had shown Orianna earlier, a subtle, meaningful expression playing across his face.

"We'll meet the parents who raised a soul singer. If they love her deeply, they'll have undoubtedly prepared something for her."

Katarina said nothing more, following him into the night.

Not long after the two departed, the workshop brimmed with pink motes of light, Seraphine's joyful song swelling to a beautiful crescendo. The sound filled the air, vibrant and full of life, as though celebrating existence itself.

Time passed, though how much was uncertain. Slowly, the singing subsided, the pink light dissipating into silence. The workshop returned to its former stillness.

Orianna quietly left the workshop, and a letter was left behind. Seraphine followed close, humming softly as they stepped into the unknown.

------

Zaun, Night.

Two slender figures perched atop a mechanical tablet that barely fit one person. The device skimmed over the rough waters, steady but swift.

Seraphine stood tall on the platform, her body swaying slightly with its motion. She hummed a lively tune, her eyes shimmering with curiosity and anticipation.

She wasn't entirely sure how Ryan had convinced her parents, but somehow, she had been allowed to leave with this strange yet ingenious device. The platform, powered by hex gems, amplified sound and transmitted her voice far and wide.

To Seraphine, it was priceless. With this invention, she could listen to the songs sung by the very souls of Zaun.

While Seraphine brimmed with excitement, Orianna remained quiet. Her gaze was fixed on the dark silhouette of Zaun as it grew closer. Her expression was unreadable, her emotions a quiet storm.

Zaun had been the catalyst for her transformation. And perhaps, it would also be where the name "Orianna, daughter of Corin," would end.

"Wow! Look at that huge robot! Is the person we're meeting the one who built it?"

Seraphine's voice broke Orianna's reverie.

The towering, ten-meter-high steel construct loomed ahead, standing vigil along the shore.

Seraphine clapped her hands over her mouth, her exclamation muffled by awe.

Orianna's lips curved into a faint smile.

"It should be him. The gentleman we're looking for is Viktor. I've heard he can guide me forward."

Seraphine tilted her head, her curiosity tinged with concern.

"Are you sure about following Mr. Ryan? I mean, he's your benefactor, but… don't you think you should try to live for yourself a little more?"

The subtle unease in Orianna's soul didn't escape Seraphine. She hurriedly softened her words.

Orianna placed a hand over her chest, brushing the smooth casing where her heart once beat. Now, there was only the steady hum of the hex crystal powering her life.

"He helped me escape the fate of my past self," she said calmly.

"By following him, I might realize my wish. Whether out of gratitude or self-fulfillment, I need to see this through."

Orianna's voice was steady, but her resolve ran deeper. She had accepted that she could have stayed in her small workshop, crafting dolls for the rest of her life.

But the mechanization of her body had changed her—things she once found joy in now felt hollow.

Sometimes, taking the first step was a leap into the unknown. Whether the outcome was good or bad didn't matter. It was better than doing nothing at all.

"Fine, fine." Seraphine waved her hand, laughing softly.

"Your tone sounds just like Katarina's—always so full of admiration for Mr. Ryan. Honestly, I'd love to hear his soul sing. I bet it's magical."

She kicked her legs playfully, the mechanical tablet emitting a faint hum beneath her feet.

Despite her teasing, she couldn't help but admire Orianna's determination.

As the tablet neared the shore, Seraphine's attention turned to two figures waiting nearby.

Clad in heavy, industrial armor, the two Zaunite men cut imposing figures. One was tall and lanky, the other shorter but stocky.

Compared to them, Piltover's enforcers seemed almost frail—like baby chicks in ill-fitted uniforms.

"Two late-night visitors?"

The taller man stepped forward, his voice smooth yet tinged with curiosity.

"Welcome to Zaun."