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Scoff!
The rhythmic hiss of steam came from Vi's gauntlets.
"Don't!"
Vi's eyes widened, her face fierce with determination.
She swung her hextech gauntlet at full force, desperate to intercept the rocket. But how could her punches match the speed of an explosive missile? Her fist managed to graze the tail of the projectile, slightly altering its trajectory.
Her heart sank as the rocket continued its course, heading straight for the upper floors of Kiramann mansion.
Desperation filled Vi's eyes. Without hesitation, she charged into the house.
BOOM!
Just as she reached the window, she caught Caitlyn mid-air as the sharpshooter leapt out. A blinding wave of fire erupted before them.
The deafening roar and violent explosion blasted them both out of the house, hurling them through shattered windows and debris.
"It's... so beautiful," Seraphine murmured, staring blankly at the fiery remains of Kiramann's house. Her voice was a mix of awe and disbelief.
She hadn't expected things to spiral this far out of control. If she'd known, she would never have brought Jinx along.
Jinx, however, stood eerily calm amidst the chaos. She inhaled deeply, her grin growing wide and unhinged.
"Still got energy?" Jinx asked, her voice dripping with excitement.
"There's so much more fun to come!"
"What? More?" Seraphine's voice rose in alarm.
Jinx chuckled, her eyes sparkling with madness.
"Haha, we've been discovered! So, before they catch me..."
"What are you planning?" Seraphine asked, her voice trembling. She could sense the storm raging in Jinx's soul, chaotic and destructive.
Jinx's grin widened her words like a cruel melody.
"Tonight? We have a blast!"
She hoisted her bazooka, aimed at a nearby hextech gate, and fired without hesitation.
"You're insane!" Seraphine cried, horrified as the missile flew toward its target. Her chest tightened, realizing she'd unleashed a monster.
"Insane?" Jinx scoffed, lowering her weapon.
"Nah, I'm just doing what I'm meant to do. And trust me, I've never been calmer."
She turned away, her gait uneven as she limped toward the manor's edge.
Before disappearing into the shadows, Jinx glanced back at Seraphine, waving dismissively.
"Listen, sweetie, don't follow me. You'd just slow me down. Go to the Noxian embassy; it's probably the safest spot for you. Oh, and tell Silco this: I'm done with Zaun. I don't owe him anything anymore."
With that, Jinx vanished into the darkness.
Behind Seraphine, the hextech gate erupted in a deafening explosion, its destruction punctuated by wailing sirens that echoed across Piltover.
Seraphine stood frozen, her heart hollow.
This was her fault. She had brought Jinx here, hoping to help her, to ease her pain. Instead, chaos had unfolded, spiraling beyond her control.
Moments ago, Seraphine had felt the agonizing scream of despair from Jinx's soul.
Jinx's plan was horrifyingly clear: eliminate every "problem" Silco had marked as a threat and, in the end, set the stage for her own fiery demise—a grand funeral of chaos and sparks that would light up Piltover's skies.
BOOM!
The Kiramann family manor was completely consumed by fire, its flames roaring against the dark Piltover skyline.
Seraphine sat on the cobblestone pavement, hugging her knees, her wide eyes reflecting the flickering flames.
The faint echoes of souls still lingered in her ears—voices desperate and fading. If they weren't rescued soon, death would claim them.
"Sister Katarina... what do I do now?"
Her voice wavered, confusion and helplessness etched across her young face.
"It depends on the choice you make," came a cold reply.
Katarina stepped from the shadows, her crimson hair glinting faintly in the firelight, her expression as sharp as the daggers at her side.
"You want to save this city? No. You don't care much for Piltover, do you? Do you want to atone for what you've done? But what did you do wrong? With or without you, this would've happened all the same. Face it, Seraphine: those who rely on others are weak and helpless."
Each word pierced like a blade. Seraphine's heart sank. She was only twelve—too young to bear the weight of such destruction.
Her mind swirled with doubt. Why had she helped Jinx in the first place?
Because she could hear the soul's desperate pleas for salvation.
Yet, as the events unraveled, things spiraled further and further out of her control.
When did it all start to go wrong?
Seraphine's sharp mind pieced it together quickly. It was when Jinx first drew her weapon. That pang of fear Seraphine had felt wasn't just for the city—it was for herself.
Though she had tried to guide Jinx with her abilities, she couldn't stop her from pulling the trigger. She couldn't stop Vi's retaliation.
If only she had power. Real power.
Her thoughts turned to Ryan—the enigmatic mage who had once demonstrated the unimaginable, filling an entire room with water using magic alone.
With that kind of strength, she could have forced Jinx, Vi, and Caitlyn to sit down and talk. To resolve everything peacefully.
Katarina watched silently, noting the shift in Seraphine's expression—from confusion to reflection, then finally to determination.
"You've made your choice," Katarina said, her voice quieter but no less steely.
"Mr. Ryan... he has a way to help me realize my dream, doesn't he?"
Seraphine's eyes glimmered with newfound resolve. The suffering she heard in the song of souls needed to be freed, but the method to do so would be hers to decide.
BOOM!
Another explosion echoed across Piltover, shaking the ground beneath them. After the destruction of the Hextech Gate, Jinx had claimed another target.
"Your Excellency did say so," Katarina replied, her tone icy, "but let me warn you—this won't come without a price."
Seraphine nodded, her lips curling into a soft, resolute smile.
"I understand. I'm willing to accept whatever Mr. Ryan has planned for me."
"Good." Katarina folded her arms, her sharp eyes appraising Seraphine.
"It's time for the enforcers to arrive. Your apprenticeship assessment begins now."
Seraphine tilted her head, her usual cheerfulness returning as she joked, "Do I get any special equipment for this? Like those magical items, apprentices always get in the stories?"
"Don't get ahead of yourself... though maybe," Katarina said, her gaze shifting skyward.
From the darkness, a bird made of shimmering water descended, clutching a glowing blue book in its beak. It landed on Seraphine's shoulder, and the book dropped into her hands.
"What... is this?" Seraphine asked, her voice tinged with awe and trepidation. The book pulsed faintly with blue light, and the wails of countless souls whispered from within.
"Meredith's Soul-Stealing Scroll," Katarina said with a sly smirk.
"An imitation created by your future teacher, based on the work of some infamous soul mage. Its purpose is simple—amplify your magic by harvesting souls."
"That... doesn't sound like a good thing," Seraphine murmured.
Despite her words, she made no move to reject it.
She could feel the intent behind the gift. Ryan wasn't handing her a weapon—he was testing her resolve.
If her gift was to hear the voices of souls, she also needed to have the strength to judge them.
Before she could dwell on it further, shouts rang out from the distance.
"Put down your weapon and surrender immediately!"
"This is the Piltover law enforcement! Submit to our investigation!"
A group of enforcers advanced cautiously toward the still-burning Kiramann manor, their weapons drawn.
Seraphine glanced back toward the shadows, but Katarina was already gone.
She clutched the glowing book tightly to her chest, her heart pounding.
Her apprenticeship assessment...
...had just begun.