Arcane: Mage from Noxus

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Camille stretched her arms, her robotic joints emitting a sharp crunching sound as she forced the movement. Despite the strain, her precision was unwavering.

"A proper lady uses every tool at her disposal," she remarked coolly.

She placed her hands firmly on the ground and propelled herself upward, flipping gracefully to land atop the massive robot.

The sharp blades on her feet gleamed as she drove them into the machine's back, severing the power source with a calculated strike.

As the primordial crystal embedded in her heart surged with renewed energy, the blades on her legs lit up with a mesmerizing orange and blue glow. Her limbs danced in the air with a deadly elegance, and the blades made quick work of the robot, tearing it apart piece by piece.

"The mission's failed. We're pulling out," Camille stated firmly, her voice betraying no emotion.

With a sharp motion, the grappling hooks on her sides fired, yanking Caitlyn and Vi to her position. Jayce, who was closest to the group, quickly moved to regroup with them as well.

"Are we seriously retreating like this?" Vi growled, her frustration evident.

"It's on me," Caitlyn admitted, her voice heavy with regret.

"I wasn't any help."

"Either fight or flee," Camille responded coldly.

"Hesitation only leads to unnecessary casualties."

The decision was clear. Retreat.

The opposing forces from Zaun—robots and armored warriors alike—held their ground but refrained from advancing. They maintained a cautious stance, knowing full well the danger Camille posed.

Both Viktor and Silco exchanged a knowing look. They understood that Camille was far too formidable.

Attempting to take her down now would be a losing battle, and she could dismantle them one by one with ease.

Once Camille had secured the escape route, the group began their withdrawal. Camille paused for a moment, turning back to Viktor and Silco.

She held their gaze, her icy stare carrying a weight of warning, before striding away with her team.

"It's over on our end," Viktor said, exhaling as his tense expression eased. He turned his gaze toward Piltover.

"Let's hope Jinx has better news."

Silco, still watching Camille's departure, nodded slightly.

"She will. The explosions earlier were her work—proof of her success."

Viktor shifted his focus back to Silco, his tone growing grave.

"But what about you? Time isn't on your side. The shimmer is eating away at your body. I could help. I could transform you into something more... durable. Like Camille."

Viktor had spent enough time with Silco to develop a begrudging respect for the Zaunite leader.

While Silco's methods were ruthless, his determination to fight for Zaun's independence was undeniable.

Viktor now saw him as someone capable of leading Zaun into a better future—a leader who could pair ambition with his own scientific ingenuity.

Yet Silco, despite the shimmer's corrosive effects on his body, rejected the offer outright. Pain etched across his features, but his resolve was firm.

"Hope," Silco said, his voice strained but steady, "is the one thing I cannot lose. If I give up my humanity to become a machine, am I even myself anymore?"

"It's all for Zaun," Viktor countered softly.

His words hung in the air, both a justification and a plea.

Without waiting for another response, Viktor carefully injected shimmer into Silco's damaged eye socket.

Silco's body trembled violently, and for a moment, Viktor wondered if the shimmer's effects would overwhelm him. But slowly, Silco steadied himself.

"Living for Zaun," Silco said at last, his voice filled with unwavering determination.

"And if I must die, it will be for the ending I've chosen."

Silco smiled faintly, though his weakness was evident.

There was a warmth in his expression—a rare blend of hope and resignation.

"I respect your choice," Viktor said, sighing heavily.

"But only if you've found a worthy successor."

Silco nodded, his voice steady despite the strain.

"Sevika is someone to consider. She's rough around the edges, sure, but her loyalty to Zaun is unshakable. Don't let her temper fool you—she's as pragmatic as they come. If Zaun becomes complacent, as Piltover has, we'll lose everything. With Meredith's guidance, we'll have a real future."

Viktor paused, digesting Silco's words.

"Zaun will endure," he said quietly.

"Follow Lord Meredith, follow Noxus…"

Turning on his heel, Viktor strode away, his metal steps echoing in the quiet room. The sound of his boots clattered, then faded into the night.

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Ferros Manor – The Head's Room

The room was dark, lit only by the faint glow of distant flames. Stevan sat silently by the window, his eyes fixed on the fiery chaos outside.

Farther off in the manor grounds, the sky burned red, illuminated by the second blast of the night. The explosions were Jinx's handiwork—part of her relentless mission.

The perpetrator, however, was long gone. The lawn still smoldered, and only the augmentation technology protecting the Ferros estate had kept the house from being reduced to rubble.

Boom!

The door swung open abruptly. Marcus, dressed in his sheriff's uniform, stepped inside and saluted.

"Patriarch Ferros, the fire has been contained. No casualties have been reported."

Stevan's face darkened. "This is the second explosion tonight. We've already lost a council member in the first attack. If it weren't for our family's resources, the Ferros name might've been wiped out entirely."

Marcus lowered his head, guilt etched across his features.

"This was my failure. Our security forces weren't enough, and the coastal defenses were breached. All the enforcers stationed there… they're gone."

His voice faltered, a bitter smile crossing his face.

Recent events had left Marcus in a state of despair. He regretted his decision to divulge information about Stillwater Prison to Jayce.

The once-clear path to Piltover's victory now seemed riddled with cracks, and Jayce's leadership felt increasingly inadequate.

Still, Marcus found solace in one thing: Silco had not sought him out.

Perhaps Zaun's leader had bigger concerns than a lowly sheriff.

But tonight's attacks—and the death of a council member, even if it was just one of Heimerdinger's mechanical creations—had upended centuries of Piltover's stability. Nothing like this had ever happened in over 200 years.

Marcus knew it wouldn't end well for him. The thought weighed heavily on him.

"You've done enough for tonight," Stevan said, his voice curt.

"I'll speak on your behalf in tomorrow's council meeting."

Marcus looked up in surprise, his disbelief evident.

"There's something else I need you to do," Stevan added, his tone sharp.

Marcus straightened, a bitter laugh escaping him.

"As long as it doesn't involve my wife and daughter."

"Tomorrow, in the council meeting, the blame for tonight's events will fall on Talis and Kiramman. Their recklessness caused this disaster."

Marcus frowned, processing the implication.

"Talis and Kiramman…"

The realization dawned on him. Three councilors had crossed paths tonight, and it was clear Stevan intended to shift the blame away from Camille and the Ferros family.

By doing so, he would diminish Camille's political influence.

"I understand," Marcus said after a moment. He pounded his chest in a gesture of loyalty.

"I'll make sure the council hears the right story."

Stevan nodded approvingly.

"Good."

With that, Marcus was dismissed, leaving Stevan alone in the dim room.

The silence settled once more. Stevan turned his gaze to a portrait hanging on the wall. It was a painting of Camille from a time before her transformation—before she became the Steel Shadow.

Her short, jet-black hair framed her face, and her posture was poised and elegant.

She looked dignified, almost regal.

"Sister…" Stevan murmured, his voice heavy with emotion.

"The machines of the Ferros family will be discarded one day. Go… follow your own destiny. It's the least I owe you."

His eyes flickered with a mix of longing and resolve. Stevan reached for the letter from the Noxus embassy sitting on his desk.

Without hesitation, he set it alight, watching the parchment crumble into ash.