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Seraphine looked at Annie, who kept gulping down water, with pity in her eyes.
After being in contact for so long, Seraphine could feel Annie's soul singing its own sad, haunting melody.
Annie was born with flames—her mother, a mage, gifted her with that power.
Yet, despite this gift, Annie never received the happiness she deserved.
Her mother disappeared after an accident, leaving only a hand-stitched bear behind—the sole reminder of the love she once had.
After her father's remarriage, Annie's life became even harder. She was often blamed for her uncontrollable magic as if her fiery outbursts were entirely her fault.
Daisy, the daughter of her stepmother Leanna, constantly snatched away her bear—her only connection to her mother.
Every time this happened, Annie's emotions would boil over, and she would lose control of her magic.
Inevitably, she was always the one blamed.
One fateful day, Daisy fell into a river and drowned.
It wasn't Annie's fault, but the accusations came, sharper than ever.
That time, the anger and pain in her heart erupted.
When she regained consciousness, the flames had consumed everything.
Everyone—her father, her stepmother, her entire world—was gone.
All that remained was Annie and her little bear, Tibbers.
When she was completely lost, she overheard whispers of an academy not far from her village—War Academy.
Desperate and anxious, she set out for it, hoping to find a place she could belong.
"Sister Annie, does your little bear have a name?"
Even as hunger gnawed at her, Annie refused to let go of the bear. She clung to it tightly, cradling it in one arm.
After eating a bit of food, her face lit up with a hint of life. She nodded firmly.
"Yes! Mom said his name is Tibbers!"
When she mentioned her mother, Annie's expression became unreadable.
She had only faint impressions of the woman who gave birth to her—blurred memories of a kind smile and warm hands.
She didn't know what kind of person her mother truly was.
But her father had always told her:
"Your mother loves you the most."
Tibbers was the proof of that love, the one thing Annie had left of her mother.
As long as Tibbers was with her, her mother would come back.
She'd come back to protect her, to love her again.
"Tibbers, huh? That's such a wonderful name!" Seraphine said, her eyes sparkling.
"My name's Seraphine. I'm a teacher in the magic department. You can call me Sister."
Seraphine smiled brightly at Annie, her warmth radiating like sunlight.
Annie hesitated for a moment, then softly whispered, "Sister..."
As she spoke, two clear tears slid down her cheeks, but they evaporated into steam before they could fall.
Flames flared from Annie's body, and the temperature around her rose sharply. She panicked, the fear of losing control etched on her face.
Seraphine placed a gentle hand on Annie's shoulder, her voice as soothing as a lullaby.
"Sister Annie, don't worry. Try to breathe. Magic is a part of you—it's the protection your mother left behind."
"Mom's... protection," Annie murmured.
She took a deep breath, her small face firm with determination.
She began regulating her emotions, trying to will the fire within her to obey.
But no matter how hard she tried, the flames inside her seemed too vast, too wild to control.
Even so, as her mind steadied, the heat around her began to subside.
A few flickering flames danced momentarily before retreating back into her body.
"Clap! Clap! Clap!"
The Noxians standing in line nearby had witnessed the scene.
But instead of fear or scorn, they broke into applause.
Their cheers startled Annie. She shrank back, confused by their reaction.
Yet, as she glanced at their faces, she saw something unfamiliar—recognition, respect.
"This is Noxus!" Seraphine said, her voice bright and encouraging.
"Sister Annie, welcome to the academy. This can be your new home."
"My... home?" Annie echoed softly, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
She couldn't understand why these strangers treated her so kindly.
The word "home" felt foreign, yet comforting, as if it carried a glimmer of hope she hadn't dared to dream of.
Obviously, they weren't her relatives, nor her friends.
But through the flames within her, Annie could truly feel it—everyone's friendship was genuine, burning with an intensity that matched her fire.
"Sister Annie, you're now officially a student of the Magic Department at the Academy. If anything happens in the future, you can count on me!"
Seraphine smiled warmly and embraced Annie, unbothered as the dirt on Annie's tattered clothes smudged her pristine outfit.
"Remember this, Annie: this is your home now. We are all your family."
More tears welled in Annie's eyes, spilling over uncontrollably.
Seraphine's words struck deep, resonating with the longings Annie had buried in her heart.
For so long, she had dared to only dream of such words.
She had never thought anyone would actually say them to her.
Annie wiped her tears with trembling hands, then looked up at Seraphine's gentle, radiant face, as if trying to commit it to memory forever.
"Sister Sera..."
Annie repeated the words softly, over and over, even after Seraphine moved on to her next task.
She liked this new sister. Everything about her—her actions, expressions, and words—exuded a warmth that Annie had never known.
A warmth that filled the void in her heart and made her feel, for the first time, that she wasn't alone.
Annie sat quietly in the back, watching Seraphine bustle about.
There wasn't a trace of irritation in her heart, only peace.
Though Seraphine had been a stranger not long ago, she brought with her the comfort and kindness Annie had never received, even from her family.
This feeling... wasn't bad at all.
Seraphine, now back at her station, stretched lazily and began listening intently to the soul songs of those still in line.
"Do you like it here?"
The voice belonged to Quiletta who had been observing everything from the sidelines.
She had just witnessed Seraphine's recruitment of Annie and was struck by the scene.
Quiletta had seen countless moments of Noxian resolve and loyalty in her career, but this was different.
Her first day at the academy was opening her eyes to a side of Noxus she'd never fully understood.
As a general, she was accustomed to life in the barracks, surrounded by soldiers and the chaos of war.
But now, standing among civilians eager to contribute to the empire, her perspective was shifting.
"I like it," Seraphine replied, her voice soft but confident.
"Everyone in Noxus is dedicated to this place in their own way. Professor Quiletta, do you know why?"
"I don't know," Quiletta admitted with a faint smile.
"Maybe it's... belief."
She paused, reflecting. When she first served the empire, it was out of ambition—seeking personal glory.
But over time, their purpose had evolved. Serving Noxus was no longer a duty; it had become a deeply rooted belief.
"Because," Seraphine said, her smile widening,
"Noxus helps people stand on their own two feet."
"Stand on their own..." Quiletta echoed, her mind drifting to a memory.
She recalled leading her army in the conquest of a neighboring kingdom.
The capital's gates hadn't fallen to her soldiers—they had been thrown open by desperate civilians.
Under the oppressive rule of their noble elites, even survival had been a torment for those people.
Quiletta remembered the civilians kneeling in the streets, their faces worn and weary, waiting for Noxian soldiers to pass.
At the time, she had thought that they knelt out of fear.
But she had seen the tears in her son Decius's eyes as he executed the tyrant king in front of the people.
She had never understood why he acted with such emotion or why he vowed that day to fight not for power but for the people.
Now, watching the eager faces of those signing up at the academy, she was beginning to understand.
"Yes," Quiletta murmured, a small, genuine smile forming on her lips.
"To stand on their own."
She resumed helping students register, her mind quieter and clearer than it had been in years.
Seraphine smiled as she worked, humming a soft melody while tending to the bustling line.
She needed to pick up the pace—there was a press conference happening soon, and she'd been asked to attend.
Though she wasn't particularly thrilled about it, she couldn't refuse her teacher's suggestion. Still, one thing nagged at her.
She sighed. "If Ezreal's there, I'm going to see that smug, insufferable face of his again," she muttered under her breath.
She shook her head, grinning despite herself.
His narcissistic soul, vibrant and noisy, was a constant source of irritation to her... and yet, somehow, she couldn't help but feel amused by it.
For now, though, she had work to finish.