The Song of the Soul

"But during that discussion, we had a slight disagreement about the origin of Runes. He believed Runes originated from heaven and earth, manifestations of the world's laws."

The water flowed again over the prosthetic and the puppet, returning them to their original positions.

Ryan calmly watched the scene return to normal, watching the instrument holding Orianna's heart, a look of reminiscence in his eyes:

"His initial idea was probably correct. But the laws of heaven and earth should have been fixed at the world's inception, neither increasing nor decreasing. Yet, the fact is, over countless long years, more and more Runes have appeared.

"Perhaps we are discovering unknown laws, but I am more inclined to believe that new Runes are being created."

"Created?"

Katarina keenly noticed the difference between this word and 'discovered.'

"Perhaps originally there were only a few Runes representing the laws of heaven and earth—earth, water, fire, wind, and perhaps time and space. These were the World Runes, symbolizing the world's immense power, and their vastness nearly destroyed Runeterra multiple times.

"These Runes were recorded, engraved, and imitated, with various branches evolving from the basic elements. Noxus records over 20 types of Runes just for manipulating water. These are ordinary Runes, lacking great power, and are unlikely to cause disaster."

As he spoke, Runes made of water floated around him, glowing with a mysterious deep blue Shimmer.

"Beyond the evolution of World Runes, as time progressed, humans, demons, or even celestials continuously exerted their power and exercised their will. Gradually, new Runes appeared in places where these powers lingered."

The water in Ryan's hand transformed into vivid, mysterious images, some noble, some ordinary, some terrifying, some inspiring spontaneous worship:

"That mage's explanation was that if magic surpasses a certain intensity, it will invite some form of disaster. And after the disaster, with changes in the laws of heaven and earth, new World Runes will be born. Therefore, he had seen too many mages studying Runes consumed by disaster and warned me to know when to stop."

"This sparked a thought in me: what if it's not disaster that creates Runes, but the creation of Runes that causes disaster?" Ryan's eyes held a thirst for knowledge.

"Is this new Rune today a brand-new one? Is it a manifestation of Orianna's will or power? And soon, perhaps some disaster will descend?"

Katarina found it somewhat absurd, yet she had to believe Ryan was telling the truth.

She didn't understand Runes; not just her, many mages didn't.

It was a mysterious power accessible only to a very few, exceptionally powerful mages.

And Ryan, before her, was one of those at the forefront of all mages.

"The birth of this Rune proves my point. It is different from the common Runes copied from World Runes. You can think of it as the world witnessing the miracle she created at that time and giving birth to this special Rune for her. It has a carrier, just like a World Rune. As for disaster, the intensity of this Rune is not enough to attract the attention of disaster."

Ryan's voice held a hint of emotion, and he involuntarily sighed softly:

"This world occasionally experiences unexpected miracles, and these miracles are the materialized power of Runes."

"Are miracles caused by Runes, or are Runes born from miracles?" Katarina asked, curious.

"I lean towards the latter. Humans create miracles, and that in turn gives birth to the Runes we know today. I long to discover all known and unknown Runes, and to understand the stories, both beautiful and sorrowful, behind each one."

Ryan smiled. Besides the water-attribute Runes from before, more Runes appeared around him—all Runes collected by Noxus.

Finally, the newly born Rune appeared, floating into the queue of Runes, becoming one of them.

The last Rune, compared to the others, clearly shone with a deeper luster, with faint streams of light shimmering within.

A mage's magical power is nearly equivalent to the power of heaven and earth, and this power is the key to wielding Runes.

Even Hex Crystal needs the magical power of the Chitin People to drive Runes.

And the more he researched Runes, the more he felt a certain gaze watching him from afar.

Ryan knew very well that this was the disaster the mage spoke of. The mystery of Runes captivated him; if that mage could incorporate Runes into his body, why couldn't he?

"Alright, idle chat over. The owner of this place is returning."

He suddenly turned to look at the door, stopping their conversation. The water-formed Runes drilled back into his body one by one, and everything returned to normal.

"I apologize, Mr. Ryan, for making you wait."

Orianna pushed the door open, a tall, pink-haired girl following behind her.

The girl was much taller than Orianna, but she huddled behind Orianna, her beautiful large eyes watching Ryan and the other person in the room.

"Hello everyone, my name is Seraphine!"

Seraphine still crouched, her soft-spoken self-introduction revealing her kindness.

"That song was beautiful earlier; my soul was vibrating with the melodious sound, and I could feel the sincere emotions you wanted to convey."

Ryan offered a warm smile, attempting to soothe the girl's apprehension.

"But…" Seraphine blinked, her curious eyes fixed on Ryan, "I can't hear the sound of your soul. This is the first time."

"Can you tell me what kind of sound that is?"

Ryan and Seraphine, at Orianna's gesture, sat together at the wooden table prepared for guests in the workshop.

Orianna, too, was now curiously looking at Seraphine; it was the first time she had heard that the other girl could hear the sounds of souls.

"Just like Orianna, her soul once sang passionate songs, yearning to see the grassy plains of Ionia, to experience the biting winds of Freljord, to join a Noxian expeditionary army, and to take on a survival challenge in the deserts of Shurima. The song conveyed a melodious and longing tune; it was the most beautiful soul music I've ever heard."

When Seraphine spoke of music, the timidity on her face immediately vanished, and she spoke animatedly about everything she knew.

"That was the old me…" Orianna gave an embarrassed laugh, a feeling of being caught with childhood dreams.

"Yes, that was the old Orianna."

Seraphine shook her long pink hair, her face filled with encouragement:

"Orianna, you really should go out and see the world, listen to beautiful sounds in every corner. Now, the song of your soul is only prayer, all the best blessings for your father. You've completely lost yourself, and even the melody of your song has become as rigid and uninteresting as a machine."

"Perhaps it was that incident in Zaun that completely changed my life. I have new dreams now, new pursuits, and I'll be fine."

Orianna wore a gentle smile on her beautiful face, as if she had come to terms with everything and was fully prepared.

"Alright, alright. But I still prefer the passionate Orianna, I love listening to enthusiastic songs." Seraphine pouted.

"What about mine?"

Katarina asked at Ryan's prompting; she herself harbored a certain curiosity about the girl.

Heaven granted some people extraordinary talent, but she wasn't one of them. She had truly come to understand this recently while learning the tricks Ryan taught her.

She looked enviously at Seraphine, who was listening intently, awaiting her answer.

Suddenly, Seraphine's ears twitched, as if she'd heard something unpleasant. Her body trembled slightly, and she cast a fearful glance at Katarina before shrinking behind Orianna again:

"Oh, your singing, big sister, is truly terrifying. It's full of fervent shouts. You're constantly singing loudly about your beliefs. Empire. Excellency. Family. Father. Sister. You are someone who judges people not by their appearance, but by their inner talent."

She had never displayed her abilities in front of outsiders, but when Orianna sought her out, she told her what Ryan had said about her, which compelled her to come here and exhibit the abilities only her parents knew about.

Seraphine knew Ryan understood her abilities well. Although she couldn't hear the sound of his soul, the song emanating from the soul of the sister next to her made her feel he wasn't a bad person.

Perhaps she could even help her solve her troubles.

Hmm. I really want to hear the song sung by this important person's soul. Is it a filthy, decadent tune, or a grand, magnificent anthem? I really want to hear it!

This chapter only represents Ryan's hearsay. Regarding the mysteries of Runes, I need all you readers to help correct me. I'm going crazy looking for information; Ryze's own story alone is inconsistent, so I chose an interpretation I understand as a provisional setting.