Knock! Knock! Knock!
Rhythmic knocks echoed outside the Crownguard's study.
Tiana frowned slightly and looked up from the documents in her hand.
She took a deep breath, softened her expression, and said gently,
"Come in, Luxanna."
Only Luxanna knocked exactly three times and walked with such light, quick steps.
Creak.
As expected, the door opened, and Luxanna stepped inside, dressed in the formal attire of the Crownguard family.
Tiana's eyes widened slightly with surprise.
Her gaze drifted to a portrait hanging in the study—an old painting of herself in the same formal dress, long blond hair flowing, a proud and battle-hardened look in her eyes.
Luxanna looked nearly identical.
Tiana smiled faintly at the resemblance.
"It's late. What is it?"
She set aside thoughts of the front line and asked patiently, her voice much softer than the tone she usually reserved for Garen.
"Has Brother come back recently?" Luxanna asked quietly.
She didn't meet Tiana's eyes, glancing sideways at the documents on the desk.
Beside the desk sat a cylindrical container engraved with Demacia's crest—a dragonhawk mail case.
Anything sent that way was never trivial.
Tiana's frown deepened. Luxanna seemed... different tonight.
She paused, recalling Luxanna's naïve protectiveness during a recent conversation about Garen.
A bit more guarded now, Tiana replied calmly,
"He came back once, but left again. He didn't follow my orders."
"He didn't mean to. He's still learning," Luxanna blurted, almost reflexively.
Garen was her older brother. Out in the world, he always stood between her and danger—but at home, it was Luxanna who stood up for him.
"I didn't say he did anything wrong," Tiana replied, amused.
"You still defend him like you did when you were little."
"That's because... you're always so hard on him," Luxanna pouted, like a rabbit guarding her own.
The words were meant to be firm but came out soft and uncertain.
Tiana laughed. "You haven't changed at all."
Luxanna's flustered expression softened the room's mood.
Tiana always had a hard time punishing Garen when Luxanna stepped in.
She had a way of easing tensions without even trying.
"You seem curious about something."
Tiana leaned back in her chair, nodding toward the intelligence report on the desk.
She'd noticed Luxanna eyeing it earlier.
"I just... heard something," Luxanna said, hesitating.
"Bad news," she added after a pause.
Tiana studied her, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Sounds like your sources are very well-informed."
"No! I just heard Garen come back and then leave again so soon. He wouldn't do that unless something serious came up. Then I saw a dragonhawk message was delivered to you..."
Luxanna's cheeks turned red. She spoke quickly, like a nervous bunny.
Tiana laughed again, shaking her head.
"It's nothing too serious."
The smile on Tiana's lips was hard to hide. She pushed the report forward casually.
"Take a look. Tell me what you think."
"Thanks!"
Luxanna let out a small breath of relief and quickly grabbed the document, holding it up to hide her guilty expression.
But soon, all pretense fell away as she immersed herself in the contents.
The surprise on her face was unmistakable.
It detailed recent events along the Noxian border, sent back to High Silvermere by dragonhawk—Demacia's fastest means of secure communication.
"The Winged Protector…" Luxanna whispered in shock as she reached the end.
She had sensed something was wrong when she last communicated with the magic tome.
Demacia was facing growing threats—but this? She hadn't imagined the legendary winged protector herself could fall.
Felled… by magic.
If it were her, could she ever reach the level of those warriors on the battlefield, men and women alike?
"Noxus is too strong. Demacia can't act impulsively. We need allies… or wait for the right moment," Luxanna said quietly, sharing her thoughts.
But even as she spoke, she felt the sting of inadequacy. She was still far behind those battle-hardened mages.
Still, a thought stirred in her mind:
If the ancient soul within the spellbook were still alive, perhaps it would possess that kind of power...
Tiana's voice cut through her thoughts.
"Luxanna. How long will it take you to reach the power they have?"
Luxanna's eyes widened. A shiver ran through her.
She knows?!
"That kind of growth… I don't think I'm capable of it," Luxanna replied with a weak, forced smile.
Tiana looked at her steadily, her expression shifting from amused to serious.
"There's no one else here. I saw you glow before. The Crownguard family needs your strength, Luxanna."
"Aunt Tiana, that was probably just sunlight," Luxanna deflected after a pause, trying to laugh it off.
Tiana wasn't fooled. She could see the unease, and her tone softened.
"The incident on the front lines proves it—we were wrong about magic."
Luxanna didn't respond at first. Her eyes dropped to the desk, conflicted.
"If we ban magic out of fear, then we'll be helpless when the enemy uses it against us," she murmured.
Tiana's eyes narrowed slightly.
She had always known Luxanna was special. As a child, she was thoughtful and composed and never driven by privilege like others her age.
While others chased status or squandered time, Luxanna studied tirelessly—pouring over books in the library, attending lectures with her mother, Augatha.
Her brilliance had always been evident.
Until recently, Tiana thought Luxanna would grow into a diplomat like her mother—a noble bridge between houses.
But now... she wasn't so sure.
She had begun to suspect something after witnessing a strange incident.
And now, hearing Luxanna speak like this?
That wasn't the voice of a sheltered noble girl.
That was the voice of a tactician—a leader.
"It's a powerful thought," Tiana said, her voice low and sincere.
"Your wisdom and magic are not inferior to Garen's strength."
She didn't say it lightly.
It was time to acknowledge the truth she'd been avoiding.
Luxanna was no longer just Garen's younger sister.
She was something more.
Where once the future of the Crownguard name rested on Garen, with Luxanna as a supporting figure, the balance had shifted.
She had made up her mind.
"Luxanna… the Crownguard family stands at the brink of survival."