"Ouch," Max muttered, wincing as he sat up and rubbed his backside. The ground was not at all kind. He blinked, looking around, trying to get a sense of where he was.
Before he could say anything else, a voice called out.
"Hey, donut help me up."
Max turned his head, confused. He didn't see anyone.
"Idiot. Look down," the voice snapped again. It was familiarly annoying.
Max looked down and saw Jack lying flat on the ground, dust all over his clothes and a scowl on his face ugly as ever, of course.
Max reached out a hand and helped him up. "You good?"
"Barely," Jack grunted, brushing dirt off his coat. "So where are we now?"
Max looked around again. "No idea."
"Well, the professor said we'd be teleported to the welcome ceremony," Jack added, shaking out his sleeves.
"I got that part, genius," Max started to reply, but a voice interrupted.
"Please, students, come stand over here. The Sorting Ceremony is about to begin."
Max and Jack turned toward the sound.
The place they had landed in wasn't just any hall. It was massive taller and wider than any building Max had ever seen. The ceiling stretched high above, filled with floating lights that looked like stars. Dozens of candles hovered in the air, lighting up the space with a soft golden glow. The floor was dark and polished, smooth enough to reflect the lights above.
Students were everywhere, most of them around sixteen or seventeen. Some looked excited, others nervous. A few tried to act cool, but their wide eyes gave them away. Teachers stood in lines, dressed in long black robes with a strange symbol of three pillars stitched into them. Some looked serious. Others smiled quietly, watching the first-years gather.
In the center of the hall stood three massive stone pillars. They looked ancient, as if they had stood there for centuries. Between them, resting on a raised platform, was a large book.
It didn't look like any normal book.
The cover was deep black, with cracks along the surface like old leather burned at the edges. Light shimmered from it faint and silver, like the glow of stars. The book pulsed slowly, as if it was alive and breathing.
"That's gotta be the book for the sorting," one student said, eyes wide.
"I was expecting something smaller but beautiful," another muttered. "Not a haunted looking book."
Max and Jack joined the other students, stepping into the crowd. Max's sunglasses caught the light, drawing a few stares from nearby students.
"Donut, you stand out like a sore thumb," Jack whispered.
"Whatever," Max said with a small grin. "Let them look."
A tall woman stepped onto the platform near the book. Her silver robe shimmered as she moved, and her voice was calm, clear, and firm.
"Welcome, first years," she announced. "I am Professor Bianca, Vice Dean of Soladors and overseer of your Sorting Ceremony. Today, you take your first steps into a world far greater than the one you left behind. Welcome to Soladors."
The hall quieted down. Everyone listened.
"You will each be sorted into one of three Houses," she explained. "Each House values different qualities. Orderhall honors discipline and structure. Stormforge values freedom and boldness. Silvertongue seeks truth, above all."
She nodded toward the large book.
"This is the Book of Alignment. It will read you not your skills, but who you are deep inside and then judge the most suitable House for you. Please keep in mind, your House will greatly impact your future. When I call your name, step forward and place your hand on the book. It will decide your House."
A girl at the very front leaned in and asked curiously, "What if it doesn't like what it finds?"
"Then we probably get turned into rats," Bianca answered with a smile, making the girl take a small step back.
One by one, names were called. Students stepped forward nervously, some with shaking hands. When they touched the book, it lit up sometimes with a soft glow, sometimes with a quick flash. The pages flipped on their own and stopped when a name appeared. Then Professor Bianca would say the House name, and the student would step aside, joining their new group.
Some students cheered when they were sorted. Others looked surprised or disappointed. A few looked confused, unsure of what their House even meant.
"Hey, look! Is that the Legend?" a small boy in the group suddenly pointed excitedly toward one side.
The others quickly followed, their eyes lighting up, and soon whispers spread through the group.
Of course, they were teenagers. Who in their right mind would expect them to stay quiet when together? There was always someone ready to stir up some noise no matter how serious the situation.
"Holy crap, I never thought he'd show up here," someone said, barely able to hold back their excitement. "What luck! Looks like our class is going to be all over the newspapers this year!"
A few laughed nervously, some buzzing with excitement, others whispering even louder.
"Fools. Do you think that's a good thing?" another voice sneered. A boy with pure red hair stood nearby, arms crossed and an arrogant look on his face. "He's nothing but some idiotic cultural goon. You're calling him Legend? He hasn't even done anything that big. Just some fool chasing foolish dreams. Even actual murderers don't have as many pending cases as he does."
Max was startled when he noticed that everyone's attention had suddenly shifted to one side right in the middle of the sorting process, which looked pretty important.
Why is everyone looking over there? he thought, confused.
Curious, Max turned his head and followed their gaze, trying to see what had caught everyone's interest.
He followed their gaze and saw a guy standing silently with a big smile on his face.
wasn't because he had some crazy aura or godlike looks.
Not at all.
He simply stood out mainly because of his tall height.
The guy looked like he was at least 6'2", towering over everyone else his age.
Still, he wasn't muscular. His build was normal like someone who never practiced physically but knew how to control his diet just enough to stay fit.
His face? Nothing impressive. In fact, if you passed him on the street, you probably wouldn't even remember him five minutes later.
He was just... average. The kind of guy you'd see a thousand times and never give a second thought.
And yet somehow he stood there with a confidence so real, so unshakable, that it made everyone around him pay attention without even realizing it.
He just...looks radiant.
Legend? Max blinked in surprise. Isn't he too young to have a title like that?
He listened to the students whispering among themselves. At first, he thought they were talking about someone older maybe a Professor or some famous old man.
But no, they were all looking at a boy around their own age.
How can someone so young be called a legend? Max wondered, his curiosity growing even stronger.
Max leaned closer to Jack and whispered, "Hey, who is that guy? Why's everyone calling him… umm, a legend? What's the big deal?"
Some students nearby gave Max strange looks, like they were wondering if he had grown up in a jungle.
Jack also gave him a weird stare. "You really don't know who that guy is?" he whispered back.
"Should I?" Max asked, even more confused now.
"That guy over there," Jack pointed with a nod, "he's called Legend because he literally won the world at sixteen."
"...Huh? Won the world? What does that even mean? Is he strong? Some powerful mage? Like... won how? Is he a king or something?"
"You really don't know, huh? No, he's not a king and why would you even think that? Kings don't come at our age, dumbass Use your brain." Jack sighed.
Jack continued, "He also has another name. People call him the Son of Valoria."
"Son of... Valoria? Is that some strong person?"
Jack blinked at him, clearly losing patience. "Valoria's a kingdom, dumbass. It's literally our neighbor."
"...Oh." Max shut his mouth.
Who even gives a name like that? he wanted to complain, but decided to keep it to himself.
Jack just shook his head. Even he couldn't believe how clueless Max was. and they call me dumb angel of the streets, he thought.
"Forget it. You won't understand. Just know that guy over there? He is some super big deal."
"No, no. At least tell me why you guys call him a legend. Does he have some kind of special, unique magic?" Max asked, really trying to make sense of it.
Jack was about to answer when
"Hey, sunglasses! Can you keep your voice down?" a girl's voice suddenly called out from behind.
Max jumped in surprise.
He and Jack turned to see a girl with golden hair glaring at them. Her annoyed expression made it very clear she wasn't impressed by their little chat.
"We're in the middle of the sorting ceremony. Have some manners," she said sharply, before turning away like they were nothing more than noisy monkeys.
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