Ray, Aria, Jason, and over two hundred other first-year students sat in the vast auditorium, listening to the elderly Professor Kegel deliver the orientation speech from the podium on stage.
Jason had already dozed off on his soft chair, drooling, while more than half the students had drifted into dreamland as well. Only about half of them were still awake.
Ray half-listened, summarizing the gist in his head:
Temmecia, the Academy of Beast Tamers, was a boarding school with four academic years. New students would be sorted into different Houses with environments suited to their growth and individual strengths.
There were three Houses.
Each House had its own rules, customs, and culture that differed from the school's central regulations. Professors only oversaw a portion of student life—most of the time, students governed themselves and even made their own rules.
Red Phoenix House – suited for those who loved adventure and people. They ruled by democracy, voting and debating every decision. In inter-House competitionsH they usually won, since they could rally around a shared goal—but they were slow to decide and not entirely united.
Blue Unicorn House – suited for those who loved peace. Students here weren't competitive; they excelled in caring for beasts and in academics, but rarely in sports or inter-House contests. They hardly ever won rewards or bonus points, preferring a quiet life of study, sleep, and play.
Black Dragon House – suited for the ambitious. It was infamous as the gathering place for troublemakers. Authority was absolute, with the strong ruling over the weak. Fistfights happened daily in their personal arena. While they alternated wins and losses against Phoenix in competitions, their intensity produced elite individuals—though they were terrible at teamwork.
Ray watched as students were called one by one. Each walked down to the front, cut their finger, and let their blood drip into the Basin of Fate. The blood would transform into the mark of the House they belonged to: Phoenix, Dragon, or Unicorn. The freshmen trembled with excitement.
"Do you think we'll end up in the same House?" Ray scratched his cheek nervously.
"I don't know," Aria answered calmly. "But maybe."
Jason, still asleep, suddenly slumped his head onto Ray's shoulder. Ray grimaced as the professor called:
"Jason Fortter! Step forward to be sorted by the Basin of Fate!"
Ray shoved Jason's head off.
"Hey, it's your turn! Get up there!"
"Wh—what the hell, I was having a nice nap!" Jason snarled, but Aria gestured toward the stage.
"Ohhh, so this is the House sorting, huh? Hmph. Watch closely, you two—I'll set the standard. This sorting thing's a joke." With hands in his pockets, Jason swaggered down the steps, deliberately kicking the leg of a classmate blocking the aisle.
He hissed when the knife nicked his hand, dripping blood into the basin. The liquid shimmered—then shaped itself into a dragon.
"Jason Fortter—Black Dragon House!"
"Wooooooh!" Jason whooped, punching the air before pointing at Ray and Aria.
"You two! You'd better follow me to Black Dragon! If you don't, you'll regret it!"
"Jason, stop yelling already!" Ray groaned, covering his face in embarrassment. Aria only shook her head slightly.
"That guy…you could guess his House without even seeing the basin," Ray muttered through his fingers.
"True. But Ray, if the three of us end up separated, what will you do?"
"Eh, nothing. We'll just meet at lunch anyway." Ray smiled, glancing down at Jason now strutting proudly in his new black cloak.
The sorting continued.
"Next, Aria Arteria Fanlien."
Aria rose gracefully, brushing her skirt before walking down the aisle with her usual composure. Heads turned everywhere—everyone knew her name and her aloof reputation. Ray braced himself. Surely she'd be a Unicorn. Quiet, bookish, disinterested in others—what else could it be?
"Aria Arteria Fanlien—Black Dragon House!"
"What!?" Ray gasped, and the whole auditorium buzzed. Everyone had expected the white-haired, cold-eyed girl to be Unicorn through and through. Instead, she had joined the most chaotic House of all.
"Oh right…she may be a nerd, but she hates losing. Even when I beat her she was furious. Loves knowledge, yes, but she's ambitious too. Makes sense, I guess… Black Dragon, huh? Damn, that leaves just me."
Ray clutched his head. He was certain his blood would blaze into Phoenix. He loved people, loved meddling, helping, debating, adventuring—everything Phoenix stood for. That meant he'd be separated for sure.
"Next, Ray Landrol."
Ray prayed desperately to be with his friends, even though deep down he knew. He picked up the knife, cut his hand lightly, and let the blood fall.
It swirled. And swirled.
"Ray Landrol—Red Phoenix!"
"Noooo! Not Phoenix!" Ray's shoulders slumped as the blood burst into fiery avian form.
"I…I'm sorry, guys…" He looked miserably at Aria, who drummed her finger impatiently, and Jason, who dragged his thumb across his throat in a mocking death threat: You're dead if you don't follow us!
Ray tugged at Professor Kegel's sleeve. "Professor, can I…try again?"
"The basin never errs, young man. You are Phoe—wait…what is this? Strange…your basin shows two marks. Half Phoenix…and half Black Dragon!"
"Huh? You're right!" Ray exclaimed, staring as the fiery bird shared space with a black dragon sigil.
"In this rare case, you must choose for yourself."
"Seriously!? Then I'll choose Black Dragon!" Ray blurted without hesitation. The old professor stroked his beard, frowning.
"Do you understand? The so-called 'peace' of Black Dragon is more like the pits of hell."
"Hell?" Ray's eyes sparkled. "Sounds exciting."
"Indeed, it is. Phoenix would be a safer choice, young man. Think carefully."
"But all my friends are already in hell. I'd rather go there with them than be lonely in Phoenix." Ray grinned brightly.
The professor chuckled despite himself. "A fine decision. Excellent, excellent."
"Hehe, really I'm just attached to my friends. But thanks, Professor." Ray bowed sheepishly.
"Then it is decided! Ray Landrol—Black Dragon House!"
Ray donned the black cloak, grinning ear to ear. The freshmen cheered as they were escorted toward their new Houses.
But unseen eyes were watching. Upperclassmen lurked in the shadows, whispering.
"Hehehe, I love this part. Can't wait to crush the freshmen."
"Let's break their spirits completely."
"Brings back memories. Our senpai did the same to us, hahahaha!"
"Finally…new slaves."
The Black Dragon upperclassmen closed in, circling the new recruits as Professor David led them toward the House castle.
The castle loomed in Gothic splendor—towering spires, a massive clocktower, a roaring dragon statue. Old, but commanding.
Professor David only guided them to the gates. "Don't forget to register for your elective courses today, students. You'll need the credits." He left them there—surrounded.
The freshmen were herded like sheep into the fortress.
Inside, grandeur greeted them: chandeliers glittering overhead, a personal arena before the gates, a grand dining hall, a massive staircase leading to five floors and over three hundred dorm rooms. But the center of it all was a dragon-carved throne. Around it lounged fourth-years, flanking their "king."
"Kneel, if you want a place to sleep tonight," commanded a bald man with a single eye and a spiked crown, leaning on the armrest, sneering down from the throne.
Most of the freshmen buckled immediately, dropping to their knees under the pressure of upperclass might.
But not all. Ray, Aria, and Jason stood firm.
"Kneel? To some idiot just a couple years older? Don't make me laugh, baldy! I'm Jason Fortter. The only man I kneel to is my father. Don't you dare act like you can order me!" Jason roared, startling the kneeling crowd.
"Jason, maybe you came in a little hot," Ray muttered.
"He's right," Aria said coolly. "I'll go find us a room." She turned, climbing the stairs—only to be blocked by looming seniors. With a sigh, she returned.
Another first-year spoke up. A boy with messy bangs covering one eye, glasses perched low, and dark circles under his eyes.
"You three…you really don't know the rules of Black Dragon, huh? No one gets a room unless the King approves." His voice was lazy, dripping with sarcasm.
"And you are?" the crowned "king" asked from the throne.
"Me? Heh. Karua Karl. Well then…shall we begin the initiation, Senior Victor Zanda—King of Black Dragon?"
Victor smirked, half-lidded eyes glinting, and snapped his fingers.
"Second-years. Drag the brats to the arena. Crush them one by one. Any who lose will hand over their dorm room to the freshmen. The useless don't deserve a room."
The courtyard buzzed with dread. Freshmen trembled. If they lost, they'd have nowhere to sleep but the stables. The upperclassmen cackled with glee, relishing the chance to beat down the newcomers.
But they had no idea.
Who would really be crushing whom.
Ray raised his hand. "I'll go first." He stepped into the arena, smiling, as a second-year stepped forward. He held up his hand and called:
"Come out, Ulga!"
And the colossal Ancient Orca materialized.
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