Syla and I unpacked and got settled. I couldn't stop thinking about my mom and what happened that night. I hadn't had time to think about it.
I could still feel the pain, like it was happening all over again. The way the air went heavy in my lungs, the weight of everything is seen pulling me to the ground.
The patterns on the locket mom gave me grazed my palm. I looked at it, it felt unreal. The locket, what happened that day, this school. I'd been convincing myself that this was a dream I'd wake from soon. But for how long?
I'd been telling myself I'd wake up for years. Before my father died. So many fights he'd have with my mom. some resulted in him vanishing for months without a trace, if we were lucky it'd be weeks. He wasn't a good husband but he was a wonderful father and a good best friend.
"Sorry to disturb whatever you've got going on here but we have our first class now". Syla's voice like a ripple, reminded me That I was still here and this was not a dream.
"But it's dark outside, what could we possibly be learning in the dark?". I was starting to get pissed.
She shrugged, put on her coat. "Put on something that'll keep you warm"
she turned to me "you wouldn't want anyone to see you in tears on the first day, would you?" I instinctively knew by the way she was looking at me that I had tears running from my eyes.
I brushed off the tears, reaching in my bag for my hoodie.
"Averin" I heard syla call from behind me. my eyes settled on her face as I turned, hoodie in hand.
"I know you're scared and from the looks of it, you don't know what you're doing here. Truth is everyone here is scared, the only difference is some hide it and let it ruin them while the others channel it into something beautifully chaotic". She walked over and dropped her hands on my shoulder.
"Will you hide and be ruined or would you rather add chaos to this beauty and be one of the best".
I didn't know if that was rhetorical or if I was supposed to say something. She let go and leaned back.
"I'll be outside" she said and left. I slid into my hoodie. Syla was right, if I'm going to be here, I had to at least make an impact. Walking out the door, I found her leaning on the wall right outside the room.
We walked in silence, following the crowd. We walked past several halls. I noticed the older students had different uniforms, there were five different colors of them, each with a different insignia on the right side. The one which intrigued me was the red and white. The insignia was a Phoenix rising from fire, which I found goofy and weird. The rest I couldn't see properly. I still couldn't figure out why the hell we were outside this late at night. We were halted in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by trees and darkness.
Sounds of bugs and critters blending with the quiet taps of murmurs, looking around I wouldn't be wrong to believe I was the only person with a 'partner' I couldn't talk to. I and syla stood in the middle of the noise, after what felt like centuries, everyone was gathered. The older students stood far from us, like spectators. Thier uniforms divided by color and style, thier faces - grimmer than the night. One of the older students, muttered something that faintly sounded like prayers and incantations and just like that we were surrounded by flames that lit the environment. They weren't touching the ground, there weren't any lamps or candle holders, there was literally nothing fire could emit from but there they were. I knew I could be the only one who didn't understand the mechanics of this world.
"Good evening, children of arcanum" that voice, familiar yet threatening. I moved my gaze from the fire to the direction of the voice, we we're spaced enough for anyone to get a good glimpse of anything happening in front.
It was the guy who addressed us when we first came. What was his name again? Dra…drag.. it was something close to that… draken. Yes that's the name.
"Tonight begins your trial" his voice somehow caused the flames to glow more.
The crowd stilled, as if the very night was halted for him to speak.
"This academy is divided into five houses. You do not pick them. They will claim you, should you survive long enough to earn the right."
He raised his hands and four students stepped forward in silence, each dressed in the different colors.
The first guy, I'd seen taunting draken earlier today, his uniform grey and gold with an insignia of a wolf under the full moon. He closed his eyes and when they opened up again they were almost as red as draken's if not darker. His lips dropped open showcasing fangs as sharp as sickle's. The hair on his body increasing seventeen times more.
"I am zevian. Alpha and head of the house of claws" his voice carried a crippling authority with it. "We are the hunt, we do not bow, we endure"
Another guy walked up, his feet moved like they weren't supposed to touch the ground. His uniform indigo with light blue highlights, the insignia of water rippling.
His eyes completely grey, his mouth dropped and immediately I felt trapped. His voice a resonant monotone, ground shaking and still profound enough, you could feel it from every nerve in your body.
"I am deo, one of the very rare wailborne's and the head of the house of echo" his eyes held no emotion, like you could see into his soul from his eyes "we are the voices that breaks silence and our words carve destiny".
A girl stepped forward, hair like it was painted with oil, her uniform deep black with silver trims, the insignia of a snake almost present and still almost absent. She moved weightless and suddenly she disappeared completely and re-appeared in front of syla, who was standing next to me. I almost tipped over, if not for syla holding my arm last minute. She turned to me and gave the most seductive smile I've ever seen. Her eyes beyond enchanting, her fangs as mesmerizing as her facial features.
"I am vallea" she said stepping back "the last of the vathori and the head of house of fangs" her eyes glimmered with the moonlight "charm is a weapon and it's power's are eternal".
The last guy stepped forward, that red and white uniform with the Phoenix insignia. His hair like Christmas morning.
He never lifted his head to look at us, one would have thought he was frightened by us, newbies. He stretched out his hand and immediately it caught on fire. Like real fire but his hands weren't burning, what the crap?!!
"I'm lucen, head of the house of flames we are born in fire and unbroken by fate" he finished and then draken stepped forward.
"I'm draken veylor head of the house of shadows, before you are the heads of the five houses of the arcanum academy. As demonstrated, the house of claws claims the werewolves and all creatures who hunt, the house of echo claims the banshees, the sirens and those whose voices leave an edge in your soul."
His eyes moved through us, carefully recognizing our presence
"the house of fang claims the vampires, the dhampirs and all who's charm drains blood. The house of flames claim the hellhounds, dragons and fire elementals, all who control the heat. Then the house of shadows, the house of shadows claims the witches,fae and necromancers. All who's power can bend will. In the house of shadows, darkness is not evil, ignorance is" he finished. Silence. Letting us digest what we'd just heard.
"Although there are exceptions, many standing here are hybrids, some the last of their kind. Like the vathori; a clan of vampires so insatiable for blood that they'd stop at nothing to get it but with the great war came the seal on their existence, and now only one remains from the clan. Vallea, I will advise you, it'd be beyond stupid to provoke her. She's deprived herself of blood for many years but every creature has their limits. Do not be her's." He glanced over his shoulder, locking eyes with the goddess who seemed to be enjoying her reputation.
"The wailborne's, very rare but not non-existent. They are the male counterparts of banshees, although stronger. Thier voice will pull you on like the siren's melody but it can bend you from the inside out. Although they are not easily provoked, thread with caution. Tonight, you will partner with someone you trust and your team will be joined by a senior student." He stopped speaking.
"Your task, make it to the gold gates by sunrise. Your seniors are not there to help you but to guide you to the gates, they are not obligated to interfere if you're under attack by an opposing team but if they find you worthy, they might help."
I already knew
I couldn't be with anyone but syla. I mean she was assigned to help me after all.
"Tonight you will not sleep. You will run, you will fight, you will bleed if you must. This forest will be your arena. Make Concordia proud"