The silence in the room hung heavily after my decision, every pair of eyes turning toward me, waiting for my next move. The room felt colder than it had before, as though the weight of my words had shifted the very atmosphere. I had chosen to create a new house—an unprecedented move. The other instructors, including Ariana, exchanged glances, their thoughts hidden behind unreadable expressions. Master Alaric’s face was a study of calm, though his eyes were calculating, as if weighing the consequences of what I had just done.

  Ariana, the ever-steady protagonist of the game, already standing with the students of the Silver Fenrir, hesitated only for a moment before resuming her role. But I caught her gaze—sharp, direct—and in that fleeting moment, I could see the questions behind her eyes. What was I doing? What had I gotten myself into? She, the girl who had always steered the house toward its expected destiny, probably saw my choice as something reckless, something that could jeopardize everything. But I didn’t care. I couldn’t care. Not anymore.

  Master Alaric finally spoke, his voice calm but carrying an undercurrent of uncertainty. “The creation of a new house is unheard of, Regalia, but it is your right. The Shadow Ravens will be your responsibility now. You will be its first instructor. It will fall to you to find students who are worthy of your house.”

  I nodded, the weight of his words sinking in. I had made my choice, and now I had to live with it. No help, no guidance, no hand-holding. The Shadow Ravens would be a house born out of necessity, from the desire to break away from the established systems. It would be a house that would defy the expectations placed upon us by the academy and the four kingdoms. But I wasn’t doing this on a whim. I had a plan, a purpose.

  “I’ll need time,” I said, my voice steady, betraying no hint of the doubt that lurked beneath. “I won’t rush this decision. I’ll take the time to choose carefully. The students who join must be willing to stand apart from the others. They must be ready for what comes next.”

  Master Alaric’s gaze softened for a moment, an almost imperceptible nod of approval. “Very well. Take as long as you need, Regalia. But know that your house will not go unnoticed. Others will watch you. Your actions, your decisions will matter.”

  As the assembly dispersed, I found myself standing alone amidst the silent echoes of the grand hall, surrounded by banners that represented everything I had chosen to reject. Silver Fenrir, Crimson Phoenix, Golden Foxes, Azure Dragons—each house carried with it the weight of tradition, of a kingdom, an empire, a republic. I didn’t belong to any of them. I never had. The Shadow Ravens would be something different, something new.

  Days passed in quiet contemplation. I walked the halls, observing the students of the different houses, trying to get a sense of who might be willing to join me. The academy was full of young talent, full of ambition, but not all of them were ready for what I was planning. They would have to be different, willing to challenge the world as it was, to defy the systems that sought to control them.

  I needed to find those who had the strength to break free from tradition. I wasn’t looking for the most skilled or the most famous. I wasn’t looking for someone to follow in the footsteps of the Silver Fenrir’s nobility or the Azure Dragons’ esteemed lineage. No, I needed students who were unafraid to step into the unknown, who would join me in creating something new, something unpredictable.

  The first person I spoke to was Elira. She was a student in the Golden Foxes, known for her sharp wit and even sharper tongue. She was not like the others—no, Elira was something entirely different. She had the look of someone who had been hurt by the world, someone who had seen the cracks in the foundation but had no idea how to fix them. She didn’t fit with her house. The flashy gold and prideful atmosphere of the Golden Foxes seemed to suffocate her, and it wasn’t long before I noticed her slipping away from her classmates, distancing herself from the spotlight.

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  I approached her one evening, finding her sitting alone in the courtyard, staring out at the setting sun. She didn’t hear me approach, but when I spoke, she didn’t startle. Her posture was tense, but her eyes held no surprise. She had known I was coming.

  “Elira,” I began, keeping my voice calm. “I’ve been watching you.”

  She didn’t look at me immediately. Instead, her gaze remained fixed on the horizon. “You’re the new instructor,” she said softly, her tone flat. “Instructor Regalia, right?”

  I nodded. “Yes. But I’m not here to offer you a spot in any of the houses you know. I’m offering something new. The Shadow Ravens. A house where you don’t have to pretend to be something you’re not. A house where you won’t be bound by the traditions and expectations of the world.”

  Her eyes flicked to me, a hint of something—curiosity, perhaps—stirring in her expression. “The Shadow Ravens?” she repeated, testing the name as if to see if it sounded as ridiculous as it felt. “What kind of house is that?”

  “The kind that doesn’t follow the rules,” I said, my voice steady. “The kind that does what needs to be done, even when the rest of the world doesn’t understand it. A house that stands apart.”

  She looked away again, her lips pressed into a thin line. I could see the internal battle she was fighting—the desire for something different, something real, weighed against the fear of stepping into the unknown. I didn’t rush her. I just stood there, waiting.

  After what felt like an eternity, Elira finally spoke. “And why would I join you? What makes you different from all the other instructors? From all the others who claim to offer something ‘new’?”

  I took a step closer, my voice low but firm. “Because I’m not asking you to follow a leader. I’m asking you to lead with me. We’ll change the course of things together. We won’t let the world decide our fate. We’ll choose our own path.”

  She was silent for a moment, her eyes downcast. But then, just as I thought she might walk away, she met my gaze again, her expression softer this time.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said, her voice quieter than before.

  I nodded, a small, almost imperceptible smile tugging at my lips. “That’s all I ask.”

  The following days passed slowly, but I continued to watch and wait. I knew that I couldn’t build this house alone. The Shadow Ravens had to be more than just an idea. They had to be something tangible, something real. And I would need more than just Elira. I would need others—those who were tired of the endless cycle, those who were ready to break free.

  One day, as I was making my rounds, I encountered Nolan, a student from Crimson Phoenix who had always stood out to me. He wasn’t the most outwardly ambitious, but there was something in the way he carried himself that spoke of quiet strength. He wasn’t interested in being the best or the most respected. He simply wanted to find his place in the world, a place where he could make a difference.

  He was standing outside the training hall, watching the other students spar. I approached him cautiously, unsure of his reaction.

  “You look like you’re not in the right place,” I said, my voice casual but direct.

  He turned to face me, his expression unreadable. “And what makes you say that?”

  I shrugged, a small smile playing on my lips. “I can see it. You don’t belong with Crimson Phoenix, and I don’t think you’re happy where you are.”

  For a long moment, he didn’t respond. Then, finally, he spoke. “Maybe you’re right. But I don’t know if your ‘Shadow Ravens’ is the answer. What makes you so sure it’s what I need?”

  I looked him in the eye, my gaze unwavering. “Because it’s what you need, whether you know it or not. It’s what all of us need. We’re going to change this academy, change the future. We’re going to make a difference.”

  Nolan studied me for a moment, as though weighing my words carefully. Then, after a long pause, he nodded slowly. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “Maybe it’s time for something different.”

  And just like that, the Shadow Ravens had gained another member. The house was beginning to take shape. It wouldn’t be easy. There would be challenges ahead, and I knew we would face resistance. But for the first time since I arrived in this world, I felt something I hadn’t in a long time: hope.

  The Shadow Ravens were rising.