‘Eons ago, nine gods came to life in the Equipoise Realm, giving birth to the elemental bloodlines. Lifeforce, Light, Earth, Fire, Water, Ice, Air, Energy, and the Psionics. All elements existed together in perfect balance, until one day, a volatile elemental feud broke out between Fire and Water over power. The feud stretched over thousands of generations until it reached a point where the gods feared that the whole Realm would dwindle into oblivion. They split the realm in three, separating the elements to ensure peace, keeping the neutral earth magic as a central connection where magic could flow between the two realms restoring balance once again.’

  “Eros?”

  I stiffened at the sound of my father’s voice, scrunching the handwritten note back into my pocket as fast as I could, before turning around to lock eyes with his puzzled gaze. Ever since I was little, my father had an obsession with ancient scrolls, collecting as many as he could, always mumbling about the legends and myths around The Nine, the anointed ones, whatever that meant. It always gave me a feeling of achievement, sneaking in and making notes from his prized collection. He loved his collection so much, that I think it took precedence over his own family. There was one scroll in particular that he kept locked away in a glass box, only taking it out late at night when he thought my mother and I had gone to sleep, whispering about the scroll of the lost.

  “Focus, boy,” my father snapped, pulling me out of my thoughts. “I assume you are ready?”

  “Yes, sir, I was just going through my to-do list,” I lied.

  “You don’t need a to-do list, you have one job, welcome the other realmers, and that's it.”

  “Understood.” I nodded.

  “Don't let them get too close.”

  “I know, father.”

  “You should call me Chancellor.”

  “Yes, fa— Chancellor.”

  My father’s lips curled up. “And, Eros, above all else, remember you are from the superior realm of Equipoise. Demand respect, they cannot be trusted.”

  “Yes, Chancellor.”

  “Are you ready?”

  “I think so.”

  “Always be ready, Eros, never turn your back on any of them,” my father commanded, lifting his hands in the air. “Purifeom Strienis”

  I barely had time to turn around before a dark portal whirled in front of me. My curly brown hair whipped playfully across my face as a gust of wind filled the room. I took a deep breath, standing tall, ready to welcome the students of Hiems house. A loud noise crackled through the air, and my eyes shifted to the swirling energy portal that appeared in the middle of the room. The first student stepped through, his eyes sweeping across the area as he took in his new surroundings.

  “Welcome to Trigon, please take a seat until every student has arrived,” I said, addressing him confidently. My eyes shot to the blue and grey abacus on the wall as it flung a bead to the other side, counting the students.

  Greet them, and then do the induction all at once.

  His eyes narrowed, the look of disdain for me and where he was, evident. I shook it off and turned my focus back to the portal. I guess my father was right about the Tartarean fae. They had a reputation for being unfriendly, and not very likable for that matter. The second student entered, her magical dark and purple eyes filled with velvety blue water droplets catching my attention immediately.

  “Welcome to Trigon, please take a seat until every student—”

  She glared at me before flipping her brunette hair into my face.

  “Rafe!” she called, walking over to the first student who had entered, whispering something into his ear making them both laugh.

  “Okay then,” I muttered.

  Again, the crackling noise started, distracting me from the awkward introductions. More and more students started pouring in. One by one they shuffled into the seating area, waiting for the others to arrive. Students from Leukós, Equipoise, and Tenebrous frantically searched for each other the moment they stepped through the portal, forming three distinct groups in the room. The room filled up substantially, and I was completely enamored by the rainbow of irises staring up at me. For fae from Leukós, the pink and purples represented the Psionic Fae, the swirling blue rings for the Energy fae, irises that looked as if they were made up of the galaxies themselves for the Air elementals, and lastly the glowing fiery ember rings, which could only represent the fire fae.

  To the left of the room, the next set of irises staring back at me was just as captivating. Representing Tenebrous. I looked into irises that resembled cracked frozen lakes, filled with deep blue which had to be for the ice elemental. There were a couple of fae with endless black and gray voids which represented the element of light. I was still examining the array of vibrant eyes, before noticing how restless the room was getting, how clear it was that none of these fae wanted to be here.

  “When do we get to leave?” a short girl asked from the back of the room.

  I glanced down at the abacus against the wall, before answering. “I believe we have one more student to go.” I turned back towards the portal. Waiting with bated breath as the crackling sounds started again. We had been sitting for almost an hour, waiting patiently for all students to make it through.

  The final student jerked through the portal and hit the ground with force, making her dark, blackberry-colored hair fall into her face as she fell forward, stumbling into a nearby table.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, stepping forward as she got up to scan the room with her water-filled blue and purple irises.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Welcome to Trigon, please take a seat and we will get started shortly.”

  She didn’t respond and instead walked to an empty seat away from all the other fae in the room, which surprised me. The rest of the Tartarean started whispering, sniggering, and giving the girl looks. She was uniquely beautiful from all the other Tartarean fae I'd seen. Her pouty lips and dark eyebrows were complemented by her vivid eyes and purple hair.

  “Once again, I’d like to welcome all of you to Trigon Academy of the Arcane Arts. My name is Eros and I will be a third year at the academy this year.” I took a deep breath allowing the nerves to fade before continuing. “If you wouldn’t all mind standing up and following me into the Hiems common room.”

  The students followed closely as I led them out of the study hall and into the common area where three large fires were roaring. Soft blue couches were scattered across the room with multiple TVs placed on the walls. Bookcases with sectionals were placed in every corner, and a large wood oak coffee table was right in the center.

  “Your house will be Hiems, also known as Winter house. The house you are assigned will be the house you represent throughout your time at Trigon. You will compete against the other houses in sports, and school-related events for a bit of friendly competition.” The lack of enthusiasm in the room signaled for me to speed up my welcome speech. “Any questions?”

  “Where do we sleep?” a fae with thick dark glasses asked.

  “Great question, first years, your dorms are block A, second years block B, third years block C, and finally fourth years block D. In the back of the room you will find an enchanted ice orb, please place your hand in the center of the orb. The orb will then form your room number in snowflakes above it. Your assigned room will be enchanted to open at your command, and only at your command.”

  “Are you saying we’re mixed with these…“ The brunette from earlier started, staring at a fae from Leukós.

  “These what?” the fae snapped, getting up.

  “Please stop,” I encouraged. “Students were divided using enchantments that only the council has control over, this was not chosen by us.”

  The whispers and groans subsided, but fae from all realms were still eyeing each other suspiciously. Several fae got up and started heading to the back of the room for their keys.

  “One more announcement please.”

  No one responded, and I realized that I had lost their attention.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  A small bout of panic rose in me as students walked towards the exit of the common room. I stilled my mind, allowing my hands to raise towards the door. A roar erupted, and branches sprang to life, barring anyone from exiting. Some students looked surprised, others looked intrigued, but the few who were right at the door looked ready to kill me.

  “As I was saying, one more announcement please.”

  “Get on with it then,” the tall black-haired guy groaned.

  “All first years have to report to the temple at midnight for their ascension. A map, together with your class schedule, has been preloaded onto your 10th Element Smart Watch, as well as your 10th Element Notebook.”

  “That's tonight?” a fae from Leukós asked.

  “Yup.”

  “Are you done; can we leave?” the brunette next to the ice fae asked.

  “Actually no, for the next week you will have student orientation. During this orientation, you will be given guided school and grounds tours. You will meet your professors, and be able to spend time visiting other houses.”

  Tartarean groans started filling the room, with many faces glaring at me.

  “After your week of Orientation, a student council will be selected during the opening ceremony at the Great Hall. Attendance is compulsory, any student not partaking will be sent home,” I added, which instantly made the room pay more attention.

  “What is the student council?” a guy in the back asked.

  “They will represent the school in social activities and make decisions on behalf of all students.”

  “Done now?” the impatient brunette asked again.

  “For those of you interested, I will be giving a small tour and answering any questions about Trigon,” I said, ignoring the rush.

  Most of the other realmers chose to ignore me, heading out the door without as much as a word once they got their room number. I sat down on the couch closest to the fire, irritation burning in my body. I didn't expect any of the Mesial who were natively from Equipoise to ask questions, because we had a pre-induction session with them, but none of the Tartarean or Lumini gathered to ask questions either. Probably too stubborn.

  The blackberry-colored hair girl from earlier was sitting on the couch, staring at the line waiting for her chance to get her room number. I couldn't fight the urge to try and have at least one friendly conversation with another realmer tonight.

  “I guess we should have put more than one orb down,” I said in a light tone, noticing the line moving slowly.

  Her eyes glanced over me, and then right back to where they were.

  “I can create another Hiems orb on this side of the room if it will speed up your room assignment?” I offered.

  Again, she didn't respond.

  “Gods, what is with you Tartarean,” I huffed, falling further back into the couch.

  “Excuse me?” she asked.

  “None of you seem to care about anything.”

  She didn't say a word, instead, her water-splattered eyes moved from me, back onto the roaring fire, then back to me.

  “Sorry, I’m just annoyed,” I muttered.

  “Eros, right?”

  I nodded; my eyes focused on the line of students waiting.

  “I’d appreciate another orb.”

  I could feel the surprise washing over me, she wasn't being a complete jerk. “Really?”

  “Yeah, if it's not too much trouble.”

  “Of course not, and you are?”

  “Aries Vygros,” she whispered, looking uncomfortable.

  “Bless you,” I teased.

  “Funny,” she said flatly.

  “I try.”

  There was an inkling of a smile trying to burst free from her serious demeanor, but her Tartarean perma-scowl won in the end.

  “Vygros, I’m sure I’ve heard that name before,” I said thoughtfully.

  “It’s only one of the most powerful families In Tenebrous,” the tall muscular guy with jet black hair, and icy eyes interrupted.

  “Ugh,” Aries muttered, clearly unimpressed with her second introduction.

  “Rafe Soren. I heard you were creating another orb back here to make the line go faster?” Rafe asked smugly. “Or was that an offer for Aries only?”

  “I was,” I admitted.

  The look on Rafe’s face as he taunted me, showed just how arrogant and forward the Tartarean were. I bit my lip, walking towards an open space in the back of the room before looking back at Rafe standing over Aries. I focused and allowed the Hiems house key generator to spawn in front of me, an ability that I only had for tonight thanks to my father allowing me to cast the keys.

  When I got back to where Aries was sitting, Rafe stood next to the impatient brunette with water irises like Aries.

  “This is Mara.”

  “Can we go?” Mara glared, barely acknowledging mine or Aries’s existence.

  “Thanks for the orb Eros, later Vygros,” Rafe said, before heading to get his key, and exiting the room.

  “Friends of yours?”

  “No”

  “Oh…” I said, unable to hide my surprise as I sat on the side of the couch. “Enemies then?”

  Aries shifted uncomfortably, letting out what sounded like a soft growl. “No.”

  “Do you always say no?”

  “No,” Aries shrugged.

  “Do you always seem this angry?”

  She glared at me before her eyes softened slightly. “No.”

  “You should probably grab your room assignment,” I suggested, as the room emptied.

  “Are you normally this bossy?”

  “No,” I laughed.

  “Hmmm,” Aries murmured, getting up from the couch and walking towards the orb.

  “I just stick my hand in?”

  “Yup.”

  Watching Aries, questions ran through my head. For a fae from one of the most powerful families in Tenebrous, she seemed quiet and so resistant to even her own kind.

  “Hey, Eros.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Would you mind showing me where my block is?” Aries asked nervously, a pained expression on her face.

  I got to my feet faster than I intended. “Definitely. You don't ask for help a lot, do you?”

  “No.”

  “Well while you’re feeling brave, could I interest you in a free Hiems tour?”

  “I guess,” Aries frowned, visibly unsure about her choice.

  “Fantastic. If you would follow me this way please.”

  She stayed right behind me as I led us out of the common room and out into the main hall of Hiems. The stonework was highlighted by the blue fires burning.

  “Blue fire?” Aries asked.

  “Neat little trick to represent cold,” I said enthusiastically. “It's still real fire, so don't touch it.”

  “Noted.”

  “If you go down this hall towards the main exit, you will find a large wooden information desk. You can use this desk to check in, add extra classes, get messages, arrange a call to your parents outside the campus, and ensure your student information is up to date.”

  Aries nodded.

  “To your left, you will find the Hiems library, common room, and the relaxation area.” I pointed down the dimly-lit hallway. “Inside those areas, you will find many statues of fae that have been dead for centuries, among the other outdated but cool décor.”

  Aries smirked slightly. She was either amused by my tour guide skills or she thought I was being ridiculous.

  “I’m sure you’ve noticed that here in Hiems, we like large wooden doors, stone, and a lot of blue,” I gestured around me.

  “Any questions, Aries?”

  “None just yet, you’re being very thorough.”

  “Great to hear!”

  I took her up the dark stone stairs to the student lounge, back into the study hall, as well as the other common areas around our Hiems dormitory.

  “Where are the classes?”

  “All classes will take place at various locations around the Trigon’s grounds, you’ll find a map preloaded as mentioned before, but that will also be covered in your week of orientation.”

  Aries nodded again.

  “Now, let me show you outside,” I said excitedly.

  When I opened the heavy wooden door, snow covered all student housing and the trees that surrounded most of Hiems.

  “It’s snowing?”

  “Yes, but it’s not real, well it's real, but not cold,” I faltered.

  “What?” She was clearly confused.

  “It’s all magic, every house is enchanted to show the season it represents. Winter looks like winter, but the temperature will be the same as whatever season it is in Equipoise. Right now, because it’s only the start of winter, you may only feel slightly cold, whereas if this was real snow you would be freezing,” I rambled.

  “Pretty cool,” she muttered.

  “Behind the first-year student housing, you'll find the Hiems dark forest, as well as the Hiems atrium.”

  “What’s beyond the forest?” she asked.

  “Again, it’s all bewitched. After the atrium, you’ll be able to go a little deeper into the forest, before it spits you out right where you started.”

  Aries's eyes widened with fascination.

  “You want to see the bonfire area?”

  “I think I'm ready to take a break,” she said.

  “Well, you're in luck, this is the first-year dorm,” I said, pointing ahead as we walked up the snow-covered stone steps.

  “Thanks for giving me this mini-tour, Eros.”

  “You’re welcome.” I smiled. “What room are you in?”

  “130, you?”

  “37.”

  “So it’s true, every student gets their own room?”

  “It is, and the higher your year at Trigon, the better the rooms,” I jested playfully.

  Her mouth curled up into a smile, and her icy exterior faded for a second.

  “Anyway, I hope you enjoy the rest of your day, feel free to go and explore the Trigon campus a little,” I encouraged her, before remembering important information, “But don't miss ascension, midnight in the temple.”

  “I won't.”

  “Later, Aries.” I waved.

  Walking back to the third-year dorm, I couldn't focus on anything but my interaction with Aries. She didn’t seem as bad as my father made the other realmers out to be. Why didn’t I feel superior to her in any way? A part of me wanted to let them in, let her in. Explore what the other realmers could teach…but maybe that very thought was the exact reason why my father warned me about them.