CHAPTER FOUR
The House of Lumin
Seraphinna knew that once she stepped into this place, there would be no turning back.
But that was merely a reminder. She had never been one to run away from danger.
As she stepped further into the school, she found herself mesmerised by its beauty.
Students were moving about everywhere, some carrying luggage while others chatted excitedly with their friends. Since it was the beginning of a new semester, everyone seemed busy settling in and getting everything they needed.
Seraphinna was so caught up in admiring her surroundings that she failed to notice a girl running straight towards her.
BUMP!
"Owww!"
Seraphinna cried out as she fell backwards, landing squarely on her backside.
The girl who had bumped into her immediately scrambled to her feet and rushed to help.
"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry! Are you hurt anywhere? I'm really sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going, and I accidentally bumped into you. I'm so sorry! It was my fault. I should have been watching where I was going!"
Seraphinna stared at her.
The girl continued apologising as though her life depended on it.
Finally, unable to listen to another word, Seraphinna interrupted her.
"Could you at least help me up?"
The girl froze.
Then she hurriedly extended her hand.
"Oh! Right! Of course!"
She helped Seraphinna to her feet.
"Sorry, I was—"
"You've been saying sorry since we met." Seraphinna raised an eyebrow. "How about I get to know your name instead?"
The girl blinked.
"Oh, sorry—"
Seraphinna frowned.
"Stop saying sorry!"
The girl immediately clamped her mouth shut.
For a few seconds, she stood there awkwardly before finally speaking.
"Well... I'm used to saying that word." She gave a shy smile. "My name is Eliana Uriel. You can call me Eliana or Eli, whichever you're more comfortable with."
Seraphinna studied her for a moment.
"I guess you're the kind of person who talks a lot."
She said it with such a serious expression that Eliana wasn't sure whether she was being insulted.
"Is it that obvious?" Eliana asked.
"From the way you've been apologising nonstop? Very."
"Oh."
An awkward silence followed.
Then Seraphinna tilted her head.
"Wait. Weren't you going somewhere?"
Eliana's eyes suddenly widened.
"Oh, my goodness! I need to go!"
She quickly bent down, picked up her bag, and took off running.
Seraphinna opened her mouth to say something, but the girl was already disappearing into the crowd.
She stared after her for a moment before releasing a sigh.
"Well, I guess I have to find my way around by myself."
---
An hour and thirty minutes later, Seraphinna finally found the school counsellor's office.
After taking a wrong turn five times and going around in circles at least three more times, she was beginning to wonder whether the school had been designed specifically to confuse newcomers.
Thankfully, her search had finally come to an end.
She stood before the counsellor's desk, waiting as the man examined the documents in front of him.
His name tag read MR. ZAREK.
"Seraphinna Abaddon?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yes, sir."
He studied her for a few moments before handing her a timetable and a scroll.
"These contain your timetable and the rules of this school. I expect you to read them carefully and follow them accordingly."
Seraphinna nodded.
"Thank you, sir."
She collected the items and left the office.
Once outside, she unfolded her timetable and began reading through it.
Unfortunately, she was so focused on the paper that she failed to notice the person approaching from the opposite direction.
BUMP!
Once again, she found herself falling backwards.
This time, the impact was even more painful.
"Ahh!"
She squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape.
Not again!
Slowly, she opened her eyes and looked up at the person she'd bumped into.
Her expression changed immediately.
"So... it's you."
The other girl stared at her in surprise.
"It's you!"
They spoke simultaneously.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other.
Then Seraphinna burst out laughing.
"I guess we're destined to keep meeting like this, with one of us always bumping into the other!"
Eliana laughed as well and extended her hand.
Seraphinna gladly accepted it and allowed her to pull her up.
"Are you done with whatever you were doing?" Seraphinna asked once she was standing.
Eliana suddenly remembered something.
"Oh! I'm sorry for leaving you like that earlier. I had left my timetable behind, and I was afraid I'd lose it, so I had to hurry back to get it."
"It's fine. Did you find it?"
"Yes, I did!" Eliana replied cheerfully.
Her gaze then fell on the paper in Seraphinna's hand.
"Wait a minute. You just came from the counsellor's office, didn't you?"
"Yes. I went to collect my timetable, but now I think I'm lost again. I have no idea where I'm supposed to go."
Eliana's eyes lit up.
"Can I see your timetable?"
"Sure."
Seraphinna handed it over.
Eliana examined the paper, and her face immediately brightened.
"Wow! This is great!"
Seraphinna frowned slightly.
"What is?"
"We're in the same house, and our timetables are practically identical!"
She looked up with a bright smile.
"This is perfect! I don't have to worry about finding another friend. I can just stick with you!"
Seraphinna stared at her.
She's certainly quick to make friends.
But as she looked at Eliana's excited expression, she couldn't help noticing how beautiful the girl was.
It wasn't the mature, seductive kind of beauty that immediately drew attention. Eliana possessed a softer charm, with a sweet, innocent face that made her seem approachable.
Before Seraphinna realised it, a smile had spread across her own face.
The moment Eliana noticed it, her cheeks turned pink.
She quickly lowered her head.
Seraphinna tilted her head in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
"Y-your s-smile..."
Seraphinna blinked.
"Yes? What happened to it?"
Eliana struggled to find the right words.
"It's... quite captivating."
For a moment, Seraphinna simply stared at her.
Then she burst out laughing.
Eliana's face grew even redder.
"Come on," Seraphinna said between chuckles. "It's getting late. Shouldn't we get going?"
"Y-yes! Let's go!"
The two girls began walking, with Eliana leading the way and explaining the different routes so Seraphinna wouldn't get lost again.
After a while, a question that had been lingering in Seraphinna's mind finally surfaced.
"By the way, what are you?"
Eliana turned to look at her.
"Oh! I'm an angel."
She smiled proudly.
"My full name is Eliana Uriel. Uriel means 'God is my light.' What about you?"
Seraphinna's expression remained serious.
"What if I told you I didn't know?"
Eliana stopped walking.
For a moment, she looked as though Seraphinna had just told her that the sky was green.
"I don't believe that!"
Seraphinna raised an eyebrow.
"And why not?"
"If you didn't know what you were, they would have placed you in Nova House. That's where the wildcards go—students who haven't discovered their true identities yet. Most of them are hybrids or beings whose powers haven't manifested."
She paused briefly before continuing.
"But you were placed in Lumin House, which is meant for angels and light witches."
Seraphinna listened quietly.
Eliana glanced at her eyes.
"And I can't say you're a witch because, as far as I know, only angels possess those beautiful green eyes like yours. So, you're definitely an angel! You probably just haven't awakened your angelic nature yet."
She nodded as though she'd solved a particularly difficult problem.
"That's why it's a good thing you came here!"
Eliana suddenly stopped speaking.
Then she sighed.
"Goodness, I really need to learn to talk less."
Seraphinna looked at her for a moment.
She had listened to everything Eliana said, but her thoughts were already wandering.
An angel?
She glanced at her reflection in a nearby window.
Me?
She couldn't quite believe it.
However, she decided not to argue.
The rest of their walk passed in silence, with Seraphinna lost in her thoughts while Eliana occasionally glanced at her, seemingly wondering what was going through her mind.
---
Eventually, they arrived at a magnificent white building.
As they approached, Seraphinna noticed a crowd of students gathered near the entrance.
Eliana immediately grabbed her hand.
"Come on! Let's hurry!"
Before Seraphinna could ask what was happening, Eliana pulled her through the crowd until they reached a better viewing position.
Seraphinna glanced around.
"What are we all standing here for?"
"Every house has its own presentation for new students like us," Eliana explained excitedly.
"Oh. So, who's giving the presentation?"
"The seniors, of course!"
Seraphinna looked at her.
"You really know a lot about this school."
"Of course I do!" Eliana replied proudly. "I've always dreamed of coming here. Besides, my elder brother graduated from this school, so I've learned most of what I know from him."
Seraphinna studied her friend's face.
"You're really excited."
Eliana turned towards her.
"Is it that obvious?"
Seraphinna nodded.
"With that sparkle in your eyes, it's hard not to notice."
Eliana opened her mouth to respond.
"H—"
"Shh! It's starting!"
Forgetting what she'd wanted to say, Eliana immediately turned her attention towards the students on stage.
A young woman stepped forward, carrying herself with confidence.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Astrid Spiritus, and standing here with me are..."
She gestured towards the two girls beside her.
"Ophelia Zephyrine!"
"Zora Meriposa!"
The crowd erupted into excited screams.
Even Eliana joined in, cheering with the other students.
Seraphinna, however, remained completely uninterested.
She folded her arms and watched the commotion with an expression that suggested she would rather be somewhere else.
Eliana eagerly turned towards her.
"Do you know who they are?"
Seraphinna shook her head.
Eliana gasped.
"You don't know them?"
"Should I?"
"They're the Mystic Quintet!"
Seraphinna stared at her blankly.
"Meaning?"
Eliana looked at her as though she couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"They're the school's protectors! They're the bridge that maintains the balance between good and evil. They're next in authority after the teachers!"
She pointed excitedly towards the stage.
"There are five of them. Three are hybrids, and two are ordinary angels. The one standing in the middle is their leader. She's a hybrid of an angel and a vampire!"
Seraphinna followed the direction of her finger.
"The one on her right is Zora. She's an angel, and Ophelia is an angel too. The other two are Sophia and Gabrielle. Sophia is a vampire-demon hybrid, while Gabrielle is a vampire-faerie hybrid!"
Eliana clasped her hands together.
"Goodness, I love them so much! They're my role models!"
Seraphinna simply shook her head.
She was beginning to wonder whether Eliana ever ran out of things to say.
Meanwhile, on stage, the girls finished introducing themselves and proceeded to put on a short performance for the newcomers.
The crowd cheered throughout the show.
Finally, Astrid stepped forward once more.
With a bright smile, she spread her arms and addressed the gathering.
"Welcome to the House of Lumin, where virtue alone is noble!"