The first morning at Astraeus Dominion was nothing like Kael imagined.
He had expected whispers. Laughter. Even disdain. But the reality was far worse.
The academy itself seemed alive. Sigils floated in the halls, tracing invisible paths only students with crests could see. Doors opened only to those whose lineage matched the spells that bound them. Noble students moved effortlessly, magic spilling from their hands like poetry.
Kael, carrying nothing but his worn bag and a plain cloak, had to navigate like a ghost. Every whisper cut deeper than a blade.
"The Crestless Boy…" "Did you see what he did?" "The Authority… forbidden magic…"
Kael's black eyes scanned the crowd, avoiding confrontation, but his jaw tightened. He hated being stared at like he was some kind of accident. I didn't ask to be born without a House. And yet, I'm here. I have to survive.
First Lesson: House Dynamics
In the Grand Hall, students gathered for their first practical exercise. The head instructor, a silver-eyed woman with a voice that could command storms, addressed the crowd.
"Today, you will compete in the Arcane Ring. Your Houses will demonstrate control, precision, and innovation. Only the worthy may claim territory within this academy."
Kael felt panic curl in his stomach. I don't even have a House… how am I supposed to compete?
One of the Fire House students, a tall girl with flaming red hair and a mischievous smirk, leaned over and whispered to her friend, "Bet the crestless boy doesn't even know what magic is. He's going to embarrass himself."
The Chrono House student beside her, a quiet boy with silvery hair and piercing blue eyes, added without looking up: "If he touches the Ring… reality itself might punish him."
Kael swallowed, trying to ignore them.
The Arcane Ring
The exercise began. Flames roared from the Fire House. Time distorted around the Chrono House. Roots exploded from the Nature House floors. Every House displayed magic that seemed impossible.
When Kael's turn came, the laughter reached a peak.
"What's he gonna use? Dirt magic?" a Light House boy snickered, adjusting his golden crest.
Kael placed his trembling hand on the Ring. Nothing happened.
The mockery grew. His face burned. Come on… anything…
Then, instinctively, he whispered: "Authority."
The threads of the Ring twisted toward him like obeying a new law. For a moment, it felt like the world paused.
A student from the Blood House, a tall boy with sharp crimson eyes and a smirk that hinted at cruelty, hissed: "Is he trying to steal our magic?"
Before anyone could react, Kael raised his hand. The threads snapped back violently, not harming anyone but rearranging the Ring entirely. The instructors froze.
The Fire House girl's jaw dropped. "He… he did that?"
The silvery Chrono boy frowned, clearly unsettled. Impossible… authority magic isn't supposed to exist.
House Confrontation
After the lesson, Kael was cornered by nobles in a quiet corridor.
The Blood House boy stepped forward, tone mocking yet dangerous: "Crestless… do you think you belong here? You shattered the Gate. You defy every law of magic!"
Kael's hands twitched, but he kept his voice calm, steady: "I didn't want to… it just happened."
The Fire House girl crossed her arms, her smirk sharp. "Happened? That's called dangerous. You're not one of us. You're… an anomaly."
Before the tension could erupt, a shadow flickered behind the group. A cloaked figure leaned close and whispered in Kael's ear:
"Do not trust them. They will try to use you… or destroy you. Follow the underground path tonight. If you want to survive, you need to understand what you are."
Kael spun around. The figure was gone. Only a faint shimmer of dark sigils remained.
Dorm Reflection
Alone in his dorm, Kael stared at his hands. He had no House. No crest. And yet, power stirred inside him dangerous, uncontainable, alive.
He thought of the Fire House girl's smug expression, the Blood House boy's predatory eyes, the Chrono boy's wary gaze. Each was powerful in their own right. Each had privilege. Each underestimated him.
I may not belong here… but I won't just survive. I'll make sure no one forgets I exist.
Somewhere, deep in the shadows of Astraeus Dominion, someone was watching, smiling.
"The key has awakened… now, let's see if he can survive the first night."
Kael didn't know it yet, but the first true test had only just begun.