I was the last name they called. There was no applause. No cheers. Just a few scattered murmurs and a cough that echoed louder than it should have. I kept my back straight. My ears flicked at the whispers, but I didn't look at them. They'd been whispering since the first day I stepped into this place-bare-footed, half-starved, marked by chains they couldn't see.
"Ravenna of no House." That's what the headmaster said when he handed me the certificate. His eyes didn't meet mine. I think he was afraid he'd see himself reflected in them-just another man who let the world stay cruel
The parchment in my hands felt heavier than I thought it would. Years of blood, exhaustion, silence... all pressed between the folds. I didn't cry. I wouldn't. Not here. Not for them. As I stepped down from the stone platform, I caught a snicker off to the side. "What's she going to do now? No one takes demi-humans. Especially not pets."I heard she's looking for a mentor," someone else said, loud enough to sting. "Xandros?" That name stilled something in me.
"The Cold Flame?" they laughed. "He eats students alive. Doesn't even take them anymore. She must be desperate." I smiled. I don't think they noticed. They never really look at me, not unless they're mocking something. Desperation had nothing to do with it. I just liked impossible things.
My peers and even my professors underestimated me for years. But here I am. Standing on stage, staring down at the very people who once stared down at me. The ones who called me a slave. A pet. a nobody. The ones who said I would never make it. Now? I'm stronger than half of them. Smarter than most. I graduated at the top of my class. I proved something. not just to them, but to every demi-human watching from the shadows: We can do it. I will take on this challenge. I will rise from every chain they wrapped around my name. I will become stronger than ever before. I am a demi-human witch.
My name is Ravenna. I don't need a wand. I don't need a staff. I just need my voice. One incantation at a time, I will carve a place in this world. I am not who I was. Not the orphan girl. Not the runaway hiding from demi-human captors. I will be free. And I will never be erased again. I am free. I will find Xandros. I will prove my worth to him. He will take me as his student.
I lower my gaze. The past rushes in like smoke unwelcome, but impossible to ignore. All I remember is fighting hiding. Being dragged in chains. I see it all. my people beaten, starved, sold like trinkets for pleasure... Murdered for daring to fight back. My hands curl into fists. I lost someone I loved to that life, Lilac. She was kind. Strong, beautiful in ways the world hated. They broke her because she refused to bow. I've come so far. Your death will not be in vain. I swear it.
I used to think I'd forget her voice. That time would take it like it takes everything else. But I still remember the way Lilac laughed. Soft and sharp, like breaking glass under moonlight. She used to braid my hair before raids. Always whispered, "We'll make it out. You and me." She didn't. I still see her chained to that post. Eyes bloodshot. Lips cracked. She spat in a noble's face. They made sure she never did it again. I bite my tongue. Tasting copper. I clench my fists tighter. I didn't get to save her. But I'll make sure she didn't die for nothing.
Lilac... I carry your name like a blade. I lift my chin.
The academy gates rise before me, heavy and silent. Beyond them, the world waits cruel, loud, and ready to crush me again. Let it try. I have nothing left to lose but my chains. And I'm done wearing them. "Xandros," I whisper, letting the name settle on my tongue like ash and thunder. I'm coming for you.