Nova followed the other new students to the inner courtyard, where banners of the four houses fluttered in the morning breeze. Red, blue, gray, and white — each glowing faintly with Flux. It felt as if the school itself was watching, aware of every newcomer.
A woman in a silver‑blue mantle stepped forward. Her eyes shimmered like hidden stars.
"Welcome, new resonants," she said. Her voice was warm, yet carried a strength that filled the courtyard. "I am Mistress Aradia, head of First‑Year Training. Today, you will learn where you belong."
She raised her hand, and four lines of light shot upward, each connecting to a banner.
"The houses of Arclight are not families," she continued. "They are not boxes. They are paths — reflections of your natural strength."
The banners lit up, one by one.
House Emberfall — Power of Intensity
The red banner ignited with literal flame. A few students cheered. Mira Solenne stood proudly beneath it, eyes glowing like embers.
House Tidewhisper — Power of Flow
The blue banner rippled like water. Lune Aradia — clearly related to the Mistress — stood beneath it, calm and composed.
House Stoneveil — Power of Stability
The gray banner pulsed in a steady rhythm. Kael nudged Nova. "That's mine. Not flashy, but solid."
House Galecrest — Power of Speed
The white banner flashed like lightning. Nova felt a faint vibration in her chest. So that's where I belong, she thought. But something felt… off. As if the banner saw her, but didn't quite recognize her.
"You are placed according to your natural resonance," Mistress Aradia said. "But remember: resonance is not destiny. It is a beginning."
Nova's incomplete armband burned against her skin. A beginning. Or a disadvantage.