The loud chatter echoing across the massive training ground slowly died down as the senior officer stepped forward once again. His sharp, calculating eyes swept over the thousands of fresh-faced cadets before him."Congratulations," he boomed, his voice carrying effortlessly across the sprawling field. "From this moment on, you all officially belong to one of the Eight Houses."But before anyone could even think about cheering, he completely shut down the mood."Don't celebrate just yet. Getting into a House isn't some VIP privilege—it's a massive responsibility. Starting today, these people are your family. The cadets standing next to you right now are the ones you're going to sweat with, fight alongside, and yeah... maybe even die beside."That killed the excitement real quick. An uneasy, heavy silence dropped over the crowd. The officer didn't miss a beat."Every House has its own deep-rooted traditions, its own brutal instructors, and its own sky-high expectations. You're going to

The moment Reyan pushed the door open, a wave of noise washed over the three of them.The room was enormous.It looked less like a dormitory and more like a military barracks built to house an entire platoon.Rows of sturdy metal bunk beds stretched from one end of the room to the other.Thirty bunk beds.Sixty sleeping spaces.Yet almost every one of them was already occupied.Backpacks lay scattered across the floor.Training uniforms hung from bed frames.Weapons—mostly wooden practice swords, staffs, and shields issued by the academy—leaned against lockers or rested beside beds.A pair of combat boots lay abandoned in the middle of the walkway, forcing people to step over them.The room smelled faintly of sweat, metal, and fresh wood.Students were everywhere.Some had already collapsed onto their beds after the exhausting assessment, sleeping so deeply that even the loud conversations around them failed to wake them.Others sat in small groups, comparing the numbers displayed on

The three of them stood in front of their newly assigned room.Room 298.The number was displayed clearly above the door.Jordan stared at it for a few seconds before grinning."Finally."He reached for the handle.Dev stopped him."Wait."Jordan looked back."What?"Dev pointed toward the room."Before we celebrate, remember something."Reyan looked at him."What?"Dev's expression became serious."We didn't exactly win this room."Jordan frowned."What do you mean?""We challenged them and beat them, sure. But Room 298 has a reputation."Dev looked down the hallway."I've been hearing about them since we entered Vanguard."Reyan remained silent."What kind of reputation?" Jordan asked.Dev lowered his voice."They specialize in beating newcomers."Jordan's smile disappeared."That explains why they challenged us.""Exactly."Dev crossed his arms."They've probably done this before."Reyan looked at the door."So they deliberately challenged newcomers because they expected an easy vi

The three of them returned to Room 298 after the battle.For the first time, Reyan stepped through the door knowing that he wasn't going to leave this room because someone else had decided so.It was theirs now.The room looked different from the guest dormitory.There were only four beds instead of thirty bunk beds packed into a single space. The walls were clean, the floor was clear, and each occupant had their own locker. There was also a small table near the window and a private bathroom attached to the room.Jordan walked straight toward one of the beds and dropped onto it."Finally."He stretched his arms and smiled."No more sleeping next to twenty-nine strangers."Dev walked around the room, inspecting everything."This is much better."He opened one of the lockers and looked inside."Not bad."Jordan sat up."Forget the room. Check the MMC."Dev immediately looked at his NIB."Right."He activated the financial section of the House interface.A small display appeared.[House

The next morning, Reyan woke up to the sound of his NIB vibrating against the small table beside his bed. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling for a moment before reaching for it. A new schedule was displayed across the screen, along with a message from the academy instructing all first-year students to report to their assigned Main Room before their first class.Dev was already awake. He sat on the edge of his bed, struggling to fix his hair with his fingers while Jordan was still buried beneath his blanket."Jordan," Dev said, "get up."No response came.Dev looked at Reyan."He's dead."Jordan suddenly threw the blanket away. "I'm awake!"Dev laughed. "You looked pretty dead to me."Jordan glared at him. "I was resting my eyes.""You were snoring.""I don't snore.""You absolutely snore."Reyan watched them argue for a few seconds before standing up. "We're going to be late."That was enough to make both of them move.A short while later, the three left Room 298 and followe