Second Year Orientation

You take a deep breath as you finally arrive, having settled on attending after all. While passing through the entrance, you see a somewhat intimidating figure leaning against the entryway. They have a tough build, scarred muscles visible through their sleeveless outfit, as well as through some worn holes in their leggings. A thick eyepatch covers their left eye, a featured paired with yet more scars across their face. As they turn to you, you note their pointed ears making them an elf, or at least one of them was pointed, as the other had a large scar along the back, showing where its tip had been torn off.

Seeing you, they raise an eyebrow before pushing lightly off the wall. They walk up, stopping just in front of you as their towering presence demands all of your might to not begin shaking. They lean down, getting a bit too close for comfort as they seem to examine you. After a moment, they lean back once more before questioning you. "You the kid with the faulty pin?" You give a nod that you hope was not as scared as you felt. "Alright then, this is yours." They hand you a series of papers, before nodding and walking into the room towards the podium on the far side. Looking down, you recognize the papers as your class schedule.

Classes begin with Orientation. All students in your year, which total to less than sixty, meet in the Grand Hall, A large open area which serves as an auditorium. All students take seats, separated by House. Walking into the room proper, you look around at the four groups nervously as you once again don't quite know what you should do. Just as you are about to give in to your anxiety and walk away, you find a singular chair placed near the center of the room, a desk placed in front of it. Imagining no one else it could possibly be for, you take the seat, feeling many eyes from around the room upon you.

Three members of the faculty take the podium. The elderly but intimidating man from before introduces himself again as Frederick Hallgrave, the Headmaster of the academy, and a former Cerberus student nearly a century ago. Next a young, disheveled professor in a white lab coat introduces himself as Samael Schwartz head of the school's medical department and professor of Alchemic studies. Finally, a busty, curvy brunette in a short sweater dress and knee-high griffin leather boots introduces herself as Rebecca Dove, the dean of students and professor of Archaic Sorcery. She particularly peaks your attention.

After a few more lectures on the importance of working together and studying hard, the orientation comes to a close with the public grading of student's magical potential. This is when each student is lead onto the stage and tested for their magical aptitude by professor Schwartz. He steps aside, revealing a podium you are quite certain was not there moments ago. Resting atop said podium, is a large crystal ball of sorts, placed upon an elegant cushion. Giving a brief explanation of the process, he explains that the students and to lay a hand upon the orb and let it read their mana. Based upon its reaction, it can be judged their potent ability ranked on a scale of 1-100, as well as a blanket area for their potential expertise.

The students are slowly called to the front, moving systematically through the houses. You watch with interest as most score 40 to 52 on the scale of power, judged by the intensity of the orb's light. Aside from that, you are near entranced by the variety of affects. You see it turn blue, rippling as if filled with ocean water to signify alchemy. A purple, undulating and almost hypnotic pattern showed a talent for psionics. A series of glowing green runes appearing across it showed a talent for magic circles. The last major one you noted, was a swirling tornado of oranges, greens, blues, and browns, showing a talent for the elements.

Already excited for your turn, you watch intently as the last member of the Pheonix house is called to the front. Pheonix house was the last of the four houses to be called, and you overheard them bragging of it being "saving the best for last". As much as you hated cocky people like them, it was hard to call them wrong as they had a far higher average. Getting back to the moment at hand, you watch the somewhat short, but very beautiful blond-haired girl walk up to the sphere, her green eyes showing a mixture of confidence and determination. As she rests her hand upon the orb, you are quickly shown why. It glows the brightest you have seen at the event, a pure white light shining to the point you question if she got a 100 outright. Despite your thoughts, Schwartz declares it as 93, a fact that makes you wonder if a 100 would make you blind.

Whispers circle you as the girl tosses her hair confidently and returns to her seat. Apparently, she was Harmony Ashcroft, with the Ashcroft's being one of the four most powerful wizarding families. From the tone of those around you, despite their undeniable heritage and power, the Ashcroft's have a lot to desire on the publicity front. Regardless, hers was actually one of the four founding families, and you make a special note to not do anything that would get on her bad side, lest you have to face whatever influence they still demand here.

You are pulled from your thoughts as your name is called, causing you to swallow anxiously. You sand up, feeling the gaze of everyone in the room following you to the podium. As you stand before the crystalline ball, you see Headmaster Hallgrave giving you a soft smile. With that last bit of reassurance, you take a deep breath and rest your hands upon the sphere.

It quickly becomes an action you regret. As your hands rest on the sides of the orb, a black fog seems to spill into it from the points you touch. You stare at it in a panic, having no idea what is going on or what you should do. You try to pull your hands off it, but find them firmly stuck to its sides. Panic begins to set in as the sphere fills with black, and at last you look up to see the teachers in front of you. As you are about to ask for help, you notice the entire world seems to have shifted to a grey-tone, and nothing is moving. Not the banners on the walls that are now paused in their windless billowing. Not the flames upon the various torches and candles. And most of all, not a singular person of the staff, nor the student body.

As you begin to hyperventilate, you hear a slight thumping akin to a heartbeat. Confused, you notice a slight red glow begin to emanate from below, causing you to return your vision to the sphere. The light billows out from a series of cracks, creeping across the edges of the now solid-black orb, moving in tandem with the strange beat. You watch in a mixture of terror and curiosity as the cracks spread slowly but surely, at first seeming random until they form into a quire familiar shape. As the cracks settle, you find yourself staring at a red pentagram formed upon the black sphere.

Before you can even begin to comprehend what this means, the pentagram shatters outwards, causing you to quickly close your eyes both in fear of the shards and from the harsh red light. Slowly opening them once more, your heart races as you stare down at a horrific display. A great eyeball stares at you from within the shell of the orb, its gaze almost going through you as it undulates to the rhythmic thumping of what seems to be its own heart.

At last, your fear and panic overwhelm you, and the world fades and you pass out, falling to the ground.