“Rise and shine, recruits!” A peppy voice shouted.
Bright light cut through the room, blinding me as someone shook me awake.
“Get the hell off of me!” I heard Mel yell across the room.
I rubbed my eyes and rolled out of bed. My usual achy back was gone. It was good to be young again. I looked around the room and saw five upperclassmen walking through the room, waking the eight of us up. Someone lit one of the lanterns in the room and fresh burning wax tickled my nose. I had been so used to sweat and dirt, clean smells surprised me. One by one, we got out of bed. Mel was holding herself back from punching one of the older students, a heavyset boy who cowered behind a tall girl with legs that seemed too long to be human.
The room, though modest, felt like a luxury hotel after all the makeshift camps we had endured. The students neatly made the beds after we stood, and two more students came in with cups of water for us to drink. Judging by the loud gulps heard around the room, it seemed like everyone was dehydrated.
I glanced around and noticed Silas was missing. He was nowhere to be seen. Neither were Laska, Al, or Hopsander.
“Where’s Silas?” I asked, looking at the peppy voice that woke us up.
The girl was short. Shorter than the smallest of us, but her face and decorated uniform told me she was the upperclassman in charge. She had bright pink hair tied in two buns on the top of her head.
The question hung in the air, unanswered for a moment, before she cocked her head up at me.
“Your friend?” The girl tapped her chin. She let out a low hum and paced around in circles.
“The one with the missing arm, Chapter Master,” an older student standing at the doorway said. He had a chiseled jaw and a thin beard along his chin. He leaned against the doorway and lazily held up a small clipboard.
The short girl’s eyes widened. “Ah, yes! That one! He’s with Lobella, she’ll have him fixed up in no time!” The girl’s high-pitched voice grated on my ears.
“Thank you…miss?” I paused, asking her name.
“Ooooh! Polite, I like this one.” She pointed at me and laughed at her older classmate. “I’m Piqah. I’m the big CM at House-”
“Chapter Master, let’s get on with it. We’re late,” the buff kid in the doorway said, tapping his clipboard.
“Oh, pookie, you’re no fun.” She gave a wink at the kid in the doorway, who rolled his eyes. “Fine. Fine. No time for that. You’ll figure it all out soon enough. Now, let’s get you all to the showers,” Piqah said, holding her nose and waving us towards the door.
I started walking when I saw Tevin and gave him a nod. He returned one. Then, we followed the buff kid out the door. The rest of our group did the same.
As we walked down the hallway, I tapped our guide’s shoulder.
“So, what’s your name?” I asked. “It’s not Pookie, is it?”
He quickly stopped and turned around, towering over me.
“Don’t say another word,” He said with a deep, gruff voice. I tightened my lips, biting my tongue. I couldn’t help but make that joke.
“His name is Barrett!” Piqah’s high-pitched voice said behind us.
Barrett froze, and I saw his face crinkle up in frustration. He let out a deep sigh and continued leading us down the hallway.
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Eventually, we came to a shower room and separated into girls and guys. When water came up through shiny brass pipes and fell from shower heads on the ceiling, I was blown away. As a history nerd, it was amazing to see modern plumbing in a world such as Morne.
Fern’s presence stirred in my head.
—‘Oh wow, it’s been so long since I've showered,’ He said, satisfied as the hot water poured through our hair. Dirt and grime fell out of it in clumps.
—You had showers in Corello? Why did I think you had nothing like this? I asked Fern.
—‘How else would we get clean? With a bucket of cold water?’ Fern laughed in my head.
—I just didn’t see anything like this when I was there. And to be fair, your body was dirty as hell when I took over.
—‘Yeah, well, it’s not like I get to use the shower a lot. It's an enormous cost, and why waste water on a Voidblood?’
—There you go again making me feel sad about your past. I said jokingly. Anyway, let's enjoy this shower.
—‘Sure, sure.’ He said.
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After our showers, we were handed uniforms—a sleek ensemble of black fabric accented with gold stitching and buttons. They reminded me of military dress uniforms. The uniforms fit snugly; the fabric wasn’t uncomfortable, and the underwear they provided was soft. I thanked all the gods in the universe, underwear. The gold added a touch of elegance to our disciplined appearance. For once, I felt clean and refreshed here. I felt taller and more confident. My head seemed lighter too. I wondered if that was because Fern was also happy.
Lucius meticulously adjusted his collar, ensuring every detail was perfect in the mirror. Mel, as usual, was more unorthodox. She quickly assessed the uniform’s functionality by shadowboxing and kicking in the corner. She stretched and flexed her body every which way. Her eyes scanned for any potential hindrances.
Rinka helped Sora with her jacket, ensuring she felt comfortable and confident. Zenobia teased Tevin as she helped him zip up his jacket, only to have it rip. Barrett, the tall, muscular upperclassman, rolled his eyes and sent a student to fetch a bigger jacket for Tevin.
“Not bad,” Mel commented, a smile flickered across her face. “Better than anything I’ve worn before.”
“I must admit, the Cinders have some quality fabric on their hands.” Lucius inspected the stitching closely in the mirror.
“I think we all look pretty cool,” I said, looking around the group expectantly. They responded to me with silence and shifting eyes.
—Yup, I still got it, I said sarcastically to myself.
After Tevin put on his newly fetched jacket and everyone had finished dressing, we followed Barrett yet again.
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With our new attire, we made our way to the Grand Hall. The corridors were alive with history and art. Each mural and statue showed a different story that I desperately wanted to stop to look at. As we approached the Grand Hall, the corridors buzzed with anticipation from other newly dressed recruits. We filed into a mass of students and continued to our destination.
Similar to the Entrance Hall, the vastness of the Grand Hall dwarfed anything I had seen on Earth. The high ceilings stretched upwards, high into the darkness. Stained glass windows bathed the room in a kaleidoscope of colors from some unseen light source. We were deep within the pillar it would be impossible for sunlight to reach the windows. The room was like a large amphitheater. Hundreds of benches lay in an arc facing a large stage. Behind the stage was a huge stone carved mural of an epic story I knew nothing about.
“We’re really here,” Zenobia whispered, her voice filled with awe. She stood behind Tevin and me. As we filed into a row with a bench, Barrett gave us a nod.
“Hope to see you in House Nin.” He turned away, and Piqah bowed to us dramatically before skipping after her classmate.
“We made it through some pretty harsh shit,” I said down the bench to everyone, “We can make it through anything. I think we have good luck together.”
Tevin gave a smile and a thumbs up. The rest either nodded or ignored me, as Lucius did.
The lights dimmed, and the stage in the middle of the room brightened. It was as if they were using modern-day lighting equipment. In the center of the stage, a tall figure with a commanding stance stood, arms crossed. His robes were adorned with an emblem of a phoenix rising from flames. He had a thick handlebar mustache and a short buzz cut. He raised his hands, and the room fell silent, every recruit’s attention fixed on him.
“Welcome, recruits, to the Academy of Ash,” the man on the stage began, his voice resonating with authority and commanding presence throughout the Grand Hall. “Today marks the commencement of your arduous journey toward greatness. Here, you will be relentlessly challenged, you will grow beyond your limits, and you will uncover the true depths of your potential.”
The hall fell silent, the air thick with anticipation and the weight of his words.
“I am Head Master Thorn. For over fifty years, I have stood before recruits just like you. In those fifty years, I have witnessed countless individuals perish, unable to withstand the trials that this path demands. This institution stands as a beacon of knowledge, strength, and unity for the Voidbloods. But, the beacon burns brightly at an immense cost.”
He paused, his piercing gaze sweeped over each recruit, instilling a sense of unease and determination. I felt the room shift and squirm. Nerves crept up my spine, and I picked the skin on my thumb, letting my anxiety find an escape.
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“Today, you face a stark and unyielding choice. Pledge your allegiance to the honor of this beacon and commit yourselves to the Cinders of Ash, knowing that death may claim you along the way. Or, if you are not prepared to make that ultimate sacrifice, you may leave now. You will not be harmed; instead, you will return to a life of peace in the town of Ash, serving the Academy and the Cinders without question.”
Head Master Thorn stepped closer, his presence becoming even more imposing, his eyes cold and unwavering.
“We are not evil here. You have a choice. But, if choose to stay, prepare yourselves for unimaginable hardship and the ever-present threat of death. Being a Cinder is more than being a mutated mercenary for the crown. No, our purpose is deeper and more secretive. If you possess the unwavering determination to unlock your greatest potential, uncover the hidden truths of our world, and break free from our masters’ chains, then remain and dedicate yourselves fully to the Cinders of Ash. Understand this—the world wants us dead. You know this. You are shunned by the world time and time again.”
I heard several murmurs of agreement. Heads nodded in the crowd.
“What the world does not know is that we Voidbloods can have just as much power as them, maybe even more. We are outcasts, finding family among brothers and sisters with different skin and kin. Through our unity, we have scaled Baldred’s Pillar, harvested the sacred ore left by the gods of creation, and harnessed the very building blocks of life itself.”
My eyes widened with curiosity.
—Sacred ore?
Head Master Thorn’s speech intensified, his eyes burning with fervor.
“But, heed my warning! If you cannot wholly commit to the Cinders of Ash, I command you to leave immediately. There is no place for hesitation or half-heartedness here. Your lives and the future of our people depend on your unwavering strength, loyalty, and desire for the truth.”
He paused once more, allowing the gravity of his ultimatum to settle over the recruits. I could see people stir in place.
I looked around me at the group of eight other kids who traveled across the wasteland with me. Who narrowly escaped death multiple times with me. Like it or not, I felt bonded with them. Mel saw me look across our group. She stuck out her tongue. Tevin next to me clapped his hand on my shoulder.
“Don’t worry, I don’t think anyone’s leaving,” He whispered to me.
“I’m not w-worried,” I hissed back in his ear.
He rolled his eyes and smiled before straightening his back. His massive height continued to surprise me.
—Was he really sixteen?
The Grand Hall is quiet for a moment. Then, one by one, recruits walked out of their rows and hung their heads as they headed down the path to the Grand Hall entrance. At the door, they took off their military jacket and tossed it into a pile. Piqah shook her head with her arms crossed as the kids who chose to not join the Academy walked past her.
When the noise quieted down again and the Grand Hall doors closed loudly, Head Master Thorn resumed his speech.
“Good. As for the rest of you…it seems there are about…100 remaining recruits. We have one more trial before you take the Orientation Practical.”
A group of upperclassmen walked out almost in unison with wrapped items stacked in their hands. As they began passing out the mysterious packages, I heard footsteps creep up behind me. I felt a tap on my shoulder, turned, and saw Silas step up next to me. He was beaming with energy.
“Dude! You’re up and moving,” I whispered to him. I looked at his right arm. “That was fast…is that a…”
“Oh, you noticed?” Silas smiled, watching me eye his new replacement. He held up his right arm and showed me a new fully mechanical arm from his elbow down. It was made of black and bronze-like metal. Through the crack between his mechanical joints, I saw gears moving. He moved his new metal fingers with ease and twisted and turned his new wrist around, showcasing his mechanical flexibility.
“That’s insane!” I whispered to him, slapping Tevin next to me to show him Silas’ new arm.
Tevin looked impressed and nudged Zenobia next to him. She leaned over and smiled, nodding her head at the mechanical arm.
Silas blushed as the rest of our group and others around us strained their neck to see his new prosthetic. I was shocked that they could make something like this, and so quickly too.
“How did you get healed so fast? That arm is a miracle. I’ve seen nothing as advanced even where I…” I stopped myself before continuing. “Uh, anyway, you sort of missed the Head Master’s offer. He was saying you could go work in the town instead of fighting.”
“We can what? I can choose to-” Silas was cut off when an upperclassman nudged his shoulder and handed him the wrapped object. He turned back to me confused, I just shrugged.
I was handed a bundle of cloth and opened it. An obsidian black dagger lay on the unwrapped cloth in my hands. My stomach dropped, and I felt a second panic rise in my chest. Fern.
—‘What is that for? Are they going to have us fight each other?’ He said.
—Please, no…My heartbeat sped up.
A loud gong broke me from my thoughts and anxiety. A warm trickle of liquid dripped down my thumb, and I realized my skin bled from my constant scratching.
“Yes, submit indeed,” the Head Master said. “On the back of the benches lay a trough. Cut the top of your left forearm and drip your blood into the trough. Your blood and the blood of your new siblings will combine into your class’s Blood Capsule: No. 963. This is your last chance to leave. If you cannot submit, you should leave.”
The room was quiet. I looked at Silas and raised an eyebrow.
He took a deep sigh. “I'm already down one arm. What’s a little cut gonna do?” He said with a smile. “I’m in.”
The gong sounded again.
“Begin, pledge your blood to the Cinders.” The Head Master raised his hands dramatically and the student hitting the gong let loose and banged it over and over and over.
I heard a grunt to my right and turned my head.
Mel had already cut her forearm. Her arm was curled towards her and her fist was closed. She leaned over and blood dripped into the trough. The rest of our group looked at her with awe. She really was a jump-right in kinda girl.
Zenobia yelped near me. She had quickly cut her arm, obviously trying to not let Mel outshine her. Lucius followed. Then, Ruriel. Who made no sound when the blade sliced his arm. I looked at Silas and Tevin next to me and took a deep breath.
—Oh fuck, this is gonna hurt. Shit, shit, shit, shit! I screamed in my head, keeping a calm bluff on the outside.
—‘Let’s just work on a farm in Ash, please! Nooo!’ Fern screamed too.
I gritted my teeth, curled my left arm like I was doing a biceps curl, and tightly clenched my fist. I held the black blade against my forearm, just slightly below my wrist, and quickly pulled the blade, yelling at the same time.
Red hot pain ripped across my arm. I quickly leaned over the trough and let the blood fall into it. Tevin and Silas yelled behind me as they did the same. When I leaned up, I saw Lucius coaching Sora and Rinka.
“Come on, you idiots! You need to do it now. Look, it doesn’t hurt that bad, everyone else did it.” He said, wagging his finger in front of the gray-haired twins.
“Let’s do it together, Sora.” Rinka moved herself in front of the cowering Sora. The more frightened of the two obviously didn’t like the idea of getting hurt.
Sora looked up at her sister, tears were in her eyes. “And…and you really want to be a Cinder?” She said to Rinka.
Rinka wiped Sora’s tears with her sleeve. “You know I need to,” Rinka said quietly.
Sora sighed. “Oh gods…okay, let’s do it.”
The two twins stood together and forced themselves to complete their blood oath. Sora yelped, and surprisingly, Rinka cursed.
“Shit, that hurt!” She said, wrapping her arm up with the cloth.
I looked over and saw other kids in the group, equally shocked. I chuckled to myself.
The wound on my arm still stung, but the pain from the moment I cut was gone. I stood back in place and checked in on the kid inside my head.
—Okay, that wasn’t too bad, right? I asked Fern.
—‘Not the worst, no. And after Silas lost his arm, it feels a little silly to get so worked up over this.’
—Agreed, I said.
The metal troughs sloped down and the blood of all the recruits fell into holes below our feet. Somewhere below us was a capsule of our blood. Why though?
After some more time, the Head Master signaled the gong boy to stop beating on the gong.
“Good, 100% participation. This is a strong class. Next, I am pleased to announce the Orientation Practical. This will determine your house. Your path here at the Academy. In your house, you will gain insight from your upperclassmen, develop strong bonds that will serve you in the field after graduation, and hone the strengths and power you gain during your time here.”
The room buzzed with excitement as older staff members, presumably professors, stepped out from the alcoves above us. We craned our heads up, and the groups of staff members, teachers, and upperclassmen looked down at us. They stood in three separate groups under one of the three banners that hung in the Grand Hall.
The words House An, House Enlil, and House Nin were stitched into the cloth of the banners. I could understand the words thanks to Fern’s brain.
The Head Master raised his hands again to quiet everyone down. His imposing voice sounded over us again.
“Now, I want to introduce you to the three Chapter Masters of the Houses. They are your paragons. The ideal recruit and student here at the Academy. Whichever house you receive, you would do well to walk in their footsteps. They are the future leaders of the new world we seek to create. Now, come forward.” The Head Master held out his hand and off from the corner, three young people came up on stage.
“Chapter Master Piqah of House Nin.” The short, peppy girl who woke us up earlier this morning skipped up on stage and hopped next to the Head Master. Her black and gold uniform, decorated with medals and ribbons, now had a bright deep blue and gold cape that shimmered in the candlelights.
Next on stage was a tall, thin boy. He had long, straight, black hair and bangs that covered his eyes. His uniform, also decorated, had a bright gold cape with black lines stitched in it, looking like feathers.
“Chapter Master Jiho of House Enlil,” The Head Master said, waving over the tall boy.
Jiho stood silently next to the jittery Piqah.
“And last, Chapter Master Waelid of House Anu.”
The boy who saved us from the Guardian last night trotted on stage with the confidence of a showman. His maroon cape flickered as he strode across the stage. His House that stood up above on the balcony let out massive cheers and hoots and hollers for him. The dark-skinned, scimitar-wielding Chapter Master let out a dramatic bow before stepping up with his other two Chapter Masters. Piqah laughed and hopped up and down, and Jiho rubbed his forehead in frustration.
“These three houses each embody a different tenet of the Cinder creed. Strength, Loyalty, and Truth,” The Head Master said. “Now, how do you choose a House? Or, does a House choose you? You may be asking these questions. However, here, you do not choose. You see, your blood has chosen which house aligns with your highest ideal path. This place, this academy, was built underneath the pillars the gods built for their homes. Blood tells all truths and destinies here.”
The stone beneath our feet glowed and small, runic symbols shifted on the ground, spelling out one of the three houses. The symbol beneath my feet spelled out ‘House Enlil’. I looked over at everyone else, finding myself frowning.
Every single one of the eight kids I came here with, stood over the words, ‘House Anu.’ The House with Waelid, our savior.
—Why was I left out? I thought.
I knew I shouldn’t let stuff like this bother me too much; it was just like being assigned classes in school. Sometimes you didn’t get to stick with your friends. Except, we ran from death together. I didn’t want to leave them. I shook my head and looked up at the stage, raised my hand, and shouted.
“Can I switch to House Anu?!”
Silence fell over the crowd. The Head Master held his hand up to the crowd and one of the bright lights from the ceiling moved onto me.
—Oh, so they have a light crew up there, huh? I felt my neck sweat and my heartbeat thumping.
The deathly silence made me cringe. The Head Master looked out at me.
“What’s that? You want to…switch?”
“I’ll switch with him!” A shout came out behind me. A girl my height with long black hair, standing just one row behind me, looked down at the sigil at my feet and I looked at hers. She had House Anu.
“You can’t just—” Head Master Thorn started.
“I’m okay with it,” Waelid said nonchalantly. He had his hands behind his head and was kicking his feet.
“I, as well, have no issue. We can mold them to fit the House ideals,” Jiho said in a monotone.
The Head Master held up a hand to object, but then shrugged his shoulders. “Fine," Thorn sighed. "I'll allow it, not like things run very orthodoxly anyways. Your Houses are chosen. Meet with your Chapter Master and they will escort you to your new dorms. Classes start tomorrow, ensure you are informed of what you need to know by your House.” The Head Master held up his hands and clapped them together. “Welcome to the Academy of Ash, dismissed!”
“Phew, that was a close one!” Silas slapped my back. His metal hand pinched my skin hard.
“Hey, watch it with that! You’ve got some serious hardware there, bud.” I rubbed my shoulder and looked behind me to thank the girl who had switched with me, but she had disappeared. “Where did she go?” I said out loud.
The surrounding crowd was moving towards their respective Houses which caused me to lose track of where she had gone. I felt a nudge from Silas.
“Hey, let’s go. We don’t want to fall behind.” He nodded towards Tevin and the rest of them who were already walking down the bench out the other aisle.
I rushed to catch up with them and we weaved our way toward one side of the Grand Hall where Waelid was standing on a box ushering us in. There were about thirty first years in House Anu.
Waelid’s presence was the definition of enthusiasm as if he was an entertainer in a past life. “Welcome to House Anu,” he declared from above us on the box he stood on. “We are going to achieve great things together. You just joined the best House. The ‘House of Truth’,” He said in the Head Master’s voice. A few of the first years let out laughs.
“Really, that just means we get to explore this big fella.” Waelid slapped the wall behind him. “We get to explore the pillar first! Oh, also, we have a pretty high death rate… so, we better train you up real quick-like.” He shot a smile over us and the once-laughing kids were now silent.
“Thank you, Waelid,” a familiar voice called out. “That’s enough scaring them.” Hopsander stepped forward, with Al and Laska following behind him. My heart jumped in my chest. Our escorts, the ones that got us through all that hell, were here. It was like seeing old friends even though we just left them last night.
“Ah, Captain Hopsander!” Waelid gave a quick salute before sitting down. “Did you see? I think I have a new number one fan.” Waelid then shifted his gaze to me. I looked around nervously.
“Nahhh, you’re too full of yourself, brat.” Al gave a playful punch into Waelid’s arm. “The boy simply wanted to be with his friends. You saw what they saw out there.”
“Maybe so,” Waelid looked back over at me and then at the rest of our group. “Well, let’s get a move on! Ol’ Mumm will have breakfast ready soon!” Waelid hopped down from the box and waved his arm. “Let’s go, fresh bloods!”
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We followed him out of the Grand Hall with Hopsander, Laska, and Al behind us. Other members of House Anu came rushing to greet us from the stairs that led up to the balcony. Half ran up to Waelid to tell him how cool he looked up on stage, and the other half bombarded the 30 of us with questions.
“Hey! Welcome to House Anu!”
“You’re gonna love Ol’ Mumm. She makes the best curry,” an upperclassman told Lucius. “You’re way too skinny. She will fix that up real quick.”
“What’s your name?”
“You are so tall! Are you sure you’re sixteen?” One girl said to Tevin.
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We answered the questions and introduced ourselves the whole way back to House Anu’s dormitory. Outside the main building of the academy, Waelid led us to a large four-story home with pillars, a balcony, and a sloped roof. The home lay on the far eastern side of the academy. It overlooked the ocean and sat in a field of freshly cut grass. Several walking paths etched their way to the seaside dorm. A line of trees surrounding the grounds were sprouting fall leaves, and the sun was warming the cool morning air.
As we got closer to the house, I felt a hand pull me aside. An upperclassman gripped my arm hard. She had cold glass-like hands held me in place. I turned around and the girl who held me firmly in place looked like a human a human made of pearly white glass. The girl had fleshy porcelain skin and dark black eyes with no pupils. Al and Laska looked over and both raised an eyebrow. Al gave a shrugh and the two continued walking to the house.
“Why did you want to switch?” She asked in a cold, heavy accent. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her nails dug into my skin.
“Ow! I-It’s just like Al said. I was the only one separated from my group. I just wanted to stick together.”
She looked at me deep in my eyes. Her black eyes squinted and then widened.
“You…you have a twin soul!” She whispered harshly. Her tongue flickered like a snake and her grip tightened on my arm. Blood dripped out on my arm. Her painted white nails darkened with the crimson liquid.
I turned to see where the rest had gone, but everyone had already gone inside.
—‘Erik…’ Fern was frightened, and the girl’s hand started crushing my arm.