Lyla Emberfell:- House of Secrets

The sky over Thornwick shimmered with a pale golden hue as if the day itself held its breath. The courtyard of the Elementaria Arena buzzed with anticipation, the ancient stones humming with the pulse of raw magic. It was the same day—yet everything felt different. Like the second heartbeat of something far greater. Earlier that afternoon, the students had faced shadows and secrets, but now… now they were about to face themselves.

At the center of the courtyard stood Lady Zephyra Flamehart, her presence impossible to ignore. Her fiery red hair blazed behind her like a banner of light, and her copper-leaf crown sparkled under the sun's fading rays. Dressed in robes of deep crimson streaked with threads of silver, she looked like a flame given form.

Her amber eyes scanned the crowd, and when she spoke, her voice was both silk and thunder.

"Today… the elements will call your name."

Gasps rippled through the gathered students of both Solburn and Lunaris Houses. No one knew what would happen—only that it would reveal something deep and unchangeable.

Lady Zephyra raised a hand. A glowing crystal orb appeared on a pedestal before her, swirling with light.

"You will not choose your element," she continued. "It will choose you."

One by one, students stepped forward—hearts pounding, eyes wide.

Nova touched the orb. A gentle swirl of cool blue coiled around her fingers.

"Water," Lady Zephyra said. "Quiet, observant, deeply emotional."

Livra approached. The orb flared a fierce red.

"Fire. Bold. Assertive. Powerful."

Ilisha hesitated but then stepped forward. A silver breeze circled her hand.

"Air," Lady Zephyra smiled. "Wild. Unpredictable. Free."

Aurelia pressed her palm to the orb. A deep emerald green glow spread out.

"Earth. Grounded. Strong. Wise."

Celestia placed her fingers lightly on the orb, and a swirl of ice blue and white danced.

"Air and Water," Zephyra murmured. "A twin affinity. Rare… and beautiful."

Then came Lyla.

Even before she touched the orb, it shimmered strangely. The moment her fingers brushed it, a column of white flame edged in gold erupted.

Lady Zephyra's eyes widened, her voice barely a whisper.

"This is… Eldrin Fire. The first flame. The origin magic."

Everyone stared. Silence spread like fog. No one had seen anything like this.

That night, the dining hall buzzed with energy as students laughed and exchanged stories about their elements. Keal, Lavya, Adien, and Lucian teased each other. Keal asked Ilisha what her element was, and Nova quietly replied, "Air."

Later, under the cover of night, Keal and Lavya crept out of their dorm. At the gate, they met Lyla and Nova, already waiting. Soon, Aurelia and Celestia knocked softly on Ilisha's door, inviting her to join. After a pause, she nodded, pulled on her cloak, and followed.

The group wandered Thornwick's moonlit grounds, laughter echoing softly. Then, Adien stopped.

"Wait. Look!"

They ducked behind a hedge. Across the courtyard, in the shadows of the Potion Labs, a single window glowed green. Inside, Mona was bent over a cauldron, pouring strange ingredients into a vial that glowed red like lava.

They watched as she sealed the vial, whispered something to it, and hid it beneath the floorboards.

Back in their dorms, their minds buzzed with questions:

What was Mona making?

Why did she hide it?

And why did that potion glow… like something alive?

Later, in the quiet of her room, Lyla opened her diary. She wrote about her birthday, the Elementaria class, and the burning white flame that chose her.

"No voices today," she wrote. "But I feel something watching. Waiting."

She paused. Then added one more lin

e:

"What if the flame inside me… wasn't meant to be found?"