The whole college was shocked; they had heard the news about the twin trolls. They were two strong participants who singlehandedly dominated the whole Admission Test.
Everyone was curious about them. The most interested ones were the house captains and team leaders. In Colledge, there was no concept of guilds.
Team leaders were the ones that had a team under them; they competed inside the college with other teams or in inter-college competitions.
Teams were not given any resources directly. They had to be in the top ten rankings to get resources from the college. Anything they won in competitions or got in Dungeon Raids would belong to them.
Teams worked like guilds, with the only difference being that they had fewer restrictions, and a team could only have seven members and three reserve members.
Unlike houses, they could invite students from any house to be on their team and didn't have many restrictions. As there were fewer people, it was easier to get way more resources.
It was then that the news of the recent incident appeared. It was about Blue-Skull, who had beaten a senior and humiliated him with his girlfriend.
While most seniors didn't care about it or give it importance, there was a group that openly criticized him. They started spreading rumors about their cruelty.
This resulted in team leaders taking a step back; everyone cared for their image. They decided to wait for the rumors to settle down.
While the whole college was curious about them, two guys could be seen inside the room. Sitting before them was the middle-aged man who guided them to their rooms.
Rishi thought they had been called for the incident; he was a little nervous. While one side of him said that what he had done was right,
Others said he might have gone overboard; he should not have humiliated them. However, there was no medicine for regret; he couldn't take back the already released arrow.
"Do you know why I have called you here?" asked the professor as he looked at them.
"No," replied Vinay, not even trying to think. Rishi looked at him. Vinay stood there with both of his hands in his pockets. He looked around, not giving a sh*t to the professor's words.
The professor ignored him and said, "You both are called because you have still not been assigned to any House."
Rishi sighed in relief when he heard it. He thought they had been called to be punished.
"There are four houses: Naga (Serpent) House, Garuda (Eagle) House, Simha (Leo) House, and Matsya (Fish) House. All students are divided into these four houses," said the professor.
Multiple competitions were held each year, and based on those, one House was rewarded with the Champion Trophy. The House that won got more resources from the college.
There were two prominent positions in the House. The ones in these positions decided how it would function. These positions were called House Captain and Vice Captain.
Each House had its separate Banners, Gathering place, Flags, and Dress.
"We have a room where it's decided which student will join which group. You both follow me," he said as he started moving.
Rishi and Vinay were led to a room. It was made up of glass, but nothing was visible as it reflected the image of the area around it. "You both had to touch it one by one."
Vinay stepped and touched it; next moment, he disappeared. Rishi looked around, trying to find him, before realizing what had happened and deciding to wait.
"You also touch your pal. Multiple students can use it at once." He slowly brought his palm near it before touching it. A bright light was released before he disappeared.
He found himself in a strange place. Before him was a giant being sitting on the throne. It was a giant lion with golden eyes and a majestic presence. The golden crown on its head was the cherry on top.
It had a muscular humanoid body. He sat on the throne with his hands resting. When he made contact with it, he felt like someone was staring at his soul.
He had felt this familiar presence, but this was way more terrifying: "courage, leadership, and creativity."
Rishi felt his body shake when he heard these words. He lifted his chin and said, "I am nothing like that; I think there is a mistake. I could never be Leo."
"Are you saying I am lying?" A roar was released that shook Rishi. He tried to resist it using his will, but failed.
He was forced to kneel no matter what he did.
"Listen, kid, I don't lie. I told you what I saw," said the figure sitting on the throne.
"How could it be? I am weak; I have always run and hid from my problems." He could not believe it; he felt like he could not control his emotions.
"It just means you don't know your true self; strange, how can you be like this?" said Leo.
"What do you know? You are just a spiritual image. I am not someone you can fool like others," said Rishi mockingly, as if he saw through his disguise.
"True, I am just a spiritual image, but that doesn't mean I don't exist." A sneer appeared on his face as the pressure increased, making Rishi bow.
"I don't have time; I will suggest you not try to pretend to be what you aren't. If you can do yourself a favor, forgive yourself. Welcome to Simha (Leo) House," said the figure.
Rishi appeared outside, and his left hand felt a burning pain. A tattoo appeared on it. It was a lion head with a crown. Its eyes and crown were filled with golden color.
He came back to his senses, looking at the tattoo calmly. A memory appeared of the time he spent in the room; he was confused about why he would react like that.
The House he got also confused him; he touched the tattoo, lost in his own thoughts. 'courage, leadership, and creativity,' he reminded himself to be his authentic self.
Vinay appeared before him; he had a serpent head tattoo on his left hand with its eyes shining green. Vinay was not surprised; he knew what he had become.
He could still remember what he had seen; he had met a Naga woman. She had a woman's upper body, while her lower half was that of a serpent, and her hair was made of countless serpents.
'Selfish, Loyal, and Moody' This was what he had heard about himself: he could believe that he was loyal and selfish. What was Moody? He always acted similarly. The laughter of a woman echoed in his ears and shook him.
The professor looked at the tattoos of both. He was able to accept Vinay being in Naga House easily. However, he was surprised about his friend being in Leo House.
'It has nothing to do with me,' he said, shaking his head. "Congratulations to both of you. From now on, you are part of a bigger family."
"You will receive a message from your House for the house meeting. There, you can meet other people in your House." He said.
The smartphones of Rihsi and Vinay buzzed at the same time. They looked at each other before checking them. Rishi saw that he had received a message.
[Welcome to Simha House.
You are invited to the house meeting.
Venue: Near the training ground
Time: 10:00 AM
Note: It is mandatory to be present.]
"I am late; there are only ten minutes left," said Vinay.
"Same; I don't even know where the venue is," replied Rishi.
"All houses are allocated a particular time and day for house meetings; you both should hurry," said the professor.
They both started moving at their full speed, creating chaos everywhere they passed. It was hard to find the venue; they had to ask others.
Rishi was not even able to find any students; they all seemed to have already left. He asked the professor and the workers.
A lot of time had passed; he had found out the location, but it was on the opposite side. He was very far away. He took a deep breath and thought for a moment.
"I only have fifteen seconds." His eyes suddenly lit up. "Yup, that could work."
He used the first technique of 'Ghost in Shadow' Chakram art and created a Chakram; he then threw it and used the second technique to enter it.
He controlled it and bypassed everything before him, taking a shortcut. He saw the giant structure with a statue of a lion above it. He knew this was the place.
But soon, he realized that he couldn't bypass the objects. It gave him the ability to move through it for some time.
With no other choice, he continued moving toward the wall. Just as he was about to hit it, he came out and used his other technique to pass through the wall.
He took out his phone and looked at the time. Yes, he said in excitement. It was then that he heard the laughter of the crowd.
Checking around, he found himself standing on the stage. Everyone was making fun of him.
That was not all; he had appeared at the wrong time. He felt shivers down his spine when he sensed a presence behind him. "Oh, Shit, did I mess up again?"
Visit freewe𝑏no(v)el.𝘤𝑜𝓂 for the best novel reading experience