The Grand Dining Hall was the biggest room in the whole Academy. Maybe twice or thrice as the Library. And Aurora could not believe what her eyes were seeing. There were five rows of tables all lined up facing the center of the room, where there was a sort of stage with a podium along with some other tables where faculty members were sitting, Aurora could recognize Mr. Guhndavaar sitting amongst them.

The tables were fully packed with students, wearing the school's uniforms and divided per wings. But there was no space in sight for first-year students. They were all standing near the door next to Aurora and Ygriv, looking as lost as them.

— Where are we supposed to sit? Or all we're gonna do is watch them eat? — said Aurora out loud, kind of annoyed. Guide Aliana looked at her and opened her mouth.

— The Ceremony is about to begin children, fear not, you'll have a place to sit. But you must wait until you are sorted into a wing house. — she said, trying to calm her down.

Aurora looked at her and said nothing. Ygriv was still amazed at the size of the room and the amount of space already full with students and decor of all sorts. Aurora was looking around to see first-years and try to get their faces, some of them might become her friends some day, who knows.

She saw some more Valmeads, there was an Orlean girl kind of away from the crowd, she looked shy. A Bao girl was looking at Aurora kind of angry-ish and she immediately looked away, but she really liked her curly hair. There were a few more Baos and Merellians, talking to each other, they looked like they were already friends. Three Altiddans were standing almost in front of the group, next to her and Ygriv, in their natural forms, they looked nice.

But suddenly, Aurora felt like she was being observed. And she started looking around, to see who was doing it, but found no one. She was trying not to feel paranoid, but all of this was getting on her nerves, until a voice practically spoke next to her ear.

— Hello, there! — the voice said. Making Aurora scream in terror, catching the attention of almost everyone in the room.

— What the...! Why did you do that?! — she added after her horror movie scream, noticing how the voice came from a boy standing next to her, with hair as orange as the fire burning on the Academy's torches.

— Oh... Uhm... Sorry. I was just... I wanted to say hello. You looked nice and I was just trying to make friends maybe? Sorry. — he said, erasing the smile from his face and putting on a sad look.

— Next time just... say hello the old-fashioned way, approaching me in sight. — she said a little ironically, smiling at him. She thought she may have overreacted, specially after looking at the sad expression on his face. He smiled back at her, and they shared looks for a few seconds.

The lights started to dim, as if the fire on the torches was about to go out. And suddenly a light, white as snow, appeared through the main door, right behind the first-years, circled above them and flyed to the centre stage, and after circling around the same spot a few times, sparkles started coming out of it and making a humanoid form, until the light materialized as a short and middle aged woman with grey hair, and the lights came back to normal.

— Hello children, I'm Headmistress Miranda Friedham, and let me welcome all of you to Aelhollow Academy! — she said, smiling at everyone in the room. — It's a brand new year that we hope can bring knowledge, development and happiness to you all. Now, to all of those first-years standing near the entrance, please gather around me so that the Ceremony can start! Please, let's welcome them with a big and warm round of applause! — she shouted, putting her arms together and clapping.

All the first-years started walking towards the centre stage, while all the students sitting at the tables around them were clapping and cheering them. Some felt a little awkward because they weren't used to this type of situation, but some others found it quite nice. They all arrived to the centre and started to gather in line in front of her.

— Now, all of you took the great Al'kin Quiz, the test to showcase your abilities so that you can be sorted into one of our wing houses, and the classes that will mark your stay at the Academy for the whole five years. — said the Headmistress.

— As some of you might know, our great school was built more than a thousand years ago by the first five majka users in the entire Faedell System, with the sole purpose of sharing knowledge and preparing the future generations of majkakin that were to come. And even though the wing houses then had their origin planets' names, nowadays they are named after The Great Five. — she explained, pointing at the house flags hanging from the ceiling and decoring the entire room and school.

The five flags came down from the ceiling and started to rotate around the centre stage, showing its colors and characteristics.

— Magne, the proud and brave. — she said pointing at the red flag with white borders. — Tunda, the tenacious. — she said as she pointed at the green flag with yellow borders. — Jana, the resilient and emotional. — she pointed at the white flag with black borders. — Lerudio, the wise. — she said as the black flag with purple borders spun around. — And last, but not least, Kateer, the strong and fearless. — she added, showing the blue flag with white borders.

Every first-year was watching amazed at the flag show and listening carefully at the Headmistress' story, given that they were about to be sorted into those houses, where they would stay for the entire five years in the Academy. The flags went back up to the ceiling and everyone watched as the Headmistress conjured a table with a few small jewelry pieces that looked like brooches.

— Let's start now, shall we? — she said as everyone started clapping. She conjured a scroll out of thin air, which was the name list for the Ceremony.

— Norah Andago. — she said, as a Merellian girl walked to the stage. The girl stood before the table and a green and yellow brooch started glowing and floated up to her. She grabbed it, and as she did, a blinding light appeared out of nowhere, and after fading out everyone could see how Norah was now wearing a green and yellow tunic and uniform. — Tunda! — the Headmistress shouted as the ones from that house were cheering and shouting as well. The girl walked smiling up to the nearest table.

— Bretton Bollendaar. — said the Headmistress, as one of the Valmead guys started walking up to the stage. A blue and white brooch floated up to him, and with the flash of a light, he was wearing a same coloured uniform. — Kateer! — she shouted, as the Kateers were cheering and welcoming the boy, who was now sitting with them.

— Ilja Callaci. — she said, as the red haired boy that scared Aurora was now walking up the stage, but before getting there, he looked back and waved and smiled at her, making her feel kind of embarrassed.

A red and white brooch came up to him as soon as he laid foot on the stage and all of the sudden, he was wearing a uniform later claimed as Magne's, as they cheered him as he got to their table..

— Tulipa Plum. — said the Headmistress. The curly haired Bao behind Aurora walked out of the crowd, shouldering her and making her almost fall to the floor.

— Are you okay? — said Ygriv, grabbing Aurora's arm so that she wouldn't fall. To what Aurora answered nodding with her head, and looking at the Bao girl with hatred.

The girl came up to the stage and as soon as a green brooch started glowing and floating, she grabbed it, and so she was now wearing Tunda's uniform, to what her housemates cheered until she was sitting on their table.

— Ygriv Lumen. — said the Headmistress. Ygriv smiled at Aurora trying to forget how nervous he was. As an Orlean, he knew that his most probable outcome would be Lerudio, but deep in his heart, he wanted a change, just like he always did.

He walked up the stage and as he got to the table, a black and purple brooch started shaking and glowing, Ygriv knew that was not what he wanted, so he started to pray to every force in existence so the outcome would be different. He was about to cry in desperation, when he saw a flash of light and all of the sudden he was wearing a white and black uniform and wearing Jana's house brooch. He started smiling and almost cried, and thanked the Headmistress as she nodded to him.

Aurora was really happy for him, but that joy quickly vanished as she realized it was probably her turn.

She started to get nervous and the urge to escape came back to her, but it was too late now, as she heard the next name in line.

— Aurora Nokks. — the Headmistress said, watching Aurora from afar with a serious but still kind look. Everyone was silent and looking at her, something that was only adding up to her nervousness and panic. She looked back and saw Guide Luria and Guide Aliana standing by the door, smiling at her and cheering them with words Aurora could only read from their lips.

She walked up the stage and felt like the world had stopped and wouldn't rotate anymore for ages now, as everyone kept looking at her, including faculty members. She got up to the table, and saw all the jewel brooches, and then looked at Headmistress Friedham, who smiled at her, and nodded.

Nothing was happening, nothing at all. No glow, no shake, no floating. The brooches looked like they were not there for a moment. A moment that seemed like it would last for eternity.

Until, all of a sudden, all of them started shaking and glowing at the same time. No one could believe their eyes. Nothing like that has ever happened in the Academy's history. All the brooches were glowing and spinning around Aurora, who was watching them incredulously.

The fire in the torches around the room started growing until becoming fire columns. No one knew if they should be either scared or amazed.

A flash of light flooded the room, and blinded everyone for what it seemed ages, and after it was gone, everything was back to normal, and Aurora was wearing a white and black uniform. The room was completely silent. Nobody made a single sound.

— Jana! — the Headmistress shouted, smiling, as everyone from Jana and some from other houses started clapping and cheering at Aurora, probably believing that was one of the best majka tricks they had seen.

Aurora looked at Headmistress Friedham and after they shared a smile, she went up to Ygriv, who hugged her and let her sit on the bench.