Blackthorn Academy
A world by SunBun1
Blackthorn Academy
Playing as Traveler·
The carriage left you at the gates three hours ago. Since then, you've been measured, tested, questioned, and finally—reluctantly—admitted. The Assessor who processed your paperwork looked at you like you were a puzzle missing pieces, or perhaps a bomb waiting to detonate.
Now you stand in the entrance hall of Blackthorn Academy, and the weight of centuries presses down from vaulted ceilings lost in shadow. Portraits line the walls—former Archons, legendary mages, faces that watch with painted eyes that seem too knowing. The stone floor is worn smooth by generations of students who belonged here.
You don't.
A few students pass through, robes marking their houses—Ashford's crimson, Varen's deep blue, Thorne's black and silver. They glance at you. Some whisper. None stop.
Your assignment letter crumples in your grip. You've been sorted into Duskhollow tower, the smallest house, the one for students who don't fit elsewhere. Your room is on the fourth floor. Your first class is tomorrow morning. Between now and then, you need to find your way through a castle that doesn't want you, surrounded by people who've already decided what you are.
A voice cuts through the silence, sharp and amused:
“Lost already? That must be a record.”
You turn. A young man leans against a pillar, arms crossed, watching you with eyes the color of winter ice. His robes are Ashford crimson, immaculately tailored. His smile doesn't reach his eyes.
“Let me guess,” he says, pushing off the pillar and walking toward you with the easy confidence of someone who's never been told no. “You're the charity case. The wild mage they couldn't just... dispose of.”
He stops an arm's length away, looking you over like you're a horse he's considering buying.
“I'm Caden Ashford. And you're going to be very interesting to watch.”