5. Eerie atmosphere and strange initiation.

Chapter song: Dreams - Fleetwood Mac

The chapel was a stunning blend of simplicity and elegance. The materials used were clearly high-quality, and the light filtering through the stained glass gave the room a haunting, almost ethereal feel.

Julius stood straight, his gaze fixed on the tall man with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. Once again, he marveled at the striking appearances of everyone at Avondale. Was it a school trait, or was he just lucky enough to encounter such individuals?

The headmaster's deep voice broke the silence. "Welcome to East Laurence Preparatory School, Julius Loriana. I am Rhealis, the headmaster of this esteemed institution, and I hope your first day has been rewarding."

"Given your unique situation, we'll need some time to properly acclimate you to the school. For now, you'll be boarding with House Ares until we determine your permanent assignment," he said, nodding towards Agares.

Turning his attention back to Julius, who had maintained a stoic demeanor, he asked, "Do you have any questions at the moment?"

"No, sir," Julius replied.

"Very well. Here at East Laurence, we encourage our students to forge their own paths and shape their futures. We pride ourselves on both academics and athletics. Regardless of the path you choose, our goal is to support you," the headmaster continued.

"As you might know, our dorms operate differently here. They are run by students who are assigned as leaders to maintain order and discipline. The seniors here are responsible for managing their houses and ensuring everything runs smoothly. To my right, we have the leaders: Agares Montgomery of House Ares, Maximillian Worthington of House Hephaestus, Nathanael Redmond of House Apollo, Narcus Birch of House Hades, and Aeneas Montgomery of House Athena."

Each leader nodded in turn.

The sight of the five leaders standing together, each in their immaculate uniforms representing different houses, was impressive. Their distinct appearances and commanding presences made Julius question if these were really high school students. Despite his state of awe, he didn't miss Agares' icy expression when the headmaster mentioned the leader named Aeneas. The look left just as quickly as it had appeared but Julius was sure of what he had seen. 

"Feel free to approach your temporary leader with any questions, and I hope you enjoy your time at East Laurence," the headmaster concluded.

"Thank you for the warm welcome, Headmaster. I'm looking forward to my time here," Julius said sincerely.

The headmaster smiled with approval before dismissing him.

Once Julius left the chapel, the headmaster turned to Agares. "Make sure you take good care of our newest member, even if it's just temporary," he instructed.

Agares nodded respectfully. "I will, sir."

Agares then followed Julius out of the chapel. "Loriana," he called in a soft but authoritative tone, causing Julius to stop and turn.

"Just Julius, please," Julius replied, his voice cautious but friendly.

"Right. I trust Silas has briefed you on the house rules?" Agares asked briskly.

"Yes, he has," Julius confirmed.

"Good. We'll be hosting a welcome party for you later, so make sure you attend," Agares said curtly before turning to leave.

Julius muttered to himself, "Rude. And who wouldn't show up to their own welcome party?"

As Julius stepped into the house, a chorus of cheerful greetings met him. Epaphras was the first to approach, guiding Julius inside and helping him with his belongings.

"Welcome back, Julius!" Epaphras said warmly, his smile broad and genuine. "I hope your first day went well."

Julius could only manage a nod, his surprise rendering him speechless. Silas, standing a bit off to the side, stifled a laugh, which earned him a pointed look from Julius.

"Before we dive into everything," Epaphras continued, "let me introduce you to everyone here at House of Ares." He gestured toward the group of boys gathered by the entrance, all eyeing Julius with interest.

"These are our younger members: Finly, Kyrie, Phineas, Harumi, and Anders," Epaphras said, indicating each boy with a friendly nod.

"Then we have the third years: Silas, whom you've met already, along with Artemus, Emille, Phoenix, Theodore, and Kairo. And finally, the fourth years: Reese, Knox, Owen, Kiyo, Rael, In-su, and..." He turned to a boy standing slightly apart, his delicate features making it hard to tell his gender at first glance. "Eirie."

"Everyone, this is Julius Loriana. He'll be staying with us for a while," Epaphras introduced.

"Hey there," they said in unison, and Julius returned the greeting with a shy smile.

"So, what sport are you into?" Kiyo, one of the older boys, asked with genuine enthusiasm.

Kiyo was a tall, muscular guy with short black hair and an energetic presence that screamed "jock." Julius, feeling a bit out of place, wondered why they were asking about sports. Did they assume he played because he was staying in the House Ares, known for its athletic prowess?

Before Julius could respond, Silas chimed in, "He used to play soccer but doesn't anymore."

Kiyo's face fell in disappointment. "Oh, I thought you'd be into martial arts."

Julius was struck by the look of disappointment on his face. It reminded him of a sad puppy, and he felt compelled to explain.

"Well, I did some taekwondo and Brazilian jiu jitsu when I was younger. I don't practice much now, but I'm still decent."

Kiyo's eyes brightened. "We should spar sometime," he said, clearly excited.

Julius managed a small smile. "Sure."

Silas looked surprised. "Wow, Loriana, what else can you do?"

Feeling the weight of all the curious gazes, Julius shifted uncomfortably. Even Epaphras watched him with interest.

"I'm pretty good at swimming," Julius began, "I've done some kickboxing, and I'm not too bad at basketball."

"Seriously?" Kairo, another boy with long curly hair and curious hazel eyes, asked. "You play basketball too?"

"Yeah, I'm no pro, but I can hold my own," Julius replied.

As the group swarmed around him with questions, the door opened, and Agares, their leader, walked in with his usual stoic expression. He observed the crowd around Julius and the amused Epaphras watching the scene unfold. Agares raised an eyebrow at him, who shrugged in response.

"Bonding time," Epaphras mouthed silently.

Agares nodded and headed toward the kitchen. The boys quickly dispersed, much to Julius' relief.

"Welcome back, leader," they greeted him in unison.

"Let's get things ready so we can properly welcome Loriana," Agares said, and the room fell into a more organized bustle.