FROM THE LAVI HOUSE

That night as the night sky befell the City of Ember, Ravan was in the room that was designated to him.

To his shock he found someone else inside, and what seemed to be the guy's belongings on thw floor and some on the bed that was now extra.

'Did they move the other double decker.'

Now what lay in the room was the double decker, Ravan had been sleeping in and a single bed that was probably the new guy's.

As his nature was Ravan didn't speak to the guy who was probably around his age if not older.

Grey shirt, brown hair, black glasses, brown eyes and a decent body.

Ravan only looked once, if he looked twice it would just be weird.

For the first time Ravan spoke to break the silence.

"Your from a prestigious family, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah, how did you know?" The feeble boy said as he adjusted his glasses.

Ravan didn't speak but pointed to the guy's suitcase.

"That symbol..."

Ravan was pointing at a symbol that contained a Lion wearing a crown, it was simple but a complicated design as well.

"Lavi, I presume,"Ravan said as he sat at the top bunk of thw double decker bed.

The boy sat on his single bed as well and looked at the strange blue eyed guy who had seemed to recognise his origin from just looking at his suitcase.

But it wasn't something impressive, the prestigious families were widely known, if one didn't know their names atleast they came across the symbols one way or another.

His first impression lf Ravan was Odd.

"Are you from a prestigious family as well?"

Ravan didn't answer his question but returned with a question instead.

"Why the Blacksmith Department?"

"Uhhh...well, I'm supposed to work here for about a year and then proceed to become a Tower Walker...hehe,"the boy with glasses said.

Being Tower Walker not only did one need to have a great Talent, but also have an awakening with mana and undergo intense training at any of the five Walker Academies.

All this Ravan knew in the fact that he had never passed any of the qualifications.

No Talent.

No mana awakening.

And there was certainly no Academy he'd attended.

But for one like the boy infront of him, being from the Lavi House, taking shortcuts was possible.

Prestigious families had connections after all.

Ravan didn't respond but rather took the book he had received from the Innkeeper and began to read.

Seeing as the conversation had subsided the boy continued unpacking and getting settled.

"What's your name by the way?"the boy asked.

Ravan once again didn't answer and pointed at the identification card he had received that was sitting at the table.

The boy's eyes gazed to where Ravan's finger was pointing and read the information on it.

NAME:Ravan _______

AGE:15

ROLE: Blacksmith Cadet

DORM ROOM: RM 2-8

MENTOR: Adam Gregor

The boy noticed that he didn't have a last name or was rather crossed on the ID by a sharp tool repeatedly.

He didn't want to pry, he could tell that Ravan didn't like his last name or the place he was from.

"Oh, well...I'm Leandor Lavi..but you can call me Lee,"the boy with glasses said before chuckling nervously.

Seeing as there was no reaction from Ravan he continued.

"Oh we have the same Mentor cool."

"What is Sir Adam like?"

Ravan stopped reading and peeked from thw edge of the book staring at Lee.

"You haven't met the old man?"he asked.

"Not really...I'll be meeting Sir Adam tomorrow,"Lee answered, glad that Ravan was talking again.

Ravan found it unpleasant to have the words 'Sir Adam' in his mouth as he pronounced them.

"Well, the old man isn't bad, but he doesn't like to see Bullshit..."

"So avoid any of it when he's around,"Ravan said turning a page from his book.

"Ok..."

"And try not to call him Sir Adam, he prefers the name Oldman,"Ravan said as he flipped the page once more.

Lee nodded, not knowing if Ravan was being serious or not.Hw could tell as they Ravan didn't show any emotions of face expressions.

He then continued to unpack and get himself settled, he was a little excited for the following day, but he was also a little nervous.

Ravan then decided to ask the only question he didn't think he would ever ask someone else.

A question he had heard all his life whilw growing up and never liked it.

"Are you a mana awakened?"

"Oh yes, I definitely am" Lee responded.

'What a shame, a nice person and a talent to boot,'Ravan thought as he looked down at his book.

He didn't understand why, but the room didn't feel as quiet as it was before.

Ravan didn't feel much from Lee's response, even though Ravan himself lacked mana. He felt like he should be jealous but he wasn't.

But he was a little bit glad.

'Atleast my roommate isn't a pretentious asshole, and can make this year somewhat more bearable...'

Ravan thought as he kept reading his book.

And just like the night had gone by as the two slept.

***

"Good morning!"Lee greeted.

"Mhmmm..."

"Hey, wake up...I can't be the only one late..."

"..."

"Come on..."

"Five more minutes."

"No, let's go! It's my first day."

Ravan didn't like Lee's voice, and didn't like that he was trying to drag him from the bed.

But Lee didn't know that and Ravan was sure he would have been kicked out and forced to live on the streets if he had the same habit of sleeping all day back at Zenith.

He had slept in his clothes so he didn't have to change into anything, and the room had a small mirror so he could fix himself up.

It was a luxury for the likes of him.

After doing his morning routine and a few stretches Ravan was ready to go.

"Ok, let's go,"Ravan said as he walked past Lee and towards the door.

"Uh...I thought we'd go together..."Lee said.

"Well, I don't think we're going to the same place."

Ravan opened the door and looked at the clock that was at the far end of the hallway.

'5:25 am...'

"Where are you headed anyway?"

"To the Training Field."

"Ah, you're a combat class,"Lee said as he closed the door behind him and walked beside Ravan.

"What did you think I was?"Ravan asked, finding his question odd.

"I don't know, maybe an administrative type or a clerk," Lee said, "but that's not bad, I'm just a little surprised, you seem pretty smart."

Ravan looked at the boy with glasses and thought it was a joke.

"Smart? I'm dumb as fuck, and a failure,"Ravan said without skipping a beat, he didn't understand how Lee could've come up with that.

"How can you be a failure? You're at the Blacksmith's Department."

"That's because the Blacksmith's Department takes any idiot with a working brain,"Ravan said.

He knew this wasn't true, he had a lot of respect for the Blacksmith Department, and he wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

But he also had respect for the Department of Administrations, and the Department of Clerks.

"So I'm just dumb luck."

"No, you're not, look you're even the roommate of the guy from the Lavi House,"Lee said with a smile on his face, but was still a bit nervous.

"And why would that be a good thing?"

"You must have done something right for the Blacksmith Department to pick you,"Lee said.

They walked through the halls and were now approaching the stairs.

Ravan didn't want to say it but he had been kicked out of House Zenith, one of the Prestigious Families too. He was always a deadbeat who lacked mana and was considered weak by his father.

But he liked Lee's company for the time being, he was his first companion at that.

A friend but he didn't want to use this term.

"Look, I'm not that great, ok, I'm just here so I don't end up living on the streets."

Lee could tell that Ravan was a little mad but wasn't sure why.

If Ravan lacked mana he just had to train his muscles well enough.

Not to be a Tower Walker like the others dreams but simply because he wanted to be strong enough to protect himself and live peacefully.

Lee could see the passion within his blue eyes, the kind of passion a warrior would have.

"Don't worry, you'll do great, just don't get discouraged, and remember, it's a new year with a new start, so you better give it your all, no matter what you've gone through."

"You're right."

"Of course I am,"Lee said.