Chapter 3 : RavenCrow

I stood in front of a huge stone castle. The walls stretched so high I had to tilt my head back to see the top. Every brick looked old but strong—covered in glowing magic stones and carved runes. The symbols pulsed with a quiet light, shifting in color like they were alive.

"Welcome to your new home," Asmond said. He gently tapped me on the back with his staff.

He stepped forward and slammed his staff into the ground. Once. Twice. Three times.

Boom. Boom. Boom.

The gate groaned loudly and began to rise. Dust and bits of stone crumbled as the massive door lifted slowly off the ground. I stood there, staring, completely amazed.

"Let's go in," he said, waving me forward.

I followed closely behind him.

Inside the castle walls, everything looked even more incredible. The same glowing stones were placed all around, built into the walls, lining the walkways, and hanging from lanterns. They sparkled under the sun, casting bright colors across the floor and stone pillars. Blue, green, red, gold—every color danced around like moving light.

My mouth opened slightly. I had seen places like this in games and movies, but none of them came close to how it felt in real life. The air itself felt heavy with magic.

I slowed down a bit, letting Asmond walk ahead while I looked around. I reached out, curious, and stretched my fingers toward one of the glowing stones on the wall.

"I wouldn't do that," a voice said behind me.

I froze.

I pulled my hand back quickly and turned around.

A girl stood behind me. She looked about my age—maybe a year younger. Her white-silver hair fell down past her shoulders, glowing softly in the magic light. Her skin was fair, and her eyes sharp. She didn't smile. She just stared at me, trying to figure me out.

"Who are you?" I asked.

She crossed her arms. "I should be asking you that."

"Ahh, there you are," Asmond said, walking back toward us. "Helios, meet my granddaughter—Frey."

He smiled warmly and placed a hand on her head.

She frowned and pulled away. "I'm not a child anymore, Granddad," she said under her breath.

I raised an eyebrow. She definitely acted older than she looked.

"So you keep saying, petal," Asmond replied with a chuckle.

Frey rolled her eyes and walked away without another word.

"She's always like that," he said quietly. "But she's a sweet girl once you get to know her. She just doesn't open up easily."

I didn't say anything. I already got that feeling. In some way, she reminded me of myself. Cold on the outside, but not really cold inside.

"Come," Asmond said. "Time to meet the rest of the guild."

We walked toward a large wooden door at the center of the courtyard.

"Oh, by the way," he added, "did I ever tell you the name of our guild?"

I shook my head.

He smiled again. "We are called RavenCrow."

He pushed the door open with both hands.

The inside was just as breathtaking as the outside. The main hall stretched wide and tall. High wooden beams held up the ceiling, and a large banner with a black crow and purple feathers hung above the fireplace. Dozens of people moved around the room. Some were reading. Others sparred with swords or practiced magic. One person floated off the ground as they meditated.

And flying above them all was a small dragon-like creature—probably a drake. Its wings flapped fast as it zipped through the air, chasing a floating spark of light.

Everything felt alive.

"Guildmaster!" someone shouted from across the room.

The noise stopped instantly. Everyone turned. Even the drake froze mid-air and flew down, landing on the shoulder of a tall man covered in scars.

"Welcome back, sir!" the whole guild shouted together.

Asmond waved and nodded. He walked through the crowd, and I followed close behind him. I could feel every eye on me.

Some people whispered.

Some just stared.

Others narrowed their eyes.

We stopped at the base of a large staircase, and Asmond turned around to face the hall.

"Today," he said, loud and clear, "we have a new member."

He pulled me forward so everyone could see.

"This is Helios."

There were murmurs and glances.

"He is a special grade magic user."

That got their attention.

The room burst into loud chatter. People gasped, exchanged wide-eyed looks, or shook their heads in disbelief.

I looked up and saw Frey again. She was perched on the edge of a high window, watching everything with a serious look.

Asmond raised his voice again. "He's only nineteen, and he doesn't know how to use it yet. That's where you come in."

Someone shouted from the back, "How are we supposed to train a special grade?!"

Asmond smiled. "That's your problem," he said. "I won't be staying here. I'm heading to the Emerald Forest for a peace mission."

That caused even more noise.

"You will be in charge of his training," he said, raising his staff. "And if he breaks anything—you will pay for it out of your own purse."

He chuckled at the chaos he caused.

"And with that… I leave him in your care."

He slammed the staff into the floor one more time.

A flash of light exploded from his body—bright enough to make me shut my eyes.

When I opened them, Asmond was gone.

Just vanished.

I stood there, feeling all eyes on me.

People looked stunned.

Some looked annoyed.

A few looked scared.

The man with the scars and the drake spoke up. "Is he serious? How are we supposed to train a kid with that kind of power?"

A new round of arguments broke out.

"Do we even know what kind of magic he has?"

"Does he have control?"

"What if he explodes and kills us all?"

I didn't know what to say. I just stood there, frozen.

That's when Frey jumped down from the window ledge. She landed quietly and walked into the center of the room.

The room went quiet again.

All eyes shifted to her.

She looked at me for a second, then turned to the rest of the guild.

"I'll train him," she said.

The guild hall stayed silent.

I had thought someone would argue. She was a child after all. But the hall remained quiet. No one dared argue.

Maybe because she was Asmonds granddaughter or maybe they just didn't want anything to do with me.

Frey turned to me, her gaze cold.

In that moment I knew my time here wasn't going to be easy.