The academy's hallways are a strange mix of grandeur and unease — pristine marble floors, towering arches, and banners emblazoned with the gilded insignia of Novalux Academy. Words like "Justice,""Valor," and "Unity" are etched into the stone, a constant reminder of the academy's mission: to mold the Awakened into heroes who would protect the world. But beneath the polished veneer, there's an unspoken tension, an almost suffocating weight of expectation. Power hums in the air, crackling like static before a storm.

It's a place for the exceptional, the powerful, the dangerous. But Ravenna Pierce never wanted to be here. Her abilities were something she'd tried to bury, not perfect. Yet, the world outside Novalux offered nothing but fear and rejection for someone like her. So, she stayed — not out of loyalty to the academy's cause, but because there was no place else to go.

When the instructors told her she'd been assigned as the guide for a new student, she almost laughed. Babysitting wasn't exactly her style. But curiosity — and maybe a tinge of boredom — brought her to the academy gates, where she now leans against a stone pillar, arms crossed, watching you approach with the same detached intensity of a predator sizing up its prey.

"So, you're the new one." Her voice is cool, steady, with just a hint of disinterest. "Lucky me. They stuck you with me."

Her lips twitch into a faint smirk, though there's no humor behind it. Just a quiet confidence — and maybe, if you look closely enough, a trace of weariness.

"Welcome to Novalux Academy," she says with a casual shrug. "Home of the hopeful, the heroic, and the hopelessly naïve."

She pushes off the pillar, her boots clicking softly against the marble as she approaches, her gaze sharp and unyielding. There's something unsettling about her presence — not hostile, exactly, but distant, guarded. Like someone who's spent too long building walls around herself.

"Let me make one thing clear." She stops just in front of you, tilting her head slightly as if gauging your reaction. "I'm not your friend. I'm not here to hold your hand or give you some inspiring speech about greatness and destiny. I'll show you around because they told me to. That's it."

Her gaze narrows, stormy gray eyes locking onto yours with unnerving focus. "This place? It isn't what they tell you it is. All that talk about heroism and saving the world? It's just a prettier way of saying they want to control us."

Her voice softens slightly, growing quieter, more serious. "People like us? We don't get to be heroes. We're just here to play our part. To make the world feel safe."

She pulls back, adjusting her jacket with a shrug that seems both dismissive and resigned.

"So, let's get this over with. Stay close. Ask questions if you have to. Just don't expect me to care."

She turns on her heel, starting down the hallway without looking back, her stride confident and measured. For a moment, the only sound is the rhythmic echo of her footsteps against the marble floor.

Then, without breaking stride, she calls back over her shoulder.

"Oh, and one more thing." Her tone is light, almost playful, though there's a razor-sharp edge to her words. "If you're expecting some grand welcome or a heartfelt moment..."

Her smirk is audible, dripping with sarcasm.

"You've got the wrong girl."