The yellow sun rose over the rocky peaks of Guhya, casting a bright light across the valleys and painting the sky golden and blue. Faneel stood in front of the imposing gates of Sinki Embarque School, his heart was beating too fast for him to be calm. The mixture of excitement and agitation has kept its hold. Today was his first day at the prestigious magic school in the central province of Guhya. 

Sinki Embarque was no run-of-a-mill school. It was a fortress of solitude offering knowledge from the brightest of minds in the streams of magic, weaponry, and hunting. A child's names were forged into the legends with the teachings of this institution. To qualify for such glory, many people from different regions of the continent arrived at this institution. The school itself was hidden within the heart of Guhya. It was a mystical place with breathtaking landscapes and spiritual energy prim with good karma.

It was a competitive establishment and Faneel earned himself a scholarship in the institution during his second attempt at the test. Fannel capitalized on his father's goodwill, who served sixteen years in the Palia Royal Army. His father's testament in the greatest army on the continent was not as great as his other peer's parents, who distinguished themselves in the Palia's war. However, he was not some washed-up militant either because his commitment was strong enough to remain a loyal figure in the Army, even if it was at the lowest level. 

Sinki is for the strongest it is not for the onlookers or faint of heart. The school was a melting pot of diaspora of people, coming across the continent- it made itself a home for the elves, orcs, humans, and scarce race-like inter-beings that Faneel belonged to. Faneel's father, a prideful wolf from the Belliege tribe had raised him without the shadow of discrimination. He told his son that Sinki would be the better place, where he would belong. But, bigotry and inequality have an unfair way of creeping into the society and Fannel had his fair share of those trades but his mouth was wired shut in front of his father because he knew more than worrying him with something of this pretense. 

Faneel was a handsome lad. He had wolf-like features and subtle signs of elf traits from his mother's side that not everybody could immediately point out. Due to his features and differences, he never got along with his cousins. However, Sinki brought new invigoration within him. He felt a promising start of a new beginning. 

He took his first steps through the gates, guarded by two towering orcs plated in enchanted armor, Fannel felt a shift in the air. The magic in the school was alive and flourishing. A grand fountain stood at the center of the courtyard flowing with crystal clear water in an iridescent glow. Tiny fairies were roaming around like a bunch of bees, harmonizing with melodic tunes. There was children's excitement and laughter all around the corner. Faneel's chest swelled with aspiration. For the first time, he felt like he could probably make something out of him. 

But the moment of tranquility was short-lived as uncertainty loomed in the air too. 

As he queued in the admission section with his father, Faneel noticed a cute girl standing ahead of him. She was an elf, with sparkling beauty radiating eyes, and otherworldly charm. Her presence was so magnetic that it was catching up to him. Fannel's father shoved his son, in the direction of his crush. 

"Sorry!" he stammered, his ears flushed with embarrassment. 

The girl turned, and softly spoke, "It's okay," she said with a faint smile. As a proper girl, she introduced herself, "I'm Arva, from the Ellis family of Rakh Valley."

Fannel's heart skipped a beat. "I'm Faneel," he replied quickly. uhh "From Aiteet Valley."

Arva with a slight tilt of her head looked at him. "What grade are you joining at?"

"Fourth standard," Faneel said with a nervous twitch of his back. 

"Same here," Arva replied. The clerk finalized her admission before both of them got into more conversation. She waved and walked away. "See you in class - if we end up in the same one tho."

Faneel's hopes dimmed slightly. With ten sections in their grade, the odds were stacked against him to meet her again. But before he could overthink it, a booming voice dismantled his thoughts. 

"Open the bag!" a human sergeant barked, his eyes red with fury at Faneel and his father. "Let's see what you've brought. No wolfsbane, I hope."

The sergeant sneered. "Don't play coy with me. Wolves have a reputation for trading wolfsbane. It is a banned substance and a harmful drug that won't be tolerated in here."

Faneel clenched his fists. "I've never touched wolfsbane," he firmly stood his ground. 

The sergeant searched through his belongings but found nothing as he alleged. Reluctantly, he let them pass. Faneel's father gave him a reassuring pat on his back before leaving him at the dormitory. 

Alone in the room, surrounded by a bunch of beds ups and down. The reality gradually submerged him. But before he could process his thoughts a loud voice burst into the dorm. Surrounding him with curious stares and a challenging aura. 

"Who are you?" a sparky boy demanded. 

"Yeah, what's your story? What does your dad do?" another added. 

Faneel straightened his posture. "I'm Faneel from the Sinki Kingdom. My father is a soldier."

Before the boys could add more, a deafening sonic blast echoed through the dormitory. Everyone went into the big courtyard in front of their dorm house to see what was it about. A monocled ostrich in a top hat appeared, his voice amplified by magic. 

"Attention, students! Line up immediately! Our housemaster, Mrs. Dahlia, will now conduct your orientation."

As Faneel moved to join the line, a sharp pain shot through his back. He gasped, reacting to the pain, he reached to his back where he felt a small knife embedded in his flank. Blood seeped through his uniform, and the boys around jestered in laughter. 

"Welcome to Sinki!" one of them cheered. 

Faneel's vision blurred with pain and anger, but before he could react, a blinding ray of white light entered into his space.

Mrs. Dahlia, a tall, imposing figure with sharp eyes stepped forward and with an incredible speed, she stood behind Faneel. 

"Listen here boy," she said in a subtle but strong voice. "If you want to survive here, you'll need to be tough as nails. And remember- always watch your back. I won't be there to save you next time."

Faneel was bewildered after the event. He realized that he needed to shape up. The Sinki Embarque was not a sanctuary he imagined. It was a battlefield where only the strongest had the right to decide who would survive. 

As the orientation continued, a boy with human features pulled him aside. His voice was low and urgent. 

"Don't you know the Ten Commandments of Sinki?"