Aeris leaned back against the plush chair in her dorm room, taking in the surroundings of her new home in the Black Raven House. 

The room was elegant but understated, with dark mahogany furniture and deep purple drapes that hung from the tall windows. 

A raven motif decorated the walls, etched into the wood and framing the silver mirrors that reflected the soft morning light.

Priscilla Academy was renowned for its four houses: The Black Ravens, The Gold Hawks, The White Swans, and The Red Cardinals.

 Each house represented a specific virtue.

 The Black Ravens stood for cunning and intellect, the Gold Hawks for chivalry and courage, the White Swans for grace and poise, and the Red Cardinals for kindness and diligence. 

Aeris couldn’t help but smirk as she thought back to how in Lustrous Hearts, Mary, the game's protagonist, was always slotted into the White Swans, embodying grace and elegance. Of course, the protagonist would be chosen for something so dull.

But Aeris? She was in the Black Raven House. It suited her perfectly.

 Cunning and wit were her weapons, and she wielded them as expertly as any sword. The academy may not know it yet, but they had chosen the perfect house for her.

Still, as much as Aeris relished her solitude, she knew she’d need to acquaint herself with her housemates. 

She would be stuck with them for the next few months, after all. And who knew? Maybe she’d find a useful pawn or two among them.

Aeris rose from her seat and made her way down the spiraling staircase toward the common room. 

The smell of freshly baked bread and brewed tea wafted through the air, and her sharp eyes took in the dozen or so students already seated at the long tables for breakfast.

Her gaze swept across the room, noting their appearances and mannerisms. 

There was a pale, thin boy with slicked-back hair and a perpetual sneer, a girl with raven-black hair who looked more like a porcelain doll than a person, and a few others who seemed too timid or too distracted to pay her any attention.

As Aeris took in the scene, her thoughts were interrupted by a familiar voice.

“Aeris, Hey!”

Turning toward the voice, she was surprised to see Talia  approaching her with a wide smile. 

The excitable girl with fiery red hair looked less like the military prodigy her family had expected her to be and more like a rebellious younger sibling who had just snuck away from her duties.

“Talia,” Aeris greeted her with a smile of her own, surprised but pleased by the encounter. 

Interesting. So, we’re in the same house.

Talia motioned to an empty seat at the table across from her. 

“Mind if I join you?”

“Of course,” Aeris replied smoothly, taking a seat. Might as well use this chance to get to know her.

The two settled into the quiet hum of conversation as they served themselves some breakfast. 

Talia, it seemed, was more talkative than Aeris had initially expected, but Aeris didn’t mind. The more Talia revealed, the more she could work with.

“I never thought I’d be in Black Raven House,” Talia admitted, glancing around at the other students.

 “My family’s all about honor, you know? They wanted me in Gold Hawks, like my older sister.”

Aeris raised an eyebrow. Here it is her family drama.

“Your sister’s in the military, right?” she asked, trying recall details from the game.

Talia sighed and nodded. 

“Yeah, she’s already a captain in the Auslese military, father never stops bragging about her. He wants me to follow in her footsteps, but…” 

She trailed off, staring down at her plate.

“But?” Aeris prompted.

Talia laughed nervously and scratched the back of her head. 

“I don’t care about any of that. I don’t want to be a soldier or a captain. I just want to design clothes. Fashion, makeup, that’s what I care about. Sure I'm good with the blade..but it's not my passion.

  I'd gladly quit but my father would never allow it He only wants another military trophy to show off.”

Aeris studied her, taking in the frustration and bitterness in her voice. Talia a girl with the potential to be a loyal, valuable ally was dissatisfied, and that dissatisfaction could be exploited. 

And besides when it came to hating tyrannical Father's she could certainly sympathize

“My family isn’t much different,” Aeris said, her tone softening.

  She needs to see that I’m relatable. 

“To them, I’m nothing more than a pretty little asset to pawn off to the highest bidder."

"My father” Aeris clenched her fists tight. 

“He’s the worst of them all. He sees me as a commodity, not a person.”

Talia looked up at her, sympathy in her eyes. 

“That’s foul...relatable but foul”

Aeris bit her lip before deciding to reveal more.

 She slowly lowered her leggings, just enough to reveal the faint scars running along her thighs.

 “I paid for my disobedience,” she whispered.

Talia’s eyes widened in disgust 

“Aeris…i”

“It’s fine,” Aeris said, her voice detached as she pulled her leggings back up and offered Talia a reassuring smile. 

“It’s just something I’ve learned to live with.”

Talia shook her head, looking even more upset. 

“That’s so messed up.”

Aeris gave a small shrug, watching as Talia processed the information. 

This is how you build trust right?  

By revealing just enough of yourself to be vulnerable.

Before the conversation could continue, a soft chime echoed through the common room, signaling the start of homeroom induction.

Talia glanced at the clock on the wall and lept to her feet. 

“Looks like we should get going.”

Aeris stood up as well, her eyes fixed on Talia. 

“We’ll talk later?”

Talia gave her a nod and a small smile. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

With that, Talia bowed slightly and sprinted ahead, leaving Aeris alone to ruminate on everything she learned.

Aeris smiled to herself, an idea forming in her mind. 

Talia Valcrest the military prodigy turned reluctant student was shaping up to be an excellent pawn. 

She was utterly cute, naive, and easy to sway. Almost as much as her precious little sister.

There was something endearing about her, something sickly sweetly and earnest.

For now she'd tend to the seed she'd sown and see what the girl called Talia Valcrest blossoms into in time.