Chapter 51: Chapter 48: Cards
The grand hall of the academy buzzes with the excited chatter of new students. The atmosphere is filled with anticipation as they gather around a tall, sparkling globe, its surface shimmering with an ethereal glow. The air hums with magic, as each student steps forward to touch the globe, their hand brushing against its cool, otherworldly surface.
In the center of the room stands the principal, a figure both striking and peculiar. Dressed in a flowing pink gothic dress adorned with delicate lace and ribbons, she exudes an aura of mystery and childlike innocence.
Her eyes sparkle with warmth and mischief as she holds a fluffy black bunny in her arms, its ears twitching playfully.
Despite the darker tone of her outfit, her demeanor is pure cheerfulness, radiating an almost whimsical warmth.
"Alright, everyone!" She announces with a musical lilt, her voice a bright contrast to the serious gothic look. "Welcome to your Sorting Ceremony! Don't be shy, come closer and touch the globe! It will determine your true card—Hearts, Clubs, Spades, or Diamonds! Each of you has a role to play, and your team will reveal your very essence!" She giggles softly, giving the bunny a small squeeze. "No need to worry! It's all about embracing your uniqueness, after all!"
"Dear students, Welcome to the beginning of your journey here!" she announces, her voice light and full of cheer, resonating throughout the room. "Now, let's discover where you belong—whether you are a heart, a club, a spade, or a diamond!"
The students exchange puzzled glances as the globe pulses with light. One by one, they approach it, their fingertips grazing the glowing surface.
As they touch it, a soft whirring sound fills the room, and they are enveloped in a gentle glow. Their features shift subtly—each student is "sorted" by the globe, which then produces a card from its core that hovers in front of them.
The first student, a quiet girl with braided hair, is surrounded by a soft pink aura, and a glowing Heart card gently floats toward her. She looks around, unsure of what it means.
The next student, a tall, energetic boy with sleek hair, touches the globe eagerly. A deep green light surrounds him as a Club card floats in front of him.
A quiet, thoughtful girl with glasses touches the globe last. A mysterious dark blue light shines over her, and a Spade card appears. Her classmates in the spade group stand silently, exuding an aura of deep thoughtfulness
Finally, a boy with an air of excitement touches the globe, and a brilliant purple light bursts around him. The Diamond card hovers before him.
Yuna watch the whole procedure curiously, she saw the Crown Prince being sorted to the diamond card, the Arryn siblings, Enyo being sorted to Spade card and her brother Alaster to the Club card.
"You go first" Yuna nudge at Austin, curious as to what his card will be.
A dark blue light shines as Austin touch the globe, a card hover before him which he takes calmly. He belongs to Spade.
Yuna also step forward, wondering what her card would be. She has a faint hope for the card to be a club for no other reason than the fact that it looks lucky. She also prays for it not to be a heart card.
But whatever things she didn't want, Yuna seems to have a knack for attracting just that.
The globe glow a pink hue and out came heart card.
It seems, all her luck in life had been used up on her transmigrating in a fantasy world. Things has not gone the way she wants ever since she transmigrated!
And she don't like PINK!
With tears in her eyes Yuna look pointedly at Austin card and said "I want to change card, heart and pink, what did I do wrong to deserve this?"
Austin laughs at her resentful expression but quickly suppress it to not make her more upset.
Yuna moves her lips a few times but ultimate resigned to fate and walk begrudgingly towards her heart team.
The sorting of team was soon finalized among the hundreds odd new students.
The principal beams at the gathered students, her tone still bright and bubbly. "A Heart is someone who connects deeply, always offering kindness and understanding," she sings with a wink. "A Club thrives on strength, determination, and loyalty! A Spade holds intellect, mystery, and a sharp sense of strategy. And Diamonds, oh my, they sparkle with ambition, wit, and charm. Each group is special in its own way, and you'll soon discover how unique you all are!"
The students, though curious, remain unsure about what their new identities mean. They glance at their cards, exchanging uncertain glances.
Everyone is silently trying to process the weight of their sorting. The principal, however, has no such doubts, as she waves her bunny in the air, adding with a gleam in her eye: "Don't worry, dear students, your adventure is just beginning! We'll see how you each shine in your own way!"
....
The evening sky is painted with streaks of purple and orange as the new students, still buzzing with the excitement of their sorting ceremony, make their way through the academy grounds toward their assigned dorms.
The campus feels vast, stretching out beneath the towering peaks of stone buildings that loom like ancient guardians. Every step echoes against the marble paths, amplifying the anticipation in the air.
First, there's the Heart Card Building, a grand structure resembling a classic, ornate castle. It's an imposing sight—rose-colored marble walls, delicate balconies adorned with pink flowers that hang like curtains from above. Atop the building, a giant, gilded heart emblem catches the fading sunlight, glimmering in a perfect, cheesy way. Students gaze at it with awe, though a few seem slightly taken aback by the overwhelming amount of pink.
Yuna is one of those who is taken aback and appalled by such pinkness so much so that she has an urge to run away.
Walking a bit further, they come to the Club Card Building, which exudes a more refined, mysterious aura. The stone walls are draped in ivy, and the entrance is flanked by intricately carved club symbols. The windows are narrow and arched, casting shadows across the well-kept courtyard, giving the entire place a scholarly, almost secretive vibe. A few students glance at each other, whispers of admiration floating through the air, their curiosity piqued by its understated elegance.
'Luck bastards' Yuna grit her teeth in jealousy at the sight of club building.
On the other side, there's the Spade Card Building—sleek, angular, and modern. The structure is built from dark, polished stone, with spade-shaped windows and sharp edges that jut out like the cutting edge of a blade. The building stands tall and imposing, giving off an aura of quiet power. The students who are sorted here stand in awe, drawn to its cool and collected energy.
Finally, the Diamond Card Building sparkles with grandeur, the entire structure constructed from polished white marble that reflects the light, giving it a brilliant, otherworldly glow. The walls shimmer with the delicate diamond-shaped carvings, and a massive diamond emblem sits proudly at the peak. Students who are assigned here gaze at the building as if they've just stepped into a dream, their faces lit with wonder at the pristine beauty surrounding them.
'Oh…I can't with this' Yuna forced her head away to stop the ever growing jealousy and resentment.
As the students file into their respective buildings, Yuna walks into the Heart Card Building with an air of reluctance.
She's not thrilled by her assigned team—her eyes narrow slightly as she looks at the pink interior, from the velvet curtains draped across the walls to the soft, pastel heart shapes that seem to surround her at every turn.
She feels almost like an outsider in this overly cheerful space, an observer, like a reader flipping through pages of a romance novel that doesn't quite resonate.
"Ugh, I can't believe I got Hearts…" Yuna mutters under her breath, eyeing the giant pink heart emblem etched onto the walls with a resigned expression.
Her mood isn't exactly cheerful—it's more like a passive, "I'm here, but I'm not here" vibe.
She doesn't hate pink, per se, but the cheesiness of the heart symbol is something that grates against her. The saccharine sweetness of it feels like something out of a fairy tale, and she's not one for fairy tales. It's like she's stuck in a novel she didn't choose to read.
Forced melon is not sweet ah….!
As Yuna walks into her assigned room, her reaction is one of pure bewilderment.
The room is... soft. Too soft.
The walls are a pale, delicate shade of pink, and there are heart-shaped pillows scattered around the bed like something out of a "cutesy" dream.
Yuna suck in a cold breath at the inside of her room.
It feels... unreal. Her gaze falls on the uniform laid out neatly on the bed—a black outfit with a large, very noticeable pink heart printed in the center of the chest, as if to mark her as a permanent member of this pink and cheesy world.
"Ugh....kill me...."
She stares at it for a moment, blinking slowly.
"This is... it?" Yuna mutters, her fingers hovering over the fabric but not quite touching it.
Her eyes flicker between the uniform and the room, the stark contrast between the deep, cool black of the outfit and the soft, pastel pinks of the room standing out. It's as though the world around her is trying to mold her into something she doesn't want to be.
Taking a deep breath, Yuna finally picks up the uniform. It's made of fine, soft material, though it doesn't quite make her feel any better about her situation.
As she holds it up, her face contorts into a neutral mask, the weight of her forced acceptance hanging heavily on her shoulders. She can't shake the feeling that the universe, in its whimsical way, has placed her into a world she doesn't quite fit into.
"Oh…Fuck you Universe!"
"Guess this is what I get for reading novels about fate…" Yuna thinks dryly, throwing herself onto the bed and staring at the heart-shaped pillows as though they're mocking her.
She missed her house, especially her room.
All her positive feelings about the academy has been shelved away by the sheer pinkiness and the glaring heart in her room.