Fourth House?
The words hung in the air like a forbidden spell.
Students across the great hall gaped, frozen mid breath. A few dropped their quills or clutched the arms of their neighbors. Even some professors exchanged looks of disbelief, clearly just as clueless as the students. Murmurs swelled like a rising tide.
"Was that real?"
"There's only supposed to be three!"
"Is this part of the ceremony?"
Max could hear the stunned whispers rippling around him like a wave crashing through the room.
Three Houses.
That's what everyone knew what they were taught to know. It was practically etched into the walls of Soladors itself:
Orderhall for discipline.
Silvertongue for diplomacy.
Stormforge for strength.
Never once had anyone mentioned a fourth.
