Elira sat in the moving carriage rattling over the cobblestone as it made its way to the academy .outside the window was a sea of people gathered ,families elegantly dressed,murmuring excitedly as they waited for the event to begin . This was no ordinary day,and Elira knew it.
Elira's pov
My fingers brush the smooth,cold surface of the family crest pinned on my chest.it was sliver, shaped like a phoenix surrounded by ivy leaves , symbolizing both rebirth and strength. Beneath it the word jovian House written in elegant gold script. The crest felt new, unfamiliar and yet there was a certain pride that came from within me whenever I touch it.
Just a month ago, this same crest would have meant nothing to me,I would have been just another orphan forced to work ,to survive,to grow up too fast. I would have been just another face lost among the nameless,sent out to find a job at sixteen,but now my identity has changed
"Elira shifted in her seat ,her mind wandering"
The media coverage had been intense when the family made their announcement.headlines reading "jovian family adopts mysterious orphan""A new heir for the elite""A stunt or a new legacy"
The cameras had flashed the moment their stepped into the orphanage,the dean speaking proudly about how I was the top student ,my awards from various competitions for the orphanage saying my best qualities.
The door creaked open,and the murmurs outside quieted as Lady Jovian entered,with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes ,she gestured for me to move to her side ,I straightened my posture,reminded of the weight of the decision just made.
They had come to take me,not as a daughter,but a tool,as an heir to be molded into something of value.
At first ,I thought it was a joke ,but the moment I stepped into their world The jovian House, I knew it was real,the cold walls and cold smiles became my new home . Lady jovian had been welcoming in her own way,but distant .
It didn't matter,in a blink of an eye my life had been flipped upside down,u wasn't an orphan anymore,I was now Elira jovian the adopted daughter of the powerful family,with a crest to prove it .
"Are you nervous?" a voice interrupted her thoughts
I looked up to find Lady Jovian,my new adopted mother sitting across from me ,her cold but kind light expression watching me with a mix of uncertainty and expectations,I didn't answer immediately, Instead glancing out of the window at the crowd once again .
In the distance,i could see the academy's towering spires,rising above the mass of onlookers. The families,some of whom were too important to be bothered by the pubic eye ,walking toward their assigned seats taking their places in the ranks of the elites.
The door creaked open,and the murmurs outside quieted as the Lord and Lady jovian entered,with smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes ,Lady jovian gestured for me to follow her out into the light,I straightened my posture,reminded of the weight of the crest on my chest
"Elira dear" she said ,her tone business like "it time to show them what the jovian family has brought in"
I nodded ,stepping forward as the flash of cameras grew louder