Max Jacob stared at the letter his parents left behind, the ink smudged by his trembling hands. The only sound was the ticking of the ancient clock and the steady patter of rain. He tried not to cry, but the weight of loneliness pressed heavy on his chest.
"Why would they send me away? They never even believed I had magic," he whispered into the silence, his voice barely louder than a sigh.
Jacob Max, a lanky 16-year-old with quick, curious eyes, offered a hesitant smile as Maxwell Jacob Well, his younger adopted brother, bounced excitedly beside him. The walls were decorated with moving portraits, each whispering softly as the rain faded outside.
"Don't worry, Max. We’re all a bit lost here," Jacob Max said, gesturing for him to come inside.
"Yeah! Maybe being a wizard won't be so bad if there’s three of us," Maxwell Jacob Well added, tugging Max’s suitcase up the stairs.
Max Jacob clutched his acceptance letter, his heart pounding as the gates swung open with a musical chime. Banners in pink, orange, purple, and white flapped in the breeze, each representing a different house. The scent of fresh parchment and magic hung in the air, and Max’s eyes widened as he took in the spectacle.
"I never imagined a place like this could exist," he breathed, a mix of hope and fear churning inside him.
The sorting ritual began, the cards shuffling and spinning through the air. Each new student was called forward, the cards choosing their fate. Max Jacob watched as Jacob Max and Maxwell Jacob Well picked their places by his side, their faces set with determination. When it was Max’s turn, the cards swirled and settled—pink.
"No, not pink," he muttered under his breath, dread washing over him as a shimmering pink scarf floated down to rest on his shoulders.
Max Jacob slumped into an armchair, feeling out of place in the sea of pink. Jacob Max nudged him, a grin tugging at his lips.
"You know, they say Jacob's House is for the silly and brave. Maybe pink isn't so bad if it means you belong somewhere,"
"Besides," Maxwell Jacob Well chimed in, "we’ll make it the bravest house ever—no matter what color it is."
A faint smile crept onto Max's face as he realized, for the first time, he might actually fit in.
Max Jacob hesitated before a row of glowing pink flowers, his wand trembling in his grip. He glanced back at Jacob Max and Maxwell Jacob Well, who nodded encouragingly.
"Maybe... maybe the color pink isn’t so terrible after all," he said quietly, and as he cast his first successful spell, the flowers danced in the morning breeze—bright, bold, and beautifully pink.
