The House of Quails I

Welcome to Vogelwald. The coffee is fresh, the neighbors are strange, and you might not survive the week. Desperate to find his missing brother, college student Noel signs a mystical contract with a shadowy figure known as the Protector. The deal transports him to a strange, summer-locked town where he is drafted into an invisible, brutal war against an encroaching, Lovecraftian dimension known as "The Deep." Noel and his eleven housemates are the Guardians. By day, they share a cozy house, cook lasagna, and deal with the drama of being young adults. But when the house's chalkboard summons them, they are pulled into the fog. In combat, regular weapons are useless. Survival depends entirely on Arcanums—crystallized magic absorbed directly into the flesh. These shards grant their wielders vastly different abilities, ranging from the destructive combinations of the elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air) to the terrifying, invisible powers of the mind and emotions (Fear, Rage, Pain, Love). Drafted as the newest recruit, Noel must adapt to his unpredictable partner, master his Arcanums, and face down the monstrous servants of the Deep. But the enemy is evolving, the death toll is rising, and the answers Noel seeks about his brother might be darker than he ever imagined. What to expect: Unique Magic System: Deep exploration of the "Arcanum" system (elemental combinations vs. psychological/emotional magic). Wholesome & Grimdark Contrast: Cozy slice-of-life moments (cooking, bonding, house drama) mixed with brutal, high-stakes, lethal combat. No Plot Armor: Actions have permanent, devastating consequences. Characters will die. Character-Driven: Deep psychological exploration of trauma, grief, and camaraderie. LGBTQ+ Representation: Natural, character-driven romance and identities woven into the plot. Disclaimer: This is an original story written entirely by me in my native language. I used AI (Gemini) ONLY as a translation tool to help me translate my work into English. The translated text was manually reviewed and edited.  Release Schedule: 1 chapter every day!Note: This is a massive epic saga that will span across 10 books in total.