Chapter Text
When you've lived in a world filled with man-eating demons, Yuu thought she couldn’t possibly be fazed with anything else by that point. Well, could you blame her? Discovering the orphanage you’ve lived in your whole life was actually a farm and that when her siblings are off to be “adopted”, they were actually sent to their deaths as food for the demons that eat them them is shocking enough. And yet, as her journey as an escapee with her siblings, and other things ensue in her life progress, things could only get more shocking. She thought by now it couldn’t get any more confusing, but the world once again proved her wrong by having her wake up alone, in a dark claustrophobic space.
Stay calm. She tried to assure herself, trying to stop her heart from beating too fast. Judging by how tight this space is, she thought, as she pressed her hand onto the ceiling. It didn’t budge. And also how low the ceiling is, I’m in a sealed coffin, or some sort of sealed container at least. she frowned. is this some sick joke? She thought. If she were to die at the hands of demons, she’d surely be eaten by now.
“Fgyah! People are coming. Gotta get a uniform quick..”
Who could that be? A demon!? She thought panickedly, bracing herself.
“This lid is heavy… Gah, If it comes to this, gotta use my last resort. HIYAA!” The voice screeched hurriedly.
Wha- but before she could even react, her little prison burst into radiant blue flames above her, as the supposed lid blew right off, revealing a little gray cat that had its ears lit with blue fire, and silver fur covering its chest. Seeing the supposed cat, Yuu’s mind immediately flashed to Lewis’ cat (or... was it a cat or a monkey?), and how it revealed their hiding spot back at Goldy pond. Remembering the vivid memory, she panicked.
“Myah! You’re not supposed to be awake!’” upon seeing her, the cat immediately jumped. Did he not expect her to be up?
“Where am I? Who are you?” She asked sternly. She realized that this one could speak, but she knew that from Norman’s explanation that the demons who could speak ate humans, and retained a human form. Why doesn't this one have a humanoid form if it can talk? Is it some special variant like the‘evil blooded girl’? Her thoughts were curious yet frantic, she decided to pull out the sharp blade that she used in place of a hairpin. It can use fire too… no demon we’ve seen had powers like that.. Though I guess I'm glad this hairpin I decided to sharpen came to use. while she was lost in thought, the cat had started speaking.
“GAH!” the creature gasped. “H-Human! How dare you point a weapon at the Great lord Grim!”
“Okay Grim, where am I?” She continued, unfazed. Yuu couldn’t help but think the cat was rather cute to some degree. It would have been cuter if she didn't think it was a threat to her life.
“Nyah! I’m the one making demands here! Give me your uniform!” the creature said, his confidence growing in his voice. As Grim spoke, Yuu looked around the room. Floating coffins could be seen in the dark room and elegant windows that showed moonlight outside. Then she glanced at herself. She had changed from her white button up and black long skirt, along with brown leather boots, into a black robe of sorts, lined with gold and purple accents. She admits that it’s quite elegant, but in any case, she wasn’t giving the monster anything.
“No, I don't think so!” As soon as those words left her mouth, she immediately made a mad dash for the door.
She wasn’t going to deal with a talking cat demon right now. Her priority was finding a way out and then figuring out where she was and regrouping with her family. She dashed through the halls and looked out the window to see the moonlight shining down on the land, and entered a room that was a fair distance from the room of coffins. She hurriedly glanced around her surroundings. A hall that stretched far lined with wooden bookshelves with a second level, she could spot comfy chairs and lamps right by the shelves, and of course, she was met with more floating things, this time being books. Man, everyone would’ve loved to be here right now... And she would have too if she wasn’t totally lost in an unfamiliar building with no way to contact her family at the moment. But amidst her short daze, the door bursts open and the little feline with flaming ears appears once more.
“Nya! You have some nerve if you think you can escape the Great Lord Grim! Now hand me those uniforms, or else I'll roast ya!” The Feline threatens.
“No!" Yuu was pointing her hairpin at him again before someone else beat her to it when a string wrapped around the poor feline.
“Myah! What’s this string!?” the feline exclaims.
“It’s not a string! It’s a lash of love!” a loud voice says.
The man appears, seemingly from the shadows. His appearance was rather eccentric, to say the least. Concealed with a black half mask and a beak pointing out of it, he wore a glittering vest, and his entire outfit was weirdly glamorous, for lack of a better word. Golden accents and accessories, a very elaborate top hat, and sharp-looking talon-like claws. And you couldn't not notice his very large feathery black and indigo coat draped over his shoulders. He was fancy, too fancy to just be an escapee like Yuugo or Lucas.
He did wear a mask, but it didn’t seem like the ones the demons usually wore, nor did it seem like it would serve as any form of protection for his eyes. She couldn’t remember any demon with glowing eyes in the past either. So as of now, he was deemed trustworthy since he rescued her. If he were a demon, he would have tried to eat her too. Unless maybe he tried to keep Grim out of it so he could eat me himself later. Yuu instinctively covered the number markings on her neck, despite it being concealed by her hood.
“Aah, I finally found you. You’re this year’s new student, are you not? Goodness! You are quite impatient to open the gate yourself. And bringing in an untrained familiar! That is against school policy! How troublesome you are.” The man sighed.
“Myaah! Let me go! I’m not this guy’s familiar!” Grim protested, as the man scooped him up.
“Yes, Yes, That’s what all the rebellious ones always say,” The man said. “Really, it’s quite unheard of that a student opens the gate on their own like this. How impatient could you be? Come along now, the entrance ceremony has already started. The other students await in the mirror chamber,” The man sighed, and urged her to follow him.
“Wait, sir, where are we? New student? Gates? Familiar? I don’t understand.” Yuu said confusedly. “Is this.. A shelter built by Minerva? Are you one of his remaining allies? Tell me, do you know Norman? Or whatever it is you call him? The current ‘William Minerva’? Or ‘Boss’?” She asked hopefully. If she managed to land herself in another shelter with Minerva’s remaining allies, she’d be the luckiest human in the demon world. There was a chance that one of Minerva’s allies was still out there. Who knows, he might know Norman. If he did, then maybe she could find her way back.
The man paused and gave her a look. “Shelter? Minerva? I am not acquainted with anyone known as him. Young man, are you perhaps dazed? Perhaps the Space transportation magic had fiddled with your memories. No matter! For I am so gracious, I shall explain while we’re on our way. This has happened before on multiple occasions after all,” The man simply said. She was simply at a loss for words. This wasn’t a shelter? She thought. Then where am I?
Crowley cleared his throat, catching her attention.
“This is ‘Night Raven College’. It's a place where mages with exceptional talents gather, Twisted Wonderland’s most prestigious Arcane academy. And I am the headmaster supervising this academy under the board chairman, Dire Crowley” He explained.
“...I beg your pardon? Magic?” Yuu said in disbelief.
“Yes! Magic,” The headmaster seemed quite serious.
“And the gates?”
“You did wake up in a room full of gates, did you not?”
“You mean the coffins?”
“Gates. We designed it as such to express the idea of leaving behind our past selves and being reborn as someone new. Clever isn’t it?” Crowley said, smiling to himself, to which Yuu could only sigh.
Before she could press for more questions, or think about what she’d just heard deeper, they arrived at the supposed ‘Mirror chamber’, she presumed.
“Here we are!” he exclaimed, as he creaked the doors open. “We are quite lucky that I found you nearby. Lest we arrive later,” he added.
As soon as the doors creaked open enough to peer in, she was amazed by the number of students in the room chattering and whispering to each other. It may have just been a peek, but she knew there were definitely more than a hundred students chattering away.
“Now, I suppose the opening ceremony, as well as the proceedings of division into dormitories, has ended,” a seemingly redhead, judging by the patch of hair that poked out, with a small stature commanded. He stepped forward, making himself more visible to a group of students. “Are you listening, newcomers? In the Heartslabyul dormitory that you have all just been admitted into, I am the law. Keep in mind that I will behead those who disobey me. Understood?”
The students, who were chattering about a moment before, immediately fell silent at the redhead’s words.
Dormitory? Looks like a boarding school. She flinched. What’s this about beheading people?! She thought. No.. Wait. There are kids here... A lot of them. A little old maybe. They don’t look like escapees. Am I… on another plantation!? Yuu scared herself with her own thoughts.
She heard a yawn and turned to the direction of another authority figure and looked towards a large man with a lazy posture, his thick dark brown hair flowing down his shoulders through his hood. “…Fuaaah. The tiresome ceremony’s finally over with.” His dark skin glowed in the light as he took a step forward, waving his hand as if herding his group of ‘students’ “We’re heading back right now. Savanaclaw dorm, follow me.” he commented
As the man stepped into the light, Yuu was stunned to see lion ears poke out from under his hood. W-What is he!? She thought. Was he a demon? Was she on another plantation after all? Her panicked daze was interrupted by another voice.
“Everyone who has just been divided here, greetings,” He said politely, also soundly ignoring the other leaders beside him. “On this celebratory occasion, I would like to congratulate you on your enrollment in this prestigious establishment! So that you can all enjoy your school life here to the fullest, I will do my very best to support you all as the Dormitory Head of Octavinelle.” The man had silver locks peeking out from his hood, gleaming in the firelight as he stepped forward, his glasses shining in the light. Oh, Dorm heads. That’s what they’re called I suppose. She noted.
The more she thought, she realized that she hadn't seen a girl in sight. Practically every person she’d laid eyes on are boys. Or at least she’d assume that way. That’s odd… she thought. They look about 16 or so, which means if I’m in a plantation… I’m probably in Grand Valley. No kid from Glory Bell lived past 15, and especially not Grace field. she thought solemnly. Although I don’t remember anyone from Grand Valley mentioning waking up in a coffin or some magic school.. But Theo did mention being raised by a ‘Teacher’ Her thoughts were interrupted once more by a cheerful voice.
“Hmm.. I wonder where the headmaster went?” the fairly tan boy asked, his bangal earrings shaking. The other dorm heads commented on the thought. “Maybe he got a stomach ache?”
“That is incorrect! The headmaster said, bursting into the mirror chamber, alerting everyone with his presence. “One of the new students was missing! That is all! And I was ever so gracious to lead them to the ceremony,” he said, complimenting himself. Crowley looked at Yuu, “Now, you’re the only one who hasn’t been sorted into a dorm yet. Come along now! I will hold onto this raccoon of yours,”
Yuu was ushered by The headmaster in front of a large mirror at the end of the hall. She was startled by the green flames that emerged from within it and the white, masked face that appeared in the mirror in place of a reflection. She knew demons could take the form of animals, like Lewis’ cat or Sonju’s horse, but she didn’t think a demon could possibly take the form of an inanimate object. This one spoke too, so it’s intelligent.
“State thy name” the face in the mirror spoke.
“Yuu.” She said hesitantly, trying to keep her composure.
“Yuu..” the mirror trailed off.
There was an awkward silence.
“The nature of your soul is…” It trailed off again. “Unclear to me,” it finally said.
“What?” she heard the headmaster say, with genuine confusion in his voice. He definitely wasn’t expecting this.
“This one doesn't have a spark of magic in them. Shapeless, colorless, nothing.” It continued. “Therefore, they are suited for no dormitory!” it declared, and whispers erupted amongst the crowd of students.
“I don’t understand..” the headmaster uttered under his breath, but his words couldn’t escape Yuu’s sharp senses. “Never in my years as headmaster in Night Raven College has something like this ever happened! It is impossible to think that the dark mirror had selected a student that can’t use magic to be admitted into a prestigious magic school!”
Meanwhile, Yuu was trying to gather all the information that was dropped and process the situation. “I’m in a school. A Magic school. Everyone’s hooded but I can’t see a girl in sight. Not to mention the headmaster called me ‘Young man’? Everyone here looks to be in their teen years. Although Crowley is definitely an adult. This isn’t a shelter, the headmaster doesn't know Minerva, and magic exists…” she uttered to herself. “Sounds like the fantasy book I found in the shelter..” she commented. At that moment, Grim had escaped from Crowley's grasp.
“Myah! Let me take the puny human’s place! The Great Grim actually knows magic! Lemme show you my power!” Grim shouted. He huffed, and spat out blue, uncontrolled flames, causing panic to ensue throughout the chamber.
“GET DOWN!” The redhead dorm of Heartslabyul warned, and blue flames spread uncontrollably across the chamber. “Ow my butt’s on fire! Someone help!” the tan boy who had questioned the headmaster’s absence previously shrieked. Meanwhile, Grim was running around, spitting blue fire left and right. “Someone stop that raccoon!” The headmaster helplessly yelled. Yuu watched as the fire continued to spread.
“Why don’t you take him down? He looks like some puny prey a hunter like yourself could snack on,” The silver-haired glasses student commented, a snarky grin on his face. The lion-eared man beside him scoffed.
“Heh, Why should I? Too much trouble,” he said, huffing.
“Well, I suppose I shall take the task of keeping this helpless animal under control,” the boy said, adjusting his glasses with a grin.
The floating tablet nearby scoffs, Yuu had taken note of his appearance earlier, but didn’t have enough time to fully analyze the floating gadget. “Typical Azul-shi, racking up those credits like favorability points,” the tablet comments, in a deep, mechanical-ish voice. No face could be seen in its azure screen.
“Hello? Could someone please put this fire out!?” the boy with Bengals pleaded.
“Will anyone catch that raccoon!?” the headmaster pleaded in the same tone.
Yuu rushed to the boy with his rear on fire. “Um, sir, please stop panicking. You have magic, right? Can you use it to put your fire out?” she suggested. She guessed that since this was a magic school, the people in this chamber right now could probably use magic, and since Grim was spitting out blue fireballs, perhaps they could do elemental magic?
“Ah! You’re right!” The boy pulled out a pen with a circular red-orange gemstone at the end of it and flicked it. Water appeared out of thin air and put out the fire on his rear with a hiss of steam, much to Yuu’s amazement.
“Are you okay?” Yuu asked, worriedly. As curious as she was about his magic, she wasn’t going to ask him at a time like this.
“Ah! Yes I am. Thank you!” he said cheerfully. “I can’t believe I forgot to use my magic!” he said, smacking his forehead.
“No, it’s normal to panic and forget about these things. I’m just glad I could remind you, even if that wasn’t much help.” she replied.
“Are you kidding? If you didn’t tell me, my butt would still be on fire right now! Haha!” he cackled.
Yuu couldn’t help but smile. The sunny energy that this boy gave off reminded her so much of her little siblings. Right, other children were still.. She thought. we need to go back for them. I also miss Chris. Yuu thought to herself. But then she remembered. Chris…
“Ah! I’m Kalim Al-Asim by the way! Pleasure to meet you!” he said, shaking Yuu’s smaller hands, snapping her out of her thoughts.
“Oh, my name is Yuu, it’s nice to meet you too,” she replied.
The sound of screaming interrupts their interaction as she remembers that the chamber is literally about to be set ablaze.
“Oh, um, Kalim-san, could you maybe use your magic to put out the rest of the fire?” she asked.
“Oh! Sure! Although my aim isn't that good,” he admits.
“That’s fine, I’ll direct you, if you’re fine with that,” Yuu replies.
“‘Kay! Go for it!” Kalim said confidently.
“Aim your water to your right!” she instructed.
“Oasis maker!” Kalim chanted, and water burst right through his pen, to Yuu’s amazement.
The fire was quickly put out, and Yuu instructed him further.
“Behind you!” “12 o'clock!” “To your left!”
Eventually, they managed to aim for Grim, soaking him in water. “Myaah! My ears!” he shrieked. While he was soaked, the 2 Dorm heads that pursued him took this chance to catch him.
“Off with your head! ” the redhead chanted, and in seconds, sparks took form around Grim’s neck, and vanished, revealing a red and black heart shaped collar. So they have to say incantations in order to activate the magic? She wondered. No, Kalim only flicked his pen without a word when he tried to put out his fire. So is it just to sound cool? She objected to herself.
“Myaah!? What’s this? A collar!? Ugh, I’ll burn it right off!” Grim said, trying to spark fire, but nothing happened. “M-Myaah? My fire’s not working!?”
“It’s no use. My unique magic, “Off with your head!” seals of those puny flames of yours.” The redhead explained. “The Queen of Hearts’ twenty-third law states: Do not bring cats into formal events. Therefore, cat, your presence is an unacceptable violation. I’ll have you removed right away!” The boy preached.
“Myaah!? I’m not a cat either!” Grim objected, but was shortly silenced again.
“Young man! Please do something about that familiar of yours! If he was so unruly you shouldn’t have brought him along!” The headmaster complained. “That is agai-”
But he was sharply cut off. “Like I’ve tried to mention before, I’ve never seen this flaming cat once,” she objected, rather sternly. “He’s not mine.”
“O-Oh, he isn’t? I apologize.” Crowley stuttered. “Well then, we’ll just have to throw him out.”
Yuu looked at the man with surprise. “Wait what? Isn’t that a bit harsh? He could be eaten by wild demons,” she protested. He may have caused a racket, but subjecting him to the outside like that was crossing the line.
Crowley cocked a brow in surprise. “Demons? Child, what do you mean? There is no such thing that could be much of a danger out there,” Crowley responded, rather confused.
Yuu froze. “What?” she questioned. “There's.. No demons out there?” she said, seeking a confirmation.
Crowley only tilted his head. “No?”
Yuu was clearly addled for the first time in a while. Did.. did she get sent to the human world? Without her family?
Crowley quickly dismissed it as confusion however, and sent some students to throw Grim out. After the confusion was dealt with, the students left dorm by dorm, until it was only her and the headmaster in the room.
“Headmaster?” she asked hesitantly. “Where am I exactly?”
“Why, you’re in Night Raven college!” The headmaster replied. This response only made Yuu want to face palm. “Now Yuu, unfortunately, I must send you back because I simply cannot allow a magicless student such as yourself to attend,” he declared, and ushered her towards the large mirror.
“Now, picture your home,” Crowley instructed.
As shocked as she was, she started taking in her situation, but obliged. She was relieved that there was a way back. She decided to picture her family. Because her home was wherever her family was. Nat would laugh at how corny that line was. But it’s not like he’d disagree either. And also because if she learned anything from the shelter raid, it’s that a place could never be your forever home.
“O Mirror of Darkness! Return this one to their rightful place!” The headmaster chanted.
Silence. A long pause. Which only made Yuu grow worried.
“Er- let’s try this again! O-”
“It is nowhere,” the mirror finally said.
“Eh?” The headmaster said questioningly, as if the mirror had only jested.
“The rightful place for this one does not exist,” the mirror continued. “I sense that I cannot send them back, nor can I find this one’s place in this entire world.”
Now it was the Headmaster’s turn to be surprised. Meanwhile, Yuu panicked. I can’t go back. She realized. I can’t see my family. But then she realized something. What did it mean when it said it couldn't send me back? Is something stopping it aside from the fact that it doesn't know where I’m from?
The headmaster was shocked, baffled, but nowhere near as scared as she was.
“Headmaster, where am I exactly ?”
“The Isle of Sages?” he tried.
She bit her lip. “No, I don't... I don't think I've ever heard of this place."