Chapter Text
Etsuko’s POV
Everyone’s life experiences and circumstances are unique. Even so, sometimes invisible threads we don’t understand link people together. Somehow, despite completely different backgrounds, they all end up at the same place. The thread I’m currently linked with led me to enrolling in Mogs University, a private secondary school that brought people from all over together. The most common trait we shared was that we broke normality. We each did it differently, but we either kept a part of ourselves hidden from the world or were ridiculed about it our entire lives.
For example, I had a specialized magic that gave me the ability to create mana. I turned the magical energy I was born with into more of itself. The fact I was born with magical energy at all broke normality, it was exceedingly rare. As much as my dad will deny ever falling for a sorceress, my existence was enough evidence of the contrary. When he learned I had magic, he got a DNA test done on both of us to try and prove he wasn’t my real father. While no magic genes were detected on his side, it came back positive for him being the man who made me, so I was stuck with him. He was happy to ship me off to some college halfway across the country that was completely free of charge.
I sat in the auditorium waiting for the freshman orientation to begin. I sighed, thinking how every life choice and experience I had led me here. The school’s president was running late by at least ten minutes. They hadn’t even made an appearance! I overheard a couple of people joke that if they were fifteen minutes late, we could legally leave. As funny as that was, I seriously considered getting up and dropping out. I didn’t have many other options, my grades in high school were awful, but maybe this place wasn’t worth it. My father’s drinking buddies made fun of me and this school when he told them about it. Maybe they were right. A private college completely free that would accept someone with my poor work ethic? There had to be a catch. It wasn’t that the school was trashed or rundown. In fact, the buildings looked super new! They all were modern, though with a 17th century twist to them. The campus was gated, and while there were only a few buildings, there was a huge space and lots of woodlands that was owned by the university. Someone higher up had money, that was for sure. Maybe in order to keep it free, those in charge were poorly trained and unprofessional or something. I genuinely had no idea.
Finally, a person popped out from behind the curtains, situating themselves at the podium. They took a look around the room and let it quiet down as everyone began to notice them.
They didn’t look very old, maybe in their mid- to late-20’s. They wore a plain black shirt with a blue flannel over top, buttoned up until the last two. I had briefly seen some kind of black pants when they had walked out, though the podium stood about to their waist. They were tall with medium length dark brown hair tied back in a ponytail, peeks of blonde sticking out. Their bangs were brushed to either side, a few strands loose.
“Let’s get started,” they said. “First, I’ve noticed you’re all spread out. This auditorium can seat two hundred. Please gather up front.”
For a moment, no one moved, and it felt like the entire group held their breath. Something about the way they spoke commanded attention. Not in the same way I was used to, with sternness and anger, using fear. Despite not having spoke very loudly, not having a microphone, and their voice teetering from midrange to deep, it carried through the room, wrapping around my body.
They smiled, though their dark eyes gave away their slight annoyance. “Let me be more clear. Move to the front two rows, please.”
Briefly, my body moved without me thinking. I walked down three rows to the second one, sitting in the outside seat. I looked to the other freshman, and a few looked a little uncomfortable, but no one said anything.
“That’s better,” they said. “I want to welcome you all, the freshman class of twenty twenty-two, to Mogs University. I am in charge of this wonderful school and go by Chancellor Mogs, but you can call me Chan. I cannot wait to work with all of you in unlocking your potential and preparing you for the rest of your adult lives! Each of you are here for a reason, and I want to make sure you never regret your choice! Now, there’s some official things I have to go over that are required for accreditation. Bear with me and I’ll get you back to your dorm rooms well before dinner!”
The rest of orientation was what I would have expected from a college orientation day. They talked about the university’s expectations of us, everything that was available for us to succeed, and student policies. I wasn’t sure how long we sat there, but they had our full attention the entire time. Even I found it difficult to stop paying attention, and I had all but mastered zoning out while looking invested.
As they wrapped up, they made eye contact with each individual in the room. “I’m sure there are questions you don’t feel I’ve answered,” they said. “We can discuss certain matters one on one. I’m not just the chancellor, I also do counseling for the abnormal. I understand better than anyone else how difficult this world can be, maybe more so than any other adult you’ve encountered. Let me assure you, your safety and security are my top priority. If there’s anything you ever need, don’t hesitate to ask.”
They placed their hands on either side of the podium and smiled at all of us.
I blinked, and then I was back in my original seat. I paused for a moment, blinked again, and then looked around. We were all back in our original seats, Chan was gone, and the only evidence any of us had that orientation happened was the passage of time. I got up, being the first to leave the auditorium and head to the dorms. What had just happened? I hadn’t sensed any magic being used, but maybe I was distracted by their presence. What was their presence? Why was it so powerful yet peaceful?
As I stepped into the dorm building, I heard someone laugh. I looked up to find a couple of upperclassmen standing by the windows. The two girls seemed to be people watching, but one of them turned to me.
“How was orientation?” she asked, failing to hide her smile.
“Uh, it was fine,” I said. I kept my emotions held tight, not liking the idea that they were entertained by our discomfort. “Confusing, but fine.”
The other one nodded. “Seeing the freshman come back from it will never get old. Experiencing Chan for the first time is jarring. You learn to laugh it off once you’re used to them.”
I didn’t stay for chitchat. I simply made an annoyed face and headed up to my room. Experiencing them was a good way to word it. I understood the hierarchy of beings as much as any person growing up on the outside of it all could. I’d encountered a few types of monsters, demons, and celestials even before arriving at this school. None of them were anything like what Chan was.
I walked into my room where my roommate was sitting at her desk, writing in an old leather bound book. “How was it?” she asked without looking up.
“You could have warned me,” I said. “What is Chan?”
She laughed and turned around. “Where’s the fun in that? We all had to experience it blind. It’s kind of like a tradition. As for what Chan is, that’s not something I have an answer for. The vampires or spirits might know, though I have no idea if they’ll tell.”
My roommate was a tall brunette with pale skin. She often wore old fashion linen shirts mixed with jeans and handmade leather and fur boots. From what she’d told me about herself, she was more or less normal, but she had a pet dragon. Considering dragons went extinct four centuries ago, that was her way of telling me she was time displaced. It was a super rare phenomenon, and a few of the other students here actually were as well. Time displacement sucked, and was probably terrifying, so she never said it directly or answered my question when I asked. But I could not for the life of me figure out how else she had a dragon without dragonologists breathing down her neck.
“Am I allowed to just approach the queen of the vampires and ask her a question?” I said, being a smartass. I flopped down in my bed.
“One, Roseada’s the princess. Don’t call her a queen, she will get pissy,” Hanah said, holding a finger up. She added one. “And two, the second she steps on campus, her status means nothing. She knows that, so ask away!”
“Regardless of status or being, we’re all equal here?”
“Yep! Even if people act like we’re not or blow you off for being a freshman, none of us are above anyone else. So don’t be shy making friends!”
“Making friends, huh?”
Hanah stood up and stretched. “Anyway, I’m going to head over to the stables and feed Sunstone. I can meet up with you for dinner if you find yourself eating alone.”
I sat up. “It wouldn’t be something I’m unfamiliar with, but thanks for the offer.”
Knock, knock!
“Floor meeting!”
Hanah frowned. “I didn’t realize we’d be having one so soon. Well, let’s go, Etsuko.”
“Uh, you can call me Ets,” I said.
Her expression immediately flipped. “If you say so, Ets!”
We walked out of our room and down the hall to the commons area. Each floor was divided into two wings, which each had a kitchenette and small entertainment area. There was a full kitchen and dining area on each floor, along with one on the main floor which had additional seating and TVs.
Once we were all gathered, Nutara explained what was going on. She was an older woman in her senior year, though how old or young she looked always seemed to fluctuate with no pattern I had noticed yet. She had very long white hair, pale skin, and deep red eyes. Today, she had her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, showing off her slightly pointed ears, and wore what looked like a pastel yellow and pink floral kimono.
“This was a last minute thing Chan gave us as the freshman returned,” she said. “For the first two weeks, all off-campus activities are barred without prior approval. They’ll make it up to us with an early semester field trip that we’ll get to vote on. So make sure you check that out in main hall.”
“We’re under house arrest already? ” Kaila asked. “We barely just got out of orientation!”
“Which means you should know safety is Chan’s number one priority,” Nutara said. “Whatever their reasoning is for putting us on lockdown, it’s for our protection.”
“Is the town really that dangerous?” Echo asked.
“The town is usually fine,” Savannah said. “It’s a strong mix of normies and abnormalities. Some know this school is for people like us and those who don’t just haven’t looked into it. It’s entirely possible whatever’s happening is from the outside, and Chan is just taking precautions.”
“Yes, it’s nothing to work yourself up over, I’m sure,” Nutara said, squinting at the phone in her hand. “That’s the big thing, but while I have you,”—she looked back up—“health and safety inspections are next Tuesday. Quiet hours are ten to ten. Please be respectful of everyone here and their differences. We have monthly sports on the third of every month. I’ll explain that more next week. Weekly floor meetings are pretty normal, and mandatory, but they typically only last a couple of minutes. If there are no more questions, you can continue with what you were doing.”
I stayed out in the living room, along with Echo, Kaila, Anda, and Missy. We were all the freshman on the floor, making half of the floor entirely new students.
“So what was your first impressions of Chan?” Anda asked.
“Creepy as hell!” Kaila said. “I’ve never seen anything like them. And I’ve met a lot of different beings from at least two different time periods.”
“I had a really vague idea what was coming,” Echo said. “The first time Alex was home after her freshman year, she told our mom all about them. But even I couldn’t have predicted the level of power they clearly have.”
Missy nodded. “Even I could feel it! And sensing magic doesn’t come naturally to me at all.”
I frowned. “That’s the thing, they weren’t using magic. I know magic, if nothing else. There’s a certain . . . vibration in the air when it’s used. Regardless of type, regardless of usage. Whatever they did, it was raw power. There’s no other way to explain it.”
Anda nodded. “I agree. My abilities aren’t necessarily magic, and it presents differently, but I’ve seen true power before. Chan’s abilities were more than that. No doubt about it.”
“So what do you think they are?” I asked. “Magic user is out, and they don’t really have the look or voice of a demon or celestial.”
“Demons vary, but I think you’re right,” Kaila said. “They’re not my type of demon or the hellish kind. Despite not being the hellish kind myself, I think I would have noticed regardless if they were a celestial.”
“Wait, what’s a celestial?” Echo asked.
“Uh, a being related to heaven,” Missy said. “It’s a blanket term for all different types of angels, cherubs, and sometimes blessed souls.”
“Why wouldn’t gods fall into that?” she asked.
“Because gods aren’t of heaven, hell, or earth,” I said. “A true god started their existence outside of the physical plane. In order for someone to be considered a god, they have to be able to break the space-time continuum. With that in mind, the criteria makes such a being exceedingly rare and nearly impossible. Most gods you would think of like the Greek olympians or their Roman counterparts are types of angels, celestial beings with intense power, but at the end of the day completely physical and bound by certain universal laws.”
Everyone stared at me for a moment.
"Being an atheist is certainly a weird choice, but one I can respect," Kaila said.
"I'm not an atheist," I said, my face growing warm. "I believe gods could exist, but existing outside of time and space but also in the physical plane should be impossible."
"If we're using a definition of god that lacks omnipotence, then yes," Missy said. "But omnipotence kinda implies they could do so."
"Hey, I think it's cool you know all that," Echo said. "You seem to know a lot about gods and such."
"Well, yeah," I said, clearing my throat. "I spent quite a bit of time reading about any and all abnormalities to find my own origin."
"Oh right!" Anda said. "Where do you all fall on that? I know Kaila has mentioned being a time displaced animal demon, but what about the rest of you? I'm an air bender, which I think I’m classified as a type of elemental."
"I'm also an elemental," Echo said. "A master of storm."
"You got me right," Kaila said. "I was time displaced when I was about twelve, but I come from a long line of wolf demons."
"I’m a demigod,” Missy said. “Daughter of Elama, the god of life. Though, I don’t have very strong magic.” She nervously rubbed her pale wrist where a golden tattoo sat.
"I'm a type of sorceress," I said. Though I felt nervous saying that out loud, since everyone else was being honest, I felt I needed to be too. Besides, was anyone at this school really going to bully or berate me for it? It seemed ridiculous.
"This really is cool," Echo said. "I can't wait to meet all sorts of unique people here!"
"Yeah, it could be fun," Kaila said.
Missy simply nodded.
Off in the distance, I could hear the bell that went off every hour hit six pm. Dinner would be starting.
“Do you all wanna eat together?” Missy asked.
“Uh, yeah I can do that,” Echo said.
“Ooh, yes!” Anda said.
“I’m down,” I said.
“I already have dinner plans,” Kaila said, getting to her feet. She brushed off her wolf skin skirt, gave us a wave, and headed out.
The rest of us got our stuff and headed down to the cafeteria. The food at the school was good, at least. Chan came in and ate with a couple of the seniors. I almost considered going over to talk to them, but Echo suddenly called out to someone. It was the loudest I’d heard her, so I decided to stay seated to see what would happen.
A guy walked over and sat down beside her. “Hey, Echo,” he said.
“Oh, uh, this is Joey,” Echo told us. “Joey, this is Etsuko, Missy, and Anda.”
“Hi,” he said.
“He’s a family friend,” she said. “A magic user. Joey, Etsuko is a sorceress.”
“Is that right?” he said. “What’s your specialty?”
“Oh, I’m a generalist,” I said.
He nodded. “Yeah, me too. Makes more sense, doesn’t it? But what type of magic do you have?”
I raised an eyebrow. “Type of magic? Isn’t sorcery enough of a specification?”
He shrugged. “Maybe, but it doesn’t explain the origin of your magic. I study the dark arts, a special type of powerful magic with . . . interesting origins.”
“I think I’ve read about that,” Anda said. “Isn’t it super technical?”
“If you don’t have a spell book, yes,” he said. “My family’s spell book is owned by my uncle, so I’ve had to learn to adapt.”
“Okay, I don’t know my type then,” I said. “Whatever type mana is associated with.”
“I guess sorcery is a decent term then,” he said, pushing his food around.
Without warning or notice, Chan suddenly walked up behind Joey. “How is everything?” they asked, causing him to tense. “Are you settling in okay?”
“We are, thank you,” Missy said.
“Yeah, we’re doing fine,” I said. “Though, something has been on my mind since orientation.”
They smiled and grabbed the last empty chair. “May I?”
“Of course,” I said.
They sat down. “What are you thinking about?”
“What exactly are you?” I asked directly, which shocked everyone, including Joey. “I’ve met and read about many beings, but something about the way your energy and presence feel seems . . . different.”
“That’s an excellent question,” they said. “Though one you know I can’t outright answer, I’m sure.”
Something inside me sent off a mild warning bell. Like I knew they were right, that I knew they couldn’t answer it so simply. “Okay,” I said, very careful about my wording. “What can you tell me?”
“Well, I’m not quite a celestial, but I do have many characteristics from them,” Chan said. “The same might be true about hellish demons, which I am not. And I do have a dash of magic I’m fairly good at.”
“Magic you say,” Joey said, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m sure you’ve noticed.”
He looked unsure, actually.
“Well, thank you for answering,” I said. “I wouldn’t mean to force you to talk about something you’re uncomfortable with.”
“It’s not a problem,” they said. “There are just some rules I am bound by. I am simply the chancellor, after all.” Then they stood up, wished us a good night, and walked away.
“I can’t believe you asked them that!” Anda said. “I mean, we were all curious, but they’re an authority figure.”
“Hanah told me we’re all equals here,” I said. “Chan has confirmed that on some level, they adhere to that too. On another, they are required to keep some level of distance.”
“Did that sound like a riddle to you?” Echo asked. “Not of heaven or hell, magic but not a magical being?”
“Yeah, I didn’t get it at all,” Missy said.
“I can’t believe I never thought to ask,” Joey said. “Though what magic they have, I haven’t seen it. I’m not sure why they thought I had.”
“They must have used it in front of you,” I said. “It might have a weaker magic presence masked by their own. Regardless, that’s a lot more than I thought I would get out of them.”
Joey nodded.
That night, I went to sleep with ease. For better or for worse, this was my new life. I didn’t mind where I had ended up, as skeptical as I was to begin with. This was going to be interesting, and I was finally content with my life. Even with the school under a temporary lockdown, and the chancellor some unknown being, they were things I could learn to live with. Or at the very least, they were things I could keep myself occupied with if curiosity struck.