Chapter Text
Orientation had been going smoothly, it really had, and Cater thought that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn’t have an incident like the previous year. Oh, how wrong he had been.
He had beaten Trey in their little guessing game about which dorms the freshmen would be put in and had begun to rub it in his ex-roommate’s face when the Headmage had returned to the room with a student in tow. Things only spiraled from there; the student, Yuu, had been denied by the Dark Mirror, a fire-breathing creature arrived and began setting objects and people alike aflame, and Riddle had to catch the creature with Azul. All in all, not a fun time. Especially not for poor Cater, who had to help calm down Her Majesty after it was all said and done.
With a sigh that couldn’t possibly communicate the sheer exhaustion he felt to his core, Cater flopped onto his bed, ready to get some well-deserved rest. Right when he was comfortably wrapped in his blanket, however, some sort of holographic screen appeared. The screen was blue and nearly see-through, much like the ones Idia used but more plain.
Before he could think about it further, text appeared on the screen.
System has created a chat
System has added User_1, User_2, and User_3
System: Welcome, Users!
System: In honor of you reaching the prologue of Twisted Wonderland, you have been granted knowledge of each other’s existences, as well as a chat to, well, chat amongst yourselves!
What…?
Cater moved around, looking around his room, but the screen simply followed his line of sight. Weird, very weird.
Beep
Oh, there was more writing appearing.
User_1: You’re joking.
User_1: You are actually pulling my leg right now.
User_2: what
User_2: WHAT DO YOU MEAN I HAVENT BEEN ALONE THIS WHOLE TIME @User_2 @User_3
User_2: IVE BEEN SUFFERING THINKING I WAS IN THE AFTERLIFE FOR LIKE A DECADE
User_3: TF U MEAN A DECADE?! I JUST GOT HERE 2 YRS AGO
User_1: I’m going to have a stroke.
User_1: Wait @System
System: Yes???
User_1: Are these screens visible to others, can we tell each other our identities, and why haven’t you done this sooner?
User_1: No, no, and because you hadn’t started the main story yet!
User_3: wait you mean i cant tell these guys who i am?
System: Well, you can certainly try!
User_2: im ******
User_2: YOU SUCK
System: You can give non-obvious hints and guess who the others are! You just can’t go down the list of students to do so, they need to be actual guesses based on the hints. When you are revealed, your name will be altered accordingly.
System: Any more questions?
User_1: I have one. Are you the same system that has been controlling my actions this whole time or a different one?
System: I am the same system that has been guiding all of you since you’ve arrived! Anything else?
User_1: No.
User_2: nah
User_3: no
System: Then I will go offline now, let me know if you need anything else! Have fun!
User_1: Well, as mind boggling as this is, I need to sleep.
User_3: same
User_2: then ig we save the guessing game for tomorrow
User_3: yeah, goodnight guys
User_2: night
User_1: Goodnight.
It was too late and Cater was too tired to comprehend the words flashing across his vision before the screen vanished, leaving him in the familiar darkness of his room. Deciding it was too much for his brain to handle after everything else that happened that day, he simply closed his eyes and succumbed to the call of sleep. He could figure things out in the morning if the weird screen hadn’t been some sort of manifestation created by his exhausted mind.
Beep
Beep
Beep
Cater didn’t even open his eyes when he silenced his phone’s alarm, letting out a yawn. Morning, wonderful. The sleep was desperately needed and the ginger was filled with newfound energy to take on the day.
Well, he had been, before more beeps had him shooting up out of bed. “Huh?” He let out, rubbing his eyes and noticing a blue screen in front of him. Huh?
Wait, right, that weird screen slash group chat thing from the night before. He couldn’t even remember what had been said the night before, he had been too tired to focus fully. Well, at least he knew he hadn’t been hallucinating.
User_3: hey so you guys arent npcs right
User_1: I am not.
User_2: ok so like idk any of the “main cast” tho
User_2: like ive been here since i was 6 idk who was part of the game as a main character or who was an npc
User_1: That makes things difficult. How about we ask you questions to try and figure it out?
User_2: works for me ig
User_3: Okay so any housewardens and vice housewardens for this current year are main cast
User_1: Grim is as well, and you play as Yuu in the game, though they are meant to be a self-insert.
User_2: ok so im not any of those people
User_1: Are you close with any of them?
User_2: yea i help out *****
User_2: SERIOUSLY?
User_2: my system just warned me against giving u such a big hint
User_3: there are other people too, like ortho and cater and uhhh
User_1: Floyd, Ace, Deuce, Jack, Sebek, Silver, Ruggie and Epel.
User_3: i forgot ruggie isnt the official vice for savanaclaw lol
User_1: He deserves an official title for all he does for that lazy housecat.
User_3: i recognize that animosity
User_3: that dislike for leona
User_3: i dont know who you are yet but i have made my list smaller
User_1: I’m sure I’m not the only one who dislikes him.
User_1: Besides, my feelings about Leona differ from the original.
User_3: oms youre right our personalities could be different from the ogs
User_2: focus pls
User_1: My apologies.
User_3: yeah, sorry
User_2: ur good, u guys rlly helped actually
User_1: Really?
User_2: yea, im a main character apparently
User_2: wild
User_3: same here, so we’re all main cast
User_1: That certainly makes things easier.
User_1: Though we will have to put this guessing game on hold, **** is at my door. Make sure to get to class on time, you two.
User_2: im alr set, ive been up for a while
User_3: CRAP IM NOT READY I CANT BE LATE ON THE FIRST DAY
User_1: Please know that I am sighing in disappointment.
User_3: ok riddle lol
User_1: Incorrect, but not a bad guess.
User_3: damn
User_3: anyways gtg speedrun getting ready, bye!
User_2: see ya
User_1: Goodbye.
The screen vanished, leaving behind a very confused Cater.
Game? Main characters? NPCs? What were they talking about? Who were these people? Ugh, it was one thing after another with this place, maybe he should have stayed home this year.
Ha, funny joke. Cater would take NRC’s constant chaos over the torture that was being at home, even if it meant weird stuff like strange screens showing group chats between mystery students. Well, at least the chat exposed a list of possible members and he could confidently say Riddle wasn’t one of the three.
“Cater!” A voice called, pulling him out of his thoughts. “Time to get up, you know Riddle will be mad if we’re late.”
Cater held back a sigh and forced a grin onto his face. “Already up and at ‘em, Trey-Trey! Thanks for the hashtag reminder, though!” He would have done his signature pose if Trey could see him.
“Okay, I’ll see you for breakfast?” Right, Cater agreed to eat breakfast with Trey in the cafeteria.
“Yep! Cay-Cay will meet you there in a bit!”
Well, at least he could try and see if Trey was one of the strangers in the mysterious group chat, or maybe he could see the chat. Either way, Cater was going to figure it out during breakfast. Call it curiosity, call it bad decisions, but he was going to find out who the mystery trio was.