Chapter Text
It was dark, suffocatingly so. Though that might partially be because I’m stuck in some rectangular box. My hand presses firmly against every solid plank and edge that connects the planks to make this dark prison.
All I can hear is my sharp breath that fills the cramped area and makes me feel even more suffocated. I’m not claustrophobic but without any knowledge of how I got here or where here is to begin with, adding onto this tight area, I definitely don’t feel that way. My mind races on whether or not I should make any noise to see if I can get someone’s attention to get out of wherever I am or if I should remain silent to not risk drawing the wrong kind of attention.
Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on what happens from here, the box is opened. The light from inside the room forces my eyes into a squint. “Step on out pup, we are on a tight schedule” a voice demands followed by a sharp thwack that makes me flinch. The impatient demand directed at me only makes me more anxious, whoever this is clearly has something to do with the reason I was stuck in that box and already I can tell they aren’t all that friendly. By the time I get my eyes to adjust the stranger seemed to have been done waiting and pulled me out of the box themselves, it wasn’t aggressive but firm enough to get me out and I stumble when they let go. “Stand over there and wait with the rest of the pups for your name to be called” the stranger points with something that looks like a baton, though it moved too fast for me to get a clear look, to a cluster of people in robes. Before I can look in the guys direction, he walks behind the box and out of sight. With no other options without drawing attention to myself I head over to where he pointed and stand near the group. Taking this time to get an idea of where I am.
The room is packed with lots of people, I can’t see most of the people’s faces because of the hoods everyone’s wearing but from what I can see it, it looks to be children in here. The rooms very fancily decorated but it’s a lot darker in here than I thought it was when the box was first opened meaning my eyes adjusted well enough already. On the topic of the box, I look back to it and notice that it’s in fact not a box but a fancy-looking coffin and it’s hoisted up to mimic the idea of floating. There are a lot of them in the front of the room, maybe that’s where the other people came out of as well. The place kind of reminded me of a cult, especially with the outfits but I just hope it’s not for my sake and the fact that there’s a lot of children here. My silent praying is cut off with a firm and annoyed voice.
I turn to the person, they are also wearing a hood but I can see parts of their red hair sticking out. I don’t catch what they had said to me and I just stare at them in silence for a few seconds before forcing myself to ask him to repeat. I honestly would prefer if I didn’t. Despite his height being around 5 inches shorter than me, he is very intimidating and very frustrated with me. I could see him getting more annoyed the longer the silence stretched which convinced me to respond back to him. He sighs and repeats himself, this time more exasperated than annoyed which is impressive since he seems completely done with me already.
“Get in line alphabetically and quit standing out on the edge of the group like a lost child. You’ll have time to look around later, we don’t need people like you stalling this ceremony.” I tense up under his harsh gaze as his comments stab at me harshly. ‘Is everyone in this place assholes?’ I think bitterly but just nod outwardly, mumbling an apology. I take an actual look at the group I’m “in” and quickly realize everyone is standing in lines and I’m on the edge in between two of the lines. My face heats up when I realize but mostly because of the stares I’m getting, it’s not much and it’s more of glances but still embarrassing. “What’s your last name?” The boy from earlier asks though with his tone, it sounds like a demand for it. “Zuila” I tell him, making sure I’m loud enough for him to hear so I don’t annoy him any further.
He gives a sharp nod and leads me to the back of the lines all the way to the last one, he asks the last two their last names. One of them states he doesn’t have one which surprises me, he has silver hair and purple eyes and an extreme lack of expression even when the red hair dude sighs in annoyance. The guys directs me between the other dude and the silver haired guy before heading back to his spot.
My mind drifts back to the situation I’m in, so far I’ve just been going wherever I’ve been told to thus far but I still have zero clue where I am. I stuff my hands in my pockets, looking for my phone or anything. That’s when I realize that I’m wearing the same robes as everyone else has on. ‘I’m really out of it, how’d I not notice that earlier?’ Back on topic though, I find nothing in my pockets, I don’t have clothes under this robe either.
I’m sent into another panic by this revelation, my belongings were most likely taken and I was changed into these clothes. Both of these thoughts make me sick and lightheaded so I try and focus on doing something productive, mostly to distract me from those thoughts so I don’t faint. I face forward just as a dude with a crow mask steps up and starts speaking. “Welcome new students to Night Raven College!” He starts, his words dramatized as well as his gestures as he continues, “You’ve all been chosen by the Dark Mirror to attend one of the greatest arcane schools in all of Twisted Wonderland! You all have exceptional talent and potential as mages, now let’s get on with the dorm sorting for the new first years” he finishes and steps to the side as a muscular dude steps in the area he was just standing as he starts calling up students.
I tune it out subconsciously, my mind taking in the information I was just given. From what I’ve gathered I’m in some sort of college which doesn’t make any sense since I’m still a sophomore in high school and I never signed up to try to enroll in a college much less get accepted into one. So I must’ve been enrolled on accident if the guy from earlier was being honest. Also they said something about mages? Does this place lean into a more magic vibe with their enrollment? They do have a lot of stuff in the room that looks as if they were floating. I feel like I saw a floating tablet on my way here as well but I’m not sure. Also twisted wonderland? Is that like a country? It sounds more like a video game title then a country though, I’m not the best at geography and there are some weird named countries but this does not sound like a country so maybe a city? That would make more sense. We’ll go with that for now.
Whatever the case, I most likely needed to inform one of the adults about my situation. However the reminder of the rude guy from earlier that pulled me out of the coffin and the other person that reprimanded me keeps me frozen in my spot and doubt that plan.
Maybe I was just unlucky but the two people I’ve met here were far from nice and didn’t seem like the type to wait or hear people out. I pay attention to the children, or I guess young-looking adults since this is a college. While I think of something else to do it’s good if I see what I’ll have to do if I decide to just wait for my turn to go up there.
“Azul Ashengrotto!” The dude basically yells and I groan internally since they are still on the A’s. I watch as they walk up to where the muscle dude was. He walks with an air of confidence but stumbles a bit between his walking which almost ruins the first vibe I got from him. He shakes the dudes hand before walking up to a mirror that looks like it’s floating as well. A face appears in the middle of the mirror after a loud noise and fire inside the mirror. “State thy name” the mirror bellows in a deep voice.
“Azul Ashengrotto” his voice is very smooth and professional, adding onto the initial impression I got of him. The face waits for a few seconds before announcing, “Octavinelle!” And the guy heads behind me and I turn to see a bunch of different groups with people in the front, holding different banners with what I assume is the different dorms.
I quickly turn back though, watching as more move up to the mirror. I question why they are choosing this way to go about the sorting of the first years since it seems random but I shrug it off not having any clue on most of the things in wherever it is I am. I focus more on different things, like eavesdropping on other people’s conversations. I mostly pick up on people either bragging about their skill set or making other random conversation. The people around me sound like high schoolers, I learn, which is confusing to hear out of adults but they are first years so most would be around 18 years old so it’s not too out of the ordinary, especially with everything else going on.
After around almost an hour they got to the K’s. I’ve spent a while looking around and thinking up plans but honestly with everything going on, my best bet is to wait for my turn to go up and talk to the teachers then.
I watch more people as they head up to the mirror until out of nowhere some guy looks like he’s flung from this side of the room to the other.