Chapter Text
Time is a cruel force that pushes our lives forward in an unforgiving current.
The headmaster knows this. He is very familiar with the harsh reality of time, for he has had his whole life to grow familiar with its passage.
But now he may have found a way to approach the growing storm.
There is no way to stop time, or avoid the future. Unknown as it may be, it is bound to happen no matter what. There is a darkness approaching, a creeping dread that is unaware to everyone except himself. He sees what is coming, but has no way to stop it. He can not approach the waste that lays in those fledglings hearts, the darkness that binds them to their arrogant and foolish delusions.
But he can very well use someone else to rid of the inky distress among them.
“You, who the dark mirror beckoned forth..”
A vessel, if you will. Damage control and a solution.
"If your heart bids it, take the hand of the one reflected in the mirror."
A flower among the evil.
“I will guide you through this wonderland, through the trials that lay ahead. For as long as you never let go of my hand, you will survive the fall. My beautiful flower of evil, keep your grip firm and head raised high, no matter what may come.”
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Max woke up to the muffled sound of scratching, and blearily wondered what in the world was making such an infuriating noise.
"Gotta hurry up, gotta hurry up…people are getting close.." a frustrated voice spoke, sounding almost distant to Max's ears, "Need to find…man, why is this lid so heavy ?!"
Feeling was starting to come back to Max as she wriggled around a bit with a groan of annoyance. Whoever was bothering her was being downright rude. It's too early for this…
The sudden feeling of being cramped dawned on her though as she realized wriggling around was the only thing she was capable of, blinking her eyes open in confusion. She raised her head, trying to get up, but instead bumped her head against something hard.
"Wha..?" She mumbled, squinting. Confusion creeped upon her as she pressed a hand against cool metal, flat and smooth above her. She tried to move her head, to see where she was, but was only met with darkness.
"Fine, I'll just use my secret move!" The same voice from outside declared, "Nyaagh!"
Max only had a moment to question what the fuck is happening before a powerful (and warm ) force slammed into her. Or, more accurately, into the thing she was stuck in. The next thing she knew, she was violently and abruptly tossed around like a sack of potatoes in the back of somebody's car. She slammed against the same metal surface before the force gave away, overturned onto the cool stone floor. Everything seems a bit cold.
"Fucking– ow! What gives?!" Max clutched at her head in pain.
"G-Gaah! What're you doing up?!"
"You're the one who woke me up," Max hissed, getting off the floor and into a sitting position, "Who even are you– holy shit it’s a talking rat."
The rat thing bristled, clearly offended.
"And just who do you think you're calling a rat?!" Moving to stand on its hind legs – can rats stand on hind legs? – the gray rat cat hybrid thing crossed his arms across his fluffy white chest. "My name is Grim, got it? The Great Lord Grim!" he announced with a surprising amount of arrogance. It didn't match the cute look he had going at all.
Max took a moment to examine Grim, helplessly grappling for some type of explanation as to what was going on.
A devilishly forked tail twitched with irritation. Tied around the little beast's neck was a rather tattered black and white ribbon, reminding Max of a birthday gift left unopened, but the strangest thing about him (besides the fact he existed perhaps) was the blue flames coming out of his ears, which were flattened down as a show of irritation.
Max felt her jaw open and close, clearly trying to form some type of word. A question, maybe, as to whatever the fuck was going on. She tried looking around again, disoriented and lost. The room was empty, despite the fact that it was large, and she recognized none of it.
The center was lit by a strange green light provided by lanterns, moonlight seeping in from the tall glass windows. Dazzling spiderwebs of glass beads connected one chandelier to another. A mirror, the biggest one Max had ever seen, stood in front of her. It looked grand and ominous in similar amounts, but she noticed the lack of reflection as she gazed at it. It was almost inky looking. And get this – there were floating boxes in the shadows, large and rectangular. Actually, if she looked a bit closer, squinted her eyes…
Max gaped in horror as the word supplied itself in her mind.
"Those are coffins. Those are coffins?!" A chill took hold of her as she stumbled backwards. There were so many. Easily a hundred – no, it was probably closer to two hundred of them hovering above her. Her leg brushed against something, and Max looked down to find one laid on its side with the lid blown off.
She was inside of that coffin just now.
"Sheesh , what're ya screaming about?" The gray rat asked, growing even more irritated at her dumbfound shock. "Whatever, who cares. Human, hurry up and gimme your clothes!"
Clothes?? Max coughed and looked down, realizing she was not wearing her pajamas. Instead of sweatpants and an oversized tee, it was a black hooded robe – a fancy one at that – with a royal purple inlay with gold embroidery stitched at the seams.
She did not change into this on her own accord.
"And now you're starin' at nothing…hurry up already! Give me your clothes or else I'll roast ya!" The so-called "Great Grim'' snapped, puffing out a plume of blue flame from his mouth to emphasize his point. He grinned devilishly, watching Max's expression twist into one of horror.
"Stop telling me to strip!" What in the world was going on? Waking up in a coffin was one thing, but a fire breathing rat telling her to strip had to be a whole new brand of weirdness.
The fire around them grew, a low wall that almost entirely encircled the two. To her horror, she realized that not only could the strange creature create flames, he could control it. And it was likely to stop her from escaping.
This has to be a cult thing. It was the only reasonable answer Max could come up with, with the blue flames and floating coffins. Was this proof that otherworldly beings existed?
Was Grim some type of demon?!
"I don't want to be sacrificed!" Max gasped out. Grim lunged forward, fire breathing from his mouth, and Max stumbled out of the way.
"What're you goin' on about now?! The only sacrificing you have to do is sacrifice that damn uniform!" Grim yelled.
Ignoring Grim and avoiding his aggression, Max scrambled to her feet and jumped over the growing ring of fire. Grim yelled in surprise as she fled from him, clearly not expecting this outcome.
"Damn it, stop bein' so reckless! Don't burn my uniform!"
Covering her face to avoid inhaling smoke, Max frantically looked around. The heat was slowly increasing, alongside Grim’s desperate attempt at getting her robes.
Max gritted her teeth as the smoke increased, coughing despite her attempt to block it out. Something caught her attention at the corner of her eye, turning to find a grand door a few feet away, and Max sprinted for it as the room filled with smoke. She hoped that whoever owned this place – cult or no cult – would be able to discover the fire quickly and put it out. Practically slamming herself against the door, Max sighed in relief as the seemingly ancient metal opened with a dull groan, and she slipped out of the room with the stealth of a shadow.
Grim was quick to notice her escape, crying out in frustration as the door slowly closed behind her.
"WAIT A MINUTE, GET BACK HERE!" Grim wailed, his voice fading to a silent cry as the door slammed in his face.
Max didn't bother to try and examine the new corridors she found herself in. She just picked a path and ran, hoping that a true exit would reveal itself soon. Winding halls and cloudy scenery blurred together as she fled, endlessly leading her into a dark labyrinth. Every door she randomly tried at was locked, and the building was all but silent besides her footsteps and labored breathing. It was as if there was no one else present besides her, and Grim of course. Only the moon, which filtered in through the arching windows, provided light and company.
One door that was mercifully unlocked led her to what seemed like a courtyard, with a small well stationed peacefully in the middle with a few benches here and there. She continued to run after a quick observation, still very much aware that there was currently a monster chasing her. Who knows what would happen if Grim found her?
A door caught her eye across the courtyard, slightly ajar. A soft light flickering out the small opening, almost like a beacon guiding her to safety. Max slipped into the new building without question, clicking the door shut softly behind her. She stood there for a moment, letting the adrenaline seep from her body. Letting the questions that were growing in her mind come to surface.
How did she even find herself in this situation? Talking cats, floating coffins, strange blue flames. Max had somehow found herself the main character in a twisted version of the fairy tale she grew up adoring. A strange wonderland.
It's a dream. That's what this had to be. A strange dream about weird cults and talking cats (if Grim even deserved to be called a cat) that she wasn't waking up from. She can…ignore it. Bury her questions for a bit longer and just try to work things out. Find an escape from this strange place or wake back up. Whatever was easier.
Tentatively stepping further into the building, Max took several seconds to shakily exhale a breath she had been holding in. She could figure this out well enough, she just needed a second.
Turning to observe her new surroundings, Max was met with what had to be one of the biggest libraries she had ever seen. Or maybe the ones near her home were just simplistically tiny? Thousands of books of different color and length decorated grand shelves, seemingly never ending. But the sheer number of books itself wasn't what she found most astonishing – it was the ones floating through the air.
Floating and soaring themselves into proper places, several hundred books lined up and filing into place. The view was too surreal, highly reminiscent of…of..
Of magic.
How funny, that Max was dreaming of magic in a place like this. It was exciting almost, seeing it in such a clarity despite it being her imagination. She slowly backed off in a trance-like state, a smile – the first of the night – slowly growing on her face. She explored the sections of books, peeking at different titles and dodging the magic ones arranging themselves.
"One hundred simple potion ingredients listed for dummies: mage practice 101." Max read humorously. Many more were titled in a similar fashion, others titled in ways that suggested tales of fantasy. For a moment, Max wondered what type of fantasy stories could exist in a world with magic.
One in particular caught her eye, located closer to the bottom of the shelves. A thick and old looking book, without any title on the spine. Curiosity got the better of her as she reached down to grab it, forgetting that she was currently running away from a dangerous fire breathing rat cat monster thing.
"HA! I found ya!"
Max flinched and straightened up, the old book clutched tightly in her arms. She looked around, confused, before glancing up to find the ratty little cat standing triumphantly upon a giant stack of books. How in the world did he even find her that fast?
"Lazing around all merrily as if I wouldn't be able to find ya with my sense of smell, huh? Stupid human. This time, you're not going to- AAH!" Grim yelped as the stack of books he was on shifted and fell apart, the books moving to float into the line and settle onto a shelf. Max winced as Grim landed unceremoniously on his butt, a stray book smacking on top of his head. The poor guy looked almost concussed. Should she try to leave while he's down..?
"Uh, you doing alright little guy?" She asked, spotting an opened window behind the spot where the stack of books had previously been. He must have gotten in through there, but she had no clue why that single window was unlocked.
"I don't need your pity!" Grim huffed, shaking his head and moving out from underneath the book. "Listen, hand over that uniform before I– w-whaa?!" Grim had started to speak again, about to demand for Max's robes again, before some strange rope whipped out and wrapped tightly around him with an audible SNAP!
"W-What's with this cord?!" Grim wailed.
"This is no mere cord! This is the lash of love!" A flamboyant voice dramatically announced.
Lash of love? Max thought nervously. Weird kink, but hey, she won't judge!
Out of instinct more than anything, Max ducked behind the bookshelves, watching the exchange unfold. The stranger walked closer into more obvious lighting, keeping her fuzzy tormentor restrained. She should definitely avoid him, right? Should she run?
The stranger glanced around briefly before tutting, placing his free hand on his hip.
"Now, now, you can come on out," he casually called out, "There is really no use in hiding, new student. You have to take this familiar of yours, seeing how many school rules he's already broken."
Max squeezed the book in her hold, breath catching in her throat. Should she come out as instructed? And what did he mean by 'new student'?
The man tilted his head as his command was met with silence. Grim took the opportunity to make a fuss, thrashing in his bonds.
"Lemme go! I'm not anybody's familiar!" Grim yelled.
The man was barely affected, waving Grim's demands off with a distracted nod.
"Yes, yes, that's what all the rebellious ones say. Do be quiet for a moment, won't you?" He produced a simple cloth out of thin air, using it to muffle Grim. Once finished, he called out again, this time with a softer tone.
"Please come out, little one. I know you're hiding in the Beginners Mage section."
Well, I shouldn't try to aggravate him… Max took a breath and stepped from behind the shelf, holding the book defiantly.
The man before her smiled as she stepped out of her hiding spot, holding Grim up.
He was pale, and looked to be in his early twenties, or maybe even his thirties. She was not expecting to find him to be as flamboyantly dressed as he was, extravagant embroidery that almost seemed to glitter stitched into his suit. There were even some feathers attached to the strange suit jacket he had (or were those his own wings..?) The hat he wore matched the jacket, decorated with a stopwatch and long fluffy feathers.
Besides his mouth, the man's face was covered with a delicately made mask, shaped to mimic a raven's beak with bright yellow hues glowing from dark eye sockets. Were those his real eyes, or a trick of magic to seem cool?
The entire fit made him appear like a villain from an early anime series, like Sailor Moon or something.
"Now, I'm sure we've learned an important lesson," he said, wagging a disapproving finger at her, "Leaving your gate early and wandering around before the ceremony. I know you may be eager and all but…" he trailed off, staring at Max as she moved to stand in front of him. When he continued to say nothing, she frowned, leaning forward and squinting at him.
"Um, sir..?"
"Do pardon me, but are you a girl?" He mumbled, looking astonished. Max narrowed her eyes, growing suspicious at the genuine surprise in his voice.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"My goodness…well, this is certainly surprising. The last time I remember a female student being called here was back in sixty two, or was it sixty three…But a decision made by the dark mirror could never be wrong so….yes, this will be fine." The man was muttering nonsense as far as Max was concerned, a gold tipped claw tapping against his chin in thought. Damn, how much money did this guy have?
“Well, we’ll save that for later. For now, we have a ceremony to get to. Let us make our way back to the Mirror Chamber, shall we?”
He extends a hand, each finger decorated with a golden claw ring – sharp and shiny, how fun – waiting for her to take it.
Max hesitates, frowning at him.
“I have to go back?” She asks instead, raising her head to look the man in the eyes. He nods, dropping his hand to the side. He sighs as he responds,
“Yes, back to the Mirror Chamber. The room you woke up in, the one with all the Gates.” He explained patiently, moving to place a hand on her shoulder. Max stiffened up before he even made contact, and the man paused for a moment before stepping away and gesturing to the library door. Max followed his lead, unsure of what else she could do in this scenario.
The questions she had sprung back up, desperate to gain some semblance of understanding. She started with the easiest one.
“You said gates. Do you mean those coffins?” Max asked. The man kept a brisk pace, a few steps ahead of her. Grim was still tied up, although he's stopped his struggling.
“Yes, the gates that students must use to gain entrance here at the school. Usually they have enough restraint to wait until I open the lids with a special key, but…” The man lets the unfinished sentence hang in the air, and Max shuffles after him in slight embarrassment. She shouldn't even be getting flamed for messing up what was apparently school tradition, but here we are.
“They represent a parting from your former world, and a rebirth into a new one.” He finished. Max shivered, agitated at all the ominous implications behind that.
“But we have no time for such prattle, as you have an orientation to get to.” He called over his shoulder. Max stepped forward, following after him. He held the door knob in the hand that wasn't tugging Grim through the air (was that his magic or could Grim also fly?)
“But I still don't know where I am. Could you at least tell me your name?”
The man hummed, glancing back at her for a brief moment.
“How strange. Are you still slightly unconscious? The time space teleportation magic must have addled your memories..” he sounded surprised again, genuinely believing she teleported here. “I suppose it happens every now and then,” he continued on, barely giving Max a moment to speak up, “Come along then. I will explain as we walk, as I am most gracious!” He stepped out the door, leading her across the same courtyard she passed.
It was still terribly dark, and she could see no real change to the courtyard. No new details either, but maybe that was on her as part of her cloudy vision…
“This luxurious and pristine building is Night Raven College.” He said, arms spread in a grandiose pose. “Mages gifted with a unique aptitude for magic gather from all corners of Twisted Wonderland to attend this prestigious academy. And I, Dire Crowley, have been entrusted with the care of this school serving as the Headmage – or Headmaster, in simple academic terms.”
What is up with these names? Night Raven College, Twisted Wonderland, Headmage? If she hadn't been convinced about this being some weird anime dream already, this would have helped confirm the fact.
“Sounds like a bad attempt at LARPing…” Max mumbled. Crowley seemed to pay her no mind, or ignored her entirely.
“But still sir, there must be some mistake. I haven't been enrolled in any schools….”
“Oh no, rest assured that this was no mistake!” He exclaimed with a grand flourish, his cape fluttering behind him dramatically. He seemed ready for her hesitance, proudly puffing up his chest and ready to boast. “Only students that are considered worthy by the Dark Mirror may attend this school! All students of colorful background that are summoned here had arrived via a Ebony Carriage that was carrying a Gate.”
A Carriage ?
“A horse pulled carriage?” Max knew she didn't have the best memory out there, but she remembered nothing of a strange magic carriage showing up at the start of this dream.
So either this man was a liar or Max gained the ability to sleep walk in her sleep.
“Yes, it is just as you may think. You are aware that the act of sending a carriage to meet someone on their special day is a time honored tradition!” Crowley said, as if that was a totally normal tradition.
“Wait, let me try to get this straight,” Max said in utter exasperation, “Instead of using normal letters of acceptance or emails, you decided to use a tradition to boost your school's aesthetic?”
“The marketing team decided this was the best way to welcome our students on such a special day.”
“Okay, sure. Fine by me.” Max sighed, deciding that she was done with all this strange magic school bullshit. “But here’s the funny part of all of this–”
“MMGRH! MMGGNH!!” Grim had apparently also grown bored of all their talking, creating a ruckus in his bindings.
“Ah, that's correct. I will let this small infraction off the hook just this once, seeing as the school year has not properly started.” He nodded his head at the rat, still struggling in the bindings. “But make sure you give it the proper discipline needed after you are properly sorted.”
“But that rat isn't my–”
“Now, let us attend your orientation!”