⚠️ religious themes, mild violence ⚠️
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He was standing in a dark hexagonal room, with no clue of where he was nor how he got there. It was covered wall to wall with mirrors of different sizes, framed with intricate golden designs. A golden key was hanging from the chandelier high above him, shimmering in the soft green light of the candles.
Suddenly, the imposing mirror in front of him began to glow with silver light. He felt his feet move on their own, the mirror pulling him like a magnet. A deep growl echoed in the room. Then, a gloved hand came out from the mirror. A male voice spoke: "Come, young man, we're waiting for you..."
***
He felt something pressing his chest repeatedly while a distant voice called his name. He slowly opened his eyes and saw the familiar figure of his beast companion. "Finally, you're awake! Jeez, you really are a heavy sleeper, aren't you?" The sat on his bed and put his round glasses on. The sun was shining just above the horizon. "What are you doing? Get dressed, I'm hungry!"
He arrived just in time. The other children and teens were standing in front of the long table. When the prayer finished, everyone was about to sit down, but an old priest's croaky voice stopped them: "As most of you know, today at noon we're expecting a visit from Exorcist Dire Crowley. I expect the maximum discipline from all of you." The room filled with an excited chatter.
Grimm gave his human companion a puzzled look: "What's up about this exorcist guy? Is he coming to get rid of the ghosts that live here in the abbey once and for all?" the boy smiled back at him.
"I'm not sure. It's true that exorcists are the ones keeping us safe from all the supernatural stuff, but this doesn't mean this may be the only reason for their visit. Maybe they're looking for an apprentice, or they just want to check that there aren't any other problems except for the ghosts..."
Even so, a visit from one of the most well-known exorcists in Twisted Wonderland is a real honour... he thought.
***
Just like the old priest said that morning, a fancy carriage drawn by two dark horses stopped in front of the abbey at noon. All the five priests were standing in front of the ancient building to greet the visitor.
From the hat to his boots, every piece of his clothing was black, except for the blue stole, adorned with golden designs. The gold pattern shimmered in the daylight just like his eyes, hidden behind his mask.
The long wood table from that morning was covered with a white tablecloth and a rich course was placed on it for the occasion. Yuu was fully immersed in the cheerful atmosphere, sometimes peeking at the exorcist from afar, his eyes sparkling with admiration and awe.
The sudden apparition of a shadow in the corner of his eye caught the boy's attention. He quickly turned his head, then looked up: sitting on a window's sill, Grim was aiming to a tray with three roast chickens in it. The young apprentice looked towards the beast with surprise, confusion and fear. What is he doing here?! I know that he's a glutton, but still!
When Grim noticed the praying look of his human friend turning into a menacing glare, the confident grin on his face disappeared.
He grudgingly turned his back, mumbling, but right before he could jump outside, one of the younger apprentices yelled in terror: "Aaaah! There's a cat-demon at the window!"
"Who are you calling cat-demon?!" Grim turned around suddenly and jumped in the middle of the table, landing in front of the kid who screamed.
The cheerful chattering turned into a chaotic mix of noise and screams. Grim spat blue flames at the kid, setting his auburn hair on fire, then took one of the chickens on the tray and ran away towards the door. Some older apprentices tried to catch the beast, but ended up with their faces scratched or with their clothes or hair on fire.
Yuu jumped from his seat and ran towards Grim. Before his human companion could catch him, though, Grim fell on the ground, trapped in a net made of golden chains, letting the chicken escape from his mouth.
He tried to free himself in every way: he used his claws, teeth and fire, but nothing worked.
Dire Crowley slowly approached the little prisoner, holding a gun with a big cylindrical barrel in one hand and a key-shaped staff in the other. He left the gun on the floor, then looked at the angry beast and picked it up. "A fire beast. Like most creatures they are pacific until they are provoked", he gave a brief glare at the kid who yelled before as he finished his sentence, making it hard for some older kids to restrain their laughs.
***
"What were you doing over there? I thought I made myself clear!" Yuu whisper-yelled at Grim. Is this his way to repay me for bringing him food, after I almost got caught in the process?
"I could scent the delicious smell of food from up here! Can you blame me? Plus, I was still hungry..." Yuu nervously walked back and forth in his room, nervously waving his hands, his black curls waggling with every step.
He managed to keep the presence of Grim in the abbey a secret, but now he has to be even more careful with him. Luckily no one suspected anything... yet, but if anyone found out they'd end up in a lot of trouble, including his friend and roommate, who kept the secret with him.
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Twisted Wonderland ~ Exorcist!AU
FanfictionYuu is a young apprentice who travels through Twisted Wonderland in order to become an exorcist and defeat the demons that cause trouble across the land. By his side are Dire Crowley, a powerful exorcist who decided take Yuu under his wing, and Grim...
