Suddenly, waking up due to a strange rattling sound, the sixteen years old girl wakes up to find herself in some dark place.
"What's that noise?" The girl asks herself.
Suddenly, she hears a voice, "I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me..."
The girl says in thought, "Who's that?"
Suddenly, the voice continues, "Urggh... the lid weighs a ton!"
"Lid?" The girl says, confused.
She then holds her hands out and feels something around her.
"Wha-what is this place?" The girl asks herself.
She tries to push herself out, but the lid won't budge, "I'm... I'm stuck!"
The girl begins to bang on it and calls out, "Hello?! Can anyone hear me! Help! I'm stuck!"
Just then, the voice says in frustration, "Try this on for size! Mya-ha!"
Just then, a burst of light blue flames appear inside the strange box she's trapped in.
The girl screams and yelps, "F, fire...?!
Before she can scream or cry for help, the box she's trapped in suddenly opens and the lid moves aside.
But before she can't process what's happening, the voice appears again, "Now to grab the goods..."
Suddenly, the voice reveals himself and screams, "What?! You ain't supposed to be awake!"
The source of the voice closely resembles a cat and judging by the voice, the cat seems to be male. His fur is gray with a white patch at his chest and pink paw pads, and he has electric blue flames blazing from his ears. His eyes are also bright blue. Around his neck, he wears a black-and-white striped bow tie which is torn at the ends; His tail is shaped like a pitchfork.
"Wha... what the... a... a talking cat?!" The girl exclaims in shock.
The cat figure takes offense to it, "How... How DARE YOU! I am not a CAT! I'm Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire!"
The girl becomes stunned and barely able to say, "U-u-uh..."
The girl soon looks around to notice something off. She finds herself in a dark looking room with lighted up lanterns, and... floating coffins. She soon touches the area of the box she is in, and is shocked to realize that she's in a coffin as well. But she has more important things to worry about.
"Wha... What is this place? Where am I? What's going on?!" The girl asks herself.
The cat then says to himself, "Tch. Whatever."
Then turns to the girl, "You... human! Just gimme your uniform and be quick about it!"
"Un-uniform?" The girl says, confused.
Then the cat smirks, "'Cause if you don't... you gonna regret it!"
Then releases flames from behind.
The girl mutters to herself, "If this is a dream, please wake up right now."
Then turns to the cat frightened, "Um listen, Mr. Cat... we can talk it over... and uh..."
"Well keep dreamin', 'cause I ain't no cat!" Grim says.
Then demands, "Hand me that uniform..."
"N-No! St-Stay away from me!" The girl screams.
The girl quickly jumps out of the coffin she is trapped in and runs away in fear.
Grim shouts, "Get back here!"
The girl ignores the cat creature and continues to run away from the strange cat creature. She soon finds herself in some dark hall, and looks to herself to see that it's dark outside. She decides to ignore the scenery and see if she can find a place to hide. She soon runs to a door and opens it to see two row desks, with a bookshelf full of books with a desk at front, and a board on the back wall, and it has windows on one side of the wall.
"Is this a classroom? The girl asks herself.
Then shakes her head, "I need to find somewhere else before that creepy cat finds me."
Then the girl continues to run off and hurries to what seems to be a courtyard that has a beautiful apple tree and a wishing well in the middle. There are also some trees and stone roads and grass areas. She turns to see what seems to look like a tower of castles.
Finally, the girl is able to run into the building, and find herself in a place with multiple shelves of books, some are floating. There is a chair, a few lamps on
"Where am I? What is this? I'm ready to wake up from this crazy dream!" The girl panics.
She soon turns her head and notices herself in the reflection. She soon sees that she's not wearing her normal clothes, but instead, a black robe with purple on the inside with golden designs. She is also wearing a purple band around her waist with a gold ribbon like clip. She looks down to see she is wearing black pants and black boots as well.
"What am I wearing? I don't remember changing..." The girl says to herself.
She soon notices her medallion, "At least I have my medallion, and lost that cat."
But her luck isn't on herself, when blue fire swooshes past her, and becomes startled. She turns around to see the cat, Grim has found her.
Grim smirks and says, "Foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME?"
The girl becomes frightened and walks back to find herself pinned to the wall.
Grim demands, "Now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that..."
Suddenly a swish and slash sound is heard and Grim is badly hit. Then ends up being tied up by some mysterious black rope.
Grim screams, "Me-YEOW! That hurts? What gives?
Just then, someone says, "Consider it tough love."
The girl and Grim turn to see someone walking towards them. His face is concealed by a half-mask resembling a raven's beak. Through this mask, his eyes are occasionally seen glowing gold. He has pointed ears and short, wavy black hair. He is wearing a greatcoat over his suit. Thick blackbird feathers curl out from its blue-collar, while the tips of the coat are cut to resemble two bird wings, black gloves on either hand, with golden claw rings over each of his fingers. Three mirror-like accessories are attached to his hip, with four golden keys dangling from them. He wears another mirror-like charm on his hat, which has three more keys - making a total of seven. He is also holding a whip in his hand.
The girl says in thought, "Sure seems like tough love, especially with that whip."
The mysterious man turns to the girl and says, "Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students?"
"Student? Is he talking about me?" The girl asks herself in thought.
The man continues, "My, were you ever eager to make your debut. And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school' rules?"
"Uh wait... he's not..." The girl tries to explain.
But Grim interrupts her, "As if I'd serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!" and struggles to break free.
"Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that," The man says, and walks to Grim, "Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?"
Before Grim can react, the mysterious man uses the rope of his whip to tie up around his mouth, so he's unable to speak.
Grim panics "Mmmgh, mmgh!" and unable to break free.
Then the man turns to the girl, "Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with enough temerity to open their own gate and step out of it. Does the very notion of patience elude you? No matter. Your orientation has already begun. Let us return to the Mirror Chamber.
"Uh Gate?" The girl says, confused.
"You've awakened in a room full of gates, haven't you not? All of the students here at the campus arrived by passing through such gates. Although typically the students have enough restraint to wait until I open them before waking up," The man explains.
The girl begins to think. Then she suddenly remembers the coffin she's trapped in, until Grim wakes her up and uses his fire to open it.
Then asks, "So you mean... those coffins are like getaways?"
"The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world, and rebirth of a new one," The man says.
"I uh... see." the girl says, reluctantly.
Then nervously says, "I think it's because um well, that cat blew it off."
"Indeed. The culprit appears to be that familiar of yours. You're the one who insisted on bringing it, so curtailing its behavior is your responsibility," The man says.
"Actually, that cat is..." The girl tries to explain.
But then the man says, "But now is not the time for such prattle. You've a student orientation to attend! Go no, now. Make haste."
"But um, who are you? And where am I?" The girl asks.
The man turns to the girl and says, "Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness? The time space teleportation must have added your memories... Well, these things happen I suppose."
Then says, "I shall explain it to you while we walk. Truly, my magnanimity is boundless."
The man then walks away with the cat creature in tow. The girl decides to follow him and figure out what's going on here.
They soon walk out of the library and into the courtyard. The girl looks around more carefully, and hasn't realized how beautiful the place is. The man then clears his throat that catches her attention.
The man says, "This is Night Raven College. It is an institution for students world over who demonstrates a rare aptitude for magic. It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I am Dire Crowlwey. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I served as headmage.
"Magic?!" The girl says, surprised.
"Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college. Those who are selected are summoned to the campus through those 'gates,' which can appear anywhere," Dire Crowley says.
The girl thinks back and suddenly remembers the coffin she's trapped in before.
Then Dire Crowley explains, "A black carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you."
The girl begins to think carefully and tries to remember what might have happened. She doesn't fully remember what happened to her. Suddenly, she does remember seeing a horse of some kind...
The girl says, "Well, I did kind of remember a horse with a scary face... a dark colored one. I think."
"That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that connects to the campus. And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a timed-honored tradition.
"So basically, this carriage dragged me here when I was unconscious," The girl says to herself.
Suddenly, she hears Grim struggles and muffles, "Mmff! Mmmmmfff!"
"Now, let us attend to your orientation," Dire Crowley says.
"Um okay..." The girl says, not fully understanding what is happening.
Dire Crowley continues to make his way to the orientation with the girl from behind. She feels a little uneasy about it. It feels like everything is spinning in her head, trying to process everything that is happening.