When she opened her eyes, she found herself within a dark space as she reached out her hand in the darkness. Was she still in a dream? However, instead of finding an opened space, she discovered that she was surrounded by walls all around her. Confused, she touched the walls of the coffin carefully. It felt smooth but she could still feel faint wooden grains underneath her fingers. She give it a light push and found the wooden wall give way slightly. Feeling confident, she gave the box a stronger push! However, it would not budge open. Confused, she frowned, "Huh? It won't open? Did someone locked it? But, why is it locked? Also where am I?"
She tried to feel around the box in confusion but found herself unable to bend over with how narrow the box was. Yet, she could feel herself standing upright under the gravity. Uncertain, she calmed herself and decided to test the lid again. It seemed as though she would not lack any air with how loose the lid was so that she could still breathe fresh air. Not just that, but the room temperature was not overbearing hot or chilling cold. Wherever she was must have been a room with well-controlled temperatures. Could it have been outdoors instead? She was uncertain, but her gut feeling was telling her that she was not wrong with her initial guess.
As she thought this, she noticed the sound of something from the other side of the lid as her box began to rattle.
"What's that noise?" She questioned in confusion before noticing her voice cracked. Perhaps it has been a while since she last said anything?
Was someone trying to let her out?
"I better hurry up and find that uniform before someone spots me..." A small confident voice sounded out from the other side as she could hear something break open from the side and the lid began to rattle again, "Urgggh... This lid weighs a ton! Try this on for size! Mya-ha!"
Suddenly, the lid in front of her was burnt ablaze by a blue flame before the suddenly fell off with a heavy thud!
"F-Fire?!"
Shielding herself from the flame and intense heat, she braced herself pondering if the perpetrator was someone actually dangerous instead before finding herself face to face before bi-pedal siamese cat with blue flames for tufts of fur coming out of their ears and, around his neck, a black-and-white striped bow tie which is torn at the ends. As the flames died away, the cat cheerfully wore his big toothy grin and cheered quietly, "Now to grab the goods..."
However, before he could do whatever it was that he wanted, he found himself face to face with her and was shocked, "What?! You ain't supposed to be awake!"
"A talking... cat?!" She exclaimed in shock upon seeing the voice orginating from the cat before noticing the floating coffins around her as she was even more stunned, "F-floating coffins?"
"How... How DARE YOU! I am no WEASEL! I'm Grim, sorcerer extraordinaire!" Grim exclaimed indignant of hearing her comment before seemingly having recalled something and commanded in an arrogant tone, "Tch. Whatever. You...human! Just gimme your uniform, and be quick about it! 'Cause if you don't...you're gonna regret it!"
Saying this, he opened his mouth and shot out another puff of blue flame at her.
"Getting roasted alive by a cat?!" She exclaimed in horror before jumping out of her burnt box and began to run, "Why is my dreams getting weirder and weirder?!"
"Well, keep dreamin', 'cause I ain't no cat!" Grim exclaimed as he started to give chase determined to pick a fight with her.
Confused and unwilling to fight, she ran out the room and through some strange hallway lit by green fire torches. She tried to find people she could ask help from as she ran through the building before making it past some corridors opened to an empty courtyard. However, the courtyard was difficult to avoid getting found by a cat. Not only that, but this Grim-cat was so fast, she could hardly outrun him! Just what is driving this cat to go to such lengths to catch her?! Was he just that angry to be a cat?! And, where was everyone?! Not only that, but she was adorned in a strange dark robe attire with gold outline. Was she in this before she woke up?
Despite running everywhere, she could not find a single person before finally making it to some library. Confused and lost, she looked around in bewilderment, "Where am I?"
Suddenly, she could hear the rushing footsteps hurrying into the room. Without time to react fast enough, the doors burst open behind her and Grim sneered victoriously, "Foolish human! Did you really think you could slip away from ME? Now, unless you wanna get burned to a crisp, take off that—"
His words were cut off by a sharp crack of a whip as she saw a leather whip having wrapped around the cat!
"Me-YEOW!" Grim screamed in pain as he was tied up, "That hurt! What gives?"
"Consider it tough love." A voice from the darkness sounded as a figure came into view. It was a tall man in a great overcoat that is decorated elegantly with large black feathers! With the long gold claws over his black gloves, he pushed back his top hat, which was decorated with a small mirror and black feather ornament, revealing his wavy black hair and a half-mask resembling that of a dark raven beak. He sighed in relief upon finding them as glowing gold eyes turned to her, "Ah, I've found you at last. Splendid. I trust you're one of this year's new students? My, were you ever eager to make your debut."
He frowned as he gestured to Grim with a scowl and scolded her, "And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That is a clear violation of the school's rules."
"As if I'd serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!" Grim hollered as he made another racket before she could reply. However, his mouth was quickly forced shut as the man magically used the end of his whip to clamp over the poor cat's mouth.
"Yes, yes. Rebellious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit, won't you?" The man dismissed his cries as he focused his attention on her, "Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you're the first with temerity enough 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."
Without waiting for her reply, he finished his rambling and grabbed her hand as he started making his way out of the library.
"Student?" She managed out a question in confusion as she looked up to the back of the man's head under her hood.
"You awakened in a room full of gates, did you not?" The man explained as he pulled her along nonchalantly, "All of the students here at the campus arrived by passing through such gates. Although typically the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up."
If things were as he said then those coffins probably acted like gates! Thinking this, she felt a sudden ache in her head as she paused in pain.
"Hm?" Crowley paused once he noticed her stop suddenly, "Is something the matter?"
The pain slowly ebbed away as his voice caught her attention. She pressed a hand to her head and shook it in denial.
"N-no." She replied and hurried along, "So those coffins are like...gateways?"
The man nodded as he led her out of the library in a hurry and replied astutely, "The design is intended to symbolize a parting with your former world, and a rebirth into a new one."
Hearing this, a wave of disappointment hit her, "So, it's not an actual gate…"
"Certainly an interesting thought. But I can assure you it is not a physical gate you may walk through." The man replied as he pushed open the door to the outside, "But now is not the time for such prattle.
You've a student orientation to attend!
Go on, now. Make haste."
As he motioned her to follow along, she did so obediently and asked, "First, just tell me one thing: Where am I?"
Stepping out into the courtyard, the man looked to her and said in a bewildered tone, "Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness? The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories... Well, these things happen, I suppose. I shall explain it to you while we walk. Truly, my magnanimity is boundless!"
He cleared his throat as he explained, "This is Night Raven College. It is an institution for students the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic. It is the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland. And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage."
"An academy?" She looked around in deep confusion and surprise.
"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." Crowley explained.
"Dark Mirror?" She repeated in bewilderment as she could feel another headache in the back of her head. She grimaced in pain, but Crowley did not notice her emotions hidden away under her hood.
Hence, he continued, "A black carriage bearing one such gate should have come to meet you."
Shaking the pain away, she frowned, "A black carriage?"
"That's right. Do you not remember that?" Crowley paused and turned to her in confusion.
She shook her head, "Sir, I don't remember anything."
"Nothing at all?" Crowley looked to her in bewilderment, "That black carriage serves to receive a student chosen by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that connects to this campus.And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition."
She shook her head confirming the words, "I don't remember anything."
She could hear the cat screaming something but was muffled under the whip. However, the headmage ignored him and hummed in deep thought, "What about your name?"
She shook her head, "I don't remember anything."
"Oh dear." Crowley frowned hesitantly, "We may try asking the dark mirror for a clue. I did not think a student would suffer amnesia on their orientation day. But it must have happened once before… Now, let us attend to your orientation. The dark mirror may know something."