A huge lone eye in the middle of large blooming petals, on a distorted body. That eye had been staring at Mary and in it Grim saw how much evil it possessed. He wouldn't let such nightmarish creature hurt his friend so giving into the adrenaline rush and impulse, Grim scratched it.

No, protecting Mary was never an impulse. Once upon a time, it was a reason for his headache but things weren't the same as before. Although he wasn't outwardly affectionate, Grim cared about her.

It didn't matter if he got hurt for her.

"C-cold..." Grim continued shivering despite feeling pair of arms around his body. Aside from the physical effects gnawing in him, he could see that lone eye vividly behind his eyelids, gleam of mockery and not fading out. It stayed there in his head as if keeping an eye on him.

The nightmarish creature was sucking the magical energy out of his system, he wasn't a low-tier mage but in this world, he was being folded easily like a bond paper.

Mary tightened her hold around him, "I will get you some help soon, please hold onto me, Grim" Her voice was laced with concern and Grim knew she would burst into tears.

'Give it up, foreigner, you are fated to have a slow tragic end in a world that you do not belong to.' The voice came from the huge eye apparition, it knew that he was not from this world and it was having the time of its life taunting him. 'You and the girl will die, you are not going to leave this world intact.'

The red-haired princess had tears welling in her eyes, she stepped out of the train into the station following Haku. Cold spread through her arms due to the fear overtaking her. It didn't make things easy that her brain was going overdrive—producing worse What Ifs situations.

Haku took his phone out, dialed someone, and placed it near his ear whereas his other hand remained on Mary's back. "Hello? I have an urgent matter need to be attended to right now, on my way back, we got some...civilians involved in a mission. Taiga went after the anomaly," His hazel eyes slid to look at Mary. "A female, same age as me I think, and...she has a pet" Then he asked her directly, "May I get your name? We will need it for the paperwork"

Her teary emerald green eyes met his, "It's Mary"

"Okay, her name is Mary," Haku said on the phone, "We'll be there in a flash, thanks" After the phone call, he neared a beverage vending machine, did something and it moved to the side, revealing an otherworldly portal.

This caught Mary's attention, taking it off Grim for a moment. An endless darkness glittered with stars, sparkles, and ethereal atmosphere. Those stars reflected in her eyes. "Whoa...is this for real?" She then turned to Haku, "...What are you?"

Haku chuckled lightly, "You will find out soon, let's go" He pulled her into the portal and they fell in a slow motion. He observed the redhead get fascinated with everything around her like a child seeing a newly opened amusement park.

They landed at another station and a train approached.

---

Everything was nothing but a surprise to the system for Mary, from the moment she stepped into the outer space-like portal and rode the 'Galaxy Express' train manned by cute cats, there was no room for the ordinary. Darkwick Academy was located on a separate island, surrounded by woods, and had so many areas that one would never be truly bored, it would probably be at par with Night Raven College and Royal Sword Academy.

Haku left them in an office where a professor helped in getting her ankle wound tended, he also asked some questions related to their involvement but one thing which remained consistent the entire convo was them calling Grim as either an anomaly or an artifact. The professor then brought her next to the Chancellor's office.

Mary was seriously getting dizzy with the number of people she had to talk to today about the incident. Tired, exhausted, and confused weren't a good mix.

"I was told I would get help for my friend" The redhead couldn't help the bite on her words, annoyance was grating on her nerves. "All I did since getting here is answer in lengths, I'm tired of repeating myself"

The blue-haired boy who didn't even look like his title frowned, "I am truly sorry for this inconvenience, Mary" He was Chancellor Cornelius who managed the school, with cute cats helping him. "But understand we cannot just have you leave--"

"Then help me understand!" Mary gritted her teeth, hands clenching whilst Grim remained unconscious in her lap while she sat. No one would take his friend from her arms today, nope. "All I got was more questions instead of answers"

An exhale from Chancellor Cornelius. "The creature you encountered is what we refer to as an anomaly, anything that does not go with the flow of normalcy and appears strange with harmful intentions are anomalies. Our school and its connections are this world's main defense against these types of beings, the ghouls of Darkwick Academy dedicate themselves to missions in either capturing and eradicating anomalies"

Wait, what? "Ghouls?"

"Yes, Mary, there is a special percentage of the student body that we call ghouls who go out in the field to take on anomalies. What sets them apart is their inhuman attributes, while those who don't have special abilities take on a different work. Ghouls are former humans who made a pact with demons in exchange for the power they have now" Chancellor Cornelius explained, "Anyway those guys you met today are ghouls and whenever civilians are involved we have a special item we use to make them forget but it seems it will not work on you"

This made Mary furrow her eyebrows. "I think I rather have that option of forgetting because I do not want to be here"

"We cannot," A subtle frown contorted on Chancellor Cornelius' face, "You are a different case, we do not know what he is" He pointed at Grim, "You refused to acknowledge that he is an anomaly but with his difference in appearance and everything Haku relayed, he can still be called as one. Not only that, you are both cursed, as to what effects it'll have on you remains unknown"

Stack of problem one after the other, great.

A paw reached out to Mary's neck, "M-Mary, it's too cold" Grim was still shaking and sweating, his fur was losing its rich gray and blue shade. The blue fire was gone. "Let's go home"

"Please let us help you, Miss Mary, there is no other way" The other odd-looking professor named Hyde added.

The stress was getting into the princess more, she never felt so angry and broken. With her mind decided, she looked at them both. "If there is no way then I will make one for us, we are not staying"

It was a risk to perform this, her dad already stated once that using her magic as an offense would take more tall in her body. But right now all she wanted to do was get back to Twisted Wonderland, because for sure Vil or Jade, anyone would have a solution to their problems. They wouldn't be kept here like experiment specimens.

The ground beneath shook and sprouting out were thick vines, crawling towards the chancellor and Professor Hyde, holding them in place, some thick vines forced the doors open and Mary bolted out, not listening to their calls. The vines continued spreading on the walls and leaving trails of grass and wildflowers.

Mary went inside a cramped and dark closet. "Grim...? I will try to summon the mirror here, okay?"

"Mary, you idiot, why did you use your magic..." Grim tried to sound scolding while he was temporarily placed down.

She forced a chuckle to at least lighten their mood, "The things I will do for you, I'm sorry but I'll let you scold me once we are home" The redhead concentrated, she mentally recited the words Divus told her to use and no later, she was basked in darkness and there was the floating Mirror of Darkness.

A white theater mask appeared in it. "Princess Marianne Rose of Moors, I know of your desire but it cannot happen"

"What?! This is emergency! We need to go home!" Her voice sounded desperate.

"You possessed a curse in your body that can only be cured in this world, once you return to Twisted Wonderland with that curse, things are going to get worse. Only this world can save you"

Noooo!!! Mary let out an anguished cry as the mirror vanished and she was back in the closet with Grim, it suddenly felt so far from home. The idea of being here indefinitely, of not seeing her dad, Riddle, Ace, Deuce and everyone created a huge hole in Mary's chest.

Sobbing, Mary took Grim again in her arms. "I am so sorry..." She plopped there, drowning in hurt and sadness.

Hurried sounds outside took Mary by surprise, she hasn't gotten a break yet from these problems and she had to deal with a new one. They were prolly looking for them. Her eyes landed on a long translucent black gothic-like veil in the corner, without a second thought Mary took it and pulled it over her head to obscure herself and Grim.

---

This was such a lively day, Kaito mused to himself while running—he was running so fast he could be in marathon. Overhead the speaker made an important announcement about Hera's Snakes gone missing and another but he no longer understood the rest of the words as he was too preoccupied in his own issue: Romeo Lucci.

"Won't he stop?! Why is he so damn persistent?! Ah!" The comical blonde almost tripped in the hallway he turned to—his eyes bulged out, why were there so many large vines here and flowers?! He saw a closed door and without hesitation, he pulled it open and shut it closed, hoping the Sinostra vice-captain would not have a thought of coming here.

He spoke too soon.

"Fuji-kun, I know you are in here, do not make me shoot this door" came a voice from the hallway, it may sounded kind of sing-song and smooth but there was an underlying blade in it.

Kaito Fuji did not bulge, he was not going to step out of here. 'God help me, anything to twist this day and make Romeo go away!'

A ringing of phone on the other side, Romeo tsk-ed and answered. "What? Huh? Yeah I heard that the anomaly Hera's Snakes escaped, okay fine I am on it" There was a loud sigh and more disappointing monologue from Romeo before his footsteps faded.

There was a surge of relief in Kaito's veins that he escaped him and just as he was about to leave the room, he heard something moved from behind.

"Uh, is anyone here?" Kaito asked, looking around. Surely, he was alone, right?

Then he saw standing upright and not that far from him was a figure with a black veil. Kaito screamed like crazy. "AAAHHHH!!!! GHOST!!!!"

Mary sweatdropped, the volume of this boy's scream could break her eardrums. "No, I am not a ghost, I'm sorry--"

"Oh, a girl?!" Kaito stopped his exaggerated actions, quickly wiping his tears off.

A nod of head from the veiled figure. "Yes, I didn't mean to scare you"

Holy fudge, was fate really making things go his way now?! To think he would be alone with a girl and this was a chance to get his love life blooming after many epic failures!

Kaito straightened up, schooling his features coolly. "It is alright, I wasn't really scared, my name is Kaito Fuji, second-year from Frostheim House, may I ask what you are doing here?"

Hang on! Maybe she was a new student! There would be a sorting ceremony tonight and some important updates for this school year. That must be it!

"Nice knowing your acquaintance, Kaito..." Her voice had an underlying sadness as if she just cried.

The blonde Frostheim sophomore continued his cheery demeanor up, "The pleasure is mine! Are you a new student?! I figured you might have gotten lost and is on your way to prepare for the ceremony tonight..."

There was a brief silence before she answered. "Umm yes I am, actually I forgot something important and I want to go home first if that's fine, can you help me?"

---

Mary hated lying and using people like this but she was left with no other choice, this boy Kaito was obviously eager to help her and she thought he was a kind, genuine guy. While the other guy—they met him on their way out and in the weirdest way, he just suddenly attacked Kaito thinking the latter was an anomaly—this guy with dark brown hair and rich violet eyes in a handsome face was Lucas Errant. His demeanor reminded her greatly of Silver.

"I apologize for my brashness, it was not my intention to cause harm in you both" Lucas explained whilst walking on the redhead's other side. "When they announced in the speakers that more anomalies gone missing and roaming the school grounds, I assumed that Kaito was one"

This made Kaito more irritated, he didn't look happy Lucas was tagging with them. How was he going to ask Mary's number later and have a brief romantic moment before she boarded the train?! "Are you freaking blind? Look at my uniform, man and read between the lines, do I look like an anomaly?!"

"They did not specify the anomalies' appearances, I thought it might be in disguise" Then those violet eyes turned to Mary, Lucas tilted his head. "Miss Mary, are you not having a hard time breathing under that veil?"

Kaito was the one who replied for her, "Leave her alone, man, it's a new trend online to wear a veil on your head in the daylight!"

That was a lame white lie but Mary was glad Kaito bought it.

"Oh okay, what an odd trend" Then Lucas noticed a sleeping large furball in Mary's arms. "Your pet?"

Mary shifted Grim properly, she was hiding him from their view and to make him appear like a normal house cat. "Yes, he likes sleeping a lot"

Just as they were approaching the train station, rapid gunshots rained on them somewhere.

"AAAHHHH!!!" Kaito barely avoided the golden bullets with intricate designs on it, he tumbled and fell on his face.

Lucas managed to dodge the bullets, pulling Mary with him and they landed on the opposite side.

As the smoke cleared, a tall handsomely dressed guy appeared, holding an equally badass gun. It made Mary recall the weapon Taiga had, this one only looks slightly different.

"You fool," Romeo spoke, his maroon eyes narrowed into slits as he glared icily at Kaito.

The blonde Frostheim sophomore freaked out, standing up. "Romeo!"

Romeo then glanced briefly at Mary's direction but his eyes were more focused on the veil. "Why do you have Hera's Snakes?"

Hera what?! Mary stepped back, she felt her heart throb nervously in its ribcage. "I do not know what you are talking about--"

"Whatever, once I capture that anomaly and get my money back from Fuji-kun, it will mean more money for me" Romeo declared nonchalantly, only caring about money.

There was a loud distorted growl and followed by the coming of a huge monstrous creature with rows of sharp teeth. This had an unidentified appearance and was ten times more frightening.

Lucas went on a fighting stance, standing in front of Mary. "Do not worry Mary, I will not let you get hurt"

"What is that?!" Mary's eyes widened at the horrendous sight.

Romeo didn't look happy at its interference, "It just have to be the Behemoth of all the other anomalies, what a nuisance! I am going to get more wrinkles due to stress because of this!"