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"TAKE IT OFF!!", an aggressive voice yelled, causing Juliet to stir awake and immediately gasp.

"Is this a dream?", the girl yawned, "Is Tōji finally accepting me to be his third wife??"

"Give me your uniform, you stupid human!!"

Juliet rubbed her eyes, as she recognized that she was sleeping in a coffin, and not in the comfort of her own bed.

To make matters even worse, there was a gray cat with electric blue flaming ears yelling at her about her uniform and taking it off.

"Damn shawty, take me out to dinner first...", the eighteen year-old joked, as she had deduced that she was in a dream right now.

"Hah? Don't be stupid. Give me your uniform, or else—"

"Oh great heavens! How is that you've already exited your coffin? And to think that you've brought a familiar. You know that familiars aren't allowed, right?", a strange man suddenly interrupted.

     "I AM NOT THAT HUMAN'S FAMILIAR! I'M GRIM, AND I'LL BE THE BEST MAGE ANYONE HAS EVER SEEN!", the cat proclaimed.

     Juliet stared at the two funky characters while still trying to gather her thoughts together.

     'Mage? Familiars? This dream's suddenly feeling a little too real...'

     "Human? How is it possible that a human's here? The black carriage has never mistakenly kidnapped a person without magic for 100 years. Well...yes, anyways, my students have all been selected by the Dark Mirror for their exceptional talent and potential", the man with a bird mask informed.

     "Magic? Is this a prank? This must be some weird college cult, right? Like honestly, where'd you even get the money to fund the animatronics for the talking weasel?", Juliet scoffed.

     "I'M NOT A WEASEL, YOU STUPID HUMAN!"

     Juliet knew Grim wasn't a weasel, but seeing him mad was somehow satisfying.

     "Prank? This is no prank of mine! I wish it was a prank, for I do not understand why you've been brought here, even though you're magic-less, and...a girl at that..."

     "Hey! What's wrong with being a girl?!"

     "Night Raven College is a prestigious four-year all-boys academy. The fact that you didn't even know about that...you must truly live under a rock", the dark-haired man insulted.

     The eighteen year-old pinched herself, as she was really hoping to wake up from this nightmare right about now. However, her pain felt as real as ever, meaning that she was indeed not dreaming.

     "Wait...magic...Grim the talking cat...Night Raven College...I'm in Twisted Wonderland!"

     "Let me in the school! I most certainly have more talent than this useless human!!", Grim proclaimed to who Juliet could assume was the headmage of the school.

     "You do not belong here, since the black carriage did not come retrieve you. Leave now, before I consider this as trespassing", the headmage warned.

     Angered, Grim had started to yell and set the curtains aflame. A blue inferno swept through the room, though the headmage had easily diminished it and confined the struggling cat.

     Juliet sat on the ground, stunned.

     "MMPH!! WHSODKDNDJ!!"

     "Can I cry yet?", Juliet whispered to herself, as she suddenly remembered that the headmage went by Dire Crowley — inspired by Aleister Crowley (supposedly the wickedest man in the world).

     "Phew! Now that we've gotten that taken care of, let's talk about you, darling. What's your name?"

     Juliet nearly punched herself in the stomach, for the way the headmage called her "darling", really did something to her tummy.

     "J-Juliet...", the dazed girl answered.

     "Pleasure meeting you, Ms. Juliet. I'm Dire Crowley, the headmage of this academy. Now although I am uncertain how you got here, perhaps the Dark Mirror would be able to send you back", Crowley suggested.

Upon bringing the tied up Grim with him, Crowley summoned the Dark Mirror with a few callings.

"I cannot send her back, for she does not belong anywhere but here. I sense no magical power from this one. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant".

Juliet gawked at the Dark Mirror then back at Crowley.

"I thought you said only magical people got sent here. Guess your black carriage is out-of-date", the light-haired girl snorted.

"Do not disrespect the black carriage! Anyhow, it seems that you're perhaps from another dimension, or another planet..."

'Damn, I guess no college for me, huh?', Juliet internally crackled, though the girl was pretty bummed out about not seeing her mom.

'She's probably worried sick about me! I need to find a way back, even though I heard this game has a lot of hot men'.

"Let's head to the library! Maybe we'll find an answer there", Crowley offered, leading the two outcasts towards a humongous bibliotheca with chandeliers lighting the room.

"Wow...everything looks better in person than through the screen. Makes me really want to meet the main characters", Juliet drooled, as Crowley glanced over at the daydreaming girl.

'How peculiar...perhaps she is—no, no. That's not possible...or at least it shouldn't be'.

Crowley flipped through many books regarding mortals traveling to the magic world, yet there was nothing. His golden eyes couldn't help but shift towards the ditzy girl who was skimming through many books with great boredom.

"Ms. Juliet, pardon me real quick", Crowley suddenly said as he roughly grabbed the human girl's face and held it in place.

Examining her features, Juliet was just internally praying that the man's bird mask wouldn't poke her eye out. The beak was a bit too close for her liking, but Crowley was not.

Puckering up her lips, Juliet instantly felt the man's hand leave her face, as she disappointedly pouted.

"As I thought, it'd be best if you wore a mask during your time here. Until I find a solution to your problem, how about you attend school as a student?"

     "Uhmm...sure I guess, since there's nothing I can do about it now...", Juliet frowned.

     "Don't fret, little one. I'll even let you be the prefect of the Ramshackle Dorm. There'll be food provided as long as you hide your identity as a female. Kind, aren't I?", the headmage self-praised.

     "Really?! For free?? Wow, you're great, Mr. Crowley!"

     Crowley flashed a chaste smile, before commanding the girl to momentarily close her eyes.

     "Are you gonna give me a kiss? Because if so, I'd prefer if you took off your mask first so your beak doesn't stab my eye out", Juliet joked.

     "You're quite the comedian, aren't you? Reminds me of someone I've met long ago, actually..."

     "Damn, so I'm the other woman, huh?"

     As Juliet had shut her eyes, she felt Crowley tie something around her head, presumably an extra mask. Her wavy hair was also gathered up into a high ponytail, as she was magically granted a school uniform.

     Grim glared with envy, as he wished that he could somehow escape from these ridiculous bindings.

     "Alright, now that we've covered up your identity, I'll guide you to the orientation that's supposed to be taking place right now", Crowley informed.

     "Great! Then what about that cat?", Juliet pointed at.

     "Since he violated school rules, he will be banished from—"

     "Can I keep him?", Juliet impulsively requested.

     "Why would you wish to house a monster that was trying to steal your spot?"

     "I like cats. He'd made a good house pet", Juliet grinned, resulting in Grim to shout muffled curses at the teasing girl.

Humming, Crowley begrudgingly agreed.

"But on the condition that he doesn't cause any trouble", he bargained.

Juliet tugged the strings that bound the feisty monster, whispering in his flaming blue ear.

"Help me help you, brother. If you stay with me, you can attend classes here and even live in a dorm with me", the eighteen year-old baited.

Grim seemed to calm down severely, as he nodded in agreement. Crowley cautiously freed the monster cat, as Grim crossed his arms and huffed.

"You've got yourself a deal, human! However, don't expect me to be friendly with you".

Juliet just shrugged, as Crowley invited the two to follow after him.

Upon entering orientation fashionably late, everyone gawked at the girl who wore the same mask as their headmage.

"Who's that mysterious person beside the headmage?", one whispered.

"Huh? Is he a special student or something?", one of the house-wardens questioned.

Juliet marveled at the amount of students sitting through orientation, but more importantly, the attractive characters that were introducing themselves as the dorm leaders or whatever. Regardless, Juliet wasn't listening, because she was too busy shamelessly staring at their faces.

"Damn...they all single??"

"Hey! What's your name, human?", Grim inquired, for he was perhaps slightly grateful for being able to stay on-campus and hone his magical abilities.

"Ah, it's Juliet", the eighteen year-old quietly answered.

"But since I'm supposed to conceal my femininity or whatever, I guess I'll go by Romeo", Juliet snickered.

Grim didn't seem to get the joke, to which Juliet had just sighed.

"At least laugh or something..."

The magical cat furrowed his brows, as he knew that this was going to be a long ride together with this obnoxiously plain human.

"Myaha", he forcefully laughed.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was iffy abt Grim at first, but he's actually aight:

If you tell me Crowley isn't hot, you're wrong😐

And LOOK @ WHAT THIS BÍTCH BOY SAID TO ME?!??

(Jk,, Ace is pretty cute too🫣)