eighth wonder

1

"Are you kidding? I'm not going to high school, Mahika."

Mahika blinks her dozens of eyes. "And why is that? You're around the age where you'd be going to high school- in our way of aging, at least."

"Look at me!" I gesture to myself. I'm nowhere near humanoid. I'm a black mass vaguely shaped to look like some kind of cryptid, with several sets of eyes and wings. Not to mention I'm like, 8 feet tall, if not more. I look like Mothman if you put him in the microwave a few times and left him out in the sun.

Mahika's no average Joe either. She too is a black mass with many eyes. Unlike me though, she's covered in coarse fur and has tall antlers that protrude from the top and sides of her head, each one the size of a tree. She towers over me, which says a lot about her height.

"How would I be able to walk through school halls without giving people emotional turmoil by just glancing at me?"

"You'd be disguised as a human." Mahika snorts.

"Why do you want me to do this anyway? Isn't this place enough?" I think the vast dimension we reside in is pretty cool. There's not much in terms of places, no buildings, just grasslands, lakes, forests, and the occasional flower field. But hey, it's cozy. And neither of us needed to sleep or eat anyways.

"There's no danger, no one to bother us. So why would I want to go to the human world?"

"You sound like an old man, (name). You have a lot to learn about the mortals is all. It's been a while since we've meddled with them, hasn't it?"

"Only a few thousand." I was still young at the time, so I just watched from a distance. The "meddling" wasn't that interesting from what I remember.

"Still. I just think that me simply telling you stories about them won't do."

"Can you come with me at least?"

Mahika rests her head on the grass. "I'm at that age where I have a difficult time traversing worlds. But you are still young, meaning you'll be able to navigate the world easier."

She senses my uncertainty. "Do not worry. I won't abandon you entirely. I can still communicate with you, so you can still reach out to me for assistance."

I sigh, picking blades of grass and tying them into knots. "I guess if my identity is concealed and I can still talk to you...I'm not against going."

She pats my head. "You'll do wonderful, I'm sure of it."

"What school am I going to, exactly?"

"Night Raven College, in Twisted Wonderland."

"....ah."

I don't know too much about the school, but I am aware that it's a very prestigious school, home to many talented folks. I think Mahika mentioned there were celebrities and royalty there. The people were magic users, right?

"Since you've been researching about magic recently, I thought the school would be a good fit," she explains.

I answer half-heartedly. "Sounds fun."

_________________________________

"Are you ready for your transformation, dear student?" Mahika spoke dramatically.

"I love the theatrics." I jest. She laughs before telling me to close my eyes. I feel a wave wash over me, like a cold bucket of water.

"Gaze upon your reflection." Mahika guides me to a lake. Why does she sound higher up than usual? Did I shrink? My eyes open.

I stare at myself astonished. Indeed, I had shrunk. I look like a mouse compared to Mahika! My features are different too, with fewer eyes and such. It'll be a lot of getting used to for me, that's for sure.

"Now you can go into the mortal realm without looking suspicious!" Mahika cheers.

I spin around. "Where'd you get the cool clothes?"

"They're the uniform for the school! Pretty, aren't they? All your other belongings will be with you when you arrive, so don't worry about their current absence. You read the information I gave you about the school, correct?"

"Yep. There's an entrance ceremony, I'll wake up in a coffin so don't freak out when that happens, bla bla."

"It seems you've read it, very well. I do recommend you bring that little booklet with you. It has a lot of tips you may need when navigating the campus. Remember to keep that necklace on, okay? It's how I can talk to you. Oh, if they make you eat stuff, just pretend to eat okay? I know we don't have to eat but for the sake of keeping up the disguise, you might as well. Oh, and also-"

She rambled on for a few more minutes before finally letting me go. I appreciate the guidance, but jeez, the woman can talk. But I'd be lying if I said I won't miss her stories, the ones that always calmed me down. They were like white noise, as I counted the stars in the sky. But enough of my sappiness. Giving her a final wave, I made a little wormhole, as you do, and left the dimension.

My ass better not regret this, I thought as colors and light flashed by. Twisted Wonderland, here I come.

The vague outline of an island began to appear.