Deja Vu

Chapter 4: Troublemaking's A Way Of Life

"Whaddya mean ___'s been sent on an exchange program?!" Grim practically screams, which causes Crowley to shrug.

"They were terribly sorry that they had to leave on such short notice, but they won't be back for a year."

"But they would have told me!!" The cat-like monster finds himself frustrated. You'd have never left without telling him. There's something the bird man isn't telling him, and he can feel it in his bones.

After him, Ace and Deuce reported your disappearance to the school, your classes had a notice sent out that alerted your classmates about your sudden departure. They heard about the exchange program, but no one's been able to actually find much out about it. And Grim explicitly remembers the subject of an exchange program coming up, only for you to tell him 'Oh hell naw. I'm not going to another world. I'm already displaced from my own world, I don't want to get further lost.' and you dropping the subject immediately.

In fact, the troublesome trio weren't the only ones not buying the "___ just had to leave in such a hurry, they couldn't tell anyone about it!" excuse that Crowley keeps giving people. Other students have taken notice of how responsible you are, even if you're often dragged into problems you wanted nothing to do with.

The idea that such a major life change would have slipped your mind and the people closest to you wouldn't know what had happened to you.. Just seems out of the question to many of the peers who'd come to know you over the years. You'd been working hard alongside them, many even extending their studies at the college just to get to be a part of the community you'd fostered in your time there.

So to think you'd just up and disappeared of your own volition was out of the question.

Grim grumbles as Crowley opens the door to escort him out of his office. He keeps coming back to make a scene in hopes that Crowley will crack, but the bird man isn't much bothered by the intrusions. So long as Grim doesn't act out in front of anyone important to the school's finances and public relations.

Grim can't help but feel lonely though. Without you, the dorm was so much emptier. ".. They are coming back though.. right?"

"Yes, yes."

".. Good." The little monster leaves Crowley's office. It's the fifth time he's come to berate the headmage for your disappearance since you were taken.

Crowley can sense how on-edge many of the students are with your disappearance. He feels sheepish that your name got pulled for the program, but, alas, he's at least resting assured that you're in the finest care of the entirety of the Devildom. With you getting the royal treatment for a year, it's a wonder if he should even feel bad at all! Surely, you'll return feeling invigorated after such a generous vacation.

Yes, he assures himself he shouldn't be worried.

Though, he can't help but worry just a little. After all, you are magicless.

---

"So the program is supposedly to a place called 'Devildom'. It's like the underworld in some respects. Supposedly it's the magical realm where demons originate from." Azul sighs, rubbing his temple. It didn't take long for Idia and Azul to gather the intel on the program at the disappearance of their shared friend.

"Demons..?" Jade blinks, eyes widening for a moment in surprise. "Are you meaning to tell me that our headmage sent.. the magicless prefect.. to a place filled with creatures that are known for incredibly powerful acts of violence..?"

Floyd exhales in a whistle. "Damn, Shrimpy's gonna die."

"I wouldn't be so sure. We don't know exactly why this program exists, what schools were participating, and what measures are in place to ensure exchange student safety."

"I can't help but wonder.. ___ wasn't from this world, yes?" Jade muses, thinking on the matter. "How could someone who had no paperwork get approved for an exchange student program..?"

"That's what I'm interested in learning. It seems the prefect themselves wasn't likely the one to fill out the paperwork, as the two troublemakers from Heartslabyul and the students from Ramshackle adamantly reassure me." Azul begins looking through his phone. Idia's been sending him updates when he stumbles across important information, but once they hit a wall connected to a foreign government, his texts stopped streaming in. Whatever this program was, it was big.
It was bigger than just some kind of school exchange program.

The real question, however, was whether it was a coverup for something more sinister or not.

"So you think it might've been someone settin' Shrimpy up?" Floyd gets a vicious grin on his lips. Where there were underhanded dealings, he always got to hurt someone.

"I certainly hope not."

"Certainly wouldn't be wise of them if that were the case." Jade smiles.