Windows to The Soul | Twisted Wonderland

Prologue | Possession

Is this how his life pans out? Isn't his enrollment at Night Raven Academy supposed to mark the start of a brand new chapter in his life? Sure, he may not have endured any significant burdens in life, but he also lacks any meaningful memories. He feels like a minor background character in a novel whose sole purpose is to elevate one of the main characters. Guilt crept up through his body as the thoughts lingered. It's his first year, and he's already trapped in the strictest dorm with an even stricter dorm leader. He is aware of his fortune of a decent life, but was it so bad he wished for more?

Leaning on his chair, the front legs hover over the floor while it tilts backward. His eyes trail up the window before glancing over to the pitch-black screen of his phone. It lights up when picked up, and he unlocks it, opening up the Magicam app. There's nothing like mindless scrolling through social media. His thumb flicks through post after post consisting of food pictures, selfies, and sceneries— how wonderful, everyone is having fun except for him.

He pauses on a post of a worn-down mansion with the tags captioning it as a haunted place, along with a courage test being held there as a trend. Unhurriedly swiping past, the picture is almost past the screen when he abruptly scrolls back to it. Classes ended for the day, and he didn't have anything else to do for the day. It was worth a shot, right? If it became a trend, it meant many people visited the place and escaped unscathed. It gives him a sense of reassurance that his safety is guaranteed. Yeah, it's akin to sightseeing.

With his mind made up, he tilts forward to push his chair back on its four legs and rises to his feet with the support of his desk by gripping the edge. He slips his phone into his pocket and taps a finger against his magic pen, ensuring it's still on him. There's no need to neaten up his appearance, so it should be fine to head out as he is. Scanning the room once more, he looks over to the other three empty areas before heading out. Hopefully, it wouldn't be too late by the time he returned.

With a deep breath, he swings open the door, noting the empty halls while he walks through. Once reaching the Dark Mirror, he steps right before it, almost tempted to touch the reflective surface. "Dark Mirror, please take me to the, ah," he retrieves his phone from his pocket to check Magicam, "Aurelis Manor." Ripples emerge from the mirror, followed by a blinding light enveloping him as his eyes shut tight with an arm raising to shield himself on instinct.

His eyes open in the next second to see an unfamiliar sight before him. Rusted iron gates shield the dilapidated manor. The area itself was in a stark forest where the sunlight barely leaked through the gaps of the leaves and branches of the forest. It looked like a haunted location described in common writing, it was almost laughable. Nonetheless, he approaches the gates since he's already here. The gate creaks when he forces through it, struggling with the weight rather than attempting to open it as the lock was shattered long before his arrival.

The low heels of his shoes tap against the tiled stairway leading up to the front entrance of the building. His neck strains itself to tilt back as he takes in the full glory of the abandoned manor. It was quite a shame; he bet it would be a breathtaking sight during its prime days. Unfortunately, it only receives recognition when it's beyond repair. He waves past the useless dwelling of the building itself and pushes his palm flat against the door, nudging it to open a crack to peek through.

It's empty of any other people. It's not just barren of others, but also furniture. Perhaps the former residents grew tired of their home, choosing to leave their magnificent house behind. However, there was no reason for it to be deserted. If it were his decision, he would have sold it for good money as a last resort. Although it would not have been possible for an ordinary person like him to own such a place, it was still nice to dream.