"Excellent. Then, you two, starting tomorrow, endeavor to be the handymen of Night Raven College!"

....

"Beware the monsters...Protect your friends....and above all, be strong...."

....

"Wait! What do you mean? What do you mean unleash the light?! Per Favore aspetta! I don't understand!"

——————————

I sat up in bed, and felt like I was dripping in sweat. My eyes were full of concern and fear.

What...was that just now?!

" 'Unleash the light'? What does that even mean?" I brush a hand through my hair.

Looking out the window, the sun was about halfway up.

"Time to get started." I shrug and flung myself out of bed.

———————————

Despite the creaks of the floorboards, I got ready in under ten minutes. Thankfully, my bag was left untouched where I left it (by the curtain of the window), and I grabbed what I needed for the trip. My clothes changed back into my usual attire, and I ran a brush through my hair.

"Heeheehee....Don't you have to be up to clean the school?" I heard one of the ghosts say. I peek back in my room and see the three ghosts hovering by my bed, Grim still dozing.

Grim just tossed in his sleep, muttering, "...five more minutes..."

"Laze around for too long and you might not wake up again~!"

"Just like us~heeheehee!"

Grim jumped as soon as his eyes opened. "Fgyaa! It's them again! Oi, get u- huh?! Where'd you go?!" He searched around the room, looking for a sign of life. He looked close to roasting the three again.

Oh crap. This isn't good.

Quickly thinking, I ran just in time to see him conjure a fireball. I swan dove straight ahead and managed to grab him before he could fire a spell. I caged my arms around him, carefully calming him down as I got to my feet.

"Are you going to keep living here? You're bound to get pranked! Heeheehee!"

"Shoot. We'll get rid of you eventually!" Grim swore. I finished tying up my hair and hid my bag in the same spot. I had just left the room when Crowley landed on the last step.

"Good morning, you two! Have you slept well?"

"I was sprawled out then I fell on the floor!" Grim whined. "Just how ramshackle did you let this place get? And those ghosts spooked me up! Ugh, the worst!"

"Please forgive the loudmouth, sir. It was manageable." I answered.

"Even though you just got tossed over from another world, you can still be truthful. Wonderful!" Crowley smiled. I didn't know whether to feel offended or-

Ooh! Breakfast!

"I came to speak to you about your work for today." He waved for me to follow him and I obey.

———————————

We had gotten to the first floor lounge.

"Today, you're to clean the campus. But it's quite big. Cleaning every inch of it with no magic is nearly impossible." No, ya don't say?!

"So, I'd like you to clean Main Street from the main gate to the library. Understood?" Okay, shouldn't be too hard to handle. I nodded firmly.

"Please watch Grim closely so he doesn't cause a scene like yesterday." He instructed as well.

"I won't let you down sir!" I confirmed.

"I'm counting on you. You've permission to eat in the school cafeteria. Take care of your work with enthusiasm!" And with that, he left.

"Tch! No way am I doing any cleaning." Grim scoffed. "Yours Truly would rather go to class and watch the bang! Boom! And cast so many spells!"

I looked at him. "We can still use the library as an alternative. Now let's move it. The sooner we get this done, the sooner we can be free." I nod, Grim muttering the whole way there.

————————————

It took nearly three hours to make sure the street was spotless. But it was worth it! Everything looked pristine and neat!

I sighed as I tossed the broom to the floor, thankful to rest my arms for a bit.

Looking down Main Street, I could help but stare in awe. It looked so beautiful. And with the way those statues were aligned made it look all the more majestic.

"Waaaaaah...sugoi! So this is Main Street." Grim walked up beside me. "I didn't get a good look yesterday but what's with the statues? All seven of them look pretty scary."

He approached the one on the far right. "This granny looks especially snobby."

"You don't know about the Queen of Hearts?" A voice spoke up. I turned to see a new face. He had bright orange hues eyes, matching tousled hair and a red heart symbol painted over his left eye. He wore a black and gold uniform with red sneakers.

"Queen of Hearts? Is she important?" Grim asked.

"In the past, she was the queen who lived in the Rose Maze." The heart guy replied. "She was someone who values rules and discipline above all. Strict in all things from the March of the Card Soldiers, to the color of the rosebushes. It was a land of madness where all submit to her rule. Why you ask? Because or else it'd be off with your head!"

"Terrifying!" Grim shook.

"But it's cool! I like it! Nobody would listen to a queen who's just nice all the time, right?" Heart guy smiled.

'So that's whom Riddle was taking about. I figured as such...' I thought.

"I guess you're right." I spoke up. "Strong leaders are better."

"By the way, who are you?" Grim asked.

"Name's Ace. A fresh-faced first year. Nice t' meetcha!"

"You may call me Grim. A genius who will become the greatest magician!" The cat boasted. And this right here is Charlotte, or Charlie I'd say, she's my henchmen."

"You've got an odd sounding name." Ace commented.

Says the one named after a playing card.

"Piacere di conoscerti!" I nodded my head. "And for the record, my name's normal and I'm no henchman." I smiled lightly.

"Hey, Ace. That lion over there with the scar. Is he well-known?" Grim asked.

"Of course! This is the King of Beasts who rules over the Savannah. However, he wasn't born to be king. He took the throne through effort and elaborate planning. After taking the throne, he allowed the loathsome hyenas to live in his kingdom without discrimination.

"Ooh! I guess he was a rock not held captive by his status!" Grim mused.

Even now that one quote from him made most people relate to society and their peers: "I'm surrounded by Idiots." Me too, Scar. Me too.

"And the lady with the octopus legs?"

"The Sea Witch who lives in a cavern of the deep sea. Her purpose was to help all unfortunate Merfolk. As long as you could pay the price, she would change you, help you find love, anything! It was within her power there wasn't anything she wouldn't do. They say her prices were pretty costly, though. That's what it means for 'anything'."

Poor Unfortunate Souls was still on my list of best Villains Songs.

"So what you're saying is I can get rich if I become a great magician?!" Grim says with a smile. "And this guy with the big hat?!"

"The Sand Sorcerer. He was a cunning vizier to a foolish sultan and saw through a fake prince's ruse that he was really a street rat trying to deceive the princess. He got ahold of the magic lamp and became the most powerful sorcerer of all. And with that power, they say he became sultan!"

"So it's important for magicians to be the center of attention!"

Rip Robbin Williams. No can live up to your Genie.....

"Ooh! This one is so beautiful!"

"And as such! The Beautiful Queen. Everyday, she asked who was most fair by her magic mirror. And if it seemed like she might lose her spot, she'd never hesitate to do anything to get it back! She probably had a strong will to remain the most beautiful ever. It's amazing. Some say she was even adapt to potion brewing!"

"Sure, she's pretty....but no thanks..."

"You think? But it's cool that she has something she'll never give up on."

"Y-yea, that single-minded drive is great...Over there! What's with the guy on fire? Just seeing that give me chills"

Says the one with flames on his ears....

"Ruler of the Underworld. Lord of a land crawling with evil spirits by himself. No doubt he knows what he's doing! Even if he's got a grim face, he took that detestable job without taking a break, and his sincerity won over Cerberus, the Hydra, even the Titans to fight for him.

Grim hummed, "So having talent doesn't mean you get to be haughty. And the lady one. With the horns?"

"That's the Witch of Thorns from the Magic Mountains. Noble and Elegant, even within the seven, she's the most powerful with magic and curses. She summons lightning and storms, cover an entire castle in thorns, her Magic's on a totally different level! And one time....she transformed into a dragon!"

"Ooh! A dragon! All monsters should fear them!"

"They're all so cool! Unlike a certain raccoon~."

I froze. Oh no...please no. He did NOT-

Ace started laughing. "I can't hold it anymore! Ahah ahaha ha!!! Aren't you the guys who went crazy at the entrance ceremony?!" He turned to me, "You were summoned by the Dark Mirror even though you can't use magic,-" and then Grim, "-and you, the monster, weren't called but still trespassed! Aah, it took everything I had not to lose it during the ceremony!" He kept laughing at us like we were a joke.

I felt my anger simmering. This dude is nothing but an asshole!!

"Wha?! You're a rude one!" Grim barked.

"And now you weren't allowed in and regulated to janitor? Ha, lame!"

I seriously felt like socking him right then and there. Thankfully, I wasn't the only feeling anger towards this Ace guy. Grim started to make angry meows at him.

"On top of that, you don't even know about the Great Seven? How ignorant can you be?" He snarked.

That tears it. Without thinking, I sped up to him and slapped him right across the face in the middle of his laugh. He got taken off guard by the slap and he turned back to me, covering the side of his face, eyes full of surprise.

"I know plenty about the Great Seven that you ever would in your pathetic life, Rato bastardo! Where I'm from, they are amongst plenty of a handful of other villains who are praised as much as anyone else would be!" I spat at him. "And also: MY name sounds weird? Oh that's funny! And this is coming from a guy who's named after a Fucking card in a Solitaire deck!"

He seemed to be scared by my fiery temper as he backed up more and more as I kept fuming at him and getting up in his face. But once I finished, the stupid ass smirk of his came back.

"I recommend you go back to kindergarten before coming to Night Raven College."

Why that little-!

"I thought I'd just mess with you a bit, but you really blew my expectations away! And you've got quiet a temper on you! But let's see if it rivals that of the Queen's~. Unlike you two, I've classes to attend. Keep the school squeaky clean, you two!" He turned on his heel and started walking.

"That jerk! He's just gonna day that and leave?! I'm pissed now!" Grim growled. Before I knew it, he had summoned a wall of fire, blocking Ace's way forward.

"What the-?!" He jumped back. "Watch it! What're you doing?!" He turned to us.

"It's something we like to call Payback, bitch!" I shout at him.

"Yea! That's what you get for making fun of me! I'm gonna light that fire-head of yours up!" Grim smirked, standing in front of me.

" 'Fire-head' huh?" Ace scowled. He eyed me with a snarl. "You've really got guts picking a fight with me, girl!" And then to Grim, "You too. I'll turn you into a fluffy, little toy poodle." 🤣

"Fgnaaa!" Grim summoned more flames and fired them at Ace.

"Uh-oh! Better watch out! Take this!" And with a swish of his wand, the fire was gone with the wind.

"This guy is blowing wind all over the place! My fire is getting all twisted up!" Grim griped.

"What's going on?"

"Yea get 'em!"

Oh crap. Our fights drawing unwanted attention. I gotta stop it before something bad happens!

"Uh, guys-"

"A little flimsy fire like that won't hit me!"

"What? You better take that back!"

I sweatdropped. This is not gonna be good...

An image flashed quickly in my mind. But it wasn't as painful as the others for some reason...I gasped.

"EAT THIS!" Another fireball thrown.

"Grim, no!"

"And I just change the trajectory with wind like...so!"

And the fireball was tossed....

At one of the statues.

My mouth dropped open in worry. I tried to warn them!

Ace screamed, "AUGH! SHIT! The Queen of Hearts' statue's burnt!"

"That's cause your throwing my fire around! Just stay still and let me fry you!" Grim said.

"You really think someone's just gonna let you fry them after saying that?" Ace snapped.

I was fidgeting with my fingers. If the headmaster finds out-

"Enough!! Just what is going on here?!"

God damnit.

Ace and Grim froze in their spots, seeing the Headmaster's fuming face. "Guh! Headmaster!"

"He's gonna tie us up with the "lash of love"! You better run!" At this point I was hiding behind one of the statues in fright just as the said whip was brought out. I cringed as the cracks sounded.

"Owww!"

"Fgyaaaa! Hurts just as much the second day in a row!"

"This is my Lash of Love! It'll be another hundred years before you can outrun me!" Crowley eyed Grim with a sigh, "I told you just yesterday 'to not cause any trouble', didn't I?" Then to Ace, "Then you go and chat a statue of the Great Seven! I very much would like to see you expelled!"

Fear struck Ace with that word. "Wait! Not that!"

"Sir, please, they didn't-" I ran out from my spot to defend them, but then the Headmaster's eyes landed on me.

"And you! This is not how you supervise Grim!" I halted at his words.

"W-well at least they didn't wreck the other statues?!" I stuttered. He sighed.

"My goodness.... You, your grade and name?" He turned to Ace.

"Ace Trappola, First Year." He mumbled.

"Then Trappola, Grim and Charlotte: as punishment, I order the three of you to wash 100 windows around campus!"

"Huh?!" I gaped at him bewildered. "I didn't even have anything to do with this!!!"

"Nyaa?! It's all cause this joker was making fun of us." Oh sure, Grim, now play the "pointing fingers" game!

"Eh? Me too?!" Ace questioned.

"Most definitely! After school, meet in the cafeteria. Understood?"