Chapter Text
Daring's Point of View:
Apple had left me to escort Raven and Cerise to their first classes. The silence between us was thick, heavy with unspoken anxieties. Luckily, Raven’s classroom was just down the hall. We deposited her with a quick wave.
“Hey Cerise,” I said, trying to break the suffocating quiet, “just a heads-up: no hoods allowed inside the classroom. The teachers are pretty strict about it.”
Relief flooded me as we reached Cerise's classroom. Waving goodbye, I practically sprinted the rest of the way to my own class. Then, the familiar ping of the System notification stopped me dead in my tracks.
✯'Mission Accomplished'✯
✓ Get your new companions to join your school.
ロ Convince your new companions to trust you.
Good job on succeeding 1 of your missions!
Just one more to go to get a hint on making a portal home :).
-Complete your mission before Friday.-
‘At least we knocked out one major mission,’ I thought, checking my solo missions.
Solo Missions
ロ A new life.
- ????
-Would you like a hint?-
- Clue: experiments.
✓ Bedtime.
-Make a sleep potion.
✓ On Top.
-Get the highest marks in one of your classes.
-No time limit-
‘I really don’t want to waste my last hint,’ I mused, continuing my journey to class. ‘I’m glad we completed one mission, but I feel terrible about having to lie to them both.’
Friday Night:
“How are we going to make them trust us?!” Daring paced, his footsteps echoing despite the noise-canceling spell. He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it even more disheveled than usual.
Apple, perched on the edge of her bed, sighed. She rubbed her temples, the stress lines etched deeply around her eyes.
“If it weren’t for the noise-canceling spell in this room,” Apple said, her voice strained but attempting a light tone, “I’m sure we’d have woken the neighbors.”
It had been less than five minutes since the System notification, and less that 2 for Daring to barge into Apple’s room—a move she found incredibly rude, though she couldn’t blame him. She was equally desperate to find a solution.
Daring stopped pacing, his shoulders slumping. He sank onto a chair, the wood creaking under his weight. "But what now? We can't keep the whole truth from them. They're smart, they'll see through it."
Apple tapped a finger against her chin, her brow furrowed in concentration. “We need a believable cover story. Something that explains why they need to come to school with us, and why they should trust us.”
Silence hung heavy in the air, broken only by the soft hum of the noise-canceling spell. Daring stared at the floor, lost in thought. Then, his eyes snapped open.
"Wait," he said, a glimmer of hope in his voice. "What if we tell them about the government's secret program? The one that hides magically gifted beings from the rest of the world? It's not entirely a lie. Humans do fear magic, and it's true that many magical creatures are forced into hiding."
Apple considered this, her fingers tracing patterns on her blanket. “It's a risky gamble, Daring. If they find out we're lying about the specifics, it could backfire spectacularly. But it’s better than nothing. We can frame it as a protective measure, a way to keep them safe. We can say the Academy is a sanctuary, a place where they can learn to control their powers without fear of persecution.”
“And we can focus on the parts that are true,” Daring added, a small smile playing on his lips. “The part about humans being wary of magic, the part about the Academy being a safe haven. We just… embellish the details a bit.”
They spent the next hour meticulously crafting their story, refining every detail, anticipating potential questions and objections. They debated the wording, the tone, the subtle nuances that would make their deception believable. The initial panic gave way to a focused determination, fueled by their desperate desire to find a way home. The clock ticked away, each second a reminder of the ticking deadline. By the time they finished, exhaustion etched on their faces, they had a plan that was both convincing and, hopefully, forgivable.
Saturday arrived, and their plan surprisingly worked. After a shopping trip—new clothes, supplies, phones—Raven and Cerise seemed more settled. With the system’s help, Apple smoothly enrolled them on Sunday. They even provided language support to help them understand the words they didn't really understand like some of the everyday items they have or phrases to help them fit in more.
Despite the effort, Raven and Cerise remained wary. Understandable, but a major setback for Apple and Daring.
With a sigh Daring pushed the door to the classroom open and went inside.
Raven’s Point of View:
Only minutes after arriving at the academy, a nervous flutter erupted in my stomach. The closer we got to the principal’s office, the foggier my mind became. 'What did Daring and the principal even talk about? I can't remember a thing.' I felt a strange disconnect, like watching a movie of my own life.
"So, what are your schedules? Can I take a look?" 'Daring's' voice jolted me back. 'Right, schedules. Of course.'
“Um… yeah, sure,” I mumbled, handing him the paper. 'Please don't let them notice how shaky my hands are.'
"Cerise, may I see your schedule?" 'Apple' asked. Cerise gave a small nod before handing her the paper.
"Looks like you and Apple have first period together, and it looks like me and Cerise have fifth period together," 'Daring' said, taking a peek at Cerise's schedule. 'Apple' excused herself, asking Daring to show Cerise and me to our classrooms. 'Good. Less time to overthink everything. Though, honestly, overthinking is kind of my specialty.'
Soon, we arrived at my first class. 'This is it. The moment of truth. Or maybe just the moment of awkward introductions and terrified stares.'
“This is your stop, Raven. See you at lunch,” Daring said, walking off with Cerise. 'Just breathe, Raven. You can do this. Or at least, you can try to do this. Trying is half the battle, right? '
But my heart hammered against my ribs. 'This isn't Ever After High. No one knows the Evil Queen. I’ll be fine.' I repeated silently, trying to calm my racing heart.
A hand on my shoulder made me jump. I whirled around. 'It’s just 'Apple' I thought, releasing a shaky breath.
“Sorry, sorry,” 'Apple' said, her voice apologetic.
“It’s… it’s fine,” I whispered.
“Come on, let’s go inside,” she said, gently taking my hand and pulling me into the classroom. It was mostly empty. She led me to a seat, presumably hers.
We had a few minutes before class. She explained some of the school’s rules, her words a soothing balm to my anxieties.
Students began trickling in, greeting 'Apple' with respect. Some inquired about me, their expressions ranging from cautious curiosity to outright apprehension. 'She probably holds some kind of power here'
I mused, trying to ignore the rising murmur of voices.
After about ten minutes, other students started to arrive, greeting Apple with respect. Some asked about me, and I couldn’t help but notice a few looked scared or nervous. She probably does have some influence here, I thought, trying to tune out the rising murmur of conversation.
A few minutes later, the professor entered and asked me to give a brief introduction.
My brief introduction felt like an eternity, every word scrutinized under the weight of countless eyes.
After my introduction, the professor began the class. I found myself strangely excited; this lesson was an introduction to the history of this world. Time flew by.
As I was packing my things, Apple tapped my shoulder.
“What’s your next class?” she asked, her voice a little flat, though I couldn’t quite place the underlying emotion.
“Oh, it’s ***,” I replied.
“Our rooms aren’t that far. Would you like me to walk you there?” she asked with an innocent smile, 'That smile… it's so familiar. Too familiar. Are they really Apple White and Daring Charming., or is this all an act?'
The doubt gnawed at me, a persistent, unsettling presence.
“I—sure,” I replied, trying to push aside my doubts.'Focus on the class, I told myself. Just focus on getting through the day.'
After grabbing our bags, we headed out. As we walked, whispers followed us like shadows.
“I didn’t know we had a new student. I definitely didn’t expect her to be so close with Alicia.”
“You know, I heard there are actually two new students—a wolf and a witch.”
“Yeah, dude, I’m telling you, that’s her—the one I saw getting out of Damian Cillian’s car with the other one.”
“I wonder how she got so close to the heir of one of the most powerful families in the city.”
I tried to ignore the whispers, but they were too loud, too persistent. The weight of their scrutiny pressed down on me, amplifying my already heightened anxiety.
Apple, sensing my discomfort, squeezed my hand. “Don’t pay them any mind,” she said, her voice calm and reassuring. “We’re almost there.”
Her words, like a calming spell, seemed to quiet the whispers around us. Just as I was about to ask her how she did that, we stopped.
“Well, this is your stop,” she said, a hint of relief in her voice. “I’ll see you at lunchtime.”
She turned and walked away, leaving me standing alone, the weight of the whispers still clinging to me.
End of chapter 4