It was when I received a letter in the mail that sunny Sunday afternoon, that I realized I had entered a nightmare.
The seal of the envelope the maid handed to me had a motif of roses and thorns surrounding the silhouette of a raven. It was an acceptance letter from Hawthorne Academy.
Seeing it triggered my memories from my past life, a young college drop out who worked at a coffee shop, occasionally on my free days I would play video games to blow off steam, a friend introduced me to their collection of otome games.
But there was only one that stood out to me for various reasons and that was Xoxo Iris, an episodic mystery horror visual novel.
A female protagonist searches for her missing older sister at Hawthorne Academy, a prestigious school for mages, but the campus is overridden with monstrosities and specters.
Our protagonist uses her gift to see the dead to makes deals with the ghosts of dead female students in exchange for information. Gameplay consists finding their missing belongings, pass on their final words, and solve the mystery behind their deaths. This usually requires the protagonist to enter someplace dangerous or haunted. She can't go alone, that's where the main love interests come in. Four powerful mages who specialize in using four different elements, the player must try to befriend the one with the right element each episode in order to have them come to her rescue in her time of need. After completing the ghost's quest, the episode doesn't end. Night typically falls on her way back to the dorm, and the protagonist must face off against the vengeful spirits hinted at in the beginning of the episode, failure to notice the signs and prepare for it usually results in the player's death.
Where am I going with this?
The player can find an abandoned journal missing pages at a certain abandoned library.
The author of this journal is a beloved student who goes missing, her name? Anais Letiffany.
The exact name of myself in this present life.
Her journals hold crucial information of how to survive specter encounters, as well as hinting that there is an individual at fault for orchestrating the deaths and disappearances of student.
To learn more, the protagonist must collect pages and extra journals hidden throughout the school, some possessed by students. The player can obtain these completing side quests.
Who was Anais Letiffany?
A cute, well-respected girl who sticks up for the protagonist at the start of the game's season, she keeps the bullies away, but after her disappearance the bullies are left unchecked. Ramping up the difficulty of gameplay significantly.
Anais Letiffany had the same motives as the protagonist, but her situation was different. Serving as a contrast to the protagonist.
"Isn't this great milady?" My personal maid, Esme seemed genuinely happy for me. "You've always wanted to attend the same school as Lady Amelie!"
At that moment dread seeped into my nerves like a teabag in warm water, raising the hairs on my body. Recalling my past memories made me feel like a stranger to myself. To think this whole time I had been unconsciously following the plot from a story left me disturbed but also... heart broken.
"Amelie..."
As I was saying earlier, Anais- I mean I, had the same motives as the protagonist.
Anais Letiffany had an older twin sister by the name of Amelie Letiffany. In this world where magic existed, Amelie was famous for her genius, she was accepted into Hawthorne Academy, a private magic institution located on Hawthorne Island, a small island located on the south coast of Briarlore Kingdom. It was well known for having produced a King and other Genius mages that either went on to become Heroes, politicians, inventors or entrepreneurs.
After Amelie left for Hawthorne she sent me lots of letters about the friends she made and the things she did, she even sent me gifts, the last... the last which I was to receive was an enchanted pendant that was a magic item. I had been a sickly child growing up, the main reason was being born with too much mana, this pendant absorbed some of it form me, it made it easier to fight against my illness and study hard so I could get accepted into Hawthorne too.
Although the family had been against it, they wanted me to attend a school that was much closer, so that if something happened I would be within reach. . .
Now, I regret my pigheadedness.
I squeezed the letter, my eyes skimming over its contents. I set it aside for my maids to gather around it and rejoice. Their words of congratulations fell upon deaf ears.
In my mind, a clock began to tick.
Three years. The otome game starts in three years when Anais is a junior. At the beginning of the game, it's possible for the protagonist to befriend Anais, although briefly. As she ends up disappearing in the latter half.
But Amelie?Amelie! My dearest, my beloved sister! There was no saving her.
On the island of Hawthorne were various threats responsible for the disappearances of Hawthorne's female students. Threats so powerful that they could erase the existence of another person from the memories of everyone in the world. Many remembered Anais after she disappeared, so it's safe to assume she didn't die. . . at least by the dark hand's intervention.
But Amelie, sweet innocent sister. Soon, she would be forgotten by everyone but me.
It felt... strange. As I sat there gazing out the window watching a soft breeze pass through the garden outside. Knowing the fact that others remembered her right now, meant she was still alive today.
What was she doing right now? What was she thinking? Would she die today? Tomorrow?
You see, for Anais- for me, attending Hawthorne wasn't an option.
Once Amelie dies, she will begin to haunt Anais.
Normally, ghosts that die on the Hawthorne Isle, stay there. But Amelie is...was different, she's powerful. A true force of nature. And according to my journal in the game, Amelie will appear wherever I am. She was said to be docile and helpful on normal days. She gave Anais hints and non-verbal warnings about the secrets of the school, but at night and sometimes on the full moon... .just like the other ghosts of the victims of Hawthorne Isle, she becomes a vengeful specter, only the most dangerous one.
Unlike the other specters who can play simple tricks like shoving you down the stairs, freezing you, moving or throwing sharp or heavy objects, Amelie, can actually manifest a physical form for herself and hunt. Though, her target was usually the protagonist.
During the latter half of the game when Anais disappears, Amelie becomes like a rabid dog without a leash.
Do I die? Or does something happen that makes Amelie stronger, so strong that she can move freely?
Does she target me too? Do I have to go into hiding? This is just my wishful thinking, of course, I'd like to believe Anais, that I, didn't- that I do not die. Or that Amelie doesn't end up turning on me, her own flesh and blood...
Although she's useful to the game, Anais is what one could classify as a pacemaker, the type of tutorial character that the creators go out of their way to pave the road for the protagonist then disposing her.
Word reached my parents and older brothers of the news. That night, we had a celebratory dinner. Everyone was happy for me, though in my family, the worry was embedded in their eyes just like paneling of the walls, they no longer tried to dissuade me from going.
Also... they did not mention Amelie.