"The universe does not war between good and evil.
It drowns between veils.
A mask is not worn, it is grown.
Some bloom from pride,
Some rot from fear,
And some…
Decay, until only hollow eyes remain — staring through Painted lies."
Parmiss's words hung in the dim classroom like smoke. She hadn't spoken them to anyone in particular — her gaze was fixed out the window, her notebook filled with sharp lines of ink, letters that cut like knives. The early sunlight filled the class, while the smell of chalk filled the room. It was a beautiful winter morning.
"My dear class… or should I say, my dear victims of boredom?"
The silence shattered as a tall boy with a messy grin climbed on top of a desk. His uniform was wrinkled, his tie hanging somewhere closer to his sleeve rather than his neck.
"Name's Marv. If you're lonely, I'll take you out on a date… except the teacher. Unless she gives me less homework. Then it's true love."
The class erupted in laughter. Parmiss's eyes narrowed. Her poetry had been swallowed whole by this clown's performance.
"Sit down before I bury you under more homework than the teacher ever could." she said flatly cutting the tone while glaring at him.
"Ooohs" rose from the room. Marv hops down, leaning closer to Parmiss with a grin that refuses to die. "You know, when you glare like that, it's almost… cute. Like a cat that wants to murder me."
Before Parmiss could respond, a small almost cheerful whisper came from the back of the room. "A cat that wants to murder you? Don't worry, Parmiss wouldn't waste the effort." A pause. Her smile sharpened. "I'd do it faster anyway."
Heads turned. A girl with bright eyes and a too-pleasant smile leaned lazily against the wall, twirling a pen as if it were a blade. The casual way she spoke of killing made the air in the room heavy.
"Shinigami…" Parmiss muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose.
Marv blinked, grin tilting. "Wow. Choices already? I feel special."
"Special? More like suicidal. Marv, you're already outnumbered and you've known them for, what, two minutes? Impressive. Truly a world record in making bad first impressions." Another boy piped up, his phone glowing faintly in his hands. Kazuto didn't even look up from the game he was playing.
Parmiss finally had enough. She shut her book, eyes narrowing at all three of them.
"Why am I surrounded by idiots?" Her voice was sharp enough to slice the laughter in half.
"Fate, obviously, My Dear." Marv said while grinning wider.
Shinigami let out a small laugh — soft, almost kind. "Don't worry, Parmiss. If he annoys you too much, I'll clean up the mess. Quick, clean, no questions asked."
Parmiss stood abruptly, glare sweeping over all three. "You're insufferable."
The tension hung thick. Even the class had gone quiet, watching as if something could break any second.
Kazuto finally looked up from his phone, meeting Marv's grin with his own calm smile. "You've known them for two minutes and already made enemies. At this rate, you'll need a bodyguard. Or a coffin."
The chaos snapped shut as the teacher stepped into the classroom.
Marv quickly went to his seat and sat formally adjusting his mess of clothes.
"Welcome new students to the Maskveil Academy. I am Professor "Klein Ainsworth". Everyone listened as Professor Ainsworth introduced himself. His voice had a comfy tone of a cartoonish character, while he appeared to be dressed in a formal long Coat with round brown glasses.
He smiled, speaking as if he'd known them all for years.
"Some of you came here to be heroes. Some to chase knowledge. Some had nowhere else to go. Some for glory. And…" his eyes twinkled, "…some were bribed with free cafeteria food. Don't deny it. I saw the forms.
Students exchanged glances, a nervous laugh skittering through the room.
"It is yours to choose the path you walk," Ainsworth continued, still light, still playful — until his tone dropped.
"But…" His pause was long enough to still the air. "Do not let evil take hold of you. Or you may lose more than your way. You may lose your very soul to madness." His voice, once light and almost playful, sank into something colder. The room itself seemed to shrink with his words.
The words echoed, heavy as stone. The room seemed to shrink. A few students shivered. Parmiss felt her chest tighten, though she didn't know why.
Then, as if nothing had happened, Ainsworth smiled again.
"For today, you may explore the school. Find the library, the sparring rings, the gardens — they're all yours. Just…" His gaze flicked to the back of the room, his voice dipping once more. "…do not wander near the west wing. The doors there… don't always open to the same place twice."
He clapped his hands. "Class dismissed."
Questions burned in their throats, but no one spoke. Chairs scraped the floor as the students filed out, whispers threading through the silence Ainsworth left behind.