Chapter Text
This is a new beginning.
You step outside the taxi at the top of a roundabout, which brought you to the front doors of True Cross Academy. You hold onto the car door as you breathe in your first breath of your new life. You've finally made it here. This was your calling. This is where you belong. Or so you hope.
A recent nasty break-up sent your life into turmoil. Not only your life, but your apartment and your studies went downhill. You wanted nothing to do with that man anymore. You've learned about True Cross Academy, a school for exorcists, from an online ad, and in a spur of the moment, you packed your bags and left your life behind. For some reason, it just felt right. You needed to get away from your past self, and what a better way to do that than to learn how to slay demons? In your case, it was both metaphorical and practical. While your ex wasn't an actual demon, he might as well have been; so you found this change in trade a rather fitting one.
You were on your path to become a psychiatrist. You graduated university with a bachelor in psychology, setting yourself up for a masters in psychology, which would later become a PsyD to receive your doctorate and allow you to practice your license in a clinical setting. While the crooked mind was fascinating in and of itself, it was the sane mind that drove you insane (ironic, isn't it?). From your brief experience volunteering at a psychiatric institution, you saw those people who wore their heart on their sleeve. They were incapable of hiding anything; their brains simply did not allow it. They didn't fit society's definition of normal and were therefore cast out to be dealt with in a secure, closed off environment. You disagreed with that, but it allowed you to be closer to them while they were all together. You've learned a lot from them about this world, something that the mainstream educational system couldn't provide you with.
Then came your definition (at the time) of a normal, perfect in every way, boyfriend. He was flawless, at first. Head to toe, nothing wrong or bad was ever said about the man. Yet, it was his normalcy that drove you up the wall over time. He had all the green flags, all the ticks in the boxes: a car, a job, an apartment, independence, always made time for you, shared all your interests, and yet... he was just too normal. He was simply content living the cookie cutter life, not extending any interest beyond what was comfortable around him. Once the honeymoon phase was over, you began to realize that there was nothing connecting the two of you beyond the superficial materialistic attraction. You began finding his company boring, unable to bring up any conversation that was deeper than a teaspoon. Any attempt to discuss what you learned from the hospital was met with the same old, "That sounds great, Honey..."
He made you want to rip your hair out; this was mainly because you couldn't understand what was wrong. And neither did he. The last month of your relationship was plagued by the question: "Just tell me; what am I doing wrong…?" He kept begging you, but the answer was nothing. He was doing absolutely nothing wrong, not by the basic standards, at least. You cooked meals together, watched movies, played games, went on dates, and went on walks. Everything was picture perfect. However, that wasn't what you were looking for. With a heavy heart, you had to let him go.
At the end, that's when he showed you his true colours. On the night that you broke the news to him that you were leaving, this man, who was begging you to tell him what he was doing wrong, wrote you a whole list of things you need to change in yourself to make yourself more likable to others. Upon reading the list, a fog of rage overtook you and you looked up at him in disbelief. ‘What the fuck is this?’ Is what you wanted to yell, but in fact, you didn’t want to hear the explanation for this absurdity. You simply turned around on your heel and headed towards the door. He reached an arm up, calling after you. "Why are you so upset, I was only telling the truth--" But you were already gone, slamming the door behind you. Whatever. You didn't care about the things you left at his place, you'll just have to buy a new toothbrush and pj's, along with a few other necessities. You weren't going to let him have the satisfaction of seeing the angry tears in your eyes. As you stormed to your car and revved the engine, you made a promise to yourself, "I'm done with men." That was also the last time you've cried.
Flying into your apartment, crumpling up the stupid list, you went straight for your laptop, fingers flying over the keyboard. You pulled up the dark web browser where you've seen that ad for the school for exorcists at True Cross Academy. Yes, yes, the big scary dark web, which is not as scary when you know your way around. You dabble in it for both personal and professional interests, taking all the necessary precautions to be safe once you got sick of the surface web and its shallowness. Of course, that is the only place where you would have found that ad. You figured the knowledge of demons couldn't be publicly accessed, so that's where you found it. Surfing the dark web intrigued you because there was so much fucked up shit on there that only real psychos, or those prepared to deal with them, lurked there. Naturally, the existence of real demons didn't seem too far-fetched after some of the things you've seen, both in your practice and even just now with your now ex. 'Seriously, and I was ready to marry that guy... dodged a bullet there, for sure.'
Without too much thought, you filled out the online application and sent it off. You pushed off from the table and looked up at the ceiling, blowing out a tense sigh from within your cheeks. There, you've done it. Somehow, it felt like the weight of 50 bricks was lifted from your chest. It was nerve wracking to set yourself on this new path on a whim like that, but it was also exhilarating and refreshing. You couldn't deny that the ad was in the back of your mind ever since you've seen it. As much as you loved your degree and the idea of your future profession, the thought of all those patients locked up daily tore at your conscience. There was only so much you could do for them. Some were there for life, with conditions that are incurable and irreversible. This way, if you were to become an exorcist, you could actually do some good in the world by ridding it of true and pure evils.
You were about to get up to throw the note in the garbage when your laptop chimed. 'Who could it be at this hour?' You opened the little email icon that popped up on the screen and virtual confetti filled the screen. It was an email regarding your application, stating that you've been accepted to their school and the semester starts in three weeks. 'Well that was fast...' You let out a sigh of relief, leaning back to read the terms and conditions of acceptance over and over again. There was an attached map of the campus and dorms, along with all other supplies that an exorcist needed for their first semester. All of that seemed easy enough. You made mental notes of the things you'll need to go out and get and others that were already lying around. Three weeks was enough time to pack up your apartment and move everything back into your parents' place--
'Oh shit... my parents... what am I gonna tell them?' You threw your head back and held onto your forehead. There was so much they needed to be updated on, from your break up to your new profession and studies. 'Okay, okay, three weeks is more than enough time to ease them into this idea... Although, to them the news of the breakup will be harder to bear than the whole demons-are-real concept...' They, too, had high hopes for your boyfriend-now-ex. After "whoring around", so to speak, since you became an adult, they were ecstatic that you found a guy that looked like he could finally tie you down and start a family. Boy did they misjudge him.
You pushed the thoughts of your family aside for now. First thing's first, document-- your stomach growled at you and your mind immediately shifted to-- food. Despite it being nearly 10pm you haven't realized how hungry you were until your body literally screamed at you. ‘I guess documents and other matters relating to my move will wait.’ You went over to your kitchen and pulled out the quickest and tastiest meal on earth- instant noodles. You set the kettle on and while you waited, you looked over your apartment. You were gonna miss this place. It was rather nice. Modern, but affordable, on the top floor, away from everyone, tucked into the corner of the building. Your neighbours were decent, save for the guy downstairs who blasted music so loud you could shazam his songs as easily as if they were playing within your apartment. His taste in music was awesome, but his singing was… awful. There was no nice way to put it.
The kettle finished boiling and as you poured the water over the noodles, you felt the familiar signs of anxiety overtake you as your brain checked out and you stood there staring at your noodles. All sense of awareness and what you should be doing gone from your mind, as you were simply distracted. You observed the curly shape of each noodle, taking in the steam wafting up from your meal, suddenly hyper aware of everything around you except what you needed to do.
Your stomach reminded you of its existence with a growl that sounded like a mewling cat. "Oh shush, you, I'm about to feed you..." ‘Right! I was about to grab a fork for my noodles…’
By the time you dealt with your anxiety, your noodles were ready. You inhaled the steam of the chicken flavoured meal and dove right in, devouring its deliciousness within seconds. 'Damn, I must have been really hungry... my stomach had every right to be making those noises.'
With your stomach full, your mood has improved significantly. 'Why do my hunger levels dictate my attitude and mood in general?' You sighed to yourself. If you ever got to meet your creator, this is one of the plethora of concerns you would be sure to bring up to them. For now, you focused on more relevant concerns, such as, how to break the news to your mother... followed by a mental checklist of all the emails you're going to have to send in the morning to break your lease and all other services and utilities. You had three weeks to sort it all out.
And after three weeks, here you stand, in front of the gates, just as they were in the pictures in your welcoming email. This place is more beautiful than any photograph could do it justice. The Academy grounds extend up into a hill, making almost every building visible from the bottom where the front gates are. The tops of the buildings shimmer in the September sun, and there is a lot of colour in the academy; it almost cascades in rainbows. Somewhere closer to the centre, there is a building resembling a palace with golden spires rising into the sky, which you can see from all the way where you stand. There is also quite a bit of greenery all around. A forest stands off to the left side, and then on the other... 'Is that an amusement park?' The child within you whoops. You love this place already. You never imagined how big it would actually be. The grandeur of it all makes you feel so small all of the sudden, but you fight back the urge to cower. You are here to be the opposite of a coward.
You were going to be a part of the adult exorcists school, but the vastness of the grounds suggested there are other classes here as well. There is the regular school for ordinary high schoolers, and then there was the cram school for high schoolers wishing to also become exorcists. According to your schedule, the adults study in the mornings and afternoons while the teenagers are in their normal high school, and then in the evening, they occupy those classrooms while the adults are free to either study or obtain a part time job. Speaking of high schoolers, a few students mill by, throwing you cursory glances, but you ignore them, focusing on your path instead. You are so glad to be out of that age where everyone's opinions mattered but yours. The students giggling at you from behind their books are case and point. Honestly, you couldn't care less what they are judging at this point in time, whether that's your outfit or your hairstyle. It suits you, and that's that.
Interrupting your reveries, the taxi driver nudges you with your luggage. "Your bags, Sir...". Having already paid him inside the cab, you nod at him, mumbling a thank you, and taking your suitcase and satchel from him. You are turning around to leave the curbside when you realize you have no idea where you are going. You turn around to the driver and call out to him before he gets in. "Hey, excuse me, do you know where first year adult students are supposed to go?"
He shrugs his shoulders at you. "All I know is that they're supposed to take that yellow path over there and it will lead them to where they need to go..."
You chuckle to yourself and call out another 'thank you' his way before he finally disappears inside the vehicle and drives off.
You turn your attention back to the front gate and, on the right side, you notice yellow bricks poking out of the shrubs. You smile to yourself, 'follow the yellow brick road.' Whoever designed this certainly had a sense of humour. You grab a hold of the suitcase handle and extend it, tilting the bag on its wheels and sling the shoulder strap of the satchel over your head, resting a protective hand over the side of it. After all, it contained precious cargo, i.e. your laptop. The item has grown in value over the years and you could not afford to lose it or have it broken, so while the inside contained soft padding specifically designed for such objects, you felt more comfortable having your hand over it. It was a force of habit developed over the years.
You set out on this path to your new life. It takes you through some beautiful gardens, with a little creek running alongside it, for the most part, until eventually the path reaches a clearing, which is filled with a humble amount of students. You figure since not many people could know about this school, not many people would apply for this specific term. 'The less the better', you think bitterly to yourself. You've had enough of people for a while, especially after your ex. The 20 or so students standing in the clearing is a good amount to deal with.
From your previous university experience, you're familiar with how these student orientations usually go. This is supposed to be a time to create new friendships and explore the options, get to know your course mates. However, from your last time, that experience came with great disappointment. You've somehow managed to make friends with only international students, so by the time first year was done, they were all gone back to their respective countries, leaving you friendless once again. You are weary of making that same mistake again, but you need to start somewhere.
You notice a guy, who appears to be Asian, standing off to the side, not really talking to anyone, just happily observing everyone else mingle and chat. He seems like he could be your kind of person, so you approach him first. You station yourself right beside him and turn to face the same way he is looking, mimicking his stance. You lean into the side slightly, pretending to whisper a secret to him. "People watching is so much better than actually talking to them, am I right?"
He lets out a laugh, agreeing with you. "Omg, definitely. It's so much easier that way. No expectations, no drama..."
You turn around to face him fully now, 'yup, definitely my kind of person...'. You extend a hand out to him. "Well, I am the king of no expectations and no drama. I think we'll make a great, chill team. I'm y/n, by the way."
He turns to face you as well, taking your hand in his to shake it in a formal greeting. "I'm Connor. Pleased to meet you."
As you shake hands, you take a moment to notice all his features. He is rather handsome. You can't quite place where he might be from as his skin is a tad lighter than Middle Eastern, and his eyes are strikingly brown. 'He must have quite some serious mixed blood going on there,' you think to yourself absentmindedly, saving the question about his heritage for later. His black hair is styled elegantly in a wave going from left to right above his forehead, the edges above his ears are trimmed neatly. Under different circumstances you would have fallen head over heels for someone like that. Alas, you are done with men, and while this particular gentleman looks fine, all you need is a friend.
You exchange friendly smiles with each other and turn back to people watching the crowd together.
Connor asks you the question that everyone is surely asking within the large group. "So, what brings you to True Cross Academy?"
You are about to open your mouth to answer when a woman with fiery red hair bursts out from a bush, frantically running over to the closest people to her which happen to be you and Connor. A couple of twigs are sticking out of her hair and she almost stumbles into you but catches herself at the last moment, grabbing a hold of her backpack shoulder straps. Out of breath, she gasps out. "Am I late? Did I miss something important?"
Instinctively you pull your satchel away from her, covering it with your hand again to keep it safe from harm. Your voice remains friendly though. "No, I don't think anything started yet, everyone is just kinda chillin for now..."
She exhales a sigh of relief. "Whew, glad I made it on time then! I got kinda lost on that path..."
Connor points to the golden bricks that are a couple of meters away from where she burst out from the bushes. "You mean the straight bright yellow path that led us right here?"
The woman bends her back, stretching out a kink, still sounding out of breath. "Yeah, I know, right? Crazy how those paths can get, eh?"
You and Connor turn your heads to look at each other. As soon as your eyes meet you both burst out laughing, grabbing a hold of your bellies, almost howling with laughter at the strange newcomer.
Said newcomer just looks between you both, genuinely not understanding. "What's so funny? Is there something wrong with my hair?" She pulls on a strand of hair and notices a leaf stuck in it. Grumbling, she pulls it out with a "tch".
Your laughter subsides and you motion for her to come closer. "Here, let me help you..."
She steps closer to you and you pull out the rest of the twigs and leaves from her hair, turning her around to get a better look all around her head. Done with your check, you give her a thumbs up that all is good with her hair now. She turns around to face you and Connor fully now, extending a hand to you first and then to the other guy. "By the way, I'm Shelby!"
You shake her hand. "Y/n."
"Connor."
"Y/n and Connor," Shelby repeats aloud, commiting the names to memory. "Got it!"
'She seems fun...' You think to yourself. She has long wild red hair that is in parts straight and others wavy. Bright green eyes and fair skin. Overall, a very friendly complexion, quite carefree, and a nice match to her personality. She isn't on the thin side, but also not overtly overweight and she is dressed rather simply. Not unlike Connor, who looks like he came from a day at the office, wearing tan slacks and a blue button up collared shirt. She, on the other hand, wears ripped jeans that don't look like they were ripped on purpose and an oversized light orange sweater. You quickly assess that you like this bunch, already growing fond of their company.
Shelby turns around and assumes the same position you and Connor are in, simply standing by each other and staring out at the crowd in a comfortable silence. A silence that she breaks with a loud whisper. "So, what are we doing?"
Connor answers her. "Oh, we're just people watching..."
You add. "We figured it's much easier than actually going in and socializing."
"Yeah, people suck..." Shelby tags on.
You and Connor both turn to her, shocked expressions on your faces, but then you both break into grins, simultaneously lifting up your hands for high fives all around. "Eyy, welcome to the club!" You cheer.
"I think we'll get along splendidly!" Connor adds with his own high five.
Shelby is practically bouncing on her toes from the excitement of meeting her pack right away. She turns back towards the crowd and offers to both of you. "Wanna make bets on who's going to be in which clique?"
'Right... cliques...' You can't believe that even in the adult world such trivial concepts exist. You thought you left all that behind, but then university proved you wrong, followed by the multiple jobs you've held throughout your life. This is something that never changes. 'People are unknowingly always dividing themselves into groups...' Sociology is a whole study branch for a reason. While you could grumble to yourself all day, you decide to entertain your new friend instead, picking out the loosely forming cliques already.
You point to a dark skinned girl with an exquisite braided bun who has more make up on than you've ever had in your whole life combined. "Well that's Queen Bee, right there. Miss Popular already. I mean look at the guys gathered around her. I bet they're already making dibs on her and the other girls that are surrounding her." Each one of the men seems better looking than the other, and their perfect physique shows from under their clothes, which they clearly aren't trying to hide. You scowl inwardly, 'too bad they are all inherent assholes.' You really do not like the popular, undoubtedly rich kids who had their life laid out for them since before they were born.
Connor points to a group that has their heads down, gaze fixed on their phones, tablets, or otherwise laptops. "Those are the geeks, no doubt. We can already start keeping a tally on how many times we're going to see them NOT on their gadgets." He says that with a tint of disgust, but your hand unconsciously hovers over your own laptop. You could have been with that group, finding out more about video games and just losing yourself in the comfortable presence of like minded geeks who preferred to spend more time in the virtual world than in the real one. But you hold back. Those guys are a bit too extreme. They probably wouldn't be able to recognize each other in a crowd since they spend so much time with their heads down in some game or other.
Still, you are curious to find out more about Connor and why he has an overt reaction to that group. With his looks and attire, he looks like he belongs with the popular crowd, but instead he's standing here with you and Shelby, perfectly content.
Shelby interrupts your thoughts and points to the group that is standing a bit off to the side from the geeks. "And those are totally the book worms, or nerds, whatever you want to call them. They're definitely going to be answering all the questions in class." She imitates having glasses on and raises her hand at the elbow, as if to answer a question, speaking in a nasally pitch. "Well, actually Ma'am, the answer is--" but she is unable to finish her sentence as she bursts out laughing at her own impression of a stereotypical know-it-all.
You and Connor holler with her, causing a few heads to turn your way from all the groups that you have just discussed. The ones that seemed unphased by the ordeal were the smokers standing off to the side. 'Of course, there always have to be smokers in every group.' The too-cool-for-school crowd. Some of them seem chill, while others seem completely out of it. That group always has a range of personalities, yet their vice keeps them tight knit during all breaks and after school activities.
You lazily lift your finger and point towards that group, simply stating. "Stoners."
Connor agrees with you. "Yup, stoners."
"Yup...", Shelby chimes. She takes a second to think, frowning to herself before turning to both of you. "So wait, what does that make us?"
You and Connor exchange blank stares, neither one really having any answers. You both shrug your shoulders. "I dunno..." You ask an even more important question. "Does it matter? I mean... we're just us..."
Her frown is replaced by a look of joy and she half squeals. "Sounds good to me!"
At that moment, a small woman clears her throat and calls everyone to gather around her. All the students form a semicircle around her, each person sticking to their respective clique. Once she can see everyone, she begins her welcoming speech, which sounds very monotonous and rehearsed. "Welcome to True Cross Academy. You have all been selected to attend the adult school for exorcism. My name is Mrs. Blanche, and I am going to be your history teacher on exorcism. Follow me and stay close while I give you a tour of the academy, and then I will bring you to your dorms."
She waves a lazy arm in a motion to follow her and the crowd sets out after her. You throw your head back in exasperation, 'why was I cursed to have all my history teachers sound like they're about to keel over from boredom?' Huffing and puffing inwardly, you set out after her.
You and your friends are at the back of the group, catching the end of the tour. You all agree that this tour is super boring and you would need to explore the grounds on your own at some time. You are already making plans to do that after you all settle in at your respective rooms and have the evening to yourselves. On this tour, you are making notes on which places you would like to revisit and explore further, pointing them out to your friends in the process.
Eventually you reach your dorms and each student is handed a key card. The dorms don't look too bad, a much more elegant design from what you envisioned a dorm to look like. There is a kitchen area at one end of the hall, and a living room lounge space on the other, providing some common ground where students can meet up and hang. The design of the building looks new and refurbished, smelling clean. There is even a bit of tasteful interior décor strewn around. You give an appreciative nod at your new living quarters for the time being.
Luckily, since you are adults, each person gets their own room, and the rooms are assigned mostly at random, regardless of gender. It felt nice to be treated your age for once. You are all staying on the same floor and the school allows you to make your own choices when it comes to your past time.
You look at the number on your key card, 15, and approach your room, noting that Connor is right next to you, and the kitchen is on the other side of you. He brings up his hand for a fistbump. "Neighbours!"
You fistbump him back, feeling like you just won the lottery. Your neighbour is your friend and there is no one on the other side. 'Truly a blessing...' Unfortunately, Shelby is somewhere in the middle of the hallway, stuck between Queen Bee and one of her jockey admirers. You and Connor turn to wave at her, and she half asses a wave back, clearly showing that she is not happy with this arrangement. She opens her door and disappears inside, aware of the plan you guys made on your way over here. Meet at 6:00pm to grab some dinner and explore the grounds further.
You and Connor chuckle at each other over Shelby’s unimpressed face, and open your doors. Before you walk in you say to each other. "See you soon!"
The moment you step through the threshold, you're taken aback by your room. It has the exact same design as a nice hotel room. The closet is right to your left, and a door to your own private bathroom is on your right. You wheel your suitcase inside and step into the bathroom first, loving the glass shower doors and the massive mirror taking up half of the wall above the sink. Your mouth falls open at the niceness of it all. You want to close it, but when you walk into the main room and see the double bed, it stays open. You have to give credit to whoever designed this place. You were fully expecting something that resembled military shacks from all the movies, with a shared bathroom, a tiny bed and little to no privacy. But this... this exceeds all expectations. A wooden table is attached along the length of a wall, and a TV is mounted above it. There is a mini fridge and a microwave between the closet and the desk, and on the other end of the desk is a cushioned chair with a little table, a comfortable place for reading. Beside the bed stands a little couch, which adds to the cozy atmosphere of the room. Directly in front of you, giant windows open to overlook bits of the academy and the forest. Your dorms are closer to the forest you saw earlier, and not to the amusement park, which is on the other side of the campus. The tall ceiling adds to making the room more welcoming and less crammed. You love this place already.
As a first priority, you take off your satchel and set up your laptop on the desk, sliding your hand over how much space there is on the desk that takes up the majority of the wall. Then you proceed to unpack your clothes, picking out something more fitting for an evening stroll. Once everything is in its place, you take note of the time. It is 5:45pm. You have 15 minutes before having to meet your friends. You power on your laptop to check for any emails. Seeing none, you open the welcoming email from the Academy and pull up the map of the grounds. While the tour was less than informative, you didn't want to get completely lost, so you take it upon yourself to get a sense of bearing on where you're going to be going today with your friends.
At 6:00pm sharp, Shelby and Connor are already outside your door, knocking. You close your laptop and open the door for them. They are both dressed differently, and Shelby's hair even looks half-tamed. She squeaks. "You ready?!"
You chuckle at her excitement, grab your wallet and phone, and head out after them. "Spaghetti!"