Chapter 1

Words: 3373

You woke up in what felt like a tight space. Everything around you was covered in an unsettling dark and  grimish aura. A shiver went down your spine when you thought about the previous events that had occured.

The mumbling that just made you want to pull of your ears, the black horses, the hand coming out of the mirror, that weird covin-

The covin. Were you in it? You sure hoped not, you were nowhere close to death yet!

You layed your head against the door of the presumed covin, hearing the soft mumbling of a voice outside.

"I bet......ry up and f... t..t unif- before so-one spot..me.."

You couldn't quite make out what this person was saying, but you did hear him say something about not wanting to get spotted.

Were they not supposed to be here?

You heard them struggling around a bit, before the sound of fire caught your attention.

Quickly you slammed your right shoulder against the door of the wooden box you were in, and you almost immediately fell out. Seems it wasn't secured as tight as you thought.

You were greeted with the sight of a boy standing across from a grey cat/weasel(?) with flaming blue ears. The cat-thing seemed to be harrasing the boy who had the hood of his outfit over his head.

You looked down and noticed you were dressed in the same clothing the boy was, a hood also pulled over your head. The tips of your (h/c) ears were pointing out at the front, but you were almost completely sure your face wasn't  visible and someone probably wouldn't be able to make out the things poking out of your hood were ears.

"Myah! Who are you? You also ain't supposed to be awake yet! What is up today?"

You stared at the weaselish creature with wide-eyes. How could it speak?

"A cat?" You mumbled softly to yourself.

"NO! First I get called a weasel, now a cat? Ugh, whatever. I am Grim, sorcerer extraordinair! Now, one of you, give me your uniform. And be quick about it!-" He yelled out orders at you and the boy, who was looking confused between the shorter person and the monster infront of him.

"-Cause if you don't, you're gonna regret it!" The room was suddenly bathed in bright blue flames. "Getting roasted alive by a weasel? What will I dream of next." The boy mumbled before realing back from the sudden warmth. You quickly shot towards the boy, leaving a small trail of electro energy behind you as you snatched him off his feat and started running.

"I-What are you doing?!" He stared screaming and flailing in your arms as you continued running. You switched to carrying him bridal style since it was easier and continued running until you ran into a library.

It looked a bit like the library in Mondstadt, you thought to yourself. You stopped dead in your tracks as you reached a dead end in the library and set the boy back down on his feet.

He was staring at you in shock, until his eyes shifted to the creature running after you into the library. You heard him mutter softly while taking a step closer to the wall, away from both you and the creature. "If this is a dream I'm ready to wake up now..."

"Foolish humans! Did you really think you could slip away from me?" The monster said with a smug smirk on his face. "Now unless you wanna get burned to crisp, take off that-" He was about to continue before being silenced by someone's piercing voice.

"Did you really think I would be scared of a cat, or whatever you are, like you?"

Your voice rang through the weasel's  blazing ears, his eyes widenend when he was suddenly faced with you pointing a bow and arrow at him.

You cocked your head slightly to the side as the thing cowered back slightly in fear. You heard the boy behind you gasp aswel when seeing the weapon that had suddenly appeared in your halfway gloved hands.

You were about to fire off the arrow until the sound of a whip, and a yelp of pain from the firery creature interupted you.

"Me-YEOW! That hurt! What gives?" The small thing yelled out.

A man with a crow mask and a large top hat appeared infront of the three of you. "Consider it tough love!" He said to the weasel.

"Ah, at last I've found you both. I trust you're two of this year's students?" The man with the mask said to you and the boy that was hiding behind you. Grim was now wrapped up in the man's whip, prefenting him from doing anything.

"My were you ever eager to make your debut. And bringing a poorly trained familiar with you? That goes against the school rules you know." He said while staring at the boy. His gaze then turned to you and he stared at the bow in your hands for a moment, until his eyes widened slightly. "And bringing such a weapon is certainly not allowed as well!"

"I'm no familiar! I'd never serve some lowly human! Now lemme go!"

"Yeah yeah, rebelious familiars always say that. Do be quiet for a bit will you?" The man slapped a hand over the cat's mouth, almost immediately shutting the creature up.

"Dear me. Of all the students I've dealt with, you two are the first with teremity enough to open their own gate and step out of it. Does every notion of patience elude you? No matter, your orrientation has already begun. Let's head back to the mirror chamber shall we?"

"I apologize but I do must ask, where am I? And what do you mean by 'this year's students' mister...?"

"Yeah, what do you mean, student?" The boy finally spoke up behind you.

"You awakend in a room full of gates, did you not? All of the students here on campus arrived through such gates. Although usually the students have restraint enough to wait until I open them before waking up."

"I think something blew the lid off mine." The boy muttered while giving a slight side-eye to the thing stuck in the man's whip.

"I broke mine open when I heard the commotion the cat was making."

"Mya! I told ya I ain't no cat!" the thing yelled at your comment.

"The culprit of your lid getting blown off appears to be that familiar of you! You're the one who insisted on bringing it, so certailing it's behavior is your responsebility! But now's not the time for such prattle. You both have a student orientation to attend! Go on now, make haste."

"Alright alright mister, but first, who even are you?" You asked, finally letting the bow dissapear from your grasp. The boy stared at you in shock for some reason. Had he never seen a vision user?

"Hm? Have you not fully regained consciousness?  The timespace teleportation must have addled your memories. Well, these things happen I suppose."

"It's normal for someone to have their memories messed up? How save it this transportaition thing?" You quickly asked, but he ignored your question which made you huff.

"I shall explain it to you while we walk, truly my magnanimity has no bounds."

'Magnanimity? What's up with this guy, does he even know what that means?' You thought to yourself while shooting a look at the boy.

"What's your name by the way?" You quickly asked the boy in the same clothing as you before the taller man started his yapping session again.

"Uhm, I'm Yuuken but I prefer Yuu." He said while pulling his hood off of his head to feel the crisp evening air when they walked outside after getting out of the library. He had messy short fluffy black hair, and piercing blue eyes.

"I see. Nice to meet you then, Yuu. I'm Y/n." You said, giving him a soft smile. He nodded, but was still a little nervous around you. The only thing he could see of you was your mouth which had sharp looking fangs in them, although you sounded very nice to him. He also had questions what those (h/c) tips sticking out of your hood were, but he decided not to ask as he was cut off.

"This is Night Raven College, NRC for short. This is an institution for the world over who demonstrate a rare aptitude for magic." The guy with the crow mask suddenly started again.

"It's the most prestigious academy of its sort in all of Twisted Wonderland." Twisted Wonderland? You questioned to yourself. Where in Archons name in Teyvat was that? You didn't know for sure.

"And I am Dire Crowley. Having been entrusted with its care by the chairman, I serve as headmage."

"Magic?" Yuu asked beside you.

"Only those who the Dark Mirror perceives as having a talent for magic are admitted to the college. Those who are selected are summoned to campus through those 'gates' which can appear anywhere. A black carriage bearing one of those gates should've come to meet you."

"Black carriage, huh. You mean that thing containing a covin being pulled along by two balck horses?" You said, while Yuu gave you a look as if you were pulling the words from his mouth. "Yeah, I do kinda remember a horse with a scary face." He said after with a small shiver.

"The black carriage serves to receive a student that has been selected to attend NRC by the Dark Mirror. It too bears a gate that's connected to this campus. And as you know, sending a carriage to meet someone on a special day is a time-honored tradition."

"So this carriage dragged me here against my will?" Yuu spoke with a glare, while taking a slight step infront of you. Goddamit, he was taller then you.

"Yes. I was also taken here without consent. I was just making my way towards Aryu village when that carriage showed up and I got knocked flat." You said with a sharp voice. Even though both males couldn't see your eyes, they felt your piercing glare through the darkness of your hood.

"Hmm, your voice is rather high for a boy, don't you think?" The headmage asked, slightly tilting his head to the side. You were about to comment on his statement when you were interupted by the still tied up- and gagged cat-thing who was sprouting nonsense.

"Hmpph! Hmmphhh!"

He was once again cut off by Crowley, who gave him a light hit on the head. "Let's attend to your orrientation now, shall we?" He said, quickly heading back inside the building.

You walked towards the big doors you ran out off while carrying Yuu earlier, and heard soft mumbling.

"We're done with orientation and dorm assignments? All right, new students- let me be clear. At Heartslabyul House, I am the law. Break the rules, and it's off with your head!" You heard someone say. You whistled between your teeth slightly as you neared the door.

Even with your ears laying flat against your head you could still quite clearly make out what they were saying behind the big doors. You even heard someone yawn before they started speaking. "Well, that ceremony was as boring was ever. I'm going back to the dorm. If you're in Savanaclaw House, follow me."

"New students! Allow me to be the first to congratulate you on your achievmetns." You heard another guy speak. He sounded fake, even if you couldn't see him. He then continued on, "As dorm leader of Octavinelle House, I am honored to have the opportunity to support you in what I hope will be a fulfilling campus experience."

He stopped, only for another man to start speaking. "Hey, does anyone know where the headmage went? He disappeared midway through the ceremony..." "Some headmage he is." You heard another, more robotic voice say. How many guys were here?! You've been listening this entire time and not once did you hear a girl speaking. Not even in the mutters of the crowd!

You were now right outside the big doors, and before Crowley could open up the doors, the three of you heard one other boy speaking. "Maybe he had a tummyache?" He asked. He had a innocent tone, you noted to yourself.

Your thoughts were cut off when crowly slammed open the door, making you flinch slightly at the noise. "I most certainly did not!"

"Ah, speak of the devil." The boy you heard speak first said. He had red hair, with two ahoges in the shape of a heart. He was also quite short, around your height maybe?

"If you must know, I was searching for these new students who'd failed to show for orientation." The headmage started. "You are the only ones who have yet to be assigned a dorm. Step up to the Dark Mirror, and be quick about it. I'll watch your weasel."

"I'll go first, Yuu." The boy heard your voice beside him as you stepped past him and walked up to the mirror. A white mask with black details appeared infront of a background of green flames in the mirror.

"State your name." The face in the mirror said to you.

"Y/n." You stated blankly.

"Just Y/n huh..." The mirror started speaking again. "The nature of her soul is curious. Huge ambitions, the desire to grow stronger, but no magical power. Though I do sense some other powers within. No dorm would be suitable." It finished with the same straight face.

Soft murmers started in the room, as Crowley looked baffeled. "What do you mean, no magical energie? Also, her? This is a boys school!" He yelled out while you stepped back and went to Yuu.

"Well I was dragged here against my will, I'll go back home now if you want. I've had enough of this bullshit about magic and shit..." You muttered softly.

"Nevermind, your turn now kid. Hurry up so I can deal with the matter of this...girl, later." The headmage said while ushering Yuu towards the mirror.

"State your name." It started again with the same face.

"Enma Yuuken." Yuu stated nervously. He definitly did not bear the same confidence you did.

"Hmm, the nature of your soul is... unclear to me." It spoke up after observing Yuu for a while. 

"What did you just say?" Crowley said, shocked to have another unclear answer of the mirror.

"I sense no magical power from this one aswell. Soundless. Colorless. Shapeless. Utterly vacant. Therefore, no dorm would be appropriate."

The mutters that had quited down when the blue eyed boy stepped up to the mirror came back, as the crowd started mumbling about the second student without an appropriate dorm.

"Are you suggesting that the black carriage went to receive not one, but two people who cannot even use magic? But that is absurd! The student selection process has not erred once in its century of existence!" The crow themed man yelled out.

"How could this have happened...?" He said to himself before the cat broke free from his grasp in the whip of the mage.

"Mmmph! Nnnrggh...!" He gasped loudly as he finally came free. "ME! Let ME have these students' seat!" "Hold up a minute you hyperactive weasel!" Crowley yelled after Grim broke free. But he still continued. "Unlike those humans, I can actually use magic! So let me be a student here!" He said with a smug grin on his face.

"Look, I'll show you! My spells're the cat's meow!"

"Everyone get down!" The red haired boy yelled out before the weasel shouted. "Myaaahhh!"

The entire room was quickly bathed in bright blue flames, and one boy with red eyes, who had failed to listen to the red haired boy, started yelling. "AHHHHH! HELP! I'm on fire over here!"

"Someone catch that blasted animal before it sets the entire school ablaze!" Crowley yelled.

You, who quickly jumped up after tackling Yuu to the ground when seeing the cat charge his fire, ran up to the red eyed boy at lightning speed (get it?😖) with a small trail of purple electro leaving the few students who did see it in shock, and quickly helped putting the fire on his butt out.

"Ugh. Can I go now, or....?" A boy with brown hair that had to braids in it asked. "Oh, I thought you fancied yourself a hunter? Go and help yourself to that plump little morsel!" A handsome boy replied to him. The boy looked at him, and then closed his bored looking eyes. "Too much effort. Do it yourself."

You glared at the guy with braided hair for his lack of input while the entire school could get burned down before turning to the guy you noted sounded fake at the beginning. He wore a pair of silver glasses. "Allow me to handle this, headmage Crowley. If none of you are up to the task of catching a small animal, I will accept the responsibility." He spoke in the same fake tone.

"WTG Azul. Rackin' up those participation credits." A weird looking device said. You stared at it confusedly, curious as to what the thing was.

(The timeline of genshin is in a period where tablets and phones did not exist yet, and technoligy is mostly seen in Fontaine and not Sumeru, so Y/n has no idea what those things are.)

"I'm sorry, were my instructions unclear?!" Crowley yelled out at his students. The boy with braids sighed loudly. "Preeetty sure you can handle catching one mangy weasel all on your lonesome there, headmage." He spoke boredly.

"How many times do I have to say it! I'm Grim, spellcaster extraordinair! I am NOT a weasel!" He yelled, creating another wave for flames for you to dodge. You pulled the red eyed boy along by his colar and pushed him down.

You had about enough of this. 

While the boy with glasses asked the red haried boy for assistance, you stood right back up and summoned your bow.

The red eyed boy looked at you in shook, the boy with braided hair and the handsome one both looked at you in shock while the other two continued whatever they were doing.

You charged up your shot, two pure electro arrows appearing around your original one. One above, and one under the normal now also electro activated arrow. You let the arrows loose, and then created a small triangular shape around the fire spewing monster making him yelp in shock.

"Myah! What is this! It tingles!" He shouted while jumping away from the arrows.

The boy with glasses and the red haired boy both turned to the commotion, only to find the student they thought to be magicless firing off another pair of electric arrow, caging the animal in between her arrows.

The shape of the bow then stretched out, switching into your polearm with one swift turn in your hand. You ran up to the cat and quickly slammed the back of the weapon on it's head, effectively knocking it out flat. In the process of doing so though, the hood you were wearing had flown off of your head. Your big fox ears immediately perked up, and twithed a bit at suddenly being let free.

You grabbed the thing by it's scruff and held it up towards the students, who stared at you in shock. If it was because of your striking looks, the fact you had big animalistic ears or because of the fact you just knocked out the weasel no one really knew. "That wasn't so hard was it? Were you all just gonna stand there and watch this place go up in flames? Take action instead of stalling around. And you." You turned around towards the headmage. "Aren't you the headmaster or something here? Take care of this thing yourself instead of letting your students do it for you."

He stared back at you, at loss of words while you dropped the creature to the ground and walked over to Yuu to check if he was okay. Now that her ears were out, the tail that was drapped under her ceremonial robes was also alot more visible to everyone since they just now took notice of it's excistance.

Yuu stared at you in shock as you pulled him up to his feet. You turned around and started glaring at the students in the room, and also the headmage.

The boy with red hair was first to snap out of it, walking towards the weasel who was slightly stirring until it finally woke up again. "Myahhh? What happened...?" "You almost burned our school down your wretched animal. I shall prefent this from occuring again. 

OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"

A/n: Alright, first chapter! I'm going to try and post chapter 2 either today or tomorrow. I'm a little bit sick right now so I have the time. I'll be trying to update every