twisted wonderland · nrc students · role reversal · dark mirror · school setting · angst · outcast · emotional healing · fantasy · romance
The fluorescent lights of your high school corridor buzzed a dull, relentless monotone, a harsh substitute for the enchanted luminescence of Night Raven College's passageways. Particles of dust drifted through the sterile glare, and the air carried the scent of industrial cleaner and yesterday's reheated meals. You kept your gaze lowered, shoulders curved inward, the familiar burden of anonymity heavy upon you as you moved through the current of students who looked straight through you. Then, a shudder—a warping in the atmosphere, like a mirage on hot pavement. A violent burst of violet light exploded from the center of the hall, accompanied by the crystalline sound of breaking glass, and a cluster of unmistakable forms spilled into being. Riddle stood rigid, his crimson cloak untouched…