the pulse of death, prologue 1
alrighty guys, here it is! vampire!twst au!!! please don't make fun of the title i'm sensitive about it... in any case, you'll notice from the title that this is just part one of the prologue. that's because this sucker is gonna be long af, and you're just gonna have to deal.
genre: gn!reader, will include romance, fluff, and angst down the line tw: none so far. yay!
wc:3133
Twas an ordinary day, much like any other. After arriving home from your daily responsibilities, more than ready to mindlessly read fanfiction on your phone. You collapsed onto bed, looking for something to occupy the time until you were ready to fall asleep. Insomnia was something that had plagued you off and on for years; it became much less of an issue once you became an adult and were able to set your own schedule, but still. It wasnât like it was predictable when youâd be able to embrace the night at last, either, but you managed somehow.
If asked what time it was when you were finally graced with a deep slumber, you couldnât say. Perhaps it gradually crept up on you, so that you didnât have the chance to notice. You didnât remember your dreams, you never did. At some wee hour of the morning, you were awoken by who knows what, a haze still clouding your mind. You couldnât recall if youâd brushed your teeth or not before you knocked out, so you made your way to the bathroom. Neglecting to flip the light switch due to the soft glow of the nightlight you couldnât sleep without, you glanced at your reflection in the mirror.
Much to your surprise, instead of your own reflection, you saw a rather odd face staring back at you. It didnât have much color to it, quite literally, but there was a bright green mist floating around it. Okay. This was fine. You must still be dreaming. It was then that the mirror-face-thing began to speak. Its voice was deep and ominous, but for some odd reason, you didnât feel frightened. This was only a dream after all, wasnât it?
âOh, lovely and noble flower of evil. Magic mirror, tell me, who is the fairest of them all?â it? intoned. âO, one who has been guided by the Mirror of Darkness. Take the hand reflected in the mirror, and never, ever let go.â
As if right on cue, a ghastly hand appeared in the mirror. But it didnât stop there, reaching beyond the mirrorâs bounds and extending toward your form. You shivered as you felt its cold touch. You faintly heard the sound of horses braying in the distance, and perhaps hooves on pavement. There wasnât much of a chance to register what that could mean, though, as your consciousness began to fade.
When you awoke again, your memories of what had happened were blurry at best. Everything was dark, and the surface you were lying on was hard. Were you going insane, or were you stood upright somehow? Wanting to better understand your predicament, you lifted your arms to feel around you. You were quickly able to determine that you were in a box of some kind. Now that certainly wasnât ominous at all.
You didnât have to ponder your fate for long, though, as you heard a voice from somewhere outside. âHngh, gotta find some clothes so I can fit in,â they mumbled, as if they didnât expect anyone to hear. It was a slightly nasally sort of voice, almost inhuman in a way. âStupid coffins wonât open.â Wait, coffins? âFnyaa, take that! The Great Grimâs special fire blast!â the voice shouted.
The gears in your brain began to turn, processing what that could mean. You had your answer sooner than you wouldâve liked, as your little box began to become uncomfortably hot. Too hot. The lid blew off with a little âpop,â and you were able to see at last.
You were in a grand room, with a medieval sort of theme to its dĂ©cor, and rather dim lighting. There were floating coffins all along the walls, and you quickly surmised that you mustâve been in one as well. Then you turned your attention to the person in front of you. At least, you had assumed it was a person, but it appeared you were mistaken.
ââŠa cat?â you let out without quite realizing. The creature whoâd freed you from that box was indeed a cat, with gray fur, and rather curiously, blue flames licking at its ears. It had a pitchfork-shaped tip for a tail, and a gray-and-white striped scrap of cloth around its neck, reminiscent of a collar.
âHnngh, the Great Grim is not a cat!â it said. Because of course, the cat could talk. Why not, you supposed, when you had no idea how youâd gotten here and there were objects blatantly defying gravity in the background. âNow, give me your clothes!â it? demanded. You werenât sure of the catâs gender; the voice sounded vaguely male-inclined, but one could never be sure.
âI beg your pardon?â you asked, stunned. What use would a not-cat have for human clothes? It was plain to see they wouldnât fit, and you didnât think your fashion sense was that revolutionary. Though the fabric did feel a bit different than you were used to, smoother and softer, as if it were made of silk or the like.
You took the opportunity to give yourself a once-over and gasped in shock. You were most certainly not wearing what you had fallen asleep in. You donned a black hooded robe, with golden embroidery and royal purple detailing. You patted yourself down; it seemed you still had your old clothes on underneath, but your pockets were empty, no phone to be found.
âYou wonât hand them over? Then Iâll just have to take them from you!â Grim, you assumed that was its name, shouted as it began chasing you, spitting fire from its mouth. Of course, you did what any individual of sound mind would do, and ran for your life. You still didnât know how youâd ended up here, and there was no way you were going to keel over and die without finding out.
You dashed through corridor after corridor, until you found yourself in a room that resembled a library. Except, naturally, a number of books were hovering in the air, as well as the lanterns that lit the room. In awe at the silent beauty of the ambience, you momentarily forgot your life-threatening situation and gazed around.
You were interrupted soon enough, because Grim was on a mission and had no manners. âYou canât escape the Great Grim! Now hand them over!â Your eyes widened; you had no plan to save yourself in this moment, nowhere to run to. You shut your eyes tight, expecting the pain of being burned to death. But it never came.
When you opened an eye to survey the situation, you saw something rather⊠questionable. Grim had been bound by a whip of some sort, and was squirming against their restraints. Sure, theyâd inadvertently tried to kill you, and allegedly werenât a cat, but wasnât this some sort of animal cruelty? Were they even an animal if they breathed fire?
âFnyaa, what is this?! Let me go!!â Grim demanded. You werenât expecting it, but a reply came from who knows where. âAh, âtis my Lash of Love!â a voice exclaimed rather flamboyantly. Soon the speaker stepped into view. They were a rather tall individual, adorned with a mask with a beak shape on it. Their voice did indeed match their appearance, which you could only describe as some sort of obnoxiously accessorized medieval cosplay. It went with the building, you supposed.
The person then turned to you. It felt like their piercing yellow eyes saw right through you. âYou there, you really must learn to keep your familiar in check- hmm? How peculiar. Pray tell, just what is a human doing here?â they inquired, which only served to confuse you further. What was a familiar? Why would you being a human be odd?
âUm, sir? I donât want to assume anything though⊠Well, Iâm not sure what you mean exactly,â you began hesitantly, fidgeting with your hands behind your back. âI just woke up inside a coffin in this big room, and then Grim came and blew the lid off and started demanding I give them my clothes. Was I kidnapped. Is this a cult? Where is this? Iâm so confusedâŠâ
âA cult?â The individual snorted, puffing out their chest. âCertainly not. You may address me as Sir Dire Crowley, and I am the headmaster of this prestigious institution, Night Raven College. I would assume that the ride from the Ebony Carriage had addled your brain, but I do not recall allowing the admission of a human. How odd⊠Perhaps it was the will of the Dark Mirror?â He mused to himself. You had no idea what any of that meant, other than that this place was a school that Crowley ran.
The man stared off into space, thinking, for a while. Then he seemed to have a little âaha!â moment and began speaking again. You could only listen intently, hoping to glean any sort of information that might be relevant to your situation. âWell then. Since the Dark Mirror has willed it, we have no choice but to oblige. You will remain here at Night Raven College. Only time will tell what secrets your mortal form may be hiding. Ahh, arenât I so generous?â he preened. Youâd begun to have a rather positive impression of Crowley, aside from the whole âlash of loveâ comment, but that was crashing and burning now.
You had so many questions, but Crowley clearly had his own agenda, and you doubted heâd answer any of them. He spun dramatically on his heel and gestured toward the exit, still dragging Grim behind him. âCome along now, the entrance ceremony has already begun. We wouldnât want to miss your debut into vampire society, now would we?â The fuck? Did he just say vampire? As in the supernatural creatures people on the internet simped for like no other? This was turning out to be quite the adventure.
You got the impression he really didnât care what you thought though, so you just shuffled along behind him, doing your best to calm your nerves. First order of business: make sure you werenât actually dreaming. You slapped your hands to your cheeks, shoujo-anime style, and to your surprise as much as your disappointment, it hurt. You werenât dreaming. Probably. Second, uh, what came second? Not dying, probably. Yes, that was important.
Sooner rather than later, as much as you dragged your feet, you arrived at your destination: the room youâd initially awoken in. Only this time, the floating coffins were empty, and the room was jam-packed with people. You took a moment to consider if this was some sort of elaborate prank, but then you remembered the terror youâd felt when running from Grim. The fire theyâd spat out had been very much real.
Scanning over the crowd, several hooded figures, all wearing the same robes they were, stood out to them the most. It was a varied group in every way, and you could almost swear one of them had cat ears, like those cosplay accessories some people wore. Whatever, you werenât judging. Crowley looked weirder, in your not-so-humble opinion. They were all on an elevated platform of some sort, likely indicating a position of authority. If this was really a school and not a cult, maybe they were the student council?
âHeadmaster Crowley, where were you?â the shortest one of the bunch inquired. âWe had to start the ceremony without you.â Oops. That was your fault, you supposed. It wasnât like you could help it though, and technically Grim was to blame more than anyone. You just hoped no one would be too mad.
âAh, yes, I had to take a bit of a detour. One of the new students had managed to escape their coffin, and their familiar went on a bit of a rampage,â Crowley explained, not looking the least bit apologetic. You could feel all the eyes in the room turn to you, and you pulled your hood down lower in response. You didnât know how much of that vampire nonsense was true, but you really didnât care to be sussed out as a human or an outsider.
âVery well,â the diminutive person replied. âAs long as we can wrap things up now.â âYes, of course, Mr. Riddle. Now then,â he turned to you, âStep in front of the Dark Mirror and say your name.â You werenât too sure what this âdark mirrorâ was, but quickly figured it to be the giant mirror in the middle of the room. Who wouldâve guessed? Following instructions, you took your place in front of it and stared straight ahead.
There was a face in the mirror, surrounded by an eerie mist. It seemed vaguely familiar somehow, but you couldnât quite place it. Even more so than Mr. Crow Man, it felt as if it knew something about yourself lost even to you. You stated your name, not wanting to be the center of all this attention any longer. What that was supposed to do you didnât know, but the face hummed, as if it were thinking about something.
âThis one is suited for no dormitory,â it stated at last. Ah, so the purpose of this strange ritual was to be some sort of rip-off Sorting Hat. Go figure. But what did it mean that you were rejected? âTheir soul is clear and polished, not like the rest. And they possess no magic, not a drop.â
Well no fucking duh! Of course you werenât going to suddenly develop magical powers just because youâd been kidnapped straight out of your bed! But you could hardly say that now. If these people really did have some sort of inhuman abilities, pissing them off was the last thing you wanted to do. It was better to keep your mouth shut and play along for now.
One could hear a pin drop in the room after the mirrorâs declaration. It seems no one knew how to respond. Even Crowley appeared to be stumped; youâd assumed he expected you to have more to you than meets the eye, but you were one-hundred percent certain you were just an ordinary, human, college student.
âAhaha,â Crowleyâs nervous laughter cut through the silence like a knife. âCome now, child, weâll discuss this matter further in my office.â With that, he grabbed you by the arm and began to unceremoniously drag you out of the room. Now you knew how Grim felt.
Speaking of Grim, it appeared they were finally tired of being dragged along. With a burst of bright blue flame, they broke through their restraints and began shouting fervently. âIf that human doesnât have any magic, then make me a student instead! The Great Grim will show you just how powerful he is!â he exclaimed, spitting fire all around the room.
Everything quickly devolved into chaos after that. You werenât there to bear witness to it though, as someone gently took you by the arm and escorted you straight out of that mess. You were grateful, sure, but also very confused. You knew it wasnât Crowley; that man likely couldnât care less about your safety. Was it one of the students then?
Once safely in the outside corridor, you turned to verify the identity of your rescuer. He was a personable individual, that much was true. You were pretty sure he was too old to still be in school, but then again, people could start college whenever they chose. His hair was quite fascinating all on its own. It was mostly white, but where it parted off to one side, it was black, making for quite the contrast. That couldnât be natural. He wasnât wearing the same robes as everyone else either. That left you utterly confused as to who you were dealing with.
The man eyed you up and down, likely judging. âHmm. I thought Iâd caught the scent of a human on campus, but I didnât think Iâd be correct. Come with me, pup, and Iâll get you all straightened out.â That was it. No introduction, no explanation, nothing. But you went with him anyway. What choice did you have? At least he didnât yank you like Crowley had.
The mystery man led you into what appeared to be an office of sorts, though there was some sort of giant metal pot in the center of the room. Because nothing could be normal here. He motioned for you to have a seat in one of the plush armchairs opposite the spacious desk. You obliged, more than happy to give your legs a rest after all that running.
Your savior took a seat at the desk, which you assumed was his. Perhaps he was a teacher here. That would make sense. He gazed at you for a moment, likely contemplating something. You returned his stare, not wanting to let your nerves show. You were well aware of your position here, and you were not about to make yourself any more vulnerable than you already were.
Finally, after a few tense moments, he began to speak. âI believe an introduction is in order. I am Divus Crewel, professor of alchemy here at Night Raven College. Since our dear headmaster has declined to do so, I will see to it that your needs are met while you remain here,â he explained. âIâm sure youâve noticed by now, but Crowley is utterly unreliable. As such, you should come to me whenever you have a problem, pup.â
You nodded along, shocked that someone was actually willing to help you instead of dragging you along or outright attacking you. You could get used to this. It would be good to have an ally here in this unfamiliar place. You wouldnât completely bare your heart to the man, of course, but this was a start.
âThank you, Professor Crewel. I was wondering if youâd be willing to answer a few questions for me, actually.â A few was a bit of an understatement, but youâd try to keep it to the essentials out of respect for his time. He gave the impression that he was a busy man.
âGo on, pup. Iâm sure you have plenty of things to be curious about,â Crewel offered with a wave of his hand. You were grateful for his understanding. Crowley hadnât exactly done a great job of explaining. That is to say, all you knew was that this was a school. âUm, first of all, whatâs this about vampires?â Wow, way to get straight to the point. It had been your intention to ask more general questions about what was going to happen to you and if you could go home, but it just slipped out somehow. But as Crewel narrowed his eyes, you got a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that curiosity may have just killed the cat.