finally decided on the names for everyone in this story, so here is them together
some of their lore:
autumn really likes magic and vampires and horror, and really dislikes the idea of becoming a real adult with responsibilities and taxes to pay and stuff. she's not good at talking to other people, so she mostly keeps to herself, until one day she begins to suspect that there may be some kind of weird cult in her new school?? and worse - she finds that the world of this cult may feel more real to her that the world outside.
tonya is the leader of this cult. it appears that the school building itself is sentient and has granted her dominion over the reality inside it. tonya claims that the real world actually ended a decade ago, and the world inside the school is the only last echo of true reality, while everything outside is a false reality and a simulation. according to tonya, she has been chosen by whatever power resides in the school building to restore the real world and lead her followers to salvation.
bailey is autumn's dear childhood friend. they used to be incredibly close, but then they drifted apart when autumn had to be homeschooled for a few years. now that they're in the same school again, they try to rekindle their old friendship. this is difficult to do, because they've both changed with time, or, at least, bailey has changed. to her, it appears as though autumn has remained largely the same over the years. bailey is a calm and mature person, with her sillier and more adventurous side only really being known to her closest friends. she just wants to do her own thing and avoid trouble, which is why initially she refuses to believe in the cult's existence.
