Twisted Wonderland

You came to in darkness. Not the kind that frightens, but the kind that lulls. Your body floated weightlessly, and the walls around you were warm and smooth. You didn't feel the cold, you didn't feel fear. Only silence.

Later you will learn: these are the Gates. Ancient sarcophagi that have stood in the academy's underground vault for centuries. They carefully carry the chosen ones through space, so that at the appointed hour, their heavy doors will open and release into the world those destined to change it.

You floated in the darkness, as if in a cradle. And you didn't know that a glow was already beginning to appear above you.

The sound of a golden key turning in an ancient lock broke the silence like a clap of thunder.

The sarcophagus's doors slowly opened, and light, bright and cold, poured in, burning away the remnants of sleep. You took your first breath in this world—and the air was thick, saturated with ozone and ancient magic.

All around are high vaults, a marble floor, and flickering lights. On the walls are masks staring out with empty eye sockets. And in the center, at the back of the hall, stands the Dark Mirror.

You don't know its name. But you feel it: it's already looking at you.