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Ayame High. To some, especially mere weeks into the start of the school year, it represented a dull duty. To others, it symbolised hope for a promising future. To many more, it was an endless source of stress.

Especially to Watanabe Taro as he headed into the grounds. He kept his head high, shoulders back, as any good class representative should do. Still, his responsibilities weighed on him. Class rep. He'd just stepped into shoes that could prove far too big for him. His classmates had backed him up, but the slightest of mistakes would let them down. Thoughts of organising club activities, reporting any and all problems to staff, being an ideal role model with stellar grades, all clamored for attention in his head - and over them, his father's words echoed. 

"You'd better damn well hold on to the title. And keep it next year. I'd expect nothing less, so don't you dare disappoint me."

His stomach flipped over and over. His breathing sped up. No, no, he couldn't have a panic attack here, now, he chided himself. Curling his hands into fists, trying to stop their shaking, he rushed inside and leaned against the lockers. Forcing several deep breaths into his lungs, he willed himself to calm down. If just the thought of being class rep freaked him out so much, how on earth was he supposed to actually be one?

It was no use. The walls seemed to close in on him. He gasped as he realised there was no "seemed" about it - something actually [i]was[/i] closing in on him, his surroundings blurring and falling away as shadows wrapped around him. He opened his mouth to cry out, but his throat wouldn't cooperate, his body turning slack, his consciousness fogging over...

Where he'd stood a few seconds ago, now there was only empty space.

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Flitting by the shrubbery, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/4HSfiQg.jpg]small, winged figure[/url] froze in horror. Her antennae perked up as she stared with a shiver in the building's direction. She hadn't seen the occurrence within its walls, but that aura of bleakness emanating from it could only mean one thing. The Shroud had claimed a victim.

Lux darted around, nearly letting the glamour that prevented humans from noticing her slip as she scanned the schoolyard. She needed recruits, and fast - but with so many people in one space, appearing to anyone and explaining the situation would cause a massive stir. And the Shroud would surely take advantage of the mass panic. She sped through the air, eyes flicking this way and that for a suitable group, until one in particular caught her attention.

Through a partially open window, she spotted the gathering of women. Several of them, reasonably close-knit judging by the way they conversed. The perfect candidates for Caelia's blessing - or so they looked. A feeling nagged in the back of her mind that she'd gotten something wrong, but there was no time to think, or be picky. She zoomed towards the window - only to miss the gap in her haste, and crash right into it.

[color=FFE926]"Oww!"[/color] Her glamour dissipated as she slid down the glass and dropped onto the ledge. Shaking off the dizziness and rubbing her head, she crawled through the gap and fluttered into the room. [color=FFE926]"Heyyyy, you've gotta help!"[/color] Her squeaky voice cut throuh the stunned silence. [color=FFE926]"Someone's in trouble!"[/color]

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It was going to be another of those days, Kohaku thought as she trudged into the school grounds. Or, more likely, another of those weeks. The ones that seemed to replay themselves, as predictable as if time were stuck on loop.

Her skirt dripped brackish water. Just her luck that as she'd tried to take a moment to enjoy nature after parking outside the school, photographing the cherry blossoms lining the street, someone had driven through a puddle and splattered her. Ah well, it was what she got for trying to be anything other than a cog in a machine, repeating the same daily tasks like clockwork. Her shoes squelched against the paving as she hurried to the building, past the crowds of students. Once, she'd taken solace in the thought that she was giving them bright futures, but she knew from experience that such wasn't guaranteed. For all their dreams, and for all her encouragements to pursue them, most of them would end up overworked and underpaid slaves of the system.

After cleaning herself up the best she could in the staff bathroom, she headed into the room where several of her colleagues already sat, preparing for the day ahead. Grunting a quick [color=DE554C]"Morning"[/color] and hoping nobody would comment on her less than presentable state, she shuffled to the coffee machine, took a cup, and pressed the button for a white Americano. The machine whirred and clunked, pouring her half a cup before the rest leaked out of its side, all over the counter.

Kohaku grimaced. [color=DE554C]"Wouldn't be a Monday without everything going wrong,"[/color] she mumbled, grabbing several napkins to mop up the mess, while wondering if Andrew knew how to fix coffee machines. She plodded over to the others and slumped into a chair, sipping what little beverage she had.

A thud and a squeal caught her attention. Looking up, she spluttered her mouthful of coffee everywhere. Ok, either this was an exhaustion-fuelled hallucination, or she'd finally lost it. [color=DE554C]"What...?"[/color] she managed to gasp in between coughs, eyes wide as she took in the sight. A six inch tall, winged, childlike being flying in, pleading for their help.

Well, this really was shaping up to be an eventful day, albeit far from the kind that Kohaku was used to.