Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well! Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, followed and favored the previous chapters! I hope you all are excited to read this first chapter and begin meeting our cast! I don't have much else to say here...except enjoy!

Prologue: Welcome to Ante-Purgatory

Darkness surrounded Sarah from all sides. She didn't know if she was standing up straight or laying down. It almost felt like she was lying on air or perhaps on a boat.

A boat…on the sea…why did that seem important? Had she been at sea recently? Yes…she had, but not on a boat. She had been on…an island?

It was so hard to remember at that moment, everything so fuzzy and just out of her reach. She tried to remember, stretching her memory out as far as it would go, but to no avail.

Had she lost her memories somehow? But no, she knew her name, as well as her age and her job. Amnesia doesn't work like that, taking only a few memories away, not like in movies.

Then…what was going on?

Sarah couldn't find the answer in that darkness and after a moment, even that thought was floating away.

She fell into the darkness, allowing it to embrace her consciousness once more.

The next thing Sarah became aware of was that she was lying on something soft. Almost fuzzily soft, from what she could feel with her fingers where they laid against the fabric. She also was aware that her eyes were closed and she could just barely make out light behind her eyelids.

But she couldn't hear anything, no birds and no brush of movement, so wherever she was, she was alone.

Cautiously, Sarah opened her eyes, only to find herself staring up at a nondescript ceiling that was just a shade off from pure white. Slowly, Sarah sat up and looked around.

She was laying on a fairly standard bed that was made up in various shades of white. The fabric she had felt against her fingers was, in fact, a fuzzy white blanket that she was laying against.

The blanket seemed to be the only comforting item within the room. The rest of it was very simple and minimalistic, with a nightstand next to the bed, a desk and bookshelves off to one side, a door to what she assumed was the bathroom, another door that hopefully led outside, wherever that was, and a closet.

The only item of interest that Sarah could see in the whole room was a small book that sat on top of the nightstand. Unlike everything else in the room, the book was made of a worn leather that spoke of love and care by the previous owner. When Sarah gingerly picked it up, she couldn't find a title anywhere.

"Ooooooookay, that's weird," Sarah muttered to herself. Maybe the title was inside? Thinking that, Sarah carefully opened the book, not wanting the ancient looking pages to tear in her grasp.

She didn't find a title in the book.

Instead, she found a very accurate sketch of herself on the first page. Every detail was perfect, from her light peach colored complexion to her ponytailed dirty blonde hair to even her hazelnut brown eyes. The sketch's clothes were also identical, the white blouse, black pants, black Mary Janes, white socks, tan trench coat and light brown fedora impossible to replicate. The real nail in the coffin was the gold locket resting around the sketch's neck. Sarah reached up, grasping her own locket and feeling the cool metal warm under her fingers.

Not a single detail was wrong, and that was somehow even scarier than what the next page said.

It was a profile of her.

Sarah Woodstein

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 115 lbs.

Blood Type: AB+

DOB: May 23rd

Likes: pens, stuffed animals, seaweed, truth and coffee

Dislikes: pencils, double standards, milk, lies and rollercoasters

Notes: Ultimate Journalist

Assignment: Angel

Some of those details, Sarah knew, could be obtained from a computer database. After all, her title, birthday, blood type, height and weight were all sorted digitally, most recently she knew they had been added to the database at Hope's Peak Academy's US branch, so really, that wasn't too hard to gain access to if you knew how to hack or knew the right people.

But her likes and dislikes…Sarah was never asked that in anything when it came to Hope's Peak or, well, anything. So how could the person who made this book know those things?

Hoping that the book had some answers further in, Sarah turned the page.

"Wait, what?!" Sarah instinctively cried when she registered what she saw.

The next page appeared to be another profile, but unlike Sarah's, this profile was full of question marks. She flipped through the next several pages, counting as she saw more and more blank profiles. When she reached the eighteenth profile, the pages wouldn't turn anymore.

Sarah pulled with all her strength, but it was like the rest of the book was glued together or something! Nothing would cause the pages to turn.

Sarah let out an exaggerated groan, flopping back onto the bed behind her and itching the right side of her face.

She hated not having the answers to her questions. Questions were meant to be answered, after all! What was the point if they were left hanging, forever being mysteries? The truth was important, it always would be, and not answering a question was like leaving the truth buried, never to see the light of day.

Sarah wouldn't let it stand!

With that spark of determination, Sarah threw herself to her feet with a bright smile. Moving quickly, she inspected the rest of the room, determined to find anything she may have missed when the book distracted her.

There wasn't anything too interesting outside of a key to the room, though she did find it strange that the closet contained mostly copies of her uniform, some formal wear, pajamas and a swimsuit. The last time she had seen a closest like this-

Sarah's mind went blank before it suddenly began to pound, causing her to lean forward and grasp her head with a hiss. Memories shot through her mind at such rapid speed, she could barely keep anything straight.

But even amongst the chaos of her mind, a few things were clear to her.

One, the last thing she remembered was a killing game in a weird facility run by a psychotic cat.

Two, she had taken part in…four trials and somehow managed to survive by finding the truth, even as friend after friend died around her.

And three, now she was…here. Wherever here was. But Sarah knew this wasn't her room in the facility, that room hadn't been nearly as sterile and pristine as this one was. But her last memory was going to bed after the last trial…the one that took Randall, Jimmothy and Hailey.

"Well, that's the first mystery to solve then!" Sarah clapped her hands together, trying to pump herself up. She could do this, the truth of what was going on was here somewhere. She just needed to find it.

And if there was one thing Sarah was good at, it was finding the truth.

With a tilt of her fedora, Sarah turned fluidly towards the door that led outside with her room key tucked into her trench coat pocket. She took a deep breath in, opened the door and stepped outside.

The brilliant green grass was the first thing that caught Sarah's attention.

The next was the fact that she was stepping out of a little cottage, just as pristine on the outside as it was the inside. The door was marked with a little pixilated version of herself, fedora and all.

It would've been cute, if not for the fact that all Sarah could think of when she looked at it was the friends she had left behind. God, what were they thinking of her? What was William thinking of her? Sarah had to get back, she had to help keep them all alive, so they could escape.

Shaking her head slightly to refocus her thoughts, Sarah turned around after she locked the cottage door and stepped further into what looked like a beautiful green meadow.

The grass stretched out as far as Sarah could see, with wild flowers of all colors breaking up the otherwise endless green. She could see several other buildings in the distance, some cottages and others that looked as if they served a different purpose. She even saw some fountains, giving the place a feeling of tranquility. If it weren't for the gray sky, Sarah might've thought this was paradise or perhaps heaven.

…she really hoped it wasn't heaven.

Sarah roughly shook her head, but that only served to aggravate her still pounding head and she let out a groan without thinking about it.

"Oh dear, are you feeling ill? I'd be happy to take care of you!" a man declared, his voice seemingly coming out of nowhere. His voice had a thick Italian accent, causing his English to sound a bit off to Sarah's American ears.

She turned with a startle, finding a pale man with messy reddish-brown hair and blue eyes standing just a short distance from her. He wore a navy blue button up shirt with a white tie patterned with smiley faces, brown khakis, a white doctor's coat with a stethoscope around his neck, a silver watch and frameless glasses, magnifying his blue eyes. He also had a smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose, which only were noticeable due to how pale he was.

"Hello there! You caught me a bit by surprise, I'm afraid we haven't met. I'm Sarah Woodstein, journalist," Sarah smiled, stepping closer to the man and extending a hand towards him.

"Buongiorno, Signorina Woodstein!" the man beamed as he took her hand in his own. His skin was cold to the touch, but Sarah didn't flinch or lose her smile. "My name is Antonio Russo. I am sure you must have heard of me, I am the Ultimate Physician after all."

Antonio Russo

Ultimate Physician

"I'm afraid I haven't had the pleasure, but I am excited to learn more about you, Mr. Russo!" Sarah declared.

"Oh please, Signorina, call me 'Antonio'," Antonio corrected her with an easy smile, lifting the hand he still had in his own to kiss the back of her knuckles.

Sarah was very proud of herself for not getting flustered. That had been one of the trickier parts when she first started interviewing handsome men, after all.

"Then call me 'Sarah', I insist," Sarah agreed easily as she pulled her hand away. "Can I ask you some questions?"

"Why, of course, if you would not mind answering one for me first," Antonio requested. At Sarah's nod, he continued, "Are you in need of any medical attention? I noticed you appeared to be in pain when I first saw you."

"Oh, no, I'm fine, just a little headache." Sarah shook her head. She took out a pen and a notepad from her pocket, ready to note down anything useful Antonio may know. "Do you know where we are?"

"I'm afraid not, I was going to ask you the same thing." Antonio frowned, his brows furrowing slightly. "None of the others I met seemed to know either, just that we woke up here all of a sudden."

"I see," Sarah hummed as she started taking her notes. "And this place isn't familiar to you at all?"

"Not at all, though I do think the art of some of the fountains and statues is familiar. They remind me of home," Antonio hummed. He looked into the distance for a moment before he blinked and snapped back to reality.

"And did you recognize anyone else here?"

"No, unfortunately. Of the people I've met, I've never even heard of them before today. It's very odd…though I do think I can help should any injuries occur."

Sarah nodded, her eyes entirely focused on her notes. More info, she needed more info, what else…

"Have you met everyone then? I think there's eighteen of us total?" she asked.

"Most likely, but no, I have not. I've been attempting to find others when I came across you. I suspect your entry is now filled out in my book," Antonio stated.

Book? Did he mean…

Thoughts flying rapidly, Sarah dug out her own book and began flipping through the pages until she found what she was looking for.

One of the blank profiles had been filled in with Antonio's information, a sketch of him right beside it.

New Profile!

Antonio Russo

Height: 6'0"

Weight: 152 lbs.

Blood Type: AB+

DOB: March 15th

Likes: having control of a situation, funny ties, lollipops, herbal medicine, slasher films

Dislikes: heat, apples, people who don't trust modern medicine, most medical dramas

Notes: Ultimate Physician

Assignment: Angel

"But…how did that happen?" Sarah questioned, her brow furrowed as she scratched more at her right cheek. This was just like in her killing game, but they hadn't used books, that would've been impossible.

So how was this possible in the first place?

"No idea, honestly. The historian had no clue either, but books like these aren't his specialty." Antonio shrugged, as if the whole thing were no big deal.

"There's a historian here? Do you know where I can find him?" Sarah asked eagerly. Maybe he couldn't answer her questions about the book, but if anyone had an idea of where in the world this place could be, it had to be a historian! Right? Oh, she hoped so!

"Mm, yes, I think he was studying a statue down that path I came from." Antonio pointed out the trail to her. "If you're lucky, perhaps he is still there."

"Thanks, Antonio!" Sarah beamed. She began to run towards the trail, yelling over her shoulder, "I'll catch up with you later!"

"Farewell, Signorina Sarah," Antonio called after her, perfectly friendly as he had been the whole conversation.

Sarah couldn't stop the smile on her face from widening. She caught the scent of a lead and she wasn't going to let it go in the least bit.

The trail Sarah was running along was rather smooth, meaning it was most likely well-traveled. There was barely a pebble lying the trail for Sarah to trip on, so either it had been intentionally cleaned or people often walked along it. Both possibilities were viable, but Sarah wasn't sure which one she preferred.

The scenery around her certainly made her run worthwhile for the sight alone. Far as the eye could see, everything was beautiful and pristine. If it weren't for the gray sky, she would've thought it was a beautiful place for a vacation.

But the sky and the absolute sterility she saw in every direction she looked gave this place, wherever it was, a more ominous feeling, as if there was a curtain hanging over Sarah's head, just waiting for its cue to fall down.

All her dark thoughts, however, took a back seat when Sarah found the statue Antonio had been talking about. Or, well, actually she found a garden of statues lined in two rows, one of which a man was studying. Further down, she could see a woman who seemed to be gazing at the flowers.

Noting this in her head, Sarah approached the man with a purpose to her step.

"Hello there! I'm Sarah Woodstein, journalist. Do you mind if I ask you some questions, sir?" Sarah asked cheerfully.

The man jumped at her voice, his deep green eyes widening as they landed on her. He was rather thin, almost gaunt looking, with nearly pale skin and dirty blonde hair cut to a middling length with a side part. He wore deep violet-blue dress pants, a white dress shirt with a blue-violet tie, a black sweatshirt with a faint gray diamond pattern across the surface that was zipped up halfway, black dress shoes, black fingerless gloves and a black newsboy flat cap.

He seemed a bit nervous, taking his hat off and playing with it.

"Erm…I'm delighted to make your acquaintance! My name is Wallace Reyes, but don't hesitate to call me 'Wally'," the man, Wally, smiled slightly. He still looked a bit nervous, but smiling did him many favors, even more so with his crisp British accent.

Wallace Reyes

Ultimate Historian

"Nice to meet you too, Wally!" Sarah smiled, eagerly shaking his hand. Her energy seemed to help Wally relax a bit, as he returned his hat to his head, looking a bit more at ease. "Antonio told me he saw you looking at the statues here before. Can I ask why?"

"Well, I'm trying to determine their age because they look to be Roman in origin, with a very obvious Christianity influence, but their condition is so well kept, that I might not be able to," Wally explained. His eyes were sparking with excitement as he spoke. "Look here, you can clearly tell that this is the Virgin Mary, but while this style is clearly of the 16th century, this one over here of the Crucifix," Wally eagerly ran over to another statue across from the statue he was examining. "is in the style of the 14th century. And yet! They are kept in identical condition, without any sign of age whatsoever!"

Sarah's pen traveled across her notepad eagerly, catching every word Wally said. When he finished speaking, however, he turned a bit red and looked down.

"S-sorry, I get excited when I talk about history," he admitted, a combination of sheepishness and embarrassment tinging his voice.

"No, don't apologize! The fact that you know that is amazing!" Sarah praised. It wasn't a lie either. She couldn't tell a statue from this century apart from one several centuries ago. The fact that Wally could after studying these two statues for so short a time was incredible.

Wally's cheeks were still tinted red, but he was smiling now.

"Thank you, it's not a big deal," he said, humbleness obvious in his every gesture. "At the very least, the art here leads me to believe that wherever this place is, it has a strong Italian influence."

"But you don't think we're in Italy?" Sarah questioned, tilting her head slightly.

"No, I don't. The art is Italian, but the style of the buildings isn't, which is very strange," Wally explained. He was biting his lip, a faraway look in his eyes. "Nobody else I met has a talent that can help me narrow down where we could be either."

"I see…how intriguing," Sarah said. She bit her lip, forcing the words of concern that flashed through her mind to die on her tongue. "You've met everyone else then?"

"Uh, yes, yes I have. Sorry for keeping you so long," Wally apologized. His fingers reached up to play with his hat again.

"No, don't be sorry! I would love to talk to you more!" Sarah insisted. "I'll be sure to find you again when I've met everyone else, promise!"

"Well, then…I look forward to that," Wally smiled shyly. He coughed into his fist before he returned to examining the remaining statues. Sarah gave him a wave before she turned around and approached the girl examining the flowers.

The girl was rather petite, that was the first thing Sarah noticed when she approached her, even bending down as she was. She also looked younger than Sarah herself, even more so in comparison to Antonio and Wally.

"Hi! I'm Sarah Woodstein, journalist. May I ask your name and what you're doing?" she greeted the girl excitedly.

The girl looked up in surprise, giving Sarah her first glance at the girl's large honey amber eyes. She stood up, revealing herself to be as petite as Sarah thought she was. Her skin was pale, giving her an almost doll like appearance, and her straight black hair fell past her waist with bangs that parted to the right and chest length forelocks framing her face. She wore an adorable, in Sarah's opinion, light pink knee length dress with flutter sleeves that reached a little past her elbows and pink ballet flats. The dress skirt had an overskirt with a two tier white underskirt hemmed with lace. Around her waist was a white sash, tied with a ribbon at the back and there was a pink case attached to it. White lace was sewn at the hem of the skirt and sleeves while white lilies were embroidered on the neckline. A large white hairbow rested on the right side of her head and she accessorized herself with silver lily earring studs and a silver necklace with a lily charm.

"Hello. I'm Yuriko Shibazeki. I'm known as the Ultimate Seamstress. It's nice to meet you," the girl smiled gently.

Yuriko Shibazeki

Ultimate Seamstress

"You too! How are you doing since you woke up here?" Sarah asked, trying to keep her voice from being too excited. Yuriko seemed to have a more refined and shy air about her, in comparison to others Sarah had interacted with before. No reason to spook her, after all.

"I could be better, but we all could I imagine." Yuriko shrugged. There was an almost helpless smile on her face. Her English was musical with her voice, with only the faintest hints of a Japanese accent. "This place is so very strange, everything I've seen is in pristine condition. But I've never seen anything like it before."

"I see your point." Sarah nodded in consolation. "Was there something interesting about the flowers you were looking at?"

"Nothing in particular," Yuriko smiled. "I was just examining them for a design I was working on. I thought all these flowers would be a beautiful touch."

"You can make something like that?" Sarah gasped, eyes widening.

"Yes. I actually made everything I'm wearing currently," Yuriko shyly explained.

Sarah almost squealed with excitement as she rushed around Yuriko, examining her from every angle. Yuriko's cheeks were blazing red, but she looked happy to have her work admired.

"That's amazing! I can't wait to see the final result!" Sarah declared, excitement leaving her practically vibrating where she stood.

"Oh, thank you," Yuriko smiled demurely. Her cheeks were still bright red, giving her a look between happiness and embarrassment.

"Ah, I should let you get back to work, then. I still have some more exploring to do," Sarah smiled, stepping back slightly. "I'd like to talk to you more later, if that's okay?"

"Of course, Miss. Woodstein," Yuriko agreed.

"You can call me 'Sarah'! Is it alright if I call you 'Yuriko'?" Sarah questioned. Yuriko's eyes widened and her cheeks seemed to turn an even darker red, if that were even possible.

"Oh…thank you, then, Miss. Sarah. And yes, you can use my name as well," Yuriko smiled gently.

"I'll see you then, Yuriko!" Sarah beamed before she took off running again. She had a feeling Yuriko could use the privacy to sort out her feelings. She held onto her fedora tightly as she ran towards the nearest building.

New Profile!

Wallace Reyes

Height: 5'9"

Weight: 140 lbs.

Blood Type: AB+

DOB: January 1st

Likes: history, lattes, house plants, the color 'violet-blue'

Dislikes: not knowing, gossip, sour foods

Notes: Ultimate Historian

Assignment: Angel

New Profile!

Yuriko Shibazeki

Height: 5'0"

Weight: 99 lbs.

Blood Type: A+

DOB: April 12th

Likes: dolls and stuffed animals, cute clothes and accessories, piano and violin music covers, apple desserts

Dislikes: ruined fabric, broken sewing needles, medicinal needs, IV drips

Notes: Ultimate Seamstress

Assignment: Angel

It didn't take too long for Sarah to find a building, just a light jog down the trail revealed her next investigation location.

It was a large building, relatively the size of three cottages, and a light gray color. It was, overall, a pretty boring building from the outside. The only sign of individuality was that there was a sign next to the double doors, which just read 'Food'.

Sarah found herself giggling at the sight before she pushed the doors open eagerly, stepping inside.

The inside was just as spacious as the outside suggested. To Sarah's right, there was a door that led to a kitchen. To her left was the entire rest of the building, set up as a dining hall. It reminded Sarah of a Connect 4 board when she looked at it, all the round tables lined up nice and orderly in columns. Each table was covered with a white table cloth and was able to seat four, each plate set up so if they were connected by lines, they'd form a cross. There was no splashes of color, unlike outside, and everything felt very sterile, almost like this was the cafeteria in a hospital.

Sarah didn't like hospitals very much.

Turning away from the decorations, or lack thereof, she noticed two people standing in the dining room. One was a woman, who seemed to be tapping her foot and crossing her arms, and the other a boy, who seemed to be trying to curl into himself.

Sarah didn't even get a chance to decide on who she wanted to talk to first when the decision was made for her.

"OhmiGod, you're so adorable!" the woman squealed as she ran over to Sarah. Her emerald green eyes were sparkling with excitement, contrasting nicely with her darker skin tone.

"Thanks! But I think you look even cuter, I love your hair!" Sarah grinned, allowing herself to be swept into the conversation with this woman.

And she wasn't lying either. The woman's hair was mostly black with rainbow streaks making it stand out as it fell straightly down to her waist, curling at the end. Compared to her hair, her clothing was more subdued, simply a light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, jeans with a pair of dark blue suspenders, blue tennis shoes, a navy baseball cap with the familiar Nyan Cat meme on the front and white fingerless gloves.

"Thanks! I always did love a good flare of color here and there!" the woman beamed. There was a tinge to her English, one that Sarah couldn't identify easily, but she knew the woman wasn't used to speaking English as a first language. "Oh! I forgot to introduce myself, didn't I? I'm Anahera Eero, but you can call me 'Hera'! If you've ever go to Japan, be sure to stop by my cat café, okay?" She winked one bright emerald eye when she finished speaking.

Anahera Eero

Ultimate Cat Café Owner

"Oh, that sounds amazing, though I've never been to Japan. I'm Sarah Woodstein, by the way, journalist." Sarah held her hand out for a shake, which Hera gladly took.

"OMG, you gotta visit Kyoto with me someday then! My cats would adore you!" Hera insisted, clasping Sarah's hands in both of her own. "I wish they were here, but I can't find them anywhere."

"I'm sorry, that must be difficult for you," Sarah apologized. Briefly, she thought of Rufus and just how happy Alice had been when she discovered her beloved dog was with her in their killing game.

The reminder that both Alice and Rufus were dead knocked the breath out of Sarah for a moment, forcing her to blink back tears. Not now, she couldn't break down now.

"I'd love to meet your cats someday, though," Sarah smiled forcefully, focusing on happier thoughts. "What're you doing near the kitchen?"

"Oh, just looking around. I'm not too much of a cook, I hired one for my café, but there's lots of stuff we can eat here, which is good. I'd love to find the hosts of this place, see what else they're hiding," Hera explained, tapping her chin thoughtfully. It was an almost childlike gesture, which was strange considering she was taller than Sarah and probably older as well.

"You think there's someone hosting us?" Sarah questioned.

"Well, how else would we end up here?" Hera pointed out. "If none of us know where we are, then someone must be hosting us here, see?"

"I do. I…hadn't thought of it that way before," Sarah said. But that wasn't the whole truth.

The fact that this whole situation reminded her of her killing game left Sarah much colder than she wanted to admit. But she wouldn't let anyone else know. She'd smile and try her best to keep calm while she investigated the truth behind all this. It was what Mia would've wanted, after all.

Closing her hand around her locket, Sarah turned back to Hera.

"Have you met everyone then?" she asked.

"Most of 'em, yeah! I gotta meet some more still, but hopefully they'll like cats and we'll be best friends!" Hera declared. "Oh! I should get going, someone I met earlier said she'd introduce me to someone I'd love to meet! Catch you later, Sarah!"

Sarah barely raised her hand for a wave before Hera was running out of the dining hall. She was left blinking in the wake of Hera's energy, but the smile on her face was all too real. She was excited to spend more time with Hera.

Not one to be so downtrodden in her excitement, Sarah turned her smile onto the boy he remained in the dining hall.

The boy seemed to be making an effort to look small, his fawn brown eyes peeking out under his wispy, chin length hair that was hazel brown in color, minus two strands near the left side of his face, the one in front being white and behind it a strand of black hair, with the fringe of his hair sweeping to the right. He wore a soft and comfortable white blouse with the top button left undone and slightly frilled short sleeves stopping above his elbows, a black button up waist coat with two pockets on either side, a white heart on the right and a red heart on the left, and black leggings which hung loosely on his frame with a pattern of white crosses of varying sizes. From the way he was slightly kicking his legs back and forth, Sarah could see he was wearing a pair of mismatched socks, one pale blue and the other pale pink, both decorated with cute little rabbit faces, along with one white lace up sneaker and one red. He also wore a ruby heart shaped pendent with thin black velvet ribbons connecting it and brushing his shoulders, under which he wore an angel wing pendent. There was also a single silver stud earring in his right ear.

The most notable thing about the boy, however, were the two stuffed animals sitting on his lap. One was a light gray bunny with adorable beady eyes, whiskers and a big smile, wearing a pale green flowing dress with a swirling ahoge, which resembled a halo. The other was a light brown dog with a mischievous grin, wearing a red suit and his hackles sticking up to faintly resemble demon horns. A tanned canvas backpack was resting in the chair next to the boy and Sarah could just see a crescent moon mark on his right forearm.

"Hi there, are you okay?" Sarah gently greeted the boy, not wanting to startle him by being too loud.

Despite her best attempts, the boy looked up with a wide look in his eyes. It was only a moment, however, before he started speaking.

Or rather, he lifted up the rabbit and they began to speak.

"Oh! Welcome! Please accept my apologies that we didn't see you there! Would you happen to know where we are?" the rabbit questioned, speaking in a high pitched voice that didn't fit the boy's appearance at all.

"I'm afraid I don't," Sarah said with a sad, commiserating smile. The rabbit let out a sigh of disappointment.

"Oh bouncing buns, that's just too bad…oh! That's right! We haven't introduced ourselves yet. I'm Tenshi! But everyone calls me 'Shi'! And this is Mazoku-don't worry, he doesn't bite~!" the rabbit, Tenshi, declared.

"Yo. Nice to meetcha-and this one is Eren…go on, Kiddo. Don't be shy," the dog, Mazoku, added. His voice was much deeper than Tenshi's and similarly didn't fit the boy at all, sounding gruff and almost like a growl.

"Aha, thanks guys…h-hi, it's lovely to meet you. Although I wish it was in a better time and place…oh, sorry. That's right. I'm Eren Mochizuki. Most people call me 'Ren' though. I'm the Ultimate Ventriloquist…although, you, uh, probably haven't heard of me that much…I'm part of the Fukimoto Circus Troupe?" the boy, Eren, smiled. It was a soft smile, tinged with nervousness that spoke of an introverted person. His voice had a slight Japanese accent, one that carried over when he spoke for Tenshi and Mazoku.

Eren Mochizuki

Ultimate Ventriloquist

"It's nice to meet you, Ren!" Sarah smiled, trying to keep her personality a bit subdued for his sake. "I'm Sarah Woodstein, journalist. I'm afraid I haven't heard of your troupe before, but I can see you're really talented!"

"Ya see, Kiddo? She says you've got talent!" Mazoku exclaimed. Sarah had a feeling that the puppet would be smiling if his lips had more movement outside of their mischievous smile.

"Well, of course she did! Our Eren is very talented!" Tenshi agreed, her ears bouncing as Eren moved her up and down.

"Guys, y-you're embarrassing me…oh, but thank you, Miss. Woodstein," Eren said. An embarrassed yet pleased blush colored his cheeks.

"You're welcome, but please, call me 'Sarah'. So, why are you hanging out here?" Sarah questioned. She tilted her head just slightly, enough that her fedora didn't hide her face in shadow, giving her a more innocent look than the shadows would.

"O-oh, uh…" Eren trailed off.

"Eren's not the most comfortable with situations like this, so we thought we'd hang out and keep him company here," Tenshi explained, reaching up a hand to tap Eren's shoulder gently.

"Aw, that's sweet," Sarah smiled. "I'm glad you've got such good friends to keep you company."

"You're barking right he does!" Mazoku exclaimed in agreement. "He made our clothes too, so you know we're close!"

"Wait, you made their clothes?" Sarah gasped, her eyes widening. Eren nodded a bit shyly, while Tenshi and Mazoku both exclaimed confirmations. "Have you met Yuriko yet? She's the Ultimate Seamstress, I think you two would have a lot in common."

"R-really?" Eren stuttered, his eyes wide.

"Yeah, I just saw her over near the statue garden. You can't miss her in her pink dress," Sarah laughed good-naturedly. "I can point you in the right direction? Maybe you'll make a new friend."

"O-okay." Eren nodded.

"Yes, lets bounce to it!" Tenshi agreed.

"Ready to go when ya are, Kiddo!" Mazoku howled.

Sarah let out a quiet laugh at how enthusiastic the puppets were, as well as the slight smile on Eren's face. It was nice to help him feel better, even if she couldn't explain why they were here or where 'here' even was.

It was only after Sarah had sent Eren off down the path to the statue garden that she noticed the rather ominous looking forest that was a short distance from the dining hall. Curious, she started to approach it.

New Profile!

Anahera Eero

Height: 6'2"

Weight: 168 lbs.

Blood Type: AB-

DOB: December 24th

Likes: cats, decaf, gardening, tragic rom-coms

Dislikes: dogs, expresso, watching MMA/wrestling/any other violent sports, cheesy rom-coms

Notes: Ultimate Cat Café Owner

Assignment: Angel

New Profile!

Eren Mochizuki

Height: 5'6"

Weight: 132 lbs.

Blood Type: B-

DOB: April 6th

Likes: toffee apples, warm blankets, costumes and rabbits

Dislikes: wasabi, heights, fire and spiders

Notes: Ultimate Ventriloquist

Assignment: Angel

When Sarah reached the forest, it was even more ominous up close then it had been at a distance. The tree stretched up high to the sky, almost blocking out the sky entirely. The trees stretched out almost endlessly, as if the forest was meant to cut off one side of wherever she was from the other. It was so dark, she couldn't see how deep it went or if there was even anyone standing there.

It…honestly, it was terrifying for Sarah and she really didn't want to go in. But…if she was going to discover the truth, she would go into even the darkest of forests to find it.

"Are you okay?"

The voice startled Sarah so much, she found herself jumping only to trip under her own feet and end up tangled in her trench coat on the forest floor.

"Oh, geez, sorry!" the voice exclaimed. Sarah was pretty sure the voice belonged to a woman, but she couldn't tell with her fedora flopped over her eyes. "Here, let me help you up."

A hand came into view, with short nails that were painted dark purple. Sarah placed her hand in the woman's and allowed herself to be pulled up. Once she was set to rights on her feet, she adjusted her fedora and finally looked at the woman.

The woman had wavy dark purple hair that fell down to her midback, tied into a low ponytail with side swept bangs. Her light blue, upturned eyes were filled with concern as she gazed up at Sarah, though Sarah could tell she must be tired given the dark circles under her eyes. She wore a purplish gray halter strap blouse, dark gray straight cut pants, a loose sleeved purple silk kimono jacket with various purple and blue flower patterns scattered across it, simple but elegant black high heels, gold chandelier earrings with light blue gems embedded into them, a black lace choker, and a gold ring with a small diamond on her left ring finger. She also had a small mole above her right eye, a small scar on her right wrist, and a large scar across her forehead.

She was a beautiful woman, and obvious older than Sarah herself, similar to Hera.

"Thanks for helping me. I'm Sarah Woodstein, journalist," Sarah smiled as she turned the hand helping her up into a handshake. The woman let out a slightly shaky breath as she returned the handshake with a warm smile of her own.

"Hi, I'm Juri Kuramoto, Ultimate Voice Actress; it's a pleasure, although I suppose our meeting could be under better circumstances," the woman, Juri, introduced herself.

Juri Kuramoto

Ultimate Voice Actress

"I can't say I disagree," Sarah laughed slightly as their handshake separated. "Have you been exploring too? I haven't seen anything that stands out, outside of this forest, that is."

"Yes, I agree. It's certainly the darkest part I've seen so far, not to mention the most plain." Juri nodded. Her fingers reached up to play with her ponytail as she spoke. Sarah just noticed on the periphery of her thoughts that Juri's English had a pretty thick Japanese accent, but she was still perfectly understandable and her voice had a definite warm quality to it.

"Plain?" Sarah questioned, confused. "Most of what I've seen has been pretty minimalist so far."

"Really? I've seen a lot of…personality, let's say, in what I've explored. Though why there's a movie theater but not a dining hall is beyond me," Juri sighed.

Sarah dug out her notepad once more and began jotting down notes, her brow furrowed. It seemed as if Juri had seen places she hadn't yet, but the sudden design change didn't make sense. Not unless…

"Say, which way did you come from?" Sarah asked, curiosity tinting her voice.

"I just came through the forest, it wasn't too bad actually. Why?" Juri answered. Her fingers were slowly tangling and then untangling from her hair.

"Because I came from this side, I haven't entered the forest. And this side has a pretty minimalistic design sense," Sarah explained.

"While the other side has a lot more personality, from the little I've seen of it," Juri hummed in agreement. "So most likely…there's more than one person designing things here."

"I agree." Sarah nodded thoughtfully, marking down that thought instantly, circling it so she could catch it easily when she needed it. "Do you have any theories on where we are or why?"

"I don't want to speculate on anything regarding the 'why'," Juri smiled apologetically. "But in terms of where exactly, I don't have a clue."

"Neither does anyone else, all Wally could identify was that the statue garden looked Italian," Sarah hummed, tapping her pen against her chin in thought.

"I see…well, there isn't much of a point in speculating. Perhaps there's some more clues to be found on both sides of the forest. I admit I headed straight here instead of exploring the other side thoroughly," Juri admitted with a shrug.

"Nothing wrong with that!" Sarah reassured her with a bright smile. "Why don't we split up then? I'll go check out the rest of this side and you go back to the other side, and we'll meet up later?"

"That sounds like a good plan, Miss. Woodstein," Juri smiled, tilting her head slightly, which caused her hair to fall over her shoulder. The smile made her scars look less harsh and giving her an almost motherly look.

"Wow, so many formal people here, please call me 'Sarah'!" Sarah insisted. "I want to be your friend, and everyone else's too, okay?"

"Okay," Juri agreed, a laugh flowing through her words. Sarah grinned with pride at the sound of it.

"Catch you later, Juri!" Sarah tipped her fedora.

"Indeed you shall, Sarah." Juri bowed in response, somehow being much more elegant than Sarah could. Man, Sarah hoped she could be that elegant someday.

With a smile on her face and the spring in her step that only investigating a mystery could bring her, Sarah turned her back on the forest and ran back towards the sterile side of the forest where she had awoken.

She was a short distance away from the dining hall when she turned back to see if Juri was still there.

She wasn't, but it was only when she turned around that Sarah noticed the impossibly tall mountain stretching high into the sky.

New Profile!

Juri Kuramoto

Height: 5'5"

Weight: 129 lbs.

Blood Type: A+

DOB: October 25th

Likes: yakiniku restaurants, brandy, novelty, charity, plays

Dislikes: milk, umeboshi, mornings, typecasting, thunderstorms

Notes: Ultimate Voice Actress

Assignment: Demon

And there we are, the end of the first prologue chapter!

For those of you who are reading Happily Never After, you'll notice that the addition of the profiles is new. When working on this chapter, I thought that including this information would be beneficial compared to HNA where I felt it wasn't required, if that makes sense. Admittedly, it also was so I could keep details, specifically heights, straight. I didn't include ages but I want to let you guys know that Hera and Juri are both 27, Wally is 22, Antonio is 18, Sarah and Eren are 17, and Yuriko is 15.

Now, I'm sure some of you are surprised that Juri showed up at the end here. Well, that's meant to signify a 'passing the baton' moment, so to speak, because the next chapter of the prologue will follow Juri's POV! And the last one, at least for introductions, will follow Yuma!

I don't have much else to say currently, but please let me know what you guys think of this introductory chapter! I don't know when the next chapter will be ready, but I will be working on it alongside HNA's next chapter! Let me know what you guys think and I'll see you soon!