A soft breeze fluttered through the open dormitory window, carrying the crisp scent of early morning dew. The first rays of sunlight stretched lazily across the academy grounds, painting long golden streaks along the stone walls. Birds chirped merrily outside, their songs filling the air with a sense of peace and tranquility.
Inside Louise's room, however, the scene was anything but tranquil.
Louise groaned as she stirred from her bed, the blanket tangled around her legs like a web of chains. Her head felt heavy, her limbs sluggish, as though she had spent the entire night running marathons in her sleep. A dull throbbing pulsed behind her eyes, and an inexplicable soreness lingered in her muscles.
She winced, blinking up at the ceiling, trying to shake off the overwhelming sense of exhaustion. What happened last night?
Her memories were a blur, like a foggy dream just beyond her reach. She remembered going to bed—or at least, she thought she did. But there was something else, something important, that tugged at the edges of her mind.
Louise pushed herself upright, rubbing her temple as she tried to piece it all together. The last thing she clearly remembered was putting on that stupid mask—and then… nothing.
Her eyes widened slightly. "The mask…"
She turned her head toward the small wooden desk by the window. There it was, sitting innocently atop a pile of scattered papers, its grinning face bathed in the golden morning light.
Louise froze.
Then she screamed.
"WAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
Her shriek echoed through the stone walls, loud enough to rattle the books on her shelf. In a flurry of tangled sheets and flailing limbs, she tumbled out of bed, hitting the floor with an unceremonious thud. She scrambled backward on her hands and knees, staring at the mask with wide, horrified eyes.
"W-what the hell is THAT doing there?!" she shrieked, pointing a trembling finger at the object as if it had personally insulted her.
Of course, the mask said nothing. It simply sat there, its eerie grin fixed in place as if amused by her panic.
Louise swallowed hard, her breath coming in quick, shallow gasps. "No. No, no, no, no. This isn't happening. I—I was dreaming. It was all a dream! That's right! It had to be a dream!" She laughed nervously, clutching her head. "Ha! A silly, ridiculous, impossible dream!"
She bolted to her feet, ignoring the ache in her joints, and took a shaky step toward her mirror. Her reflection stared back at her, looking just as disheveled and confused as she felt. Her hair was a wild mess of pink tangles, and her uniform—wait, when did she put on her uniform?
Louise yelped, frantically patting herself down. She was still fully dressed in her school attire, albeit a little wrinkled and off-center. Her cape was on backward, her blouse was untucked, and her skirt had a slight tear along the hem.
She looked like she had been through something.
The realization sent a fresh wave of panic surging through her. If she was dressed, that meant—she had come back here last night!
She spun on her heels, her gaze darting frantically around her room. It looked… wrong.
Her desk was a disaster, with ink stains splattered across its surface and several quills broken in half. Her chair was upside down, precariously balanced against her wardrobe. Books were scattered across the floor in a chaotic mess, and some were flipped open to random pages.
Her wardrobe itself was… singing?
Louise took a hesitant step forward. The wooden doors rattled slightly, and a muffled hum came from within as though something—or someone—was trapped inside. She felt her stomach drop.
"Oh no… oh no, no, no, no—"
Slowly, cautiously, she reached for the handle. Then, taking a deep breath and bracing herself, she yanked the doors open.
Out tumbled a mannequin, haphazardly dressed in what looked like her extra uniform—only it was also wearing sunglasses and a fake mustache.
Louise gawked at it in stunned silence.
Then, in perfect comedic timing, a small card fluttered from its hand, landing at her feet. She bent down, picked it up, and read the hastily scribbled note:
"To my new best friend, Dummy McDummerson! Thanks for holding my coat. Love, Louise the Mask 💋"
Louise stared at the note.
Then, back at the mannequin.
Then, back at the note.
Then she let out another scream.
"WHAT DID I DO LAST NIGHT?!"
Her head snapped back toward the window, and for the first time, she noticed the absolute catastrophe that stretched all the way from the town she had rampaged through last night directly to the academy's dormitory tower.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The once peaceful academy grounds were now covered in confetti. Several stone pathways had been painted in garish, mismatched colors. A line of cartoonishly large, oversized footprints—her footprints—had been stamped into the grass, leading straight from the town, past the castle gates, through the courtyard, and ending right at her dorm window.
At least three hedges had been sculpted into ridiculous poses—one even looked like it was doing a dance. A suit of armor near the entrance was stuck in a pose mid-dab. A banner hung from the tallest tower, flapping in the morning breeze:
"THANKS FOR THE FUN, SUCKERS! - L.M."
And right outside her window, perched precariously on a rooftop, was a catapult.
Louise let out a strangled noise somewhere between a groan and a scream.
She backed away from the window, gripping the sides of her head. "Okay, okay, okay! Maybe no one saw me! Maybe I snuck back here before anyone figured out what happened!"
But as she said the words, a distant clang of armor and shouting voices echoed from the academy courtyard.
"FIND WHO DID THIS!" came a furious voice. "SOMEONE HAS TO KNOW SOMETHING!"
Louise paled.
"Oh," she breathed. "Oh, no."
Her gaze flickered back to the mask, which remained exactly where it was, utterly motionless.
Louise stared at it for a long, tense moment, her breathing shallow and her mind racing.
Then, slowly, she reached forward, picked up the mask, and held it at arm's length.
"You," she whispered, her voice a mixture of fear and frustration, "are going in the closet forever."
And with that, she shoved the mask into the wardrobe, slammed the doors shut, and backed away.
She dusted off her hands, nodding to herself. "There. Problem solved."
Then, from inside the wardrobe, a soft, familiar whisper echoed through the air.
"Oh, Louise… you know this isn't over."
Louise's eye twitched.
Then she screamed again.
Louise stomped out of the dormitory, her heart hammering against her ribs as she marched toward her morning classes. The academy's pristine stone pathways were bathed in the soft morning glow, but to her, it felt like she was walking a tightrope above a pit of doom.
Everywhere she looked, students and staff gathered in groups, muttering in confusion, gesturing wildly at the absolute madness that had spread throughout the academy grounds.
"By Brimir, what in the world happened last night?" one student exclaimed, gawking at a shrub that had been pruned into the shape of a grinning duck wearing sunglasses.
"Did someone paint the fountain?!" another cried, pointing at the academy's grand centerpiece, which was now spewing bubblegum-pink water.
A noble girl gasped. "Look at the walkway! It's all covered in—what is this, banana peels?!"
Louise swallowed thickly as she passed by, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and her steps stiffened mechanically.
Stay calm, Louise, she told herself. They don't know it was you. They don't know it was you. Just act natural. Smile. Wait, no, don't smile. Don't act suspicious. Wait, am I walking weird?!
She forced herself to walk normally—or at least, what she thought was normal—but her body had other plans. Her gait became oddly rigid, her arms swinging too much, her shoulders hunched like she was sneaking through a battlefield.
Two second-year students walked past her, pausing to stare at the large, flashing neon sign that had somehow been erected in the middle of the courtyard.
"WELCOME TO LOUISE'S BIG FUNHOUSE—WHOOPS, I MEAN TRISTAIN ACADEMY!"
Louise felt her stomach drop.
One of the students frowned. "That's weird. I don't remember anyone installing a sign like this…"
The other student scratched his head. "What kind of magic even does this? Is it some kind of prank?"
Louise clenched her teeth, resisting the overwhelming urge to bolt in the opposite direction.
This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This is just a nightmare. Yep, I'm actually still asleep, and soon I'm going to wake up in my bed, and everything will be normal and—
A scream echoed from the eastern wing.
"THE HORSE STABLES! WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HORSE STABLES?!"
Louise nearly tripped over her own feet.
She turned her head just enough to glimpse what had once been the academy's proudest collection of noble-bred stallions. Now, instead of majestic steeds, the stable was packed with… wooden rocking horses.
As if that wasn't bad enough, the roof of the stable had been replaced with a giant circus tent, complete with streamers and a spinning sign that read "NOW WITH 100% LESS HORSES, 100% MORE FUN!"
Louise clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming.
I am going to die. I am going to be arrested, executed, and maybe even exiled to some frozen wasteland where I'll live the rest of my life eating moss.
Students and staff alike were completely dumbfounded, pointing at the chaos surrounding them with slack-jawed bewilderment. It was too much, too absurd, too stupid to even comprehend.
"Louise, calm down," she whispered to herself. "Just—just blend in. Nobody has figured it out yet. Nobody knows. Everything will be fine if you just stay quiet and act normal."
And then, like a dagger to the heart, a familiar, sultry voice purred beside her.
"My, my, ma petite, you look absolutely dreadful this morning."
Louise flinched. Oh no.
Turning her head, she found herself face-to-face with Kirche von Zerbst.
Kirche, looking as glamorous and well-rested as ever, sauntered up to Louise with that insufferable smirk playing on her lips. Her crimson curls bounced as she walked, and the way she placed a hand on her hip screamed absolute confidence.
Louise, on the other hand, was the complete opposite—her hair was a wreck, her uniform still slightly wrinkled from last night's adventures, and she had the unmistakable look of someone who had fought a cartoon war in her sleep.
Kirche gave her a once-over, her golden eyes glimmering with amusement. "Ooh, mon dieu, did you even sleep last night? Or did you just roll around in a pile of disaster and call it a day?"
Louise gritted her teeth. "Shut up, Zerbst."
Kirche gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her chest. "Oh, no need to be so hostile! I'm just concerned for your well-being, Louise~"
Louise groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. Of all the people to run into right now…
Kirche leaned in, her smirk widening. "Did something… exciting happen last night?"
Louise nearly choked on her own spit.
Kirche knew.
No—wait. Did she?! No, impossible. She was just teasing like always.
Louise forced a dry laugh. "Of course not! I—I was in my room, sleeping! Like a normal person! Nothing exciting at all! Nothing happened!"
Kirche tilted her head, her smirk unwavering. "Really? Because something certainly happened last night." She gestured toward the chaos surrounding them—the neon signs, the rocking horses, the pruned duck bushes. "And I can't imagine what kind of crazy person would pull off such a ridiculous stunt."
Louise broke into a cold sweat.
Kirche leaned in even closer, her voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about this, would you, Louise?"
Louise let out a high-pitched, nervous laugh. "M-me?! Of course not! That's absurd! I mean, who would even do something like this?! It's—it's bizarre! Ridiculous! Completely unthinkable! Hahahaha—"
She was laughing too hard.
Kirche just raised an eyebrow, unimpressed.
Louise cleared her throat, straightened her cape, and tried to regain what little dignity she had left. "Anyway! I have to get to class! Very important magic lessons to attend to! Goodbye, Zerbst!"
She pivoted sharply, her body moving stiffly as she speed-walked away.
Kirche watched her go, tapping a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "Hmm. Very suspicious."
Louise, meanwhile, was on the verge of hyperventilating.
I need to make it through today. I just need to get through my classes and pretend everything is normal.
Then, from somewhere in the courtyard, a voice shouted—
"WHO THE HELL FILLED THE HEADMASTER'S OFFICE WITH BALLOONS?!"
Louise stopped mid-step.
Her eye twitched.
She took a deep breath…
And screamed internally.
Louise took slow, measured breaths as she approached the classroom door.
Just act normal, she told herself. No one knows. No one has any reason to suspect you.
The academy was still abuzz with confusion over the absolute catastrophe left behind from last night's mysterious rampage, but Louise had somehow made it this far without drawing any direct accusations. She just had to keep it together a little longer.
With a deep breath, she placed her hand on the wooden door, steeled her nerves, and pushed it open.
She was immediately hit with a scene of complete and utter madness.
The classroom—her sanctuary of order and discipline—was in absolute shambles.
The first thing she noticed was that the desks, which were usually lined up in neat rows, had somehow been stacked on top of each other like a precarious tower. Some were upside down, and others were balanced on their legs at impossible angles.
The chandelier—which shouldn't have been touched in the first place—was now covered in brightly colored ribbons and twinkling fairy lights.
Someone had drawn a massive mustache on the blackboard, and beneath it, in big, bold letters, were the words:
"WELCOME TO PROFESSOR COLBERT'S MAGIC FUNHOUSE!"
Louise's face went pale.
This… this was her fault.
She had done this.
A loud creaking sound made her turn her head just in time to see that the entire classroom floor had been transformed into a wooden seesaw. If a student moved too far in one direction, the entire room tipped.
As if on cue, Guiche, looking utterly miserable, took an unfortunate step forward. The classroom tilted sharply, sending him sliding across the room and crashing into Malicorne, who let out a startled yelp before tumbling down the incline.
"Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière!" Colbert's voice rang out.
Louise jumped in place, her heart seizing in her chest.
Colbert stood at the front of the class, adjusting his glasses with a sharp, disapproving look. His usually neat robes were slightly ruffled—no doubt from trying (and failing) to bring some level of control back to the room.
"Ah… h-h-hello, Professor Colbert!" Louise stammered, forcing her voice into its most respectable tone.
Colbert exhaled through his nose, rubbing his temples as if he had already been dealing with this nonsense for hours. Which, knowing her mask-induced handiwork, was probably true.
"Take your seat, Miss Vallière," he said tiredly, gesturing toward what was left of the classroom. "We have a lesson to conduct, despite the… circumstances."
Louise nodded stiffly, inching her way toward her desk—only to realize that her desk was upside down on top of another desk.
Her eye twitched.
Just as she was trying to figure out how to maneuver this, Kirche leaned over from her completely intact desk with an insufferably amused smirk.
"My, my, ma petite, I must say, you look even worse than you did outside," she purred.
Louise clenched her fists, her body stiffening as she was once again faced with Kirche's relentless teasing. It was bad enough that the redhead had been smugly watching her flounder in the courtyard moments ago, but now she was doubling down.
Louise gritted her teeth. "I swear, Zerbst, if you keep talking—"
Kirche let out a low, amused chuckle. "What? Will you duel me? Please, ma petite, I'd rather not humiliate you first thing in the morning."
Louise fumed. "Oh, you—!"
"Ladies," Colbert interjected before Louise could further damage her dignity, "focus, please." He cleared his throat, trying to regain some level of authority over the classroom.
The floor tilted again, causing several students to lose their balance and grab onto anything they could to maintain stability.
Colbert sighed. "If possible."
Louise let out a nervous chuckle as she cautiously settled into her desk, praying that it wouldn't suddenly eject her across the room.
Colbert strode to the front, clearing his throat. "Despite this morning's… anomalies, we must continue with our education." He pulled a piece of chalk from his robe and turned to the blackboard.
The moment the chalk touched the board, it let out a comically loud fart noise.
The class froze.
A long, painful silence stretched between them.
Louise clenched her fists.
Colbert's eye twitched.
The chalk, as if mocking him, let out one more long, drawn-out fart before snapping in half.
The room exploded with laughter.
Guiche, who had just managed to get back to his feet, immediately lost his balance again and went sliding down the still-tilting floor. Kirche was practically howling, pounding the desk as she doubled over.
Colbert exhaled through his nose. "Fine," he said, setting the broken chalk down. "Let's skip the blackboard today."
Louise, meanwhile, was sitting rigidly, sweat pooling at the back of her neck.
This was insane.
The town was bad enough, but her own classroom had also been turned into a circus of stupidity.
And worst of all? No one had any idea who did it.
Louise squeezed her eyes shut. What am I going to do? I need to fix this! I need to—
Her thoughts ground to a halt as she absently reached for her school bag.
Her fingers brushed against something… smooth.
Something that should not be there.
Her stomach plummeted.
Slowly—painfully—she lifted the flap of her bag and peered inside.
There it was.
The mask.
Sitting perfectly upright, nestled between her books and papers.
Louise barely suppressed a shriek.
Her hand shot out of the bag like she had just been bitten by a viper. She slapped the flap shut, her face draining of color.
How?! How is it here?! I locked it in my wardrobe! I KNOW I locked it in my wardrobe!
She sucked in a breath, her heart hammering against her ribs. The mask—that cursed thing—had followed her.
It was watching her.
Waiting.
"Louise?" Colbert's voice snapped her out of her panic.
She yelped, sitting bolt upright. "Y-YES?!"
Colbert raised an eyebrow. "I asked if you could explain the three fundamental elements required to successfully cast a transformation spell."
Louise stared at him.
Then she stared at the chalkboard.
Then she stared back at him.
Then, at the mask in her bag.
She had absolutely no idea what he had just asked her.
Kirche leaned over, whispering, "If you're going to lie, at least make it convincing."
Louise gritted her teeth.
Colbert sighed. "Never mind, then. I'll ask—"
BOOM!
The entire class tilted again as Malicorne accidentally stepped on a banana peel, sending him careening across the room like a bowling ball.
Louise buried her face in her hands.
This was only the beginning.
And the mask was still in her bag.
As soon as class ended, Louise bolted out of the room as fast as her legs could carry her. She kept her head down, ignored the murmuring students, and did her best not to look like someone who had been desperately trying to stop herself from screaming for the past hour.
Her bag, which now contained the cursed object that had somehow wormed its way back into her possession, felt like it weighed a hundred pounds slung over her shoulder.
Her heart was still racing from the shock of finding the mask inside it. It had been locked away. She had made sure of it. But somehow, it was back. And worse, she could feel it in there.
Not physically—no, it was something deeper than that. It was as if the mask was waiting. Watching her.
The moment she noticed it in her bag, Louise cinched the leather straps tight to prevent it from accidentally slipping out.
You stay in there, she mentally commanded. I swear on Brimir, if you move even an inch, I'll—!
"Louise!"
She stiffened.
Kirche.
Louise gritted her teeth, but she didn't stop walking. She could hear Kirche's footsteps quickly catching up behind her.
"I must say, ma petite, you seemed so eager to get out of class today!" Kirche teased as she easily matched Louise's pace, arms swaying leisurely by her sides. "Could it be that our little Vallière is growing impatient for lunch?"
Louise's eye twitched. She refused to take the bait this time. "I just don't want to waste time. I'm hungry. That's all."
Kirche grinned. "Ah, so you do have normal human needs after all! I was beginning to wonder if you just thrived off sheer willpower and anger alone."
Louise shot her a glare but kept her mouth shut. She needed to focus on one thing at a time right now—namely, making sure nobody saw what was in her bag.
Kirche, unfortunately, was one of the worst people to be around when trying not to look suspicious.
They soon reached the grand entrance to the dining hall. The large room was already filled with students eagerly piling food onto their trays and chattering amongst themselves. The scent of roasted meats, fresh bread, and warm stew filled the air, but Louise barely noticed it.
She was too distracted by keeping her bag from moving too much as she walked.
Carefully, she found an empty spot at one of the tables and sat down, hugging the bag close to her side. Kirche, of course, took the seat directly across from her, smirking.
"Why are you holding your bag like that?" Kirche asked, raising an eyebrow.
Louise froze.
"Ah—" She scrambled to come up with a response. "It's—nothing! I just—I have something fragile in here! That's right! A delicate glass vial! I don't want it to break!"
Kirche gave her a knowing look. "A delicate glass vial?" she repeated, clearly not believing a word of it.
"Yes," Louise said quickly, nodding furiously. "Extremely delicate! Priceless, even!"
Kirche smirked but leaned back in her seat, clearly enjoying how flustered Louise was. "Well, if you say so, ma petite."
Louise desperately wanted to change the subject, so she quickly glanced at the other students sitting nearby.
That was when she overheard it.
"Did you hear about the town near the academy?" one student was saying, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Oh, you mean the disaster?" another chimed in.
Louise's stomach dropped.
She hunched her shoulders and listened.
"I was out there this morning!" the first student continued, leaning forward with wide eyes. "It was like something out of a madman's dream! Buildings covered in ridiculous paint, the fountain spewing pink water, a banner declaring that someone named 'L.M.' had been there!"
"L.M…?" one of the girls asked, frowning. "Who is that?"
"Who knows?" another said, shaking his head. "Whoever they are, they must be insane!"
Louise's fingers dug into the fabric of her skirt.
She was L.M.
She was the madwoman who had done all of that.
And now people were talking about it.
Stay calm. They don't know it was you. Just keep your mouth shut, and they'll never figure it out.
One of the students laughed. "Honestly, if you ask me, this is the best thing that's happened in weeks! I haven't seen the town so lively in ages!"
"Oh, come on!" another groaned. "That place is a wreck! The guards are still trying to figure out who caused it all!"
"Speaking of which," the first student said, lowering his voice, "have they found anyone yet?"
Louise held her breath.
"Not yet," another replied. "But they're looking."
Louise's heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
Oh no, no, no, no.
They're looking?!
That meant sooner or later, the guards might come to the academy. If they started investigating… if they asked questions…
Louise felt a comedic amount of sweat starts to form on her forehead.
"Something wrong, Vallière?" Kirche suddenly asked, her golden eyes watching Louise with amusement.
Louise snapped back to reality.
"NO!" she blurted, sitting up way too fast. "I—I just—uh—I forgot something in my room! I should go get it! Right now!"
She grabbed her bag (making sure to hold it extra tightly) and scrambled to her feet.
Kirche just grinned at her. "Are you sure you're okay, ma petite? You've been acting very strange today."
"I'm fine!" Louise shouted, perhaps a bit too aggressively. "Absolutely fine! Just—uh—don't follow me!"
Before Kirche could say another word, Louise bolted from the dining hall, her mind spinning.
This is bad. This is really bad.
She needed to get back to her room.
She needed to figure out what to do.
And most importantly…
She needed to get rid of the mask.
But somehow, deep down…
She knew that wasn't going to be easy.
Because the mask wasn't done with her yet.
And Louise had a terrible, terrible feeling that she wasn't done with it either.
Louise slammed her dormitory door shut, locking it behind her.
She breathed hard, her back pressed against the wood, and stared at the bag clutched tightly in her hands. It was still there—the mask, sitting inside like it hadn't just followed her around like some kind of haunted relic.
For the past several hours, it had been taunting her—lurking in her bag, appearing in places it shouldn't be, refusing to stay put. But this time, this time, she was going to get rid of it for good.
She stomped over to her desk and slammed the bag onto its surface.
"Okay," she muttered to herself, pacing back and forth. "Okay. I can handle this. This is fine. I just need to… dispose of it properly."
She cautiously unfastened the straps, inching the flap open like she was defusing a bomb.
The mask sat inside, grinning up at her.
Louise flinched. Even now, without anyone else around, she could feel its presence—like it was watching her.
No. She wasn't going to let it get to her.
She reached inside, hesitating for only a second before snatching it up.
It felt… wrong in her hands. Not warm, not cold—just there, like something that shouldn't exist.
She shuddered. "Alright, cursed artifact, let's see how well you do at the bottom of a lake."
Louise turned toward the window and hurled the mask with all her might.
It soared through the air, flipping end over end… and then disappeared into the trees beyond the academy grounds.
She exhaled. Her shoulders sagged.
Finally. Finally!
It was gone.
She nodded firmly to herself. "That takes care of that! No more chaos! No more waking up to disasters I don't remember! No more—"
knock knock knock
Louise froze.
The knock was light but deliberate. Someone was outside her door.
She turned slowly, glancing at it with suspicion.
"...Who is it?" she called out.
No answer.
Another knock knock knock.
Louise swallowed. "Look, I—I'm busy right now! Can you come back later?"
Silence.
Louise waited, her nerves prickling with unease.
Then—
thud.
Something dropped onto her desk behind her.
She turned.
The mask.
It sat there right where it had been before, grinning up at her as if nothing had happened.
Louise's pupils shrunk.
Her whole body went rigid.
Then she screamed.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
She snatched the mask off her desk and threw it across the room.
It bounced off the wardrobe and landed neatly back onto her bed.
Louise sprinted over, grabbed it again, and shoved it under her mattress. Her heart pounding, she waited a few seconds.
Nothing.
Good.
She exhaled, dusting off her hands. "There! Now stay there!"
She took a step back—
And then the mattress lurched.
Her bed hiccupped—yes, hiccupped—before the mask slid out from beneath the covers on its own, as if it had just been spat out.
Louise let out a strangled noise.
"Y-You… You piece of—!"
She snatched the mask up again, ran to the wardrobe, and shoved it inside.
SLAM.
She locked it. Double locked it. Triple locked it. Then pushed her desk in front of it for good measure.
She stood there, panting.
Then, slowly, she straightened up, brushed the wrinkles out of her skirt, and inhaled deeply.
"Okay," she said to herself. "It's gone. It's over. I win. I'm in control. I can finally relax."
With that, she turned toward the small adjoining bathroom in her dorm, ready to freshen up and calm herself down properly.
She stepped inside, closing the door behind her, and moved toward the basin.
The mirror reflected back a very stressed-looking Louise.
Her hair was messy, her face was way too pale, and a growing shadow of paranoia hung in her eyes.
She shook her head. "I just need to splash some water on my face."
She turned the faucet on, letting the cool water flow over her hands. Then, she cuped them and brought the water up to her skin.
It felt nice. Soothing.
Louise took another deep breath, letting her shoulders relax.
"See? Everything is—"
She looked up.
And immediately froze.
Her reflection.
It wasn't her.
Not exactly.
She was staring at a green face.
With wild, cartoonishly expressive eyes.
Wearing a wide, exaggerated grin.
Louise blinked.
The reflection winked at her.
She SCREAMED.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!"
She stumbled back, gasping, gripping the sink as reality slammed into her like a runaway carriage.
She felt the mask.
On her face.
Somehow.
WHEN?! WHEN DID I—?!
Her hands shot up, frantically grabbing at it, trying to tear it off—
Then, it melted into her skin.
The energy hit her like a lightning bolt.
Her whole body twisted—not in pain, but in exhilaration.
The world around her warped.
Colors brightened. The walls bulged outward, shifting like rubber. The floor beneath her bounced, turning from solid stone to something soft and springy.
Louise tried to scream again, but it came out as a squeaky honk.
Her hands—green, long-fingered, flexible like putty—shot up to her face.
Her eyes widened.
Her entire outfit had changed—again.
Gone was her normal uniform.
In its place was that ridiculous, gaudy, bright yellow suit. But this time, it had frills at the cuffs, and her cape had turned into an oversized bowtie.
Her hat, now taller and floppier than before, popped out from thin air and landed neatly on her head.
Louise, the Louise that had spent the whole morning desperately trying to stay out of trouble, was gone.
In her place stood something louder.
Wilder.
And very, very smokin'.
She grinned.
"Oh-hohoho," she purred, spinning around dramatically. "Looks like I'm baaaaaaack, baby!"
She cackled, throwing her arms wide as the mirror behind her exploded into a shower of confetti.
"AND THIS TIME, THE SHOW'S JUST GETTING STARTED!"
The door to Louise's dormitory exploded outward—not in an actual explosion, but rather in a sudden burst of confetti, streamers, and dramatic stage lights. A massive drumroll echoed through the hallway, though no instruments were anywhere in sight.
Then, through the swirling colors and flashing lights, she emerged.
Louise—or rather, the Masked Louise—stepped out with a dazzling twirl, her bright yellow suit practically glowing under the magically appearing spotlights. She tipped her oversized, feathered hat to absolutely no one and threw out her arms as if greeting an adoring audience.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" she bellowed, her voice taking on an exaggerated showman's flair. "WELCOME TO THE GREATEST SPECTACLE THIS ACADEMY HAS EVER SEEN! THE ONE, THE ONLY—" She spun, and her cape-turned-bowtie inflated like a balloon before popping into a cloud of sparkles. "ME!"
With a snap of her fingers, a full orchestra appeared behind her, dressed in matching yellow tuxedos, all playing a jazzy tune as if she had rehearsed this exact moment for years.
A beat passed.
Then, down the hallway, a group of passing students SCREAMED.
"W-WHAT IS THAT?!" a noble girl shrieked, clutching her books to her chest like a lifeline.
One of the male students blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes. "Am I still asleep? Is this a dream?"
Another student, who had just walked around the corner, took one look at Louise's flamboyant entrance, turned right back around, and ran for his life.
Masked Louise threw her head back and cackled. "OH-HOHOHOHO! NOW THAT IS A REACTION!" She grinned, revealing an impossibly wide, toothy smile. "Looks like we have a lively crowd tonight!"
She skipped forward in an exaggerated bounce, moving like a marionette on invisible strings, her limbs bending and stretching in impossible ways. The students—those brave enough to still be watching—gawked as her feet left the ground completely with each hop, staying in the air far too long before landing again with a loud, cartoonish boing!
"What kind of magic is that?!" a girl whispered.
"That's not magic," another student said, eyes wide in horror. "That's—THAT'S WITCHCRAFT!"
Masked Louise gasped, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense. "Witchcraft? Me?! Oh, honey, flattery will get you everywhere!" She wiggled her fingers and produced a bouquet of multicolored rubber chickens, which she tossed at the group of students like a rainbow explosion.
The moment the chickens touched them, they squawked loudly, then immediately latched onto their heads like living hats.
"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"
The students SCATTERED, flailing wildly as the rubber chickens screamed along with them, their exaggerated squawking filling the entire hallway.
Masked Louise doubled over laughing, slapping her knee so hard it made an actual drum sound. "BAHAHA! OH-HO! OH, THIS IS RICH!"
She whirled on her heel, stretching her arms as if warming up for an even bigger performance. "But why stop at just one hallway?! I have an ENTIRE ACADEMY to ENTERTAIN!"
And with that, she launched herself forward—literally, as her legs stretched like rubber bands, flinging her through the air at lightning speed.
She slammed through a set of doors, burst into the dining hall, and landed on the long table in a shower of confetti and sparkles.
"HELLO, TRISTAIN ACADEMY! WHO'S READY FOR SOME LUUUUUUUNCH-TIME MAYHEM?!"
Silence.
Then—
SCREAMS.
Students leaped from their seats, dishes and silverware clattering to the floor. Some backed against the walls, their faces frozen in sheer horror, while others dived under tables for safety.
Someone shouted, "IT'S THE CHAOS SPIRIT FROM THE TOWN!"
Another shrieked, "BRING THE PRIESTS! WE NEED A PURIFICATION RITUAL!"
Masked Louise tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Hmmm, 'Chaos Spirit'? Not bad, but I prefer 'LOUISE THE SMOKIN' SENSATION!'" She twirled her arms in an exaggerated flourish, producing fireworks from her sleeves that shot up into the air and burst into a neon sign that said 'LOUISE APPROVED'!
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar face.
Kirche.
Oh-hoho. Perfect.
Kirche was standing at her usual spot, looking mildly confused but not yet horrified like everyone else.
Masked Louise grinned, then suddenly slid across the table toward her, moving like a greased-up torpedo. Kirche barely had time to blink before she was nose-to-nose with her mysterious visitor.
"Well, well, well," Masked Louise purred, lifting her oversized hat slightly. "If it isn't the sultry temptress of Tristain Academy herself!"
Kirche tilted her head. "Huh?"
"Kirche, darling," Masked Louise continued, her voice turning into an exaggerated French accent, "I have something for you."
Kirche raised an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
Masked Louise grinned. "THIS!"
And before anyone could react—
SHE GRABBED KIRCHE BY THE FACE AND GAVE HER A BIG, DRAMATIC SMOOCH.
A loud "MWAH!" echoed through the entire dining hall.
Kirche froze.
Her eyes widened.
Her entire brain seemed to short-circuit.
Then—
BOOM.
She fell straight backward, legs stiff as boards, crashing onto the floor like a toppled statue.
The entire dining hall GASPED.
There was silence.
Then—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A noble girl FAINTED.
A nearby student dropped his entire lunch tray and ran out of the room screaming.
Another grabbed his friend. "She kissed Kirche! SHE KISSED KIRCHE!"
Masked Louise dusted off her hands. "And that, my dear friends, is what we in the business call a showstopper!"
She reached into her suit, pulled out a walking cane made of licorice, and twirled it before tipping her hat dramatically.
"Thank you! Thank you! You've been a wonderful audience!"
Then, as if defying all laws of physics, she **hopped backward into the air, spun like a ballerina, and DOVE straight into a floorboard that swallowed her up like a puddle.
With a loud POP!, she vanished.
The entire dining hall was left in absolute silence.
Kirche, still flat on the floor, was staring up at the ceiling, her pupils pinpricks.
Her face was bright red.
Guiche, standing nearby, leaned over slightly and whistled. "Kirche… are you okay?"
Kirche slowly turned her head toward him.
Then, in a completely deadpan voice, she said:
"…I have no idea what just happened."
Meanwhile, in an entirely different part of the academy, Masked Louise erupted from a potted plant, laughing maniacally as she cartwheeled down the halls, ready for her next act of insanity.
Welp. I don't even know what happened here. One moment, I was minding my own business, and then—BAM!—suddenly, I got the random urge to write another chapter, and now Louise is out here kissing Kirche, breaking reality, and causing a full-scale academy panic. I have no control over this anymore. This story is driving itself, and I'm just holding on for dear life. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this latest round of absolute nonsense!