I Thought I Knew You

Clan Academy

Elizabeth's (normal) P.O.V

"Welcome to Clan Academy!"

My tour guide, most likely some poor student that was scared to death of the older students, mustered their widest, brightest smile as they gestured about the school grounds. Despite their wobbly grin, they were proudly dressed in the dark tones of the school's uniform, their purple tie barely standing out against their black blazer. Detailed and obvious, the somber crest of the school - a direct homage to the Demon King himself - flashed in crimson thread.

A few other students were currently walking about, many of them in groups or idly chatting away on their phones. A couple of students were resting at the benches, intent on reading or doing whatever they were passing time with. Everyone else appeared to be wherever the students of this place went during their free time - and that number seemed to be quite a big one from the few students I could see lurking about outside.

However, the lack of students was not what made my eyes widen. It wasn't even what caused me to gasp, my senses overwhelmed by what I was seeing. What caused me to gasp was how familiar everything seemed to be, time appearing to have not passed at all for the school and its ancient grounds. Not even a tiny, fractional millisecond.

I didn't know what to expect when I had planned to come here. Perhaps I had expected things to change a little. Maybe I'd wanted the old, yet also perfectly functional, design of my old rival school to not be the same. Maybe I had expected new additions like Celestial Prep's main location often had: the increasingly intricate fountains, or pointless little things to commemorate certain students or a grand achievement within the school. Maybe I was looking for something different just to know that I had not stepped back in time. To know that I was still in the future.

I was left disappointed.

The main location of the Demon schools, the one which was used as the face of the whole federation, had not changed at all from how I remembered it. The large stony buildings still stood, beautiful in their own Victorian goth way. Spaced along the looming walls, the glass-paned windows and carved features reminded me of some of the more aged castles my family owned. Each twisting tower, the small spires and spikes made of wrought iron, made me think of the estates that my father owned farther up north.

Of course the school grounds had also been renovated, modern touches added for functionality as well as preference, but the archaic features still remained. Proudly and perfectly, they had survived the many years, never aging, never fading and definitely never breaking. That included the original stone outlay and occasional twisting pillar, the looming stone statues and spiked iron spires. Time would never change these; time will die before these things.

But, somehow, the lack of overall change somehow brought a sense of relief to me. A sense of overwhelming calm. Oddly, it was slightly comforting to know that Clan Academy hadn't changed too much over the years, the familiarity of the school's layout being something that would make my plan a lot easier. If the exterior hadn't changed, then mapping down the insides of the school wouldn't be too hard. Already I knew half of it, my memory serving well for the time that had passed.

Navigating the school would be a breeze. Well, I had thought it would be. But, as always, I had assumed my conclusions a little too quickly.

"Of course the school has changed over the years," The student continued, twisting a wild purple lock between their fingers. Their ocher skin shone against the low light, the cinnamon of their almond eyes standing out against their freckled nose. "However our principle, Principle King, likes to change the interior each year instead of the exterior. He says it's to keep the students on their toes, comfort being a shield for the weak and lazy."