The Assassin In Twisted Wonderland

Schemer of the Scandling Sands

In a dream, Enma found himself transported to a desert. As he looked around, he couldn't help but notice the arid landscape. Suddenly, he saw Jafar riding on a horse and talking to a man named Gazeem. Jafar scolded Gazeem for being late, but Gazeem apologized and claimed to have what Jafar needed. Jafar assured him that he would be rewarded.

A trail of lights appeared and flew through the desert, prompting Jafar to command his horse to follow it. Eventually, they arrived at a cave shaped like a tiger's mouth. Jafar gleefully proclaimed that it was the Cave of Wonders, while his parrot, Lago, echoed his words.

Jafar ordered Gazeem to enter the cave and retrieve the lamp. As Gazeem approached, the cave spoke and demanded to know who disturbed its slumber.

Enma's dream then shifted, and he found himself retreating from the mirror. As he woke up in the morning, he rubbed his eyes and wondered why he had dreamt of a desert.

In the hallway, Enma and his feline companion descended the stairs and encountered a trio of ghosts. Fit asked Enma why he looked tired, teasingly suggesting that he had seen a ghost. Enma dismissed their remarks, explaining that he was used to ghosts and not afraid of them. Skinny encouraged him to shine on his last day of the fall semester and not mess up.

The conversation turned to the upcoming winter holiday, which Enma and Grim seemed unaware of. Fit explained that it was a time when students went home to celebrate the new year with their families and enjoyed festive meals. The mention of food grabbed Grim's attention, and he expressed his excitement. The ghosts chimed in, mentioning that some ghosts also went home to the netherworld for the holidays.

Grim became intrigued by the idea of spending time with family and enjoying a feast. Enma, curious about Grim's family, asked about them. Grim revealed that he didn't remember his family and woke up hungry and alone. He described waiting for someone to come and get him but couldn't recall what happened next. Despite his murky past, Grim had a positive outlook and aspired to become a wealthy and powerful sorcerer.

The ghosts couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards Grim. Fit suggested that Grim join them by the fireplace for the holidays, and Skinny added that there would be delicious food. Grim enthusiastically accepted, eager to indulge in holiday cheer.

Meanwhile, outside on the streets, Tokaku was in the midst of her morning run. After completing a few laps, she decided to take a moment to catch her breath. It was during this short break that she coincidentally ran into her friend, Jack, who was also out jogging.

"Tokaku!" called the light silver-haired male, a smile on his face.

"Jack?" The girl looked at him in surprise.

"Are you doing a morning run now?" Jack asked, genuinely curious.

"Yes. It's been a while since I started." Tokaku replied, returning the question. "So, do you also go for runs in the morning?"

"Yep, I've always done my laps around the field near my dorm. But today, I felt like trying out a different place." The light silver-haired male explained.

Just as they were talking, a sudden cold wind blew, causing both of them to shiver.

"It's cold," Tokaku remarked, rubbing her arms.

"Yeah, winter is almost here. Tomorrow, the winter holiday begins. Hey, Tokaku, since you're not from here, how are you planning to spend your time off?" Jack inquired.

"Azul actually informed me about that. He and the twins won't be going back to their hometowns because the entire place will be frozen over. So they'll be staying in Octavinelle for the whole holiday." The girl shared.