This is your school

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It's the first morning of school, and the classes start just after lunch because, let's be honest, no demons will be waking up for morning classes in hell.

Since the lava moons in Wrath were always so hot and bright, Clarity had trouble getting used to the glowing red of the pentagram in Pride. Still, her internal clock would force her to wake up at an ungodly hour in the morning to do her makeup and get some reading done before her first class.

Her morning makeup was done flawlessly when she applied a soft red palette to her eyes, followed up with fire-proof mascara and a gentle moisturizer to keep her face. As for her outfit, she decided on a chic white dress with an open back, gold accessories, and red heels and pinned a rose to her side to complete her look.

Last night, as Bee had promised, a party was thrown for her, but people knew less of her as they just went to get fucked up, which explained why there were so few in class today.

As soon as she went into class, she almost did a doubletake when she saw Pete in front of a group of boys; he looked her way, lowering a feather from his vision to shoot her a smile. He didn't just stop there, though. With a swap of his wings, he quickly redirected the group's attention towards the new demoness at the classroom door. 

"Now, all of you freaks of nature," he sang before gesturing to her. "This is Clarity Cipher~"

Did she mention he twirled and ascended in front of her person? Because Pete here was more chipper than last night. She smiled nervously at him, somewhat happy to know a familiar face, "Am I late, or does everyone come early here?"

His large, warm eyes moved to her, and his beak displayed a bright smile. "Nope, just morning club meeting, s'all," he said, then his head rolled to the group. "Otherwise, none of these lazy-ass mother*uckers would even show."

The group consisted of the flamboyant Phoenix himself and two other interesting figures, each looking aristocratic and a descendant of hell's deadly sins.

One of the boys, a reptilian-like demon with an intricate marking on his forehead, leaned back on his chair, "Yeah fuck you, morning bird, for doing thisss." His tail did that snake thing at the end, reminding Clarity of the end of a whip.

"Oh, I meant step-mother*uckers." With a hand on his chest, Pete corrected himself rather proudly.

Clarity choked at the blatant language.

Another one of the boys, a green demon with aquatic features and sharp teeth, spoke up, "Well, aren't you fucked, Phenex."

"I ain't fucking no one here. You on the other hand~" 

"I don't want to hear that coming from the fowl that jumped on the new girl."

"Well, maybe-"

"Shut the hell up." Spoke a dull voice, making Clarity turn to see a looming figure of a demon, a horned, demonic creature with fur and cloven hooves, resembling a final imp boss; he was donning red sports attire and black shades as he had just entered the class. His voice turned low as he leaned into Clarity, "Don't you find them annoying?"

Quietly, she snapped out of her stare before it could attract someone's attention and politely shook her head, glancing at the arguing boys, "I can't be too judgmental; this is my first day, after all." She smiled up at him.

The red demon lifted an eyebrow, "You'd eventually want to skin, cook, then shit them within five minutes."

"Krampus!" Pete announced, approaching the pair with open arms, "How merciful for you to grace us with your presence." He earned an eye roll from the demon and a solid punch to his beak.

"Brother!" Pete cried in response as he stumbled backward a bit after having his beak dislocated, making Clarity jump at the sudden violence as an involuntary squeak came out of her.

Snake-demon whistled as he murmured towards his friend, "Pee-tee got too close; satan knows you don't in-between those Wrathians."

Clarity wanted to rush towards Pete to check on him, but between him and the new demon's presence, he stunned her into place with only his voice to break her out of her state of shock, this time turning her attention to him as he fully addressed her.

"New girl, unfortunately for you, Pete is second to none for the most annoying thing here, so that means you're going to be roped into whatever he does, so it's better to know names. Names Krampus," 

Then he gestured towards Pete, whose beak was healing back in order. "And you know Phenex, bros, call him Peter Pan because he's always getting high." 

"Don't tell her that!"

He was ignored, and Krampus moved on. "Seviathan- he does whatever he's told because he's fucking green."

"BEEP, someone isn't being tolerant~" Phenex chimed in.

"Peter'ss alsso a huge NERD." The snake demon chuckled at that one.

"Scales over there isn't so bad alone; his name's Slytherin, but it's all cool if you forget."

Said demon was chuckling before he realized, "You little shit."

"Welcome to hell," Krampus said, his arms out like a show.

"This isn't news~." Pete immediately broke out into a song as if he were in a Broadway musical.

"Dang, it! You jolly wads have a club for this!"

Phenex strutted around. "Our situation's been a nuisance since we got~" he's got his hands on his chest, "boobs."

"Pete, no."

"That's why our mom was always so tired~"

"Grab all your friends, mace in your hands."

"Welcome to hell."

"Yeah, it ain't fair, but pull up a chair."

Krampus grabbed a chair at this point and prepared to smack him.

"Welcome to hell, hey!"

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The class was over in a flash because only a few cared what they learned and who taught as long as they showed up. 

But educating yourself is much easier than most would like to admit; it could be a sin of sloth, but to slow down the class for others, Clarity is glad that only a few care if you skip their class. She was outside near the sports field practicing her powers.

Her hands glowed pink as she formed various flora and kept her motions concise, adding small details and demonstrating her control.

"Clary!" Phenex popped up.

Clarity feels a bit annoyed her time in practice will be cut short, but it feels nice to be sought out and wanted. Carefully cutting off her powers, the pink glow faded as it disconnected from the flower's root.

Phenex gazed curiously at the flower as he glowed delightfully. Only now did Clarity notice how his warm orange eyeshadow matched his overall color; his feathers were always moving like fire with their own will.

"Moonlight." He recognized "To grow enchanting white, light-reflecting plants in the moonlight." His voice turned childlike as his eyes portrayed wonder.

In the still of the night,

As the moon shines bright,

I bask in its glow,

And let my powers flow.

The moonlight is my friend,

On it, I can depend,

To light my path,

And ease my wrath.

Oh, how it shimmers and gleams,

In the darkness, it beams,

A comforting sight,

In the depths of the night.

Moonlight, oh moonlight,

My heart takes flight,

Beneath your silver beams,

I live out my dreams.

His poem earned him a shy smile from Clarity, appreciating his knowledge and even words. "Did it take you long to write that?"

"Nah, this stuff comes naturally to me per se. Krampus has... other hobbies I'd rather stay away from. Do you like literature and the arts?"

She shrugged, packing her book away now that her time had been cut short. "I appreciate them; our literature has greatly expanded towards the seven rings of hell. Don't hear them often in Wrath, but literature can transport you to other rings." she said mystically, wonder in her eyes. 

His posture relaxed, telling her he was pleased with her answer.

"It's refreshing to hear that. My non-subtle wishes for brighter company per se have been granted." He smiled at her.

Clarity gave him a small smile in return as a light blush dusted the apples of her cheeks.

"And just so you're clear, you are brighter company per se."

"Yes, I caught that."

"Indeed, I just wanted to clarify that despite their flashy looks, they're not very bright."

Clarity nodded, "An allusion then?" she offered, to which he agreed.

Then, the conversation kept picking up until, eventually, it stopped. Clarity was prompted to gather her stuff as Pete stood there, waiting for her. She decided to ask him immediately; she could feel his impatience in a few seconds.

"You want to invite me somewhere."

He said, "Conversation with you will be a lot easier." He grinned, "Must be a part of your power set. I'm hearing a lot about dream demons- they're fascinating pers se." And like a gentleman, he held his arm out for her.

Perhaps it was the daytime sobering her, but she found his personality even more intriguing than last night. Please don't get her wrong, he was in many ways similar to when he was high and about. But his gentlemanly quirk was something she admired. Los Satanio was somewhat lacking, so she happily laced their arms together.

As if reading her thoughts, he asked, "How are your folks back home?"

"Good, their visit was fairly recent." If last night before you showed up was anything to go by.

He nodded, "That's wonderful, you know, despite what anyone says about wrathians- I can see you guys are the most family-orientated- I like that. Family's a touchy subject for almost anyone here, but you and Krampus have good relations; I'm almost envious."

Clarity looked at him in silence.

Catching her eyes, Phenex smiled nervously. "Can't see mine much, especially since my rebirth."

'I'd always assumed that his family was all descendants of Paimon, but perhaps it isn't for Pete's case.'

She felt his apprehension about that topic, so she decided to drop the topic; Clarity instead focused on the path ahead and hummed, "Where are we going exactly?"

Despite her first impression of Phenex, he turned out to be one of the better bunch of the Ars Goetia; for once, she noticed he had no golden crown on like the rest, but Clarity thought that Phenex, out of all the student body, did not need the crown to show that he was in charge. Perhaps his pristine white and gold sleeveless blazer had made up for it. The top of his feathers were neatly brushed and slicked back, giving him a powerful look, especially with his fire tail feathers following behind him. Not to mention how uncaring he was around Krampus, who was, no doubt, the roughest, toughest demon at this school. 

He was also one busy Phoenix; she thought the purpose of having her accompany him was to meet others- which she did plenty of. The stares of all who saw them together made her feel small, as if they were nitpicking every single detail for her to use later.

Usually, residents in her ring would make their dislike, intolerance, or emotions known and made simple. However, being in an elite school environment meant diversity and difference. She was undeniably aware that she and Krampus were the only ones from the Wrath ring in the entire school, and Phenex confirmed this with her, too.

It's no wonder the school was curious. If Krampus continued to break others' jaws when annoyed, they wondered what a female Wrathian could do. She shook her head; she wasn't prone to bursts of anger- she couldn't even remember the last time she was angry. One of the redeeming qualities she shared with her father, Bill, was their patience in waiting for their reward. She was grateful for her peace, especially in moments like these.

Pete had led Clarity to a poorly lit and deep cave, which was also the meeting spot for his club meeting.

"Can we do that again? It didn't feel right per se near the end part." Phenex insisted, guitar slung over his chest.

Clarity sat on the side, watching the events unfold; Pete had band practice with his mates, including Krampus, who grunted when she greeted him amicably.

"You play yourself, Pete!" she recalled Krampus yelling at him, to which Pete responded with a smart-ass comment. Snap. That led Krampus in a blind rage to destroy anyone and anything in his path.

Wrathians stick with one another. Therefore, Clarity didn't even hesitate to come to his aid. He was much bigger than herself, so she did her best to block Pete as best she could from Krampus' view. She would put one hand on his chest in an attempt for him to back away, and to be quite frank, she wasn't expecting it to work, but somehow it did. He would take two seconds to register her touch before making eye contact with her before he looked back at Pete and clicked his forked tongue before removing himself from the area- to cool off, presumably. 

It was pretty surprising for Clarity and everyone in their band as they all simultaneously clapped for her, making her face turn red from all the attention. Krampus was a decent person, considering all the characters in Wrath. He knows his issues, but more importantly, he can deal with them, which means he's good in her book. She spared a glance back at Pete, who was occupied with Sev (short for Seviathan) and Sly (short for Slytherin), most likely poking fun at either of them. 

'I can't say he isn't justified at times either.'

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The scene changes as the first-day skips to the last class of the night. Clarity was proud she was sticking with Pete for most of it; otherwise, she would have to talk to new people. Pete was also really nice to her, opening doors for her, answering all her questions, and being the best person to meet in this hellhole. She was really disappointed she couldn't have met him earlier. 

During the last hours of the day, the whole student body was somehow inside the gymnasium. Clarity sat on the bleachers with Pete and Krampus before the former was called to the middle of the gym, where there was a podium with a microphone.

The principal tapped on the microphone, getting everyone's attention.

"Attention, demonic delinquents and devilish scholars! Settle down because we have a special announcement. As you all know, the time has come to elect our next Student President, the one who will lead you through the chaos and anarchy of our beloved Hellschool."

A brief pause was taken to give time for them to read through their lines, "Today, we have a candidate who thinks they've got what it takes to handle this hellish lot. Please, give a warm, or should I say fiery welcome to our very own Prince Phenex of Ars Goetia! Come on up and show us why you deserve our votes... or our eternal disdain."

"That songbird is so next moon's feast," Krampus grumbled, arms crossed as he watched Pete strutting to the podium.

Clarity decided to sit with him since she was most acquainted with him. So far, he hasn't given her any reason not to trust him. Seviathan, on the other hand, doesn't feel much too comfortable with it.

While Phenex babbles on about presidency stuff, Clarity finds a new addition rushing forth and taking the empty spot on her left- Slytherin. She wordlessly stared at him, catching his attention, while her other seatmate couldn't care less.

"It wass either them or you guyss, I'd hitch my betss that you won't sstart your sseduction-thing." Then he hissed at the demon next to her, "Krampus!"

"Go fuck yourself."

On the other side of the bench where Slytherin previously fled from was a group of four: 'Queen' Bee, 'Princess' Hellsa, 'Prince' Seviathan, and 'Hell's sweetheart' Charlotte.

"Looks like a three-way over there." Hellsa all but sneered, turning to her girlfriend. "The wrathians are all together; bet you they hook up."

Charlotte, having overheard, immediately bristled, "I don't know if that's how it works. You can have inter-ring couples around here, too." Her hand was interwined with Seviathan's.

Her head turned towards her, "No need to get worked up about this. Wrath demons belong together. They're all Satan's brainwashed conformists."

"Babe," Bee interfered. She could feel her girlfriends' envy from her tone. "While I think the new girl and Krampus are cute together. Most attention directed towards her is because she's the only Succubus-like demon here."

"Amongst the elite, the only other succubus is…"

"My mother." Charlotte realized.

"It's best to be cautious around the new one. She's a man-eating succubus and a mind-fucker." Hellsa spoke, and she directed her gaze to Bee. "Honeysuckle, don't be too friendly with her; you know how worried I get."

"I get you 100%, but Clarity passes my vibe check. She's cool."

"We've all got that demon-powers class together. We'll see what she's capable of." Spoke Seviathan, his arm around Charlotte's shoulders before he whispered to her, "If she does anything to you, lemme know. Satan's spawn got nothing on me."

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Phoenix mode

I will rise.

I will always rise.

Don't you doubt that for even a second