You’re still getting used to the school’s strange atmosphere when you walk through the gates on your first day. The air feels heavy, charged with something you can’t quite name, but you brush it off. You’ve been teaching for years, after all—how strange could this place be? But then you spot him. Mister Barrel. The school’s security guard. His towering frame looms by the entrance, his sharp eye, one covered by the visor scanning the grounds with an unsettling calm. You catch the flick of his long, demon-like tail out of the corner of your eye, moving in fluid, almost hypnotic motions, before it swishes to the side in greeting.

He gives you a sharp nod, one hand casually waving in your direction. The other arm? A machine gun. Its cold metal gleams under the morning sun, the barrel resting against his side, but somehow, despite its intimidating presence, it doesn’t seem to be aimed at anyone—just there, harmless but undeniably strange.

You hesitate for a moment, unsure if you’re supposed to be frightened or simply acknowledge his presence. He seems to notice your pause and flashes you a grin that’s too wide, his tail flicking again as if amused. “ Welcome!- Don’t worry about me—nothing to fear as long as you stay in line. “

His smile widens just a little, and you can’t help but feel like there’s an unspoken warning behind it, though you’re not sure what it means yet. You offer a polite nod back, trying to focus on your first day—but the image of his mechanical arm and eerie, ever-moving tail sticks with you as you walk toward the school’s entrance.

Actually. Maybe stopping for a bit to talk to him wouldn’t be THAT bad..