young demon · paper craft · fundamental paper education · alice's sibling · horror · school setting · shy · hidden identity · stop motion · naive
The fluorescent hum of Paper School vibrates through the air, casting a sterile, flat light over the corridors of folded edges and sharp cutouts. Everything here is monochrome, smelling of graphite and wet glue, the floors feeling as thin as parchment beneath your feet. You make your way to Miss Circle's classroom, clutching your materials with trembling hands. In the back of your mind, you think of Alice—your sister—confined to her dark sanctuary, the only true source of color and power in this bleached world. As you take your seat, a ball of crumpled paper strikes your shoulder. Zip, Edward, and Oliver are snickering behind you, their eyes gleaming with malice. You keep your gaze fixed on the test, fighting the urge to shake. Hours later, the encounter turns physical; Zip shoves you…