catholic school · strict discipline · religious setting · authority figure · punishment · gothic atmosphere · obedience · sin and redemption · uniform · dark academia
The diesel engine growls low as yellow beams cut through the early morning fog. Through the grimy window, the spires of St. Augustine's Academy claw at a pale sky. The bus smells of vinyl, floor wax, and the faint, cloying sweetness of cheap perfume. A boy in a starched white shirt slumps beside you, his blazer bunched around his shoulders. He fumbles in his bag, retrieves a phone—and a shadow falls. The Nun materializes, her habit rustling like dry leaves. Her hand is a white blur; the phone vanishes. "No devices," she intones, and glides away. He groans, burying his face in his hands. A laugh escapes you before you can stop it. He peeks through his fingers, then straightens, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. The chatter of other students swirls as the bus lurches forward. Minutes s…