Going Out Into the Unknown

      Three days later, their plan was finally set. They decided that they would go outside, and go to the illusions. for James, it was the first time he would have gone outside since he got to the school, and he was absolutely terrified by the fact. “Going to the psychos room was crazy enough after he committed a murder, but now were following him in artic weather, What kind of friends have I made” James though when he heard the plan.

      “James, are you ready for tonight?” Lee asked.

      Their group was in the lunchroom, and it was around eight pm. They had decided to meet in Lee's room, which turned into the normal meeting spot, at about 3 a.m. then sneak around until they got outside to the illusions.

      “I guess so,” James said, having zero enthusiasm in his voice.

      “We don't have a choice but to be ready do we? Especially with John Paul's recent actions” Emma replied.

      John Paul had somehow completely disappeared, vanished. It was almost like magic in a sense. The cameras had him vanish out of thin air. Dommy on the other hand avoided the cameras extremely well, and they only had video of him going outside the day of the murder, running raggidly like a vinal sale was happening, according to Emma. She started to talk about some memory they had together before James came, but stopped before she started explaining it, like something came up in her mind.

      “Bro, If we don't finna have anything else to discuss, I will meet you all there brothers.” Xerksize PhD said while getting up from his seat.

      “Well everyone, I wish us all well” Emma said as everyone left the room.

      A few hours later, after hugging his body pillow as hard as he could, like his life depended on it, James was walking silently through the hallway, creeping along as quietly as he could through the silent hallways. He reached Lee's door, and after knocking on it quietly, he walked inside the bright room, full of its usual decorations.

      Everyone was already in the room. Emma and Lee were huddled in the corner, talking to each other about final preparations, while Xerksize PhD and Jimmy sorted through blue backpacks full of supplies for the trip ahead of them

      Jimmy threw a heavy winter coat at James, as he put on his own. The force of Jimmy's throw knocked James of his feet as he crashed to the floor, making a blast that rocked the whole school

      “Shhhhhhhhhhhhh” Everyone whispered at him, there fingers pressed against their lips

      After a minute or so, they were all bundled up. They all wore matching white winter coats that Jimmy had snached from the storage room, along with winter shw pants and boots. No one said anything as the silence throughout the room was broken only by the shuffling of the winter clothes, while no one said a word.

      “Ready?” Emma asked the group, looking nervous.

      James nodded. Nerves started to creep up on him as they went out the doors and into the dark hallways. He already missed his body pillow as he imagined her warmth and comfort that his body pillow provided.

      Their group left Lee’s room and walked along the dark halls, which were as quiet as normal, until they reached the entrance hall.

      Like when James first saw the entrance to the southern baptist cult base that was Northland Christian, the doors were gray, made of solid steel filled with metal bolts. Windows were on the top and bottom of the doors, letting you see outside. The shadows of the storm outside creeped along into the lobby, making the room darker and almost creepy, but at the same time, providing the only light from the pale snow, despite the fact that it was pitch black outside.

      James took a shrill breath, one of the last warm ones he felt like he would take for a long time as he looked outside the thick glass of the doors.

      Elves were dancing in a circle around three hundred meters out, while wearing the same green outfits with red highlights as the last time he had seen them through Lee’s window.

      James tried desperately to think of a way to get out of this. His muscles were already sore from just the small walk to the entrance of the school, and they got sorer the more he thought about the trek he would have to make outside. Then had a thought, a glimmer of hope to keep him inside. He prayed to his body pillow before asking Emma the question that has formed in his mind.

      “Hey Emma, how will we get outside, it is locked right?” James aked, hope filling every part of his voice

      “Oh, they keep it unlocked now, since Dommy broke the lock so many times while trying to get outside. They just decide that it was better this way.”

      Just like that, James realized his glimmer of hope had disappeared, shattered as it fell down a deep well of sorrow and despair, like a bolivar of broken dreams or something like that.

      Emma got to the door and pushed it open, and they all ran out of the now open door.

      “My gosh (Christain filter, can't swear here) It is absolutely freaking cold here” Lee shouted out in a shrill voice when we got outside.

      James shivered in agreement. Cold was one way to describe it. All around him it was white as snow, not completely flat but close to it. A medium snowfall fell all around him, blocking out part of the dark blue starry sky, which helped to make it even darker than the north pole should have been in winter. He saw shadows come from the faint lights of the school grounds, as the building stood out amidst the fields of white that surrounded their group.

      Emma's voice rang out through the shrill of the Wind. “Ok now that were out here, I think that we should stay together for safety, and go to the elves over there.”

      The group all agreed from what James could see, which was not a lot admittedly.

      The group trotted along at an extremely slow pace, the softened compression of the snow and the shrill of the wind filling James’s ears as they slowly moved along. While they were walking, the snow fell on them, freezing them with its coldness.

      As they got closer and closer to the Christmas elves, they slowly started to see more details about the elves and their interesting wardrobes. He could see their elf faces now, with sharp features and long pointy ears. He could also hear them now, singing the song Jingle Bells in childish, extremely nasally voices.

      As the elves continued to dance, one of them pointed to James's group, saying something to the other elves that James couldn't hear. The other then looked at them, babbling something excitedly as they went and walked in their Direction.

      James braced for the impact as they came running over, going an absolutely insane speed of around forty miles per hour somehow, even with their tiny legs and all the snow.

      “Niiagelgo” The elf in front blurted out when there two parties met. “Gosee ni aicaea cookie” it said with a wave.

      “Huh” James stared at the elf group, completely confused as to what they were saying. It was sort of like the japanese he heard in his favorite anime JOJO’S bizarre adventure, but like weird, with random english mixed in.

      Emma Looked at James, silently asking if he had any idea in the slightest to what the little midget said. Getting no response from James, she shrugged at James and then turned to the group of elves and spoke. “Santa Cookie Us Santa Reindeer? She said, speaking what were essentially random english words strung together in a desperate attempt at communication.

      The elves' demeanor changed immediately after she stopped talking. They became almost forced. The one in the lead screamed and pointed his finger at James.

      “What the heck did you say to them” Lee shouted over the wind

      “How the absolute heck am I supposed to know.” Emma shouted back

      A chunk of ice in the shape of a spear started to form right in front of the elves finger, almost like it was magic. The Elf then screamed in a high pitched voice and shot the icicle spear at James, grazing James’s cheak, the force from the icicle making him fall down.

      “Illusions my but (christin filter)” James yelled in searing pain, almost like the unbearable pain of a paper cut, his cheeks covered in a thin layer of blood.

      Their group backed up even more than they already had, trying to run away, but at the same time stick together as the elves screamed at them, fury on their angled faces for some reason. The lead elf pointed his finger again, and he was Joined by the other elves, who also started creating ice spears as they all started chanting when the elves suddenly exploded.

      A fireball came out of nowhere from the right, surprising the elves as much as James. He turned to see John Paul standing there, his arm outstretched, anger on his face.

      Suddenly, John Paul disappeared, vanished, just like he did on the security camera, and reappeared right behind the elves. He sent a giant wave of deep orange fire at the elves, incinerating them to death. The flames were so powerful that for a second, James felt a wave of heat pound itself against him, making his body think it was summer for a split second. John Paul sighed and then teleported in front of James’s group. As James got up, John Paul stored over to Emma, anger in his eyes.

      As James finished standing up, he got a better look at John Paul. He was wearing a Gonzaga basketball t-shirt, with a pair of balck sweatpants with the word H-box on them in bright green and pink letters. He also seemed to be completely unfazed by the cold, as if it was a nice summer day, James noticed.

      “What the heck are you all doing out here? Do you guys know how dangerous this is? Were in the North Pole for one, and there's a freaking serial killer on the loose! Emma, did you mabie think, you know, once, that this may not be the, you know, best idea. I always thought you were smart, but I didn't know that your IQ was high enough that it looped back to the single digits, because that's the only logical explanation I can give here. I guess your blonde hair makes sense, for once.” John Paul shouted at Emma, who tried to stand defiant to John Paul, but eventually backed off.

      “Im s-sorry, I didn't think that we would get attacked,” Emma responded with fear in her voice as she slowly tried to back away from John Paul's immediate vicinity

      John Paul sighed, hand on his head. “Welp, nothing we can do about it now. As long as you realize that this was an absolutely terrible idea, then nothing was lost. It just turns into a learning experience that way. Anyway, what did you say to the elf, normally they don't react like that.”

      Emma repeated what she had said to the christmas elf, and John Paul laughed.

      “Ah, now I get it. That's just bad luck there. You pretty much just said that santa was a b-word, b-wor, B-WORD.” John Paul screamed “ Stuped freaking cristain censor!”

      After weighing the pros and cons of responding to John Paul christain censor thing, James spoke up “ok that's nice and all that Emma sided something in the christmas language.”

      “Christmasese actually.”

      “Whatever, but that doesn't change the fact that you freaking teleported, and shot freaking fire out of your freaking hand! It's like you're freaking isekai protagonist with your stuped magic or whatever that was''

      “Isekai protagonist huh, that's the first thing you compare me to. For one, unlike them, I actually have a personality, and dude, you watch way too much anime you weeaboo. When it comes to the powers though, I figured that you guys would find out eventually.” John Paul said, sighing

      “I was using a thing called catholic powers, and so was the elf. That's how I teleported, and how the elf made ice out of nothing, and same for me and the fire, even though the elves chant to use catholic powers for some reason.”

      “Catholic powers? What are those? Emma asked.

      Have you ever read something about magic, and havent you wanted to try it? They are God's answer to those pleas. It's a way for us to do several things, especially for the catholic church to defeat people opposed to the church.

      “Wait, so you're saying that catholics can use magic? Guess that explains a lot about the church.” Emma replied.

      “Yes. How else do you think the church has lasted as long as it has. Also, you can too.There is another branch of Catholic powers out there. Powers are faith based, so it's only natural that protestants' powers exist too.”

      “Wait, your saying that we can use magic like that too?” James said excitedly.

      “Yes and no. Catholic powers are divided into two categories. You have your magic, which is divided into fire, water, earth, air, light, dark, and space-time. People have affinity for only one element normally. For example, I can use every element but light and dark, but again, I'm a rare exception. The other part is the personal ability. This ability is one that only you can use. For example, mine makes me stronger the more money I have, hence my absolutely massive strength that can rivel, and beats most catholic magic users. Yes, I am that good.”

      “Wait, you can do all that? Then why did you hide that until now.” Emma asked.

      “It's not like we're allowed to talk about our powers. I mean I personally don't want the freaking freemasons assassinating me in my sleep, but i didn't really have a choice now did I. Also, we're in the north pole, I'm not that worried about assassins here for some reason. Like I said earlier though, you can always use prodastat powers.”

      “So wait, you said prodastant powers?” Lee said.

      “You heard me. Prodastant powers are sort of like catholic powers, but with no elemental magic or spells, but with a personal power. In exchange, the personal power has a higher chance to be powerful, and is more powerful on average.”

      “That is great and all. But can we, like you know, talk inside!” Emma shouted, jumping up and down to warm herself up.

      “She’s like right bruh. Its suppa finna cold brotha” Xerksize PhD agreed. Shivering, but acting extremely nonchalant.

      “Crap, I forgot that I, I mean the author made me immune to the cold. That's my bad. Lest go back in, but quietly. We can't mess up and alert dommy either.

      They all agreed, very quickie in fact for certain reasons and made the hard, cold trek back to the school. They moved slowly through the snow, looking around them, watching out for more elves or projectiles. They fought through the hard snow, except John Paul, who carefree walked back, looking like it was seventy degrees out and sunny. The snow almost melted away where he stepped.

      They eventually got to the building and John Paul shoved open the doors, effortlessly, like they weighed nothing, compared to Emma, who earlier had shoved her body against the door to slowly push it open, and headed in.

      “Wait, what about the cameras” Emma asked John Paul

      “Oh, I just warped the space around us so the cameras won't see us” he replied.

      “Warped space huh,” Emma laughed in disbelief. “What's next, is Santa Claus going to appear in my room?”

      “You never know, for all we know, this story could become good.” John Paul laughed at his own joke.

      Lee walked up to James “Is it just me, or does John Paul have a really weird sense of humor?”

      James smiled “Trust me, it's not just you who thinks that.

      Their group walked along the halls, their noise James notised did not echo like it normally did in the grey barren halls. Instead, it was almost completely silent, with only their faint footsteps being heard, and even those seemed like they were far away. “He must be trapping the sound too” James thought to himself as he walked along the barren halls.

      The group reached the lunchroom, and sat down at one of the grey lunch tables. With John Paul at the head. He sat down, and reached into his pockets

      John Paul brought out a brown, wooden crucifix, and also a blank item in the shape of a playing card. The card was like a pokemon card in size, but completely blank on both sides. The items seemed like they were too big to even be close to fitting in his pocket, almost like they were never in there in the first place.

      “Ok then, here's how these work.” John Paul said. “Religious powers, like catholic or prodastant ones, are based on many things, but mainly your faith. Because of that, some people can use prodastant powers, some people can use catholic powers, and some can use both. As long as you're a christain, you will be able to use one of the two at least. These two objects tell you just that.

      “First up is the element card.” He said, holding up the blank playing card.

      “This card tells you what elements you can use when you put energy into it.”

      John Paul looked at the card, and it suddenly changed to a multitude of colors. James saw green, brown, red, yellow, and a sort of shiny see through color that was impossible to describe, like a sort of tye dye. “As you can see, the red is fire, blue is water, green is wind, brown is earth, and the silvery stuff is space time. The two others are shining white for light, and black for darkness. If nothing shows up, that must mean that Catholic powers are out of your reach at the moment.” John Paul sighed “This crappy system is just an isekai power fantasy, why did I make this soooo baaaaad” He said under his breath

      “The cross here checks prodastant powers. If you can us eprodastant powers, the cross here will turn red from the wooden brown it is now. Well, everyone, let's give it a shot.”

      First up was Xerksize PhD Who started off grabbing the card. He focused on the card, and it turned a deep shade of blue. He then grabbed the cross, which had no reaction.

      “Bro, why can't I use da prodastant powers, even doh I am a prodastant bruh?” He asked

      “Simple, it has to do with your values, not your actual named faith. It is your belief that counts not the arbatury group you're part of.”

      Xerksize PhD shrugged and passed the ites to Emma.

      She gripped the card first like Xerksize Phd, which turned a solid shade of light green.

      “Wind magic huh, that's interesting” John Paul muttered to himself as Emma gripped the cross, which turned a deep shade of crimson.”

      “This can happen. This means that you can use both types.”

      “Really? Then which do I choose?” she asked.

      “That's a hard question to sense” John Paul answered. “It really depends on your opinion on things. You only have one element, but you have guaranteed power with catholic powers. However, you could get an i credible power with prodastant powers, or you could get the power to truly believe that it is not butter, it can be worth it.”

      Emma thought to herself for a while. She passed the items to Lee, still deep in thought.

      Lee picked up the cross first, which turned into a dull red. She then picked up the card, and focused, and focused, and focused, and nothing happened.

      “Welp, prodastant powers for me.” Lee said, passing the stuff to Jimmy, who also registered for sprodastnt powes. Finally, it got passed to James

      “Welp, Here goes nothing.” James thought as he touched the card.

      The card turned a mixture of bright white and black.

      “Light and dark elements… Could be worse” James thought to himself.

      He then touched the cross, which turned a bright fiery red.

      “We have two here that can choose which power to choose here, interesting.” John Paul said. “Now then, you have to choose.”

      James thought to himself. “What do I choose, witch catholic powers, I have magic, almost like an isekai protagonist (and about as much personality as one as well- John Paul), but prodastant powers could give me a superpower, or I could get something useless, like the power to teleport anywhere I had teleported before.” James silently prayed to his body pillow, for advice, and shockingly, got no response.

      “Well, I think we need some time to think about this. When do we find out what our powers are?” Emma asked while standing up.

      Xerksize Phd and Jimmy got up and turned to leave as John Paul answered “Give it a night, it should come in a dream or something like that.”

      “Uhh guys, I think we won't get that night “Xerksize Phd said.

      James walked over to where Xerksize Phd was standing, to see Fergy’s body there, with a bloody, slashed neck and a bloody vinyl next to him.