Late yesterday night…
Location — Room Number #78, Glory Academy, Year 1 Male Dormitory.
[P-GC: Year-23, Sunhold, Day 50]
[207:59]
{3…}
{2…}
{1…}
[00:00]
[P-GC: Year-23, Sunhold, Day 51]
Gasp!
A young man, lying on the floor, gasps himself awake.
He looked around, eyes wide with disbelief—not just because the room was unfamiliar, but because the technology surrounding him was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
Alien. Years—maybe centuries—ahead of what he remembered.
The young man felt like he'd been suddenly shoved into the future without warning.
'What the fuck is happening?! I-I was dead?!... Wasn't I? Was that all a dream? But then why am I here? And…Where the fuck is "here" supposed to be?'
A myriad of questions flooded through his brain in an instant. But his chaotic thoughts suddenly stopped as he heard a single sound.
A sound so pure, so divine, it was like the bells of heaven themselves had rung just for him.
{Ding! System initialisation complete!}
For a moment, the young man stood frozen. Then, emotion surged through him—his knees nearly gave out.
'Is this real?'
It was real.
The young man felt like crying. Every dream, every fantasy, every web novel binge… it was all coming true at this moment.
'Please, lord, if this is a dream—I never want to wake up!'
Without hesitation, and remembering all of the endless entertainment he had consumed in his life, he performed the sacred ritual known to all chosen protagonists. He threw his hand forward and yelled—
"Status!"
—Perhaps a bit too enthusiastically.
In response, a delicately designed black panel shimmered into view before his eyes. It hovered weightlessly in front of him, semi-transparent and edged with thin lines of silver light glyphs that pulsed softly, like a heartbeat.
[Status]
-Name: Ryan Reidus
-Age: 16
-Race: [Human (Type 8)]
-Class: [None]
-Title: [None]
-Statistics: [Click to Expand]
-Traits: [None]
[Skills: Assimilation Duel]
The young man was buzzing with excitement at the thought of seeing his status screen—but the moment his eyes landed on his name, his brain short-circuited.
He bolted to the nearest mirror in a panic, with a racing heart and uneven breath.
But what he saw didn't at all help ease his alarm.
"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck!!!"
Staring back at him in the reflection was a blonde-haired young man with pale green eyes and a relatively smooth complexion. His features were unremarkably average.
The kind of face that could vanish in a crowd.
And it definitely wasn't his.
The only thing remotely notable was the body—lean, well-built. But 'Ryan' had no time to admire it.
Panic was already surging in his chest like a rising tide, drowning out every rational thought.
A mechanical chime drew his attention to the item on the nightstand.
His quivering hands put the silver bracelet on his wrist, and with a trembling finger, he clicked on the Connector—in the next instant, multiple holographic screens emerged.
'Ryan' immediately dismissed them and searched through multiple news archives.
[GlobalNet News Archive — Curated Historical Records]
[2179 — First Contact with the Akashic Library]
-A thought to be failed expedition into a dormant satellite uncovers a mysterious quantum artefact. Dubbed by the team as the "Akashic Gateway," this relic allows users to enter layered narrative realms through direct neural synchronisation. Early tests hint at infinite branching timelines and mysterious metaphysical phenomena. Click to access classified reports.
[2185 — Launch of Warcraft Online: A Journey Through Stories]
-Warcraft Online launches to global acclaim. Leveraging the Akashic Gateway, it offers unprecedented immersion by connecting players—now called Storywalkers—to the Akashic Library, an endless archive of worlds shaped by myth, history, and imagination. Early participants describe the experience as "more real than reality." Click for psychological analysis.
[2190 — Storywalker Powers Leak into Reality]
-Researchers confirm that advanced Storywalkers—those reaching C-Rank—can manifest abilities, stats, and concepts from the Akashic Library in the real world. Governments scramble to regulate this phenomenon. Click to see global policy shifts.
[2195 — The Shattering of Earth: The Great Collapse / The Great Cataclysm]
-The Uprising begins. Empowered Storywalkers "revolt" against the "authority that binds them"; their actions caused the fracturing of Earth's infrastructure and society. As these high-tier powers collide unchecked, the people are the ones who are left to suffer the consequences. The final survivor of the Akashic expedition, now known only as The Paragon, declares the Seven Supreme Laws, forming The Paragon Council, who act as the shield of Humanity. And the Judicator Corps, who act as its eternal sword. All breakers of these laws are now known as "Defiants" or "Violators". Unfortunately, Earth is ultimately rendered uninhabitable. Click to access restored memorial footage.
[ Post-Great Cataclysm Year 0 — Exodus to KOI-5715.01]
-Using repurposed Akashic algorithms and long-range jump drives, humanity migrates to KOI-5715.01—a lush, habitable planet far from Sol. The New Genesis Protocol begins. Life flourishes. Children born on KOI are faster, stronger, and smarter than any from the Old World. A new age of humanity dawns. Click to compare biological metrics.
[P-GC: Year 5 — Rebirth of Education: The Storywalker Academies]
-Standard education is phased out in favour of Storywalker Academies, where students learn through immersive journeys across the infinite timelines and realities within the Akashic Library. With the creation of these institutions, mortality rates plummet, while combat proficiency and cultural literacy reach unprecedented levels. Click for academy rankings.
[P-GC: Year 10 — AUREN Ascends: First AI Governor of KOI]
-The AI steward AUREN, originally designed for planetary terraforming, is elected to lead KOI's Environmental and Technological Harmony Initiative. Voter trust hits an all-time high, with 94% turnout. Experts debate whether synthetic minds are better suited for leadership in post-Akashic society. Click for philosophical discourse.
[P-GC: Year 15 — Rise of the Ten Heavens]
-The Ten Heavens—an elite group of S-Rank Storywalkers—are officially acknowledged as the strongest among all Storywalkers. With influence stretching across political, cultural, and even the worlds within the Akashic Library, they become both humanity's greatest protectors and most dangerous variables. Click for live power index rankings.
[P-GC: Year 20 — Interstellar Developments & Dimensional Diplomacy]
-Terraforming expands to KOI's twin moons and distant outposts. Meanwhile, negotiations begin with non-human intelligence discovered through high-level Akashic realms. A clash between two A-Rank Storywalkers results in the complete destruction of an entire neighbouring planet. Click to review causality stabilisation protocols.
[P-GC: Year 23, Day 1 — The Red Scar Incident]
-A massive red fissure appeared near Glory Academy's eastern training grounds, pulsing with an unknown energy and causing widespread disturbances. Three instructors were lost to Type-R Erasure after attempting containment. The Judicator Corps sealed the area in chrono-stasis. An unnamed first-year student somehow survived the appearance, returning bearing mysterious red glyphs. Click to see more information.
'Ryan's eyes glazed over.
His soul deflated. His pupils dulled like dying stars as he realised exactly where he was.
'I take it back, lord! I want a refund! Please send me back to my world! I don't want to live in this shitty novel!' 'Ryan' screamed internally, but his cries were destined to go unanswered.
And then, just as his panic threatened to burst into madness—
{Ding! You have acquired the skill [Calm Mind LV.1]!}
A cool stillness washed over him—It didn't feel at all like a sense of peace, nor did it remind him of the feeling of relief, but rather, like an ethereal hand slapped duct tape over his spiralling thoughts. The panic didn't disappear, but it now stood behind pacing behind a metaphorical panel of glass.
'Ryan' collapsed onto the bed, his legs giving out beneath him. The ceiling blurred. His heart thudded like a war drum, his head spinning.
'What the fuck am I supposed to do? This world—it's built on nightmares, Death flags, and Power-grinding psychos. I'm not built for this shit!'
And then, his mind freezes.
His breath caught in his throat.
Wait a minute…
No!
He didn't just think about 'it'.
I'm fucked!
He thought about 'it'.
That thing.
SHIT!
I JUST DID IT AGAIN!
"Fuck—Fuck! No... No no no—"
The moment the thought echoed again, cold sweat trickled down his spine. His body refused to move.
'Stop thinking about 'It'. Stop it. You're making it aware. You're making it—'
{INTRUSION DETECTED! ACTIVATING EMERGENCY PROTOCOL: [Veil of Silence].}
The system alerted!
A grinding, metallic shriek echoed in his skull, like rusted gears tearing through his neurons. 'Ryan' clutched his head, but it was too late.
Something ancient had brushed against him.
Something that shouldn't exist.
Cold. Not the kind that chilled the skin, but the kind that froze meaning itself. The air stopped, reality warped, and in the darkest corner of his thoughts—
He saw them.
Two crimson eyes, so red that they seemed to define the colour, stared down at him from beyond the veil of sanity. Wide and endless, like distant suns made of the purest malice.
The twin suns looked deep into his soul, as if weighing the idea of him... and finding it amusing.
A horrific laugh seemed to come from all around him. A soundless, shapeless violation that pressed against the inside of his skull, dragging wet nails across the walls of his mind. It felt like a sledgehammer had been rammed into his soul.
Then came a whisper not meant for mortal ears, it slipped into his mind, a voice that sounded like a choir of children screaming backwards:
"Found you."
'Ryan's mouth opened in a silent scream.
Then—snap.
Everything was yanked back. The pressure vanished like a curtain being slammed shut. The air returned. His body, once frozen, collapsed onto the floor. His heart hammered like it was trying to escape his ribs.
The system's voice returned.
{Apologies, Host. A sliver of trace echo breached containment. Connection to the [Red Crown] has been severed. Please refrain from invoking sealed designations. Cognitive shielding has been reinforced.}
'Ryan' didn't respond.
He was too busy not breathing. Terrified that if he made a sound, 'It' would find him again.
{Please calm down, Host. The system offers partial cognitive shielding against Class-Ω entities. You are permitted to think of 'that being' without alerting 'it'. Within limits.}
The message was like a divine decree, as if delivered by an angel. 'Ryan' even hallucinated, for a moment, he thought the system seemed cheerful.
"Partial shielding?" He whispered aloud, his voice hoarse. "So it can still… hear me… if I think too hard?"
{Correct. Excessive rumination may still generate metaphysical resonance. Please avoid prolonged focus on forbidden constructs. And under no circumstances—never invoke his true name.}
"True name, huh? I never read far enough into the novel. I dropped it when it started to get too depressing."
'But that knowledge would be pretty handy right about now.'
He sighed, staring at the wall.
He could feel it now—something just beyond his perception. A presence not watching, not listening… but waiting.
Something wearing the skin of a man, wreathed in red.
A calamity given form.
A god that never needed to be worshipped—only feared.
And he had thought of it twice.
But maybe that was just his imagination.
'I need to stop thinking,' 'Ryan' told himself, gripping the edge of the mattress like it might anchor him to reality.
'I need to get stronger. Fast. Or I'm not just going to die—I'm going to be remembered by something I should never have known existed.'
***
Location – Arisai District, New Kyoto.
The sun poured through the open window, painting the room in a golden glow. The wind carried the scent of cherry blossoms from the garden outside, where the sound of children playing could be heard below the balcony.
Birds chirped in the trees, but their noise was unable to distract the attention of the girl sitting at a desk, with her pale green eyes glued to the holographic screen in front of her.
Ryan — Unreachable.
The girl sighed, brushing a hand through her long, silky black hair. She let out a tired smile. Ryan didn't appear to be answering. Not for the first, the third, or the fifth time.
The message bubble blinked on the screen:
"Let me know when you're free to talk..."
The young woman stared at the message silently, debating whether to include emojis or not.
'No... I shouldn't. It would be weird...'
'Hmm... But without it, it seems too formal...'
Then, her mind froze. And she buried her face in her hands in shame.
'You idiot! He's in Glory Academy, of course, he wouldn't answer. It's probably like... Midnight around there! Ugh! You fool! How could you be so stupid! Now he's going to think you're desperate and never want to talk to you again!'
Before the girl could wallow in her despair further, a voice called from downstairs.
"Megumi! Lunch is ready!"
Megumi took a final glance at the holographic screen in front of her, before dismissing it, and walking to the door.
"I'm coming!"
________________________________________________________________________
Author Note
;)