Death is the permanent, complete and utter cessation of all functions of any operational body.
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A world of ice was all there was.
Frozen corpses littered the world like discarded trash.
The bodies of beings, incomprehensible and as large as mountains, were a common sight.
In that tundra reality, a single individual stood.
Their back was clearly visible through the frost, bearing a marking resembling a distorted circle.
Their white hair blended seamlessly with the frozen world.
Suddenly, they flinched and began to turn back. The world quaked as their eyes almost met mine.
Then, everything went black.
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"Oi, Wilhelm, get up!" A voice startled Wilhelm awake.
His panicked state of mind gradually calmed as he looked at his surroundings.
The Mountain of Prosperity.
The grand greenery could have awestruck the average stranger, yet Wilhelm was used to it. He looked to his side and saw his friend, Morgan.
"Oi, don't tell me you actually dozed off there! I thought you were just pretending!" Morgan exclaimed, studying Wilhelm's face in surprise.
Wilhelm sighed, giving a sheepish smile.
"Guess I did." He stood up, feeling the spring air caress his face.
"Oi, don't fall asleep again!" Morgan slapped the back of Wilhelm's head.
"You have to go to the opening ceremony of The Western Academy!" Morgan urged.
Wilhelm's eyes widened in shock.
"Wait, that's today!?" He didn't wait for an answer, immediately breaking into a run.
"Run, Wilhelm, run!" Morgan shouted after him, watching his friend sprint away.
"Man, I hope I don't sleep through the ceremony like him," Morgan muttered, sighing as he said a silent prayer.
Meanwhile, Wilhelm ran as if there were no tomorrow. Even though his mortal body hadn't yet begun the refining process, he astoundingly covered several kilometers in just ten minutes.
As the Mountain of Prosperity's boundary finally came into view, Wilhelm let out a gleeful shout, jumping as he ran in hopes of gaining more speed.
Suddenly, he noticed a guard stationed near the gate at the path's end.
"Move! I'm going to be late!" Wilhelm shouted.
The guard frowned, but then his gaze fell upon the insignia on Wilhelm's chest. Recognition glimmered in his eyes as he swiftly stepped aside to let Wilhelm pass.
Wilhelm ran and ran, passing buildings and people who glanced at his 'peculiar' style of running. The adults shot him disturbed looks, while the children giggled.
"Come on! Faster!" Wilhelm gritted his teeth, feeling exhaustion creeping up at last.
Soon, he instinctively began to slow down. His vision blurred, and he struggled to catch his breath.
Unable to see clearly, he could only hope he was heading in the right direction.
"Shit," he thought, stumbling as fatigue overtook him. Suddenly, he glimpsed a large construct ahead.
"There!" Wilhelm recognized it as the teleportation circle.
Just a few more steps, only a few more, and he—
THUD!
Without realizing it, Wilhelm collapsed onto the ground.
"No!" he groaned in pain and despair.
As his consciousness began to fade, he struggled to move until, at last, he slipped into unconsciousness.
People nearby were about to help him—some even starting to approach—when they stopped and, inexplicably, walked away.
All except a single individual.
It was a middle-aged man, his face lined with deep wrinkles and his lips curled into a smile.
"Let's give you a hand."
As clarity returned to Wilhelm's mind, he was assaulted by a blinding wave of light.
"What the…" Wilhelm raised his arms to block the light, trying to make sense of his situation. Then everything came flooding back:
His dreams.
Dozing off on the mountain.
Running to catch the teleportation circle.
And failing.
"I… fell." Wilhelm thought, dispirited. The academy would have plenty of challenges, and though he'd expected to stumble at some point, he hadn't thought that a quick nap would be what took him down.
Bitterness welled up as he glanced around. Contrary to his expectations, he wasn't in a wooden room, but a sleek, white chamber.
"Aha! You're finally awake!" A voice called out as he turned, spotting a girl nearby.
There was nothing particularly notable about her looks—just average black hair and all.
"Who?" Wilhelm asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You've been asleep for a while now. Come on—the opening ceremony is about to begin," she replied, ignoring his question.
"Who are you? Where am I?" Wilhelm asked again, making the girl pause and give him a puzzled look.
"Where else could you be? We're at The Academy," she replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"What!?"
Wilhelm's jaw hung open as he struggled to process her response.
The girl was clearly amused by his reaction, giggling as she watched him.
"Don't tell me you don't know?" she teased, but paused when she realized Wilhelm's shocked expression wasn't fading.
"Wait… you actually don't know?" Now it was her turn to be surprised.
As Wilhelm was about to ask more questions, a deafening, whistle-like sound erupted around them, and both he and the girl began to glow.
A look of surprise crossed the girl's face, quickly replaced by a knowing expression. She threw Wilhelm one last glance as the light fully enveloped him.
Wilhelm's vision became completely distorted. Various scenes flashed before his eyes, but none of them were clear enough to decipher. Finally, everything stabilized.
A vast blue sky stretched above him, dotted with drifting clouds. In front of Wilhelm stood thousands of people, all appearing to be around his age. They, too, were observing an enormous, veiled structure ahead.
"Is this The Western Academy?" Wilhelm wondered as a sense of calm washed over him.
As he took in the scene, he noticed that the clouds above seemed to hold 'weight,' casting heavy shadows below. The excitement in the crowd was palpable—everyone was thrilled at the chance to be among the first to enter the Western Campus of The Academy.
Suddenly, a deep, commanding voice roared through the air.
[Quiet.]
The word was spoken at a normal tone but amplified to an immense volume, forcing most people to clutch their ears.
Wilhelm, along with the others, noticed a figure hovering mid-air, calmly observing the crowd.
The figure's features were indistinct, shrouded by the distance.
The figure's appearance instantly captured everyone's attention. They remained silent for a while, observing the crowd without saying a word.
Finally, they spoke:
[Welcome.]
Wilhelm's vision distorted again, and before he realized it, a new scene unfolded.