The next day arrived.
The morning sunlight trickled in through the gap in the curtains, painting golden streaks across the floor.
I dragged my tired-ass body out of bed.
Still half-dead from last night, I stumbled into the kitchen and made myself a strong cup of coffee — bitter, hot, and hopefully enough to stop my brain from imploding.
I didn't sleep a damn minute.
Not after that vision.
What the fuck was that even supposed to be?
Was it fate? Some kind of messed-up glimpse into the life the original Edward was meant to live?
Or was it a warning? A sick joke?
I mean, seriously — what's the point of showing me that? Am I supposed to play that part?
Or do I rewrite it?
…Or does it even matter?
Before I could lose myself in that rabbit hole of bullshit again, a sudden ding yanked me back to reality.
I looked at my phone.
There it was — a message from the academy.
I clicked on the message. It said there would be an announcement and all students must gather at the academy's hall by 8:30 a.m.
I glanced at the clock. 6:50.
Plenty of time.
After a hot shower, I put on my uniform — white shirt, light gray pants, blazer, and a black tie. I threw together a quick breakfast, checked the time. 8:00.
Let's get this over with.
When I arrived at the academy's hall, it was already filling up. I made my way toward the line for Class B.
Some familiar faces. A few side glances. But everyone quickly returned to their conversations.
There were still five minutes left before the announcement began.
I tapped the shoulder of the boy in front of me. "Hey."
He flinched slightly before turning around. His eyes darted up to mine, cautious. "Yes?" he asked, voice uncertain.
I raised an eyebrow. "What's with the tone? I'm not gonna eat you, man."
He blinked, then gave a small, nervous laugh.
"Any idea what the announcement's about?" I asked, nodding toward the stage.
He thought for a second. "Not exactly, but maybe it's related to yesterday's news. Maybe the academy wants to say something more."
Seems like everyone had the same guess.
I was about to step back when he added, "Hey… are you alright now?"
I tilted my head. "Hmm? Yeah, why do you ask?"
"Well, yesterday on the train, you kinda turned completely silent when you saw the news on the tablet."
Oh—right. I remember now. He's one of the boys I spoke to yesterday on the train.
That explains the familiar face.
Still… why didn't I recognize him at first glance? And wait—he's in my class too?
Seriously?
Fuck. I don't even remember seeing his face in Edward's memories.
What kind of background character are you, man?
Like some NPC whose sole purpose is to drop plot points and vanish the moment the camera cuts away.
Before I could say anything else, a commanding voice cut through the noise.
"Attention everyone!"
A man in his late forties stepped forward onto the platform at the front of the hall. Black suit. Tall. Sharp eyes. His presence swallowed the room whole.
Darren Ravenshade — the headmaster of Apogee Academy.
The other faculty members stood behind him, wearing serious expressions.
"As all of you are curious why you've been gathered here — and many of you may have guessed — yes, this is about yesterday's incident."
He paused, letting silence sweep the room.
"An unfortunate event occurred during an academy-sponsored off-campus trip involving first-year students from Class A. During the outing, a sudden dungeon break took place. Monsters swarmed the surrounding city and began attacking civilians."
His voice remained calm, composed.
"Our faculty, along with several students, joined the local authorities in containing the beasts and evacuating citizens. They fought bravely, but until reinforcements arrived, the waves of monsters were relentless."
He exhaled sharply.
"Many civilians lost their lives. And among them… three of our students did not return."
The atmosphere dropped.
"Their names were: William Black, Elias Vern, and Nora Whitestar."
The names echoed in the silence, each one like a hammer blow.
"They were brave. They stepped forward when it mattered. And for that, we will remember them."
His words didn't offer comfort. They weren't meant to.
Because in a world like Lumania, grief wasn't a stranger. It was a companion.
"We do not live in a peaceful world," he said. "Lumania has always been a land shaped by strife — a land of fierce beasts, monstrous creatures, and ancient threats. These things have existed for thousands of years, long before any of us, and they will continue to exist long after us."
His voice was calm, but it carried a sharp edge — like a blade sheathed in velvet.
"Vampires in the northern peaks. Demons stirring in the shadows of the west. Nightmarish dungeons forming in the cracks between civilization. Danger is not new. It's not unexpected. It is Lumania's reality."
More than a few students shifted uncomfortably. It wasn't the tone of fear — it was understanding. A reminder that their lives, their ambitions, everything they sought from this academy — it came at a cost.
"I know my words may sound harsh. Cruel, even," Darren said, his gaze scanning the first-year students. "But in this world, only the strong survive. The weak—no matter how kind, how talented, or how noble—will be crushed like ants beneath the weight of reality."
He let those words hang, heavy and absolute.
"This academy does not exist to shelter you from danger. It exists to prepare you for it. So take this as a lesson. Grieve if you must. Remember them. But more importantly — grow stronger."
"But despite everything that happened," Headmaster Darren's voice rang out again, calm but commanding, "there were students who outshone the chaos—who stepped forward when others froze. Students who acted like the future heroes this world desperately needs."
A wave of murmurs swept through the students.
"For their bravery, the academy will be awarding them with special recognition today."
He turned to a staff member and took a scroll, then looked back at the crowd.
"I will now announce the names of ten students who performed exceptionally during the dungeon break."
He began reading the names aloud.
"Selene Mooncrest."
A silver-haired girl stepped forward, calm and elegant. Her beauty was the kind that silenced rooms and captured hearts— like moonlight wrapped in skin.
"Damion Greymont."
A guy with a blood-red cloak and dead-serious eyes made his way to the stage.
"Leon Ashborn."
That name hit me like a fucking freight train.
"Alex Morgan."
"Grace Duskwood."
More names came. More students walked up to the stage one by one.
But I couldn't take my eyes off him.
Leon Ashborn.
Golden blonde hair. Stupidly perfect blue eyes. A face so clean-cut he looked like he stepped out of a goddamn fantasy poster. He walked like he owned the world—like he knew the spotlight was built just for him.
Everything about him screamed, main character bullshit.
But that wasn't what made my stomach twist.
No, what made me freeze was this:
I knew that boy.
Not from Edward's memories.
But from the fucking vision.
That was the guy. The same boy Edward had fought—no, provoked—in the vision. The one who ended up beating the shit out of him until Edward could barely breathe.
The boy who looked down on Edward like he wasn't even human.
My lips curled slightly as I watched Leon walk up to the podium.
What are the odds?
Is this fate? Foreshadowing? Some cosmic script that's laughing at me?
Should I call this an interesting twist?
…Or just say it?
This script is way too fucking obvious.