"Son of a mother flipping biscuit."
He fell.
Fell to the insanity that is reincarnating into a novel.
He enjoyed the novels, enjoyed reading each of their unique spins on an idea that had been rehashed a thousand times.
But now he was that guy in some asshole's novel right now.
Whose novel? No fucking idea.
But he was in it.
Sat in an auditorium, deafened by the roar of excited students, Mephitis looked unapproachable. The students around him, eager to make new friends, turned the opposite way while he sat with his arms folded and glaring with cold eyes at the podium.
Everyone wore what one could assume for a fantasy novel world. Leather tunics, fancy garb for nobility, and hair colors that ranged from normal to exotic purple, pink, or silver. Miniature summoned beasts hovered between students or flew high above everyone.
He couldn't remember his past life, strangely, not in any detail. His past name, his past parents' names, his friends' names, it was all a haze. But he remembered his upbringing, his schooling, and most importantly, this novel.
'I get what this is...but why?!'
A night out at a bar, a lady taking him by the hand to her place, and just when they were about to have their fun...
"Fuck."
Mephitis, dazed in the auditorium, broke out of his trance as the Earth soul replaced the novel's soul.
Indirect, uncontrolled murder?
His inner confusion didn't match his unfriendly posture, nor his cold, emotionless eyes.
"My eighteenth birthday was last month!" A voice attracted his attention. "I'm from a village in the east! We run a bakery and-"
"A peasant!"
Students snicker. Some glare at the ones snickering, and others smirk.
"Why are they allowing trash off the street?"
"Disgusting trash."
'Dude, this is a bit much...'
Mephitis frowned, slowly turning his head to see a young man gritting his teeth and clenching his fists in frustration.
The students who caught him looking their way flinched, sliding away apprehensively.
'The fuck...?'
He looked down at himself. He was wearing normal clothes...White tunic, jacket, black pants. He looked more like a ruffian compared to the ironed, expensive fabrics and heavy perfumes surrounding him.
'Standard peasants meet nobility scenario, alright...' Mephitis noted. 'I suppose I look more intimidating if they aren't trying to pick on me?'
Shifting his gaze, he saw several rows in front of him, a row of students with very unique auras that outshone everyone else behind them.
'Perhaps it is a stereotypical hunch, but it feels like the main characters are going to be there.'
A typical setup. All of the most handsome men and beautiful ladies, the most powerful and prestigious, are separated from the rest.
'Whatever instinctual click that made me understand this is a novel, I'm glad I had it. Stopped me from freaking out like I should,' he thought while eyeing a mini ghoul hopping up onto a chair in front of him.
"He-llo," It waved with a friendly smile, displaying rotting teeth.
"...Hello."
It was bored because as soon as Mephitis greeted him, it just turned and went to the next person. And the next, and next.
'So...what? Do we each have a summoned creature?'
"Where's mine...?"
Mephitis started to look around excitedly trying to spot his own. Instead some of the students looked at him strangely and others flinched.
'Stop with the flinching! I can't be that scary!'
As if his thoughts were conveyed, or maybe it was expressed on his face, a few girls squeaked fearfully when his gaze landed on them.
Sighing with annoyance, he turned back around.
'What the hell?!'
'You will frighten them if I am revealed.'
Mephitis stiffened as a foreign, dark voice entered his mind.
'Who are you?'
'Achlys.'
The voice slithered in his mind like a serpent. Looking down, his heart almost leapt out of his chest as beneath his white tunic he could see a black and green mist clinging to his body. Inside it, a silhouette of a face giving him a fanged smile.
Mephitis gulped. 'Can you hear my thoughts?'
"No...Only when you direct them at me. Why the strange questions suddenly?'
This was absolutely terrifying, and the creature could obviously sense it as its slanted eyes narrowed and smile closed.
'You're scared of me. And your soul feels different...You are not Mephitis.'
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead, shivering unconsciously as it grinned sadistically. A terrifying sight while he felt it wrapping and moving around his body under his tunic, sharp needles poking at his skin to mock him.
'Well, well, well... Who is this new soul bound to my prison?'
Meanwhile, on the , a tall old man stepped out on stage and slowly walked behind the podium. His robed tunic was golden, hair shining silver, and with an usually pearly white smile.
Mephitis, his expression still cold and emotionless despite the sweat dripping down his forehead and terror inside, looked up while he heard mocking giggles.
"Welcome to Aurielum Academy," the old man's voice, unusually loud, silenced the rowdy students. "Sanctus Empire's most prestigious academy."
In that instant, Mephitis knew what novel he had landed himself into. It wasn't a recent novel series he'd read, but one that was still quite memorable.
The protagonist who attended the Aurielum Academy and graduated despite multiple demonic attacks, went off to kill the demon king, and returned to kill an Emperor who desired to conquer the continent.
'The Fallen Sun's Heroic Party'
'I sense you've found answers.'
A sharp pinch on his ribs returned his attention down.
'Let's enjoy our time together.'
Mephitis grunted quietly with a shallow, fearful breath.
"Fuck."