Chapter 2: Welcome to the Afterlife (Please Mind the Floor Slime)*
Kaito Nakamura had always imagined that if he died, there'd be some sort of cinematic montage—life flashing before his eyes, a glowing tunnel, maybe Morgan Freeman waiting at the end.
What he got instead was a face full of mud, a killer headache, and someone yelling, "Watch out for the slime!"
Kaito blinked, rolled over, and found himself face-to-eyestalk with a gelatinous, green blob that burbled ominously.
"AAAAHH!"
He scrambled backward, slipping in the muck and landing flat on his back.
A hand reached down to help him. It belonged to a boy with silver-blue hair and mismatched eyes—one glowing gold, the other cool grey. He wore a school uniform with a strange crest over the chest: a crescent moon wrapped in flames.
"Are you okay?" the boy asked, his voice calm but curious.
Kaito stared. "Are *you* an alien?"
The boy tilted his head. "Technically, *you* are. Welcome to Aether."
Kaito's jaw dropped. "Excuse me—what?"
Before the stranger could answer, a loud bell rang overhead. Floating runes appeared midair, forming words Kaito couldn't read—yet somehow understood:
*Orientation in 10 minutes. Latecomers will be fed to the floor slime.*
"Is that... real?" Kaito asked, pointing at the sign.
"Yes," the boy replied. "Also, don't test it. The floor slime is very real. I lost a boot to it last week."
Kaito took a shaky breath and looked around.
He was standing on a floating platform surrounded by dozens of others—each with stairways leading to bizarre buildings shaped like towers, mushrooms, or dragons. The sky above shimmered with colors he couldn't name. Creatures flitted through the air—some with wings, some with glowing eyes.
And everywhere, students in odd uniforms were arriving—some walking, others teleporting, a few being dragged in by glowing orbs.
"This is... a dream, right?" Kaito mumbled.
The silver-haired boy extended his hand again. "Come on. You'll miss orientation. I'm Jin, by the way. Second year, class 3-S."
Kaito hesitated. "Kaito. First-time dead person."
Jin laughed, a sound like chimes. "You'll fit right in."
---
The Orientation
The orientation hall looked like someone had tried to build a cathedral using leftover props from a sci-fi movie and a fantasy RPG.
Glowing crystals lined the ceiling. The floor shifted beneath their feet like a living map. A massive banner read:
*WELCOME TO AETHER HIGH: WHERE DEATH IS JUST THE BEGINNING!*
***
Kaito sat among confused, nervous teens—some still in the clothes they'd died in, others already fitted in uniforms.
A woman with antlers and a glowing staff floated to center stage.
"Greetings, newly departed!" she called. "I am Headmistress Elyra, and you, my precious ghosts, have been chosen to attend the most prestigious afterlife academy across the Realms!"
Kaito whispered to Jin, "Is this Hogwarts for dead people?"
"Sort of. But with more dragons and fewer safety regulations."
Elyra continued, "Aether High exists between dimensions. Only those with rare souls—or unfinished destinies—are granted access. Here, you will train, awaken your powers, and choose your path. Reaper, Healer, Spellweaver, Shadowblade, Starforged… The choice is yours."
Kaito's brain froze at "Shadowblade."
"You have one week to survive initiation," Elyra added. "If you do, you'll be sorted into your houses and begin classes. If not… well…" She smiled. "No refunds from the afterlife."
---
Dorm C – The Haunted Mansion
Kaito was assigned to Dorm Building C—the one shaped like a haunted mansion with a roof that howled when the wind blew.
His room had a floating bed, a mirror that insulted him ("You call that hair?"), and a closet that bit him when he opened it.
Jin showed up minutes later, holding a tray of floating fruit and a glowing book.
"You survived your first few hours," he said cheerfully. "That's better than most."
"Gee, thanks. I feel so accomplished."
They sat on the floor, eating snacks that tasted like bubblegum and nostalgia.
Kaito finally asked, "So… I'm really dead?"
Jin nodded. "You died in your world. But your soul had too much potential to fade. So the universe rerouted you here."
"Like a cosmic GPS?"
"Exactly. With attitude."
Kaito was quiet. "I didn't do anything special. I was just a loser kid with a bad alarm clock and worse grades."
Jin smiled, soft. "Maybe. But Aether saw something in you. We all had our doubts. I died in a fire and woke up here. Thought it was a mistake. But this place… it gives you a second chance."
Kaito looked out the window, where stars danced and the sky hummed.
"A second chance," he echoed.
He didn't know how to fight, fly, or cast spells. But for the first time in a long while, he didn't feel like a background character in his own story.
He felt… chosen.
---
*End of Chapter 2.*