Vincent rested his chin on his palm as he stared out of the classroom window, his eyes unfocused.
High school had barely begun, and he was already bored out of his mind.
Rows of neatly arranged buildings stretched across the massive campus, their white walls glowing under the afternoon sun. The students around him buzzed with excitement, whispering, laughing, forming friendships that would probably last for years.
Vincent felt none of it.
Three years, he thought bitterly. Three long years of fake smiles, meaningless conversations, and pretending to care about people he barely tolerated.
His father's voice echoed in his head.
You can't survive alone. You need friends. You need allies.
Vincent clenched his jaw and dropped his head onto his desk.
The man didn't know anything about him.
Growing up under a perfectionist father had drained the life out of him. Every little thing he did was wrong. The way he spoke. The way he dressed. Even the way he smiled. Nothing was ever enough. And his siblings were no better, always watching, always judging, always reminding him of what he lacked.
He learned early how to hide his feelings.
How to laugh at jokes he hated.
How to smile at people he despised.
How to pretend he cared.
The only thing that ever made him feel alive were the worlds he escaped into online novels, manga, stories filled with monsters, systems, apocalypse, cultivation, and adventure.
Real life was dull.
Those worlds were not.
If only this world would change, he thought. If only mana would flood the earth. Or a tower would rise from the ground. Or zombies would crawl out of their graves.
A slow grin crept onto his face.
That would be living.
At least he had one small mercy, a private dorm. Away from home. Away from his family. That alone made this school worth attending.
"Now, let's continue with introductions," a voice called out.
Vincent blinked and realized he was standing at the front of the class.
A girl was speaking, introducing herself. Her voice sounded distant, like it was coming from underwater. He barely registered her name.
Ah, damn it…
Before he could return to his seat, the classroom door slid open.
A woman stepped in.
She wore a fitted suit and had sharp eyes that made the room fall silent instantly.
"I welcome you all to TopHill High School," she said calmly. "I will be your class teacher for the next three years."
Vincent returned to his seat at the back, resting his cheek on his palm again as she began explaining the school's rules, history, and expectations.
Elite students.
Strict discipline.
Perfect records.
He barely listened.
Instead, his mind wandered back to his stories.
He imagined a system interface appearing before his eyes.
[Welcome, Host.
Initializing world reconstruction…
His heartbeat quickened.
He whispered a silent prayer to every god he could think of.
Just once. Let something happen. Let this world change.
Then it came.
A sting.
At first, it was nothing more than a faint prick behind his eyes. He frowned and rubbed his temple.
The pain returned.
Stronger.
Sharper.
It spread through his skull like electricity, pounding against his brain in relentless waves. His vision blurred. The classroom tilted.
Vincent grabbed his head.
"What the hell…" he muttered.
The noise of the classroom faded. The teacher's voice became distant. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
The urge to sleep hit him like a hammer.
He tried to resist.
He really did.
But his body betrayed him.
His head dropped onto his desk.
And the world went dark.
****
Vincent jolted upright.
He sucked in a sharp breath and wiped his eyes.
Did I just fall asleep? On the first day of school?
But something was wrong.
The whiteboard was gone.
So were the desks.
So was the classroom.
Tall trees stretched into the sky, their leaves forming a green canopy above him. The air was thick with the scent of soil and moss. Sunlight filtered through the branches, painting the forest floor in gold.
His heart skipped.
He turned slowly.
Trees.
More trees.
Endless wilderness.
"I'm… in a forest?" he whispered.
The realization hit him like a wave.
His breath caught.
His lips trembled.
A grin spread across his face.
"No way…" he murmured.
His pulse skyrocketed.
"I… I was chosen?"
He looked at his hands. His body. The ground beneath his feet.
Everything felt real.
Too real.
His laughter echoed through the forest.
"All my prayers finally paid off," he said, his voice shaking with excitement. "So this is it. This is my new world."
His eyes burned with anticipation.
"System," he whispered.
The forest answered with silence.
Vincent straightened.
Then he laughed again.
Loudly.
"Alright," he said, stepping forward into the unknown. "Let's see what kind of life you've prepared for me."