William sat upright in his bed, a sharp gasp tearing from his throat.
Cold sweat clung to his skin. One hand gripped the fabric of the shirt, pressing it against his chest as if anchoring him to reality.
The nightmare lingered—too vivid, too real.
The faceless entity.
The strange window.
The blood.
Something was wrong. Dreams didn't leave memories this sharp.
For a long moment, William didn't move. His body refused to respond, still trapped in the aftermath of the terror.
Then a sound cut through the silence.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
William turned his head slowly, staring at the clock on his nightstand.
"...Maybe it was just a dream," he muttered under his breath, trying to shake the lingering dread.
His heartbeat gradually steadied, but the unease remained, gnawing at the edges of his mind.
Shaking it off, he forced himself to stand and went through his morning routine mechanically.
Downstairs, the smell of toast and eggs filled the kitchen—exactly the same as before.
The bus ride passed in the same dull blur.
By the time William stepped off near Westbridge High, his steps slowed.
The school gates stood ahead, students flowing through them without a second thought.
As he passed the gates, a familiar dread wrapped around his chest. His skin prickled, the hairs on his arms standing on end.
If everything was going to happen exactly like in the nightmare, then walking into it again would be a mistake. And if it didn't—at worst, he'd only get scolded for skipping the first day.
William stopped his steps. He turned sharply, pushing against the stream of students behind him.
'Nope. I'm not going in.'
He crossed the street and moved quickly away. Behind him, the gates shut with a dull metallic clang. He didn't know why it stood out—but it did.
***
William entered a small cafe tucked between two brick buildings. The bell above the door jingled softly when he pushed it, but the sound rang strangely loud in his ears.
"Welcome," a voice said.
The hum of traffic faded as William closed the door behind him. Warm air brushed against his face, carrying the rich scent of coffee, toasted bread, and something faintly sweet he couldn't place.
The cafe was small and cozy, with dark wooden tables and mismatched chairs. Low jazz filled the background—soft, almost comforting in its familiarity.
A few patrons sat in quiet conversation, faces partially hidden behind curling steam from their cups.
William hesitated near the counter, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"One Americano. Less sugar," he said, watching the barista work.
Relief washed over him as he slid into a table by the window, the one farthest from the counter.
For a moment, it felt safe—the only normalcy in a world that had felt surreal from the moment he woke.
William pulled his phone from his pocket, scrolling mindlessly through social media—until a headline caught his attention.
Breaking News!
All students and teachers across the country have vanished without a trace.
The device slipped from his trembling hands. Then the translucent window appeared with its sudden pop!"
[Tutorial: Survive the selection.]
[Clear Condition: Selected as a participant.]
[Success Reward: 15 Purchase Points, Status Window unlocked]
William froze.
His gaze locked onto the floating text, his heartbeat pounding in his ears.
"…I'm not doing this," he muttered under his breath, looking away from the window.
A few seconds passed.
Then the window flickered.
A new one replaced it.
[You have failed the tutorial.]
[Restarting from the checkpoint.]
"What—"
[Loading…]
A wave of dizziness slammed into William, his vision spinning. The sounds of the café stretched and distorted as his body went numb.
He didn't even have time to feel afraid. The last thing he registered was the floor rushing up to meet him.
***
William jolted upright in bed.
His breath came fast and shallow, his head pounding as if he'd been struck.
"…Again? Seriously?" he murmured, burying his face in his hands.
No matter what he did, the result was the same. He always woke up in his room again.
There was no running away. Pretending it wasn't happening was a mistake.
He clenched his fists.
'So avoiding the school isn't an option.'
The truth settled heavily in his chest. But this time, something was different.
His mind replayed the window from the café.
[Clear Condition: Selected as a participant.]
'That was the answer.'
William stood up.
This time, his movements were steady.
***
He followed his morning routine again, but his mind was clear.
When he approached Westbridge High for the third time, the sensation of being watched returned—but he didn't slow down.
He walked straight through the gates.
Inside the auditorium, everything was occurring the same way it did before.
Then the translucent window appeared.
William inhaled slowly, forcing air into his lungs as his heart raced.
The lights flickered.
A heavy pressure settled over the room, pressing down on everyone's chests. Before anyone could react, the faceless entity appeared on the stage.
The headmaster and teachers offered little resistance as it struck with terrifying speed, their lives snuffed out like candles. Screams erupted as chaos engulfed the auditorium.
Then the mechanical voice echoed throughout the room.
『Attention. Participant selection will now begin.』
The two circles appeared near the stage once again.
『You may choose to participate in the survival game or not. Green means you agree to participate in the game. Red means you refuse. Please choose quickly. The consequences are yours alone.』
When the voice fell silent, William's eyes snapped to the red circle.
He remembered the pain.
The darkness.
Death.
That single word sent William toward the green circle, his feet moving before he could hesitate.
As he walked, his thoughts raced—then a cold realization settled in his chest.
This was only the beginning. If this was merely the selection, then the real survival games would come even worse. Games where numbers mattered. Where information mattered.
He had already seen what happened when most people chose red.
Too many died.
William glanced around at the crowd.
'I probably need more people to act as my litmus tests.'
More survivors meant more eyes. More perspectives. More mistakes he wouldn't have to make himself.
And more than that—he remembered their deaths. Knowing what would happen and staying silent would mean choosing those deaths himself. Even his remaining morals couldn't withstand that burden.
William clenched his fists.
"Move!" he shouted, grabbing the arm of a nearby girl and pulling her with him. "Choose green!"
At that moment, all eyes in the auditorium were turned toward him. Some stared in disbelief. Others in suspicion.
"Why should we listen to you?!" someone yelled.
'Because I chose red and died once.'
The words burned in his throat, but William swallowed them back. No one would believe him. Panic would only make things worse.
He paused for a while, taking a deep breath to gather his thoughts.
"Listen," he said, raising his voice. "Choosing red doesn't mean you're safe. It means you're refusing to participate."
He gestured sharply toward the stage, where the teachers' bodies lay motionless.
"The teachers were killed because they had no use anymore."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"This isn't a choice between danger and safety," William continued, his mouth felt dry. "It's a choice between having a chance to survive—or throwing it away."
Some students shook their heads. Others wavered.
"If you choose red," his voice firm, "you're telling whatever controls this, that you won't participate. And if you don't participate—"
He paused.
"—you have no use anymore."
Silence fell.
William turned toward the green circle.
"This is the only option that leads to survival."
He stepped into it.
For a moment, no one followed.
Then the girl whose arm he had grabbed earlier stepped forward and joined him.
Another student hesitated—then one by one, they followed him.
Fear slowly overtook denial. One by one, students broke away and entered the green circle. Others remained frozen. Many still rushed toward the red circle, clinging to the belief that refusal meant escape.
When the time ran out, the hourglass vanished.
Then the red circle began glowing brightly.
Every student standing within it collapsed instantly, their bodies hitting the floor in perfect unison. Those who had chosen neither circle followed moments later, falling like discarded dolls.
A collective gasp rippled through the green circle. Some of them turned away, their faces looking like they were about to vomit.
William didn't look away. His mind subconsciously formed a new rule.
If everyone chooses it, it's probably wrong.
A chime suddenly echoed inside his head.
[You have cleared the tutorial.]
[You have earned 15 Purchase Points.]
[Status Window unlocked.]
A new window unfolded before his eyes.
[Time: Monday | 7:41 a.m]
[Name: William Quinn]
[Age: 16]
[Title: Protagonist]
[Special Ability: Regression]
[Quirk: Last-Minute Genius]
[Purchase Shop]
[Click to view more information.]
William's gaze locked onto a single word: Regression.
'So that's why.'
Before he could process it further, every exit door swung open at once.
The mechanical voice echoed again.
『Congratulations to all selected as participants. The first survival game will take place on the sports field.』
The surviving students spilled out of the auditorium.
The moment they stepped outside, the world had changed.
The sky was pitch black—an unnatural void swallowing the sun. It felt less like night and more like a lid. Despite this, the school grounds remained clearly visible, illuminated by an unseen source.
William squinted at the sky. A chill ran down his spine—not from cold, but because he knew they were trapped.
No one spoke.
Then a boy near the back snapped.
"I'm done with this!" he screamed, sprinting toward the gates. "I'm not staying here!"
The instant he crossed the gate, his body convulsed—then collapsed.
Several students stumbled backward, shaking their heads in disbelief. Others froze where they stood, staring at the unmoving body beyond the gates as if afraid it might suddenly rise again.
William exhaled slowly, keeping his expression neutral. His hands trembled despite his effort to stay still.
'So there was no way out.'
As he stood beneath the oppressive black sky, one truth settled firmly in his mind—
This nightmare was far from over.