Now, Sugawa Shou found himself in a secluded place, at the top of the academy, where the sun was just beginning to warm the morning air.
From there, the horizon looked like a palette of orange and lilac colors, with scattered clouds floating aimlessly, almost as if the sky itself was pensive.
He rested his cheek on one hand, his black hair waving in rhythm with the wind. His eyes, vague but introspective, seemed to search for something on the distant horizon.
Before him, the system window floated with a faint glow.
[Passive Skill]
An uncomfortable knot formed in his chest as he read the name and description of the skill.
[Passive Skill: Returner from the Dead]
[The passive skill "Returner from the Dead" grants the user the ability to go back in time once they have died.
The skill is linked to the soul and the system, so all statistics and skills will be preserved after death.
Status alterations, such as poisoning, burns, or paralysis, will be nullified upon return.
The user will always return to the point where the skill was first activated, unless they change the save point.
Time remaining: 15 days.
Passive Skill Rank: ULR.]
He read the description over and over, his eyes tracing the words as if they could rewrite themselves if he looked at them enough.
'For anyone else, this skill would be a blessing, but...'
The words hung suspended in his mind.
No matter that his skill only lasted 15 days, what would happen if he somehow fell into a loop?
For some reason, Shou had that unease.
Could someone endure living a thousand times over, or would they end up losing their mind after the first time?
'It's an oppressive feeling... Human beings aren't made to think about their own death. I thought that when the time came, I wouldn't mind accepting it, but yesterday I really... Felt fear... Fear of dying.'
With a heavy sigh, he closed his eyes.
'I hope it never activates...' He prayed to the sky, silently wishing his next skill would be something more mundane, something that didn't carry this overwhelming weight.
However, a silent precaution ignited in his mind.
He swallowed and, with a clear intention, formulated his thought.
[Returner from the Dead: A new save point has been created.]
The notification appeared, simple and emotionless, but the message was etched into his mind like a warning.
Shou looked up at the sky, the same clear sky that had accompanied him at dawn. He felt a pang, but shook his head to rid himself of the thoughts.
He lowered his gaze and closed the system with a wave of his hand.
The wind continued to blow.
He blinked a couple of times, uncomfortable with the breeze brushing his eyelids, and turned to go back inside the building.
Just as he was about to take a step towards the stairs, the metal door leading to the rooftop opened with a creak.
Scree...!
Two figures emerged into the doorway. A tall boy and a girl with a restless gaze were looking directly at him, with an air between concern and determination.
The boy had short brown hair and blue eyes that shone with resolve. He wore the male school uniform, identical to Shou's, confirming they attended the same institute.
The girl, with clearly dyed almond-colored hair, wore the female academy uniform. Her brown eyes, lighter than usual, sparkled with a curiosity she tried to hide under a facade of calm.
'These guys are...' Shou scratched his cheek awkwardly, aware of who they were.
"Ah, I knew it was you! I saw you go up the stairs," the boy exclaimed, with enthusiasm somewhat out of place.
The girl frowned and whispered in his ear with a critical tone:
"You sound like a stalker saying that, idiot."
'How embarrassing.'
"Don't say that!" The boy retorted, indignant, turning to his friend before quickly composing himself and looking at Shou seriously.
"Look, I know you don't seem to want to socialize here, and honestly, we wouldn't be doing this either if it weren't necessary. So considering the three of us share a room, I thought it would be useful to try to be friends... at least for the duration of our stay here. What do you think?"
He extended his hand towards Shou, who looked at him with a mixture of resignation and courtesy.
The previous night had been particularly awkward.
After Lady Elisandora's introductory class, everyone was assigned to shared rooms.
The lack of space forced mixing groups of men and women, allowing the girls to choose who to stay with if there was no space in the female dormitories.
To his misfortune, a girl had chosen to join their room, claiming she preferred to be with her childhood friend, who coincidentally was Shou's roommate. This last one spent the night listening to the endless anecdotes of the two, who seemed on the verge of dying together as they reminisced.
Although they tried to include him in the conversation a couple of times, Shou politely declined, insisting they talk among themselves normally.
This only made the atmosphere more tense, both thinking they were bothering him.
And although they really were, Shou didn't say it openly.
He sighed, closing his eyes for a moment before shaking the boy's hand with a slight, almost forced smile.
"I'm Sugawa Shou."
"I'm Onodera Idatte," the boy replied, with a genuine smile.
The girl's eyes lit up, full of enthusiasm.
"And I'm Tsugibara Keiko!" She exclaimed energetically, almost shining like a ray of sunlight.
Idatte burst out laughing seeing her so radiant.
'I agreed just to avoid an embarrassing situation, but... This is going to be exhausting.'
"I'm glad you're willing to talk!" Keiko said enthusiastically. "What do you say we go downstairs to eat something together and get to know each other better?"
Shou raised an eyebrow upon hearing "get to know each other better."
'I think I already know everything about you after last night.' He thought, but kept the comment to himself and simply nodded.
They went down the stairs together, walking through the hallways in search of the dining hall. As they walked, the conversation flowed easily between Idatte and Keiko, but they made an attempt to include their third wheel again.
"So, where are you from, Sugawa Shou-kun? I imagine you're not from around here, right?" Idatte asked, seeming lost as he looked at the chandeliers on the ceiling.
Shou's mouth tightened and he turned to look at the girl, finding that she was looking at her best friend as if he had some kind of mental retardation.
"Just like you, I'm from Kanazawa."
At that moment, something like a light bulb seemed to illuminate in Idatte's mind.
"That makes sense, you're even wearing the same uniform as me!"
'Isn't he embarrassed to be so stupid?' With a robotic movement, Shou once again turned to look at Keiko.
"It's my fault. Every time he acts stupid, I hit him. It seems it's really taken its toll..." It was like a whisper so that only Sugawa could hear it.
The boy thought that maybe it would be a good idea to take him to some mage expert in mental health to fix him, but from Idatte's lips came a new question.
"So what do you think of this place? I mean, with all the magic and the system... it seems crazy, right?"
'Suddenly, he doesn't seem so stupid...' The boy's mind sharpened when he heard Keiko's giggle, perhaps noticing Shou's thought.
"Yes, it's really crazy... I wish the adaptation period would pass quickly so we could leave." That was the only thing that came out of his mouth, as his gaze seemed to get lost again.
He wanted to leave the institution immediately and begin the search for his family.
'I wonder how my parents are doing...' He thought, letting his imagination transport him.
He imagined his father, facing the chaos of a new world with the same firmness he used to impose authority in Japan. He could see him drawing his service pistol in front of a mage with a staff, demanding identification as if he were still patrolling the streets of Kanazawa.
His mother, on the other hand, would surely already be working in the cafeteria of the institution where she appeared, adapting quickly. Shou wondered if there were new ingredients in this world; surely she would become obsessed with cooking.
As for his brother, there was no doubt: he would be more than adapted.
He sketched a slight smile thinking of them, although a pang of uncertainty persisted in his chest.
'I hope everyone is okay.' He thought to himself, as he continued walking alongside his new roommates.