Theo sat in his room. The only light came from his computer screen. On the monitor, the final boss of The Magic Academy roared. Malphas, the Demon King, had less than one percent health remaining. No one in the world had ever beaten this stage.
Theo moved his fingers across the keyboard. He controlled Kaelen, the game's protagonist. Kaelen leaped through the air and swung a glowing sword. The blade sliced through the boss's neck.
Malphas turned into grey ash. The screen flashed gold.
"Finally," Theo said.
He picked up his phone. He wanted to take a photo of the victory screen to post online. As he aimed the camera, the gold light turned into a deep blue. A window appeared in the center of the monitor.
[You have reached a fake conclusion.]
[Now, find the true ending.]
Theo stared at the words. He reached out to touch the screen. The glass rippled like water. A sudden force pulled his arm forward. His vision went white. His body felt heavy and then weightless.
Theo opened his eyes. He lay on a narrow bed with thin sheets. The air smelled like old parchment and cold stone. He sat up and looked at his hands. They were pale.
He stood up and walked toward a small mirror on the wall. A stranger looked back at him. The man in the reflection had sharp features and cold, red eyes. His hair was pure white. He wore a simple white shirt under a heavy black robe.
'I am inside the game,' Theo thought.
He recognized this place. This was the North Dormitory. It was the housing for the lowest-ranked students at the academy.
He looked at the desk nearby. A student ID sat on the wood. It did not say Kaelen. It had a different name and a Rank F symbol. Theo was not the hero. He was a background character. He was a nameless extra meant to watch Kaelen save the world.
Theo looked out the window at the massive academy towers.
"I have to find the ending," Theo said.
He stopped. He looked at his pale, thin reflection again.
"Never mind that. Why am I inside the game?" Theo shouted.
He grabbed his white hair. As He paced around the small stone room.
"Fuck! I shouldn't have ever played this!"
He kicked the wooden leg of the bed. The chair Didn't break. Instead, a sharp pain shot through his foot. This wasn't a dream. The cold air, the smell of dust, and the pain were all real.
A loud, rhythmic ringing echoed through the hallway outside. It was the sound of a magic bell.
Clang. Clang. Clang.
A heavy voice boomed from the corridor.
"All examinees for the North Entrance Exam, report to the Great Hall immediately! If you are late, your enrollment is void!"
Theo froze. He knew this event. This was the 'Aptitude Test.' In the game, this was where the protagonist, Kaelen, showed off his massive mana pool and gained his first rival. For an extra like Theo, it was usually the day they were assigned to the worst class.
Theo wiped his face. He straightened his black robe. He had no choice. If he failed to enroll, he would be kicked out of the academy grounds and killed by the monsters in the surrounding woods.
The hallway was filled with teenagers. Most wore expensive silks and carried enchanted staves. They looked at Theo and then looked away. To them, he was just another nobody with low mana.
Theo followed the crowd. As he reached the Great Hall. It was a massive room with floating candles and a giant crystal hovering in the center. At the front of the room stood a man with a scarred face.
"Line up," the instructor said. "Touch the crystal. If it glows, you stay. If it doesn't, you leave."
Theo stood in the back of the line. He watched as student after student touched the stone. Most produced a faint yellow light. Then, a boy with golden hair stepped forward.
The crystal exploded with a blinding blue light.
"Kaelen," Theo whispered.
The protagonist had arrived. The crowd cheered, but Theo stayed quiet. He waited for his turn. When the line finally thinned, Theo stepped up to the crystal.
He placed his hand on the cold surface.
'Please,' he thought. 'Just give me enough to stay.'
The crystal stayed dark for a long second. Then, a tiny, flickering red spark appeared deep inside the glass.
The instructor looked at Theo's ID and then at the spark. Then sighed.
"Theo. Rank F. You're in... barely. Move to the back."
Theo pulled his hand away. He didn't care about the low rank. He was in. He walked toward the back of the hall, passing Kaelen, who was surrounded by admirers. Theo didn't look at him. He kept his head down and found a corner to stand in.
He was officially an extra in the world's most dangerous academy.