Once upon a time, a bunch of students lived in a public dorm in a specific college, where they learned to get a college degree. At least, that was true to some extent. The college had another purpose, but this remained unknown until it was too late. If grim situations appear hopeless, with enough determination and a strong will, students might have a chance to escape this fate because no one knows what the future holds and the journey to come.
This is where our story begins. In this city, when students turn 18, the teacher council sends them to this college, where they start their studies after parting ways with their parents. You might think these students chose to live in the dorm, but this was mandatory.
It was a cold night in the average part of the city where Zack and Jeff lived with their parents. Zack was the younger brother, while Jeff was the older brother. Their mother was Susan, and their father was Smith. A new baby who still had no name was born.
Zack was a kind-hearted brother who was generous toward all living things, even insects. Zack was also very smart, although he didn't show it, and no one would notice his intellect unless he knew him personally. He loved his brother Jeff and was willing to do anything to please him because of the bond they shared and their promise to each other, which was that they would always help each other, even in the riskiest situations. Despite Zack's kindness, his naivety and childishness sometimes meant Jeff mainly handled the role's responsibilities. This was the reason Zack's smart nature seemed almost invisible. At first glance, no one thought Zack was special, but fate decided that this young 14-year-old boy was destined to be a hero for future generations.
Jeff was 4 years older than Zack. Jeff was also kind but not as kind as his brother, he had a keen eye and a strange sense of justice. He loved philosophy. He was smart beyond his age. He liked chess and other thinking games and puzzles. Because of his unpredictable personality, he was troublesome but was still a good person. He was a reliable older brother. Even though he caused trouble for others, he was very responsible towards his family and didn't cause trouble for them. Even if his family misunderstood or neglected him, he still treated them all kindly. Jeff and Zack had a close friendship between each other beyond brotherhood that nothing could break; that was why they were sure that if the other was happy, nothing else in the world mattered. They risked their life for each other, especially Jeff. The million sacrifices he made on Zack's behalf were too many to count.
One day, Zack was eyeing a cookie, and it was the last one, so Jeff made an excuse about not wanting to eat it because of his diet. There were also moments where Zack was being bullied by the older kids in their school, and Jeff wouldn't hesitate to beat the ones who mocked Zack for having red hair rather than normal hair like other people. There were times when Zack would forcefully introduce Jeff to others to increase his connections and befriend his friends, although Jeff didn't care because he only cared about two things: his parents and brother. Jeff didn't need other people to accept him in his life. Zack also was the one person who encouraged his brother to let his frustrations out when he was sad or felt like the weight of his responsibilities was too much. Zack was always there to comfort Jeff, and vice versa.
Smith was Zack's and Jeff's carefree father, who wanted to enjoy life with his family. He was always joking with them and was a very hard worker. He always kept a secret, and most of the time, he wished he would be honest with them, but he couldn't, so he bore this burden alone with Susan. Smith was carefree because he coped with the harsh secret by joking.
Susan was a strict mother who always tried to encourage her children to be better and stronger. She feared that her children would not survive in this world without a strong mind since the secret was too great. She wanted to prepare them for the challenges to come.
When the new baby first opened her eyes, it was just great to look at her. She was beautiful and cute and had a good, warm scent. There were a lot of conflicts about what name should be given to her. Jeff wanted to name her Blair, while Zack wanted to name her Emily. Their father, Smith, wanted to name her Betty, while their mother, Susan, wanted to name her Karen. They put a lot of thought into it and finally decided to name her Emily, the name Zack suggested. Since he was their favorite child, they had to consent. Jeff was never jealous of the attention given to Zack since he loved his brother deeply and always spoiled him with his family. Zack always looked up to his brother, Jeff, and wanted to be as responsible as him. Zack's childish personality never led him to think so much about deep things.
Everything looked bright, but life wasn't always gold and shiny, and some things were beyond our control. The trigger was the moment Jeff turned 18 years old. A letter arrived at the Smith Nelson family doorway in a black envelope asking for Jeff to be admitted to Gravies College, the college that held a terrible secret. Smith gulped after the hooded teacher gave the black envelope to Smith. The hooded man left while Smith looked at the envelope with a dark expression.