My name is Kay, a 17-year-old student in Bermuda. My story began in a high school classroom when a mysterious holographic countdown appeared in front of every student. As confusion spread, I felt an odd sense of familiarity, like I had been waiting for this moment my whole life. While others panicked, I remained calm. When the countdown hit zero, a blinding pulse of light flooded the world, distorting reality and unleashing spiritual chaos.
I collapsed in pain. It felt like a part of my soul had been torn open by the energy flooding the world. Visions flashed through my mind, beasts, battles, and cities in ruin, until I awoke in a ruined version of Bermuda. Most of my classmates were gone, and the sky was filled with unnatural light and soul-like beings. Amidst the destruction, I felt something welling inside me: my Willforce had awakened. The apocalypse had begun, and I had just taken my first step toward becoming more than human.
I woke up in the remains of a destroyed building with only 8 of the 102 students from my school still present. Unbeknownst to me, this was happening all across Bermuda. Five students were locked in unbearable shock, frozen in place. The other two were screaming, "Help me!"
Then I saw my best friend, R. He wasn't nearly as shaken as everyone else. I ran over as quickly as I could, but my worst fears had come true. R was mortally wounded. The glass from the classroom windows must have exploded, and shards of it had been launched into him. I tried to put pressure on the wound, but the blood wouldn't stop gushing out.
Suddenly, a beautiful woman appeared from the rubble. She was stunning, and just looking at her made me feel calm, at ease, like everything would be okay. She said, "My name is 始寂, and I am here to help your friend. Now, please, give him to me."
At first, I was calm, lulled by her presence. But the moment she asked me to hand over R, unease crept in. Something didn't feel right. Still, I gave him to her. She began to wave her hands over the wound, and I was at a loss for words. The gaping hole in his stomach began to close before my eyes.
As R's wound healed, his eyes shot open, but something was off. 始寂 wasn't healing him. She was binding her soul to him. R rose, stronger and fully healed, but he was no longer himself. He had become a vessel for a powerful spirit entity. Then he turned to me and declared, "You are unworthy of ascension."
I stood frozen. There was no possible way to understand what had happened at the time, but it felt like R had been possessed. His aura had completely changed, still invisible to the eye, but petrifying to the body. My mind spiraled with panic. What can I do? I shouted desperately to 始寂.
"What did you do to him?"
"Nothing you need to know, young one," she replied.
Then the hologram blinked back to life in front of me, brighter than before. This time, two new messages appeared:
Congratulations: You survived the classroom.
Rewards: 500 XP, promotion to F Rank, item acquired – SoulWake Dagger.
New Mission: Save the survivors.
Rewards: 1000 XP, ????