Park Johan / Jake Coleman
Age: 23 (as Park), 14 (as Jake)
Original Identity: Korean, unemployed, socially invisible
Current Identity: Jake Coleman, a second-year middle schooler at Arkwood Academy
Personality: Sarcastic, self-deprecating, genre-aware, reluctant but observant, Sunshine personality
Role in the Novel: Originally the comic relief/best friend of the protagonist
Power: Attention-Seeker System
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James Foster
Age: 14
Appearance: Blond hair, blue eyes, conventionally attractive
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Personality: Calm, popular, considerate
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Role:Protagonist of the horror novel
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Powers:TelepathyTelekinesis
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Backstory (Implied): Has a dark past that will unravel over time
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Current Relationships:Best friend: Jake (Park)
World-Building
The students' journey begins with The Haunting of Mr. Chalk's Classroom, a trial that serves as an initiation. Within the confines of a classroom that begins to distort and warp, they are trapped by the ghost of Mr. Chalk, a vengeful spirit. As the students piece together the mystery of Mr. Chalk's death, they must navigate terrifying paranormal phenomena that threaten their lives. The scenario challenges their ability to survive and unravel a dark secret, which is essential for their escape from the classroom.
Outcome: Once the students successfully complete this first trial, they are transported to a new area—the Main Room.
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The Main Room - The Teller's Revelation
After surviving the initial trial, the students are guided to a dimly lit Main Room. This large, eerie space holds other students from different classrooms—each of them having completed their own terrifying ghost stories. The atmosphere is tense as the students realize they are not alone, and there is no immediate way out. The Teller, a mysterious and enigmatic figure, awaits them to explain what lies ahead.
Key Revelations from the Teller:
The Stories Are Not Over: The completion of the first ghost story was only the beginning. The students are now caught in a never-ending cycle of increasingly horrifying ghost stories, each testing different aspects of their survival and mental fortitude.
No More Trials, Only Stories: While the first ghost story was merely a trial, the upcoming stories will be far more dangerous. Each story is unique and brings its own set of supernatural horrors and challenges.
Two Wishes for Survival: If the students manage to survive all the stories, they will be granted two wishes, which they can use for anything they desire. However, the cost of these wishes remains uncertain, and the consequences of their choices may be far greater than they anticipate.
The System: Each student gains a mysterious System after completing the first trial. This system does not grant them supernatural powers, but it provides them with essential attributes that will aid their survival. The system acts as a tool for the students to better navigate the dangers of the ghost stories.
System Features:
Endurance: The ability to resist physical and mental exhaustion, crucial for surviving long and grueling ghost stories.
Perception: Enhanced awareness, helping students notice hidden clues, threats, or important details they might otherwise miss.
Mental Fortitude: Resilience against the psychological distress, fear, and terror brought on by the supernatural entities they face.
Strength: Physical power to overcome obstacles, combat supernatural threats, or perform tasks requiring significant strength.
Agility: The ability to move quickly, dodge danger, and evade malevolent forces.
Luck: A chance-based attribute that may sway outcomes in the students' favor, offering a chance at survival or escape when it seems most unlikely.
The Ghost Stories (Post-Trial)
Once the students have survived the trial, they are thrust into a sequence of increasingly intense ghost stories. These stories represent different supernatural scenarios that the students must endure. They must rely on their wits, their system-enhanced attributes, and their survival tools to navigate these horrific encounters.
Multiple Academies - A Shared Supernatural World
While Arkwood Academy serves as the primary focus of the story, it is part of a larger network of schools that exist within this supernatural world. These schools share a connection to the ghost stories and the dark forces that plague them. Students from different schools are trapped in similar cycles of horror, all of them unknowingly connected by the same malevolent force.