Sora followed, still processing, unsure, excited, and terrified all at once.
Every step, every flicker of ink reminded him: this Library wasn't just a place of books. It was alive. And so was the boy who called himself its guide.
Ren perched atop a floating page, arms crossed, grin wide. "Alright, first lesson survived. Now… story time."
Sora blinked. "Story time? Aren't we supposed to—"
"Nope!" Ren interrupted, wagging a finger. "Stories here aren't fluff. And this one? Classic hero vibes. Academy, demons, epic battles, save the world, tragedy,deaths—you know the type. " He leaned closer, eyes sparkling with mischief.
Sora frowned. "Wait… what?"
Ren grinned. "Exactly. Could be the hero. Could be a sidekick. Could even be the demon king's loyal minion. Your story, your chaos. You won't know until it smacks you in the face."
He plucked a book from thin air, letting it hover between them. Its cover shimmered with shifting runes. "Anyway, the gist: a world in danger, an academy of fighters, the Demon King plotting something nasty, people you'll care about, betrayals, epic weapons… yada yada. You get the picture. But who you'll be in all that? Mystery!"
Sora's stomach twisted. "…So I have no say?"
"Exactly!" Ren snapped his fingers. The Library pulsed and dimmed around them, pages swirling like wind. "Your choices matter… but who you are? Not so much. Part of the fun."
Before Sora could respond, Ren crouched and—yeeted the book straight at him.
The Library dissolved.
Pages and ink spun around him in a chaotic storm. When the spinning stopped, he landed on cobblestones under a soft drizzle. Lanterns glowed warmly, the town alive with movement. Townsfolk passed him by, oblivious to his sudden arrival.
"…What the hell?" Sora muttered, gripping the shimmering book.
Ren's voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "Welcome to your story! Academy? Check. Demon King? Check. Adventure? Triple check! Do whatever you want—train, fight, run screaming. Your call!"
A system window appeared in front of him:
~
[System: Player Detected – Sora Hayate]Race: ??? (Unregistered Entity)Level: 1HP: 250 / 250MP: 500 / 500Title: The Reader Who Crossed the Page
Skills:[Passive] Memory Absorb – Retains knowledge from any written or visual source.[Active] Rewrite (Locked) – Allows manipulation of information or reality constructs.[Hidden] Keeper's Mark – ????
[Environment: Story World – Hero's Academy Town][Objectives: Survive | Train | Defeat Demon King | Decide][Warnings: Story outcomes unpredictable | Character role unknown | Choices permanent]
~
Sora's pulse raced. Every action mattered, but who he really was in this story… that remained a mystery.
Ren's invisible, teasing voice floated again, laughter like wind through the Library. "Stories are rivers, kid. Swim with the current, paddle upstream, or blow the whole thing up. And remember… your role? Totally random. That's the fun part."
The first page glowed. Words arranged themselves into a single prompt:
The story begins. Accept it… and live it.
Sora glanced around—the academy loomed in the distance, students scurried along the streets, market stalls whispered of rumors and magical items, and beyond the town, a dark forest waited.
[System: Observation – Environment interactive | Hazards present | Unknown variables detected]
He swallowed hard, gripping the book. Step forward… and the story would start revealing him, one page at a time.
The rain slowed, and the town square's bustle felt like a heartbeat. Sora wandered cautiously, glancing at the system window that hovered steadily in front of him. Each passing student and guard seemed to move with purpose, oblivious to him, yet he could feel the Library's energy lingering at the edge of his vision—Ren watching, laughing quietly.
"Alright, hero… or villain… or lucky bystander," Ren teased from nowhere. "First, let's get you into the academy. That's where the fun starts. Rules? There are none. Just… survive your first day."
Sora blinked. "First day? I don't… do I even belong here?"
Ren's voice carried an easy shrug. "Nobody knows. Not even me. That's the beauty. You'll find out. Maybe you'll be a student, maybe you'll be… something else entirely. Mystery! Keeps it spicy."
He pointed toward a massive spired building. Guards at the gates scanned students with magic detection devices, sending sparks of energy into the sky. "Go on, stroll up. Everyone else is doing it. You'll fit in… somehow."
Sora's legs moved almost by themselves. His eyes caught a group of students sparring with swords and elemental magic. Sparks flew, flames danced, and one boy somersaulted backward, dodging a blade that would've sliced through a tree. The sheer power made Sora's chest tighten.
[System: Observation – Training Field | NPCs active | Potential combat interaction | Skill hints available]
Ren's voice chimed again, teasing: "Pick your pace. Maybe train, maybe run, maybe do… absolutely nothing. Your role, remember? Totally random. Oh, and don't get killed… if you can help it."
Sora's fingers trembled. Even without knowing who he was, the pull of the story was intoxicating. Adventure, danger, power—all alive, all waiting. He inhaled deeply, preparing for whatever role the story had decided for him.
He entered the academy gates, and the first bell rang—a loud, magical chime that resonated with the cobblestones. Students froze mid-step, eyes turning toward him. Whispers rippled through the crowd: Who's the new one?
[System: Alert – New Player Entry | Unknown role detected | NPC interest high]
Ren's voice floated like a teasing wind, just at the edge of hearing: "You're officially in the story. Watch your back, hero… or not. Could be fun either way."
The first teacher approached—a tall figure cloaked in gold and black, eyes like molten amber, expression unreadable. Sora felt the weight of the system's alert in his mind:
[System: Observation – NPC Interaction | Possible mentor | Unknown alignment]
"Welcome" the teacher said, voice calm but piercing.." "I see a new student has arrived. "
Sora nodded, words stuck in his throat. His hands gripped the shimmering book. Every step forward felt like crossing a threshold he couldn't return from.
Ren's laughter bubbled in the back of his mind, invisible but omnipresent. "Remember, chaos is your friend. Don't worry about being perfect. Or being good. Or knowing who you are. Just… survive the first lesson. The rest… well, that's up to you."
[System: Note – Player observation: Caution high | Curiosity rising | Role unknown]
Sora's heart pounded. The academy stretched before him—classrooms, training yards, libraries even larger than the one he'd left, and hallways twisting in impossible angles. His adventure had begun. His role remained a mystery. And somewhere beyond the veil of the story, Ren's mischievous grin waited, ready to nudge, provoke, or throw chaos into every page of his life.
The rain eased, lanterns flickered, and the world whispered: Welcome,Sora . Your story begins now