After a long day of school and playing football with my friends, I came back home to my practically empty house - my parents were away on vacation to celebrate their anniversary, and as for my sister...she was in her room, as always. Walking past her door to get to my room, I could hear some suave voice say "Baby, I'll always be yours." Why doesn't she play those games with headphones? I don't wanna hear that corny romantic shit.
I got ready for bed and went to sleep.
I woke up surrounded by a bunch of clouds and there was a...very fine looking lady in front of me with long, silver hair and a flowy white dress...was I...in heaven?!
She looked me in the eyes and said just two words "Grow closer."
Suddenly, everything was black. Then, just as suddenly, I was in a...classroom? I looked around and found it definitely wasn't my school, I didn't recognise any of these people and my school uniform looks a lot different from the black and red blazers everyone else is wearing. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! SOMETHING'S CONTROLLING ME?!?!"
Suddenly I heard screaming, coming from my head?
"YOUR HEAD?! YOU'RE IN MY HEAD!!! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!!"
Woah, hey are you talking to me?
"YES, YOU DOLT! WHO ELSE WOULD I BE TALKING TO?! "
Okay, I'm sorry, calm down. I have no idea what's going on either, alright?
"I can't...I can't move my body! I CAN'T MOVE MY BODY!!!"
I wanted to ask him what was going on but clearly he's just as confused and disturbed as I am. Memories flood into my mind though, or well, I guess I flood into his mind? This guy is someone called Rian Cullen...and everyone hates him, for one reason or another. The most universal reason is because he's the Top Assassin at this school, the best of the best...this school is a school for assassins...anyway, killing the top assassin is perfectly legal - students are actually encouraged to do this. The Top Assassin can't kill any of the other students, though, not even in self-defence. When you kill the Top Assassin, you become the Top Assassin. It seems to be some kind of school tradition, and of course, having the title of Top Assassin is very valuable as a bullet-point on your assassin CV.
So, basically, this guy is very infamous and has many, many people who want to kill him. And now I am him.
We are going to die.
"I'm going to die. I can't believe it - I'm actually going to die - AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!"
My fault?! I just told you, I have no idea what's going on either! Believe me, if I knew how to get out of your head I wouldn't be here right now. I don't wanna die either!
"There's a year left. I'm not losing. If you're not going to get out of my head, then we're just going to have to work together. Based on your memories though, Max, you seem to be a basic low-life who has only ever succeeded at being average."
Wow, that's harsh.
"What I mean to say is, with your experience, we don't stand a chance."
Okay, you had your panic attack, can I have mine now?
"...Sure, go ahead."
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?! A school for ASSASSINS?! This can't be real! This is like something out of an anime!
"The answer is simple, really - " A suave voice snapped me out of my mental breakdown. It was the exact same, stupid voice from the game my sister was playing. That's it! I'm...in her dating sim?!
"No no no no no, the similarities in the voices must be a coincidence. You're not suggesting that my entire life is merely fiction - just entertainment for people where you came from, are you?!"
I mean...I'm sorry to break it to ya, but you don't have any memories of your family or your childhood, or...anything outside of this school, really. Don't you think that's strange?
"No! I have memories outside this school! I - um...oh, oh my god...I'm going to die and my entire life is a lie?!"
I'm sorry to interrupt your existential crisis Rían, but if this is a dating sim...then...okay, you're probably not going to like this, I don't like this idea either, but, if this is a dating sim, then maybe we can use that to our advantage...
"W-what do you even mean? "
All we have to do, is make our killers fall in love with us.
"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"
All we have to do, is make our killers fall in love with us.
"You - You've got to be kidding!"
I know, it's hella gay, but it might be our only hope, I mean you always die in the end, anyway.
"I - wait, I always die in the end?! I've never died! What are you on about?!"
That's weird, I saw it in your memories though. Different things happening at the same time...they must be the alternate routes for the dating sim. You die in all of them.
"I die...in every universe?!"
Yeah, feels bad, man.
Silence.
Oh God, I think I broke him?
"But...I'm the best there is!"
I think they...trained to get better than you? And had the power of love, probably? There's this girl who's there every time, she must be the player character.
"Who is she? What's her name?"
The classroom doors slid open. In walked a girl with long, brown hair in a half-up half-down ponytail tied with a red ribbon. It was her.
She bowed, "I'm terribly sorry for being late on my first day. I got into...a little situation. I won't let it happen again."
The teacher welcomed her, "That's alright, would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"
"Yes, thank you." She confidently walked to the whiteboard and wrote her name.
"Clíona Connolly."