"Are we seriously doing this?"
Rowan Blake stared at the mark on his forearm like it had personally ruined his entire future.
It wasn't just a mark—it moved.
Dark lines twisted under his skin, forming something sharp and unnatural, glowing faintly blue like it had Wi-Fi and bad intentions.
"Fantastic," Rowan muttered. "I always wanted a haunted tattoo. Really completes the 'about to die' aesthetic."
Around him, the classroom buzzed with nervous energy. Some students whispered, others clutched their desks like that would somehow anchor them to reality.
Rowan leaned back in his chair, trying to look unbothered.
Internally?
This is not normal. This is extremely not normal. I would like a refund.
Then it hit him.
Memories—foreign, heavy, not his—flooded his mind.
This world looked exactly like Earth.
Same schools. Same exams. Same suffering.
Except—
Ten years ago, reality cracked open like cheap glass.
A dimension called the Rift Zone began overlapping with the real world. People were dragged into it without warning. Most never came back.
Those who survived discovered Echo Energy—a strange power that allowed humans to fight back.
Now?
Humanity wasn't helpless anymore.
Just… slightly less doomed.
Rowan blinked.
"…So we upgraded from 'free food' to 'mild inconvenience,'" he whispered.
At the front of the class, their teacher clapped once.
"Today is your first Rift Entry."
Silence dropped like a guillotine.
"The Echo Energy barrier will reduce difficulty," she continued. "But the first trial still has a mortality rate."
A pause.
"Thirty percent."
Rowan raised his hand immediately.
"So just checking," he said, completely serious, "is dying part of the grading system, or is that extra credit?"
No one laughed.
"Tough crowd," he sighed.
Then—
Burning.
The mark on his arm flared with pain.
"Okay—yep—that's not ideal—"
Darkness swallowed everything.
—
A voice echoed in the void.
[Initializing…]
Rowan blinked.
"…Hello?"
[System Activation Complete.]
A translucent screen appeared in front of him.
[Welcome, Host: Rowan Blake]
[System Type: Adaptive Survival Interface]
He stared at it.
Then grinned.
"Oh, this is cheating," he whispered. "I love it."
[Primary Function: Analyze entities, reveal hidden conditions, optimize survival probability.]
"Say less," Rowan said. "You had me at 'don't die.'"
The screen shifted.
[Instance Name: Blackwood Residency]
[Participants: 10]
[Difficulty: Beginner Tier]
[Objective: Maintain resident satisfaction for 7 days.]
"…Customer service," Rowan muttered. "In a horror dimension. Who designed this, a sadist?"
[Rules:]
1. Do not leave the premises.
2. Curfew begins at 10 PM.
3. Residents are always right.
A pause.
[Always.]
"…I hate that rule already."
—
Rowan opened his eyes.
He stood inside a decaying apartment complex that looked like it had been abandoned by both humans and hope.
Peeling paint. Rusted pipes. Trash everywhere.
The sky above was permanently grey, like the sun had quit.
"Wow," Rowan muttered. "Five stars. Would haunt again."
Nine other students stood nearby, panicking.
"Mom, I want to go home—"
"Same," Rowan said. "Preferably yesterday."
A tall guy stepped forward, trying to sound confident.
"Everyone calm down! Beginner instances aren't that dangerous if we follow the rules—"
"Ah yes," Rowan cut in, "blind optimism. Nature's favorite lie."
Before leadership could recover—
A man appeared.
Security uniform. Crooked neck. Half-ruined face.
Rowan's system activated instantly.
[Analyzing…]
[Entity: Rift Warden]
[Behavior: Rule-bound enforcement]
"…So he kills people," Rowan thought, "but with guidelines. Respectable."
The man scanned the group.
"There should be ten."
Rowan, unfortunately, was not there.
Because—
—
He was in a bathroom.
"Of course I am," Rowan whispered, staring at the stall door.
A pale hand slowly slid underneath it.
Holding three pieces of paper.
White.
Red.
Yellow.
A thin voice followed.
"Choose…"
Rowan closed his eyes.
"Classic," he muttered. "Haunted toilet. We've hit rock bottom early."
His system flickered.
[Analyzing entity…]
Information appeared—name, past, weakness.
Rowan's eyes sharpened.
"…Oh."
He stood up slowly.
"Hey," he said casually. "Before I pick—can I try something?"
Silence.
"…What?"
Rowan opened the stall door.
The ghost's arm was twisted unnaturally.
Dislocated.
Rowan pointed.
"That looks painful," he said. "And honestly? It's bothering me."
A pause.
"…What?"
"Don't worry," Rowan said. "I'm about to fix your entire afterlife."
Before the ghost could react—
He grabbed the arm.
And yanked.
CRACK.
The sound echoed.
Everything froze.
Rowan blinked.
"…You good?"
The ghost vanished instantly.
Gone.
Just like that.
A notification appeared.
[Hidden Objective Completed]
[Reward Granted]
Rowan stared.
Then laughed under his breath.
"Okay," he said. "System plus audacity equals survival."
He picked up the fallen papers carefully.
"Noted."
A distant howl echoed outside.
Rowan froze.
"…Yeah, no. Still terrifying."
He stepped out of the bathroom and jogged toward the group.
Ahead, something about to go very wrong.
Rowan exhaled, a slow grin forming.
"Alright," he muttered. "Let's survive the worst field trip in history."
A beat.
"And maybe break a few rules along the way."