Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!~
Slam!
I awoke with a groan, smashing the offending alarm clock. Blinking against the morning light, I found myself in an unfamiliar room.
"Where am I?" I mumbled, taking in the decor, and most of all, the old rusty set of swords hanging on the wall.
The last thing I remembered was falling asleep after a marathon gaming session, a habit I had picked up since graduating with my business degree. But this wasn't my apartment, and whoever chose this poor decor definitely had poor taste.
As I explored the room, my confusion grew. The closet held clothes I didnt recognise, and on a desk, I found a uniform blending military and fantasy elements.
"Cosplay?" I thought out loud, as I inspected the clothes.
Beside the set of clothes, I found an envelope addressed in an elegant script to "Caspian Grey".
***
Dear Caspian Grey,
Congratulations on your acceptance to Lumina Academy! Your journey will begin soon as one of the chosen few. A bus will be arriving at your designated address on Monday the 14th of January at 8AM to take you to the academy. Do not be late.
Best regards,
The Lumina Academy Team
***
Academy? This had to be a sick joke of some sort.
Then, a cold dread settled within me. I recognised the name Lumina Academy. It was a place I had created in my insanely cringe novel I wrote when I was still studying for my undergraduate degree…
'Realm of Shadows,' I thought, remembering the name.
It was a passion project that barely gained any traction, but one I had poured my heart into to distract me from the woes of daily life.
Suddenly, a sharp knock at the door startled me. A stern-faced official stood on the other side in uniform as I opened it.
"Caspian Grey, the bus awaits. We leave in five minutes," he said almost expressionless.
"Right, I'll be out in a minute," I managed to reply in my stupor.
'AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!! This wasn't a prank!' I screamed internally whilst pinching my right cheek. I could feel pain and everything so far had felt too real to be fake.
If I really was in the world of my novel, I knew what awaited me at Lumina Academy: a series of events that would likely lead to my demise, especially as nobody character.
I mean, seriously, just who on earth was Caspian Grey?! I had never written anything about him at all! Why couldn't I have woken up as the main character instead?!
…
Remembering the official's stare, I scrambled around, stuffing essentials I found into a bag — clothes, a fresh notebook, the acceptance letter. And finally, I put on the uniform.
My mind was racing as I rushed out the door with barely a minute to spare. Before I knew it I was inside of a bus.
The ride was bumpy, and the unfamiliar landscapes outside the window only made me feel more nervous.
Staring at my reflection in the window, I realised I was so… incredibly average. Black hair, blue eyes, an average body with barely any muscle. I was remarkably unremarkable. And worst of all, I was the embodiment of an NPC.
"Ugh…." I groaned as I looked at myself. This was real and I was beginning to accept it despite my initial shock.
As a sense of existential dread settled in my stomach, a translucent screen appeared in front of me.
[Welcome, Caspian Grey]
- Age: 16
- Race: Human
- Mana: F
- Physical Abilities:
- Strength: F
- Agility: F
- Endurance: F
- Dexterity: F
- Charm: F
Overall class: F
It was like a video game status screen, serving only to confirm my worst fears: I was an F class, the lowest possible rank in my novel. Worse, I had no magical or martial abilities to speak of.
"Really?" I scoffed, crossing my arms. They — whoever brought me into this world as a sick joke — should have at least given me a higher stat for my looks…
'I don't look that bad, do I?'
*
*
*
Having arrived at Lumina Academy, it was even grander than I had imagined. I was met with the sight of the very institution I had envisioned in the pages of my novel.
The grandeur of the academy surpassed every expectation I had. It stood tall and majestic as I had described it, a sprawling complex of towers and spires that seemed as though they could touch the blue skies above.
I marvelled at the architecture, the intricate details, and the sense of wonder about the academy. It was a place I wrote to have the ideal image of a place of learning — contrary to my real life university's image.
Snapping me out of my thoughts once again, the stern-faced official gestured for me to follow, leading me through the gates. The courtyard was bustling with students, each dressed in various unforms that had patches that reflected their year: blue for first, green for second, red for third.
We continued through a hallway that led to a massive hall, with rows of seats that extended up like the tiers of a coliseum. The walls were adorned with banners displaying the emblem of Lumina Academy — a radiant sun as I had written. At the front of the hall and standing behind a podium stood an imposing figure, the dean of Lumina Academy.
"Celeste Valenstein," I muttered under my breath recognising who she was at first glance.
As I took my seat amongst the other students, the dean stepped forward to her podium.
"Welcome, esteemed new students of Lumina Academy," she announced, her tone demanding attention. "I am Dean Celeste Valenstein, you may call me Miss Celeste."
"Today marks the beginning of your journey at Lumina Academy," Dean Celeste continued, "But before we allow you to dive into the magical and martial wonders that await you, there are certain formalities you must all attend to."
The dean's eyes scanned the room, and her eyes seemed to lock onto mine for a brief moment—I was probably just imagining things.
"You will all undergo a series of tests," she announced, "to determine your strengths and magical affinities."
Murmurs of excitement and nervousness rippled through the crowd. I was the most nervous of all amongst them.
I was completely unprepared for this.
As the applause died down, we were led to a massive testing facility, and my heart sank even further. This was it. The beginning of my adventure in a world I had created, and I was already doomed to fail!