Noah Carter gazed at his reflection in the broken mirror of the school bathroom. His lip was puffy, his glasses perched awry on his nose, and his uniform was slick with the soda that had been spilled on him minutes before. His hands shook as he attempted to straighten his glasses, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered any longer.
It had been a bad day.
No, not bad—the worst day of his life.
The whispers, the laughter, the humiliation… he had endured it all before. But today was different. Today, they took everything from him.
---
Framed
It had begun in math class.
Noah had been sitting quietly, as he always did, when Mr. Reynolds, their tough math teacher, called his name.
"Noah Carter, stand up."
Puzzled, he had complied, standing as every eye in the classroom focused on him.
"Explain this." Mr. Reynolds held up a test paper—one with flawless answers. A test Noah hadn't even laid eyes on.
Noah blinked in shock. "I… I don't get it. That's not mine."
Mr. Reynolds' face turned dark. "This was in your bag. You're saying you didn't cheat?"
Noah's breath caught. His bag? He hadn't placed anything there!
A few students giggled. Someone whispered, "What a loser. Even cheats like a nerd."
And then—the ultimate betrayal.
Sophia Hayes.
The girl Noah had admired from a distance. The girl he had secretly loved. The girl he had foolishly thought was nice.
She gasped dramatically and exclaimed, "Noah… just be honest. We all caught you cheating off the answers prior to the test."
There was a burst of laughter surrounding him.
Noah's heart ceased.
She was lying.
He stared at her, his eyes wide with desperation. "Sophia, you know I wouldn't—"
But she looked away, as if ashamed. As if he wasn't worth defending.
Mr. Reynolds slammed the test paper onto his desk. "Enough. Cheating is unacceptable. You'll be reported to the principal."
Noah opened his mouth, but the words wouldn't come out.
He knew it was pointless.
The moment Sophia spoke against him, no one would believe him.
---
The End of Everything
By lunchtime, the whole school knew.
"Carter got caught cheating!"
"What a joke. Thought nerds were smart?"
"Maybe he cried about it after class."
Noah tuned them out. He had spent years practicing how to ignore the voices.
But nothing could have prepared him for what came next.
As he entered the cafeteria, someone pushed him from behind. He staggered, catching himself just in time.
Laughter.
He turned around—Ryan Miller. The school's biggest bully. The toughest fighter.
"Didn't notice you there, nerd," Ryan sneered. His friends laughed beside him. "So, how does it feel to be a lying, cheating piece of trash?"
Noah ground his fists together. "I didn't cheat."
Ryan sneered at him. "Oh yeah? Then tell me about this."
He showed him the notebook.
But it wasn't his anymore.
It was torn in two. Pages gone. Shredded. Mangled.
Noah stood there, stunned. That notebook contained everything. His notes. His sketches. His innermost thoughts.
And they'd destroyed it.
Something within him broke.
"Give that back!" Noah reached out.
He never even noticed Ryan's fist.
The punch hit him hard in the stomach, making him lose his breath. He fell onto the cafeteria floor, struggling to breathe.
His glasses fell off. His eyes blurred. The room spun.
Laughter. Teasing voices.
Then, the worst sound of all.
Sophia's voice.
"Stop it, Ryan," she told him—but there was no worry in her voice. Only boredom. Like Noah wasn't even worth fighting for.
Ryan laughed. "Whatever. Come on."
The group passed by.
And Noah Carter lay alone on the ground.
---
Giving Up
He hardly knew he was leaving school. His legs carried him here all on their own, to a spot no one would come after.
The abandoned school rooftop.
It was still here. Quiet. Peaceful.
Noah leaned against the railing, looking down into the vacant courtyard below.
The wind mussed his hair.
His thoughts were empty.
He had nothing to lose.
His parents? They would be disappointed in him.
His future? Lost.
His reputation? Ruined.
Perhaps… it would be easier if he just vanished.
His fingers clenched on the tiny razor blade he'd stolen from the art room.
No one would notice.
He brought the blade to his wrist—
DING!
Noah jumped.
A blue screen appeared before his eyes.
[System Activating…]
His breath stuck in his throat.
What… was this?
The words on the screen pulsed softly in the dim light.
[Welcome to the Level-Up System.]
[User: Noah Carter]
[Status: Weakling]
[Initiating First Quest: Survive.]
Noah's heart thudded. Was he dreaming? Had he finally gone crazy?
His fingers trembled in the air, and the screen responded. The text changed, as if acknowledging his presence.
He stepped back, shaking his head. "No… this isn't real."
But then—
A wave of heat coursed through his body.
His bruises throbbed. His breathing steadied. The ache in his ribs dissipated.
Something was occurring.
Noah glanced at his hands. They were no longer shaking.
For the first time in years, he felt something besides helplessness.
He felt…
Hope.
The system's screen flickered once more.
[First Mission: Defeat someone stronger than you.]
Noah took a sharp breath.
His heart thudded—not with fear, but with determination.
He had spent years fleeing. Years being weak.
But now?
Now, he had his opportunity.
And he was not about to let it slip away.
This was not the end of his chapter.
It was only the beginning.