The sun barely reached the slums, its light swallowed by the towering spires of the immortal districts above. In this part of the city, life was a slow suffocation, but to the MC, it was all he had ever known.
He walked through the rusted gates of Black Veil Academy, a school in name only. The real academies—the ones that promised a future—were reserved for the elite. Here, students sat in cramped classrooms, being taught recycled lessons that held no real value. It wasn't about education; it was about keeping them in place.
At least he wasn't alone.
"Late again."
The voice came from Rael, leaning against the cracked wall outside their class. He was a thin, sharp-eyed guy with short dreadlocks, the kind of person who always had a plan, even if it usually ended in trouble.
"Had to take a different way," the MC muttered. He still hadn't told them about the book.
Beside Rael sat Elise, hunched over a broken tablet. She had cut her long hair short, probably to avoid people grabbing it during fights. She was smarter than most here—not book smart, but survival smart.
"You look like shit," she said without looking up.
"Feel like it, too."
Before they could talk more, a commotion broke out inside the school. Shouting. The sound of fists slamming against metal lockers. Again.
Rael sighed. "It's them."
"Them" was a group of students who barely counted as students anymore. They were more like wild dogs, running the school however they wanted. They took what they wanted, beat down anyone who resisted, and no one did anything to stop them.
When the MC stepped inside, he saw what was happening. One of the younger students, a kid who barely spoke, was being held up by his collar. Blood dripped from his nose.
"What's the matter, huh? No money today?" one of the gang members sneered.
The MC clenched his fists. He could ignore it. He could sit down and let it pass, like every other day.
But he didn't.
He dropped his bag and swung first.
The punch landed square in the guy's jaw, sending him stumbling back. Silence filled the room for half a second before chaos erupted.
Three of them jumped on him at once. He blocked one hit but took the next to his ribs. His body moved on instinct—elbow to the nose, knee to the stomach. The desk cracked under someone's weight as they were thrown against it.
Rael and Elise joined in. Elise fought dirty—sharp kicks and quick jabs—while Rael focused on taking out anyone who got too close. But they were outnumbered.
A fist slammed into the MC's eye, blinding him for a second. Another hit sent him to the ground. Blood filled his mouth. He felt a boot press against his ribs.
Then—CRASH.
The sound of a chair breaking. A scream.
When the dust settled, the gang was on the floor. Some groaning, some not moving at all. The MC stood there, shaking, fists clenched so tight his knuckles had split.
He could barely hear the sirens outside.
—
He sat in the living room, staring at the floor. His mother, Mira, stood in front of him, arms crossed. Her expression wasn't angry. It was worse. It was disappointed.
"You think this is how you get a better life?" she asked, voice cold.
Silence.
She sighed. "Do you know how people escape this place?"
"…By becoming an immortal."
"Yes." She knelt in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There are ways. Ways that only a few get to take. If you work hard enough, if you're smart enough, you could have a place among them. You could be something more."
He didn't answer. He wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him or herself.
That night, as he lay in bed, pain throbbing in his body, he reached for the book under his pillow. He traced his fingers along its worn cover.
Maybe his mother was right. Maybe becoming an immortal was the only way out.
But then why did they want this book hidden?
And why did it feel like the truth would change everything?