The building could be seen no matter where you were in the city. The tall, imposing, yet fascinatingly wonderful building that sparked hope.

Hope's Peak Academy. A government funded school dedicated to educating and furthering only the best of the best. Those who graduated from here had changed the world. There was no way to apply - sixteen students across the country had to be scouted first, all with unique and individual talents which placed second to none.

And yet, there I stood, closer to this building than everyone in this city. While you could see it from anywhere, you could never see the whole thing. The gates or other structures always obscured your view of the bottom. But now, as close as I was, it was impossible to fit it all in my eyes. That, in a way, described how I supposed I was feeling at that moment. A perfectly straight, well-cared for slip of card rested in my left hand. Was I deserving of such an invitation? I, who had never thought of myself as anything special?

No.

I steeled. I was chosen. Among all other high school students, I was chosen to represent this talent and this school. That was reason enough to believe in myself. No more waiting around. No more standing in the shade of this building. It was time to start my high school career. The automatic doors welcomed me. I stepped forward into that building, that building of talent, that building of ambition, that building of hope.

But the moment I did, the world around me distorted.

It twisted, it churned, it spun, it crushed, it burned, it stretched. Colours darted around, spotting my vision irregularly and painfully, overlapping one another and scorching my eyes. My head was exploding with fireworks. My whole body felt like it was about to crack open.

And then, all of a sudden, the spots collided. They filled my eyes until I could only see black. And then, the pain stopped. And then, I couldn't feel anything.