"Satoru, are you sure you'll be alright?"
I blinked, and came back to reality. My mother's voice had pulled me back from the clouds. "Yes, I will. Now don't worry about me and keep driving," I reassured her. I smiled, for her presence comforted me. Ever since my father died, it's just been my mother and I. I was difficult for the both of us, but we were still happy. I rested my head against the car window, and watched the world whizz by.
Oh! Before I begin to daydream again, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Satoru Okakura, and I'm departing to my new high school. This isn't your average high school, though. It's a special academy where only talented students can attend. When I mean "talented", you have to be the very best at what you do. Another thing to get in is that you already need to be in high school. You probably think I'm talking about Hope's Peak, right? Well, you've got that wrong.
Hope's Peak Academy is a popular school in Japan. It was built to raise hope in the nation's future. One hundred years of tradition, government funded, it's truly a great school. But, it's only located in one place in Japan. Which, is why I'm not going there. Plus, my mother was concerned about the accident that happened 2 years ago, which involved bombs on campus. The school I'm going to is called "Future's Promise Academy". It's not as popular as Hope's Peak, but just as good. The academy ensures its students with promising futures.
I was able to attend because I had been scouted. You see, I'm the Ultimate Journalist. Apparently, a scoutsman had been reading many of my newspaper articles, and contacted my mother. I remember her bursting into my room one day, while I was e-mailing my editor. Her excited aura filled the room making it seem brighter. My confused face was illuminated by my dim desk lamp. She then explained what happened, and I froze.
My feet were heavy stones, unable to move from the ground. My arms were like branches, outstretched on my keyboard. My gaze fixed on my mother, contemplating the news. "I...can go to...Future's Promise?" I mumbled. She squealed in reply, I jumped up to hug me. She squeezed me tight, and ruffled my hair. Though it was a happy moment, I wish my father had been there too...
"Alright, we're here!" she announced.
The car stopped, jolting me forward. Though it wasn't a sudden halt, my mother had broken into my thoughts again. Before us stood Future's Promise Academy. My mother looked back at me, her soothing, kind gaze focused on me. "Don't forget your things, Satoru. And be sure not to space out that much during your classes, too," she teased. "Right," I replied, opening the door.
The fresh air surrounded me and filled the car. I grabbed my notebook and suitcase, and hauled it out of the car. I shut the door, and my mother rolled down her window. She poked her head out, eyes glistening. "Satoru, have a wonderful time. For me, and your father. He would be so proud of you..." A tear trickled down her cheek, sparkling in the sun. A pang of sadness hit me in the chest, and it ached. We wouldn't see each other for a while.
I nodded, and said, "Take care." A forced smile crept across her face, then she looked at the road ahead. I waved goodbye, and watched the car grow smaller in the distance. To the point it was a mere speck on the horizon, I turned around and faced the school. Rectangular shaped towers were put together to form one building. Looking at it now, I assumed it'd be huge inside.
The sun shone down on me, as if it were a spotlight on stage. The light breeze beckoned me towards the school, which cast a shadow not too far from where I stood. My heart began to race, but I was comforted by the sky overhead. Clouds were scattered like sheep in a field. The thought of my father being up there watching over me filled me with determination. It coursed through my veins, and I made my way towards the entrance.
Thoughts began to pile in my mind. Who are my classmates? What will my dorm room look like? Will my journalist skills improve? I hesitated before the door. Warmth on my back spread through my body, as if my parents were right behind me. My hand reached for the door handle, but faltered. Behind this very door was a new world, a new life. Could I do it...? I clutched my notebook to my chest, and nodded. "Yes, I can." I gripped the doorknob, cool to the touch. I pushed the door open, and was greeted with...darkness.
I unknowingly stepped in, and the doors shut behind darkness enveloped me, and the warmth was gone. A tingle crept up my spine, and I darted my eyes to and fro, only to see nothing. "Where...am I?" I questioned out loud. Suddenly, a blinding light appeared. I winced, like my eyes had been stabbed by thorns of light. I shielded them for a bit, but my eyes adjusted. "Welcome to Future's Promise Academy!" a voice called out.
What shone before me was a screen, playing a video. The building I had just entered was being displayed on it. "Future's Promise Academy - the academy that ensures its students with promising futures," the voice continued. It echoed through the dark, reaching out to me. Even though it was just a voice in a video, my loneliness gradually ebbed away.
"It is a private school where talented people come to learn. We welcome you, Satoru Okakura, to class 9!" I gasped. This must be a video prepared for each student. "I've never heard of welcome like this before. I should write this down later," I told myself. I had promised myself and my mother that I'd interview my classmates and write daily. My editor agreed to go over my stuff with me, and with the academy's permission, publish it.
"We hope you have a splendid time here at the academy, so be sure to-" The video stopped, and all was dark once more. I rush of loneliness flooded into my body, but it only lasted for a brief moment. Soon, a red glow came across the screen, and the voice was replaced. "-enjoy it while it lasts...!" A sinister, high-pitched voice was speaking now. Was this supposed to be part of it?
On either side of me, I heard a low hiss. Panicked, I looked behind me, only to see nothing. A pungent odor filled the air, gradually getting stronger. My nostrils stung, as if millions of bees were inside of it. I inhaled, trying to calm down. A cool breeze shot up my nose, and into my body. I slowly began to feel numb, and my mind was fuzzy. I couldn't see or feel anything, and my nose had gone numb as well. Everything I heard was distorted, and my tongue was a dry sponge.
Like noodles, my legs wobbled. My body was like a plant, swaying in the wind. I stumbled multiple times, and barely felt myself falling. I heard a thud, and I guess I had collapsed, but I didn't feel it at all. "Puhuhuhu..." The eerie laugh echoed through the darkness and in my mind. And then...I lost consciousness.