Hope's Peak University: Parity in Despair
Prologue Part 1:
Even from miles away, I sensed the uncontested prestige that this building possessed. Ivy League schools envy its appeal towards the starry-eyed prodigies of the world. Geographically, the building sits on an island far from any known civilizations. Thus, between the world's most efficient staff, the world's best instructors, and the world's most talented students, we're to make our own civilization full of unfathomable potential. Once we're done here, we will represent beacons of success and hope for feats that had never been thought as possible.
This building in front of me is Hope's Peak University, an extension of the revered Hope's Peak Academy. It's where teachers become professors and headmasters become deans. However, students are still students, and acceptance into this institution expects the student to perform at their consistent best.
Speaking of students, I feel like it would be appropriate to introduce myself now that I'm an incoming member of the university. I'm Osada Mutsohito, otherwise known as the Ultimate Logician. I am at the age of 18 as required for every incoming freshman. For being an ultimate, I have the appearance of the average "nerdy" male stereotype. I'm 5'8", 147 pounds with pale skin, green eyes, and glasses. By far my most defining feature throughout grade school was the blonde bowl cut and ahoge combo that I still proudly sport. It took a little while to come around to the jokes being made about my appearance, but I eventually owned it as a "charmingly dumb" look of sorts. Oddly enough, the only statement the university had in its uniform code section of the student handbook was to, "wear what shows your truest personality". Even if it's a rather boring outfit, I thought something similar to my old school uniform, the "churchy" look with the blue button-up and khakis, was my only option. I don't even care for this outfit, but I've worn it for so long that I've kinda accepted my existence into it.
I have what scouts would call a "non-occupational" talent. Unlike many ultimates that specialize in just one profession, specializing in the field of logic and problem-solving opens up endless occupational prospects for the future. Depending on the subjects I engage with the most at this university, I can be well fit for a top-of-the-line mathematician, historian, detective, and many more. Although I wasn't accepted into Hope's Peak Academy, I hope to meet the inspiring minds that graduated from there into this university, but I'm also hoping there'll be some non-Academy students so I won't feel so awkward and out-of-place.
What was comforting about the information in the student handbook is that the university staff would provide the best quality of necessities. It was even suggested to not bring anything with me to the university, so I came bagless. The dining hall was open 24/7, the bedrooms perfectly accompanied the incoming students design-wise, and they had any supplies or equipment that could be used for studying. I didn't focus on those things much when applying to the university, but this sort of comfort living would be a nice addition to the already high-end experience.
After mentally going back through my introduction into the university, I arrived at the gate that preceded the giant university building. The tall, black-barred gate was about ten feet high with the university's initials and emblem encased. However, something was odd about the university entrance: it had no surrounding fence. I attempted to go around the gate out of curiosity and found out this university has a strong, likely very large invisible wall. I couldn't tell whether the wall was made of completely transparent glass or if it was a force field of sorts, but I thought that the university's ability to implement this into its security system was fascinating. I punched the gate code into the padlock given to me at the island's entrance, "11037", and entered what looked like an ordinary courtyard.
Now that there was nothing between me and the 60-foot, Roman Colosseum-modeled university building, I could feel more excitement and adrenaline coursing through my body. I asked myself the questions I figured I'd ask once I got to this point, 'Am I going to be happy here away from home for a full four years? Are the classes going to be excruciatingly tough? Will anyone like me here?',
These thoughts were quelled by a strange, almost ominous feeling. It was the feeling of vacancy or solitude or loneliness. It took me a couple seconds to figure out why: there was nobody outside of the building. Furthermore, the last time I even saw another human was at the airport near my hometown. One would think that there would be security, greeters, or some of the other 500 students or so waiting for me there. What was once excitement quickly swung towards uneasiness.
I took a few minutes to walk around the courtyard to see if anybody was away from the building's entrance, but there was no luck. Walking toward the back of the building I found was impossible. Since the building has a cylindrical shape, the invisible wall aligns up perfectly with the outer edges of the building's diameter. The depravity of immediate information and secrecy of it all now became sickening, so I tried to leave out of the gate I came through. No luck broke through, likely because it locked itself when I came in. It was then when I realized I had no choice; I was going to enter this building.
Walking up to the building's entrance, I questioned the fears I just had about this whole situation, 'Was I just being paranoid?', 'Were those just undetected nerves kicking in?'. Not before long, I stepped through the modest, home-like entrance with a half-white, half-black doormat saying "Welcome" in red font. I was now stepping foot in what looked like the university lobby complete with fancy tile work, various reenactments of famous paintings covering the walls, and the overwhelming standout: a gold statue of what looked like a girl in her upper teens in pigtails and a rather stylish outfit. What was more uncanny was the bear-faced bands she used to hold her pigtails were the same all of the doorknobs surrounding the lobby and the oddly placed gate on the gold-plated spiral staircase.
Before I can make anything of the scene, the ground suddenly fell from underneath me. I started… falling?! I flailed and screamed as the ceiling was getting farther away and was seemingly falling into an endless black void. Before I could even consider this insanity as a dream, I went unconscious. Little did I know that this was simply the university's initiation. It swallowed me whole, and now I have no idea if I'll even make it out alive.