Warning: This story is going to get pretty dark fairly quickly. Expect brutal subject matter in the following chapters.

What is real...?

What is reality?

Everything's presented in black and white.

Good vs. Evil

Hope vs. Despair

Life vs. Death

But what happens when those ideals are pushed further than accepted. When they become too black or white.

What happens when they become...

Beyond Broken...?

Who knew waking up was the worst feeling in the world?

Kidding. Everyone knows that. But somehow this time was worse. It was like... I couldn't exactly describe it, but like if someone took a hammer and fucking smashed it into your head. Than dragged you out of bed and kept fucking hitting you over and over again until you began choking on your blood. That's what it felt like, except it was also cold, and for some reason, I wasn't in bed. How the fuck was someone like me not passed out in bed? I'm known in town as the sleep master. I've slept for seventy-eight hours straight in my custom made king-sized bed, dreaming peacefully of dancing sheep while pushing my head deeper into polyester pillows. So why the hell didn't it feel like I was sleeping on polyester pillows?

What the hell was going on? I thought, trying to force myself up from this slumber.

That was my first thought when I regained consciousness. Although why I thought something like that was beyond me. It sounded so alien in my head, like I could actually taste how mysterious the word was in my mouth. It was mushy, filled with substance, but no context. Like a bowling ball filled with some type of sick laughing gas stuck in my head. Only this time I wasn't going funny from the stuff. I could feel everything, but I couldn't understand it. I couldn't understand anything. Everything just felt, wrong. That's the only way I could describe whatever the hell this was. It was just wrong somehow. I couldn't tell how exactly it was wrong, but it was in a big way. I was sure of it. So, what the heck was it?

Holding tightly onto my shirt, I attempted to stand, only for my legs to shut down. Somehow, they wouldn't cooperate with me, instead deciding to flop lazily onto the floor. Why? Why wasn't my body working? Why was I on the floor? Something wasn't right, where the hell was I? Why was I here? Was anyone else here with me? What was going on?

The floor under me... it felt hard. I don't have hard floors. My house has carpeted floors. I fucking hate carpeted floors, but they were the only thing helping me piece together some details. Wherever I was, definitely wasn't home. That worried me most of all. But, which buddy did I end up sleeping with this time? Satoru? Muyo? Did I get wasted again? But... this wasn't a hangover. I know what hangovers are like. This felt like...

Did someone knock me out? I wondered.

The thought perplexed me. Who would knock me out? And if someone did, why can't I remember...?

Now that I think about it... why can't I remember anything?!

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't remember anything about last night, or what I even did last night. I remembered other things... but how I got here was out of the question. Which sucked cause that was the only question I wanted to be answered right now.

Thankfully, my eyes were working. I could feel them darting every corner of the room, hungry to take in any images it could find after being contained for so long. With my head throbbing, and my legs feeling as gooey as jelly, I couldn't do much without dropping to the floor without any clear motion in my body. But I was glad to have my eyesight back, I wanted to know where I was and what was happening.

I wasn't home, but I wasn't at my friend's house either. I was someplace way fucking creepier. This... room... it was the weirdest thing I've ever seen. The room was obnoxiously white, with the walls being padded heavily with some heavy cushioning. It reminds me of those... isolation rooms where the person is forced to sit around in. But the floors were concrete, and so was the ceiling. The only light the place had was a single little light bulb. It flickered for a second, obscuring my already blurry vision.

"W-what the fuck is this?!" I sputtered.

My voice. This was the first time I spoke. It was scratchy, a little rough. It hurt to speak, but damm did it feel good. It gave me some sort of control at least. The only control I've had since I woke up. But now... I had a billion other questions. I knew they wouldn't be answered anytime soon, but it didn't stop me from thinking them now that I knew I wasn't home.

Okay. I wasn't home. I knew that much. Someone... must've taken me here. But who. And why? Shit! I can't remember! I fucking hate this. Why can't I focus right now!

"H-hey! Someone! Let me out of here!" I yelled, stumbling around the room.

Nonthing responded to my calls except the echoes of my voice. It couldn't have been just me here... could it?

Fuck! There's nothing in this room to help me pinpoint where I am or what's even happening. How am I supposed to escape when I have no clue what to-

*clink*

A small noise interrupted my thoughts. It sounded like a tiny slot or something opening. I whirled around the room, just in time to see a little opening in the ceiling drop something into the room. That thing slammed onto the floor harshly, echoing around in my ears. It was a tablet, but it wasn't broken.

What the-!? I thought, looking at the ceiling again.

To my surprise, the little opening was gone. All that remained was concrete in place of it. Now the only things in this room were me and this strange tablet.

Was someone recording this? I didn't see any cameras in the room, but they must've seen me waking up to deliver this tablet to me. This confirms it then. I was brought here by some asshole. Who it was though... I had no fucking clue.

Meanwhile, the tablet that fell in lied on the floor quietly, waiting for me to pick it up. I stared at the thing however from the corner of the room, making no movements. Someone wanted me to pick it up, but... should I? This person seems like they're playing some sort of game with me. If that's the case, then they're fucking sick if they think I'll play along.

I waited for a bit, staring at the device with disgust. I knew there was nothing else to do but pick it up, but I couldn't trust it. Maybe it was a bomb. Or something of that matter...

...

...

...

Shit... I have to pick it up... don't I...?

...

...

...

Begrudgingly... and with a lot of hesitation... I crawled over to the device and picked it up. I'll play along with this person's little game for now, but once I found out who did this, they're as good as dead.

The tablet was of average size, looking pretty sleek in design. Maybe it was high-tech or something? I don't know why they would go through the trouble of getting me something like this. If it was a Christmas present I'd like it, but this wasn't a very normal situation to be handing out free gifts...

What was I supposed to do with this? There wasn't even a button to turn it on. Was it voice activated?

With no other option, I leaned closer to the tablet.

"U-um... hello?' I asked, "what is-"

*bzzzzhhhhhhhhh*

Before my very eyes, the screen flashed to white. Just like everything else in this room disappointingly. However, the white screen quickly morphed into a small circle, which bounced up and down like some sort of ball before turning into... a logo of sorts. The logo looked like a face with two sides. One side looked like a normal teddy bear... but the other side had an... evil-looking eye with a toothy grin. The face began to giggle before finally activating.

In front of me was a list... detailing... everything about me!

Ownership of this monopad belongs to Arato Akio

You've been assigned the title of...

!- Ultimate Example-!

This... what is this?

What the fuck was an Ultimate Example? Did it mean I was the best at it? But what the hell did it mean?

My eyes began scanning the tablet even more...

But then I saw something that made my heart stop.

?- Status -?

(Death)

"W-what the fuck is this?!" I screamed, staring at the words in disgust.

My status was... death? But... what the fuck did that mean? What did any of this mean!?

"I'm sure you have many questions, Mr. Akio..."

My heart slammed to a stop from the monotone voice behind me.

"Unfourantly for you, this isn't your story to tell..."

*BAM*

Unknown

The body of Arato Akio went slack, sprawling out onto the floor.

The figure, completely unbothered, watched as the boy's eyes rolled into the back his head, the horror on his face vanishing as all of his functions immediately shut down. The hole in his head allowed a huge stream of blood to flow by his dark auburn hair, ironically mixing in well with the red strands. They dripped onto the pristine white floor, contrasting with its crimson borders.

The smoking gun beside him was sent back into its holster, and the man began picking up his body. This whole thing was rather pointless, but so was this boy's life. His death would serve something greater, as a gateway from fiction into reality.

"It's not your story to tell..." the figure said, "it's theirs..."

The other sixteen would wake up soon.

He was an example.

They'd all be examples.

Let the games begin.

(A/N) - If you were intrigued by this chapter, then perhaps you'd be interested in sending a few characters for this story. Welcome to Danganronpa: Beyond Broken. This story is set in an Alternate Universe where Ultimates and Hope Peak never existed. I'm new to writing, but I have been planning this story out quite a bit. The deadline I have set currently is October 1st. So you'll have plenty of time to send your OC's my way if you're willing. As this is my first attempt at this type of story, I will try my best to give a good experience.

If you were confused, our good friend Arato Akio will NOT be the protagonist of this story. The actual protagonist will be revealed in later chapters, so don't worry. For those who are curious, a discord server won't be set up until I get ALL characters for the story. This also isn't first come first serve. You should do your best to make meaningful characters I can work with. I can't guarantee I'll write them perfectly, but I'll do my best.