[Eliisa]

“In a few days you’ll be going to Skyline Institute instead of your old high school.”
“What?” exclaimed Eliisa, confused. She stared at the two figures in front of her-- her parents. Her mother had just finished speaking.
“We submitted the application several months ago for you. Remember when we asked if you could see a floating island?” her father continued.
“Well...yes,” Eliisa conceded, trying to suppress her frustration by balling her fists. I should’ve paid more attention when they asked me about the floating island. They never explain anything fully to me, never consult me on matters that pertain to me, and think they always know what’s best.
“This school only requires one year in order to graduate. After graduating, you can have any job or career you want. And we got a notice that you were accepted several weeks ago! Isn’t that wonderful?” stated her mother enthusiastically.
“Yeah. It is,” Eliisa replied cheerfully through gritted teeth. Sounds too good to be true. But at the very least, if I graduate I can be free from my parents.
Her mother’s face suddenly became stern, “Keep your posture straight!”
Eliisa flinched and adjusted her posture immediately, “Yes, mother. But why didn’t you tell me about--”
“Stop asking unnecessary questions and go start packing. You’re flying over to the United States tonight,” her father interjected.
“Yes, father,” Eliisa said in a resigned tone and began to slowly saunter to her room. I’ll be leaving everything I know behind…

---

[Elliot]

The crisp, dank scent of freshly fallen rain lingers in Elliot’s nostrils as he walks past an odd flyer advertising Skyline Institute with the words, ’Can you see the floating island?’ stamped on it in huge obtrusive font.

It’s not the first time Elliot has heard of the school before; it was fairly famous after all. Rumors said that graduating from Skyline granted people a lot of prestige and allowed them to obtain any job they wanted afterwards. And as long as you could see the island, all expenses for the school would be provided.

He was certainly intrigued the first time he saw the advertisement. He even had considered applying then, but his confidence failed him. In a place like that, I’d be the dumbest one there. And be made fun of. Elliot shoots a quick glance at the floating island in the sky-- he’d been able to see it as long as he could remember. His gaze falls back to the book he’s holding and resumes reading. Elliot had long mastered the art of reading while walking.
As he nears his house, he spies unwelcome but familiar faces in the edges of his vision. Elliot ducks his head low, hoping he wouldn’t be noticed.
“Hey, nerd!” a guy strolls over and pokes him with a finger.
Elliot tenses his shoulders a bit and tries to ignore him.
“Hey! I was talking to you, nerd. Have you gone deaf?” the boy taunts.
“Maybe you need to be rougher with him,” another person pipes.
The color in Elliot’s face slowly drains from his cheeks and he speeds up his pace, attempting to brush his antagonizers off. But hands from behind shove him roughly into a giant puddle. Elliot uses his forearms to land, but the book jolts out of his hands from the impact and falls into the puddle. That was..one of my favorites. My father bought it for me before he died. Elliot had to suppress the choking feeling welling up in his throat-- he had always handled his books with the utmost care, especially that one.
“Awww, your book got wet. Are you going to cry now?”the culprit says maliciously.
Elliot silently picks up the book, gets up, and starts running back to his house. I can’t cry. I can’t cry. I can’t cry.
“See you later, loser!” a third guy jeered.
I need to get out of this place. His steps slowed down as he reached his home. Elliot tucked the book under an arm while he checked the mailbox for mail. Rifling through the letters, he notices one from Skyline Institute. He unlocks the front door to his house, leaves the rest of the mail on a table, and begins to open the letter from Skyline. What could they possibly want?
Tearing the envelope open carefully, Elliot extracts the letter and starts to read it.

“Dear Elliot Zhang,

We are delighted to inform that you have been accepted into Skyline Institute. Skyline Institute is a prestigious school that...”

He had been reluctant to apply at first, but his desire to escape from his current situation became greater than his hesitation. Should I accept? But then again, what do I have to lose? Maybe I could actually do something useful after I graduate. However unlikely that is, Elliot thought bitterly. He walked to his room and set the soaked book gingerly down on his nightstand before collapsing onto the bed.
I want to get out of here.

[Nico]
Nico entered his apartment and was surprised to see a flier sitting on the ground inside the threshold of the door.
Hm, what useless thing are you advertising
Nico bent over and picked up the flier and scanned through it quickly.
“Wait, I got accepted!?!” Nico said enthusiastically under his breath.
He went back through the flier and found he had to report to the Institute in a few weeks. Nico quickly closed the door behind him and started to lay out everything he wanted to take with him to the Institute and also made a mental checklist of everything he had to take care of before he left for what he hoped would help him realize his full potential.
Going to have to quit my job and pay my last payment to the landlord
Nico quickly packed his MTG cards into their pad locked case and laid out about 2 weeks worth of clothes with a few hundred dollars in cash.
Well, if I graduate, I’ll be in a very powerful position to push the frontiers of science for years to come, and if I don’t graduate.....no, I will graduate.
Nico finished laying out the rest of the things he would be taking with him and quickly booked a flight to the airport that was nearest to the institute as well as a place to stay before he arrived on campus.

---

[Katie]
Katie walked into her room and sat down at her desk to start on her homework for the night.
I wish that I could do something fun, but I don’t want to bring down everyone on my head like what happened in middle school
As she worked on her Math homework, she noticed a flier sitting off to the side of her desk and picked it up and read it.
“I was wondering when you were going to find it.” Katie's father said from the door.
Katie turned around.
“What about finishing high school, I can’t do anything without a diploma.” Katie said somewhat dejectedly.
“The only application requirement for the Institute is that you are able to see a floating island in the sky.” Her father replied.
“You mean the one I texted you about on the way home from school?”Katie said, starting to become interested.
“Yep, we have the application ready and filed out with everything we had to fill out, you just have to fill out the rest and send it in.”
Katie filled out the rest of the application and sent it to the Institute.
A few days later she got word that she was accepted.
“You better go start packing, you’ll need to get to the campus in a few weeks.” Katie’s father told her that day.
“Okay.” Katie replied, starting to feel happy for the first time in years.
Not much to take with me i suppose

---

[Jace]
After seeing the ad online, Jace quickly filled out the application and sent it in.
“You better start planning what you want to pack in case you get accepted to this....Skyline Institute place.” Jace’s father told him.
“I’m still not sure he should go, he would be in danger from who knows what.” Jace’s mother said sadly.
For crying out loud Jace thought to himself.
“Mom, I’ll be fine, really, and dad, I was actually about to start when you two walked in on me.” Jace said.
“Well, we’ll be in the office if you need anything.” His father replied, turning to leave. Jace’s mother somberly left a few seconds after.
The next day, Jace got an email congratulating him on his acceptance to the Institute and his parents set him on his way.
Well, all I have with me is a few days worth of clothing and my laptop....I’m going to be fine....probably....possibly...maybe....okay this might not have been the best idea in the world.Jace thought as he rode the bus toward the Institute.

[Alice]

“I think we finally found it!” Alice’s mother exclaimed.
“Found what?” asked Alice, turning her wheelchair to face her mother.
“A way to cure you!” her father replied.
Alice’s eyes widened, almost shining, “Really?” I can’t believe it! Maybe I’ll finally be able to walk on my own legs again--it’s been so long!
“Yeah, a place called ‘Skyline Institute’, it’s a boarding school said to make dreams come true. And that miracles happen there. And that the only requirement they have is that you need to be able to see a floating island. But I remember you going on about a floating island after your accident, right?” her father continued on excitedly, about to jump up and down with joy.
“Yeah, and you told me I was hallucinating,” Alice says jokingly.
“It’s a bit too late to send in an application so we can just fly over to Illinois, and if we can present adequate proof at the gate that you can see it, you’ll be accepted!” her mother added enthusiastically.
“We booked a flight for us to go there just tomorrow morning! So we had better get packing soon,” her father said cheerfully.
“Alright,” Alice piped happily. I wonder what kinds of people I’ll meet there!

---

[Naoi]

Naoi smirks as he looks at his acceptance letter to Skyline Institute. I was denied the chance to go to Naraka High, but now… Heh. I wonder how many people wander into this place clueless of what’s about to happen. Don’t they realize it’s really all too good to be true? No matter, the more lost they are, the easier it is to manipulate them. He walks over to the living room, where his parents were.
“Mother, father, I’ve been accepted to Skyline. You said you had already bought me a plane ticket to go to the United States, right?” Naoi queries.
His father stops reading the newspaper, stands up, and puts a hand on Naoi’s shoulder, “We did, son. Now go make us proud.”
“Yes, father. I’ll bring prestige and honor into this family,” Naoi says resolutely.
His father backs away as his mother moves in to hug him, “Stay safe. Please.”
Naoi returns the hug, “I’ll do my best.”
I will definitely survive and graduate from Skyline Institute.


[Kylie]

It was a bright and warm afternoon in Chicago, Illinois. Outside of a decently large house enclosed by a big yard filled with shady oak trees. Parked on the long driveway leading up to the home was a Mercedes-made SUV with its trunk swung open. A tall man with neatly-combed brown hair wearing a blue button-down and khakis was just finishing loading the last piece of his daughter’s luggage into the vehicle. His daughter, speak of the devil, with new blonde highlights in her hair, was sitting on the front steps with phone in hand and earbuds in her ears. She was wearing a white crop-top along with denim high-waisted shorts and a pair of tan sandals.

“Kylie!” her father hollered after slamming the trunk shut. “Kylie!” he hollered again after not getting a response.

Kylie had heard him the first time, but decided to pretend not to, since she had her music on. However, since he called her a second time, she pulled her earbuds out with a sigh and looked up from her phone.

“What is it, Dad?”

“The car’s all packed and ready to go.” Mr. Reith walked up the small path toward the front steps where she was.

“Let’s go then. The sooner I get out of here, the sooner I can start doing whatever I want.”

As if she doesn’t do that already, her father thought unsympathetically. “This isn’t a vacation, Kylie. Your mother and I told you already. Skyline is dangerous. Is this the kind of risk you want to take for not having to go to class?”

“Yes,” she shot back, not missing a beat. She sauntered over to the car and hopped into passenger seat. “It was your idea anyway. I’ll get a good job when I graduate.”

Mr. Reith watched her backside and frowned, wondering about what he’d do if the worst were to happen… Kylie was his only child; even though he didn’t get so see her much, and she wasn’t the most fond of him, he still loved her very much. The thought of never seeing her again was just… Well, it was just too much. He rubbed out the tears that brimmed his eyes and got into the car as well.

“Kylie…” he said in a low voice. “You know it’s not too late to decide not to go.”

“But I want to go,” she insisted.

“You could die!” he suddenly burst out, but it’s not like Kylie didn’t already know that. “Your mother and I… We’d miss you terribly, honey…”

Kylie scoffed. “Where is Mom, by the way?” she asked, turning to face him with a frown.

“You know she’s been busy at the office…” Mr. Reith replied helplessly.

“Couldn’t even come see her daughter off to the school she might die at?”

Mr. Reith nearly flinched at her words. “Don’t say that!”

“Don’t act like you all care about me.”

“We do,” he choked out weakly, the tears returning to his eyes. “You’re our only daughter. How couldn’t we care about you? We love you!”

His daughter let out another, even louder sigh.

“Right… Don’t cry, Dad,” she told him. “Just start driving. Wake me up when we get there.” She put her earbuds back on and leaned her head back on the headrest while Mr. Reith sniffled and stuck the keys into the ignition.

[Gideon]

He had always felt that some sort of karmic destiny was in store for him, that he was destined for great things, grand things. It might just be an extreme form of optimism, or even a silly fantasy, but he still hoped.

And now, his hopes had been realized, in the form of Skyline Institute. He wouldn't just enroll however, the alarming rumors about the school were bad enough, and if even a few of those rumors were to be believed, the current fourteen year old Gideon was ill prepared for Skyline.

---

~Several months later~

At his house, in his room on the upper floor, Gideon leans back in his chair and throws an arm over his eyes. The hard facts that Gideon actually believed about Skyline were so few that it might as well be called "Slyline".

Shady rumors, crazy stories, and accounts of horrific experiences made the school sound more like a fantasy novel than anything. A recurring theme were these "Words" that imbued students with power. Another recurring theme were the nightmarish "Blights" that descended every so often, slaughtering students en masse. No particular pattern was seen between any of the Blights, except for the first day. The first day was always the same year to year.

Some blights did seem to come back and afflict differing years of students, but it was hard to tell with the limited information he had to use.

Never mind the supernatural parts-how the h*** does this school get away with killing off 95% of its students every year?!!

Questions like these were the source of Gideon's headaches. He needed more information.

[Marcus]

Not that it'd ever happen, since I'm invincible, but if I ever do get injured playing on the collegiate or pro level, I'll still be able to get any other job I want since I attended Skyline Institute. Man, just how hard must the courses be to get that kind of opportunity after only a year? So hard that students die lmao.

Whatever, it's only a year. How hard could it be?

[Elliot]

When Elliot strode past the gate, he didn’t even jump at the change in scene. He didn’t care at all. What mattered was the fact that he was away from the bullies and the negativity of his household-- his mother had tearfully begged him to stay and take care of her, but he couldn’t deal with it all any longer. It took too much out of him. But he had promised her that him going to Skyline was for the better, that after he graduated, they’d both have a better life. Only after some lengthy persuasion did he finally convince her. He went up to one of the staff sitting at the tables stationed on the track field.
“Hello, what’s your name?” greeted the well-dressed man.
“Elliot Zhang,” he replied curtly, not wanting to prolong human interaction if he could help it.
The man rifled through various envelopes and handed him one marked with a ‘1’ on the outside.
“The number indicates your class, so you’re in Class 1, which is in that building over there,” the man gestured, “Class won’t start in a bit since it’s at 10 a.m. today, but getting there early won’t hurt. Room key and information are also in the envelope.”
Elliot silently nodded and headed towards the building. When he got to the classroom, he made his way to a desk in the corner and willed himself to sleep.

---

[Eliisa]

Well, she was finally here, standing before the decorative gates of the school. Guards stood on each side of the gate, shooting everyone intimidating looks. Eliisa winced at the memory of last night, of her rush to pack everything dear to her in the suitcase, her frantic goodbyes to the friends she made, and the nightmares that plagued her mind on the flight here. She gazed at the school, far in the distance. Why is the school gate here when the main building is so far away? Eliisa strolled past the gate while in thought and stopped suddenly, blinking several times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.
“What?! How am I at the school’s track field when it was so far away?” she exclaimed.
Eliisa whipped her head around to see an endless field, but no gate. She started walking back towards where she thought the gate was and smacked her head against an invisible barrier.
“Owwwww,” she complained.
Eliisa rubbed her forehead gingerly and reached out with her hand until it touched the barrier. It seemed very solid, and didn’t budge a bit when she applied all of her strength against it.
“You should probably stop worrying about that and figure out what class you’re assigned to,” a voice said cheerfully behind her.
Eliisa turned around and gazed at the women who spoke to her, “But…”
The women beamed her a smile, “It’s very crucial that you go to your first class on time, or who knows what will happen? Maybe monsters will appear and gobble you up.”
Eliisa was at a loss for words, Seeing as I most likely won’t be able to leave, I might as well go with this madness for now. What in the world did my parents get me into??
She numbly sauntered over to the table propped out on the track field and faced the women.
“Good… now what is your name?” the women prodded.
“Eliisa Gerhardt,” she replied stiffly.
“Eliisa…. Here it is!” the women hands her an envelope and explains, “Inside is your room key and room information. On the front there should be a number from one to eight. That indicates your class assignment. Class will start at 10 a.m. for today only. You should head to your classroom as soon as possible.”
“Thanks,” Eliisa mumbled and glanced at the large ‘5’ scrawled on the outside of the envelope, “Where is Class 5 located?”
“It’s in the rightmost building over there,” the lady pointed.
“Thanks again,” Eliisa said as she began walking towards the building the woman indicated.
“No problem, hope you live to see the end of the school year!” the women wished her.
Live…? What? I get that this school is really weird but...what?

Eliisa sighed and opened the door to the building. Casting a glance both ways, she finds a sign with ‘Class 5’ on it and goes to open the door. It creaks slightly and Eliisa quietly slipped inside and sat down on an unoccupied desk. Eliisa closed her eyes and thought, I’ve always wished that life was a bit more magical but this is getting really, really weird. People around her were bantering excitedly about their future prospects while others remain silent, anxious for class to begin. Some even looked grim. Around 10 a.m., the teacher arrived and introduced himself as Mr. Magorian. He handed each person a blank piece of paper and stated, “That piece of paper is the second most important thing next to your life.” The classroom became quiet and faint panicked whispers could be heard. The teacher then instructed, “Now in the center of the paper, write a single word. This word should match how each of you will fight in an upcoming battle. The one and only word that you believe you will need.”
A word...with which I’ll fight with? A word that I’ll need? Jeez. Can things get any stranger? Well, since adapting is important and I don’t know what kind of situation I’ll be getting into...
Eliisa carefully transcribed a word onto the paper.
Change.

[Nico]
Nico arrived at the gate to the Institute and marveled at how far he still had to walk to get to the buildings where he presumed the classes would be held.
Well, they won’t let me take a taxi onto campus...arbitrary fitness rules must have been left out of the description of life on campus. Nico thought somewhat displeased at the omission.
As he crossed through the open gate, he was surprised to see that he was suddenly next to the buildings that had seemed to be extremely far away.
“Well..” He said involuntarily. Either the Institute has teleportation technology, or there is something else going on here.....interesting
Nico noticed a group of people clustered around some tables near the track and field and decided to approach.
“Hello.” Said a woman sitting at one of the tables “What is your name?”
“Nicolas Bolivar.” Nico said And when I graduate, that name will be said with respect
“Nicolas...ah here you are.” The woman said. “Your class number is on the envelope and your room key is inside.”
“Thank you.”Nico said with carefully practiced sincerity.
Nico left the tables and followed the crowd toward the buildings and found a room with the number 5 on it and entered.
I’m not the only person who got here early Nico noted glancing around the room.
Around 10 am, a man entered the room and introduced himself as Mr. Magorian and handed out a piece of paper to each student in the room.
“That piece of paper is the second most important thing next to your life.” The teacher then instructed, “Now in the center of the paper, write a single word. This word should match how each of you will fight in an upcoming battle. The one and only word that you believe you will need.”
Nico sat thoughtfully for a moment and then remembered his lucky card, a foil Ugin, and wrote down the word Dragon onto the paper.
Now then, if this is how they start us off, then things are going to be very interesting....I wonder how many of us will be here after the first week....

---

[Jace]
Jace got off the bus in front of the Institute and stood there taking in the size of the campus in front of him.
“Wow...” He marveled. The map makes it look so much smaller than it is
Jace walked down the road and stopped inside the gate for a moment as he suddenly felt a little disoriented when he saw that the buildings were closer than they had been when he had been on the other side of the gate.
Okay, that is really freaky...
Jace noticed people near the track and figured that he would be able to ask someone there where he was supposed to go.
“Hello, what is your name.” One of the adults at a table near the center of the group of people said.
“My name is Jacen Baker.” Jace said. No one seems to worried about the rumors of people dying here, but then again, I haven’t even gotten to my first class yet.
“Here you go.” The man said, handing an envelope to Jace. “Your class number is on the front of your envelope and your room key is inside it.”
The envelope had a large number 2 on it. “Where is class 2 located?” Jace asked.
“Far side of the building there, there will be two smaller buildings, you want the one on the left. Be in there and ready to start by 10 am.” The man replied.
“Thank you.” Jace said. So, I have a few hours to kill. I wonder what life is going to be like here.
Jace reached the classroom with about 30 minutes to spare. Might as well sit tight and try to figure out what I am going to do with my life for the next year.

[Katie]
Katie arrived at the gate to the Institute and was a little apprehensive about going in.
“You’ll be fine Katie, the rumors aren’t all bad. Graduating from here will let you do anything you want to do.” Katie’s father had told her before she left home.
She had felt excited at first, but now, she was starting to doubt she could handle the pressure of only having a year to master enough things to be able to get a job wherever she wanted.
Well....no turning back now... Katie thought, somewhat downcast about leaving her family behind.
She sauntered through the gate and suddenly felt like she had moved hundreds of miles from the other side of the gate even though she only moved a few feet from where she got out of the bus.
Okay, this place is going to work out fine....the rumors about students dying constantly thought the year can’t be true...right?
As Katie crossed near the track, she noticed some tables set up and decided to ask for directions.
Before Katie was able to ask, a man at the table said “Hello, I need your name.”
“Um... I’m Katie Wells..”Katie said somewhat shakily.
“Okay...Katie...ah, here you go.” The man said after a moment, handing Katie an envelope with the number 4 on it. “The number is the class you have been assigned to and your room key is inside it, be at class by 10 am today. Class 4 meets in the building near the Garden in that direction.” The man pointed the the direction of the building he mentioned.
“Thank you.” Katie said politely.
Katie managed to find her class with about 15 minutes to spare.
I wonder what life is like here Katie thought as she waited for class to start.

[Kylie]

Kylie felt a small shiver up her spine as she gazed at the gates in front of her. The guards standing vigilant at the gates reminded her of those British guards that stare out onto the streets and have no emotion, no matter what you did to try to distract them. Kylie didn’t feel compelled to test that on them.

Her father had just left. She didn’t want him to stay very long, and his teary goodbye was getting old. It still ticked her off that he was pretending like he cared about her… but whatever. Now she was on her own, finally, like she had wanted. This should be a piece of cake, right?

She peered through the gate’s opening and saw the school was way off in the distance. Luckily, she had passed of her hefty pieces of luggage to inspection before coming here, so she wouldn't have to lug it all the way there. With a deep breath, she started off and crossed the threshold of the gate…

Her vision seemed to flicker for a moment, and before she could even realize what was happening, she saw the school was now considerably closer. Impossibly close. With a little gasp, she glanced behind her and saw there was no gate. Nothing. Just the grass that seemed to go on forever.

“Oh…” she muttered to herself in a small voice. “I guess there’s no turning back now…”

Kylie should’ve expected as much. She knew the school wasn’t… normal. But the fact that she was experiencing this not-normal-ness firsthand was certainly bizarre. She inhaled shakily and turned around to face forward again. Her brown eyes swiftly scanned over the school in front of her. It kinda looked like your typical boarding school. She had expected something along the lines of Hogwarts… but this was okay too. She noticed she was on the field enclosed by a track, and her stomach tingled. Was there a sports team? Maybe she could cheer for them!

She headed off to the field since she saw a group of adults setting up tables there. Must be the place to check in.

“Hello there!” one of them called out suddenly. “Name?”

Kylie nearly jumped. She didn’t expect anyone to reach out to her so out of the blue.

“Eep!” she gasped. “Oh my God… Sorry.” She giggled to diffuse her embarrassment. “It’s Kylie Reith. R-E-I-T-H.”

The well-dressed woman who had addressed her nodded and produced an envelope labeled 4.

“That number is your class. Class 4.”

“Oh, well you won’t need to worry about me showing up,” Kylie laughed, taking it from her hands.

“The first class is required. After that it’s up to you to show up or not.”

Kylie frowned. She hated that word, required.

“Really?”

“Well if you don’t you’ll certainly be in a pickle. Don’t want to get eaten by a bunch of monsters, do you? It starts at 10am so you have a little bit of time.”

Kylie laughed nervously at the odd woman and stared down at her envelope with a frown.

“Okay, one class isn’t too bad, I guess,” she replied quietly.

“Your room key and information are also in there,” said the woman. “The girls’ dormitories are located on the opposite side of campus. Just keep going straight and past the boys’ dorms. Your luggage should already be in your room by now.”

“…Thanks,” Kylie answered. She figured the first thing she should do was locate her room and belongings and unpack before she got to this class. She gently folded the envelope in her hands and took off toward the girls’ dorms.

[Milayou]

He was dressed in soft leather, carefully tooled in the intricate designs the elves loved. But no elf in the world of Krynn could grow a beard... no elf, but...

“Milayou!”

But... did the others like the trip? Maybe I should have asked everyone afterwards for their thoughts on the trip...

The sweet, yet determined voice echoed once more.

“Millie! It's finally here in the mail!”

Milayou's world came back into focus. Her eyes drifted back to the book that she was reading moments ago.

“Mmmm, where was I?"

Pouting slightly at her own absent-mindedness, Milayou's eyes darted over the page in an effort to find where she had left off. Finding the spot, she folded the page corner as a bookmark, and set the it down on her desk.

“I'm coming down, mom!”

Milayou stretched her legs, put on her slippers, and walked downstairs.

“Look, it's from Skyline Institute! For such a prestigious school, they send such a plain letter!”

Milayou sat down at the kitchen table, plucked the stark white envelope out from the pile, and carefully pushed the other mail to the side. Her mother sat down across from her, letter opener in hand. A quick stab, then a pull, and the envelope was ready to spill it's secrets. Milayou took out the single piece of paper inside, unfolded it, and began reading.

“Dear Milayou Riviel, We are delighted to inform that you have been accepted into Skyline Institute...”

A wave of mixed feelings and thoughts crashed over her.

A new school...! Will anyone I know be there? What are the classes going to be like? What are the teachers and students going to be like? What are they going to... expect of me? What should I do? How should start preparing for it? What-

A hand reached over and tussled her hair.

“Ah, mom!”

Milayou straightened her hair, and looked across the table at the culprit. Her mom, with a grin on her face warm enough to melt ice.

“I know you're thinking real hard about the new school, but don't be so wrapped up thinking about it, okay? I know you'll do just fine.”

But does she know how dangerous this school is? If you graduate, you can do almost anything you want... but people don't exactly.... drop out.

“You're a smart and hard-working young lady, I know you'll do well in whatever classes are there!”

Milayou smiled back weakly.

“Ah, I should call the manager, and let him know i'll need that day off to send you there.”

Milayou's mother rounded the table and gave her a quick hug.

“Thanks, mom.”

A new school...

As Alexander looked through the mail, he soon found what he was looking for: the letter from Skyline Institute. Opening it, he took out the contents and unfolded the paper, skimming through the contents. Accepted... fantastic! Alexander thought excitedly. After a few moments, though, an unexpected voice came from behind him, "Well, well, looks like someone has some great news to tell." Alexander turned around to see his mother, smiling.

Alexander smiled back and replied, "Come on, Mom, it's just an acceptance letter to Skyline. Not like it's a big deal or anything," his tone clearly implying otherwise. Alexander then turned his attention to a hallway and raised his voice, "And you can stop hiding over there!" A moment later, two heads appeared, revealing Alexander's twin sisters behind the corner. "How'd you know we were here?" one of them asked. "We didn't even make any noise," the other continued.

Alexander merely responded, "I'm not stupid. I know how you two think." After the twins came out from their hiding spot and over to him, one of them asked teasingly, "So, big man, you're gonna go to some fancy school now?" "Wear a fancy suit and get all the girls?" the other continued. As Alexander laughed, Alexander's mother decided it was time to interject and say, "Alright, you two, cut it out. This is big news." The twins were silenced, but their grins made it evident they still had more ammunition to fire.

Alexander's mother then turned to him and said, "You have no idea how proud I am, Alex." "Mom-" Alexander said before getting interrupted. "No no no, let's not spoil the mood," she said. "Oh, my hard working son, always doing his best while dealing with the she-devils..." "Hey!" the sisters said with mock indignation, which Alexander's mother ignored.

"Alright, everyone," Alexander said after a moment of silence. "This is a big day, yes, but let's save the feelings for the day when I actually leave, alright?" Alexander's mother then had a moment of realization and said, "Of course! We should get everything all ready for that big day!"

---

As everyone exchanged goodbyes and the car left, Alexander looked at the school for the first time in person. It looked like it was farther than he originally thought. Well, no reason to wait, Alexander thought as he walked through the gates. At the track field, he waited in line with all the other students and eventually got to the person at the table. "Name, sir?" the person asked. "Alexander Lee," he replied. "Alright Mr. Lee, you have Class 4. Starts at 10. Don't be late," the person replied back, handing him an envelope with the number "4" on it. Alexander took the letter and headed over to where he was supposed to go.

[Milayou]

“Same Tanis,” she said again, this time with a little, breathless sigh. “I don't know why I let you get away with it. Any other man who refused me like that would have died on my sword.”

Wow... she's so... uncaring. How did they ever get together like this? She's so...

A small pat on Milayou's head brought the world back into focus. The sound of air whooshing past the car grew quieter and quieter.

Milayou thumbed the page, and gently lifted her mother's hand off of her head.

“Millie, we're almost to Skyline! I think we're just a few turns away.”

The radio in the car continued barking advertisements for a “people's court” show.

“And I told him, told him to write it down! But did he follow those instructions? No!”
“Next time, on Judge Janet. The writing's on the wall...”

“Milayou, I've looked up some things about this school. About Skyline Institute”

Milayou quickly shifted her look to her mother, surprised at her suddenly serious tone.

Oh no. Did she find about what had happened to the previous students?

“Yes, Mom?”

Her mother's face still carried a smile, but wracked with an air of wistfulness.

“I heard... that it could be a potentially dangerous place to be. I know... you're looking for answers, asking a lot of the same questions I asked when I was your age.”

“Yes...”

The car came to a stop. Milayou's mother put on the parking brake, and pulled the key out of the ignition. All was silent again.

“I talked to the staff here and... they were not very helpful. Boorish, even! They remind me of the eggheads your father used to deal with!”

Her mother gave a slight chuckle.

“They say that they can't tell me what goes on in the school once classes start. No-one aside from the school staff can contact anyone outside. But... I don't think I need to worry. I know you'll do well.”

A smile popped up on her mother's face once again, with the tenacity of the coming spring. They exited the car, and unloaded her single suitcase.

“Stay safe Millie. I know you can make it through the year!”

She smiled back, and hugged her mother one last time. Milayou felt a small droplet hit her hair.

But she was certain that it wasn't raining.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The car pulled out of the lot, and disappeared into the distance.

A new school... new classmates...

Milayou turned away, towards the gates and began walking-

“Watch where you're going.”

-straight into a guard.

“Ah... sorry! I didn't mean to...”

Her sentence was cut short by the the guard's austere glare. A glare that seemingly tried to -and was almost succeeding- in cutting her in half.

“Little lady. The gate is a foot to my right.”

“Ah, sorry, sorry!”

“Move. Now.”

Milayou sheepishly moved her gaze off of the guard and to the path in front of her. A path with quite a considerable distance. Stepping gingerly to the left, she began walking down the path-

What a mean guard... Couldn't he-

-and suddenly arrived at a field track.

“Auh, what?”

Milayou glanced around her. Students were milling about, some forming loose lines at a set of tables, near the track. Official-looking persons sitting at the tables were handing out envelopes to the students lined up. She looked behind her, only to see an endless field. The gate, and the path she was just walking on was nowhere in sight.

Aaaauh, what is going on?

She squeezed her eyes closed, and shook her head.

Nevermind that... I'm still at a school... it's still the first day, right? I should go... and receive my room and class assignments.

Milayou joined the line of students, and not before long, reached the front of the line. A short-haired woman sat at the table, looking intently into the filing boxes surrounding her. Without sparing a glance, and without missing a beat, she called the next person in line forward.

“Your name?”

“Uh, Milayou Riviel.”

The woman squinted over a box to her side, and pulled out an envelope. A “1” was marked on the otherwise blank envelope. Handing the envelope to Milayou, the woman gestured behind her.

“You're in Class 1, in the building north of here.”

With a silent nod, Milayou took the letter and headed towards the building.

[Alice]

Alice arrived with her parents to the gates and one of them politely asked a guard, “Excuse me, can we get her accepted into this school? We heard that the only requirement is that you can see the floating island, right?”
The guard’s gaze seemed to burn a hole in Alice before he nodded and replied, “Describe the floating island then.”
Alice looked up, “What strikes me as strange is that it doesn’t look like it has vegetation. And that there are three ribbon looking things trailing from it. And on one part it almost looks like it has plated armor. And-” ((description based off of the Aphorism manga))
“Okay, that’s enough. I’m convinced,” the guard cuts her off short.
He sighs and says in a warning tone, “While it is true that the only requirement is to see the island, please refrain from using this kind of method again. Apply properly next time. You’re going to have to wait here until someone brings the paperwork over.”
Her parents nodded amicably while squeezing Alice’s hands, “We won’t do this again.”
At the edge of her vision, Alice noticed a guy with somewhat longish black hair and dark brown eyes walk confidently towards the gate. He apparently realized he was being watched as he paused and turned around to look at her. His gaze seem to pierce through her and Alice shuddered internally. Wonder who he was, not that I really want to meet him again. After several moments, he walked confidently through the gate and seemingly disappeared. Alice’s eyes widened, So this place really is special. And can probably fix me! She tugged on the sleeves of her mother and father insistently, “Did you see that?”
“See what, sweetie?” her father questioned.
“That boy just now!” Alice exclaimed.
“What boy?” her mother asked gently.
“There was a boy who went through the gate and disappeared!” she declared.
One of the guards shot her an irritated look, “Can you lower your voice down?”
“Oh. Um. Sorry,” Alice said in a much more quiet voice.
Her father asked, “Are you sure you’re not hallucinating?”
Alice made a face at him, throwing her arms up in exasperation, and replied, “You asked me that last time!”
“True, true. But this time could be different,” her father remarked.
Alice grumbled and rolled her eyes. This seems to happen more than I want to. No point in arguing if they won’t believe me.
“I have the paperwork!” a lanky young man ran towards them, waving the papers. Before he got to them however, he tripped on the sidewalk and fell, spraying papers everywhere.
The guard sighed, “Why they ever put you in charge of running of errands, I’ll never know.”
“S-sorry, Darius,” the young man replied meekly.
“No matter, just pick them up and give it to the girl in the wheelchair, Edward,” Darius responded.
Edward nodded and began gathering up all the papers in a timely matter. Once he had all of them neatly arranged, he handed them to Alice along with a clipboard and pen.
“Do you want us to help you fill it out?” coaxed Alice’s mother.
“No, I can do it myself. I can’t have you do everything when I’m at Skyline anyways,” Alice said teasingly.
Let’s see… it’s fairly ordinary--address, first and last name, date of birth, and such.
Alice was scribbling all the information required as fast as she could. After a while, she looked up and commented, “I’m done.”
“Edward, take her finished application and luggage,” Darius commanded.
“Alright,” complied Edward.
“Why are you taking my luggage though?” Alice queried.
“Because we have to inspect all the luggage before we let it inside the school. It’ll be delivered to your assigned room though. So after class, it should be waiting for you in your room,” Edward explained.
Alice turned to look at her parents, “I’ll miss you both!”
Her parents both gave her loving smiles, “We’ll miss you too. Stay safe, okay?”
“I will!” Alice said determinedly and wheeled through the gate.

Once her parents had left, Darius snorted and glanced at the other guard, “I almost pity her. Stay safe? While being in a wheelchair? Not possible in this place.”

[Katie]
After a little bit, an man entered the room.
“Since we’re all here,” the man said in a deep and booming voice. “We can now begin. My name is Mr. West and I will be instructing Class 4. Here at the Skyline Institute the most important thing is one, single word. What word, you may ask? Well, that’s up to you. In a moment I will be handing out a slip of paper. On it you will write down one word, and one word only. I don’t want any pranksters on the first day, you hear? Don’t just write down any word either, like a preposition or a pronoun. This word must have actual meaning and will be your sole source of strength and protection, because as you may know, at Skyline, the only requirement for graduation is survival. Your word will be what grants you this survival, if pick one you can work with. What can you rely on for this? What word can you entrust your very life with?”
Wait...I...what....the rumors about whole classes dying are true.... Katie thought, panicking. She frantically tried to think of a word that would help her.
“Remember, you must also be creative with your words,” Mr. West added. “Apply it using any form of its definition that you can think of. That may be an important key for some of you.”
I wish I could have some help right now...wait...that’s it. Katie thought.
Katie quickly wrote down the word Summon onto the paper and prayed that it would protect her from whatever might cause her death.
“Good job, everyone,” he said as he returned to the front of the class. “No pranksters this year. Now, all you have to do is say the word out loud. Don’t be shy, now."
Katie hesitated for a moment and then said "Summon."
Ow...what just... Katie thought stunned. Then she look at the back of her left hand and was stunned to see her word burned into her hand. Oh god...
“Now, students… Make your teacher proud and use your words to fight!”

---

[Jace]
Half an hour later, a teacher walked into the room and handed out pieces of paper to each student present in the room.
“Now pick a word and write it on the paper in front of you. And do try to be serious, this word will be the most important thing to you this year, other than perhaps your life.” The teacher said earnestly.
Hm...how best to reduce my chance of death...ah of course... Jace thought with satisfaction Manipulate...how fitting....
Jace wrote Manipulate down onto the paper and focused on how he would use his word to increase the chance that he would walk out of the Institute alive and in one piece.
"Now say the word you just wrote out loud."
Jace mentally braced himself and said "Manipulate." under his breath.
Suddenly, Jace felt a burning sensation on the palm of his right hand. He looked at it and was stunned to see the word emblazoned into his plam.
"Now, I'm Mr. Brindley, and this is where things get interesting." The teacher said with some shakiness.

For days he had walked, a guitar on his back and his backpack on the front. It wans't much that he had took from his home, but it got him towards his destination. As he slowly made his way towards the school, he could see a floating island in the distance. Was this serious? He heard the rumors, but that he would truelly see the island for himself was another thing.
As he got closer and closer, he could start to see the island clear. It wasn't much but it still floated and had caught Spike's mind, was there a way to get up there or was it just a decoration?
As he got closer towards the school, he grabbed his backpack and glanced at the flyer, it seemed exactly like the flyer showed. Although was it truelly as sweet as they said?

As he got near the gate, he placed the flyer back in his backpack and walked up towards the guard, he was probably one of the last to arive.
As the guard spotted him, he observed Spike for a moment and grinned. Spike was covered in dirt, and seemed like he hadn't showerd in days.
"What do you want? Some change or is it something else?"
"I just came here to apply to the school, that's all.
"Then tell me, where is the floating Island located?"
Spike glanced at the guy, grinned a bit and pointed straight up.
"Right above your head dumbass, although it somehow seemes to be floating more above the school, than above the gate."
The guard raised one of his eyebrows and smiled, as he opened up the gate and Spike walked in.
Was he for reall? Asking where the island was located? Or was it just because he was this late that he asked such an easy question?

As Spike walked in, a man handed him some papers, a document of where he came from, his name, etc etc... The easy questions...
Spike filled in his birth, name and birthplace, but that was all. He didn't wanted them to know his true reasons.
As he handed them back to the man, he took a quick peek at them, and somehow seemed to be bussy already with other tasks, so Spike walked past him, although before even taking a step, he heard his name.
"Spike was it right? We need your guitar and luigage for some routine checks. They'll be in your room after class."

Spike glanced at the man, and just nodded before handing him his most valuable belonging, his guitar. As then a paper was handed to Spike with a 2 on it, Class 2 perhaps?
"Your in class 2, just go that way and you'll walk straight into it."
The man smiled, although it seemed more out of pitty than out of kindness... As Spike just nodded for a mere moment, he walked into the direction the man had shown and noticed Class 2 quite fast. Although, he waited a few moments before walking in.

Alexander reached Class 4 without any problems and waited for whatever was supposed to happen to begin. Eventually, after the other students were all in and acquainted with each other, an adult came in and started explaining about the school and the significance of words. So they were true, Alexander thought as he was handed a piece of paper. He had done some research on this place and had been skeptical of the school's reputation, but he wanted to experience it for himself. He didn't tell his family about the fate of unfortunate students here because he didn't want to worry them.

Oh well, no going back now, Alexander thought as he pondered what he word would be. He looked around, seeing other people panicking or calmly writing their own word, and gave it some thought. If he wanted to survive, it would be best to choose a powerful word. Question was, what would it be? As he was spinning his pencil in his hand, the answer came into his mind suddenly. After giving it some thought, he decided he would use that word. Readying his pencil, he wrote down the word "Vector" onto his paper. That would decide his fate.

Immediately after, the paper disintegrated. Alexander was confused as to what just happened, and looked around to see if anyone else did. Others were looking at themselves and finding their written words on their own bodies. He felt a tingling sensation on his shoulder and moved a part of his shirt aside to see. Sure enough, his word was there. Alexander decided that it was of little consequence and began to test his new power. He looked at his pencil and, following the teacher's instructions, whispered his word while concentrating on his pencil, imagining it to shoot upwards. The pencil then actually shot up into the ceiling, where it was now lodged in place. Oops, Alexander thought as he then focused on bringing it back down, saying his word again, and the pencil fell with a clatter onto his desk. Well, that was an interesting experience. Now he needed to perfect it.

[Lauren and Ryika (Collaboration by Mattie_ and vanovick)]

Gracefully stepping out of her parent’s limo, Ryika tightly clutched the handbook her parents had written for her. The driver exited the car a moment later and retrieved her luggage from the trunk, two suitcases and a duffle bag.

Ryika waited by the curb until the driver caught up to her. She led ahead to the guarded gate, where her driver passed the luggage to the guard to be taken inside. She waved goodbye to the driver before following the guards through the gate.

The instant she passed through the gate, she was across the distance to the school, in front of the track. Her parents told her this would happen. She wouldn’t have believed them before this.

High quality track. Hopefully there’ll be free time. Ryika thought while walking across to the school.

The guards escorted her to a table set up in the middle of the track, where she was greeted by a woman.

“Hello there, first and last name please?” she asked.

Ryika paused for a brief moment before collecting herself. She confidently responded

“Ryika Syverson.”

“Ok, here we go! Make sure to head to your class today, starting at 10am. Here is your envelope, you’ll be in class number two.” the woman pointed to the ‘2’ written on the envelope as she passed it across the table “Room key and more information is in that, make sure you go through it.”

“Thank you” Ryika said while nodding to the woman.

Ryika continued alongside the table before looking back at the woman.

“Class two is that building” the woman smiled while pointing “Good luck!”

Ryika sighed and kept walking, remembering all the stories her parents had told her of the first day.

I don’t need anymore reminders of what will happen.

---

“Good luck honey. We’ll see you in a year.”
“Thanks mom. Bye!”
Lauren hoists her luggage out of the trunk of the small family sedan and rolls it toward the ornate gate, waving to her parents over her shoulder.

They didn’t even get out of the car to see me off, but I guess that’s no surprise. It’s only one year right? Eugh... I could have been born with worse parents though.

A guard stood on each side of the fancy, eastern-looking gate, and one more guard stood off to the side. Lauren looked down to avoid meeting their eyes as she walked up. They were frankly scary, giving off a dangerous feeling. She yelped and looked up in surprise when a guard stepped in front of her and held out his hand.

Did I do something wrong? Am I not allowed in? My parents will kill me!

“Wha-what is it?” She asked nervously.
“I’ll take your luggage. It needs to be inspected, and will be sent to your room
afterwards.” The guard stated impassively.
“Oh.. right.” Lauren handed her luggage over and quickly continued on, silently sighing
in her head.

Staring at the ground as she passed through the gate, she missed the moment when she transitioned to the grounds of the school, and was thus only mildly surprised when she looked up to see the reception tables in front of her. When did I walk this far?

”Hello! May I have your name?” The kindly older man in a blue suit inquired.
“I’m Lauren, Lauren Zavala.”
“Welcome, Lauren. This contains everything you need. Your class number is on the front, and within the envelope is your room key and room information. Any questions? No? Then you’re all set.” The man clasps his hands together, eyes twinkling.

Saying nothing after that but still looking at her, Lauren realized that was her cue to leave.

---

9:40

Rhythmically flipping the pages back and forth, Ryika stared down at handbook as she walked, barely glancing at the notes she had already gone over during the ride here.

She stopped on the words page, the one her parents spent the most time writing on.

Bolt. I can’t wait to see how it works.

The page was filled with bullet points of the word bolt. The various uses and interpretations of it.

Ryika skimmed down the page yet again, and while flipping to the next page, crashed into another person walking, sending the book flying.

“Hey, watch where you’re going!” Lauren grumbles as she picks herself up off the floor. Still dusting off her shoulders, she picks up the book that the girl dropped. “What’s this?” Lauren asks as she hands it back to the girl. “A... guidebook?”

Lauren flips to the first page and starts reading.

“Monsters spawning out of walls...?...! What the hell is this book, some sort of fanfic? And it looks handwritten...” Lauren murmurs, her eyes poring over the pages.

Ryika stumbled past the girl and spun around, eye wide when she saw her book in the girl’s hands.

“Hey! That’s my book! Could’ve been personal stuff…” Ryika exclaims as she snatched it back.

“And it’s NOT, a fanfic, thank you very much. It’s a guidebook to this school. My parents attended this place before. That’s what’ll happen the first day. Monsters.”

Ryika raised the book to Lauren’s face and pointed to the word on the page. Monsters.

Lauren nods sagely. “Oh yes, my mistake. It does clearly say monsters. I must be the silly one for walking into a monster academy without realizing it.”
-_-

Ryika nodded and smiled, not detecting a hint of sarcasm. “Yup! Just looking out for you too. I don’t want you to get eaten suddenly, since you’re the first person I’ve talked to here. Are you in class two as well?”

Oh god, she’s in my class.
...
If I denied it, she’d see me in class anyways.
Sigh.

“...Yeah.”

“Oh, cool! Let’s walk to class together! My name’s Ryika! I can tell you more about this place too...” Ryika trailed off, unsure of the name.

“I’m Lauren. And... sure.” Dragging her feet, Lauren follows after Ryika.

The pair continued to the class two building door before stopping behind a dirty individual. Ryika stops and looks back at Lauren before approaching him and reaches toward his shoulder to brush off a dirt clump.

"Hey you got something there."

How did this bum get past the guards? Lauren looks the guy up and down skeptically.

[Gideon]

Three years of painstaking preparation, and not one actual map of the school had come up. Gideon suspected that he could get his hands on one by approaching an alumni of Skyline, but he ultimately decided it would be too dangerous. An alumni would not only have a Word, but the full might of the U.S. Government to dispose of a nosy nobody.

...which explains why Gideon was panting and jogging laps around the school.

He'd arrived early for the express purpose of getting familiar with the layout of the campus. Doing so would certainly help in the day to come, and although it was probably going too far, Gideon was the kind of person to do precisely that.

After a long meandering circle throughout the grounds, the fatigued student-to-be collapsed onto his hands and knees in a shady spot.

So tired... I should still have some time before the other students arrive? Ehh, I'll just take a short break...

Gideon opened his eyes to glaring light shining down from the trees-courtesy of the ever moving sun-and a girl peering down impassively at his prone form.

Pretty...
Pretty late...
F***!

I slept in!

Energized by urgency, he leaps to his feet and and begins running off toward the entrance but stops and turns back.

"Excuse me! I apologize for addressing you so familiarly considering we are total strangers, but you're too beautiful to ignore. The advice of a stranger would be an odd thing to follow, but certainly better than nothing when the time comes. So, when the time does come, write "Transmit". You won't understand what I mean now, but you will later, and it might just save your life. Good luck!" Gideon promptly runs away after finishing.

---

[Marcus]

~Just outside the front gates of the school~

“Leave your luggage with me.” Impassively states guard garbed in what was probably meant to be an imposing all-black attire. Of course, it wasn’t the slightest bit imposing to Marcus as he peers down at the 6’1 guard with a slightly amused expression.

“Why do I have to give up my luggage?”
“It’s only temporary. Standard measure we take with everyone’s luggage to ensure nothing prohibited is taken inside. Your things will be left in your room.”
“...fine.”

Marcus lifts and holds out his suitcase with one hand, before dropping it for the guard to catch. THe poor guard staggers as his arm is wrenched downward by the colossal weight of the suitcase. He couldn't believe the teenager had been holding it up like it was nothing, and with one hand. Marcus sniggers and follows as the guard struggles to drag the heavy suitcase through the gate with his working arm.

The moment Marcus passes through the gate, the school suddenly leaps into place before Marcus's eyes, appearing far closer than it had before.
“What the f***!? how the h*** did that-” Marcus spins around only to see a vast expanse of grass stretching out into the distance. He turns around and marches up to the table exclaiming, Hey, did you just see that? Where’d the gate go?! What’s happeni-”

“Shhh~” A woman sitting at the tables smiles and puts a finger to her lips. “You don’t need to worry about any of that. Take this, on the front is your classroom number, and inside is your room information and key. Now go on and hurry to your first class, or I guarantee you you’ll regret it. Even if you look like that.” She beams and shoos him off, pointing him in the right direction.
“Wahh, wut!-”
“Shhhhhhhhhhhh go~”

---

Marcus looks around apprehensively as he finds his seat. School. The bane of his existence. Not that he hated school itself so much as the shame of being called on and looking stupid when he couldn't answer the teacher properly. He finds a seat in the back of the room and sits down, already wondering when class would end.

A few minutes of awkward, fear-induced silence later (other students tended to unconsciously shy away from Marcus’s large frame.), the teacher enters the room. Relatively average in height, although wearing high heels, with straight black hair and rectangular glasses, the teacher looked to be in her early 30’s and already resigned to a long school year. She introduced herself as Ms. Hawkins.

As she addresses the students, she hands out small squares of paper.
“Students! Listen up and live, or die in the next hour, I don’t really care, but don’t drag down the other students as well. So shut up, listen, follow my instructions and half of you might just live to see the end of the day.”
The class falls so silent, you could probably hear a the ghost of a dead student moan if you cupped a hand to your ear.
“Don’t touch this piece of paper yet! Other teachers aren’t as explicit, nor as punctual as I am with their instructions, so count yourselves lucky. “On this paper, you will write one single word. This word will define how you will be fighting for the rest of the school year. It will be what you will depend on, and the only thing you can depend on during your stay here. And most importantly, and I dont know why some teachers don't tell you this, but this word will be your supernatural power, your ability. I recommend nouns and verbs, and to lean away from the more abstract of words.”

“Once you’ve decided on a word and written it down, hold it in your hand and say it aloud. After that, have at it. And lastly, have a clear image in your mind when you use your words, or baaaaad things will happen hahahaaa...”
With that, Ms. Hawkins sits down in the corner of the classroom, kicks her legs up on a desk, folds her arms, and closes her eyes.
“Don’t bother me, don’t bleed on me, and keep quiet. You all should have about five minutes until the blight begins.”

Is this some sort of game? A test? What the hell... Other people are already writing.
I want super strength! Like superman or batman. Wait, batman doesn’t have super strength.


Marcus writes Strength in the center of his paper and puts his pencil down. Although many had already written words down, no one had said it aloud like the teacher said to. Pushing the square of paper around on his desk, he wonders if he wrote a good word or not.

”Huh, strength.”
*CRUMBLE CRUMBLE*

The square of paper, tiny compared to to Marcus’s hand, disintegrates into bits and fades into nothing. Meanwhile, a thickly-lettered “Strength” forms on Marcus’s on the outside of Marcus’s arm, just below the sleeve of his red t-shirt.

I didn’t even hold the word up! Where’d the paper go!? Q.Q

---

Gideon burst into his classroom, terrified that he wouldn’t get a slip of paper. Luckily, he’d arrived just in time and takes the only remaining seat at the very back of the classroom. The teacher, in the process of handing out the slips of paper, hands one to him and shakes his head disapprovingly.

Both relieved he made it on time and shocked he nearly hadn’t, Gideon leans back and catches his breath before whipping out a pencil.

The word “Bind” is carefully spelled out in the center of the paper. Gideon checks it over before standing up and declaring “BIND!” with a theatrical flair.

A spectacular amount of nothing takes place.

Gideon looks around dumbly. Sniggers fill the air.
Slowly, but steadily, it dawns on him that he wasn’t holding up his Word.

Face growing hot, Gideon sits down and stares at his desk in shame. He places his paper on his hand and whispers “bind...” quietly, cheeks burning in shame. The paper soundlessly falls apart and disappears. The itching sensation upon his brow confirmed the location of his word.

First, to test things.

While the teacher, walking around the classroom, blathers something about a student’s words, Gideon holds his pencil up and stares at it intently, fixing the image of a cord wrapped around the pencil in his mind. He felt nothing happen internally, but the pencil grew slightly heavier. The cord had appeared upon the penic, exactly where he had imagine. Furthermore, it was a continuous circle, with no knots or imperfections at all.

Next was true Binding. Gideon brings the pencil to the edge of his desk, only the pressure of his finger stopping it from falling. He pictures the pencil being held in place, attached to the side of the desk, then slowly removes his finger.

Success.

The pencil was suspended in place.

A smile curling across his face, he stands up and looks around. In front of him was a girl that hadn’t said her word yet. She was cute, with long, bright blonde hair and fair skin. Leaning over his desk, in a low voice he advises “I noticed you haven’t written a word yet. Might I suggest writing “Heat?”

Turning her head to look at him, she smirks “I don’t suppose you expect me to stand up and shout it, too?”

Gideon just winks and responds “You have beautiful eyes”, before turning to say something to the student to his left.

Lost for words, Ashley wants to say something but the words don’t come. She turns back around and remembers the paper on her desk.

This definitely isn’t because he complimented me!

---

He was doomed, he had decided. With his short stature, pale skin, and bookish glasses, any stranger would guess he was one of the smart kids that study for fun. Unfortunately, Ethan wasn’t particularly smart, and certainly wasn’t decisive, which is why half a dozen words had been written and then scratched out on his only sheet of paper. He was currently working up the courage to ask the teacher for another sheet of paper when someone’s voice cut in on his mental preparations.

”If you need a good word to write, I can give you a hand.” Gideon interjects amicably. “I’m Gideon.”
“E-Ethan. You’re the one that was shouting...”
“...Look, do you want a word or not?”
“Uh, I’m s-sorry...”
“It’s fine. You should write Rejuvenate. You do know how to spell that, right?” Gideon asks, slightly concerned.
“Ye-yeah, I got it. Thanks.” Ethan assures, hurriedly scrawling “Rejuvenate” in the remaining space on his crowded white square of paper.
“Don’t forget to say it aloud~” Gideon reminds before turning away.

Gideon helped out a few other students, but soon most had decided on a word or even said it aloud.

Seems now would be a good time to start recruiting~

[Bran]
Darkness. Why was it dark? Oh. Bran slowly lifted his eyelids halfway. Up and down...up and down bumped the clouds in the sky with the rhythm of the car. The clouds looked so tranquil, despite their gray exterior's promise of a turbulent storm. Up and down, up and down, it was just like that day.
It had been the last day Bran had gone to a normal school. He'd looked up into his father's dark, disappointed eyes. His mother had a mixed expression of confusion, pride, and anguish. How could her good-natured son have had such an impulse as to vandalize school property? Bran had just been accepted to the greatest private school since Japan's Naraka, and he had risked it all going on this wild one-day prank spree. It was almost as if he had been trying to prove something. From the passenger seat, she had sighed and looked at him with teary eyes as his gaze floated out of the window to join the bobbing clouds. Well, now that he had been expelled from high school, his parents had no choice but to let him go to Skyline. Happy and sad, the emotions had intertwined and run along his mother's face in a chaotic ripple.
"I hope you're happy," his mother's voice had finally managed to sputter out. "Do you hear me? Bran, do you hear me?" Bran just looked out at the clouds, bobbing along. Bobbing along.
"Bran, do you hear me? We're almost there." It was the present-day mom getting his attention now. Bran looked to the left of the bobbing clouds and saw the giant figure in the sky looming overhead. It was why he was chosen. He could almost feel its call resonating in his chest.
When Bran finally got to the classroom, he paid the others no mind. He knew something big was soon to happen. He figured he'd make friends then. The teacher told them to write down a word. He didn't give it a second thought. He just wrote down the first thing that came to mind and tuned out the world. He looked at the clouds and the figure in the sky. Even though he was no longer in the car, life still rippled to him. Bobbing and bobbing, up and down up and down. Then it all stopped when the Blight began.

[Naoi]

Finally. This will be the place where everything begins. Naoi gazed at the gates of the school with a smirk on his face. He noticed that there was a family chatting with the guards and couldn’t help but overhear the conversation. How the girl in the wheelchair proved that she was able to see the island, and that she was accepted in the end. What does she think this school is? A place where unicorns exist and everyone lives happily ever after? Naoi thought disdainfully. He walked confidently forward, but stopped when he had the feeling someone was watching him. He turned, only to find the wheelchair girl observing him. He gave her a cold gaze, What do you think you can do in that wheelchair? How will you even cope during the blights? Perfectly healthy and capable people die in these things. Naoi internally shook his head and continued past the gate.
The landscape seemed to shift suddenly, and it only took him a second or two to adjust to what his eyes were seeing. Flicking a gaze backwards, he contemplated, Hmm… we’re probably in another dimension, just for the school. For Naraka, they just sealed it off so that students couldn't escape. Although how this was created in the first place is the real question…But the first priority is getting to class, it would be a huge oversight on my part if I didn’t get my word in time. Naoi went over to the line of tables set up on the field and one of the receptionists motioned him to come over. He obliged and was asked, “Your name?”
“Naoi Yukimura,” he responded.
“From Japan?” the lady questioned while searching through the envelopes.
“Yeah,” Naoi answered.
“Might I ask you why you decided to come here instead of Naraka? This is going a bit out of your way after all,” the receptionist said cheekily.
“I wanted to broaden my horizons,” he replied calmly.
“Felt that Japan was too small for you?” the lady said teasingly as she handed Naoi the envelope.
“Something of that sort,” Naoi conceded and accepted the envelope gracefully.
“That number on front is your class assignment, inside is your room key and room information. The classes are located in the two buildings to the right of that main building and the one that is more left has classes one through four, the most right one contains classes five through eight. Class starts at 10 a.m.” she explained.
“Thanks,” Naoi responded as he examined the envelope. Guess I’m in Class 3 then.
“No problem, just part of my job.”
Naoi checked his watch, 58 minutes until class starts. I should make a mental map of the entire campus since that will be important information for blights that manifest here. He walked as far as he could away from campus until he bumped into the barrier. Using one hand to touch the barrier, he traced the campus borders, carefully analyzing the buildings in the meantime. When he returned to his starting point he checked his watch again. 9:42. Good timing.
He quickly made his way to the building that the receptionist had talked about and found his classroom. Hopefully these people won’t drag me down, he thought and opened the door. To his surprise, he found the one person he didn’t want to see again.

[Alice]

Once she rolled through the gate and looked around her, Alice started giggling. This place really is magical, and that’s why that boy disappeared too! She finally caught her breath and wheeled herself over to the tables. The man in front of her asked, “What’s your name?”
“Alice McKay,” she answered cheerfully, “But you probably don’t have anything for me since I turned in an application just now.”
“Really now?” the man shook his head, “This is what happens when people don’t follow normal procedures. I’ll grab a spare envelope for you then.”
Alice waited patiently, humming a tune to herself. I wonder what other cool things Skyline is hiding.
“Here’s your stuff,” the man said after coming back and handing her the envelope, “The number indicates that you’re in Class 3, which is in that building to the right of the main building. Inside are your room key and room information, although I got one that was specially on the first floor cause of your disability.”
“Thanks,” Alice replied. I rather people not mention my...impairment. But that should change soon!

She carefully maneuvered her way to the classroom marked with a sign that had the number three on it. Thankfully, the door was already propped open so she didn’t have to wait for someone to help her open it. She went inside and the teacher in the corner hurried her way over to her. “Here, why don’t you sit in the front? It’ll be easier for you,” the woman said kindly.
“Alright,” Alice agreed cheerfully. She didn’t want to be a burden to others-- that made people tend to dislike you after all.
“Class won’t start for a bit, so make yourself comfortable,” the teacher remarked.
“Okay,” Alice said happily. Can’t wait for class to start!
She turned to the student next to her and struck up a conversation about what they were going to do after they graduated. Time flew, but Alice froze when a certain someone walked through the door.

[Naoi and Alice]

It’s that girl again. She had a one in eighth chance of being in my class. I better not be paired up with her during the separation type blights, Naoi thought disdainfully.

“It’s you!” Alice shrieked, pointing a finger at Naoi.
“My name is not ‘you,’ it’s Naoi. And I would appreciate it if you would stop pointing your finger at me and causing a scene,” he said coolly.
Alice was speechless for several seconds and tried to make peace, “Er, sorry. I was surprised when I saw you again. My name is Alice.” She held out a hand to shake.
Naoi didn’t even acknowledge her words and instead walked away to a desk far away from her and fired a parting shot, “I don’t need to concern myself with someone like you.”
“What did you say?!” Alice said indignantly.
Naoi closed his eyes and was stonily silent. Ice. Capable of manipulating ice and diamond, sealing, killing, and freezing. And creating ice cream, frozen desserts, and icing. In the first blight, monsters will appear everywhere in the school, must survive a certain duration of time before they disappear.

Alice couldn’t believe the guy! If she could walk properly, she’d give Naoi’s smug face a nice punch. Let’s see how indifferent he is after that!

“Now now class, settle down. Let’s all try to be friends,” the teacher said amicably, “Anyhow, my name is Ms. Robinson and I’ll be your teacher for Class 3. As you already may know, Skyline is a very prestigious school and you’re all lucky to have been accepted. When you receive your paper, write down a single word on it. It should answer the question of how you will fight in the upcoming battle. The question can also be rephrased as ‘what you will rely on’ or ‘a word that defines you’. You could even answer with your favorite superpower. Of course, you can also pick whatever you want but I hope you don’t ‘eat your words’ in the end. Hahaha. But make sure you only write a single word and that it’s not a pronoun. Once you’re done, speak your word aloud.”

[Naoi]

God, that voice is annoying. Maybe the first thing I should do with my word is to seal her mouth, Naoi thought somewhat irritatedly. But he looks at the paper in front of him and writes ‘Ice’ on it without any hesitation. Naoi whispered the word and the paper disintegrated in his hand. He felt a slight burn or itch where the word appeared--on his right shoulder blade. He cautiously tested out his power by imagining a small piece of ice floating above his palm. A small smile crept onto Naoi’s face as it appeared.
At last.

[Alice]

Hmm… I want to fly! Wings? Yeah, wings!
Alice excitedly scribbled the word down on her paper and proclaimed it out loud, “Wings!”
She felt a slight burning sensation that itched afterwards on the middle of her upper back. It’s all maaaagical!