"We Do Not Belong Here."
As Nevan Heart opened his eyes, he was first stunned by the blinding lights of a foreign room.
It was far more luxurious than what he could afford. After all, he was only a...
Only a what?
"We Do Not Belong Here."
On the wall in front of him was a sentence, scratched deeply into the wood. Above it loomed a symbol. One that he found himself familiar with, but couldn't figure out why.
It was circular, with strange lines drawn at its centre, all seemingly random.
Where in the world am I?
Nevan swivelled his head to find himself standing in a Victorian-style bedroom. It was equipped with all the furniture one might need to live a comfortable life.
But he had no idea why he was there, or where it was in the first place.
The room was windowless, granting him no sight of the outside world, so instead, his attention was drawn to the full-body mirror on the wall.
As he stood before it, he was met with a familiar figure.
His hair was long and blonde, and his eyes a vibrant green. Many would say that he was impressively handsome, but Nevan was humble enough to call himself average. His face was without wrinkles, as he was only eighteen years of age.
My appearance is just as I remember. But where are my memories of everything else?
He rubbed at his temples as he tried to recall any information that he could.
Slowly, small pieces of a puzzle were being placed together.
Nevan Heart. My name is certainly Nevan Heart, and I come from Earth. I'm eighteen years old and live with my...
His memories stopped there. He had no recollection of family, or what his life was like back on earth.
But a dark inclination settled on him. One that he was somehow certain of, but afraid to accept.
He was no longer on the earth that he once knew.
Transmigration... Why do I feel so familiar with the concept? It's like I've read about it somewhere...
With not many other options, Nevan decided to explore his room. There was a door leading to a new location, but he didn't feel ready to tackle it yet.
The sounds of distant chatter came from the other side.
Let's focus on here for now. Too much stimulation will make my head explode!
Nevan Heart found a desk pressed up against the wall of his room. It carried the items that one would expect to find there.
But two stood out to him, as they were placed in an orderly manner.
A Golden Monocle.
And a Sealed Envelope.
Nevan walked over to the monocle first.
As he lifted it in his hand, he was suddenly met with a strange sensation spreading itself through his body, before eventually reaching the confines of his mind.
A strange image spread itself across his vision.
---
ARTIFACT IDENTIFIED: Golden Monocle
— Effect: Grants the wearer a +2 enhancement to the Illusion Vein
---
If Nevan was already confused before, then now he was clueless.
What type of world is this? Why can they write words in my mind?
Furthermore... What's the Illusion Vein?
As he spoke the words, his mind was suddenly filled with a new understanding. Not of the world around him, but rather himself.
It was as though he had gained access to something that had always been there, but he only now remembered the passcode to.
He focused his mind on a strange essence running through his body, and a new block of words appeared in his vision.
─ The Five Veins ─
▸ Illusion Vein: Standard
▸ Destruction Vein: Standard
▸ Restoration Vein: Standard
▸ Alteration Vein: Standard
▸ Conjuration Vein: Standard
———
His eyes scanned over the strange words, all meaningless to him.
Then, he glanced back down at the golden monocle.
It said that it grants its wearer a bonus to their Illusion Vein.
There can't be any harm in trying it on... Right?
He lifted the monocle to his face and placed it over his right eye. It felt comfortable and somehow managed to help his vision, despite having no remembrance of ever having bad eyesight.
And then, a new sensation crept into his body. One like he had never felt before.
It was as though his blood was being filled with energy.
Strength.
Knowledge.
The words in his mind had been altered, and he was now reading new text entirely.
───〔 Illusion Vein: Master 〕───
› Spell Unlocked: False Death
Force the feeling of death into an opponents body.
• Daily Usage: 1
› Skill Unlocked: Egoist
Make an enemy believe that their opponent is much stronger than they truly are.
• Daily Usage: 3
----
Nevan scratched at his chin as his mind raced with a thousand thoughts and questions.
It's obvious that this is magic. So whatever this world is, it doesn't follow the laws of the earth.
Not only that but judging by these clothes, it seems to be set in the Victorian period.
He wore a pair of trousers, with a long coat flowing down to his knees. Beneath the coat was a white shirt, and round his waist was a sheathe with no sword inside, and a holster with no gun.
What could I need weaponry for? Are we at war? Do monsters roam the land?
Nevan turned to the door of the room, wondering if it was time to head outside, but first, he remembered the envelope on his desk.
After picking it up and tearing open the seal, he was met with a lengthy note.
The words read as so...
——————
Dear Student.
I know that you might be confused right now, but I need your help.
I'm sure you saw the symbol written on the wall of your room. "We Do Not Belong Here."
That was me, and the words are true. I also transmigrated into this world.
This academy is not what it seems.
I'm being kept here against my will, and need help to get back to earth.
I know my words might sound selfish, but this was my only hope. Only another Transmigrator can save me.
I left you a monocle. It should help you get stronger, and though I know it's not much, it's the best I can do right now.
I'm being watched even as I write this note, so I'm going to have to wrap this up here, but I will write to you again when I'm able to.
Please, figure out the mysteries behind this academy. For they are darker than one could ever imagine.
You must asend the floors.
From: A Fellow Transmigrator
——————————————
With every word that Nevan Heart read, he felt chills being sent throughout his body.
Questions filled his mind. Thousands of them.
Are these words really true? Is there someone else here that transmigrated from earth as well?
What do they mean by, 'ascend the floors'?
The mere thought filled him with an indescribable fear, and it seemed that fear was shared by whoever wrote to him the note.
Who could be powerful enough to force them to write a note so cryptic?
Where do I even begin trying to uncover such a secret?
How can I even be certain that the words in the note are real?
Noticing his rising stress levels, Nevan took in a deep breath. As his mind calmed itself down, the situation presented itself clearly to him.
I don't know anything about this world. Changing that should be my first goal.
His eyes landed on the wooden door, which he guessed would lead to the rest of the 'academy' mentioned in the note.
I guess it's time to explore.