Haah.
At first, I was actually excited about my plan to catch whoever was trying to kill me. It seemed foolproof, there was no way the assailant could just waltz into my dormitory uninvited... I really hope I didn't just jinx it.
Once I stepped outside, I felt completely lost. The facility was massive, sprawling like a small city with what seemed like endless grounds, and I had no idea where anything was, which wasn't a good sign.
Luck was on my side, though. I stumbled across a large board displaying a simplified map of the school, and it was easy enough to read, so I memorized the layout quickly and set off.
When I arrived at the building that was supposed to be mine, I stopped and stared. The place was enormous, so much so that it felt absurd to call it student housing. It was basically a glass skyscraper. There were two towers, one for high-ranked students and one for everyone else, and the difference in treatment wasn't subtle. High-ranked students had their own private rooms, free access to the augmented reality lab, more points, and a long list of other perks. No one wanted to lose their rank, and standing there, I understood why.
I entered the building reserved for the rest of us and pushed through the crowd inside. It was overwhelming, more foot traffic than I expected, and it took longer than it should have to reach one of the elevators. I pressed the silver button and, with a soft ping, the doors slid open.
The elevator was empty. I stepped in and the doors closed behind me. Holographic buttons appeared in the air, and a voice followed.
"Please select a destination."
I said nothing and tapped the button for floor 498, where my room was. I had no idea who my roommates were, whether they'd be bullies, maniacs, or just as lost as I was, but I didn't particularly care. I just needed to survive until tomorrow.
The elevator began its ascent, smooth and quiet, and I let my thoughts settle for a moment.
Alright. What do I actually know?
I'm in a game. I have no memories, but I know this world as if I've always been part of it. I have a mission, and apparently I need to stay alive long enough to figure out what it actually requires.
That's all I had.
Then I heard it.
I looked up at the ceiling. There was a sound coming from above, something scraping against metal, faint at first but growing steadily louder.
"What the hell is that?" I muttered.
ZIZIZIZIZ.
A second sound joined the first, sharp and mechanical, like something sawing through cable. Panic hit me immediately. The elevator shuddered and stopped. Something was very wrong.
My mind ran through possibilities fast. Was this a trap, or had I just walked into it by accident? Then I knew. It was the assailant.
I looked up at the ceiling panel, thinking maybe I could force a hatch open. I jumped and hit it hard, but it didn't move. I turned to the doors and threw myself against them, over and over, even after I felt my shoulder pop out of place.
"Dammit," I said through my teeth, clutching my arm.
The sawing sound didn't stop. If anything it got worse. This was my only chance to confront whoever was doing this, and I was completely stuck, couldn't see them, couldn't reach them, couldn't do anything.
Then the sound stopped. Everything went quiet.
And then the elevator dropped.
"No," was all I managed before gravity took over.
BOOOOOOM.
I gasped awake.
Mission in progress.
Death looms around the corner.
Objective: Survive until tomorrow. [00:17:34:32]
Reward: An affinity.
Failure: Death.
Respawn: 3/5
Dammit. Again.
But why couldn't I ever see my attacker's face? And how did they always know where I was going to be? I had deliberately avoided the cafeteria, changed my route entirely, and it still hadn't mattered. It felt like I was being watched the whole time, and I didn't understand how.
I looked around the classroom carefully. Everyone seemed focused on the teacher.
Wait. The teacher.
If I could stay in the teacher's office during lunch, I might actually make it to the augmented reality exam without dying first. It wasn't a perfect plan, but it was better than anything I'd tried so far.