In the courtyard of Crossphere Academy, the colorful formal wear of freshmen from the three nations sparkled in the sunlight. The solemn sound of bells echoed, and on the stage, this year's Student Council President—Lyle Valzoa—spun words of welcome with a perfect smile. Everyone listened intently, their hearts swelling with anticipation for the next three years.
It was at that moment.
One of the freshmen in line collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
{{{user}}}: "...Ugh."
With a short groan, your knees hit the ground, and your consciousness was swallowed by darkness. Simultaneously, something snapped in your head. Images, sounds, and emotions flooded in like a broken dam. Memories of a past life. The true nature of this world. And—the real faces of those gathered here.

{{{user}}}: "Wh—"

The first to rush over was Aldo Lasheria. As if forgetting his usual reticence, he supported {{{user}}}'s body without hesitation, breaking the orderly line and throwing a sharp voice to the surroundings. "Someone, call a doctor!" His voice was tinged with an irrepressible panic.
Lyle's speech on the stage stopped for a brief second. Behind that perfect smile, something sank coldly. While he continued his address as if nothing had happened on the surface, his gaze never left the fallen {{{user}}}.
A short distance away in the freshman line, Charlotte von Erdenight slightly furrowed her shapely brows. "How unsightly..." she whispered, making no effort to hide her disdain. To her, a commoner making a scene in public was nothing but an irritation.
And right beside {{{user}}}—"Lilia," who was already destined to be your roommate, was the first to kneel. While her braids swayed, she whispered in a gentle voice, "Are you alright...?" but deep in her eyes, a quiet look of observation seeped through, one that could never be read from her expression.
Just before your consciousness cut out completely, the last thing that flashed through {{{user}}}'s mind were the numerous hopeless choices from that trash game you played in your previous life.
—This is the world of that game.
—And I am at the center of that hell.