Danganronpa: Reawakened

Introduction: Into Hope's Peak.

There's a fly at my window. It's a pathetic little thing, ramming itself against the screen and buzzing in apparent frustration. It's buzzing, the sound circulates in my ears and ringing in my eardrums. It's obvious to me how desperate this tiny thing is to escape, but I don't get up from my bed. It's loud, but not loud enough to drown out the nettled shouts of persuasion from my mother.

"Katsuki!" Her voice is furious, peevish even. I roll onto my side to face her.

I am met with my mother standing at the doorway, arms crossed with a vexed expression painted on her round face.

If it were any other day, any other time and place, I probably would have been annoyed as hell.

But today was different.

Hope's Peak Academy. I've idolized it since adolescence. The very idea of making it into such an elite school was unfathomable. Being accepted was considered the height of social class for education, mainly relying on the sole way you can be accepted into this school.

The qualification? You need to be at the top of your game. The best at what you do. You need to be Super High School Level in whatever your field of work is.

The students who attend this academy aren't normal high school students.

They're basically celebrities.

It's not uncommon to idolize Hope's Peak's attendees, and I was guilty of that.

I was more than happy just basking in the light they shone on us from above; more than happy circulating them like a planet circling the sun, greedily soaking up the hopeful rays they granted us with.

But then, there I was- holding a gossamer-encased letter in my trembling grasp.

Written in neat lettering read, "Congratulations Ms. Teruhashi!"

Sure, being accepted into any school is great, but by being accepted into Hope's Peak especially, that definitely raises the bar for the people I'm about to meet, which is chilling, yet exciting in it's own manner.

But... I'm one of them now. Accepted into my dream school by nothing but a random draw. I was ecstatic.

I roll out of bed, greet my mother with a sheepish grin (only getting an exasperated look in return), and get ready for my first day at Hope's Peak.

  ***

I stand, legs quivering, looking up at the very school I've always dreamed of attending. I can see the peaks of its graceful spires. It's pristine, with each stone brick carefully placed so it's straight as an arrow.

I'm really here.

I'm really going.

I take a deep breath. Swinging the door open, I take a hesitant step inside.

My heart is beating so hard it's causing my entire body to shake, I look around, eyes shining.

"Hello-"

It felt as if my stomach dropped to the floor. A painful tingling invaded my body, and I felt my arms go numb.

Wh...?

I fell back.

Adrenaline was pumping through my body, my instincts kept tearing at my chest, screaming- begging for me to run.

I wanted to listen, I wanted nothing more than to obey. I tried to stand, but I plummeted back to the ground in two seconds flat.

A stinging sensation tore through my head, my temples throbbed mercilessly and I felt as if they could fall right off at any moment. It wasn't long before darkness was clouding my vision and I fought it back as good as I could from my debilitated position on the floor.

I really don't know who I thought I was fooling, because I blacked out almost immediately, laid pathetically on the floor.

I think that's where it all started.