I stood in the middle of a burning forest. The trees were twisted, their branches like claws reaching for the dark sky. The air was thick with smoke, and the stench of blood made my stomach turn. My breath caught in my throat as I tried to move, but my feet wouldn't budge.
Then I heard it. A whisper. Soft, almost imperceptible, but unmistakable. A word, unfamiliar and cold. A language I didn't recognize.
I turned, heart racing, trying to find the source. Shadows flickered between the trees, figures moving just out of the corner of my eye. I couldn't make them out, but they were there, watching, waiting.
The whispers grew louder, the words more frantic, until they all merged into one cacophony of unintelligible sound.
I reached out, desperate to understand, but the closer I got to the shadows, the more they moved away, retreating deeper into the forest.
Then, a figure stepped forward. A silhouette, tall and imposing, its face obscured by darkness. The shadows swirled around it like tendrils of smoke, curling and twisting.
One of the voices whispered louder now, its words jagged and distorted: "You cannot run, Elaine. You cannot hide."
I froze, heart thudding in my chest. The figure raised a hand, and suddenly, the ground beneath me cracked open, swallowing me whole.
I fell into the abyss, the darkness pressing against me, suffocating, until a voice echoed around me, distant and cold.
"You can't escape. Not from them. Not from yourself."
I woke up with a jolt, drenched in sweat, my heart hammering in my chest.
The dream lingered in the back of my mind as I sat up, trying to steady my breathing.
What was that?
I wasn't one to believe in visions or prophetic nonsense, but the feeling of being hunted? The weight of it was real. And then, that voice—them? Myself? What was I supposed to make of that?
I looked around the dim room, the shadows deep and quiet. The night had settled into its usual calm, but I couldn't shake the unease.
Ah... I couldn't sleep the whole night.
When I glanced at the mirror that morning, I looked like a disaster. Dark circles hugged the undersides of my eyes, and my hair was sticking out like I'd been electrocuted. Not that it mattered. No one was supposed to see me anyway.
My mind wouldn't stop spinning. The events from yesterday played on repeat—Tobi, the quest, the school's build mode, and Alexander's sudden arrival. I had officially stepped into a world I didn't entirely understand.
"Hm... A potential student sounds great..." I murmured, pulling my ghostly projection into place and floating over to the window.
Just as the thought escaped my lips, a loud bang shattered the calm morning. I jerked my head toward the sound. From my window, I saw smoke curling up into the air as people screamed and scattered.
A creature—something between a wolf and lizard—rampaged through the village streets. Its claws ripped into carts and signs, its scales glinting in the early light like polished metal. A monster. Just great.
"Great... Just great."
I wasn't supposed to get involved. Hunters handled this kind of thing. I should have waited at home, safe and unseen, sipping tea while they cleaned up the mess. But fate had other plans.
A scream cut through the air. A woman's. My gaze sharpened.
She was cornered, trying to protect a child while backing into a crumbling stone wall. No hunter in sight. Not yet.
"Tch... Damn it."
I activated my illusion skill to mask my appearance. My ghostly aura flickered before vanishing, and my real form emerged beneath a dark cloak. With a breath, I launched myself through the door, sprinting through the trees behind the school to flank the creature unnoticed.
Using the broken rooftops for cover, I jumped from one to the next, agile and quiet. My boots barely made a sound. The monster was snarling, drool dripping from its fangs as it advanced on the terrified pair.
"Hey, ugly!" I shouted from above, tossing a chunk of debris to grab its attention.
The monster spun, roaring up at me. Good.
I dropped down, channeling mana into my legs for a burst of speed. In a flash, I was between the woman and the beast. She gasped, clutching the child. Without a word, I lifted them both—barely managing it with my C-rank strength and adrenaline—and darted toward the alley.
The monster gave chase, crashing through stalls and stone as it followed.
I darted into a narrow street, zigzagging through alleyways and weaving between crates. The woman sobbed in my arms, but I didn't stop. I had to get them somewhere safe.
We reached the edge of the village, where an old storage barn stood. I kicked the door open, set them down, and slammed it shut.
"Stay here. Don't make a sound."
I turned back just as the monster rounded the corner.
This time, I wasn't running.
I focused. The system interface blinked open in the corner of my eye.
[Illusion Projection: Basic Clone - Activated.]
My clone shimmered into view beside me, matching my disguised form. With a flick, it charged forward to bait the monster. The beast lunged, jaws snapping at the illusion. It passed right through, growling in confusion.
That was my moment.
I grabbed a sharp metal rod from the ground—likely a shattered piece of a signpost—and rammed it into the beast's side. It howled, spinning toward me.
"Come on then," I muttered, stepping back, drawing it away from the barn.
Just when I thought I might actually hold my own, I heard heavy footsteps approaching.
A squad of armored figures came into view—red and silver. The Red Handguard.
And at the center of them was a man I recognized instantly.
Rowland. My uncle.
He hadn't changed much. Tall, gruff, alert. He barked orders as they spread out and surrounded the creature.
I backed away, hugging the shadows.
Rowland stepped closer to the beast, sword drawn.
"On my signal."
The moment the creature lunged, the Handguard attacked in perfect formation. Steel clashed with scale, spells flew through the air, and the monster thrashed wildly. I stayed hidden, watching as they overwhelmed it.
In minutes, it collapsed with a final groan, smoke rising from its body.
Rowland turned, scanning the area. His eyes narrowed on me for a moment—not at my face, but my stance.
He stepped forward. "You. Wait."
Crap.
I turned, forcing myself to move calmly.
"I said wait!"
His voice was too close. I bolted.
He chased me a few steps before shouting to his team. "Let them go. Whoever that was, they're not the enemy."
I slipped into a side path and disappeared, heart pounding.
Back at the school, I collapsed behind the gate, clutching my side. My stamina had dropped, and I had a few new bruises.
But I was alive.
And I saved someone.
I couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. The adrenaline from the morning's madness still pulsed in my veins, but my mind refused to slow down. My thoughts twisted, knotted, replaying the chaos, the fight with the monster, and the appearance of my uncle. Rowland. The Hunters. All of it.
It wasn't until I collapsed on the small cot behind the school gate, bruised and panting, that I realized how badly I'd been pushing myself.
I saved someone today…
The thought should have brought me some relief. But instead, it gnawed at me. Why had I done it? The whole village was in chaos, but I couldn't just stand there. It wasn't who I was. Wasn't who I was supposed to be.
I stretched out, trying to ignore the way my body ached, but even as I lay there, my mind kept racing.
That monster. The woman. The child. The way they looked at me with wide eyes—full of hope and terror. I had become something more than just the headmistress of an abandoned school. I was no longer hiding behind illusion or distance. I had acted, and there was no going back...
The evening passed without incident, and later that day, after I recovered, I activated the school system again.
[Build Mode - Active.]
Time to upgrade.
If I was going to run a school in a world like this, it needed to be strong, secure, and ready for anything. Just like me.
And maybe...
Maybe it was time to prepare for more teachers too.