1 To Live Again

"In this life, no students of mine will lose their lives ever again."

I was a homeroom teacher at Great Barrier High. One day as I was about to dismiss my class for lunch a phenomenon happened. As a teacher, at first, my brain couldn't process what was happening but since I watched too much anime, I wasn't oblivious to the situation... this was an Isekai situation, a popular sub-genre of Japanese fantasy media and in this case... to be summoned into another world.

To experience something like this... my otaku part of myself screamed in joy but the more sensible and professional caretaker of my class side of me was stunned. As I got to know the world and its people, I soon realized early on that something was amiss.

From the start of this journey to the end, my death, I had watched each student of mine, death. I failed to recognize my potential and aptitude early on which pushed my mindset to a place where I was unable to help my students. They needed guidance yet I was too inept to be their teacher they needed me to be. The last moment of my life was to watch my class monitor Rain die in front of me. Her eyes stared into mine with small wells of tears forming in the corner of her eyes as we laid there, side by side. Her dying face was the last thing I saw before I succumbed to my deathly injuries.

"Teacher!"

I felt a warm hand on my forehead as I winced when I tried to open my eyes. The first thing I saw was a distorted image of the person I wished to see the most, Rain Valian.

As I fully opened my eyes, her face came into full focus and I nearly broke there... nearly but I couldn't. Her face hovered above mine as my head laid upon her lap.

"You're finally awake, thank god. You have nearly scared me... I mean the class half to death."

"Yeah, teach. Rain was extremely worried when you fell unexpectedly, when we landed in this strange place."

Next to us were Rain's best friend, Stella Ford and to Stella's left was their other friend and top student, Lucy Morgesfurd. I looked around and saw half the class were hovering around us and the other half broke up into smaller groups talking amongst themselves. I turned my gaze back to Rain who was still staring at me with her doe-like eyes. She tried to hide her tears, but a small droplet managed to escape and landed on my cheek. I smiled at her hoping to reassure her that I am fine because to me she was a kind and loving person to a fault. I tried to get up but failed, tried again and failed again until an outstretched hand was in front of me. A tall muscular student of mine nicknamed Rex but his actual name is Rexlius Harus offered his right hand to me and I took it.

As I got up finally and didn't felt like I might tip over anymore, it finally sank in, my students are alive. I was alive and reborn? I was back and I wanted to cry but I knew I couldn't. I couldn't show any emotion that might make my student's worry. I mean why would a teacher such as myself burst into tears. So, to distract my eyes from any tear leakage I let my eyes wander around a bit. We were in a room surrounded by dimly lit candles and carvings along the brimstone walls. Underneath us were markings that were barely visible however I knew it was a summoning circle, the kingdom used to summon us.

I felt anger as I remembered the betrayal, of what the king and his entourage did to us. It's a strange feeling since none of that happened yet although I knew the betrayal would begin once we stood in the throne room and listen to the king's deceit.

I looked at the room once more filled with my students in their idle chatter. Oddly enough I felt Rain's gaze upon me as I glanced over to her. She was talking to her two friends but now and again she would shift her gaze from them to me. When she caught me noticing her, she reverted her gaze back to her friends but as she did so, I noticed a small blush formed lightly on her cheeks and ears. I could tell the other girls noticed it too and was probably teasing her about it.

Though there were some scared faces as I wandered around my students once more I couldn't help but felt that this moment will be the end of their innocence.

I was only a student-teacher when I came to this class. These students were my first ever class to learn and grow with and after the incident with their actual teacher, I was chosen to be the replacement. I have taught them for their last two senior years of high school which was an accomplishment on it's own, considering I am still inexperienced. I had these students whole future in my hands and at moments I thought my hands would've given in.

These students were about to graduate in a couple of months and start a new chapter in their lives. Now, none of that was going to happen and since I knew their futures, I promised myself when I died in my previous life that I would do anything to give my students a better one if I had another chance. Now I did and soon those who would ruin my student's happiness would pay the ultimate price. Their lives.

They should be opening that door soon and welcoming us. Normally when you have been summoned to a place, there would probably be a welcoming party already here welcoming us, but I knew the reason why they waited...

"Sir, the door!" One of my students shouted.

Before my mind entered the memories of what I knew was going to happen, the door opened.

'Shit.'