Chapter 00 - Prologue

(Kiyotaka Ayanokouji)

Life is a complex and convoluted tapestry of events, constantly weaving together moments of joy and sorrow, triumph and failure. The unpredictable nature of existence is both thrilling and terrifying, for it is impossible to know what lies around the next corner. 

Sometimes, however, life takes an unexpected turn that is so uncanny, so unimaginable, that it defies even the most astute predictions. These twists and turns can leave one feeling bewildered and astonished, as if the very fabric of reality has been torn asunder. 

Such events are a reminder that, no matter how much we try to impose our will on the world, there will always be forces beyond our control, and we must learn to navigate them with grace and fortitude.

It was lesson I had heard outside my life in the White Room, when I first escaped from that place. 

The idea of someone else or a higher being altering a path was absurd enough for me. Subscribing to the notion that we, as individuals, held the reins of our own destiny and that no external force had the right to prescribe how we ought to live, I once harbored the belief that there existed no supreme beings or higher powers capable of dictating our lives... my life. 

But I question all of my beliefs for the first time as I stood before the mirror, scrutinizing my own visage and beheld a reflection that was barely recognizable. 

It was a disquieting sight, for the countenance that greeted me was that of a complete stranger - golden-blonde hair, most probably colored and not natural and a face full of bruises. 

It was in that moment that I was beset by the first inklings of doubt and uncertainty, as I questioned everything that I thought I knew about myself and the world around me.

As I scanned my surroundings, I became acutely aware that I was not in my customary dormitory at ANHS. 

The ceiling, the floor, the view of the neighborhood outside my open glass window as the warm summer breeze swept through the it, I was overcome by a sense of disorientation, as if I had suddenly been transported to an alternate universe. As I struggled to reconcile my present reality with the one that I had known before in a jarring experience, leaving me with a gnawing sense of unease and apprehension, I heard a voice. Despite the fact that I never heard it, I still recognized it. Like it belonged to someone whom the original owner of this body knew.

"Takemichi, Its time for school. Hurry up or you'll be late." 

I sighed, placing a hand on my heart involuntraily as I murmured, "Takemichi? I hope his life is as mundane as possible."