Stefan Arendt woke up gasping for air. His eyes flew open, his body stiff, and his heart pounding in his chest. His head felt heavy, as if a thick fog was clouding his mind.
"D-Did I... die?" Stefan thought, clutching his head. He remembered vividly the final moment—Darren's twisted grin and the final blow that struck him down. "I... died."
But as he tried to calm himself, something felt wrong. He looked around. It wasn't the dark, lonely place where he had fallen—he was in a room. A very familiar, yet oddly unfamiliar one. A classroom?
In front of him, an electronic whiteboard displayed glowing text:
"Foundations of Coder Cultivation." Stefan frowned, struggling to process what he was seeing. "Coder Cultivation? What is this?"
He glanced around, noticing that the entire classroom seemed unchanged. Neat rows of chairs, wooden desks with name tags placed neatly on them. Everything looked... normal. But something felt off. Why am I here? Why don't I feel anything after dying?
A figure stood at the front, speaking calmly yet with authority. The face was familiar—he recognized him as Mr. Harrison, a teacher who once taught strange theories about a world much greater than what Stefan had ever imagined. Yet now, there was something deeper in his words.
Mr. Harrison began speaking, his voice steady and commanding. "Every Coder can possess only one Role throughout their life. This Role will determine your path, the abilities you wield, and how you interact with the world."
A wave of confusion washed over Stefan. "Coder? Role? What is he talking about?"
Mr. Harrison continued, seemingly unaware of the bafflement on Stefan's face. "The Ceremony is the moment when each individual receives their Role. Once determined, it can never be changed. Roles can be that of a Warrior, Mage, or even a Healer. But remember, it's not just about what you become—it's about how you harness the power granted to you."
"Power...?" Stefan muttered, trying to reconcile what he was hearing with his hazy memories.
The teacher pressed on. "After receiving your Role, you'll begin developing abilities based on that Role. But that's not all," he said, writing on the board. "You will also form a connection to an Element, which is more flexible and can evolve. Your power could be fire, water, wind, or even more exotic forces like lightning or earth. It all depends on how you level up and bond with the world around you."
Stefan felt tension building within him. "Is this real?" He reached for his neck, searching for any signs that might explain his condition—and yes, his body was whole. He didn't feel any wounds at all. "But this... doesn't make sense."
The teacher continued, "You can eventually wield multiple Elements as you advance, but remember—your Role remains static. It is the path set for you, and it cannot be altered."
One thing was becoming clearer: Mr. Harrison spoke of a world vastly different from the one Stefan knew. "Since when could the world be this strange? What exactly is happening?"
Stefan sat upright in his chair, feeling trapped in a realm of mysteries. One question gnawed at him, and he couldn't hold it in any longer.
"But... what happens if someone doesn't have a Role?" Stefan asked, his voice filled with genuine confusion.
Mr. Harrison turned, offering a small, almost knowing smile. "That's very rare, Stefan. Usually, someone without a Role falls into a state of uncertainty, unable to access any powers. That's why the Ceremony is so critical."
Ceremony... The word echoed in Stefan's mind. A single moment that would decide his destiny. A destiny that, by all rights, should have ended—because he knew he had died. Was this some other world? An alternate reality? But why was he here? Why was he still alive?
His head grew heavier. Panic started creeping into his chest. "No... this isn't possible. I died, I remember it clearly. I can't be back. I just can't!"
Mr. Harrison kept teaching, but Stefan felt more alienated with every word. This classroom should have been familiar—yet it felt deeply foreign in his heart. Maybe... he was in another world. A world constructed by something far greater.
One thing, however, was certain:
Stefan Arendt could not remember how he had arrived here—and the world around him felt increasingly like a massive simulation beyond anything he had ever imagined.