Chapter 245
Dread
IAM had always brushed off Reuel's claim that he gave off some kind of "vibe"—that strange energy that made interesting, unpredictable things happen around him. He thought it was ridiculous, just another one of Reuel's meaningless words meant to get under his skin.
Until now.
Like cold water suddenly poured down his back, a realization struck him with a metal bat on the back of his head...Maybe Reuel… was right.
When he really thought about it, his life in this world had been anything but normal. Not in any sense of the word.
If he had some kind of system, or had been sent back from the future, or maybe even reincarnated like in those cliché stories, then sure—maybe things would've made sense. There would've been a reason for the chaos that seemed to follow him around. But he wasn't any of those things. He was just himself, thrown into a world that never stopped moving.
It all started the moment he woke up here—he was immediately thrust into a war between two nations, Claw and Hope. From that instant, everything spiraled. Ryan had been the one to push him to move faster, to arrive early at the hold. That decision led them straight to Regina, who then brought them face-to-face with Raj.
At the time, IAM had no idea who Raj was—just another person in the chaos of it all. But later, he'd learned Raj was once the President of Hope's Student Council—the same academy IAM was now attending.
And if he hadn't met Raj, he would've never paid attention to that old bookmark... the one that led him to find that strange clue hidden within the textbook it rested in.
Because of the long chain of events that had unfolded, IAM eventually found himself in the Hub—at the center of it all—where he had witnessed Hen stab Ryan in the back. Moments later, a massive explosion ripped through the area, leaving IAM crippled and buried beneath the rubble. It had been a scene of pure chaos, pain, and smoke—a moment that should have ended his life.
Yet, as dangerous as that situation was, it had also saved him in a strange way. Being trapped under the debris meant he wasn't immediately found or executed by the members of the Circle of the Accursed. It gave him a chance—just enough time to survive.
When he finally opened his eyes, he found himself no longer beneath the ruins. Somehow, he had been healed—restored to a state that defied explanation. And with that second chance came something even more important: knowledge. He had learned crucial information about the Divine Orb, and about the rats—the traitors within the Hold—who were secretly part of the Accursed.
That information had been what connected him to Thor in the first place. Thor, as a government representative, had come to personally question IAM, hoping to extract what he knew. But that meeting became something far more than a formal interview—it was the start of a bond, one that tied IAM to one of the most influential figures in all of Hope.
It was also Thor who had revealed even more about the Accursed—information that had peeled back the surface of what IAM thought he understood. He had been the one to tell IAM the truth that still haunted him: that IAM had been personally killed by someone known only as Mr. Graveyard, one of the deadliest ascenders to ever live.
For reasons still beyond his grasp, IAM had somehow come back from death. Whether it was luck, fate, or something entirely unnatural, he couldn't say. But his survival came with its own ripple effect—Thor had personally ensured he received recognition and benefits for surviving the Hold incident.
That single act of goodwill became the bridge that allowed IAM to ask for something bold: a place in Hope Academy, the very institution tied to the same place where he had found that textbook in the first place.
And it was there—within the walls of Hope—that IAM's path began weaving itself again. He met Reuel, Yohan, and Henry. His connection to Yohan's late older brother, whom IAM had known briefly during the Hold, created a natural bond between them.
Alongside his roommate Reuel, who was really good at socialising and building connections.
After witnessing Henry's duel, it was Reuel who had took the initiative to get to know Henry and brought him into their friend group. IAM, seeing Henry's level of skill, had then asked him if he could learn swordsmanship from him, to which Henry was hesitant and didn't give IAM a solid answer.
It was then, once again, Reuel who had prompted both Yohan and Henry to follow IAM sneakily to his appointment. After IAM discovered them, they happened to be in the vicinity of a group of people being harassed and bullied, their attention drawn by the yelling.
If it had just been IAM alone, he might have ignored the situation or called the authorities and moved on. But because Reuel had brought Henry along — who had a strong sense of justice — IAM was forced to step in and help alongside the others to stop the bullying. After a series of events, this ended up getting IAM into trouble, and it was during this that he bumped into Zara.
In the aftermath, Henry had apologised and confirmed that he would teach IAM swordsmanship, which had been what IAM wanted in the first place.
However, this incident with the bullies also brought them to the attention of one of the Vice Principals of the Academy, leading IAM to form a connection with him — regardless of whether it was positive or negative.
After receiving their punishment, they made their way to a pastry shop called HOPASTRY, which happened to be Natsuki's favourite place. Coincidentally, she entered the shop alongside Zara, who immediately recognised IAM and confronted him — once again forming another unexpected connection with the two.
While IAM had yet to see what kind of effect this connection would bring, he had already managed to irritate Natsuki by refusing to fight her.
Following that, due to the punishment, they were required to meet with members of the Student Council. After another sequence of events, IAM found himself forming even more connections — this time with Blaze, Snow, and Ari — with Snow even being the current President of the Student Council.
And after yet another chain of events, IAM was summoned by a mysterious man to meet one of the Vice Principals, who happened to have a connection with his predecessor. Before that meeting, IAM had read through his predecessor's diary and learned that he was meant to be adopted by a mysterious woman who was supposed to become his new mother — before she suddenly vanished, leaving IAM with nothing but his last name: Grimm.