When I opened my eyes, I wasn't in my apartment.
The scent of fresh grass lingered in the air, and the ceiling wasn't the dull white paint I remembered from home—but smooth, polished stone with faint carvings that glowed dimly like stars. For a moment, I just lay there, blinking, trying to make sense of everything.
My chest felt heavy. My thoughts were scattered. Where was I? This wasn't Tokyo. This wasn't even Earth.
I sat up slowly. The bed beneath me was firm, covered in thick grey sheets. Everything around me felt like a strange blend of old and new—ancient architecture mixed with modern convenience. A crystal lamp hovered near the corner of the ceiling, glowing softly. A table across the room held a tray of strange fruits and what looked like bread, but… the colors were all off. Purple apples? Yellow bread?
"Where… am I?"
I whispered to myself, still groggy.
The last thing I remembered was collapsing at my office desk after an all-nighter. My name was Matsuku—a regular guy in his twenties. No powers, no monsters, no magic. Just a regular life with boring routines and heavy deadlines.
But when I looked around this room, I knew—I wasn't home anymore.
A soft chime rang, and then, suddenly, something appeared in front of me. Like a floating screen.
[Status Screen Unlocked]
Name: Itsuki Saito
Age: 16
Race: ???
Class: None
Badge Rank: Ash
Level: 1
Aura: 0
Strength: 5
Endurance: 4
Agility: 6
Intellect: 7
Skills:None
Title: Unknown
I blinked in shock. What was this? Some kind of game? A menu?
I reached out and tried to touch the screen. My hand passed through it like mist, but the screen responded to my focus. When I stared at a stat, a small explanation would appear.
"Race unknown…?" I mumbled. "What the hell is going on?"
And then… it hit me. I wasn't dreaming. I wasn't hallucinating.
I had been transmigrated.
Like those web novels I used to read when I was bored. Ordinary guy dies or blacks out and wakes up in a fantasy world full of magic, demons, and monsters.
But… that was fiction, right?
I looked at my hands. They looked younger. Slimmer. Stronger?
No way… is this even my body?
I staggered out of bed and found a mirror on the wall. The person staring back wasn't the Matsuku I knew. This face was sharper, cleaner. Jet-black hair fell over my forehead. My eyes glowed faintly under the light, and my body looked lean and fit like someone who actually exercised.
"This… this is not me."
I touched my face. I could feel it. It wasn't a mask. This was real.
There was a knock at the door.
A woman in a uniform stepped in. Her clothes were formal, almost like a royal maid, with silver embroidery and a crest I didn't recognize. She smiled kindly.
"You're awake, young master Itsuki. The headmaster is expecting you shortly."
"Headmaster?" I asked, confused. "Where am I exactly?"
The maid tilted her head politely. "You are in Aetherwood Academy. You were admitted as a first-year last month. Today is your orientation."
I stared blankly.
Aetherwood Academy…?First-year…?
My mind was spinning. Apparently, someone—this Itsuki Saito—had been admitted here, and now I had taken his place?
I was in the body of a 16-year-old student, about to begin life at a magic academy in a world I knew absolutely nothing about.
After she left, I sat back on the bed. My heart was pounding.
I needed to gather information. I had no idea what magic really looked like, what monsters roamed this land, or even what dangers were out there. I knew only a little—things I had overheard through vague memories in this body. But it wasn't enough.
And then I saw something else on the floating screen.
[New Objective]Attend Aetherwood Academy.Survive. Learn. Adapt.Hide your identity.Your true nature must not be revealed.
"…What true nature?" I muttered.
No answer. The screen disappeared.
I didn't know what was coming. I didn't know what I really was.
But one thing was clear: this world wasn't safe, and I couldn't trust anyone yet. I didn't know the rules here. I didn't know the history, the empires, the creatures. Only that this continent was ruled by four great imperial families. That much I had heard in passing while being brought here.
And one of them—House Estoria—was whispered to be connected to demons.
But no one talked about it out loud. It was a well-hidden truth. Dangerous. Forbidden.
And now… I was stuck in this place, with a name, a face, and a body that didn't belong to me.
"Alright… first things first."
I stood, fixed my uniform, and opened the door.
Let's see what this academy of magic has in store for me.