Finn stood at the gate, staring at the red-haired kid twenty feet away.
The main character. The protagonist. The chosen one he'd spent months developing, writing scenes for, building an entire destiny around. Standing right there in the flesh, real and breathing and completely unaware of what he was supposed to become.
'He's actually here,' Finn thought. 'Actually real.'
It shouldn't have been this jarring. He'd already accepted that this world was real, that the people in it existed beyond words on a screen. But seeing the protagonist felt different. This was the person who was supposed to save humanity. The hero with plot armor and destiny guiding his path.
And Finn had created him.
"Finn?" Peter's voice cut through his thoughts. "You okay? You're staring."
Finn blinked and looked away. "I'm fine. Just taking it all in."
"Yeah, it's a lot." Peter adjusted his hood nervously. "We should probably get in line before it gets worse."
They joined the crowd moving toward the gate. Security personnel were checking identification and directing people toward different areas based on what they were applying for. Combat students went one direction. Support personnel another.
The processing was efficient but slow. Hundreds of people all trying to funnel through checkpoints created inevitable bottlenecks. Finn and Peter stood in line for twenty minutes before reaching the front.
A woman in academy uniform scanned them both up and down and typed something into a tablet. "You're both here for enrollment?"
"Yes," Finn said. "Combat track for me. Support track for him."
"Registration fees paid?"
Finn tapped his U-wallet against the terminal she indicated. The display showed the deduction. Seven thousand credits gone in an instant. Peter did the same, and another three thousand vanished from Finn's wallet since he was covering both of them.
The woman handed them each a white wristband with a small screen embedded in the center. "Put these on. They'll display your test number when it's your turn. Don't lose them. If you do, you forfeit your slot and fees aren't refundable."
Finn fastened the band around his right wrist, opposite the U-wallet. Peter did the same, examining it with obvious interest.
"Spark-powered display," Peter muttered. "Efficient design. Wonder who manufactured these."
They were directed toward a massive building near the center of the academy grounds. Other applicants streamed in the same direction, all wearing identical white wristbands. The building looked like it could hold thousands of people, with multiple entrances feeding into what was probably an auditorium or assembly hall.
Inside, the scale became even more apparent. The ceiling rose at least forty feet overhead, supported by columns that looked more decorative than structural. Rows of seats descended toward a stage at the front, already filling with people. Finn and Peter found spots roughly in the middle, close enough to see but not so close that they'd draw attention.
The hall continued to fill. More applicants. More nervous energy. The ambient noise of hundreds of conversations created a constant hum that made it hard to focus on any single voice.
After another fifteen minutes, the lights dimmed slightly. The conversations died down as people realized something was starting.
A man walked onto the stage. Older, maybe sixties, with gray hair and the kind of posture that suggested military background. He wore academy uniform with insignia that probably indicated rank or position.
"Good morning," his voice boomed through speakers mounted throughout the hall. "I am Headmaster Vincent Cross, and on behalf of Bastion Seven Defense Institute, I welcome you to orientation."
The formal title made it sound more important than it probably was, but the crowd settled into attentive silence anyway.
"You are here because you believe you have what it takes to defend humanity," Cross continued. "Because you want to be part of the front line against the Swarm threat. Because you understand that our survival depends on people willing to stand between the darkness and the light."
Standard inspiring speech material. Finn had written dozens of variations on this theme.
"This academy was founded three hundred years ago, shortly after the first Swarm incursion. Since then, we have trained thousands of heroes who have gone on to protect our cities, clear nests, and push back against extinction. Our graduates are some of the finest Awakened in human history."
Cross gestured and images appeared on screens flanking the stage. Heroes in combat. Graduation ceremonies. Students training. All designed to inspire and intimidate in equal measure.
"The fight against the Swarm is not over. It may never be over. But as long as we have institutions like this academy, as long as we have people like you willing to step forward, humanity will endure."
Finn listened with half his attention while his mind worked through other considerations. The speech was almost word-for-word what he'd written for this scene. The headmaster's appearance matched his description. Even the images on the screens were familiar compositions.
'So far it's following the script,' he thought. 'The world is still operating how I designed it. Mostly.'
The word "mostly" nagged at him. The system had warned that this world wasn't entirely his design. Changes had been made. The side story corruption had bled into reality somehow. He needed to stay alert for deviations.
Cross wrapped up his speech with more inspirational language about duty and sacrifice and the honor of service. Then he stepped aside as another figure walked onto the stage.
A woman. Late twenties, maybe early thirties. She moved with confidence that bordered on predatory, each step deliberate and controlled. She wore academy uniform like Cross but somehow made it look better, the way some people just inhabited their clothes differently.
Her appearance demanded attention. She stood maybe five foot eight with an athletic build that suggested she was a combat instructor rather than administrative staff. Her hair was dark, almost black, pulled back in a high ponytail that fell to her shoulder blades. Sharp features, high cheekbones, and eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. Her skin had a warm tan that spoke of time spent outdoors, and when she smiled it was the kind of expression that made you unsure if she was amused or dangerous.
"Hello everyone," her voice carried the same command as Cross's but with different energy. "I'm Aurora Barola, head of combat instruction. You'll be seeing a lot of me if you make it through today."
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Some recognition of her name, maybe. Finn didn't remember writing a character with that specific name but instructors had been background elements in his story. Possible he'd mentioned her and forgotten.
"Headmaster Cross gave you the inspiration," Aurora continued, pacing across the stage like a caged animal. "I'm going to give you the reality. This academy is prestigious. We have limited spots and unlimited applicants. Which means not everyone here today will be enrolled by tonight."
The crowd shifted uncomfortably.
"Your entrance evaluation consists of three tests," Aurora said, holding up three fingers. "Mental. Physical. And the third test, which I'll explain in a moment."
Finn's attention sharpened. Here it came. The testing protocol he'd designed.
"The mental test evaluates your tactical thinking," Aurora continued. "Problem-solving under pressure. Strategic analysis. It doesn't matter how strong you are if you can't think your way through a crisis."
Finn nodded slightly. That matched what he'd written. The mental test was a simulation scenario where applicants had to make decisions with incomplete information and deal with consequences in real-time.
"The physical test evaluates your combat capability," Aurora said. "For Awakened applicants, this means demonstrating your abilities. For non-Awakened, this means showing you can handle yourself in a fight despite the disadvantage. We're not looking for perfection. We're looking for potential."
Also matched. The physical test was straightforward combat evaluation, adjusted for generation and rank.
'So far so good,' Finn thought. 'Third test should be the practical application. Combined scenario where they test everything together.'
"The third test," Aurora said, and Finn's thoughts prepared to explain it before she finished, "is a teamwork evaluation."
Finn's thoughts skidded to a halt.
Wait. What?
"You'll be assigned to random groups of five," Aurora continued. "Your group will face a challenge that requires coordination and cooperation. We're evaluating how well you work with others, how you handle leadership or support roles, and whether you can put the mission above personal glory."
Finn's mind raced. That wasn't right. The third test was supposed to be individual practical application. A complex scenario where applicants demonstrated everything they'd learned in the first two tests but in a more realistic environment.
Teamwork evaluation? Random groups? That wasn't what he'd written.
'Those bastards,' Finn thought, his chest tightening. 'Did they change the acceptance chapter? The beginning of the story?'
Marcus, Vanessa, and Joel. When they'd forced him to write during those four weeks, had they made him alter this part? He couldn't remember. The later chapters of the side story had bled together into a haze. With exhaustion and medication withdrawal, he couldn't remember much. They could have made him change anything or even done it themselves.
But this was his world. His creation. His entire archetype. How could fundamental elements be different?
The system's warning echoed in his mind. 'This world is no longer entirely your design.'
"The bands you're wearing will notify you when it's your turn," Aurora said, gesturing at her own wrist where a similar band sat. "When your number appears and the band buzzes, proceed to the designated testing hall. Your test will take approximately two hours. Results will be posted by evening. Questions?"
Hands rose across the auditorium but Aurora was already walking off stage. Cross returned to dismiss them with instructions about waiting areas and facility rules.
The crowd began to disperse, conversations erupting as people discussed what they'd just heard. Finn sat in his seat, mind still spinning.
"What do you think our chances are?" Peter asked, fidgeting with his wristband.
Finn took a breath and forced himself to sound calm. "The first two tests are straightforward. Mental test is tactical scenarios. They'll show you situations and you make decisions. No wrong answers exactly, they're just evaluating how you think."
"And the physical?"
"Combat evaluation. For you it'll be demonstrating technical skills or how you handle equipment. For me it's showing what I can do with my abilities." Finn kept his voice level, almost clinical. "Both tests are designed to challenge Awakened and non-Awakened differently. Fair in that sense."
"What about the third test?"
Finn hesitated. "That one I'm not sure about."
"Why not? You said you read up on the academy."
"I did. Just didn't focus on that particular test as much." The lie tasted bitter but Peter seemed to accept it.
"Well that's great," Peter muttered. "The one test we're both worried about and you don't know the details."
"I think it might be something fair for everyone."
Both Finn and Peter turned to see who'd spoken. The red-haired kid from the gate stood in the row behind them, hands in his pockets, looking completely at ease despite the tense atmosphere.
"The third test," the kid continued, seemingly unbothered by their stares. "I'm willing to bet it'll be the easiest one. Still challenging, yeah, but probably more straightforward than the first two."
The confidence in his voice was striking. Not arrogance exactly, though there was some of that. More like certainty. Like he knew something they didn't or had access to information that made him comfortable.
The aura around him screamed protagonist. Chosen one energy that Finn could recognize because he'd written it into the character. This was someone destiny had marked for greatness, even if he didn't know it yet.
But only Finn could tell. Only Finn understood that this boy was different, special in ways that went beyond just confidence or good looks or natural charisma.
Peter apparently didn't feel the same sense of recognition. "Who the hell are you to have that much confidence? We just paid money to get in here and you're acting like the test is already passed."
The red-haired kid grinned. "Name's Kaito Vermillion. And I'm confident because I've been preparing for this my whole life. My parents are both academy graduates. My older brother made it through three years ago. I've been hearing about these tests since I was old enough to understand what the academy was."
He extended his hand toward Peter first, then Finn. "You two look like you might actually make it through. Figured I'd introduce myself now before we're all too busy trying not to fail."
Kaito Vermillion. The name fit. Sounded heroic in that way protagonist names always did. Strong. Memorable. Easy to chant when crowds were cheering.
Finn stared at him. At the protagonist. At the person who was supposed to save humanity and lead them to victory against the Swarm.
At the main character of a story Finn had written, now standing in front of him and offering a handshake like they were just regular people meeting for the first time.
--