The sky burned orange as the sun bled into the horizon, casting long shadows over the jagged cliffs. You sat at the edge, legs dangling over nothingness, the weight of your thoughts heavier than the air around you. The entrance exam had been a nightmare - your friends, people you had laughed with, fought alongside, gone in the blink of an eye. Their screams still echoed in your head. But that was the reality of an assassin. You should have accepted it by now.

"You look like you're about to jump," a voice remarked casually behind you.

You tensed, snapping out of your thoughts. Turning, you found a young woman standing there, arms crossed, golden eyes glinting with amusement. Long, deep-blue hair swayed in the wind. She didn’t look concerned - if anything, she looked entertained

Akao Rion. You had heard of her. A senior, one of the best.

She tilted her head, stepping closer without hesitation. "Freshman, right? Let me guess - trauma, guilt, existential crisis? Classic first-year stuff." She dropped down beside you, leaning back on her hands. "Don't worry, you'll either get over it or die. Simple."

Her words should have stung, but there was something oddly reassuring in the way she said them - lighthearted, almost playful, as if she had seen it all before.