[Initializing…]
[Synchronizing… 10%… 23%… 47%… 76%… 77%]
[!!! ERROR DETECTED !!!]
[Proceeding With The Synchronization...]
[Jake Miller » Kylen Noor]
[Synchronization Incomplete—77%]
└ Due to some error in the process, 23% of the user's data is missing.
A chime echoed softly in the void—the same chime I heard when I opened [Atlas Online].
And then—
"Good morning, students. I hope you all had a restful break and are ready for a new year full of learning and growth." The voice came from the front.
"As is our tradition, we would like to hear from one of our exemplary students who will share some words of encouragement and guidance for all of us."
My eyes shot open.
Who's voice is that?
I was seated in what looked like a massive auditorium. My head throbbed like someone had jammed a spear into my skull.
I groaned, slumping forward and pressing my hand against my forehead.
Yeah. This was definitely not my room.
Suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder.
I flinched and turned—only to meet the gaze of a boy I'd never seen before in my life.
"Is there something wrong?" he asked, his voice carried a hint of concern.
"Y-yeah, I'm alright." I said, before brushing his hand away.
He frowned. "Man… I told you, you'd get overwhelmed in a crowd like this."
"What do you expect? Skip the ceremony?" The words came out fluently.
Then a voice boomed from the stage.
"Please welcome Namgung Lucian, who has demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership. Let's give them our applause."
...Lucian?
The auditorium erupted in polite applause—sharp, measured, respectful. The kind of applause you'd give to a national treasure.
The applause shifted. It didn't grow louder—just sharper, more deliberate.
A figure stepped onto the stage.
He's tall, his back straight, and every movement measured, as if excess motion had been trained out of him entirely.
Black hair fell neatly across his forehead, interrupted by a streak of white that stood out under the lights. His eyes were gold—not dramatic, not glowing—just calm, steady, and unreadable.
He didn't smile, didn't wave. He simply stood there and accepted the attention as though it were a natural extension of his presence.
That posture, that expression, and the quiet confidence that didn't need to prove itself. Something about it tugged at a memory buried just beneath the surface.
I had seen that stance before, but not here, not in person, but on screen.
Illustrations, character introductions, and opening ceremony scenes that played at the start of every route.
"Namgung Lucian." I muttered. Only then did I realize whose name that belongs to.
Ever since I woke up, I'd had a hunch about where I was.
And once it's been proven, everything else began aligning around it—This place, these characters, this uniform, everything matches.
"You're staring pretty hard," the boy beside me muttered, following my gaze.
I didn't answer.
Because if that really was Namgung Lucian standing on that stage—Then this wasn't some vivid dream stitched together from memory.
This was the beginning of the story.
The start of Atlas Online.
A blue holographic panel appeared in front of my eyes.
—————[Main Story]—————
[Arc I — Into the Story]
└ Act 1 — Entrance Ceremony
—————————————————
◆◆◆
[Phase 1 started — Classroom]
After a short speech from Lucian, the ceremony ended. The first bell rang, signaling the students to leave.
I'm pretty sure I just ended my stream not too long ago. Now I'm inside a game? Is this some kind of sick joke?
I didn't know enough to make sense of it, so for now, let's just go with the flow.
I walked out of the auditorium with the others. Seniors stood outside, guiding the new students in an orderly stream.
The low murmur of conversation blended into a steady hum, and the pounding in my head finally began to ease.
Not gone.
Just manageable.
"Are you sure you're okay? You looked pale earlier."
His voice reached me through the noise, slightly distorted—like it had to pass through layers of cotton before landing in my ears.
"Man, I already said I'm fine," I muttered.
Even my own voice didn't feel like it belonged to me.
The crowd continued moving in one direction, and we followed without question.
Ahead, a large holographic panel floated midair, glowing faint blue. Names and symbols flickered across its surface as students gathered around it.
"Oh, this must be where we check our classroom," he said casually. "I'll look for mine. You're on your own."
Before I could respond, he slipped into the crowd and vanished.
I stepped closer to the holographic panel. Blue light washed over my face as names rearranged themselves in real time. The panel flickered.
Then my name resurfaced and locked into place in front of me.
[Kylen Noor (237) | Novice—Primus].
Primus... Really?
The corner of my mouth twitched.
"How troublesome."
A sudden force knocked into my shoulder, pushing me half a step into the glowing display.
"Did I bump into someone?"
The voice behind me was deep and calm, carrying a kind of confidence that made people listen without meaning to. I turned.
He was tall. Too tall. Broad-shouldered, straight-backed, with tan skin, neatly styled black hair, and gold eyes that looked less sharp than they did steady.
Even without the name above my vision, I would have recognized him.
Kahleed Karim.
"Oh. Sorry," he said, the apology coming out smooth enough to sound almost casual. "I didn't see you there."
"Don't worry about it," I said, brushing dust off my shoulder. "My fault for being short."
For a second, he just stared.
Then he laughed.
Not the polite kind either. A real laugh, brief but warm, like the joke caught him off guard.
"That was either very brave or very stupid."
"Could be both."
Kahleed chuckled again, but this time it was softer. He looked me over once, not rude about it, just curious in a way that made my skin prickle slightly.
"You talk like you already know how people here act."
I blinked.
"Is that a bad thing?"
Kahleed tilted his head slightly.
"No… just means you're either confident—"
His gaze sharpened for a split second.
"—or pretending to be."
The holographic notification flickered in the corner of my vision.
[Kahleed Karim is interested in you]
[Stranger → Acquaintance]
That was more like it.
So it wasn't just my imagination.
"...I'm Kahleed Karim," he said. "Nice to meet you."
"Kylen Noor."
He repeated the name once under his breath, as if checking how it sounded. Then he nodded.
"Kylen Noor," he said. "You don't seem nervous."
"I am nervous."
"You're hiding it badly, then."
"Maybe I'm better at pretending than you think."
That made him smile again, but this time there was something curious behind it.
"Maybe," he said. "Most people would have either apologized too much or started rambling. You didn't do either."
"I should have done one of those?"
"No." He shook his head. "It's better this way."
He shifted his weight, glancing past me toward the panel and then back again, like he was already preparing to leave but had decided not to just yet.
"You're in Primus too, right?"
I nodded.
"Then we'll probably see each other again."
"Probably."
Kahleed held my gaze for a second longer than necessary, then gave a small, easy smile.
"See you around, Kylen Noor."
"Yeah. See you."
He turned and walked off toward the classroom without looking back.
I stayed where I was, staring after him.
That was it…?
I looked down at the faint notification still hanging in the corner of my vision.
Acquaintance.
Not bad.
Not great either.
Just enough to make me wonder why he looked at me like that.
◆
I stopped in front of the door and sighed.
The moment I stepped inside, I would officially connect to the storyline.
Hesitation twisted in my stomach, but I forced myself forward.
The door slid open. The hum of chatter washed over me.
The classroom looked like something out of a futuristic academy brochure. Four ascending tiers of desks rose toward the back like a miniature auditorium.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I scanned the room.
Familiar faces stood out immediately—the male leads, a few supporting characters, and...
The protagonist.
Han Seora.
Her long jet-black hair swayed as she laughed with her friends. Her face looked unreal, the kind that would top every search result for "Korean beauty."
She didn't just stand out.
The room seemed built around her.
I walked past her group, considering where to sit.
Suddenly, someone bumped into me from behind.
I turned.
The student who had hit me looked startled—almost frightened. His eyes flicked past me, scanning the empty space behind my back as if he'd expected something else to be there.
Then he simply walked away.
…What was that about?
The thought lingered longer than it should have.
I moved to the back row and took a seat. From here, the holographic display at the front was perfectly visible.
The door slid open again. A teacher entered, and students hurried to their seats.
Behind him, a girl stepped into the room.
She had a doll-like face, neatly trimmed pink hair, and intimidating crimson eyes. As she walked down the aisle, whispers bloomed. Everyone had their own thoughts about her.
The teacher gestured for her to sit.
She walked all the way to the back. As she passed my desk, her gaze flicked toward me—just for a second.
It felt like being measured.
First daughter of the House of Fire. Ranked seventh in overall stats. And one of the central villains in the storyline.
Iliana Vexana von Helena.
The most tragic villainess in AO.
◆◆◆
As Kylen passed her group earlier, Han Seora had noticed him.
A messy black hair fell forward, partially covering his eyes. Neither tall nor short. Nothing particularly remarkable at first glance.
In fact, his presence felt faint—lower than even a background extra.
And yet—
Something about him felt wrong.
Like a mismatch.
Like his soul didn't quite fit the body he was wearing.
Her smile faded slightly.
Who is that boy?
To be continued