Silence.
Heavy. Endless.
Zoey didn't know where she was.
There was no floor beneath her feet. No sky above her head. Just... darkness.
Not the kind of darkness that claws at your throat or makes your skin crawl. No, this was different.
It was soft. Quiet. Weightless.
Like a velvet curtain that had fallen between her and the world.
A dream, maybe?
Was she dreaming?
Or... dead?
A strange thought pierced through the quiet.
Was this heaven?
But if this was heaven, it felt... awfully empty.
No angels. No clouds. No pearly gates. Just stillness. Stillness and silence.
Then, it happened.
A voice.
Smooth. Genderless. Cool like a glass of still water.
"Zoey Carter."
She gasped.
Her name echoed through the void, as if it had been carved out of air.
She turned, startled—but there was nothing. No face. No shape. No shadow.
Just her thoughts... and the voice.
Then—
DING.
Soft. Mechanical. Familiar like a text tone, but more... clinical.
Words appeared in glowing, crystalline white text, suspended in the air like digital snowflakes.
⸻
[Welcome, User: Zoey Carter]
[Academic Rehabilitation Protocol v1.0 Initialized]
[System Type: Learning Check-In | Study-Assist | Focus Optimization]
⸻
She blinked.
What the hell?
She tried to lift her hand. Tried to move. But there was no hand. No arms.
She wasn't... a body.
Just a consciousness floating in a realm without weight or substance.
Another ping.
[Initial Scan Complete.]
[Summary: Emotional Burnout | Academic Regression | Potential Score: 91%]
[System Approval: GRANTED]
Zoey stared.
Her thoughts tangled into knots.
Burnout? Regression?
Was this a dream? A hallucination? Had she finally lost it?
Before she could even mentally respond, another screen faded into view. Brighter this time, edged with a soft blue glow like a holographic touchscreen from a sci-fi movie.
The text scrolled like a status bar loading across her vision.
⸻
📋 System Function Overview
✔ Daily Check-In
→ Physical location assigned each day.
→ Check-in unlocks academic materials, focus boosts, tools, and Study Points.
✔ Study Missions
→ Personalized tasks based on current subject weaknesses and schedule.
→ Completing tasks earns SP (Study Points), used for tools, upgrades, and system expansion.
✔ Focus Buffs & Auto-Arrange Mode
→ Assists with time management, auto-organizes digital notes, sets ideal study rhythm.
✔ Item Drops
→ Learning gear, mnemonic tools, stationary kits, and memory enhancers.
✔ Secret Unlockables
→ Advanced features. Rare system evolutions. ????
⸻
⚠️ Note: Missing a check-in does not cause penalties, but will slow overall progress.
Consistency unlocks higher-tier rewards.
⸻
A blinking message appeared at the bottom of the interface:
[Initiate First Check-In?]
[YES] [NO]
Warning: System cannot be uninstalled.
Zoey hesitated.
Her mind reeled with too many questions and no answers.
But something deep inside her stirred—something heavy, painful, and honest.
Regret.
She had wasted time. Fallen behind. Hurt the people who believed in her.
Maybe this was her second chance.
She nodded.
Just once.
And the world shifted.
⸻
DING.
[System Boot Successful. Welcome, Zoey Carter.]
[You are now registered as a Level 1 User of the Academic Check-In System.]
⸻
More glowing text unfurled.
[Today's Check-In Location: Hillside Prep Library – South Wing Table]
[Time Window: 24 Hours]
[Optional Subject Focus: Chemistry]
[Reward: Starter Pack – Level 1 + 15 SP]
[Loading... please return to consciousness.]
⸻
The light faded.
Then came a breath. Sharp. Loud. Real.
Zoey gasped and jolted upright—eyes wide open.
She was back. Or... had she never left?
Bright white lights glared overhead. Clean, sterile air filled her lungs. The smooth scent of antiseptic stung her nose.
She was in... the school clinic?
A familiar voice called out.
"Zoey! Thank God, you're awake!"
It was Mrs. Grant.
Physics teacher. Homeroom in-charge. The quiet, dreamy type who never raised her voice and never seemed flustered.
Her warm eyes—always tired but kind—were misty with worry.
"You slipped on the stairs in the rain. A student saw you fall and brought you here immediately. We were about to call your parents. How are you feeling?"
The school doctor stepped in, looking both confused and impressed.
"Frankly, I'm shocked. That fall should've resulted in fractures—at least a sprain or minor concussion. But you're fine. Just a swollen ankle. Nothing else."
Zoey stared.
She remembered the impact—the pain. The blur.
But now? Her limbs were whole. Her head just ached faintly, like she had napped too long.
Was it the system?
She nodded at the teacher, assuring them she was fine. She tried asking about the student who helped her, but Mrs. Grant only shook her head.
"He left before we could get his name."
A mystery.
Zoey didn't linger. Her eyes flicked to the clock.
4:20 PM.
The chauffeur was probably waiting. She thanked both women politely and limped out.
⸻
[Check-In Initiated]
[Check-In Location: Hillside Library – South Wing Table]
[Status: Incomplete]
⸻
Rain pattered softly now. The storm had passed, leaving the sky grey and bruised.
Zoey didn't even return to class—she went straight to the library.
Hillside Prep's library never closed early. Some students lived in the dorms and studied well into the night.
The scanner beeped green as she swiped in.
Rows of shelves towered around her like silent guardians.
Only a handful of students sat inside, focused and quiet.
She walked toward the South Wing.
And there—it was unmistakable.
A corner table. Empty. Glowing softly with a faint golden pulse.
She sat.
The glow brightened—and then—
⸻
DING!
[Check-In Complete]
[+5 SP Earned]
[Reward: Midterm Important Questions Guidebook – All Subjects]
[Newbie Bonus: Digital Highlighter Set – Organizes notes into color-coded summaries]
⸻
Zoey froze.
She could see it. Feel it.
A digital highlighter interface now existed inside her mind—a HUD—an actual tool she could use to scan, sort, and color-code mental notes.
Her phone buzzed.
The chauffeur again.
No time to lose herself in awe.
She left, her steps light despite the faint limp.
⸻
Inside the car, the dashboard blurred before her eyes—until a message appeared.
[Subject Task – Chemistry]
"Create mnemonic for Group 1–4 Elements on the Periodic Table."
[Time Limit: 15 minutes]
[Tools Activated: Virtual Whiteboard]
⸻
Her eyes widened.
The moment she read it, a virtual whiteboard unspooled in her mind like a hologram.
She didn't need a pen. Her thoughts moved, and the board obeyed.
Group 1... lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium...
"Little Naughty Kids Rub Cats Fur..." she muttered.
She worked fast, excited. It felt natural. It felt right.
She didn't even realize when they reached home.
⸻
[Task Complete]
[+10 SP Earned]
[Item Drop: Digital Mnemonic Mapper – Basic]
⸻
A mapper that created daily memory hooks.
Automatically. Intelligently.
Zoey grinned.
This is amazing.
Her ankle throbbed as she stepped out of the car—but for the first time in weeks, the pain didn't make her want to lie down and hide.
She felt alive.
Hopeful.
The moment she entered the mansion, Zoey bolted upstairs.
The butler blinked.
The maid gasped.
"Is that... Miss Zoey?"
She didn't even hear them. She was already upstairs, her feet pounding on the polished marble floor.
It had been so long since they had seen her like that—brimming with energy.
Once, she had been the spark of the household. Playful. Bright. Always asking questions.
But the Zoey who came to the city for school? She had been a shadow.
Quiet. Withdrawn. Always staring at screens. Always alone.
But now?
Now, there was something different in her eyes.
⸻
Her bedroom door opened with a soft hiss.
Her sanctuary.
Large. Clean. Minimalist.
The walls were painted a calming slate-blue, accented with delicate silver vines. Her bed sat beneath a wide arched window, which bathed the room in warm afternoon light.
Posters of constellations and sea maps adorned the opposite wall.
But the crown jewel was her attached study room—a sleek glass-walled,modern space with soundproof walls, a smart-desk that adjusted height, and a digital board with stylus input. Multiple drawers, labeled by subject, had remained empty. Her ergonomic chair faced a smart monitor setup she rarely touched.
But now… her fingers itched to use it all.
Zoey stood at the threshold, breathing in the space as if seeing it for the first time.
This wasn't just her room anymore.
This was her base.
Her battleground.
Her safe place to rise.