The choice is always yours, "probably"

To be continued… or rather, just beginning.
Marcus stood in the middle of the street, staring at the fading white light, his mind still not entirely processing what had just happened.
Was this a dream? A coma? A caffeine-induced hallucination?Whatever it was, reality—no matter how weird—was already kicking him forward.
He walked—no, almost jogged—toward the mansion.Not because he was afraid.…Okay, he was afraid. A little.Everything around him felt familiar… and completely off at the same time.
> Name: Marcus KannetAge: 16Location: Kannet Family Estate


As soon as he stepped through the gates—BOOM!A barrage of party poppers exploded in his face. Loud. Messy. Excessive.Not exactly your average “welcome home.”
“Happy birthday, sweetie!” a woman’s voice called out.
Then a teary male voice added:“My boy’s all grown up… sniff…”
They were his parents.Yes, actual parents.The kind he definitely shouldn’t have had here.
Marcus froze.His brain lagged behind the events.He’d only gone out for what? Thirty minutes?And now he was being ambushed by hugs, cake, confetti, and a full-on family drama.
> Internal commentary: “Didn’t even blow out the candles and I already feel burned out.”



---
The party was… well, a party.Loud, chaotic, someone fell into a vase, someone mixed up sugar and salt—classic family energy.
But the real surprise came later, when everyone gathered in the parlor for tea.
There, the conversation started.The one Marcus was clearly supposed to remember.
He did not.
His father looked serious.His mother, expectant.The atmosphere got heavier than the frosting on his birthday cake.
“Marcus… Have you made your decision?” his father asked.
“Uh… which decision exactly?” Marcus offered a diplomatic smile—the universal shield of cluelessness.
“Don’t pretend,” his mother said, narrowing her eyes. “You promised to give us your answer today.”
His father sighed and began ticking off fingers like reading a contract with the devil.
“You have two options.One—enroll in the Schwarzfer Academy of Magic.Two—stay here and prepare to inherit the title of Baron.”
Marcus completely glitched out.
> Brain commentary: “Wait. I have a noble family, a title, and two life paths? …At least they didn’t suggest blacksmithing.”


> Author’s note: “This may or may not be important later. Probably will. Or not.”


His mother smiled gently.
“Follow what your heart tells you, dear. We'll support you either way. The choice is yours.”
Marcus was about to say something like, “Can I think about it until Friday?”But of course, the System interrupted.
> SYSTEM: WARNING. Refusing the Academy path will result in penalty.


“Wait—what?! Why?! This is my choice!”
> SYSTEM: Regrettably, your mission requires you to prevent catastrophe.Disobedience = death.


> Mental footnote: “Ah yes. The illusion of choice. Say yes and live. Say no and die. Classic.”


His father looked hopeful.
“So? Have you decided?”
Marcus took a deep breath.And despite how absurd this all was—despite the knee-shaking weirdness—he replied:
“Yes, Father. I’ll go to Schwarzfer Academy.”
“Excellent choice,” his mother said, pouring herself more tea. “Besides, you're already on the candidate list.”
His father chuckled.
“Not so long ago you were a whiny little brat scared of his own shadow.Now look at you—our pride and joy!”
> Thus, the birthday ended: with cake, warm wishes, and a threat of death from the system interface.



---
A few days passed.
> SYSTEM: New feature unlocked. Quests will now appear.Rewards: skills or points.


“Great,” Marcus muttered, staring at the sky. “Just don’t give me something like ‘poetic flair’ or ‘perfect spelling.’”
> New skill unlocked: Written Future.Allows you to read the next 12 hours of upcoming events.


“Huh. Actually useful… unless it works like a novel with 10,000-word chapters and I die before I finish the prologue.”
> SYSTEM: You’ll adapt. For now—practice. The selection exam is coming.



---
And so he trained.Every day. Running, lifting, writing with the Writer skill.He made mistakes. But he got better.
His stats began to rise:
Strength: 30
Agility: 23
Endurance: 40
Stamina: 34
Intellect: 55
Clarity: 20

> Commentary: “Intellect 55. Clarity 20. Yeah. Sounds about right. I’m smart enough to know I still don’t get what’s going on.”


Three days before departure, Marcus collapsed on his bed, completely drained.
“I’m done. I’m officially broken. Someone else save the world—or at least my lower back.”
> SYSTEM: Another skill will unlock at your next level.


“Fantastic. First it threatens me with death. Now it bribes me with power.This system isn’t a guide—it’s an evil corporate manager in disguise.”

---
Finally, the day of departure.
His parents saw him off like he was heading into battle.
His father gave a firm handshake.
“Do your best, son. If you fail, you’re working the fields. Not ours, by the way.”
His mother hugged him tightly.
“Take care of yourself. And, well… try not to die.”
Marcus looked at them.People he’d only known for a few days.But who already felt like more than just background NPCs.
“I won’t just pass the exam,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll be the best there.”
And with that, he walked off—
—toward Schwarzfer Academy,where the real story would begin.