THE FOOL

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Part 1

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Izuku

Chapter 1

Izuku gasped, feeling like his lungs were finally able to take in precious air. The sound was loud and desperate, causing heads to turn in his direction. His body, still weak from the ordeal, lost its balance, and he tumbled out of his chair, crashing to the floor.

"Deku!" several voices shouted in alarm. The classroom erupted into chaos as his classmates rushed to his side.
Izuku's heart raced as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. Where was he? U.A.? His classmates crowded around him, their concerned faces blurring together in his disoriented state. Panic surged through him, as the adrenaline flooded his senses and he struggled to push through the overwhelming sensations, his breaths coming in short, frantic gasps. He had just been drowning, how did he end up here in the classroom? Had it all just been some feverish bad dream, a nightmare? But the fight, Humarise... it had all felt so real.

"Back up! Give him some space!" Tenya commanded, his authoritative voice cutting through the chaos.

Izuku's eyes darted around wildly, his mind still reeling. He caught a glimpse of Katsuki staring at him from his seat, his brows furrowed in confusion and what looked like a hint of concern, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

Izuku's thoughts raced as he tried to process everything where he was, everything had been so vivid and visceral to have been made up. The Interstice of Fate, Fatebreaker, the suffocating sea of blood, the voices—still, none of it made sense. He looked at his classmates, and the words formed in his mind, demanding to know what had happened with Flect Turn and the nightmare he had just experienced. But as he opened his mouth to speak, the words died in his throat.

His eyes widened in shock as he noticed faces among his classmates that didn't belong there. Students from Class 1-B were mixed in with his own classmates. He saw Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu standing next to Eijiro, both looking equally worried. Kendo Itsuka was beside Yaoyorozu, her hand resting on her shoulder in support.

What...what's happening? Izuku thought, his heart pounding even harder. God, it hadn't been a dream it was really real. This wasn't over, it was only the beginning. He realized with dawning horror that the moment he became conscious here the timer for this game he had been forced into had just started.

His gaze shifted to Katsuki, who was still watching him intently, his eyes burning with an intensity that made Izuku's stomach twist. He doesn't know. "Deku, are you okay?" Ochako asked, her voice trembling with concern.

Aizawa pushed through the crowd of students, his expression stern. "Everyone, move aside. Let me through." The authority in his voice made the students quickly part, giving him space to reach Izuku.

Aizawa knelt down beside Izuku, his gaze intense as he assessed the situation. "Midoriya," he said calmly, "are you alright?"

Izuku was still breathing heavily, his mind still spinning. He couldn't form the words to explain what he had just suffered. Aizawa placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to ground him. "Midoriya, look at me."

Izuku's eyes finally met his teacher's, the wild look in them slowly beginning to fade. "I... I don't know," Izuku whispered, his voice shaky. "It felt so real..."

Aizawa studied him for a moment, his eyes narrowing as he noticed something unusual. "Midoriya, focus. What did you see?"

Just as Izuku was about to come up with some kind of response, he felt a burning sensation on the inside of his wrist. He winced, looking down at his arm. With a shaky hand, he slowly slid his sleeve up to reveal the source of the burning. A red tattoo now inked into his skin stared back at him, the design, a simple cursive symbol.

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