Danganronpa: Trigger Fate Arc

A New Beginning

Kuro Arashi slowly opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights overhead. His vision blurred for a moment before adjusting to the sterile environment around him. He lay on a cold, hard floor. Disoriented, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, feeling a slight headache pounding at his temples.

"Where... am I?" he whispered, his voice soft and unsure.

Looking around, he saw he was in a classroom, but not one he recognized. The walls were pristine white, with no windows, and a strange mechanical door stood at the far end of the room. It wasn’t the typical high school environment he expected. There was a sense of something... wrong.

He wasn’t alone. Other students were scattered around the room, slowly waking up, just as confused and disoriented as he was. Kuro remained quiet, drawing his knees up to his chest and hugging them. He instinctively reached for his sketchbook, which thankfully was still tucked into his bag. The familiar feel of the paper brought him some comfort.

As the other students began to stand and talk, Kuro quietly observed.  each with a unique look. His eyes quickly darted between them, noting their expressions—fear, confusion, and in some cases, suspicion. He spotted a girl with silver hair who stood confidently apart from the rest, calmly scanning the room. Another boy with spiky hair and a constant grin looked out of place in such a tense situation. Kuro already had a mental image of who was more likely to speak up and who might stay back like him.

Suddenly, a large monitor at the front of the classroom flickered to life, and the image of a black-and-white bear filled the screen.

"Upupupu! Welcome, students of Hope’s Peak Academy!" the bear said with a wicked smile. "I’m your headmaster, Monokuma, and I hope you’re ready for some... despair!"

The tension in the room shifted immediately, confusion turning into a rising panic. Some of the students began shouting questions who was Monokuma? Why were they here? What was going on?

Kuro stayed silent, gripping his sketchbook tighter. He wasn’t the type to shout or demand answers. Instead, he observed the bear’s movements, listening closely for any clues. Monokuma rambled on about their situation, explaining that they were all trapped inside the school, and the only way to escape was to kill another student without being caught.

The room fell into stunned silence.

"Of course," Monokuma added, "after each murder, we’ll have a Class Trial! If the blackened the killer gets away with it, they escape and everyone else... well... they’re punished! If they’re caught, it’s the blackened who faces punishment! Upupupu! So let the games begin!"

Kuro’s heart pounded. He could feel the panic rising in the room, but he forced himself to stay calm. He was a realist. Panic wouldn’t help. His mind was already racing, analyzing the situation. Was this some kind of sick joke? Could they reason with whoever was controlling this bear?

As the students started arguing with each other, accusing Monokuma of lying or trying to figure out what to do, Kuro slipped away to the back of the room. He sat down on one of the desks, pulled out his sketchbook, and began to draw. His hand moved on its own, capturing the details of the classroom, the way the other students interacted. His drawings often helped him think helped him focus.

After a few minutes, the students noticed him. A tall boy with blond hair, wearing a pristine suit, sneered at Kuro.

"What are you doing? This is no time for drawing," Byakuya Togami scoffed.

Kuro didn’t look up, continuing to sketch. His soft voice barely reached the other students. "I’m observing. We need to understand our surroundings first."

The silver-haired girl, Kyoko Kirigiri, stepped closer, her eyes narrowing slightly. "He’s right. Panicking won’t help us. We need to gather information."

Kuro glanced up at her, feeling a quiet sense of validation. She seemed like the type who understood how important it was to stay calm and rational.

The rest of the students, still unsure of what to do, eventually fell silent, agreeing that the best course of action was to explore the building. They would figure out what was happening before jumping to conclusions. Kuro slipped into the background once more as they made their plans. He didn’t mind staying out of the spotlight it was easier to observe when no one was paying attention to him.

As the group dispersed to explore, Kuro lingered near the back, his mind already filled with questions. What kind of place was this? Who was behind this cruel game? And, most importantly, how were they going to survive?

Quietly, he flipped to a new page in his sketchbook and began drawing again. The image that formed under his pencil was darker, more sinister
a bear with a twisted smile, looming over them all.