(Nobita's first day back at school.
Trauma visions return.
The System interferes.)
---
The morning air was cool and gentle.
Children laughed as they walked to school.
Cycling. Chatting. Running.
Just like any normal day.
But for Nobita, each sound felt distant.
Like he was walking inside a thick bubble of silence.
His legs trembled with every step.
He kept seeing flashes—
Leon's hand reaching out before being dragged under the infected.
Helena's scream.
Doraemon's chest tearing open.
The Tyrant's shadow swallowing him whole.
His fingers dug hard into the strap of his school bag.
"This isn't real anymore," he whispered to himself.
"This world is peaceful. This isn't the apocalypse."
But his heartbeat wouldn't slow.
---
At the school gates
Shizuka waved from a distance.
"Nobita! Good morning!"
Her smile was bright, warm, and full of innocence.
But the moment Nobita blinked—
her face twisted into the grey, broken expression he saw during the outbreak.
Her skin bruised, her eyes cloudy, her hands reaching toward him.
Nobita gasped and stumbled back.
Shizuka tilted her head.
"Eh? Nobita? Are you okay?"
He blinked again.
She was normal.
Completely normal.
Nobita forced a shaky smile.
"H-Hi, Shizuka…"
"You look tired," she said softly. "Did you study too late?"
Nobita swallowed hard.
If only it were something as simple as studying.
---
Inside the classroom
The classroom felt too bright.
Too loud.
Gian was wrestling Suneo's pencil case.
Shizuka was neatly arranging her textbooks.
Kids were chatting everywhere.
Nobita sat down quietly.
He wanted to be normal.
He wanted to breathe normally.
He wanted the memories to stop slamming into him.
But the moment he touched his desk—
blood dripped onto it.
Nobita's eyes widened.
The desk was splattered with red.
The floor stained.
Walls cracked from explosions.
Shadows of zombies crawling underneath the windows.
Nobita's breath hitched.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
When he opened them—
everything was normal again.
No blood.
No cracks.
No shadows.
Only an ordinary classroom.
His hands trembled violently.
---
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION (Private)
A blue box blinked silently above his desk.
> [Warning: Host entering Trauma Overload]
[Recommend: Controlled Breathing]
[Skill Activated: Survivor's Instinct Lv 1]
Heightened awareness engaged.
Nobita inhaled sharply.
He didn't want the system to activate here.
He didn't want to look paranoid.
But the system didn't care.
> [Threat Detected: None]
[Host is safe.]
Safe.
The word felt fake.
Nobita placed a hand over his chest, trying to stop the shaking.
---
Teacher enters
"Alright, class, settle down!"
Kids rushed to their seats.
The teacher began writing on the board.
Nobita stared blankly.
The chalk tapping against the board sounded… wrong.
Every tap echoed like a distant gunshot.
He flinched.
Shizuka noticed.
"Nobita? You're acting strange today…"
He swallowed and forced a smile.
"I-I'm just… tired."
She stared a moment longer, worried, but didn't push.
---
Hallucination — again
The window beside Nobita darkened suddenly.
His breath stopped.
He turned, slowly.
A hand…
rotted and bloodied…
pressed against the glass.
A hollow face stared at him through the window.
A zombie.
Right outside.
Its mouth opened, dripping black saliva.
Nobita's eyes widened.
He didn't scream.
He couldn't.
His voice was dead in his throat.
The zombie's hand raised—
crack
The window split.
Nobita jolted out of his seat.
"NO—!!"
The classroom froze.
Everyone stared at him.
"Nobita?" the teacher said sharply.
"What's wrong?"
Nobita's heart hammered.
He looked at the window.
Nothing.
No cracks.
No zombie.
Only trees outside and sunlight.
Nobita's knees buckled.
He sat down quickly, gripping the desk like he might fall.
"S-Sorry…" he whispered.
The teacher sighed.
"Please focus."
Gian snickered softly.
"Man, Nobita's already losing it this early in the morning."
Suneo leaned over.
"Did you see a ghost or something?"
Nobita ignored them.
---
System Notification
A small notification blinked:
> [Trauma Vision Detected]
Cause: Memory bleed from previous timeline.
Advice: Emotional stability required.
Next Episode Likely: High
Nobita swallowed hard.
He couldn't live like this.
He had one year to prepare.
But he couldn't even sit in class without seeing death everywhere.
He closed his eyes.
Just breathe…
Just breathe…
---
Shizuka whispers
"Nobita."
He opened his eyes slowly.
Shizuka leaned closer, whispering:
"If something's wrong… you can tell me, okay?
I'll listen."
Those simple words—
they almost broke him again.
He wanted to tell her everything.
How she died in his arms.
How he saw her last breath.
How he failed to protect anyone.
But he couldn't.
If he told her, she'd think he was crazy.
So he whispered:
"…Thank you."
Shizuka smiled gently and sat back.
Nobita clenched his fists.
He wasn't alone.
Not this time.
He wouldn't let Shizuka die.
He wouldn't let Doraemon die.
He wouldn't let the world burn.
---
System Quest Update
Another window appeared.
> [New Quest Unlocked: "Stabilize Your Mind"]
Objective: End the school day without breaking down.
Reward: +1 Willpower
Penalty: Increased trauma visions tomorrow.
Nobita wiped sweat from his forehead.
This was it.
His first real enemy wasn't a monster.
It was his own fear.
---
End of school bell
The bell rang.
Class ended.
Students rushed out excitedly.
But Nobita remained seated, staring down at his hands.
They were still trembling.
But less than before.
He breathed out slowly.
The System chimed softly:
> [Quest Completed: Stabilize Your Mind]
Reward: +1 Willpower
Host Status Improved.
Nobita sighed in relief.
He survived the first day.
Barely.
But he survived.
He stood up, placed his bag on his shoulder, and whispered:
"One day down…
Three hundred sixty-four to go."
He stepped out of the classroom—