It was Friday now, and two days since the passing, or rather, transitioning, of Cody's pet cat. Cody had woken up early in the morning and began getting cleaned up. Death floated by and rubbed his eyes.

"What are you doing up so early?" Death asked, "It's not even seven o'clock."

"Don't you remember?" Cody asked Death, "Today is my early class."

Cody closed the bathroom door between them and brushed his teeth and showered before emerging from the bathroom. He got dressed in his usual attire and sat on his bed comfortably. The spirit of his cat entered his room and leapt onto the bed, and began purring by his side. He stroked the cat's head and Death floated a distance away, watching the two bond. 

"What is his name?" Death asked, "I don't believe I've ever heard you say his name."

Cody looked at Death with bewilderment. "It's unlike you to ask about someone or something's name. Can't you just use your ability to read souls?"

Death chuckled lightly and replied, "I was trying to have a normal conversation that people would have. I do know his name, it's-"

"Veiron," Cody interjected, "Though I don't think anything can be normalized here. We're both reapers and Veiron is a soul that we can only see."

Cody began laughing and Death smiled. Cody got up from his bed and opened up his computer. He then proceeded to download the necessary programs for his modelling and animation class. Within a couple hours, his class began. 

"Hello everyone, how's everyone doing today? I'm Connor Blackstone, and I will be your professor for animation class!"

Professor Connor went over the learning plan and course outline, explaining each assignment we have briefly, and also notifying the students that we have no final exam for this class. After he had done all of this, the topic shifted suddenly.

"Alright, so now before we get started, we will be splitting you up into groups of four or five people. You will introduce yourself to each other in the group voice channels, and dedicate one person in your group to summarize your introductions. Here are the group listings."

The teacher then posted a list of groups in the general chat of the class Discord server, and Cody gulped. 

"Is something wrong?" Death asked Cody.

"You know I'm an introvert Death. Talking to people... it isn't really my thing," Cody replied.

"Then just act like you're talking to me," Death answered, "You talk to me just fine."

"I can't just-"

Veiron leapt up from the ground and onto Cody's lap and Cody sighed, "I can do this."

Cody looked at the groups made out by Connor and saw he had three other groupmates. Three people named Auryn, Lauren and Cole. Cody exhaled softly before joining the voice call.  Cody and the group made small conversation and Cody soon realized, they were all really nervous as well, which made him smile. Connor suddenly joined the voice channel and asked if we had chosen our spokesperson for the group. No one answered until:

"I guess I can be the spokesperson," Lauren said.

"Alright perfect, see you in the main channel in five," Connor said before leaving to check on the group after them.

"So... I guess we better start talking now," Lauren said, "I'll start. I am Lauren Abendroth, and... I moved into Eimwood recently. I enjoy playing games and helping people wherever I can. I was from a city in Lockridge Heights, and I am now here studying in Eimwood University... Weellll that's enough about me... Who's next?"

We all sat quietly, and finally, Cole spoke next, "Hey, I'm Cole Burgheise, and I didn't play many games over the summer. I worked in retail before coming here to study. I'm from a small town named Crescenthill."

Auryn spoke next, which worried Cody more, due to the anticipation of having to speak up soon. Everyone has had a pretty generic story so far, Cody thought, my story will most definitely break that norm. Maybe I should lie about me. No. That isn't like me. But... yet it is, I'm not completely human.

"Uhhhh, Cody?" Lauren proposed, "We need to hear an introduction from you."

Cody gulped again and spoke.

"I'm... I'm Cody Hendrickson. I originally lived in the countryside, near the beaches of Nightingale. I moved up to Eimwood at the beginning of summer..."

Alright, here we go. Cody thought to himself, time to unveil the big news.

"I didn't play many games this summer because I-"

Connor suddenly dropped into our voice channel and told the group to join the main channel once more to present our findings with the class. Saved by the bell.

Lauren had then recapped everything we had said up until that point, and when she finished with me, Connor spoke up.

"Nightingale? Who's from Nightingale?"

Cody exhaled with stress in his breath and responded, "I- I am."

"Oh cool," Connor said, "I went up there in the summer this year. Unfortunately the pandemic had interfered with a lot, but we enjoyed it there. Really nice place!"

"Thanks?" Cody responded.

The lecture then began officially afterwards. We were given a tutorial on how to use a 3D modelling program and Connor gave them tips on how to do certain functions properly, such as extrusion and deletion of faces. Finally, after a couple hours, class was over and Cody laid onto his bed in relief.

"I didn't have to tell them," Cody gasped, "That was a close one."

"You know more people will end up discovering," Death replied, "Discovering the events you've been through over the summer. Why try hiding it?"

Cody sat up on his bed and looked at Death who floated beside him.

"I don't want to be the center of attention Death," Cody answered, "When you have so many people who say the usual 'I worked' or 'I played games', hearing someone say 'oh yeah, I got shot up and died for a bit, but was resuscitated,' is sure to draw attention. It's odd. It's unique."

Death floated towards the window and looked outside, before speaking.

"And what's wrong with being unique? What's wrong with being the one people hear about?"

"Expectations," Cody started, "Once you're the unique one, they expect you to be out of this world all the time. I'm really just a University student. There's nothing crazy about me that happens daily, aside from my job as a Reaper, which I can't tell anyone. I don't need people expecting more crazy events from me."

"I see," Death sighed, "Though... you shouldn't hide your true self and abilities for the sake of being undiscovered. The world could use someone like you, but will never know someone like you exists if you are hidden away. No, you cannot share your abilities as a Reaper, but you can share your abilities as a person named Cody Hendrickson."

Cody sighed and pet Veiron on the head.

"Thanks Death," Cody replied.