Project Arc: an Original Fanganronpa

Prologue

Praise for the work of C. Beauregard

"...A lively and ruthless tale, an adventure as cruel yet imaginative as the mind that wrote it." - ████ ███████, best-selling author of ██████████

"This is no ordinary mystery novel; each scene finds a new way to pierce your very heart! I would give ███████████ a thousand stars if possible. I could not put it down!" - ██████ █████

"...███████████ truly makes you feel the despair of the characters. A beautifully written work that could have not been crafted by Shakespeare himself." - █████ ███████, best-selling author of ████████████

"This is not a novel. This is a soaring, soul-crushing experience that takes you through the story of ████████████. Please, never stop writing, dear Beauregard." - ███████ ██, writer for the ██████ Times

These are but a few excerpts of praise for ███████████, by C. Beauregard. If you would like to submit your own comments, please write to █████ ███████ at █████████████.

Please note that real names as well as titles and character names from the Archivist's work were blurred due to breaches in privacy and copyright. In addition to this, we have also censored mentions and references to media in this document. We thank you for your understanding and sincerely hope this doesn't impact your viewing experience.

Many thanks,

The ██████ Foundation,

Developer of Project Arc.

. . .

My beloved reader. I typically set my work in the world of fiction, but I can assure you, that this is no tale. My past work has been dear to many, and of course, I wrote them in pursuit of my very own selfish desires. Fame. Money. A chance for me to prove myself to those who doubted me. But this is not one of those works. In fact, I'm not sure whether I'll live long enough to publish this tale, let alone watch it rise to fame.

In case you're still struggling to believe this is a work of nonfiction, I suppose I'll reintroduce myself. To bring a bit of humanity to my name, I guess. To remind you I'm a person, just like you.

I'm Constanze Beauregard, although many people just call me Beau. You may recognize my name from the cover of one of the many detective novels I've written, but I'm more than just my career. I was born in the French Quarter of New Orleans and grew up listening to jazz and learning how to dance. I like pretty dresses, sugar, the smell of new books... I've made friends, lost friends, laughed, cried, mourned, celebrated, just like anyone else you'd find off the street. There. I hope that's enough for you to consider me human.

This story begins much later than that, in fact, much after I become a published, best-selling author. I'm hardly seventeen, and yet I've already published a great many novels. I suppose it shouldn't come as a surprise that I received an official-looking letter in the mail soon thereafter addressed to me. There was no indication of who the sender was besides a black and white crest resembling a coat of arms with a banner on the bottom saying "High School." I immediately knew who it was. Or rather, what it was.

Hope's Peak Academy. Even from the other side of the world, the academy is acclaimed, and anyone accepted–no, scouted–was considered a legend in their respective fields. And there it was in my very own hands, addressed to me. The Ultimate Detective Novelist. Not just any. The Ultimate.

I didn't know it at the time, or rather, I did not know the extent to which this letter would be the catalyst for the horrors to come. The pain. The despair. The tragedy. You may think I'm being dramatic, after all, it's in my job description to craft stories of murders and killings, but I swear on my title I'm not, so I beg of you. Try to believe it. Try to believe from the very depths of your soul, every inch of the pulsing cavern you call your heart. Find it in yourself to believe. Believe my words. Believe me.

Have you found it yet? Somewhere nestled in between the tumultuous pits of hope and despair battling within yourself, there's truth. The ability to believe. Then find it. Use it.

Because in a world as despair-ridden as this one, belief is the first step.