Alex stood at the main entrance of Newcrest University, his gaze lingering on the mountain that housed his school. The cool morning breeze tugged at his hair. He took a deep breath, burying his hands in the pockets of his dark blue hoodie.

  Black jeans. Black socks. Black slides.

  ‘Too much black?’ he wondered, looking himself over.

  He had always preferred dark, neutral colors. Bright colors were loud, black was silent. Being a background character suited him nicely, a silent observer rather than the subject of the story.

  Alex sighed and walked toward the Pod stations, eyes glued to his phone. He navigated to the student portal, tapping the screen in frustration. Still unable to register.

  This had happened before, when a hacker tried to breach the system and the school shut down the servers for a full reboot. But that was last year.

  ‘What could it be now?’

  He boarded a Pod with a group of three freshmen. His eyes remained fixed on his screen, but his ears picked up their excited chatter as the vehicle began its smooth ascent.

  “Whoa... LOOK. AT. THAT.”

  A boy spoke in an exaggerated manner, pressing his face against the glass to glare at a field of flowers painting the mountain's slope in shades of white, pink, and blue.

  Alex's eyes briefly drifted from his screen. The boy wore black rounded glasses and looked barely old enough to drive.

  “We should have a picnic there,” the girl beside him said. “The sight is amazing.”

  Indeed, it was. Petals danced to the wind's tune, dazzling under the early morning sun.

  “Do they even allow picnics there?” another boy asked.

  “Mmh… not sure. Let’s check the book.” The girl pulled out a student handbook, a manual for all freshmen.

  Alex knew the answer, of course. The school didn’t mind picnics as long as you didn't trample the beds. But he decided not to intervene. Let them have their adventure.

  “Yes! I guess they do,” she said with a wide smile. “And apparently there are a lot more sights that offer great views.”

  “Huh, I guess we should go sightseeing after classes,” Glasses said.

  As their chatter continued, Alex felt a pang of nostalgia. They reminded him of his early days… before deadlines, missing grades, and apocalyptic dreams.

  ‘Good days.’

  A faint smile touched his lips as the Pod slowed to a stop at the Nexus.

  Stepping off, Alex checked the group chat.

  [Alex (08:23): Where you guys]

  [Marcus (08:23): cafeteria]

  [Alex (08:24): Carner there?]

  [Carner (08:24): yeah…]

  [Alex (08:24): Food]

  [Marcus (08:25): dude, just get over here]

  Alex sighed, slipping his phone into his pocket. He adjusted his backpack and made his way to the Student Commons.

  As he walked, Alex noticed how the school was crowded compared to yesterday. Students hurried to lecture halls and libraries, a chaotic river of bodies.

  Reaching the cafeteria, Alex didn't waste time searching. They were sitting in their favorite spot.

  He took a moment to stare at the floor… still pristine white resin. He then headed toward them.

  “You sure took your sweet time.” Marcus offered a menacing smirk, followed by a fist pump.

  “Yeah, well, you know me,” Alex said. He turned to Carner. “You good, Carner?”

  “Yeah... never better.” Carner returned the bump.

  The three talked for a while. Their chat was filled with complaints, silly debates, and silent intervals where they simply stared at passing girls.

  Until hunger broke the silence.

  “Dude, why is the food taking so long?” Carner groaned, his glasses reflecting Marcus’s face. “We’ve been waiting for over thirty minutes.”

  Marcus simply stared back, a sinister smirk touching his lips.

  “If you're about to drop one of your silly insults,” Carner warned, “I’ll punch you.”

  Alex and Marcus laughed softly.

  “Relax,” Marcus said. “I'm just messing with you. Besides, it's not my fault the food is taking long... today is packed.”

  Truth be told, the cafeteria was overwhelmed. Dozens of orders flooded the kitchen. The school had planned to open a second Student Commons, but those plans were on indefinite hold.

  “Let me go check.” Marcus stretched his arms and headed toward the serving counter.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Left alone with Carner, Alex let his mind wander. The dream of the Tower was still as clear as the summer sky. The idea of experimenting with dreams tugged at him.

  “Hey, have you ever had a lucid dream?” Alex asked bluntly.

  “Lucid what?” Carner asked, his gaze fixed on his phone.

  Adjusting himself in his seat, Alex began. “You know... those kinds of dreams where you actually know that you're dreaming.”

  “I think I have,” Carner said slowly. “Not sure if I can remember what it was about, but yeah... I totally had one like it.”

  “Don’t you think they're… strange? Dreams, I mean. Like ones that take place somewhere you have never been, or with people you’ve never seen.”

  Carner placed his phone on the table, his expression thoughtful. “I get what you mean, but I don't really put my mind into it, you know? Trying to understand dreams is like…” He paused, searching for the right words. “It's like looking for the brightest star under the night sky with your bare eyes.”

  Alex let out a heavy sigh. “I guess you're right. But still, even with your bare eyes, the brightest stars aren't that hard to find.”

  “Yeah, but I mean the one and only brightest,” Carner countered.

  Before the debate could go deeper, Marcus returned with a tray. Three plates of breakfast and three steaming cappuccinos.

  “Let’s eat,” he said, sliding into his seat.

  They ate, the noise of the cafeteria rising around them: laughter, arguments, cutlery clinking against plates.

  Yet, among all the sounds, one grabbed Alex’s attention.

  Click. Click. Click.

  A steady, rhythmic tapping echoed across the resin floor. Distinct. Deliberate. Impossible to mistake. Each step carried closer, sharp as a metronome.

  Alex stiffened. There was only one person it could be.

  He and Marcus exchanged a look.

  “Ah… shoot.”

  “No… way.”

  Professor Vin.

  *****

  Professor Vin was infamous on campus for his choice of footwear, pointed leather shoes that clicked on the tiles like a ticking clock. Students had long given him a nickname that stuck: Sir Tapsalot.

  “Good morning, guys,” Sir Tapsalot said with a wide smile.

  He wore a black and blue checkered shirt tucked into tailored light brown trousers, finished with a sleek black belt. His deep brown hair was neatly parted, giving him a clean, youthful look.

  ‘You’d think he was a student here,’ Alex thought.

  Sir Tapsalot was one of the youngest professors on campus. Having recently graduated from Stellanford University with a Master’s in Cognitive Systems and AI, he had quickly secured a position here, making him the youngest lecturer in the Computer Technology department.

  “Professor Vin, how are you doing?” Marcus asked with a crooked smile.

  “I am very good, thank you,” Tapsalot said. “Are we ready for the new semester?” His eyes gleamed as he scanned the table.

  Carner was the first to respond. “As ready as we’ll ever be, Professor Vin. Just trying to remember where my classes are.”

  Sir Tapsalot’s smile widened. “I believe your first class is with me. Principles of Machine Learning. No getting lost.” He tapped his temple. “I’ve got the roster memorized.”

  “Oh, no, I’m not taking Computer Science," Carner said quickly, pointing at Alex and Marcus. “They are.”

  Alex’s mind had split between the moment and a memory. He scrambled for something intelligent to say. “Looking forward to it, Professor.”

  However It came out sounding more like a question than a statement.

  Sir Tapsalot’s eyes locked onto him. For a horrible second, Alex felt exposed. It was as if those sharp eyes could see right through him, past his skull and all the way to his deepest, darkest thoughts.

  “I should hope so,” the Professor said. “I've designed a new module on neural networks. I think you’ll find it particularly… stimulating.”

  He said it like a challenge. His shoes gave a definitive tap-tap as he adjusted his stance.

  “Now. If you'll excuse me, I need to caffeinate before the storm. Don’t be late.”

  Sir Tapsalot gave a final nod and marched toward the serving line, leaving a faint scent of citrus cologne and the rhythmic click-clack in his wake.

  “Stimulating,” Marcus scoffed. “He means soul-crushingly difficult.” He paused, letting it sink in. “Why him this semester? I heard the fourth years mention how extremely hard his tests are. Tsk.”

  Alex sighed. “I guess it can’t be helped. Anyway, I am heading to IT. I need to sort out the issues with my grades.”

  “Yeah, let's bounce,” Marcus said, reaching for his bag.

  The three made their way toward the IT Center, cutting through the courtyard. It was storming with students rushing to class. Every arm held either a phone, book, laptop or a tablet.

  Marcus fell into step beside Alex, hands in his pockets. Carner wandered slightly behind, stopping to greet someone every few feet.

  “Feels like a whole city,” Alex muttered, squinting at the distant towers of the IT Center. Its steel and glass exterior reflected the morning sun, looking more like a Silicon Valley tech hub than a university building.

  “Yeah... third largest university in District 16,” Marcus said. “You get used to it after a week… maybe.”

  The walk stretched longer than they expected. The campus was sprawling enough that they passed multiple fountains, a small pond, and even a sculpture garden. By the time they reached the IT Center, their legs were burning.

  “Finally!” Carner exclaimed. “We’ve been walking for ages.”

  ‘A ten-to-fifteen-minute walk… was Carner exaggerating?’ Alex wondered.

  Pushing through the glass doors, the air changed immediately. The hum of servers mingled with the distant chatter of keyboards, and the subtle scent of soldering flux hung in the air, mixed with the aroma of coffee drifting from a small corner cafe.

  This wasn’t just an office building. It was a hub.

  To the left, rows of computer labs buzzed with students immersed in code. To the right, workshop tables held half-assembled gadgets and robotics equipment. Upstairs, Alex could see glimpses of classrooms where their future would be decided, and beyond them, the offices where faculty handled the tangled web of schedules and technical support.

  Alex took a long breath. “Home sweet home,” he said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

  “Indeed it is,” Marcus grinned from ear to ear. “One of the places I’ve missed the most.”

  The IT Center was their domain. Not only were most of their classes held here, but their free time was mostly spent here as well. Privacy aside, the net speed was faster and more stable than anywhere else on campus.

  Marcus led the way alongside Alex as they weaved through the corridors with practiced ease. Carner lagged behind, peering curiously at every server rack and workstation.

  “The admin should be on the second floor,” Marcus said, pointing toward a sleek stairwell. “Let’s hope the line isn’t too long.”

  The three ascended the stairs, heading toward the Office, hoping for a quick solution but bracing for the usual runaround.

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