[VOLUME 1] N.E.X.U.S. : Inception

Chapter 8: Friendship Under the Sunset Sky

The sky began to emit a reddish-orange glow, dancing on the western horizon. We walked with light steps, surrounded by the glittering of smiles and laughter. Under the twilight sky, displaying its beauty, somehow, the atmosphere among us felt magical, so full of warmth. Every step we took felt precious, so meaningful, that I felt reluctant to end this moment. Here, under the sky adorned with a deepening shade of orange, I longed for time to stop, so that we could continue to savor this happiness forever.

Suddenly, Orion nudged me and said, "Come on, buddy. Let's hurry to the library. Or you'll be late for class.""The library? Are you saying we're not studying at an academy? And what are we going to learn there? And you're just escorting me? Don't you have the same classes?" I asked curiously. Orion then explained, "Yes, you'll study in one of the largest halls within the library building, called Salle de la Pleine Lune. You'll see it later. Hmm... you'll learn a lot... let's see, history, literature, military, ethics, a bit of alchemy and anatomy, and some like music and dance arts, I think... Oh, as for me, I've passed that class already, you just need to take it once in your lifetime when you first join, although I actually failed the final exam three times and had to retake it, hmmm... but you can request a specialization exam if you have good achievements and maybe you can graduate faster. Cheer up, Hector, you can do it!""Oh, I'm not that great. And thank you for cheering me up," I said. "Ah, we've arrived. Here's the building, classic isn't it, with three sturdy front pillars adorned with Cyrillic inscriptions, semi-Anglo-Greek architecture, quite magnificent and promising. You'll be even more amazed when you see the interior, let me take you in. Of course, you want to be a model student on the first day, right?" Orion said jokingly. "Ah, you bet," I replied.

We then opened the main door of the library, and it was EXTREMELY UNEXPECTED!!! I couldn't describe my amazement, but there it was, a building with an all-white interior and a dome above it with antique patterns - stained glass, I mean. "The dome with this beautiful pattern and color is called "Chant des Oiseaux Célestes dans le Nénuphar Bleu" created by a renowned glass craftsman - Sir Jacques Nikolayev. Oh, forget about that, come on, you might be late for class later. First, unlock your gear, point your gear to this scanner, your attendance will be automatically filled. Now enjoy your evening class. I'll wait for you while reading a book here," Orion explained then asked me to enter the class while waving his hand. "But we still have time, right? Why rush?" I asked. "You need to adapt to your new environment, and get to know other class members, because this is your first day here," he said while still waving his hand, "don't worry, after class, we can continue chatting, I'll still be here." Ah, I felt too familiar with him, and now I found it difficult to part with Orion even for a minute. With a heavy heart, I entered the classroom, and at the doorstep, I kept saying, "Wait for me, buddy!"

Yes, and I entered the mentioned hall, a classroom - perhaps, and it was truly magnificent. Twelve knight statues stood around the hall. Is this the class mentioned? Before my confusion was answered, a woman's voice echoed in the hall. Probably a professor, I quickly thought. I immediately turned to look at the professor who would be teaching today, and... she was too, young! A young female professor with a soft voice, who would teach?!? No way! She began to speak, and the class participants began to take their seats, "Ah, hi, welcome back to this class. Let me introduce myself, I am Professor Xena, who will teach literature and history here. Ah, a handsome young man whose face I just saw today, please step forward and introduce yourself."