The city looked different from inside a taxi window.
That was the first thing Felix noticed.
Maybe it was because he had imagined this moment too many times.
Too many late nights staring at his bedroom ceiling thousands of miles away.
Too many promises whispered to himself in the dark.
It'll be different there.
You'll be different there.
But now, watching unfamiliar streets blur past in streaks of gold beneath the late afternoon sun, Seoul looked...
Too big.
Too loud.
Too alive.
And Felix suddenly felt very, very small.
His fingers tightened around the strap of his backpack resting against his chest.
Outside, crowds moved like rivers.
Students in uniforms spilled out of cafés.
Businessmen hurried through intersections with coffee cups balanced in practiced hands.
Cars moved endlessly.
Somewhere nearby, somebody laughed loudly enough that Felix caught the sound through the slightly cracked taxi window.
It felt strange.
The world moved exactly the same as it had yesterday.
As if nothing had changed.
As if his entire life hadn't just been packed into two suitcases sitting in the trunk behind him.
The taxi stopped sharply at a red light.
Felix's reflection caught against the glass.
Blond hair slightly messy from the thirteen-hour flight.
Freckles scattered softly over pale skin.
Dark circles hiding beneath his eyes no amount of sleep had managed to fix in months.
He looked tired.
No.
Exhausted.
Like someone who had been running for a very long time.
And maybe he had been.
Just not physically.
The driver said something in Korean.
Felix blinked and looked up quickly.
"We're here."
Right.
The university.
His stomach twisted.
Outside the gates stood a massive black iron arch stretching high into the sky.
Silver letters engraved across the top.
Seonghwa Institute of Performing Arts.
The place he had worked years to get into.
The place people fought for.
The place that was supposed to mean new beginnings.
Felix stared at it through the glass.
For a moment-
He couldn't move.
Something heavy sat in his chest.
