The city shimmered beneath the late-morning sun, its towers lined with blue-silver glass that reflected the endless sky. Hover-cars glided along silent magnetic lanes, and neon advertisements floated lazily in mid-air. In the middle of this futuristic calm stood Aethernova University, its domes gleaming white and gold, alive with motion as thousands of students crossed the sprawling plaza.
Michael walked among them.
He moved with a kind of effortless grace, every step measured, unhurried. The black-and-white hoodie fit his body perfectly, tracing the athletic lines of his shoulders and arms. His sharp jawline caught the light, and his calm eyes carried the depth of someone far older than his years.
Heads turned. Conversations stumbled.
"Who is that guy?" one girl whispered to her friend.
"No idea… but, damn, look at him."
Michael ignored the glances. His gaze stayed forward, posture relaxed, yet there was a quiet authority about him — like the world itself parted subtly to make way for his steps.
He passed through the glass gates into the main building, where a stream of new students filled the reception hall. The place buzzed with voices, the hum of holo-screens, and the faint whir of drones carrying packets and forms above the crowd.
He stopped near the reception desk and waited.
Five minutes crawled by. The crowd thinned slightly, but the line in front of him still curled like a restless snake. A holo-clock on the wall showed 10:17 a.m. — first-day chaos in full bloom.
Finally, the line moved. He reached the counter.
The receptionist — a young woman with bright silver-rimmed glasses — looked up, her fingers flying across the keyboard. Her tone was brisk but polite. "Name, please? And which subjects did you choose?"
Michael leaned slightly forward, voice smooth. "My name is Michael Clarous. And my chosen subjects are all of the C.S.E. — Computer Science and Engineering — modules."
For a moment, silence.
The students behind him froze mid-whisper. The air itself seemed to pause.
The receptionist blinked, her hands hovering motionless above the keyboard. "E-excuse me?"
Michael repeated, calm and certain. "All of them."
A ripple of shock moved through the nearby students. One boy muttered under his breath, "That's impossible. Even top-tier students take only six at once."
Another whispered, "Is he serious?"
Michael's expression didn't waver. He met the receptionist's eyes and asked evenly, "Can you please give me the books and my class number now?"
Something about his voice — quiet yet absolute — made the woman snap out of her daze. She cleared her throat, fingers darting over the holographic keys. "R-Right. One moment, Mr. Clarous."
A soft chime followed as the system processed his data. She pulled out a small translucent card from a dispenser and slid it toward him. "Show this to the librarian on the fifth floor; they'll issue your materials. Your class number is printed here."
Michael took the card with a nod. "Thank you."
He turned and walked away, the murmur behind him swelling again.
"Did he just—?"
"All of C.S.E.? That's insane!"
Their disbelief trailed him as he stepped out of the reception hall into the vast atrium. Sunlight filtered through the crystal ceiling, scattering colors across the polished floor.
He glanced at the card. One tap on its surface activated it — a pale-blue holographic screen rose from the chip, displaying his name, subject list, and a dynamic timetable. The interface projected faint ripples of light over his fingers.
"Efficient," he murmured, studying it. The layout wasn't bad, though primitive compared to the systems he'd built centuries ago — in another life, another star-cluster.
He exhaled softly, closing the projection, and strode toward the elevator at the end of the corridor. Its doors opened silently, glowing symbols spiraling along the frame.
The elevator lifted with no sound, a smooth pulse of gravity inversion propelling it upward. Through the transparent wall, the campus spread below — gardens shaped like fractals, students crossing aerial walkways, drones darting like silver birds.
A few seconds later, a chime announced the fifth floor.
The doors parted to reveal a corridor lined with shelves of glass and light. At the far end stood the Central Library Node, its massive door etched with streams of data that pulsed faintly like veins of living light.
Michael approached. As he drew near, the sensors recognized the access card in his hand. The door dissolved into mist, reforming behind him as he entered.
The library was vast — circular, multi-tiered, with floating platforms that held stacks of data-books. Robotic arms glided overhead, rearranging volumes. Holographic screens shimmered between the aisles, each glowing with indexes and reference tags.
"Welcome to the Aethernova Archive," said a soft digital voice.
Michael presented his card. "I'm here for my issued materials."
A projection formed above the counter — the librarian's AI avatar, a serene woman of light. She scanned the card, then four virtual books materialized on the surface before converting into compact data-chips.
"Your requested texts," the AI said. "Each chip contains a neural-linked version of the standard textbooks. Please synchronize them with your neural ID within twenty-four hours."
He accepted the chips, slipping them into his bag. "Got it."
As he turned to leave, his gaze wandered across the library. Students occupied levitating study pods, immersed in lessons or simulations. For a fleeting second, he imagined himself blending in — an ordinary student chasing ordinary goals.
The thought made him smile faintly. Ordinary… how nice that sounded.
But the pulse of energy hidden deep within his chest reminded him that his life was anything but ordinary.
He left the library, heading back to the elevator. The holographic display on the wall flickered to life as he stepped in. "Destination?"
"Second floor, class seven."
The elevator obeyed instantly.
When the doors opened again, the second floor buzzed with life — rows of classrooms, each door sliding open and shut with soft mechanical sighs. Students hurried along, clutching holo-pads, laughter echoing down the corridor.
Michael walked unhurriedly until he stopped before the door marked Class 7.
A single motion of his hand made it slide open with a smooth hiss.
The classroom inside was a marvel of design: semicircular rows of floating desks, each equipped with personal holographic projectors; translucent walls that shifted transparency based on light; and at the center, a large interactive board humming with quantum energy.
Every student turned as the door opened. Conversations halted.
For a second, silence blanketed the room.
The collective thought that passed through their minds was almost audible — How could someone be this handsome?
Girls stared, eyes bright with surprise; a few boys exchanged glances, envy flickering beneath curiosity.
Michael's gaze swept the room once, indifferent, before he walked to the front row. The first bench was empty. He sat down, posture relaxed, expression unreadable.
He placed his MacBook on the desk. The screen lit instantly, the familiar glow reflecting in his eyes. His fingers moved casually — and a moment later, a game window opened.
Yes, a game.
The virtual character on the screen leaped across digital landscapes, slashing monsters. Michael leaned back slightly, one elbow on the desk, clearly entertained.
"Is he… gaming on the first day?" a student whispered.
"Maybe he's testing the system."
"Or maybe he just doesn't care."
Their murmurs didn't reach him.
From this close, they could see the calm focus in his eyes — the same focus that could command galaxies, if he chose. But here, in this place, he was simply a young man enjoying a moment of silence before the next lecture.
He glanced at the time — still ten minutes before class officially started. He had earned this.
The door slid open again.
Every eye shifted toward it, expecting another late student.
But the sight that followed stole the air from the room.
A girl stepped in, and for an instant, the light seemed to change around her.
She wore a fitted black attire that traced her silhouette elegantly, long stockings paired with sleek heels that clicked softly against the polished floor. Her hair flowed like midnight silk, shimmering with faint blue undertones under the ceiling lights.
Her eyes — clear, deep, and almost luminous — swept across the room, unhurried and calm.
Michael's gaze lifted slowly from her feet to her face, and time seemed to hesitate.
For a heartbeat, he forgot the noise of the world.
Something inside him — that ancient awareness buried beneath his human shell — stirred.
Her presence wasn't ordinary. Beneath the delicate aura of perfume and soft beauty, he sensed a vibration in the air, a pattern that resonated faintly with the energies he'd felt earlier that morning.
His pulse quickened once, only to steady again as his instincts took over.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, a whisper escaping his lips — too quiet for anyone else to hear.
"Oho... so she's one of them?"
Then, after a pause:
"No… different. Her energy's refined, but not corrupted. Almost... harmonious.... This got a whole lot interesting...heh"
He leaned back, fingers resting loosely on the keyboard of his MacBook. To anyone watching, he looked merely intrigued by a new classmate. But inside, his mind raced with a calm curiosity.
Who are you?
______________
To be continued.....