Professor Lorraine’s message continued to replay in my head.

And Laizen, you will be reading.

Really? What is the point of reading when it’s all memorization? I don’t understand how this has anything to do with my excitement. And with my reaction, it is clear that it isn’t.

I stomped my way back to my new home, reminding the cobbled pavement of my frustration. I was up early for the first class, but I also didn't get much sleep because of Professor Lorraine's ET story. And Seamus said he's taking Kailus to see supernatural entities—I want that experience! I want to know why my luck is missing. Where is it?

“I can feel your dense presence, Laizen,” Notemi said behind me and I stopped moving.

“Yeah, sorry,” I mumbled in a defeated voice. I looked down to see the nicely lined cobble with patches of green in my peripheral as tears dripped onto the gray stone. The transparency of it meant it wasn’t dense enough to leave a dark mark on the dry path, and the wind blew it as easily as it came. Are my wishes this insignificant?

The sound of Notemi’s steps approached from my left, and she turned her body to face me. “You can tell Professor Lorraine about what you want; surely he will accommodate you.”

I didn’t want to look at her with such a face. I knew this was not her fault, but the thought that others had greater capabilities and more interesting training topics made it difficult for me to accept mine.

“Did you get what you wanted?” I asked in a low whimper.

“That’s like asking me if I chose to like music,” Notemi snorted. “I don’t necessarily like it, nor do I dislike it. It’s what I am capable of and that’s my way of fully sharing what I have hidden within. No other method comes close to allow me to do something so perfectly.”

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, leaving only a small volume of tears adhering to its surface. The dry and cold wind gently breezed my lids dry and I sniffled the remainder of my discharge. I lifted my head back up to Notemi, who briefly locked eyes with me before turning forward to walk towards the villa that was now our home. And so I followed her.

Once inside, I sat by the coffee table and poured myself and Notemi a glass of water.

“Calm already? That was quick,” Notemi dropped herself into a cross-legged position next to me and brushed her bangs to the side as a result of the sudden movement.

“Do you want me to stay miserable?” I snorted.

“Sure, if that’s what you so desire,” Notemi groaned as she interlocked and stretched her arms over her head.

“Thank you, though.”

“You’ll thank me when you actually do the thing I suggested. He should be arriving soon.”

Sure enough, the doorbell rang and Notemi quickly volunteered to allow the entrant in. Both of them walked into the living room and Notemi sat back down next to me, while he sat from across the table.

“How was your experience for the first day of class?” Professor Lorraine asked.

“Very nice!” Notemi said. He turned to look at me and I shook my head gently.

“Why do I have reading?” I asked, hoping to get his rationale so I can make an informed decision.

“Because the Integrator told me to, and I have no other reason besides that,” he responded.

“Can’t I change it to something more exciting? I thought this was supposed to be fun, not another class of textbook reading that I want to avoid at all costs,” I said.

Professor Lorraine chuckled. “Oh, that’s a misunderstanding all right.”

I relaxed my shoulders and furrowed my brow.

“It’s not that which you are reading, but fiction,” he continued.

The tension that was held in order to prepare for a defense faded into emptiness. Only confusion clouded around my head as I blinked a few times to gather what I heard. “… And how will that help me?”

“No idea, but it seems you have settled your survival instinct—much more than when I first came in,” he said. “Does this put you at ease? And does this excite you?”

“I was going to form some kind of deal, but now, I might consider this as an option,” I responded.

“Good, then let’s get started after we eat some lunch.” Notemi and I nodded and I saw her eyes glimmer at the food that was brought to the table. I could get used to seeing that.

Once the door of our home closed behind us, Notemi and I waited for Professor Lorraine to walk forward and lead us.

“Where are we going?” I asked. Out of less than a dozen buildings in front of us, he pointed to the one with a large glass dome atop white-colored walls erected from the ground. It was the central building of this whole enclosure and it was large.

“That’s the library where the three of us will train in,” Professor Lorraine said.

“Is it really training if we’re enjoying it?” Notemi asked with a slightly upturned face, looking at the shining dome.

“You can put whatever definition you want,” Professor Lorraine answered. “It can be positive or negative, and I’d rather choose the former, don’t you?”

“Hmm, makes sense,” Notemi responded.

We continued walking straight from our villa along the pavement and reached the town square marked by a large fountain. I don’t know who did the plumbing from the oceans, but to transport water and reach this far inland required a lot of hands. A lot of preparation, planning, and oversight; especially from scratch on a remote island. I recalled the city from which I came from and my appreciation of its convenience magnified.

We turned right and followed the circumference of the town square, until we faced the domed library that stood wide and angular at the bottom, which tapered to the semi-spherical dome at the building's lid. Along the way we passed our large, stone and wood classroom building next to the pavement of the town square. It was single-floored, but was tall enough because a gymnasium existed in one of its many rooms. Still, it was not as tall as the library.

We were now close enough to see chiseled patterns in the blocks of white marble that gave the structure its grandeur. The handiwork only made it more omnipresent now that the front doors were steps away. With this much detail, it was insufficient to let my eyes remain static in one section. From its pillars to the angled base, the symmetry and smooth connections between each part gave my mind a pleasantness that wanted to behold all its sides simultaneously. Yet, even that pleasantness was outmatched by the intricacy and care chiseled in the blocks with proper proportions – with a single word that encapsulated its majesty: “Wow.”