Xavier's na was announced as the top ranker of the entrance exam. The conference hall erupted in applause, though many students craned their necks, searching for this mysterious topper. Suddenly, the AI system, integrated into the academy's infrastructure, focused a spotlight on Xavier. The hall fell silent as all eyes turned to him.
Xavier was speechless, frozen in place. A speech? He hadn't prepared for this. Heck, he didn't even know he had ranked first place. How could he? He hadn't studied; he had simply used logic to answer the questions. The realization that he was now the center of attention sent a wave of panic through him.
The Dean's voice bood through the hall, "Xavier, please co to the stage to give your speech."
Xavier knew he couldn't escape this. Slowly, he made his way to the stage, his legs trembling with each step. His mind raced with questions. What should he say? How should he start? How long should the speech be? What should he talk about? As he looked out at the sea of faces, his mind went blank.
He gathered his courage, took a deep breath, and opened his mouth to speak. But before he could utter a word, the ntal stress overwheld him, and he passed out, collapsing onto the stage.
The atmosphere in the conference hall shifted abruptly. Professors rushed to the stage, their faces etched with concern. Xavier was quickly taken to the academy's hospital, and the orientation ended prematurely, leaving the students in a state of shock and curiosity.
The orientation was a week long, and Xavier was in the last day's batch. Each day, fifty thousand freshn ca.
Xavier woke up about an hour later in the hospital, surrounded by the hum of dical equipnt. A nurse approached him, her voice gentle but firm. "Xavier, you need to head to the enrollnt center to get yourself verified and complete the remaining procedures."
Xavier nodded, still dazed from the ordeal. He made his way to the enrollnt center, the weight of the day's events heavy on his shoulders. As he walked through the crowded halls, he noticed the whispers and stares. So freshn rembered him as the topper, while others recalled him as the guy who passed out during his speech. Girls giggled and pointed, while boys exchanged smirks and comnts.
Xavier, however, was too innocent to realize he was being made fun of. Having spent all 18 years of his life in a kind and honest village, the behavior of his peers seed abnormal and foreign to him. He mistook their whispers for friendly chatter and wondered when he would make friends of his own.
'Friends... huh? I am already missing the village.'
He finally found the enrollnt center and joined one of the long lines. There were 100 lines in total, each moving at a steady pace. It took about 10 seconds for each student to be processed, but even so, it was nearly an hour before Xavier's turn ca. Had it been 10 more minutes, he might have passed out again from the exhaustion and stress.
As he waited, Xavier's mind wandered. He thought about how one makes friends in a place like this. In his village, friendships were built on trust and shared experiences. Here, everything seed so different, so complicated. He wondered if he would ever fit in, if he would ever find his place among these strangers.
Finally, it was Xavier's turn. He watched as the students ahead of him inserted their fingers into a device, and a wave of worry washed over him. 'Whatever this process is, my body won't be able to endure it. My life will be at risk.'
As he stepped forward, the instructor looked up at him. "Next," she said, her voice professional but kind.
Xavier hesitated, his voice barely above a whisper. "What does this device do?"
The instructor looked up at Xavier and realized why he was uncertain. With a polite smile, the instructor explained, "This device simply installs the academy's digital pass into your bloodstream. Information about the human body is stored in DNA, and this process artificially stores all your academic achievents and information in your blood. It's necessary to get the academy's pass."
Xavier's eyes widened slightly. "Will this process put any stress on my body? I have a disorder..."
The instructor reassured him, "Don't worry, it won't have any adverse effects. It's completely safe."
Xavier took a deep breath and inserted his finger into the device. The screen displayed various readings, and after ten seconds, the process was complete. He withdrew his finger and examined it; there was no change, no sensation.
'This is probably the first and last ti I'll ever get close to genetic engineering,' Xavier thought. 'It's fascinating how they can manipulate DNA to store information. Maybe one day, I'll understand more about it, but for now, it's just a mystery.'
As Xavier exited the enrollnt center, he hoped to connect with his fellow classmates. 'Maybe I can make so friends.' But everyone seed already engaged in conversations, laughing and chatting as if they'd known each other for years. Xavier felt a pang of isolation, struggling to find an opportunity to join in.
He walked through the crowded halls, overhearing snippets of conversations:
"Did you see that fucking idiot who passed out on stage? What a goddamn loser!" one student muttered to another.
"Yeah, and he's supposed to be the topper? Must have cheated his fucking way in," the other replied, shaking their head.
"I heard he's from so backwater village. Probably never even seen a fucking hologram before," a third student chid in, laughing.
"Hey, watch where you're fucking going, asshole!" soone shouted as Xavier accidentally bumped into them.
"Sorry," Xavier mumbled, quickly stepping aside.
"Damn, these lines are fucking insane. I've been standing here for fucking ever," a student complained to their friend.
"Tell about it. And the orientation was a total fucking bore. I can't believe we have to sit through this shit all week," the friend responded, rolling their eyes.
"Did you see the new cybernetic enhancents they're offering this year? I'm totally getting the advanced neural implant," another student said excitedly.
"Yeah, but have you seen the fucking price? It's fucking ridiculous," their friend replied.
"I heard the topper is so village kid. Probably shits himself every ti he sees a fucking drone," a student snickered to their group.
"Yeah, and he passed out on stage. What a fucking joke," another added, laughing.
"And did you see his clothes? He looks like he just crawled out of a fucking dumpster," another student comnted, smirking.
"I bet he doesn't even know how to use a fucking holo-pad. Probably thinks it's a fucking magic mirror," soone else chid in, laughing.
"Hey, do you think he'll last a week here? I give him two days before he's crying to go back to his shitty village," another student said, snickering.
"Yeah, and I bet he'll be begging for soone to wipe his ass for him. Pathetic," another added, shaking their head.
Xavier's heart sank as he listened to the conversations. 'What's so cool about swearing? Why do people curse so much while talking? It seems so unnecessary and rude.'
He thought back to his village, where kindness and respect were the norm. 'I would never say a curse word, no matter what happens. It's just not who I am.'
Feeling more isolated than ever, Xavier walked through the bustling halls, the weight of his new reality settling heavily on his shoulders.
Xavier left the academy grounds, deciding to head ho. With only 20$ left, he couldn't afford a taxi, and he didn't know the routes, nas, or timings of the public transport. However, Xavier had morized the path to the academy from his taxi ride that morning. His mory was strong; he could rember things after seeing them just once.
He began walking, retracing his steps back to the Nexus Tower. The city bustled around him, a symphony of holographic billboards, flying cars, and the distant hum of conversation. Suddenly, a luxurious car pulled up beside him, the window rolling down smoothly. Inside, four people sat, their faces vaguely familiar. Xavier recalled seeing them in the academy and assud they must be his fellow classmates.
The boy in the passenger seat gestured for Xavier to co closer. Xavier approached the car, leaning down to speak through the open window.
"Where are you headed?" the boy asked, his voice casual but friendly.
"Nexus Tower," Xavier replied.
The students exchanged glances, and the boy nodded. "Hop in. We'll drop you off."
Without a second thought, Xavier climbed into the backseat, grateful for the unexpected ride.
As the car pulled away, the students turned to Xavier, their curiosity evident. "So, you're the topper, huh?" one of them asked, a hint of admiration in his voice.
Xavier nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable under their scrutiny. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Where are you from?" another student asked, leaning forward from the backseat.
"A small village," Xavier replied, keeping his answer vague.
"A small village?" the first student echoed, raising an eyebrow. "Must be quite a change coming to Astraeus City."
Xavier nodded. "It is. Everything is so different here."
The conversation shifted as one of the students noticed Xavier's lack of cybernetic enhancents. "Hey, why don't you have any cybernetics? Everyone at the academy has them."
Xavier hesitated, then explained, "I have a disorder. My body can't handle cybernetic enhancents or genetic mutations."
The students exchanged surprised looks. "Wow, that's tough."
The car fell silent for a mont before one of the students spoke up again. "Well, you're definitely sothing else. Most of us have been enhancing ourselves since we were kids."
Xavier looked at them, noticing the subtle signs of cybernetic enhancents—a glint of tal under the skin, the slight hum of advanced prosthetics. He felt a pang of envy but pushed it aside.
Before long, the car pulled up in front of the Nexus Tower. Xavier got out, turning to thank the students. "Thanks for the ride. I really appreciate it."
The boy in the passenger seat smiled. "No problem. See you at the academy tomorrow."
As the car drove away, Xavier stood there, a sense of relief and excitent washing over him. 'I made friends,' he thought, a smile spreading across his face. 'I can't wait to go to the academy tomorrow and finally start my classes.'
Xavier entered the apartnt, and a wave of loneliness washed over him. He looked at the small fragnt of the goddess rock and quickly turned away, the sight only amplifying his feelings of isolation. He glanced around the tiny room, but there was nothing to see—no furniture, no decorations, just empty space.
His stomach rumbled, reminding him that he was hungry. But there were no ingredients, no kitchen. 'How am I supposed to eat?'
Then he recalled Eamon ntioning a restaurant inside the Nexus Tower, on the 10th floor. With a glimr of hope, Xavier made his way there.
The restaurant was small and cozy, with a warm, inviting atmosphere. Xavier sat down at a table, glancing around uncertainly. A minute later, a striking woman—the owner—approached him with a plate full of food and a bowl of soup. She placed them on the table in front of him.
Xavier looked up, confused. "I didn't order this."
The owner chuckled, amused. "You must be new here. This restaurant only serves one dish." She gestured to the plate. "And this is it."
Xavier hesitated for a mont before picking up his fork. He took a bite and was pleasantly surprised by the rich, comforting flavors. He finished the al quickly, savoring every bite.
"How much do I owe you?" Xavier asked, reaching for his wallet.
"Ten dollars, but this one was on the house since this was your first ti," the owner replied with a smile. As Xavier handed her the money, she asked, "Do you have soone to show you around the city?"
Xavier shook his head. "I haven't had ti to explore. I'm busy with the academy."
The owner's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait... You're enrolled in Astraeus Academy?!"
Xavier nodded, and the owner's face lit up with pride. "That's impressive! Not many from around here get that opportunity."
She handed him a pamphlet. "Here, this is a map of the area around the academy. It includes important locations and details about public transport routes. You should morize it; it'll make your life a lot easier."
Xavier took the map, grateful for the help. "Thank you. I really appreciate it."
Back in his apartnt, Xavier studied the map intently, committing every detail to mory. Before long, exhaustion overtook him, and he fell asleep.
When he woke up, it was already morning. He glanced around the room, the reality of his situation sinking in. 'Where am I—Ah! That's right... I left the village yesterday. I'm alone. I'm not in the village anymore.'
He quickly got ready, his mind racing with thoughts of the day ahead. As he prepared to leave, he muttered to himself, "I haven't seen Eamon's daughter yet. I wonder if she didn't co ho last night." He paused, a frown creasing his brow. "Co to think of it, I haven't seen Eamon since yesterday morning either."
With the map firmly committed to mory, Xavier made his way to the public transport station. The ride to the academy was smooth and cost him only 5$.
User Comments
0 comments from readers