Nate began his journey toward his classroom, marking the first day of his life as a proper student at the School of Pearls.
According to the orange screen projected from the wristband on his arm, his first class would be held in Building Peter.
The school's academic district consisted of four main buildings surrounding the central block.
The building on the front-right side was called Peter.
The building on the front-left side was called Thomas.
The building on the back-right side was called John.
And the building on the back-left side was called James.
"Alright," Nate muttered to himself. "The screen says I need to go to the front-right side of the central block. So that means Building Peter."
With that, he started walking toward his destination.
Along the way, he noticed countless students following the same path.
Some carried backpacks just like his.
Others looked determined to conquer their first year before it had even begun.
Nate couldn't help but stare at a few students who were carrying enormous piles of books in their arms.
Those people look like they're preparing for a war, he thought.
One student in particular caught his attention.
It was a girl named Maria.
At a single glance, anyone could tell she was an excellent student. She carried herself with confidence and determination, and the mountain of books in her arms only reinforced that impression.
The girl was hurrying toward the building, so focused on reaching class on time that she nearly tripped over her own feet.
She managed to regain her balance.
Unfortunately, her books were not as fortunate.
Several books slipped from her grasp and flew into the air.
"Whoa!"
Without thinking, Nate rushed forward.
He closed the distance between them and reached out just as the books were about to crash to the ground.
One after another, he caught every single one.
The last book landed in his hands.
Nate blinked.
Even he seemed surprised that he had managed to catch them all.
He looked toward the girl.
"Are you okay?"
For a brief moment, Maria froze.
She recognized him.
Nate was the boy who had sat near her during the orientation. More importantly, he was the boy whose behavior during orientation had become quite memorable.
She remembered how casually he had spoken to Professor Mary.
She remembered his expressions.
And she remembered that he seemed to treat everything as though it were an adventure.
Maria quickly pushed those thoughts aside.
"I'm fine," she replied politely. "Thank you for your help."
She took the books from his hands.
Without another word, she immediately resumed her sprint toward the building.
Being late on the first day of school was simply not an option.
Nate watched her disappear into the crowd.
"Wicked," he muttered.
Then he continued on his own journey.
A few minutes later, Building Peter came into full view.
Nate stopped walking.
The structure was enormous.
In fact, a person would have to walk nearly a kilometer away just to see the entire length of the building.
Towering white walls stretched into the distance, while giant glass panels reflected the morning sunlight.
Students continuously streamed through the massive entrance.
Nate followed them inside.
The lobby was just as impressive.
Floating in the center of the entrance hall was a gigantic interactive screen.
The screen assisted students with directions, schedules, classroom locations, and general information about the school.
Curious, Nate approached it.
"Excuse me," he said. "Where's my classroom?"
The floating screen immediately reacted.
Light gathered together and formed the image of a holographic woman.
She wore a warm smile and spoke in a pleasant voice.
"Good morning, Student Nathan."
Nate blinked.
The hologram already knew his name.
"Your first class is located on the third floor, Room P-312."
The holographic guide projected a glowing path through the building.
"This route will take you directly to your classroom."
"Thanks," Nate replied.
"It is my pleasure."
Following the projected route, Nate made his way deeper into the building.
His first lesson of the day was called Technical Assistance.
Unlike traditional classroom subjects, this course focused on teaching students how to operate unfamiliar machinery and technology.
Students would learn how to understand, inspect, repair, and safely use a wide variety of devices used throughout the Space Government.
For a first lesson, it was an exciting choice.
Instead of staring at a blackboard all morning, students would be allowed to interact directly with machines and equipment.
As Nate entered the classroom corridor, he could already hear excited conversations coming from inside.
Many of the students were looking forward to getting their hands on the machines.
For once, Nate found himself agreeing with them.
This class actually sounded interesting.