At 7:27 AM, Noah and the others arrived at the train station, which was crowded. The train was about to depart, so everyone hurried inside, pushing forward until they finally got in and settled. It didn't take long before the train started moving quickly. Noah's first official day at Nova University had begun.
At 7:30 AM on the train, the train was packed with students. The pressure was so immense that enel hid behind Neriah, who maintained his position without moving or showing any discomfort due to his massive build and strong muscular frame. Meanwhile, Sirius pushed toward Noah, so much so that they ended up pressed together.
"Well, I wouldn't say I mind this situation," Sirius said while making eye contact with Noah, who felt uneasy and uncomfortable due to the lack of personal space.
"Anyway, when will we arrive at Sector 1?" Noah asked curiously, glancing out the window behind him.
"Sector 11, where we live, is one of the farthest sectors from Sector 1, so the train ride there takes 30 minutes. That's why I told you we needed to leave before 7:30," Sirius explained.
Noah looked out the window and noticed they were moving through the air. When Noah entered the university grounds, he had seen tracks in the air and many trains using them, but this was the first time he was experiencing it from the inside.
"By the way, Noey-kun, did you register for your classes yet?" Sirius asked Noah, and Noah was shocked by the news. He had completely forgotten about it. He had joined a day later than the others because Luo Yan wanted to spend another day in his city to shop, but he had decided he'd do it that night online. However, due to what happened with Yana, he had completely forgotten about it.
"W-What should I do? I haven't registered for any classes!" Noah asked, anxious and worried.
"Then come with me. We'll have fun, and I'll guide you around the university," Sirius said eagerly at the thought of studying with Noah and spending more time with him without interruption.
"O-Okay then," Noah said, feeling a bit anxious about Sirius possibly dragging him away, but it was really his only option.
At 7:58, the train finally stopped, and they arrived at Sector 1. The train doors opened, and everyone rushed out. The journey from the train station to the university building took 5 minutes, and everyone would definitely be late. However, there was still a chance to avoid punishment.
A while later, at 8:03 AM, everyone arrived at the university building. It was a massive structure made up of several separate buildings. Noah and his group rushed inside, and as Noah ran with his friends, he noticed an old man in the university garden sweeping fallen leaves, but he didn't pay much attention to him.
Suddenly, Sirius grabbed Noah's hand and dragged him behind him, leading him to their classroom. They split from Enel and Neriah, waving them goodbye.
"Noey-kun, let's go. The professor will punish us for being late!" Sirius said, smiling at Noah. This wasn't a situation that deserved a smile, which made Noah feel more anxious. The hallways were almost empty, with only a few students around.
Noah and Sirius stopped in front of the classroom door. Noah felt more tense and anxious, but Sirius immediately rushed inside, surprising Noah and not helping at all.
Sirius scanned the surroundings. All the seats were filled with students who were looking at him anxiously and nervously for some reason. The back seats were the only ones empty as usual, and Sirius noticed the professor wasn't there yet.
"Ah, that old man isn't here. Haha, this is really comfortable. Come on, Noey-kun," Sirius said eagerly and relaxed that the professor wasn't there yet, looking at Noah, who noticed his anxious and tense expressions and seemed to understand why he was worried.
Then, Sirius smiled a sarcastic smile, as if he had already accepted his fate.
"Let me guess, he's behind me, right?" Sirius asked Noah, Sirius felt like his soul left his body as Noah nodded anxiously.
Sirius closed his eyes, on the verge of tears, when he felt a giant hand grip his head, squeezing it with a powerful and intimidating presence. He turned around and saw the professor standing behind him, with a frightening and mysterious expression and a glowing red eye.
"Student Sirius Soren, would you mind telling me the reason for your tardiness?!" the professor said in a calm tone while lightly smiling. He was incredibly angry for two reasons: because Sirius was late and because he had called him "old man."
"I've accepted my fate. I have no excuses," Sirius said as a tear fell from his eye to the ground. Memories of yesterday crossed his mind, remembering the happy moments he spent with everyone. He looked at Noah, who was watching nervously, and reached out his hand toward him.
"Noey-kun, I'll be fine alone in heaven, but don't be late and catch up with me. Take revenge for me!!" Sirius said before completely closing his eyes and sticking out his tongue, pretending to be dead while everyone looked at him in stupidity and absurdity.
"You'll go down for sure!" Noah thought to himself as he looked at Sirius and the professor. This was just ridiculous and foolish.
"I won't really punish you, so stop with the drama. Anyway, are you the new student who arrived yesterday?" the professor asked Noah, curious, while still holding Sirius.
"Y-Yes, I'm Noah Grace," Noah said nervously, bowing to the professor in respect.
"I see. Well, go ahead and enter," the professor said, letting go of Sirius and turning to walk to his desk.
Noah and Sirius entered, and the moment Noah stepped into the classroom, he noticed the gazes directed at him. They were looks of contempt, annoyance, curiosity, and indifference. The room smelled of old books and chalk dust, mixed with a faint smell of coffee. It was the kind of room where you could feel the weight of centuries of accumulated thought in the air. As Noah walked between the desks to the last row, Sirius walked ahead of him, smiling and in a good mood.
Sirius and Noah sat next to each other in the last row. Then the lesson began.
The professor stood behind his desk, looking at the students. His eyes scanned the room with deep thought, as if reading the minds of every student.
The professor was a tall man with slightly graying hair and a calm, steady demeanor. His name was Thaddeus Morgarius— a philosopher who was able to make the most complex ideas seem as simple as breathing. He wore his usual clothes: a tweed jacket with patches on the elbows, round glasses sitting low on his nose, and a faint smile.
"Today, we have a new student, 'Noah Grace,' at the university, so I'll introduce myself again. Ahem, ahem, I'm Thaddeus Morgarius, the philosophy professor who will teach you until the end of the year. Let's have a fun year… blah, blah, blah. Anyway, we'll discuss a question that may seem to some of you like the most important question ever. It's a question that has puzzled the greatest thinkers through the ages, and it's a question we all have to face, whether we want to or not. The question is: What does it mean to live a good life?"
"Th-That was a very brief introduction straight to the point!" Noah thought to himself, feeling anxious and tense.
The room fell silent. The students whispered among themselves, while some looked around unsure if the question was rhetorical or if they should try to answer it.
"Now, I don't expect any of you to have an answer ready. In fact, I think anyone who thinks they know the answer might have missed something important. Philosophy isn't about finding the right answer; it's about exploring the questions themselves," Professor Thaddeus continued, then paused for a moment, placing his hands on the desk and leaning slightly forward.
"Let me start with a story for you. Imagine you're walking in a dense forest. The trees are tall, the air is cool, and there's a quiet stillness around you. Suddenly, you come across a crossroads. One path is illuminated by sunlight, and the other is dark and full of shadows. You have no idea where either path leads, but you must choose one. Which path will you take?" he said in a deep, engaging voice that caught everyone's attention.
The students murmured. Some seemed interested, while others seemed indifferent, but no one spoke.
"Let me ask you another question: What do you think is the 'right' choice? Should you take the bright, clear path, or the dark, mysterious one?" Professor Thaddeus said while stepping away from his desk, pacing back and forth, then turning to the class, his eyes focused.
"Now, think about this for a moment. The bright path is clear. It's safe, obvious, and easy to follow. But… it might also be the path that leads to a monotonous life, a life full of routine where everything is known. The dark path, however, is a risk. It's mysterious, it could lead to danger. But it could also be the path that leads to growth, to discovery, to something bigger than you could ever imagine." The professor paused and gave the students some time to think about his words.
"Now, what if I told you that philosophy is about making the decision between these two paths? The bright, safe path represents the life we often choose without thinking— a life full of comfort and routine. The dark path represents the unknown, a life that forces us to ask questions, face challenges, and take risks." Professor Thaddeus returned to the board and began writing.
"Let me leave you with something to think about," he said as he wrote two words on the board: Eudaimonia and Arete.
"Eudaimonia is a term used by one of the great philosophers, and it is often translated as 'happiness' or 'flourishing.' But it is more than that. It is about living according to your true nature, about realizing your potential as a human being. Arete, on the other hand, is excellence—doing something to the best of your abilities, regardless of the outcome," Professor Thaddeus said with enthusiasm, his eyes gleaming with the wisdom of a man who has pondered these ideas deeply.
"So, the question is not just about what kind of life you consider 'good'—it is about how we strive for excellence and whether we are willing to step out of the safe path in search of something greater. In philosophy, we don't have all the answers. But we have the tools to ask the right questions."
He nodded slowly, signaling the end of the lesson.
"Think about that, students. And remember, it's not about finding the right answer immediately. It's about the journey—about questioning, exploring, and seeking the truth."
With that, the bell rang signaling the end of the class,Professor Thaddeus quietly left the room, leaving the students to reflect on the path ahead.