Nova university

At the bus station that Noah and Loh Yan had left, Liam sat silently on the waiting bench, looking down with his hands clasped together. He felt tense, trembling slightly in his seat.

"What should I do now?... I promised myself that I would apologize and try to fix myself afterward, but I didn't expect Noah to forgive me... I don't want this, he was supposed to hate me, hate me, and hate me! If he forgives me, I'll accept my mistakes and forgive myself! I don't want that, if I forgive myself, I'll never change! This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad, this is bad!!" Liam thought to himself, his hands trembling as he began to bite his fingers, feeling cold and scared. Just then, a luxury car stopped quietly, its muffled engine sound filling the air, and its presence could not be ignored. The car was a work of art, sleek and elegant, as if made from the essence of luxury itself. Its exterior, dark black with a slight silver sheen, reflected the golden sunlight, making it look alive, in harmony with the world around it. Just then, the front window of the driver's seat rolled down, revealing a distinguished man in his fifties with slicked-back gray hair, some white streaks, and wearing a black suit with a red collar, looking like an important figure.

"Hello, young master," said the driver in a calm, prophetic tone. His voice was deep and heavy, conveying great respect.

"Alfred? What are you doing here?!" Liam asked, surprised to see someone as important as Alfred from his family in a place like this. He was shocked.

"I was ordered by the young lady to come and take you back to the Sceptered Isle," Alfred said with a calm tone. He noticed Liam's state, observing the intense aura of worry emanating from him.

"My... older sister?! Is she angry because I left without telling her?!" Liam asked, anxious about the consequences of running away, fearing his sister's wrath and what she might do to him.

"I wouldn't say she's not angry with you, but she's worried about something else," Alfred replied, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. It was a service mistake that should never have happened in the life of a head butler. It was his duty to hide his emotions completely, so the sadness in his voice quickly faded.

"What happened?" Liam asked, his curiosity piqued by Alfred's expression.

Alfred stayed silent for a moment, unsure whether it would be best to tell his young master the truth. But he decided to relent and inform him.

"Actually, young master... the patriarch's condition has worsened recently, and he is now in the hospital," Alfred said, his gaze turning away from Liam, avoiding meeting his eyes after delivering such news.

Liam was stunned, his pupils widening with worry and fear, and he stood up abruptly from his seat in shock. He sweated heavily, cold beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.

"F-Father?!" Liam said.

Hours later, the bus finally stopped near Nova University. Inside, Loh Yan sat beside Noah, who was still leaning on her shoulder.

"Alright, enough fun or the professor will kick me out for being late," Loh Yan thought to herself, glancing again at Noah, very close to him, which made her blush after noticing his handsomeness. She noticed smiles from people around her, and she could tell some romantic thoughts were running through their heads. But she didn't mind. She leaned back a little and gently poked him in the chest, trying to wake him up.

"Noah, wake up, we've arrived," Loh Yan said softly, trying to rouse Noah.

Noah slowly woke up, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, unwilling to part from the comfort of sleep. Slowly, his eyelids fluttered, then opened as they adjusted to the surrounding light. Finally, he woke up fully, the weight of sleep lifting, and his mind cleared. He looked to his right and noticed how close Loh Yan's face was to his. Realizing he had been leaning on her shoulder, he straightened his posture.

"Did we really arrive?" Noah asked in a quiet, slightly cold voice, as if he hadn't just been asleep on Loh Yan's shoulder.

"Yes, we'll get off here," Loh Yan said, a little annoyed by Noah's coldness. Noah stood up, took his bag from the luggage rack, and hurriedly left the bus. Loh Yan frowned slightly and blushed a little, but then noticed Noah's ears were red, as though he was embarrassed, which made her smile gently.

Noah walked out of the bus, noticing the looks people were giving him, likely misunderstanding the situation, and some of them must have had the wrong thoughts. But he didn't really care and waited for Loh Yan to get off. She followed him out of the bus, and once they were both outside, no one else got off, and the bus left.

"Alright, let's go now," Loh Yan said calmly, leading the way. It didn't take long before they found themselves in front of a massive institution. Nova University resembled a fully integrated city more than just a university. It covered more than a thousand square meters, with everything a student could need during their years of study. Wide streets stretched between towering buildings, while aerial trains zipped above them, transporting students from one area to another at high speed.

Shops and restaurants were scattered throughout the campus, offering everything from magical books and ancient manuscripts to weapons and energy-enhancing potions—all the necessities for student life. The restaurants were notably more widespread, offering any type of food from anywhere in the world, with top-notch ingredients and ensuring the utmost comfort for students. As for the commercial market, it was always bustling with activity, selling rare magical tools, powerful spells, and occasionally holding auctions for rare items not found anywhere else, organized by the students themselves.

In the heart of the university stood the combat arena, where students dueled in front of a massive audience. This arena was famous throughout the empire, with people from all over the world visiting for entertainment and to watch intense matches, often betting on who would win.

Near the arena, a massive library stood, said to house the oldest and rarest books in the world. Some manuscripts there could only be touched by those with a certain level of authority, and it was rumored that some books even chose their readers, while others could only be read after solving complex magical puzzles.

The student dorms varied by level. Ordinary students lived in shared dorms, while those who proved their worth received private suites, some equipped with personal training grounds and even advanced protection systems. There were also secret underground areas, corridors whose destination no one knew, and rooms sealed tightly, said to contain hidden secrets that no one was meant to uncover.

All of this was stunning, general knowledge about Nova University that anyone outside the campus could enjoy. It was truly magnificent. However, Noah was only worried about one thing: his inability to remember the way he came or anything that happened along the way. All he recalled was stepping off the bus, and the rest was fuzzy images in his mind. Noah felt a little anxious and somewhat excited.

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about your blurry memory, it's due to the Vice-Principal's skill," Loh Yan said, noticing Noah's concern and immediately knowing the reason. It was a well-known phenomenon here.

"What do you mean?" Noah asked, nervously wondering if someone had tampered with his memory or if he had been brainwashed. His imagination wandered a bit further than necessary.

"I don't know. I don't remember the path either. For the highest level of protection, your memory of the way here is erased. It's due to the mysterious skill of the Vice-Principal. Well, some people think so, while others believe it's due to a magical phenomenon around this place. No one has ever seen the Vice-Principal so it's probably due to the second reason," Loh Yan explained.

Noah was a bit shocked by this information. He understood a little and read between the lines—either the authorities at the university didn't trust their students due to something that happened in the past, or this magical phenomenon was created by someone, as Loh Yan said, to provide protection and avoid unnecessary problems.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go in now," Loh Yan said, gently patting Noah's back, encouraging him. This surprised Noah a bit—he didn't remember getting so close to Loh Yan that she would pat his back like that. She entered the university gates, and Noah followed. The moment he stepped in, Noah felt a sharp change in the atmosphere. The path ahead was filled with many students in their uniforms, glaring at him from the corners of their eyes, which made Noah feel uneasy. Their gazes were ruthless, and silence followed him wherever he went, only to hear faint whispers behind his back, which he couldn't quite make out.

"Man... Am i black or what?" Noah thought to himself, noticing some of the looks that were discriminatory, condescending, and filled with contempt, making him even more anxious.