Between light and darkness

The class ended at 9:15 with the ringing of the bell. Noah noticed how just one hour in Professor Thaddeus' class had passed so quickly, and he felt like he had never focused on a lesson like that before. The students packed their belongings, and all they could think about was Professor Thaddeus' question: which path is better? The dark path or the light one?

The rest of the classes were not worth mentioning; they were just regular subjects—mathematics, biology, and physics. In contrast to the philosophy class with Professor Thaddeus, time seemed to pass slowly in these classes. The morning period ended at 1:00 PM. Noah and Sirius decided to stay in the first sector to explore it more instead of going back to sector 11.

Noah and Sirius were walking together in the university garden, filled with cherry blossom trees. Their petals were falling everywhere, carried by the wind, spreading them around. The place was also full of lovers, making it an ideal spot for romantic dates, which might explain why Sirius brought Noah here.

"I thought the university had strict rules. I didn't think it allowed dating," said Noah, a bit surprised, but it made some sense. The university had large spaces designed for student comfort, and it would be strange if they prohibited such activities, especially since they had given about nine sectors to students.

"Well, I've never seen anyone get punished before, but we can test it out. Want to try?" Sirius said eagerly, his eyes sparkling like stars in the night.

"N-No, thank you," Noah said, a bit concerned about Sirius. He hadn't realized until now that Sirius might be interested in such things, or maybe he was just joking. Noah didn't really know, considering Sirius' playful personality.

Noah sighed lightly and looked up at the sky. It was clear blue, and the sun was still shining, tilting toward the west as it descended from the middle of the sky.

"By the way, do you remember Professor Thaddeus' question?" Noah asked Sirius curiously.

"Oh, I remember it. What's up with that?" Sirius asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"Which path would you choose if you were at that crossroads?" Noah asked. Given Sirius' straightforward and playful personality, he probably would choose the dark path. People like him preferred excitement in life.

"Which path? Well, I think I'd prefer to go back the way I came and plan for something better," Sirius said, a semi-serious expression on his face. Noah was a bit surprised. That was an answer he hadn't expected from someone like Sirius. He didn't think Sirius was the type to even plan for something.

"Well, if we apply this to the real world and even to our daily lives, it would most likely be a choice between two different things. If you feel confused or think you'll regret a choice and later find out it was the worst, the best thing to do is take a step back and look around. This will definitely help," Sirius said calmly and prophetically. This was a side of Sirius Noah hadn't seen before. Even though they had met yesterday, Noah thought he understood Sirius and his personality, but he was wrong. Really, the mask hides more than you think.

"What would you choose, Noey-kun?" Sirius asked Noah, his serious expression disappearing as he returned to his usual playful look. This was the Sirius Noah was used to.

"Me?... I really don't know which path I'd choose, but I think both paths only lead to the same end," Noah said quietly, which made Sirius tilt his head in curiosity.

"Lead to the same end? What do you mean?" Sirius asked.

"Well, the thing is, both paths will eventually intersect at some point. If we choose the light path, we'll enjoy clarity, comfort, and safety. But this will cause numbness and repetition. Life will become a boring routine. If we choose the dark path, we'll dive into mystery, danger, and madness. But how long will it take before we get used to the darkness? Then, excitement will fade, fear will become a habit, and surprises will be predictable. At that point, we'll realize that nothing escapes the grip of familiarity, and we'll be back where we started, in a routine. You'll think you have the freedom to choose, but in reality, you're just choosing between two paths that end in the same fate. You think your way is unique, that you're different, but you're just another person among millions who once said, 'I'm not like the rest,' and here we are, walking the same path, which makes me wonder, did you really choose this path? Or was my destiny written from the start, and I'm just a puppet in the dark, with strings pulling me and controlling my fate? And if all paths lead to repetition, does that mean repetition is the origin? Am I just a puppet moved by higher powers?" Noah said, his voice slightly trembling. The deep thinking had caused him headaches before, and it seemed the effect was still lingering. Perhaps he was worried or afraid, worried about reality, and afraid of the truth.

"Well, this will make me reconsider some of my beliefs, but you're overthinking it. What matters is not the path itself, but who you are when you walk it!" Sirius said, pointing his finger at Noah while exaggerating his reaction.

Noah's eyes widened at Sirius' words, and he realized he was right. This made him ask himself a question he had asked before and thought he had already found an answer to: "Who am I?" It didn't matter if the path was just a lie leading to the same end. What mattered was whether you were a puppet controlled by the harsh nature of this path or a unique person who would spread their wings and refuse to be controlled.

Noah slapped his face hard, waking himself from his silly fears.

"Thank you, Sirius!" Noah said while the red slap mark was still on his face.

Sirius raised his thumb toward Noah and smiled broadly. Noah realized that he was wrong about many of his beliefs and that they needed to be fixed. This made him realize there were still many things to learn. He looked at Sirius, whose eyes shone brightly with the light of life and hope. The boy's eyes were brighter than the stars, and this made him think that Sirius understood the absolute freedom Noah was seeking more than he did.

"Oi, Sirius, Noah!" A voice from afar caught Noah and Sirius' attention. It was Neriah and Enel.

"Wow!" Sirius said excitedly, rushing toward them, jumping on Neriah and surprising Enel, wrapping his legs around his neck.

"Man! I'm gonna die!!!" Neriah shouted, feeling suffocated and confused until he fell to the ground with Sirius.

"You're too tall!" Sirius said, excited, as he got up from the ground and extended his hand to Neriah, who took it and got up as well.

"He's really excited," Noah thought to himself as he watched from behind, worried about Neriah's current state. He began walking toward them and getting closer.

"What the hell are you two doing here? We've been looking for you!" Enel said, curious and nervous about why Noah and Sirius came to such a place, one usually reserved for lovers.

"We were discussing something important!" Sirius said excitedly, his eyes shining a little.

"Something important? What were you talking about?!" Enel asked, worried about the important topic that Sirius and Noah were discussing alone.

"I forgot! Anyway, when do your classes end later?" Sirius asked excitedly, as if he had a plan for something.

"Our classes end at 3:15. Why do you ask?" Neriah asked curiously about Sirius' excitement.

"Let's hang out later! There are some things I want to buy in sector 3, and we can show Noah places he hasn't visited yet!" Sirius said enthusiastically about going out with everyone later, especially with Noah.

"Okay, I don't mind," Neriah said, sounding a little excited about the idea.

"I-I'll go too, then!" Enel said, his cheeks blushing a little from excitement.

"You didn't even ask me if I want to go or not," Noah thought to himself silently and anxiously. He felt annoyed that he didn't get a chance to express his opinion, but he didn't really oppose it because he still didn't know anything about the university, and this trip would only bring him benefits.

Later, at 2:00 PM, the bell rang, announcing the start of the afternoon period. All the students headed to their classes, while Noah only followed Sirius. They had separated from Enel and Neriah earlier at the university entrance. As Noah and Sirius went to the second floor, they were lucky this time not to be late. Sirius entered first, followed by Noah. The classroom was like any other, spacious, but the walls seemed to be made of iron, and their corners glowed light blue every few minutes.

Noah and Sirius sat in one of the back rows together. They had already caught the attention of others, especially Noah. Noah noticed that some people were giving Sirius hostile and contemptuous looks. This piqued his curiosity, but he didn't want to ask about it right there.

Then the door to the classroom opened, and the sound of a woman's footsteps echoed in the room. The sharp click of her heels set a precise rhythm as if the ground itself was listening. A tall woman entered, with platinum hair tied tightly, wearing a dark coat that fluttered behind her like a royal cloak. Her thin glasses reflected the sunlight, and her eyes scanned the room with an expression that left no room for joking.

She didn't greet anyone as she entered and quietly went to her desk, placing her things on it without a sound.

"Hello, my name is Elina Fonet, and I will be your teacher for the Magic Theories course. It's a pleasure to meet you," Professor Elina said calmly.Her voice was so quiet that it was almost inaudible from where Noah and Sirius sat.

"I shouldn't be teaching since it's the first class, and I should leave a light impression on the students, but I'll ignore the rule this time and give a brief introduction to the subject itself. Magic theories are a set of ideas and concepts that have not yet been proven true, but they are close to verification. Professionals hope to prove them in the near future. There are seven known magical theories, but there may be more that have not yet been discovered. Among these theories are: the Chaos Theory, the Cosmic Balance Theory, the force Intersection Theory, the Multiverse Dynamics Theory, the Divine Reverence Theory, the Self-Influence Theory, the Intention Theory, and the Rune Theory.

In your first year, you will only study two theories: the Self-Influence Theory and the Intention Theory. In the next three years, you'll be able to study the rest of the theories. The purpose of this introduction is not to scare you but to inspire and stimulate your interest in this subject, so that you will love learning magic and enjoy it. Therefore, I ask each of you to write a 300-word report on one of the two theories we will study this year. The theory that gets the most reports will be the first one we study.

This challenge is not only to increase your knowledge but also to encourage critical thinking and broaden your horizons in the exciting world of magic theories," Professor Elena said, leaving everyone in shock. A report in the first class, consisting of 300 words? This must be a bad joke.