Differences

The hum of the university halls buzzed around them as Drae and Yven made their way through the wide, curving corridors. Light panels above shifted gently between soft sky tones and thin data streams that guided students to their various pavilions.

Students in glimmering tech jackets and modular satchels hurried past, some scanning schedules on wrist screens, others deep in debates about energy modules or drone competitions.

Drae turned into the entrance of their lecture hall, the massive glass doors sliding open with a quiet sigh.

Rows of floating desk panels stretched up in wide arcs, each rigged with individual projection units and energy link points. Soft teal lighting filled the room, bouncing lightly off the silver floor plates.

Without hesitation, Yven gave Drae a playful shove on the shoulder.

"See you up there, star scholar," he teased, a crooked grin spreading across his face.

Drae rolled his eyes but couldn't stop the small laugh that slipped out.

"Try not to fall asleep today, alright?" Drae called after him.

Yven only snorted, throwing his bag onto a back-row seat before sprawling into it like he owned the place. A few other students in the back row chuckled and raised their hands in greeting — clearly used to Yven's antics.

As Drae turned back toward the front rows, a small warmth spread through his chest.

For a second, his mind drifted back — flashes of dirt yards and sun-faded playfields from junior school. He could almost see Yven at age seven, hair sticking out wildly, chasing after a bot-ball with reckless energy, always skidding too far or colliding with the practice dummies.

Even then, Yven had claimed the back benches, more interested in doodling mech designs or sneaking snacks than paying attention.

But no matter how often Yven joked around or got scolded, he always tagged along with Drae afterward, pestering him for help on assignments. Through endless afternoons, they studied side by side in Drae's cabin, long after the sun dropped behind the glass hills.

In high school, the pattern only deepened. Yven's mischief turned into elaborate pranks — once he'd even programmed a lunch-bot to play music during a final exam. Drae nearly lost his mind that day, but he also remembered the laughter they shared afterward, slumped in the hallway with detention slips in hand.

Despite everything, Yven had worked harder than anyone suspected. With Drae's patient tutoring — and a few late-night strategy sessions — he'd scraped through the toughest modules. Making it into Aserin University's Tech and Engineering division together had been a huge milestone, almost as big for Drae as it was for Yven.

Back in the present, Drae settled into a seat right in the center of the front row. The built-in desk panel flickered to life automatically, adjusting to his wristband's data tag.

He slid his pack down beside him and glanced around. Other students began filing in, voices low, anticipation buzzing in the air.

Drae exhaled softly, rolling his shoulders back, his eyes bright and focused.

Behind him, he could hear Yven's voice already rising, cracking jokes, greeting classmates like he owned the place. Drae couldn't help a small, crooked smile as he adjusted his chair, scanning his syllabus and prepping for the lecture ahead.