Two glances over the book. Elias felt his heart race faster.

Never would he have imagined seeing someone in a deserted place such as this. He averted his eyes to the words quickly. Inhaling slowly, he lowered his book again and took another peek. This was a restricted place after all; only a select few could access this wing of the library. Usually, the thought of sharing his ‘personal’ space with a stranger would have daunted him, but his third observation had told him otherwise.

It was a girl from his school he’d sometimes caught glimpses of. He didn’t know her name, but something about her had left an impression on him. Whoever she was, she was now brushing her hand over the books on the wooden shelves, as if pondering what to read. Elias watched as the girl’s finger stopped on a book, fingering it out off the shelf until it dropped softly into her extended arms.

He looked away as the girl began to scout for a seat. There weren’t many. Most of them were where he was, and the rest a short walk across the area. Trying his best to ignore where the girl’s footsteps were headed, he burrowed his eyes into the next sentence before anyone could notice anything suspicious about his attitude.

He wondered if the girl remembered him too. He tried his best to keep focus while the girl made herself comfortable on the next table, but he couldn’t help but think to himself why she had decided to sit so nearby. Then he realized that there were only two tables in proximity and bit his tongue for being so unnecessarily imaginative.

She’s just a stranger. I don’t even know her name.

After a few minutes, he was happily immersed in his book again. A romantic one, ironically, but an exciting one full of twists and drama. While the girl on the next table was distracting, the book’s allure was far greater.

“Hey.”

Elias looked up to see the girl staring back at him.

“You’re Elias, right? I’ve seen you around school sometimes.”

“I am,” he replied while setting down his book. The girl was totally speaking to him.

“Do you need something? It’s rare to see people around here,” he said calmly, maintaining his posture.

“Not really,” said the girl with a smile. “Sorry for interrupting, but can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Should we get married?”

Elias stared at the girl in both shock and blooming elation. He wanted to say yes—for some reason. Her eyes were pulling him in.

But before he could take the offer, a terrible, unexplainable clamor began to dominate his ears. The noise disoriented all of his other senses, and the world began to fade into a series of black, blue, and paint drops that randomly splashed everywhere. His muscles became heavier and heavier—

Until he felt himself on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He squinted and blinked a few times to get rid of the vague stinging.

“Ahhh,” he muttered, rolling to his side while grabbing his blankets. He stuffed his face into his fluffy pillow and let loose a muffled laugh. The only place where a girl would propose to him would naturally be in his dreams, where anything could happen. In reality, a quiet person like himself had no chance of such miracles.

Maybe he had been reading too many stories online as of late. Everyone had been warned in class not to become too immersed with the cyber stuff, since soon, after turning sixteen, they’d come of age and be granted freedom to browse whatever they wanted.

Including the explicit things. Everyone was excited about that.

His parents had stopped waking him up for a few years now, so after a yawn and a short stretch, he got up and undressed in front of the automatic wardrobe. Sensing his presence, the doors slid open to reveal sets of neat clothes hung on the hanger rack. His school uniforms were set to the side, from which he removed one to wear for the day. After he pulled his legs and arms through, he pressed a concealed button to adjust the clothes to his body.

Elias felt the fabric press against his waist, wrists, and ankles. It was always satisfying to experience the pressure. He gave some test swings with his arms and legs to make sure the clothes were comfortable and stable, and after nodding to himself, began to pack for school. His hair was a mess, but he didn’t particularly care. It wasn’t as if he wanted to look good to anyone, unlike some of his classmates.

Approaching a desk, He picked up a pane of glass with a thin metal outline. Though it came in different shapes and sizes, the one he was holding currently was the standard, school-required model; unlike other devices, it had specific restrictions that would, for example, protect students from information that could affect them negatively. But school was coming to a close, and after winter break, they’d finally be allowed to use anything—including CNI systems.

His father always used it. Though his mother was always complaining…

A sudden shout from downstairs brought him back to his senses. Quickly shoving the tablet inside of a thin bag, he hurried out of the room and tiptoed downstairs, putting his head in front of his body to scout the lower floor. When he peeked out to get a good view, he saw his father on the dining table chewing on toast while his eyes remained glued to a screen; his mother stood before him, arms crossed and eyes narrowed.

Elias felt his stomach churn. Why did mornings have to begin this way?

“You promised you would only use it with me,” raged his mother. “When I reviewed the logs, you were up until two—”

“I wasn’t doing anything with anyone,” answered Elias’s father. “We’ve talked about this. They are not real people. They’re just data.”

“We made a vow—”

“To only cherish each other. I know.”

“Then why?”

“I wonder why. You refuse everything. And now you’re telling me why?” The man shook his head. “Loira, it’s not real. It’s the same as a dream. Everyone knows....”

Trying his best not to be noticed, Elias scurried past his parents’ argument and escaped into the kitchen. He hastily opened the fridge door and grabbed one large food bag and two small ones for dessert.

“...has to change…” he heard someone say beyond the kitchen door.

Gotta get out of here, he thought.

He stuffed the items in the front pocket of the bag and took in a deep breath. On days like this, getting out of the house was like a mission of extreme—well, moderate difficulty. His path to the door was a familiar one that wouldn’t be all that demanding.

Tensing his leg muscles, he broke into a sprint, instantly passing by his parents who—to his small disappointment and relief—didn’t bat an eye. Maybe there was a part of him that wanted his parents to say, “Have fun in school!” like they used to, but many semesters had passed since then. Now, they usually were in their rooms or, like today, arguing.

Still, the feeling that the argument would spark onto him held him back from saying anything or lingering too long on the spot. He thought he’d learned how to cope with it now that he was almost an ‘adult’, but nothing—absolutely nothing had changed.

The voices only grew louder and the quarrels longer.

Elias finally found his way out of the house and sealed the door behind him. It was quiet now, and his shoes were clean for the day. Another fresh day had begun.

Come to think of it, the girl at the library never had said anything to him. While they had exchanged looks, nothing had happened on that weekend that could even suggest the slightest interest on the girl’s part. They had each minded their own businesses—and that had been it.

She had been cute though. It was probably why she still lingered in his mind.

I wonder what her name is. Maybe if I see her at school, I’ll say hello. If he could, he wanted to share some time during lunch with her.

It wasn’t weird to ask the opposite gender out. Their education had explained it as a biological thing, something that they didn’t need to be ashamed of.

Elias wondered why something as uncomfortable as shame existed in the first place if what they felt wasn’t wrong. It probably had to do with the ancient times when society wasn’t as organized and sophisticated as now, when people hurt each other to get what they wanted.

Since anyone could get anything they wanted now, shame didn’t really have to exist. Right?

Letting his thoughts fly, he kept his feet moving on the ground and made his way towards the station. The morning was calm like a surface of a tranquil pond—ready to break the silence with only the smallest plip. But things wouldn’t become louder until noon. Only students roamed the streets in the morning, and the few adults that made their appearance were those who enjoyed strange hobbies, much like Elias himself.

Luckily for all those oddballs, public transport was always available. Getting to anywhere in the megalopolis was a problem that had ceased to exist a few centuries back. Despite the convenience, not that many people used it. Now, students were the main guests of the city’s machines, and even their numbers were dwindling each passing year.

Elias walked through the empty station and sat down next to a vending machine. Feeling hungry, he fished out the food packet from his bag and removed the seal. A sweet aroma rose to his nostrils, and he greedily pushed the syrupy biscuit into his mouth. A few chews were enough to make him close his eyes and relish the taste. After devouring the meal in a few bites, he brushed his hands and mouth and tossed the trash into the garbage disposal beside the vending machine. While the humble meal had stimulated his appetite, he wanted to save dessert for when he arrived at school.

It was a wise choice since the train had arrived with a blast of wind, humming as it came to a halt. He squinted. Adjusting his bag to his side, Elias walked onto the vehicle and took a seat as the announcement echoed through the station. The doors slid shut and a slight jerk signaled the beginning of his journey to school.

There was nothing now besides the quiet hum of the train. No chirping birds, no buzzing drones, no breeze brushing past his ears; just himself and the air around him. He fetched his tablet from his bag and tapped on the screen to play some music. While scrolling through the playlist, he soon found what he had been looking for: ‘Until I Lose Myself.’

“...now the world around us changes…” he hummed while the music gently filled the area.

This was how he spent the period of time it took for him to travel to school. Alone on the tracks, enjoying music while ruminating about what he wanted to be. Their teacher always told them about the importance of individuality and how it was massive in keeping someone from degrading. Keep a hobby or two, it had repeated every year—unless you wanted to be lost in the abyss of self-questioning, then hopelessness, and finally, nonexistence.

Suicide. Apparently, it happened.

Elias was skeptical. Who’d ever want to die? The past, sure, was harsh, but many centuries had passed and things weren’t the same anymore. Sure, there were arguments, and sure, his parents argued, but...these were small things.

Besides, the teachers were a bunch of robots. They were logical, but Elias doubted that they could understand human emotions.

Yawning, he looked out of the wide windows and scanned the giant skyscrapers that cast faint shadows over the city. He had wanted to live there before, but his parents had wanted a more...flatter place. The tall buildings made their heads spin, they’d said. Also, playing catch and racketing was much better under the sun, they had said.

It made no difference now.

The scenery rapidly shifted into darkness as the train descended into the depths. Elias could almost feel his skin pressing into his body as pressure gradually crept into his ears. It didn’t feel any different in the train though; something complicated prevented his body from tilting sideways. The trip was only beginning, so Elias laid down on the seat and closed his eyes. The music had already stopped, but he didn’t bother picking another. The distant clank of perpetual machinery was music enough.

He thought about the girl again and again until he started to feel all empty inside, regretting that he hadn’t spoken to her further. After all, she had lingered there for a good few hours. That stupid book had been too fun to let go of...

I wasn’t afraid at all, he told himself, just too immersed.

He’d visit the library again today after school. He really wanted to know what would happen next, and while the story was always available on his tablet, there was something magical about flipping through pages, feeling the paper on his fingers and the musty smell with his nose. And who knew? There was always the chance of meeting the girl again.

A good twenty minutes passed before the train came to a halt at a station. While not many people lived in the Undergrounds, there were still one or two students that came onboard. The slim chance of encountering one of them was enough to lift Elias into a sitting posture, but after no one stepped inside, he made himself comfortable again and checked his tablet. A notification told him that his friend was online.

‘Whatcha up to?’ he messaged.

‘Homework,’ was the reply that arrived soon after.

‘We had all weekend.’

‘Yeah.’

‘Well, almost done?’

‘Yeah. Just...do you know the answer to number fourteen? On page two.’

After a short browse through his tablet, Elias texted ‘c’ to Terral, to which the reply was ‘Thanks, see you soon.’ Sensing that the conversation had ended, Elias smiled and searched for something else to ease his boredom. Games were becoming repetitive and he was running out of videos to watch, but some numbers caught the corner of his eye making him realize something important—something that was so simple it made him feel bad about himself to the point where he had to slap his forehead with a loud smack.

He could find out about the girl through social media.

Elias had many friends on his list. It was somewhat of an unspoken tradition to add everyone in your class. There was even the option of automatically ‘adding all’ with a simple request to the moderator, but most students went through the motions of speaking to their classmates face-to-face to build up amiability.

Perhaps everyone went through the motions because, in a connected world such as the one he was living in, one small mistake could keep him buried forever in the rapid streams of gossip and misunderstanding. Even worse, people would just—forget that he ever existed. Stop caring.

It was a tiny fear Elias had, but unless he was some kind of senseless, mindless degenerate, the chances of him being shunned by his classmates were zero to none. With people being as smart as they were nowadays, misunderstandings could easily be untangled. But like any other festering wound, it was essential to be quick about solving the complication, because one lost moment could mean a permanent scar to one’s character.

Yup. That sounded about right.

Only in extreme situations, anyway. Given his character, he’d never become tangled in any kind of drama. He hated conflict; it made his insides churn.

“Jewel,” he said audibly, feeling the words on his lips. It was a pretty name that suited her perfectly. Based on the gentle way her fingers had handled each of the book pages, she was sure to have a personality that fit her moniker—or so he thought. He hadn’t met anyone vexing who had liked and respected books, so it was safe to make the assumption. He repeated the name a couple more times so that when the need arose, he’d be able to say it in the best manner possible.

He sighed. She really was wonderful.

Her profile captivated his heart in a way he’d never felt before. His eyes passed by the images as if in a trance, admiring each picture for a good three to four seconds before jumping to the next one. There was one of Jewel smiling, one with her attention towards the sun, and yet another one taken in the middle of the night, with the moon tenderly transfiguring her brown hair into a light shade of deep, golden silk. The more he gazed into her eyes, the more they seemed to pull him inside of their amber glows.

Elias exited the app. It was plain that the photos were edited; he knew her real appearance was different from the ones he just saw. But closing his eyes, he thought how wonderful the world would be if everyone could look how they wanted to look. He wanted to be tall like Stonneran and Monroy, who’d received presents from girls every year.

Soon, none of it would matter anymore. Roughly a semester from now, everyone could finally be whoever—or whatever—they wanted to be and do anything they wanted to do. The popular buzz was that they’d finally complete their tutorial stage of life, like a game. When the real stages began, that would be when they’d know they had become adults.

But would he feel any different then compared to who he was now?

It was strange to think about. Big changes were coming, but changing was scary. Unsure. Cloudy and uncertain. The last time Elias had experienced something major, too many things had changed. Big and small things, things that were both good and bad. He liked how it was now.

His father had told him what a life-changing experience (literally) it had been for him when he had first experienced CNI.

“When you’re of age, we can meet in there. In the unrestricted world. I can’t wait to show you everything I’ve created,” his dad had said to him.

Afterwards, they’d played catch with a magnetized light-ball. It was a fond memory to look back on—only now he was weeks away from getting a CNI himself.

Elias squeezed his toes into his shoes. He wasn’t stupid. He could tell that his parents’ conflict came from that world. That other, wonderful world. It was exciting and fun; that was for sure.

But if it didn’t exist, his parents wouldn’t have to fight.

His thoughts were dissipated when sunlight began to shine again.

The rest of the trip went by quickly with more and more students boarding the train to get to school. After emerging into the open sky and piercing through rich landscapes of metal, glass, giant trees, a giant lake, and mountains brimming with nature, a small city-like structure in the outline of a curved cone finally poked its tip out in the distance from the vast peninsula it was forged upon. There it was—the giant city-school for everyone in the megalopolis.

Its name—Education.

It was, simply put, a place where everyone could learn about anything. Built and organized entirely by Workman, the small city lacked nothing to enlighten anyone who had the hunger for knowledge. Yet, its only visitors were the students. Perhaps it was because of the easy accessibility of knowledge from home, or simply indolence, that left the polished floors of the megastructure undisturbed by the presence of adults, who had long ceased to linger in the halls, the laboratories, the classes, and all the other rooms filled with scientific equipment. Much like the vehicles in the world, students were the main guests of Education.

It took a while before the train entered the perimeters of the school. The city of knowledge only grew bigger and bigger before Elias, while the cone at its center towered higher and higher over him like a volcano. It was not the tallest construct created, but one of the tallest, standing at over 5,000 meters in the sky. He had never been to the top, but rumors were that aliens resided in the uppermost floors, controlling everyone’s minds with electrical waves.

In reality, anyone could go up to the roof using the elevators, but the process of receiving permission was a time-consuming one, similar to Elias’s library pass. Besides, one search online would show every image available about the place. But since none of the students had actually been there, the rumor kept circulating like a small, inside joke.

Finally, an automated voice signaled the end of the trip. It would continue on after he got off, but his stop was here. The train dove into an opening at the edge of the city, snuffing away any sunlight that had bathed the vehicle. There was no life in these tunnels. Only machines lived in these undergrounds, working tirelessly for a purpose that could only be unknown to him. He didn’t think too much about it, since it was a path he took daily.

Today was his lucky day. No one had got on the same section as he did, allowing him to relax in any way he wanted. He liked the feeling that isolation gave him. It was quiet and gentle. It allowed him to truly appreciate his surroundings.

‘You have arrived,’ beeped his tablet. As soon as Elias slid the notification away, the light from the station flooded his eyes with blurry images. The scenery cleared as the train decelerated into a stop. With a small poosh from pressure releasing, the doors slid open and Elias jumped onto solid land.

“Finally, school!” he exclaimed. Some students threw him funny glances, so he immediately broke into a quick jog to get away. Taking the usual path, he went up some stairs, rented a rotoboard, and pushed off as the spheres of the mechanism picked up speed.

‘Connection found with rotoboard. Would you like to go to class?’ said an automated voice.

“Yes, please,” replied Elias.

‘Heading towards class. Please follow the green path,’ instructed the voice. Just then, the floor in front of Elias began to light up, forming a line that fabricated its way ahead of him. While there was always the option of letting the rotoboard pilot itself automatically, Elias liked steering. But after a couple of minutes of pushing and holding balance, he grew tired and let the vehicle do the work. The board was big enough to sit on, so he carefully crossed his legs to position himself for the remaining ride.

Students were crowding in for class, some of whom were using rotoboards much like himself. Others were on bicycles, less on scooters; the select few were zooming their way forward on skates. The majority were walking, being the ones who enjoyed talking with their friends. For a good reason, there was a restriction on the vehicles present in the city. Anything that could cause a fatal accident was absent.

There was a reason why people didn’t like Education. Transportation was, in a way, far too slow and far too tiring. Inside the tower, for example, only walking and carryable transport—say, boards and foldable scooters—were allowed. Anything else had to be left outside. Even if the drones didn’t catch you, it was etiquette.

A slow city—that’s what Education was.

His father had described his memory of the place as, “the longest period of his life.” And looking back, it really had taken forever to finally become sixteen. Well, not yet, but soon. The gargantuan cone tower had stopped fascinating him, and the infinite passages had become recurrent. So many memories and so many dreadful exams had come and passed, but he now realized that his problems at the time had been like a speck of dust in the wind.

But when faced with reality, his emotions screamed otherwise.

“Not another test!” groaned Elias, as well as all the other students in the room. As soon as the words, ‘Final Exam on Friday’ had appeared on the screen, the excitement in the room had immediately eroded into despair and moans of annoyance.

“I thought you said this week was going to be gaming week,” complained Stonneran, standing up from his seat. “This is deception. Our hopes and dreams have been shattered.”

“Now, now, now, settle down, everyone,” pleaded their teacher—the Workman Education Lecture Android—but everyone called it Wela. “You haven’t heard everything yet,” it continued rhythmically, “so don’t worry about the notice. Not all exams are strenuous. Haven’t I told everyone to make calm, rational thoughts before speaking?”

“So we don’t have to study? Because we all hate studying,” piped up a student at the front. Elias guessed it was Ackum by his noisy voice.

“No, not at all. Everything will be explained during class. Now, take your seats, everyone.”

The murmurs died as the students settled down. There were a few whispers here and there, but now that the period had come into session, everyone awaited Wela’s instructions. Nodding, the robot walked to the center of the room and clasped its hands together.

“The final week of the school year has come to our doorstep,” began Wela with a sad voice. “I greatly enjoyed my time teaching everyone. It was wonderful to see everyone grow and form thoughts of their own. And, do their homework.”

There was an emphasis on the last word, along with a few nervous coughs in the room. Elias spotted something from the corner of his eye, which happened to be Terral with his tablet in hand, furiously rubbing the screen with his finger. Elias rolled his eyes.

So he still hadn’t finished his assignment yet.

“Assignments are responsibilities,” Wela went on, shaking its head slowly. “Not completing them will only bring harm to your character. It is a battle with yourself, one that you have to win to ensure a long, meaningful life.”

Its screen-face displayed some tears from its blue eyes, which disappeared as soon as they left the monitor.

It made Elias uncomfortable when the robot exaggerated like this sometimes. After all, a robot crying? It did make things more interesting, and his classmates didn’t seem to mind, but Elias couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. Those little actions felt meaningless.

As if a machine could comprehend emotions, he thought.

“Aw, don’t cry, Wela,” Monroy said from the middle of the room. Some girls sent dreamy glances to the tall guy, and Elias couldn't help but feel just a tiny bit envious. “You know we don’t mean to rebel. We just have more important things to do. Like building bonds with friends, or taking care of pets. I remember you saying those things were important too.”

The guy had a soothing voice, something anyone would hate to argue against. So far, no one had.

“It looks like you haven’t completed your assignment,” replied Wela, its expression becoming blank. Monroy shrugged and laughed softly.

“Sorry. I’ll try to finish it during break time.”

“Hmm...but it says here that you haven’t made any progress.”

Wela tapped on its head, and a few chuckles were heard across the room. A smile lit into Wela’s face, and Monroy nervously cleared his throat as a response. After a few seconds of awkwardness, the robot turned its attention to the rest of the room and raised its arms.

“Though it pains me that some—or rather, many of you have failed to do your assignments—as Monroy said, there are more important things in life. But I want everyone to know that when you go into the real world, where you will have to deal with people instead of assignments, broken promises will have bigger consequences than a decrease in your grades. I hope you will all understand that.”

Not that grades mattered that much anymore, but Elias got the gist of what Wela was trying to say. They all had a basic idea of what the machine was trying to say. ‘Don’t upset other people’ was the simplest way of putting it.

“That brings us to the final exam. Take a look.”

The giant screen at the front of the classroom lit up as words began to appear in the background. Not even a second passed for the letters to read, ‘Final Exam: Lifelong Companions.’ Naturally, puzzled looks wandered all over the room, since exams usually came listed in topics. There was only a title this time, without any other explanation.

“The medium of submission can be anything,” explained Wela over the low buzz of voices, “and the completed project will be due the first day of the next school year. Class, what do you think a companion is?”

A stillness came over the room. Elias thought he heard the electronic clock ticking before someone spoke out.

“...a friend?”

It was Anjay who spoke, the tall girl who liked to draw pictures with her antique art kit. Elias had seen her in various groups, though he didn’t know if she was there for her artistic skills or her stellar looks. Probably both.

“That can be an answer. Anyone else?”

“A married couple!” interjected Ackum, waving his hand. “Like our parents. They’re definitely lifelong companions.”

Wela nodded. “Also correct. I’ll take one more answer before continuing. Ah, Stonneran.”

The android motioned to him to speak, and he lowered his arm, clasping his hands together.

“My brother told me that real companions are created after CNI,” he recalled in an obviously thoughtful manner, “but I don’t agree with him. We’re all companions here, aren’t we? We’ve studied and eaten together. I guess what matters the most is time. The longer you spend with someone, the closer you become.”

“Good answer. All three of you are correct. A companion can mean many things.”

Wela smiled, if a robot could smile.

“Your assignment is to create a medium in which your definition of a ‘companion’ can be expressed. It can be through writing, or it can be through video. It can be through music, though lyrics would be preferable. You can even create something physical if you’d like, like a painting or a sculpture. There are no limits. As long as you can explain your opinion on what it means to have a lifelong companion, anything is fine. Any questions?”

“When you mean anything, do you mean like, anything?” asked (who Elias remembered as) Billo. It was clear that the chubby guy was going to do something related to music. And a whole lot of bass.

“Anything goes as long as it doesn’t harm anyone,” confirmed Wela. “Please think about everyone’s ears.”

“Gotcha, Wela.” He said sheepishly. The guy sat down with an embarrassed smile while the students around him resisted snorting with laughter.

“Any other questions?”

The robot took a few more hands until everyone was satisfied. There were a few interesting ones, like bringing a friend someone had met online through video chat. Wela explained that it would answer any questions they had during the course of the week, as well as during break. They’d even be allowed to use the labs during winter vacation if they needed it.

“Don’t let anything restrict your creativity,” it emphasized.

Finally, with no more questions remaining, Wela gave everyone the signal to boot up the table. The class cheered as they rushed to their favorite games, messaging their friends to join in on the fun. Elias quickly began Braves of the Battlefield and accepted the party invite from Terral. A few more friends joined, and after beginning voice chat, the match was ready.

Life was great for Elias.