“I can’t believe I forgot to use bolt that time,” sighed Terral through a mouthful of ice cream. “If I didn’t die, we could’ve taken the Serpent buff. Dang, I shouldn’t have dived. I lost thirteen points.”

“I lost fifteen,” grumbled Elias, munching on a waffle with ice cream inside. He was careful not to spill any of it on his clothes since he hated being sticky.

“Hey, I did the most carrying,” his friend argued.

“...you stole all the kills.”

“Nah, it’s just my superior ability.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You know? My head hurts a little. We played too much.”

“Uh-huh.”

While technology had advanced spectacularly during the past few centuries, it still hadn’t been enough to ease a six-hour session of gaming with only a lunch break in between. No one’s eyes grew tired, of course, but focusing so long on something was bound to make anyone’s head throb a little. Terral had suggested replenishing their brains with some cold snacks. It had been an excellent choice. The sweetness was bringing Elias’s energy back to his brain cells.

“I heard they didn’t allow games in school back in the day,” mentioned Elias, remembering a book he’d read.

“Back in the day? You mean, back some-hundred-years-ago in the day?”

Terral grabbed another bar of tastiness and began to chew on it. A green flavor this time—sweet and sour.

“Yeah. I read it in this book. And you’d get scolded if you were caught playing with a phone during class. Like, the teacher would take your phone away.”

“Couldn’t the teacher just disable the device?”

Elias shook his head. “Nope. They didn’t have that kind of technology back then.”

“That’s bizarre. So you could play games during class, only if you didn’t get caught.”

“I guess? Yeah, definitely. Some teachers didn’t even care at all.”

The cold, creamy substance felt nice going down Elias’s throat. The irritation in his head was gone now, replaced with a freshness like the cool winds of winter. He could almost hear the turbulent waves in the distance, but it was probably just the hidden machinery and sea gale messing with his ears.

“Time passes quickly, doesn’t it?” sighed Terra. “Two more days and it’s winter break.”

He bit off another chunk from his icy treat and chewed slowly, as if he was trying to think about everything at the same time. His contemplating expression only grew deeper before he spoke, long wrinkles forming on his forehead.“You know what, Elias? I wouldn’t even mind if we didn’t get our CNIs. Life...is still good like this. We could play BotB every day and find other games if we got bored.”

Elias furrowed his eyebrows. “You’re saying that now? I thought you were excited about getting the integration.”

“I am. But there, it’ll be totally different. New people, new places, and I just can’t see myself getting used to everything.”

Another sigh leaked out of Terral’s mouth.

The sky was bluer than ever. There were even some birds loitering around for a chance of food, but like the megalopolis, the surface was kept too clean for pests. They soon flew away, joining the others who were soaring overhead across Education, making their way towards a place where their search for food would be more successful. Something within his memory reminded Elias that birds had once been fat dwellers of cities long ago, but he had mentioned it to his friend before. He swallowed the thought.

“You’ll be fine,” Elias told his friend. “You won’t be alone. You’ve got your parents, you’ve got your friends, including me. You wanted to explore worlds with spells and monsters, remember?”

With a small frown, Terral turned to him.

“Yeah, but—those exist here too.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I know, I know. You mean those things will be better.”

“Exactly,” Elias agreed. “Feeling more positive?”

“Eh, A little. You know what? I don’t think I have to change. I can just do what I want to in there, yeah?”

“Yep.”

“And there are SPCs. Now those, I am looking forward to meeting.”

“Like a blonde girl who might give you good night kisses?”

“Hey, shush!” whispered Terral as he looked around abruptly. But his worries were unanswered. Only the chilly wind laughed in the distance.

“Don’t just say things like that,” complained Terral. “What if someone hears? Every girl in this school would be disgusted.”

“You could be like Monroy. Everyone knows he likes cybergirls, but everyone likes him.”

“He’s different.”

Terral held his arms and shivered. “Wow, it’s getting a bit chilly. Let’s go back inside.”

Throwing away the trash into the trash box, the two took a quick stop at the restroom and came out with cleaner hands. Feeling refreshed and a little pumped up, Elias tagged Terral and began to sprint while saying, “Last one there is a sourbake!”

“I’m not a sourbake!” complained Terral while chasing after him. “Just because I like cybergirls does not mean I’m a sourbake. Besides, you’re also one!”

“Says the sourbake!” roared Elias while laughing. “Woah—wait, wait, wait! Terral—”

There was a solid thump as Terral crashed shoulder-first into Elias, making them both fall on the floor while grunting in pain. Amidst the confusion, Elias kept one eye on the figure down the hallway who was walking in their direction. Because the whole hall curved around the building, the figure was just slightly visible, but Elias could never mistake the person with anyone else. Frantically, Elias helped his friend on his legs and motioned at him to be quiet.

Terral’s annoyance was clearly visible. “What the heck is—”

“Shh. Tactical retreat, tactical retreat!” whispered Elias, falling back.

“What?” replied Terral with a stupid look.

“Please, I’ll tell you later. Just—come over here. We don’t have time.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Shrugging, Terral followed his friend back the way they came from, though Elias stopped retreating after they passed an intersection—which they entered.

“What’s the matter? One moment you were running, and you can’t just stop like that. My mom’s going to panic if she sees a bruise.”

“Sorry, sorry,” Elias apologized. “Just, remember that girl I told you about? I said that she came out in my dream, and you were like, ‘your imagination’s running wild, dude. You saw her like, once, dude.’”

“I don’t speak like that, but okay.”

Carefully, Elias peeked out of the corner. “I think I saw her. No, I’m sure I saw her. Down the hallway, in the way we were running.”

“Oh? Nice.”

Elias had to grab his friend before he began to sprint towards the girl and act like a madman.

“I’m so sorry for calling you a sourbake!” he begged.

The squabble lasted for a few seconds before Terral shouted, “Alright, alright! I won’t go,” allowing Elias to finally relax and recover his breath. There was a moment of silence between them until another mischievous grin began to form on Terral’s mouth. Elias wondered if he had told his friend too much; he couldn’t let his guard down.

“So? What was her name again?” his friend asked.

“Jewel. Follow me and act natural. Please,” he added, seeing Terral’s lips refusing to curl down.

Clearing his throat, Elias straightened his clothes and began to walk in a graceful manner (or he tried to) towards their destination once more. Terral followed after him, and he could feel his friend’s evil smile fixed on his back.

“Behave yourself,” he warned.

“Of course!” Terral assured in a not-so-assuring way.

Contrary to Elias’s worry (and great disappointment), Jewel had relocated to another room, as her presence was missing in the long hallway. He had wanted to say hello to the girl, but now that she was gone, the little chance he had had been snatched away. It was their last year too; who knew how far apart their next classrooms would be?

“Cheer up,” his friend consoled. “Maybe you should put her name on the friend list. She might be grouped in the same class as you.”

“The chances are so low,” Elias sighed.

“The chances are better than zero.”

“But our class tends to stay together.”

“You could ask for a relocation.”

“And leave everyone? No way. That’s too romantic for me.”

“Well, no romance for you then,” Terral stated. “End of the story. Come on, the other guys are waiting.”

Exhaling deeply, Elias followed his friend back to their classroom. The doors slid open on their arrival, revealing screens with numerous games in session. Though it was their third day of being completely immersed in fun, no one seemed particularly tired. There was something magical about playing games in school.

“Hurry up, guys!” called Noza over the classroom. "Cancel! Cancel the match. They’re here!”

“Thanks, Noza,” said Elias and Terral in unison.

“Always, my friends. Onwards to victory! No one can stop this five-man team!”

“Eyy,” were the small replies that came from the other party members.

Elias had just selected his loadout and was ready to lock in for a match when he heard someone walking up to his seat. He didn’t pay much attention to the sound. But when a hand landed on his shoulder, he had to look back to see who it was.

“Oh, hey, Stonneran,” he greeted half-heartedly.

“Sorry for interrupting, but it’ll be quick,” the guy said with a smile. “There’s someone here to meet you.”

“A visitor? Who?” he asked.

“That girl,” Stonneran said as he pointed towards the door. Elias’s eyes followed the finger to a girl who was standing by the entrance, hands interlocked behind her back. He had completely missed her when he’d entered.

“She’s…!”

“She says she saw you somewhere. I happen to know her. Go talk to her, will you?”

He completed the sentence with a strong smack on Elias’s back and added, “Good luck, bro.” Elias blinked twice before his brain resumed functioning.

Hmmmmmm?

A thousand thoughts shot through his head. He knew his friends’ stares were on him. Perhaps everyone’s eyes were on him, because he thought he heard the whole room quiet down while his heart raced faster.

What in the world?

People were talking, but Elias felt as if the world was holding its breath, observing his every move. He looked back to his friends, who looked as shocked as he did. Only Terral seemed to know what was going on, giving Elias a double thumbs-up with an unstoppable grin on his face.

Please, please, please, Terral, stay quiet, he prayed.

Somehow, his legs began to move. When he realized it, he was halfway across the room, becoming ever closer to the girl. To the girl from his dreams. He couldn’t think. His whole body was numb—was it excitement or fear?

“Hi,” said Jewel. “Do you remember me? We saw each other at the library.”

“I remember,” Elias replied.

“Elias, right? I’m Jewel.”

“I know.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really?”

“Er, I mean—nice to meet you.”

He took her outstretched hand and shook it. Jewel’s grip was unexpectedly strong, and she moved his arm up and down without much resistance. At least, that was how it felt for Elias. He was like air for that moment.

“I only just recently obtained my pass,” she said, “and you were there. I thought I was the first.”

“I read a lot,” Elias shrugged. “Books are nice.”

“I know. There’s something magical about feeling the pages with your finger.”

“Oh? So you understand,” Elias nodded.

Before an awkward pause descended on their conversation, Jewel took the initiative and took out her tablet.

“I thought it would be nice if we could, you know, talk to each other. I plan to visit the Library often during the break. You’re the only one who can access the inner sections besides me. You seem to know Stonneran too, and he says you’re a cool guy.”

That was news for Elias since he didn’t think of himself as being a ‘cool guy.’ But he was thankful for it.

“So, let’s exchange contacts.”

“Okay,” Elias agreed.

“Hmm...Is this fine? I’m not forcing you, right?” she questioned worryingly.

“No! Not at all. Here; I’ll type my number in for you.”

He quickly tapped in the digits and saw his name appear on Jewel’s list of contacts. Double-checking the information, he smiled and handed the device back to Jewel.

“There. All done.”

“I appreciate it. Thanks, Elias. Thanks to you too, Stonn. Anyways, I need to go. See you later!” she finished with an informal salute. It was surprisingly cute.

“See ya,” Stonneran waved. Elias followed his example and waved too. The girl made herself absent from the room within a millisecond, the door promptly shutting behind her with a clink. All that was left was the tender atmosphere left behind by Jewel’s leave, as well as some quiet “oohs” and “ahs” that began to pop up after a delay. Elias felt his face grow hotter.

“She’s a nice person,” Stonneran told him.

“..................”

He was at a loss for words. Feeling the weird atmosphere that had manifested in the room, he slowly turned around to a lesser crowd of grinning classmates—all of them being guys he knew.

“Hey, what?” he demanded. He groaned internally as Terral stood up and began clapping, briskly joined by the other guys, who for some reason, began to cheer.

“Stop,” he ordered. “Stop, we need to game. Guys, please stop. This doesn’t mean anything!”

To Elias’s great discomfort, no one listened, and consequently—Elias’s next few minutes were spent trying to shut all his friends up.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

There was something off about the mood at the dinner table, though Elias couldn’t place his finger on it. It had become rare to eat together at a set time for his family, but tonight, his parents had insisted. The food had become more extravagant too. Four, steaming dishes with green garnish on top, and even a bowlful of Elias’s favorite pudding lay neatly on top of a spotless tablecloth. Even the ceiling light was a shade of warm yellow, reflecting gently on the silverware Elias had rarely seen used. And he knew, by the way his parents were behaving, that they were about to unleash some news onto him.

“We’ve been thinking,” began his mother while Elias had a meat chunk halfway through his mouth, “about something important.”

Unlike his mother, his father’s expression was a bit darker than usual. Elias felt the juices flow out from the meat when he bit down on it—it was delicious. But he couldn’t bring himself to swallow.

“You’re almost ready for your CNI,” she resumed, “and within a year, you won’t have to go to school anymore. There are many things you can learn in the Otherworlds. But as living people, don’t you think we ought to spend more time out here?”

“I guess?” Elias replied. His mother always had a roundabout way of explaining things. “Are we going on a trip? I always wanted another trip.”

“No, son. We’re...it’s more personal than a family trip,” his father told him. “It’s—how should I put this—something important and special. And very time-consuming.”

There was a hint of annoyance at the end, but Elias failed to notice it. Only his mother narrowed her eyes, though her smile remained glued to her lips.

“So? What is it?” Elias asked. “Come on, tell me. I need to get online soon.”

“Do you want a sibling, Elias?” his mother said. “Now that you can be responsible, we want to create more happiness.”

“You mean you want to create more happiness,” his father mumbled inaudibly, which earned him a kick underneath the table.

“A sibling?”

“Yes, a sibling. You wanted a brother, remember? When you were younger, you were begging for one when Han was too tired to play catch with you.”

“That was years ago.”

“But now, the chance is here. Or would you prefer a sister?”

“It’s not like we can decide now,” his father interjected.

“Quiet,” his mother snapped. “So, darling. A sibling doesn’t sound so bad. Think of it as getting a friend—a friend who lives in the same house as you. Sounds wonderful, right?”

“I...I’m not sure,” Elias said.

Households with more than one child weren’t common, and only one or two of his friends actually had siblings. From what he had heard, they could be good or bad. But more annoying than fun. His books were another source he could turn to, but most siblings had been less than ten years apart in age. Having a sibling at sixteen sounded strange.

“We’ll be sixteen years apart,” he said. “There’s no way we can be friends.”

“Anyone can be friends. You can be friends with someone fifty years older than you,” his mother argued.

“Really.”

“Of course, Elias. There are no age limits when forming a relationship.”

“I’d rather stay like this,” Elias admitted. “There are too many changes going on. I don’t know.”

“I expected that,” his father whistled.

“Han.”

“I simply said what I thought.”

“Just—I’ll talk to Elias.”

She took a deep breath and turned towards him. “When I was your age, I always wanted a sibling. It was always so quiet around the house. Even with my friends in the neighborhood, I always knew that I…”

Elias chewed silently while giving half an ear to what his mother was saying. All that ran through his mind while listening was, why now? Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to interrupt her when she looked so into it. He wanted to shout a little, to tell her to stop talking and enjoy the meal. Even when they had finally come together, the conversation wasn’t about how he had been doing. No; it had to be on something else.

Out of spite, he answered, “I don’t want a sibling,” when his mother had completed her monologue. He even added a bit of force to it.

His mother was silent for a few seconds. He couldn’t bring himself to see her face and felt guilty for being so uncompromising, yet he couldn’t help it. Something was bubbling inside.

“I’m sorry to say that you don’t have a choice,” his father stated. “Sometimes life doesn’t go in your direction.” He scratched his head and sighed. “Your mother took the insemination pill. We don’t know what gender he or she is yet, but the baby is there. I know things sound sudden, but believe me when I say that it won’t be that bad.”

“What?” blurted Elias, stupefied.

“Take some time to cool your head. How about a game of...CotC? Is that what it’s called now?”

“BotB,” Elias answered, “and I’ve got plans with Terral.”

“Ah, Terral. Why don’t you ask him to come over sometime? I could ask his parents for you.”

“It’s fine. We have plans. Thanks for the meal.”

Sliding off from his chair, he scooped up his dishes from the table and took them to the washing box. He dropped it, and the dishes fell with a dull clank. The machine would do the rest when his parents activated it.

He was making his way up the stairs when the voices of dissension began. Covering his ears, he ran all the way to his bedroom and urgently shut the door behind him. He didn’t care about any of that. He just wanted to go back to where his friends were, and more importantly, become closer to Jewel.

It was quiet now, and he made his way to his desk where his computer was, online and ready to run. Some new messages had arrived, and a quick glance revealed how excited everyone was for the last day. But he was interested in something else. A click took him to a message with Jewel. They had spoken a little through the chat, though nothing significant had happened. It still made his heart flutter.

‘Let’s take pictures together tomorrow!’ said the new message from Jewel.

He smiled. His fingers moved to type in the reply.

‘Sounds good. I’ll message you when the celebration is over.’

The reply came after a few seconds.

‘I’m a little nervous. You better not run off without me. Haha.’

‘I’d never. I don’t think anyone would.’

There was a short pause before the reply arrived.

‘I was actually homeschooled, so this is new to me. I never had a real celebration with friends before.’

‘Really? Don’t worry. I’ll be there.’

Jumping onto the bed, Elias buried his face in the pillow and screamed a muffled scream. He was new to this, and he expected girls to like confident, reliable guys—which he was trying to be. But his mind yelled and rolled and exploded with every sentence. It was too much for him to bear, and weirdly enough, he relished the experience.

He jumped back over to the computer and read the latest message.

‘I’ll be counting on you.’

“Woooaaah!” he exclaimed aloud, hopping around the room. Somehow, his mind forgot all about his parents, his 'sibling,’ and every problem that existed.

Maybe this was love.

Finally calming down, he cleared his throat and resumed his chat with Jewel. When the time came for him to play games, their conversation had concluded on a positive note. With an elated heart, he laughed and talked with his friends as they played, spending the rest of the evening happily and without worries.

Life was beginning to bloom for Elias.

⤙ ◯ ⤚

There was no gaming on graduation day.

But no one minded, because it was finally time to say goodbye. They had experienced their first graduation after Primary schooling, so this would be their second. Only a few made it to their third and final graduation, as it wasn’t mandatory to partake in Tertiary courses. So for most, this was—in a sense—the last time they could see each other.

Though in reality, everyone would return after the break to get their CNIs, since it wasn't obtainable unless you took ‘Introduction To Freedom’ in the first year of Tertiary education. But there was a melancholy that permeated the students—a certain reminiscence whispering,

Now was where it ended, and everything began.

“Combread!”

The students of class S5-0452 cheered as cameras took pictures of them. Elias made poses with his hands, wearing a giant smile that refused to go away. Now that all the formalities had been dealt with, all that was left was to leave the school and enjoy an eternity without homework. There was still one assignment left, but ungraded work never had put much stress on anyone.

“I can’t believe we’re done with school!” someone cried.

Others jumped, others yelled, and still others embraced their friends. Drones in the shape of birds flew around taking pictures, shaping the air with a low buzz. Graduation Doves, his father had called it—and true to his word, they were beautiful to look at. Though completely artificial, the white birds spread their feathers for everyone to see, even dropping some for the students to pick up. There was plenty for everyone.

Elias likewise fetched a feather from the ground and placed it behind his ear. They’d seen their predecessors do the same from the windows, and somehow, the tradition passed on from year to year, as all traditions did. He glanced up at the sky and saw tiny faces peeking out of the colossal building, like seeds on a strawberry. He waved at them.

“I bet you no one saw that,” Terral butt in suddenly, feathers stuck between each ear. “Look how far away we are! We must be like ants to them.”

“I’m sure they’re envious,” said Elias with a grin. He waved again. “At least one person must have seen that.”

“Huh. Maybe,” Terral replied.

The crowd was dissipating little by little as the graduates made their way to the stations. There were various restaurants they could feast in with friends, as well as places of entertainment to celebrate the last day in. The choices were infinite in the megalopolis. Only on this special day would all costs be free for the students—there was simply no time to waste.

“There you are. I was looking everywhere,” a voice softly muttered from behind. Elias turned around to see Jewel smiling. There she was, looking as sublime as she did in the pictures he had admired. No, she looked even better.

“Jewel! Just in time,” he said, looking around. Finding Stonneran, he called out to him and gestured for him to come over.

“Take a picture first, you two,” Stonneran told him when he arrived. “Make some memories! It’s our last day.” He winked at Jewel. “It’s sad that you had to join so late. But we’re here now, and we’ve got all day to party our lives out.”

The picture was taken. Multiple pictures were taken. Elias and Jewel were smiling in every one of them, even laughing as he made a few jokes to lighten the mood. Not one picture, not a single one, was without happiness.

It was the beginning of something special, something Elias had never experienced in his life. For as they cruised through the city with drinks and snacks in their hands, his heart never stopped racing, even though his body was in top condition. The last checkup had only been three months ago. The brief moments of hands touching, eyes meeting, then acting like it didn’t affect him took a toll on his inexperienced self. The most unimaginable thing about it was that Jewel didn’t seem to mind. Rather, she seemed to enjoy the tension, looking away with a blush then smiling nonchalantly right after.

There was no time to think about how right or wrong he was at romance; the situation had consumed him. At the end of the day, while nothing notable had happened, both he and Jewel had confirmed each other’s willingness to enjoy each other’s presence. After sending everyone off, the two took a stroll around the park near the library. The sun had set, leaving only the city’s lights to guide the way through the trees and flowers.

“I’m surprised there was a place like this,” said Jewel, looking around in awe. “That tree! I remember seeing it from the windows. But it’s glowing.”

“It’s all bioluminescence,” he told her. “The special thing about this park is that all the plants you see here were genetically engineered. See this flower?”

“It looks like a donut.”

“You can eat it. It tastes sweet.”

Reaching out, Elias broke the stem of the plant and offered it to Jewel, who looked surprised.

“You’ll need to pay for that,” she said.

He shrugged. “I know. I have a bit saved up. Here, try it.”

Carefully, Jewel accepted the flower and nibbled at a petal. A grin quickly spread across her face, and she took another bite, causing her face to glow even more.

“What is this? It’s delicious. Even fruits aren’t this sweet.”

Elias scratched his cheek. “It doesn’t have a name. All the plants here don’t have names. I guess Workman doesn’t have much creativity.”

“I never knew.”

Though visitors were rare in the garden, Elias looked around to make sure they were alone. The pounding of his heart worsened as the words that sprang into his mind began to make their way to the tip of his tongue.

“We could name them together,” he muttered, too embarrassed to look at Jewel.

“Hm? Could you repeat that?” she asked, touching the plants gently with admiration.

“You could name them,” he repeated, looking up.

Their eyes met in the silence of the night. Even the wind had stopped brushing against them, allowing Elias to hear his deep, nervous exhales from his nose. He prayed that Jewel wouldn’t hear it, sense any of the uncertainty that crawled down his back like sweat.

“I think you changed your sentence,” she joked, smiling. Getting up on her feet, she brushed her knees and stepped forward, towards him. One step became two, and two became three. Frozen, Elias could only watch as the girl from his dreams approached him with her hands behind her back. As if doing a small dance, Jewel circled around him and tapped him lightly on his shoulder.

“I think it’s time for me to go,” she confessed, sounding somewhat down. “My parents aren’t too free about things.”

“Yeah, it’s becoming pretty late,” he agreed.

He accompanied her to the roadside where a car would come pick her up. It was a small waste of currency to order private transport, but today was a special day. Alarmingly for him, Jewel didn’t say anything while they waited, which was terrible since he was also lost for words. Her little performance had stupefied him. When the ride finally arrived, all he could do was smile and wave as she entered the car.

“When can I see you again?” he finally managed to say as the door closed.

“Whenever. Message me!” she shouted as the car drove away.

His eyes refused to part with the vehicle as it turned around an intersection until it finally hid itself behind the row of buildings. Just a few moments later, Elias received a message from Jewel saying,

‘You’re not the only one who’s nervous, you know.’

He reread the message a few times before his brain fully comprehended the meaning behind the words. His head felt light all of the sudden, and he couldn’t stop his lips from curling up.

“What a day,” he sighed. “What a day.”

He knew the break would come to an end sooner than he would have liked.