Kayrus is exploring the area near the Azure Sanctuary, finding that place full of students relaxing in the gardens or playing with the water from one of its canals. It certainly will be a good place for picnics, his family back in the city definitely will like going to places like that. Especially Kara.

Ah, yes, Kara. Her face is the only thing that’s in his mind now. It’s only been a few days since he left the city, but he misses her now. Her smile, her personality, her everything…

At least that’s what Kayrus thinks until he realizes that the image in his mind suddenly changes to that of Kara Nelsy.

“What’s wrong with me?!” he suddenly shouts, ignoring the looks from the passerby around him.

“She’s just a lookalike, it must be just a coincidence! Yes, it must be it!’ he shouts again.

This time the people around him decided to just ignore the screaming student.

“I can’t take this anymore, I need to find out the answer.” He mutters. He decided that the best thing to do is ask Maximillian about her. That Magus might know more about this, he thinks.

Since Kayrus doesn’t know where that man is after they split up from him this morning, the former thief thinks that the best chance he has at finding him is by going to Charleone’s house.

“Well, either that, or he might be looking for lunch. This is almost lunchtime, after all.”

He then remembers the cafe he and the three other Magus went to, The Instar's. Should I go there first, we enjoyed the meals there, he might go to that place again, he thinks to himself. It is at that very moment that Kayrus feels his stomach grumbling a little. Thinking about food made him hungry as well.

“Well, I guess it wouldn’t hurt going there first. If he isn't there, I can still have some food.”

So the young man decides to walk towards Katerina.

*****

The ship is as busy and crowded as the days before. Every day, hundreds of thousands of people come and go onboard the ship, with the Aerofloats and Aeroships being the main connection between this ship and the world below. No matter how many times he’s thinking about it, Kayrus is still amazed by the fact that the city he’s living in right now is just one big flying ship. A moving city, cruising among the sea of clouds.

“Hey, Kayrus! What are you doing here?” call someone from the crowd of people.

Kayrus turns to his right, it’s the red-haired Ilias. Together with him are Marcus and another classmate whose name Kayrus has forgotten. The only thing he can remember is that he’s the shortest boy in the class after Yan. All three of them are carrying shopping bags in their hand.

“Oh, It’s you. I was just going to have some lunch. What about you and the others?”

“Oh, us? We’re just buying some stuff for our dorm rooms.”

“The dorm? Ah, shit, I totally forgot about that,” replies Kayrus. He forgot to ask about his dorm accommodation to either Charleone or the others.

“You still haven’t registered yourself to the dorm?” asks Marcus. “Oh, that’s bad news Kayrus.”

“Bad news? Why?”

“Because the longer you register yourself, the fewer options of room you’re going to get, especially if you want to exchange rooms.” says the third student. “Don't want to get stuck living with a bad roommate, get it?”

“Ah, yes...so we’re sharing a room with someone else, umm….”

“You already forgot my name? It’s Jean Onar.”

“Ah, yes, you’re from Orlen, right? I remember now.”

“Yup, that’s right. Morzi tu Orleni, Orlenian till I die.” he’s pumping his chest.

Kayrus chuckles seeing his display of patriotism. He rarely gives any thought about the country where he lived before, seeing someone being proud of where they come from always amuses him.

“I think you better go to the dorm right now, Kayrus. The registration is closed in the evening,” says Ilias.

“Wait, you serious?”

“Yeah. Maybe you should go there now.”

“I see. The dorm is at Laura, right?" says Kayrus, referring to the part of the ship where the Academic Complex is located, the Center-Stern ship of Zennardi.

“Yup, behind all of the Collegiate buildings. Don’t mistakenly enter the girl’s dorm though, I hear the security is very tight and merciless there.”

“Huh, as if I would do that Jean,” says Kayrus. “But thanks for the info, I’ll go there right after lunch. I’m not that picky about rooms or roommates in the first place.”

“Must be nice, I can’t stand anyone who snores in their sleep.”

“Is that your definition of a ‘bad roommate’, Jean?”

“Kind of.”

“Well, anyway,” interrupts Marcus, “We still have a lot of things to buy on our shopping list. I think it’s best to bounce now.”

“I think you’re right. Well, it was nice talking to you Kayrus, see you back at the dorm.”

“Yeah, bye guys.”

The boys then separate on their own way, the trio return to their shopping goals, while Kayrus is back on his lunch-time journey to the cafe.

*****

After some time of traveling through the busy crowds at the Business and Residential Areas he passed through, he finally arrives at The Instar's. The cafe is less busy than the last time he went there, though there are still lots of people dining inside.

“Kayrus!" a familiar voice greets him, it being Michelle of course. “Welcome back, you’re alone this time?”

“Yeah, I can’t resist the discounts you offered before.”

“Hahaha, I guess that’s understandable.” she laughs.

“What about you? You’re not working today?” He asks that since Michelle is still wearing her uniform, minus her blazer jacket.

“Well, I wanted to help out, but my family said I need to ease up since I’m a student now.”

“Your family?”

"Yeah, this is my family’s cafe. You know, Instar’s?”

“Ah…” Kayrus just realizes the connection between the two. "So your family lives on this ship?"

"Yup, born and raised on Zennardi, so I know a whole lot about this ship."

"I see. Then I'll ask you to guide me if I'm lost."

"Haha, I would if that happened."

Both of them laugh.

"By the way, do you still remember the people I went here with yesterday?"

"The two handsome men and the beautiful lady in sports outfit?"

"Yeah, those three. Have any of them come back here today?"

"Actually, yeah, one of them did. It's the blonde man. He's a Magus, right? He just arrived a few minutes ago."

"Wait, he's here? Where?" Kayrus asks in a rather spirited voice.

Michelle points out one of the tables inside. "He's here with a student, but suddenly left saying he will be back soon."

Kayrus looks at the table she points at, and there he sees again the girl that has been in his mind for a while, Kara.

"She's a Bea student, right? Your classmate?"

"Yeah…"

After thanking Michelle, Kayrus walks over to the table where Kara is at.

The girl, naturally, is surprised to see Kayrus there.

"Kayrus, what are you doing here?"

"That is what I was going to ask you myself."

"Well, I was having lunch with my brother, then he suddenly left for something important."

"Your brother? Don't tell me it's-"

"Oh, Kayrus, you're eating here as well?" Says a very very familiar voice from behind him.

Kayrus doesn't need to look behind him to know who it is, but he still did it, he's still doing it just to confirm his worst thought. And standing there in front of him is undeniably the Magus Princeps, Maximillian Nelsy.

"Hm? Oh, I see you have met my sister."

"YOUR SISTER?!"