Two months later, Leo found himself among the throngs of people in front of the university. Exhausted from another sleepless night spent until 2 a.m. trying to fix a software problem on his computer, he pulled a thermos from his small student backpack and filled the lid, which doubled as a cup, halfway with a black liquid. He called it coffee, but most students would have deemed it "concentrated espresso." He had rigged up the coffee machine from two broken automatic coffee makers on a whim. After draining the cup, he surveyed his surroundings with a noticeably relaxed demeanor.

Hundreds upon hundreds of students stood in line to collect their documents and enroll for the new semester. The university had some regulations that Leo would never understand. Why couldn't he just pick up his documents at the secretariat? Or have them sent via email? But no, for inexplicable reasons, the rector deemed it important to kick off each semester with this outdoor spectacle. At least the freshmen would get a taste of the kind of fellow students they had to deal with right from the start. Grinning quietly to himself, he edged forward in line, reminiscing about his first day here. Back then, he had thought he would be embarking on a completely normal mechanical engineering degree.

When the student services representative announced the tour, he decided to join. There were parts of the university he had never visited, and perhaps he could also meet some of the freshmen. Since he was now taking a beginner's course, he would surely see some of them more often.

The attractive blonde secretary at the desk further ahead was not in the least bit impressed by the long line of students. Professionally and efficiently, she handled various matters and had a radiant smile for every male student (and some of the female ones) she encountered. Marie-Lu was in charge of coordinating study courses and schedules, and a widespread rumor claimed that many students intentionally chose as complicated course combinations as possible just to have an excuse to visit her office frequently. Regardless of how complicated the schedule was, the computer on Marie-Lu's desk always managed to produce a timetable in seconds. It wasn't always the timetable the respective student would have preferred, but once it became known what happened to rebellious students, no one dared to express more than a dissatisfied grumble. And even that, only after the numbing effect of Marie-Lu's smile had worn off. The few who had initially tried to enforce changes to their schedules with open protests and sometimes even threats found that there were far worse timetable distributions. Courses scheduled irregularly from 05:00 to 18:00 and alternating at different ends of the university were the least of their worries. Worse still, troublemakers also ended up with the nastiest teachers and were consistently separated from their best friends.

While Leonardo continued to wait his turn, he listened to some borrowed Heavy Metal CDs on his Discman. Meanwhile, he scribbled away in his ubiquitous notebook. Finally, the student in front of him received his timetable and stepped aside cheerfully. Leo hastily turned off the music and removed his earplugs.

The blonde woman gave him a radiant smile. "Good day, what can I do for you?"

"Well..." Leo swallowed, not accustomed to receiving so much attention from attractive women. "So, I... I wanted to pick up my timetable. Basics of Magic and Technomagic. Additionally, I requested from the dean to also learn the spell for awakening computers, and he said it wouldn't be a problem as long as I complete all the necessary prerequisite courses."

As he spoke, he noticed that his student file suddenly appeared on the screen diagonally next to the blonde woman. She hadn't touched the keyboard the whole time, and he hadn't mentioned his name or student number. Yet, another friendly smile greeted him, and he immediately forgot his train of thought. "No problem. Your timetable has already been approved by the dean. Just a moment..." A single keystroke was enough to print out the desired document. Then she handed it to Leo across the desk, leaning slightly lower than necessary. Leo struggled to tear his gaze away from her low-cut top and focused on his timetable. "Faculty of Applied Magic (FaM) 101: Basics of Magic, FaM 105: Basics of Technomagic, FaM 201: Beginner's Necromancy... Huh?"

He widened his eyes in astonishment and spread his arms incredulously. "Why do I need Beginner's Necromancy? I want to give computers intelligence and consciousness, not dig up corpses and make zombie hamsters!"

The blonde's smile remained relaxed, though her steel-blue eyes seemed to sparkle a bit more. She clicked briefly with the mouse on the screen and then read through some notes. Then she said, "That's all in order. Here it says, basics of soul properties are necessary for creating consciousness. Additionally, the spell you want to learn includes elements of spirit summoning. Both are taught in this course."

"But it's from 10:00 to 02:00! Just like FaM 101! I can't attend two courses simultaneously. After all, there are no time machines here."

The secretary nodded and explained in a deceptively patient voice, "FaM 101 starts at 10:00 am, and FaM 201 starts at 10:00 pm, so light-sensitive students can participate without any problems."

"Light-sensitive... You mean... Vampires?!? Vampires are in that course?"

"Of course. The course is very popular among vampires." She politely but firmly waved him aside to make way for the next person in line. As he was about to leave, she called after him, "And don't forget to bring a shovel on the first day."

Norman and Sam watched amusedly as the young Polish student took a few steps aside, still staring incredulously at his timetable. They could faintly hear him muttering to himself, "... Vampires... Night courses... I should've listened to Grandma's warnings..."

Finally, it was Norman's turn. "Norman Zimmermann, I've enrolled for the architecture program."

Marie-Lu smiled encouragingly at him: "First time here at the university, isn't it? You'll settle in just fine. The rector has made some adjustments to your study subjects. I think you'll manage well with them."

Norman glanced over at the student who was still quietly complaining about courses involving vampires, then said somewhat nervously, "What exactly has been changed? I applied for the usual basic courses for architecture students back then."

"The Faculty of Architecture (FoA) 101 Fundamentals of Architecture, 102 Introduction to CAD Software, and the usual math courses are all fine. The rector just suggested that you should also definitely take FaM 204 Mystical Architecture. And since that only starts again in the second semester, to bridge the gap, FaM 101 and FaM 201 so that you can get to know the faculty a bit. Don't worry, the magical subjects won't be graded, since you don't have any magical talent and couldn't participate in the practical part. Here's also a list of books you should borrow from the library for the course."

With a wave of her hand, he stepped aside. Sam was about to follow him and take a look at the list of books when the secretary addressed her in an amused tone, "Ms. Samantha Brenner? Wouldn't you like to take your schedule as well?"

"Schedule?" Sam looked surprised at the secretary and then followed her gaze to the diagonally positioned computer screen. Clearly visible were her name and a filled student file.

The secretary whistled softly through her teeth. "Quite an extensive schedule. Two main study subjects: Music and Ethics. An interesting combination. You won't get much sleep with that."

Sam had by now somewhat recovered from her surprise. This looked like one of Elie's typical actions. "I never sleep anyway."

Marie-Lu looked at her unusually scrutinizingly for a moment and then nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, that works, of course." She handed Sam a schedule and the other documents, then waved to the next person in line to step forward. "Have a nice day. Next, please..."

Now Sam could barely control herself. Outwardly appearing only slightly confused, she followed Norman, who was already waiting for her. This had always worked before! She spoke the truth so directly and clearly that everyone thought it was irony, which suited her usual demeanor perfectly. After all, angels really didn't have to sleep if they didn't want to. And so far, no one had ever taken her seriously with such remarks. Who were these people anyway? And how did the woman even recognize her? Norman had addressed her several times by her first name, but certainly never by her last name...

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Norman had only vaguely heard the short dialogue. As Sam walked with him to the student guide, where a group was slowly forming, he continued to leaf through the documents he had just received. He held one of the sheets directly in front of Sam's face. "This must be the biggest Hidden Camera prank ever. Just look at the list of books here: The Builders of Atlantis, Important Temples of the Lost Continent of Mu, Pyramids and other mana-collective architectural forms, and Basics of Martian Architecture. They must be kidding me, right?" He sounded as if he were trying to convince himself, but obviously failing.

By now, a dozen or so students had gathered. Soran glanced around briefly and then decided to leave any latecomers to the other groups. With an elegant sweep, he pulled a matte black metal piece from his robe, which looked like the bladeless hilt of a plain and clumsy longsword. With a dramatic gesture, he held it high above his head and pressed a hidden trigger. A faint hum sounded, and with the flicker of a warming neon tube, a blade of white-yellow light appeared. Like a tour guide with a flag, Soran held the sword above himself and waved for the newcomers to follow him. "Let's step away from the crowd for a bit so you can hear me without me having to shout the whole time."

After leading his group out of the bustling crowd of students, he deactivated his sword, which extinguished with another flicker and a faint whine. Still holding the hilt, he pointed to the lawn in front of the wall. "For starters, a few of the most important pieces of information: The walls not only look nice, I advise against trying to cross them. That includes flying, teleporting, and magic. If you really want to, you can try, of course, but don't come running and complaining if you lose any body parts. The pretty bronze spheres that you can see at regular intervals on the wall contain a sophisticated technomagical projection system and reliably shield the university. They also prevent reconnaissance planes or satellites from detecting anything unusual."

He blinked conspiratorially at the crowd. "After all, not everyone should be able to find our UFO parking lot on Google Earth!"

Norman was about to make a comment, but Sam just silently pointed to the campus map she held in her hand. North of the university, above the parking lots for faculty members, a larger area was clearly marked as "Parking for Spacecraft, fee required." He closed his mouth with a soft pop and listened further.

"Otherwise, for now, there's really only one danger you should watch out for. The lawns." He gestured with a completely inappropriate dramatic gesture to the well-kept, short-mown lawns that spread out on either side of the path between the buildings. Interrupted by tastefully arranged flower beds, bushes cut into figures, and individual, shade-providing trees. Soran pointed to some small discreet signs. "As you can see from these signs, walking on the grass is forbidden. And since our gardeners are extremely eager to make it clear immediately at the beginning of each semester that they mean business, you should really pay attention to that."

A student on the edge of the group only snorted unwillingly and flicked an already extinguished cigarette into a bush in a high arc. "And what are they going to do if we have a cozy picnic now? Chase us off the grass with a rake? No one intimidates Rapidfire Carson!" As he took out a new cigarette with one hand and a lighter with the other from his numerous pockets, he demonstratively put a foot over the knee-high decorative fence and stepped onto the lawn. Before Soran could react, he flinched and fell with a cry, holding his leg with both hands, onto the path. Clearly visible, a shuriken made of blackened metal was deeply embedded in his kneecap.

While others jumped into cover or excitedly called for the police, Norman immediately attended to the injured. He had witnessed enough accidents on construction sites to have picked up some knowledge in first aid. The wound didn't look threatening, but it was certainly extremely painful.

Meanwhile, Sam scanned the area with her eyes. The shuriken had to have come from somewhere. The sparse bushes and low-cut grass were not sufficient cover. And shurikens didn't have a really long range... There! In the shadow next to a bush just a dozen meters away, a humanoid silhouette moved slowly. The gardener, if that was a gardener, had perfectly matched his clothing with a green striped pattern to the landscape. Before she could say or do anything, however, she was roughly shoved aside. "There's the bugger! I'll show him where Bartel gets his cider!" A large, sturdy figure stormed cursing in a creepy dialect across the grass towards the lurking gardener.

Now there was movement from the shuriken thrower crouching behind a low bush. Gracefully, he jumped to his feet and hurled a whole swarm of black shadows at his attacker. The latter just waved his hand in front of him and... to Sam's boundless surprise, managed to sweep the flying shurikens out of the air. One almost made it to the path, where it embedded itself deeply in the gravel. The gardener now apparently also considered a tactical retreat to be more favorable. After another throwing, semicircular arm movement, several smoke bombs exploded around him. The student, who in jeans, a checkered shirt, and of course also with his strong compact physique somehow reminded one of a Canadian lumberjack, trampled through the smoke and over the bush behind it. But there was no trace of the gardener. Scratching his head in confusion, he returned grumpily. "The rascal just dissolved into smoke. Such a coward!"

Norman was already kneeling beside the injured and had quickly improvised a makeshift bandage around the deeply embedded throwing star with tissues and a belt. "If I pull this thing out now, you'll just lose unnecessary blood. This should hold until we get proper bandaging supplies." He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. "Only crazies in this university. Now all that's missing is for someone to draw a weapon and start shooting wildly into the bushes."

A sudden movement he saw from the corner of his eye made him turn his head to the side. He could just see the Polish student next to him hastily tucking away what suspiciously looked like a toy phaser into his pocket, from which he had probably just taken it out. He shrugged apologetically. "Sorry. I almost overreacted in the excitement."

"With a toy ray gun?" Norman raised an eyebrow doubtfully.

"What?!? No. This is a phlogiston activator I personally built. It would have burned a proper swath in the garden area!"

"Phlogist... Never heard of it."

"Think of it as a flamethrower. Except that it extracts and ignites the combustible substance directly from the target. Otherwise, you'd have to carry masses of fuel around with you. My method is much more practical." He reached out his hand. "By the way, I'm Leonardo Darwinzki. But everyone calls me Leo. What's your major?"

"I'm Norman. I'm starting with architecture this semester. And you?"

"So far, 'Machine Construction Based on Alternative Physical Theories.' But this year I'm switching to 'Fundamentals of Magic' for a few semesters. My friend Archie has already taught me a few things, want to see?"

"You're not seriously telling me that you're a magician and that magic is taught here, are you?"

Leo just grinned broadly at him and looked around demonstratively. Some of the students who had successfully enrolled were starting to roll out small carpets further back, stepping onto them and flying away, probably back to their respective student accommodations. Directly next to him, three slender beauties in miniskirts on skateboards glided past about 30cm above the ground.

Norman now grinned as well. "Forget the question. Go ahead and show me what you've learned."

The aspiring young magician stretched his hand with the palm facing upwards in front of him and stared intently at it. Then he began to slowly and deliberately murmur a spell. Norman could faintly understand something about 'light diffraction.' It sounded surprisingly little like magic and more like geometry. The air above his hand flickered, and vague shapes and colors took form until it solidified into a barely transparent white cube with a hint of a roof on top. Leo continued to concentrate as he spoke further, visibly strained: "This was supposed to be the illusion of a house, but somehow I placed the windows and doors too far inside, so you can't see them at all. Maybe if I..."

At that moment, the illusion burst with a soft "pop" and dissolved. The edges of the illusionary cube glowed fiery red and swirled around before disappearing. Leo looked astonished at some fine scratches crisscrossing his hand. "Well, I guess I still need to practice a bit more."

Norman was amazed. "How does that work? Can anyone learn that?"

Before Leo could answer, he was reminded of something more important by a suppressed groan from the injured. He waved to the giant with the strong dialect who was coming back again: "Can you help me for a moment?"

Norman pointed to himself and the injured. "The two of us should be able to carry him to the infirmary easily together. Soran says it's right over there in that building. Oh, by the way... I'm Norman."

"I'm Horscht. And carrying him ain't no problem. I could have carried the half-wit alone!"

While Sam mentally translated the last sentences for herself, the two shook hands, grabbed the now silent injured man, and were about to start walking when two young men dressed in white came running with a stretcher. Unsure, Norman and Horscht set their patient back down. The two with the stretcher approached and slowed down sportily. "Is this the suicidal idiot who tangled with the gardeners?"

The man in question was about to say something, when a general "Yes!", "Exactly!", and "That's him!" sounded around him. Sulking, he then allowed himself to be placed on the stretcher to be carried away at a running pace by the two apparently very fit paramedics.

"Well, that settles that. We'll visit him at the end of the tour when we're passing by the infirmary anyway." Soran drew the general attention back to himself, gathered the small remaining group, and set off, pointing out further landscape features. When he noticed ongoing low discussions within the group, he tried to appear reassuring: "So something like this really happens here very rarely, but the gardeners can sometimes go a bit overboard."

Someone interrupted him from the group: "Shouldn't we call the police? Or at least inform the rector? I mean, he'll just fire them immediately if he finds out!" Soran thoughtfully shook his head as he walked. "The police never get in here. And it's better to keep it that way. And as for the rector... Believe me, you don't want to disturb him unnecessarily."