The same tall and boring glass towers lined both sides of the Travel Lines to his university. The morning sun began to peak through the thinner patches of the Veil of Darkness to glitter on the maze of reflective urban surfaces, giving them a rare touch of natural beauty.
The public Transit Rune Cart glided above smooth white rune lanes in such perfect silence that Jun could hear the breathing of the old man sitting behind him and the young girl across giggle at something she found funny. He wished he could open a window and feel the gust of the wind on his skin as he looked out with interest.
He wasn't the only one that found the cold repetition to be distasteful. Some people were expressing their individuality on their real estate of building surfaces with colorful projections, resulting in a continually changing landscape of human expression.
It was a new trend that he was thankful was catching on. He wouldn't say everything was to his taste but he loved that there was a more human touch to the once boring and monotonous scenery this journey was only recently like.
Danny was right. Now was the time take advantage of the times to get his work out there. He had remained anonymous and not responded to all the controversies because Danny had assured it wasn't time yet. He wasn't sure what Danny was waiting for, but he felt like if he didn't get some momentum soon that he would lose courage.
But that's not what was weighing on Jun's mind at the moment. Neither was it about his final day of exams that would finish off his academic career.
It had been over a week since the fight, and Desi had refused to speak or meet with him. It had made what would have been a mildly stressful finals week into an emotional hurricane.
She had been more upset about his lack of backing on her Hunter career change idea than he thought. She said she needed some personal time to breathe, and he had tried to respect that, but it had been a week of silence and he was reaching his mental breaking point. This was the mother of his child that was emotionally pulling back from him. He couldn't accept that.
Lily informed him that Desi hadn't been talking with anyone else in the family either and their mom was PISSED.
Danny had promised to try talking with her, but hadn't had an opportunity with everything he had going on.
She had finally sent him a message promising to meet at his thesis presentation, after which the two families would go out to celebrate like they had planned.
That was progress, right?
It took some serious planning, but Jun had managed to alter his thesis presentation into a bit of an event. One he was relying on to get back into Desi's good books.
He hoped the gift he had worked on for the last year would appease her enough to come back to talking terms. The plan was desperate, but that was how he was feeling. He hadn't even considered his thesis being rejected. That would be ridiculous.
Gates, he was gonna be a dad. What if it was a boy? Would he be like all the other kids and dream about risking his life as a hunter? If it was a girl? Some asshole kid was gonna try to take his baby from him.... he knew how to hide a body.
The rune cart came to a graceful stop and a cool voice announced his destination.
“Stopping at Trident University Transit. Have a pleasant day.”
Walking out of the busy transit terminal, the first thing people were forced to see was an enormous, intimidating bronze monument of the Founder of Trident Gate City who was also the Founder and only Headmaster of Trident University.
General Anthony Trident the Third, a legendary figure that had been a naval officer who survived the Last War that went on to establish a force with the remains of humanity and conquered all the emerging Gates and monsters that spilled out.
He established order within the chaos and was instrumental in the establishment of numerous Gate Cities.
A quote was inscribed in the intimidating 8' black stone that served as the base of the 20' bronze sculpture of an even more intimidating man with an imposing physique in military garb with a face that spoke of the years of hardship and duty.
“Never doubt, the Gates were our salvation.
In our hubris and despair, we destroyed the world with our own hands.
The days of nothing were hard. We tried to rebuild, but there was nothing left. Starvation threatened to break the wills of iron men.
Then the Gates opened and out poured a bounty. Like mana from heaven, food came to us when even the strongest of us began to waver.
After the years of hunger, God had gifted the undeserving an opportunity. The Wave was a time of celebration.
No more wars. No more hate between men because of our skin colors or beliefs.
There was only the endless joy of having survived the end times.
To be given one more chance.
All that was left of humanity was united in the exhilarating thrill of the hunt.
It was a time of feasting.
When the Wave had subsided, one by one we awoke from our battle lust and knew that this was to be our future.
Our old world, shining but rotten, was ruined by the foolish games of a few, but here lied our opportunity to build anew.
The Nexus and the Gates had given all of our despairing souls hope for a future still.
We must never forget.
Let this be a place where wisdom and knowledge can be shared so that we may learn from our past as we pave the way for future generations to thrive.”
-General Anthony Trident, the Third of the New World Alliance
Jun always shivered a little when he passed by the memorial. He could just feel the madness and desperation in those words. The Wave, the event when the mysterious rifts in space termed as Gates simultaneously appeared in ten different locations throughout the world, was well documented. It was not a peaceful time. Monsters and beasts of nightmares poured out of them by the tens of thousands. Only once the areas around the Gates were conquered did mysterious stone monoliths emerge to swallow the cracks in space, and the situation took a turn, and new opportunities arose.
If it had been the old era before The Fall and the Last War, perhaps the monsters would have been the cause of the end of times. But humanity had beaten them to it. The Last War had purged all the weak, leaving only warriors bathed in blood. What the monsters found when they crossed the Gate into their world were not fat, helpless prey to be devoured, but savage beasts that eyed them with joyous hunger.
They didn't have a good time.
Passing by the bronze giant, Jun stood before the imposing gates of Trident University. The most prestigious educational institute in Trident Gate City and arguably the world, where Jun had spent the last four years earning his Masters in Rune Studies in the time it took a regular student to get their Bachelors.
This would be the last time he stepped past these gates as a student. After his last finals and thesis presentation and upon confirmation of his scores, Jun's status would automatically shift to Graduate.
He'd hoped to have shared this moment with Desi, but who said life was perfect?
The buildings here had more character and a very different kind of energy than most of the Middle City.
While the world outside the campus could only be characterized as monotonous efficiency, here within the university grounds where every department was in constant competition for students and prestige, the structures reflected the spirit of each field of study.
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The buildings of the Hunter's Athletics Department were all visually tall and sturdy, just like their students. Powerful protective runes flashed at the borders of the massive Colosseum where the youthful shouts of students pursuing strength could be heard training at all hours of the day and night.
The Traditional Sciences Department was steeped in history and tradition, which was reflected in their style of stone architecture of the pre-War era that blended with modern aesthetics. All their ornate buildings didn't exceed three levels in height except the main lecture hall that had an impressive glass and gold domed roof, atop a stone building worthy to be called a palace. Intricately detailed buildings formed individual charming courtyards with shaded seating and fountains and other spaces of leisure for the intellectuals of the department to gather and study.
The Military Mecha Department was a mix of the cold military efficiency he was used to with a healthy blend of irrational chaos. The place where students went to train as disciplined Mecha Pilots for the New World Alliance Military was also where future mad scientists were nurtured in the Mecha Design School.
Giant individual transparent hangers housing student mecha design projects doted the department, breaking up the monotony of repetitive glass and steel buildings that housed the different arrays of simulation pods with the most outrageous mecha designs that only students could freely think up. Seeing the amateur mechs, designed with all the visual pomp and pageantry and their attempts at intimidating and regal, wobble around like drunken freshman was a department staple.
As Jun walked on familiar pathways passed hurried and stressed out finals takers towards his department, he couldn't help reminiscing of his experiences he'd cherish from this place.
The time Desi had convinced him to fool around behind the Mathematics building, unaware of how extensive the surveillance system was back then. The conversation they had with Campus Security had been both humiliating and hilarious.
The scar-faced middle-aged man that reprimanded the embarrassed duo after showing them the security footage that had caught their youthful passions had also been too embarrassed to look either of them in the eyes. To see a grown man blush and avoid eye contact while acting stern was weirdly adorable.
Instead of learning from her folly, Desi had instead taken it as a challenge to not get caught.
Jun would say to anyone that asked that he was the voice of reason in their relationship, but everyone that knew them well knew he loved Desi's free spirit too much to ever say no to anything she wanted. It made him happy to see her smile so freely.
He was determined to bring that smile back to him tonight.
A voice calling out his name brought him back to reality.
Stopping and looking back, Jun saw a familiar aged figure walking towards him with his signature slow and eternally relaxed pace.
“Good morning, Professor Kindley. How are you today?”
“Good morning to you as well, Jun. It's a beautiful day for conflicted emotions, don't you think?”
“Oh? How so?” Jun asked politely.
“Its a day of accomplishment for my cute little students, so that's good, but it's also a day for partings. For most, I'm just thankful if they learned anything at all.” They both laughed as they resumed their walk. “But for students like yourself Jun, It's a true loss for the University to see you go,” Said Professor Kindley, now more serious.
”You know our offer to continue your research here at the University still stands. Your thesis project on the Simplification and Modulation of Rune Purification Systems is simply groundbreaking. If you can continue your research, I'm sure it wouldn't be long before we see applications of your research being used across the ten Gate Cities.”
Jun's smile couldn't help but strain a bit. He didn't know how many times he had declined this offer. Professor Kindley had been pushing for him to go for his doctorate in Rune Studies and then Professorship.
He had already elaborated his plans but Professor Kindley couldn't accept his 'most prized pupil go off into the Arts rather than what the Fates clearly demand based on his talent in Runes alone.'
Jun decided to try a different approach this time.
“Well professor,” Jun gave a dramatic sigh, “I'd love to but didn't Dean Banderby say my direction lacked realism and decide to endorse Professor Dickinass in his Strengthening and Expansion of Purification Runes System? Even if I decided to stay on I wouldn't be able to get the funding for my research so-”
“Banderby wouldn't recognize a genius idea even if it shat on his face and Dickinass's theories are a mishmash of hopeful fantasies without any competence or foundation to make them work. Your work is both graceful and cost effective and most importantly, real. Its merely the form of your Purification System being in the shape of a tree that's confusing the old man.
He's so entrenched in what he considers orthodox that he can't wrap his stupid dementia addled brain around your organic Rune Structures! He's become so comfortable sitting on his gilded throne he's forgotten the innovative spirit that brought him where he is! Once he sees an actual working model, I'll make him eat-”
Jun didn't know what to say to his professor's uncharacteristic outburst. He had long suspected that his professor had history with the Dean he didn't want to know about.
“Actually,” Jun decided to interject. “I was planning on telling you earlier, but I've finished the Project I consulted you on early and brought it for my thesis presentation this afternoon. I didn't just bring a single demonstration piece, but the entire project.”
“You're finished already?” Professor Kindley was stunned for good reason. He had personally helped with some of the underlaying original rune structure design. He didn't know the full extent of what his student was trying to achieve, but even from what he'd seen, he knew it was an extensive project.
Runes couldn't be created with fabrication technology. Each rune had to be done by hand to ensure a fluid and natural flow of energy. A single mistake meant the entire rune chain was useless and had to be redone. Jun's thesis had been about breaking that process into smaller, more manageable chunks beyond current practices. It was only possible for Jun's flexible and imaginative thought process that allowed for such a work-flow to be possible.
Even so, they were talking about thousands of runes that needed to be made by hand on complex structures. And he was done?
“What time was your presentation slot again?” He had to see this. After trading details, the two finally separated to their respective destinations.
Jun couldn't help but sigh. Professor Kindley had been of tremendous assistance throughout his academic studies. No other professor was willing to hear out Jun's often wild ideas on rune structures that differed from the academic norm and take him seriously.
Over the years, he had become more like a grandfather like figure to Jun, always excited to listen to Jun's new ideas and inspirations and help guide his thought processes in manageable directions.
Jun had chosen this field of study for a variety of reasons. Mainly because there was no such thing as an Arts program, which he wouldn't dare say to Professor Kindley, but also because Jun was good at it.
Jun was smart. Much smarter than he normally let on. He found runes to be interesting, and it came naturally to him. Having always been an acutely observant person, Jun found reading the lines of energy of runes to be a fascinating and relaxing practice. The harmony of the flows and tides of energies were beautiful, and it just made sense to him in a way that was difficult to explain and made him the envy of his peers. The latter issue which he could only blame Professor Kindley.
He'd originally intended on coasting on his talent and graduate peacefully in the middle of the pack. That way, he could comfortably focus on his art and his girlfriend. Those were important priorities, right?
Unfortunately, Professor Kindley wasn't a tenured professor for nothing. He easily saw through Jun's charade of mediocrity and ruthlessly exposed his high potential in rune studies.
It didn't take long before it became widely known to the rest of the department that Professor Kindley had a new treasured pupil. Special accelerated classes were setup for him alone and he was often brought into research projects of much higher levels than what everyone believed was merited. He couldn't avoid the overwhelming flood of jealousy of not only his peers, but even some of the professors.
Luckily, Jun had come to an understanding early on with his 'peers'. He wasn't a threat to their advancement grant opportunities and Guild selection quotas, and since Jun didn't actually take up any of the official slots since he was always brought in through the back door by the Professor's arrangements, they kept their distance with resentment.
Jun felt a complicated helplessness when he thought of his classmates. He had been really excited to make friends here.
'Oh, how fleeting the dreams of youth,' Jun often mourned.
The Trident University Department of Rune Studies was one of the most competitive programs at the university. Getting into the program meant beating down thousands of other hopeful applicants from throughout the ten Gate Cities. Once they entered, the fight continued for resources and funding and, most importantly, attention from the professors, the key holders of all future opportunities and advancement. It was cutthroat and merciless. If you didn't watch your back, you could find your project mysteriously ruined.
Jun hated the environment from day one.
All he wanted was to learn in peace, do his own thing, and then graduate. He had wanted to add making friends to that list, but based on the hostile environment he was in, Jun thought better of it lest he get poisoned by his 'friends'.
After four years of study, he had only managed to make one friend from his department, which was only more than a little depressing.
Jun's wandering thoughts came to an end once he reached the lecture hall where his final exams in Advanced Rune Stabilization were taking place.
Regardless of his failures at socializing with this group of nut jobs, everything would be over after today.
A new chapter awaited him.
It was bright.