The next morning, I woke up because someone was looking at me.
Once I opened my eyes, I noticed long hair that was like waves of ocean.
A girl named, if my memory doesn't change, Fortunata was sitting on the bed and as I understood she was reading something.
Noticing that I was awake, she turned and now I could see her better.
She looked more like Draken. But I didn't know who her real father was.
She looked at me and I noticed that there was kindness and sharp intelligence in her eyes. I liked the gleam in her eyes and the fact that she remained serious despite her young age.
She was wearing a black shirt with ruffles and the black pants.
Then she got up and started walking around the room.
She was silent, and so was I.
But her lack of words didn't bother her.
I put my robe on and went to the window. Today the weather was calm.
Through the window I could see Lei chopping wood.
"Interesting thing, these snowflakes," she suddenly said standing next to me.
"Snowflakes?"
"Yes. Professor, do you like watching snowflakes? As they fall on your hands and when you bring your hand closer to the face, you can see their pattern."
"Perhaps yes, I find beauty in them."
"Did you hear my flute play that day?" she suddenly asked without looking at me.
"Yes. It was very beautiful."
"I think you're more like the violin," she said and this time our looks met. "Professor, you probably miss home."
"I miss it a little bit."
If you feel sad, then come to me, I'll show you the best rink, she said, and I seem to notice a hint of a smile.
"That's very nice of you. Thank you," I replied and caught the gaze of Lei who saw me by the window. "Fortunata, I'm sorry, of course, but I have to go," I said, and she just nodded her head.
"I hope you like it here. Have a good day."
"Thank you. And so, do you."
After she left, I cleaned myself up. Having combed my hair, I was ready for a new day at the new university.
"Professor, I see Fortunata is talking to you," Lei said of holding out the strawberry jam.
"Yes," I replied succinctly and decided not to talk about that strange last night.
Sitting in the middle of a long table, I looked around hoping to see her, but she didn't come for breakfast.
By pouring hot coffee into a mug, Lei was behaving differently today.
As soon as I went down to the first floor, he immediately began to speak. And he talked a lot.
In a few minutes he managed to tell me about his work, about the excavations on which he was, as well as that he likes fencing and playing table tennis.
"The chancellor of my university is probably waiting for you impatiently," he said.
"I'm a little nervous."
"Don't. You'll love the university."
"Have you been teaching for a long time?"
"It's been a long time. It's been a few decades," he replied, noting that I had finished my breakfast, he added, "We've got to go Professor Skye."
On the way to his car, I met Draken who was cleaning the snow in the yard. His dazzling smile led me to the car and in response, I waved.
Rows of trees were replaced one by one.
The snow-covered pines, the whistling winds, the mountains that towered far beyond the palaces, all this continued until the Socrates University appeared in front of me.
As in the photos, this university stretched along the snow-white steppe and behind the high walls towered majestic mountains.
For a moment the landscape stopped all my thoughts.
I liked to look at a number of mountains that were silently reaching the clouds. They were like the guards of this Kingdom.
Looking at the university towers, I noticed a lot of people who were climbing up the stairs.
The university building itself was three - story and very long. Like a train that stopped to let minds in.
Following Lei, I thought that a few more steps and we will see those mountains up close, but as it turned out they were very far away.
Before entering the university, which walls contained whole stories, I touched a door which had various patterns on it.
I was fascinated by the fine work of wood carving.
As Lei said, this building was built centuries ago, and until now, it did not require any repairs.
"Come on, she's waiting for you," he said, and opened the door.
Once inside the building, I was surprised once again, for this place was more like a house.
Soft carpets and palazzos were spread along long corridors.
The students, with a calm expression, striding in different directions, simultaneously turned their heads towards me and stopped for a second.
The long corridors, the walls, which were decorated with paintings and shelves with books, absorbed any noise.
The surroundings were quite, and even the voices of the students sounded muffled.
"Professor, we're here."
Opening the door to the university chancellor's spacious office, Lei whispered, "Here I am leaving you. I'll have a lecture in five minutes."
"Thank you Lei."
"Are you supposed to be Professor Skyemoone?" a young man in a neat suit with a cute tie with snowflake patterns asked me.
"Yes," I said.
Pointing to the sofa, he said, "Please wait a little."
Returning to his work, the young man from time to time looked at me.
And I noticed that his facial expression resembled Ikuta's.
"Would you like a cup of tea or coffee? Maybe a cake?" he asked, pointing to a small table in the corner that had mugs and disposable tea bags.
"No thanks."
He made a slight sound of surprise and then looked at his computer and said, "She's waiting for you."
When I closed the door behind me, I turned around and saw a woman in a dark green suit.
She was sitting and holding a book. Her hair was gathered in a beautiful hairstyle, her lips were covered with bright lipstick and long eyelashes fluttered like the wings of a small bird.
The expression on her face was strict but still good-natured and it was worth talking to her as I knew what kind of person she was.
Raising her amber-colored eyes, she smiled at the sight of me and said, "I have been waiting for you for a long time Professor Skyemoone. Please sit down."
Without asking, she poured boiling water into a small mug and threw a few leaves of green tea in there.
Then she said, "Welcome to Socrates University. I hope you've already enjoyed this place."
She was confident and I thought she knew everything about everyone.
"Yes. I'm just surprised by the architecture and the aura that soars here."
She looked at me as something mysterious and then extended to me her graceful and thin hand, "You can call me Flora. Don't have any ceremony."
"I've heard a lot about you. I've read every article of yours and every book. You are a very unusual person. And I hope you teach my students to be a little unusual, too. You see, the modern world obliges everyone to be like everyone else. But the purpose of this university is to release as many individuals as possible. I think you will contribute to our university in such a short period of time."
She leaned back in her chair and kept looking at me.
"I also hope that I will make a small contribution and leave my mark on the philosophy of this place."
"Don't be shy, Professor. I can see that you are arrogant and confident," she suddenly said, and rose from her chair.
Approaching me, she put her hand on my shoulder and directed her gaze somewhere ahead.
"If the people of this world were arrogant to decency and self-confident, this world would be very different. Sometimes I think everyone's colorless. Don't you think so?"
"This world is just heavy," I quietly replied looking at the majestic mountains.
Clutching my shoulder, she looked at me and smiled. "I'm so glad you're here."
"Me too."
"Well, I will not detain you, my secretary will give you your work day schedule. And if you need more, ask him," she said and returned to her chair. "In an hour you will start a lecture. I hope you enjoy it."
"Thank you, Flora."
She picked up the book, and it meant I had to go.
It was a short conversation, slightly cold, but nevertheless, I was as excited about it as I was at the beauty of the mountains.