Rian stepped off the bus, taking in the grandeur of Skyreach University. The imposing gates loomed ahead, their intricate designs hinting at the institution's storied past. As he joined the line of students presenting their IDs, his mind wandered to the history of the place—details he had downloaded from his ZephyrTab.
Skyreach University, originally known as Skyreach Command Center, was a cornerstone during the War of Shattered Skies. This conflict marked the first global engagement where Radiants actively participated as combatants, forever altering the nature of warfare. Back then, the Command Center had been a military base where Radiants and non-Radiants collaborated on strategies, weaponry, and training regimens to counter the opposition. The campus was steeped in history, its legacy visible in the architecture and commemorative plaques scattered throughout.
As Rian passed through the gates, his eyes fell upon a massive statue of General Aldric Gibson, the first headmaster of Skyreach. The figure stood tall, cast in bronze, with an air of authority and wisdom. Rian's thoughts drifted. "General Aldric," he muttered to himself. In his previous world, Aldric had simply been Principal Aldric, a respected but not militarized figure. "Looks like many other things have changed," he mused, the weight of the parallel world's differences settling on his mind.
A voice broke through his thoughts, warm and familiar. "Hey, son!"
Rian turned to see Soren, his closest friend since he had entered Skyreach. Soren had wavy hair and a confident demeanor that made him naturally charming. His savvy look turned heads, and he was well-known among their peers for his easygoing charisma. Despite their vastly different backgrounds—Rian from a modest family and Soren from a wealthy home—the two shared an unbreakable bond. Both majored in Artificial Intelligence and Business, their shared interests forging a strong friendship.
Soren approached with his usual grin, chuckling as he pointed at the statue. "Paying your respects to the General, huh?"
Rian rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "In both worlds, they're still the same."
As they walked toward their class, Soren glanced at Rian, his expression curious. "So, why weren't you online all weekend? I was starting to think you'd gone AWOL."
Rian shrugged, offering a nonchalant reply. "Been working some odd jobs lately."
Soren's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Odd jobs? You? You barely leave your apartment, let alone work odd jobs. What's going on? Are you trying to save up to impress someone?"
Rian shot him a sidelong glance and smirked. "Get out," he said, the humor in his voice clear.
Soren laughed, undeterred. "No, seriously, bro, if you're trying to win over someone special, let me know. I can help. Bros gotta stick together, right?"
Rian shook his head, unable to suppress a grin. "You're impossible," he said, chuckling as they continued toward their class.
The camaraderie between them was evident, their banter lightening the weight of the morning. As they entered the classroom, the familiar buzz of students settling in greeted them, signaling the start of another day at Skyreach.
The lecture hall was an impressive amphitheater-style room, with rows of desks curving around a central podium. Behind the podium was a large smart screen, its sleek design reflecting the advanced technology the university was known for. The air buzzed with activity as students filled the room, chatting about everything from upcoming assignments to weekend adventures. Some students scrolled through their phones, while others leaned back in their chairs, laughing at inside jokes.
Rian and Soren made their way to their usual seats, exchanging greetings with their classmates along the way. "Hey, Rian, did you finish the algorithm assignment yet?" one student called out.
"Working on it," Rian replied with a smirk, earning a groan from the student.
As they settled in, another classmate, Ava, leaned over with a mischievous grin. "Soren, heard you broke three hearts at the café yesterday. Care to comment?"
Soren laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender. "Not my fault I'm irresistible."
"Yeah, yeah," Ava shot back, rolling her eyes. "Tell that to the line of girls glaring at you from across the hall."
Rian chuckled, shaking his head as Soren basked in the teasing. The lively atmosphere kept the mood light as they waited for the lecture to begin.
A few minutes later, the room began to quiet as a woman stepped onto the podium. Her presence commanded attention, and the scattered conversations quickly faded into silence. The lecture was about to start.
The woman was Dr. Eleanor Vance, always impeccably dressed, her sharp suits complemented by thin, rectangular glasses that seemed to gleam with precision. Her dark hair, streaked with silver, was pulled back into a neat bun. Piercing green eyes swept across the room, giving her an air of intensity that students found both inspiring and intimidating. Dr. Vance was the lecturer for Mathematics for AI and Business, and her classes were known for their meticulously organized structure.
"Good morning, everyone," Dr. Vance began, her clear, authoritative voice resonating through the hall. "Today, we'll explore optimization problems in business analytics, focusing on maximizing profit while minimizing costs. To start, let's consider a real-world scenario."
She tapped the smart screen, and an interactive graph appeared, illustrating a manufacturing company's cost and revenue curves. "Imagine you're tasked with determining the optimal production level for this company to maximize its profit. How do we approach this?"
As Dr. Vance continued, she outlined the mathematical tools required to solve the problem, seamlessly weaving theory with practical application. Her teaching style drew the students in, their initial intimidation giving way to rapt attention.
Rian, however, found himself working through the equations faster than Dr. Vance could present them. Thanks to the knowledge he had absorbed from the math textbook, the concepts felt almost trivial. He even completed some solutions in his head before she finished writing them on the board.
He glanced around the room, noticing that while most students were furiously taking notes, Soren was doodling in his notebook. Rian smirked, whispering, "Paying attention, I see."
Soren grinned. "Oh, I am. Just multitasking," he whispered back.
"Mr. Thorne, Mr. Soren," Dr. Vance's voice cut through the room, sharp and commanding. Both of them froze as her piercing green eyes locked onto them. "Would you care to share your discussion with the rest of the class?"
The room went silent, every student's eyes shifting to the two friends. Rian felt heat rise to his face as he quickly stammered, "Uh, no, Dr. Vance, just… noting how engaging the lecture is."
Dr. Vance raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Then perhaps you'd like to demonstrate that engagement by solving the next equation on the board?"
The class erupted in quiet laughter, a ripple of amusement running through the room. Everyone knew the unspoken rule: if Dr. Vance caught you talking, you never answered her challenge. To do so would invite either a probing question or a trip to the board. Even Soren, sitting beside Rian, whispered a silent prayer on his friend's behalf.
Rian stood, his face a mask of reluctant regret, though inside he was laughing. "This is child-level math," he thought, but he made sure his expression betrayed none of his confidence.
As he approached the board, the class settled into a hushed anticipation. Most students expected the inevitable—Rian stumbling through the problem and Dr. Vance dismissing him with a sharp comment. Even Zoey, the class math genius, crossed her arms and watched with mild curiosity, prepared to cringe at the coming spectacle.
Rian picked up the marker and studied the equation on the board. It was a problem grounded in business mathematics, specifically about calculating the break-even point for a company balancing fixed costs, variable costs, and projected revenues. To everyone's surprise, he began solving it with deliberate precision. He started by identifying the fixed and variable components, breaking down the relationships between costs and revenues with clarity that belied his usual performance. His movements were smooth, as though he had rehearsed this moment a hundred times. Each step flowed into the next, the logic seamless and unhurried. The room grew quieter as more students leaned forward in their seats, their initial skepticism giving way to astonishment. Even Zoey uncrossed her arms, her eyes narrowing in interest as she recognized the advanced technique he used to simplify the final equation.
Dr. Vance watched intently, her sharp gaze fixed on Rian. She prided herself on knowing the capabilities of her students, and Rian had never displayed this level of proficiency before. What intrigued her most wasn't just that he solved the equation—it was the way he did it, as if he had planned this moment far in advance.
Rian placed the marker back in its holder and turned to Dr. Vance. "Am I correct?" he asked, his voice steady.
Dr. Vance regarded the board for a few seconds, her face unreadable. Finally, she nodded. "Correct," she said, her tone measured. Then, with a slight smirk, she added, "It's fortunate you've encountered this problem before. That was lucky."
The class burst into laughter, the tension breaking. Even Zoey let out a small chuckle, relieved that Rian's sudden brilliance wasn't a sign of her losing her top spot. Rian smiled and returned to his seat, basking in the admiration from his benchmates.
"Lucky, huh?" one of his classmates whispered, nudging him. "We'll call you 'Lucky Thorne' from now on."
Rian almost laughed out loud but managed to suppress it, glancing at Dr. Vance, who had resumed her lecture. Soren leaned over, his face a mix of awe and amusement. "Seriously, man, where did that come from?"
Rian just smirked, leaning back in his chair. "You'll see soon enough," he thought, a hint of mischief in his expression.