The alarm clock rang at exactly 6:00 a.m., loud and sharp, cutting through the early morning silence like it had something to prove.
From under the thick blankets, a hand crawled out, slow and clumsy, like a zombie rising from the grave. It fumbled for a second before slamming the alarm clock with a solid thud, like it had some unfinished business with it.
A tired yawn followed from beneath the covers. The blanket shifted and slid off, revealing a young man around twenty-two years old. He had a lean build, not too muscular, but not weak either. His hair was a mess, sticking out in random directions, and his half-open eyes screamed of sleep still clinging to him. He yawned again, rubbing his face like he was trying to wake up from the dead.
His eyes flicked to the calendar on the wall. Friday. The last day before the weekend.
A familiar heaviness settled over him, practically begging him to sink back into bed. "If I skip today, that's three days off in a row…".
The thought was tempting, way too tempting. Not that it would be his first time. He'd already been out for three days straight, thanks to his world-class procrastination skills. If there was a title for it, he'd probably be the reigning champion by now.
But today wasn't like the others. He had an assignment due. One he couldn't push back any longer. No more excuses.
He shook off the dizziness and got out of bed, grabbing the towel hanging nearby. Without much thought, he headed to the washroom.
About thirty minutes later, Rix stepped out of the bathroom, towel draped around his neck, drying his hair with lazy strokes. The steam still clung to his skin, and the sharp contrast of cold air made him shiver slightly.
As he moved through his room, his eyes landed on the family photo hanging on the wall. A small, genuine smile tugged at his lips.
Four faces beamed back at him--his mom, dad, his younger sister, and him. That moment captured something warm.
He paused for a second, letting the smile linger.
Just then, his phone buzzed on the table.
He didn't even need to check. He already knew who it was, With a soft chuckle, he picked it up and answered, bringing it to his ear.
"Yes, Mom."
"Well, well… someone sounds way too cheerful this morning. Did you actually wake up early today, or are you just pretending because I called?"
"Of course I did," Rix replied, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I'm a very responsible student, you know that, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, I know… which is exactly why I check on you every day," she said with a chuckle. "You are going to college regularly, right? No slacking off?"
Rix hesitated for a second, but kept his tone light, "Of course I did, Mom. I've been up and ready for college.
She chuckled, clearly pleased. "That's my boy. I know living alone isn't easy, but I'm so proud of how you're managing everything.
Rix smiled, forcing a casual, innocent tone. "Mom, come on. You know me. I've been attending everything. You don't have to worry so much."
Her voice softened with affection. "I know, I know. You've always been the sincere one. I trust you, Rix. Still, I can't help checking in you're all alone there, and it's a mother's instinct."
He leaned back, guilt tugging at him slightly, but he kept the smile in his voice. "I get it, and I'm really fine. Everything's going smoothly."
She sighed, clearly comforted. "That's all I need to hear."
Rix was quiet for a moment, then asked gently, "And what about you, Mom? How are you really doing?
There was a pause. "Oh, you know me," she said brightly. "Running around, working, managing the home, checking in on you... same old. It's a lot, but I'm hanging in there."
He could hear the tiredness behind her cheer. "You sure you're okay?"
"I have to be," she said, her voice steady. "This is for you. For all of us. We came here to build a better life, and knowing you're doing well makes it all worth it."
Rix's chest tightened with guilt. He asked, steering the conversation away. "How's Dad holding up? Still drowning in meetings?"
She chuckled. "You know your father. He leaves early, comes back tired, but he's doing his best. He misses you.
Rix smiled faintly. "And Siya?" Rix asked. "Still bossing everyone around?"
"Oh, more than ever," she said with a groan. "She's adjusted well to the new school, but the attitude came with her. The girl acts like she runs this apartment. She pretends not to care, but she brings up your name at least twice a day."
Rix laughed. "I miss that little trouble machine."
"Alright, I won't keep you. I just wanted to hear your voice and check in." she said softly.
"I'm glad you called," Rix said, his voice gentle.
"Take care of yourself, okay?" she said. "And don't forget to eat something proper, not just cup noodles."
"I will. Promise," he replied with a grin, guilt still lingering in his chest.
"Alright then. I'll talk to you soon."
"Love you, Mom."
"Love you more, my good boy."
"Bye."
After the phone call finished, Rix sighed, got up from the bed, placed the phone on the table, and started getting ready.
He walked to the door and pulled it open. For now, he was living alone at home. Since his house was close to the college, he didn't have to stay in a regular dorm like most students. So, he chose to stay in his own place instead.
The house was a modest two-story home, with one bedroom on the ground floor and two more tucked away upstairs. It had all the essentials you'd expect--a cozy dining hall, a functional kitchen, and a couple of bathrooms scattered across both floors, making it feel just like any other lived-in home.
Rix opened the door and headed downstairs, made his way to the kitchen, and threw together some sort of breakfast, though only God could tell what it actually was. After finishing whatever that was, he quickly got up, returned upstairs, and began packing and getting dressed.
When he looked in the mirror, he saw a young man of average height, with an average face, and not a single feature that stood out. Just plain, simple Rix.
He was about 5'6", a bit on the lean side, not particularly muscular. His hair had that naturally messy look like he hadn't tried too hard, but somehow it worked.
What stood out, though, were his eyes. Sharp and observant. He might've been lazy by nature, but when it came to the world around him, he noticed things others didn't. There was a quiet curiosity in him, especially for the little details of life.
After a quick look in the mirror, he pulled on a plain white hoodie and got ready to head out.
Once he was ready, Rix headed downstairs and pushed open the front door. He walked over to what he liked to call the garage, though in truth, it barely qualified. It wasn't much, just a small sheltered space off to the side of the house, but it was roomy enough to fit a two-wheeler. And for him, that was all it needed to be.
There it was, his personal ride, the one he could proudly call his own.
Yep, a bicycle.
A good old-fashioned, pedal-it-yourself cycle.
It might sound a little ridiculous, but the truth was, Rix Alder didn't come from money. His family wasn't poor, just... comfortably far from rich.
Rix's parents had recently taken up a job opportunity overseas or rather, in some far-off city for the next few years. The pay was better, and it gave them a little breathing room to support Rix's education. Since his younger sister still had school ahead of her, they took her along, wanting to keep the family together as much as possible.
It wasn't an easy goodbye. The house felt quieter now, emptier in a way that settled in the corners. But Rix's college admission in Ashford was already in place, and with the house just a short distance from campus, staying behind made the most sense. Uprooting everything for the sake of togetherness would've disrupted too much. And truthfully, his parents trusted him, they believed he could handle the solitude.
So he stayed, in a house that still held echoes of a full family, now learning what it meant to live on his own.
he got near to his cycle, brushed off the seat with a quick swipe of his hand and swung a leg over it.
"Fine, let's get this done," he muttered under his breath, pushing off from the ground.
The wheels glided smoothly over the pavement as he pedaled out of the narrow lane. His hair caught the breeze, and for a while, the soft click of the chain was the only sound in the quiet morning.
As Rix pedaled his cycle toward the college gates, a sudden BROOOOM----shhoosh ripped through the air.
A sleek, black BMW M5 Competition roared past him like a beast unchained, its engine snarling with power and its tinted windows catching the morning sun like polished obsidian.
Rix nearly swerved off the road, blinking at the blur that had just passed him. "Well damn," he muttered. "That thing probably costs more than my entire neighborhood."
As the BMW slowed near the parking area, its window rolled down just a crack. The driver, young, sharp-jawed, sunglasses that screamed money glanced back and offered Rix a smirk. Not the friendly kind. The 'your cycle should be illegal here' kind.
Rix met the guy's eyes briefly, then just gave a casual shrug and a grin. He'd seen that look more times than he could count. Been humiliated before, Wasn't the end of the world.
He rolled into the college gates, the front tire squeaking ever so slightly as he slowed to a stop.
The parking lot was split into three sections. The two-wheeler zone, packed to the brim with bikes and scooters was buzzing as usual. And then there was the cycle stand.
Empty.
Except for his poor, loyal bicycle standing all alone, chained to the rail like it was doing time for a crime it didn't commit.
He sighed, "I should just peel my skin off at this point," he muttered, parking beside it. "One of these days, I swear this thing's gonna start crying."
But he didn't care much.
His eyes casually drifted to the four-wheeler section, where most vehicles belonged to teachers and staff, ordinary hatchbacks and second-hand sedans. But a few cars stood out like lions in a herd of cows.
First, right at the edge, was the same monster that had passed him earlier. A BMW M5 Competition, black as midnight and gleaming like a polished obsidian blade. Its low stance and aggressive curves looked like it could tear through air even while standing still.
Next to it, a Mustang GT500, deep red with matte-black racing stripes, sat like it owned the ground beneath it. The hood was long and muscular, the front grille wide enough to swallow a cyclist whole.
Then came the Maybach S680, a rolling fortress of wealth. It was pearl white, absurdly long, and shimmered under the morning sun like a damn chandelier. Even the door handles looked like they had trust funds.
Beside it was the hulking frame of a Mercedes G-Wagon, matte black with oversized wheels and tinted windows darker than most people's futures. It looked less like a car and more like a military vehicle that decided to go luxury.
And finally, like it had no business being there, sat a Lamborghini Veneno, silver body with sharp, alien-like curves and green streaks running along its sides. It looked less like a car and more like a spaceship with anger issues.
And then, of course, sitting at the very end like royalty, was a stretch limousine, jet black, polished to a mirror finish. It looked like it belonged at a red carpet, not a college campus.
Rix stared for a moment.
"I'm in the wrong tax bracket," he whispered, then chuckled and gave his cycle a gentle pat. "Don't worry, buddy. At least you don't guzzle premium fuel... and you never judge me."
Rix didn't waste too much time gawking at the line-up of four-wheeled flex machines. He locked his cycle, gave it one last pat like a soldier heading to war, and headed off toward his class.
It had everything you'd expect from a top-tier institution: multiple academic blocks for every department, a massive library that looked more like a corporate HQ, a cafeteria that served food ranging from edible to "suspicious," and even a fully-equipped gym Rix had only heard about but never dared to enter.
Smack in the center stood the main admin building, towering with its glass facade and a giant clock on top that no one ever looked at, thanks to smartphones.
The academic buildings surrounded it like loyal soldiers each dedicated to engineering, business, arts, sciences, and more. Students moved around in waves, either too busy or too sleepy to care where they were going.
And then came the dorms.
Two seven-story dormitory buildings stood on opposite sides of the campus: one for boys, one for girls. And by "opposite," Rix meant literal ends of the universe. He often joked that the distance between them could cause a long-distance relationship to collapse.
"I don't know who designed this campus," he mumbled to himself once, "but they either really respect personal space... or they've seen too many high school dramas."
Still, it was Ashford University. The biggest and most prestigious college in Ashford City. Students from all over came here chasing dreams or in Rix's case, dragging themselves half-asleep that probably shouldn't still be alive.
Rix strolled toward his class, his footsteps echoing faintly in the massive hallway ahead of him. Honestly, it was less of a hallway and more like a damn highway wide enough to drive a bus through, and bustling like a mall on a weekend.
Students moved in every direction, chatting, laughing, some glued to their phones, others surrounded by groups of friends like they were running a mini fan club.
Rix weaved through them quietly. He wasn't much of a social butterfly. Sure, he could talk when needed, but he was more of the introverted kind, someone who kept a tight circle. Two friends, max. Maybe one and a half, depending on the day.
Without breaking stride, he reached his classroom and slid the door open to the side, slipping in like a breeze trying not to be noticed.
The classroom was almost deserted, save for three or four students scattered around like lonely houseplants each one absorbed in their own world, headphones in, heads down, or half-asleep already.
Rix stepped in, took one glance, and sighed. Empty. Just how he liked it.
He looked at his watch.8:20 AM.The class didn't start until 9:00.
He stared at the numbers for a moment, suspicious, like they were mocking him.
"Why the hell am I here this early?" he muttered, genuinely confused. Normally, he'd stroll in at 10:00 AM like a misunderstood genius. And if he was feeling wildly disciplined, he might push it to 9:30 just in time to pretend he cared.
The classroom itself was standard college fare: long whiteboard at the front, slightly cracked in one corner, faded motivational posters on the side walls ("Strive for Progress, Not Perfection" was ironically peeling off), and ceiling fans that made more noise than wind.
The desks were a chaotic mix some with years of doodles etched into them like ancient cave art. A few still had gum fossilized beneath them like museum artifacts. The chairs were the usual plastic nightmares: back-breaking, spine-disrespecting, and soul-crushing. A few even wobbled just enough to give you anxiety every time you shifted.
But Rix didn't mind. He marched to his usual spot at the back near the window, the unofficial throne of introverts and dropped his bag beside the desk with a dull thud.
Without a second thought, he lowered his head to the table like he was about to make peace with gravity itself.
Sleep mode: activated.
"God-level procrastination powers… don't fail me now," he mumbled, eyes already closed, his body sinking into the desk like it owed him money.
And just like that, Rix was gone, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally.
At exactly 9:00 AM, the shrill ring of the bell echoed through the corridor, signaling the start of class. The usual buzz of the hallway faded as students shuffled into the classroom, slouching into their seats in a slow, practiced ritual.
A middle-aged man with neatly combed hair and square-rimmed glasses stepped into the room Professor Harin. Known for being strict but not unbearable, he was the kind who didn't mind students zoning out now and then, as long as they didn't cause trouble.
As expected, the class stood up in unison to greet him.
Well... almost everyone.
At the very back of the room, Rix remained blissfully asleep, head buried in his arms. Being in the back row had its perks like going unnoticed. That is, until the buzz of quiet murmurs pulled him halfway out of his nap.
He groggily opened one eye, blinking at the blurry figures in front of him. Something felt off. People weren't looking at the professor like they usually did. No, their eyes were locked onto someone else, someone standing beside him.
Rix rubbed his eyes, still caught in that limbo between sleep and reality.
And then he saw her.
she was dressed casually, almost elegantly. A soft pastel blue sweater hugged her slender frame, paired with high-waisted black jeans that accentuated her curves in all the right ways. Her long, bluish-white hair cascaded down to her waist like moonlight, subtly swaying as she shifted her stance.
Her eyes cold, ocean-blue swept across the room with quiet disinterest, as if everyone here was beneath her notice. She wasn't trying to stand out, but her very presence made the air feel different.
Rix stared, still processing, then muttered under his breath:
"A transfer student? In college? What is this, anime?"