Liam:
I ended up in the parking lot earlier than I needed. Partly because I couldn't wait, and partly because my nerves wouldn't let me sit still. The idea of meeting everyone had me wired.
What I hadn't expected was that the faculty of Quantum Biology only had twelve students in total. Sure, it was a brand-new field, but twelve? That was barely a classroom. And about half of us were scholarship kids, which leveled things out a little.
Equal footing, right? At least that's what I told myself. I figured knowing eleven other people couldn't be hard.
I'd had a quick coffee in the dorm mess before coming here. Chad, of course, was busy with... whatever Chad did. Not that we needed to stick together all the time.
I checked the time on my phone. Seven Forty-five. Fifteen minutes left. Still, it was the first day. People would arrive early, wouldn't they? Like I had?
And right on cue, Christo strolled in from the main path, four others in tow. Two guys and two girls.
He was looking dashing with his blue shirt tucked neatly into pressed trousers. He looked confident as usual. He came straight over and stuck out his hand. I shook it firmly.
"Early today. Liam?" he said with an easy familiarity.
"Yeah. I couldn't wait to meet everyone." I turned to the others, offering each of them a quick handshake. "Hello."
Christo spread his arms. "Guys, this is Liam. And these..." he pointed to others. "...are Olga, Kusum, Bruce, and Leland."
I nodded at them again.
"Liam is my new friend. He is also a scholarship student like all of us." He grinned. "Except I'm not, of course."
We laughed, and the ice between us cracked a little. Their aloofness faded, and they actually seemed as excited to meet me as I was to meet them.
"So," I spoke up, trying to avoid the overused tell-me-about-yourself line, "are you all excited about this tour? Got to be something, right?"
Olga, tall and fair with striking eyes, answered first. "Excited, sure. But honestly, I'm more interested in tonight."
Kusum nodded eagerly. "They say the forest around there is incredible at night. It sounds... haunting. Imagine black forest after dark!"
"Yeah," I said, trying to match their enthusiasm. "Could be fun. Could be a disaster."
Leland frowned. "What's so great about a forest? This area is surrounded by them. I don't get the hype. I'd rather skip it and get some sleep."
Olga glared at him. "Maybe you should."
Bruce, broad-shouldered and normal built, clapped his hands once. "Come on, guys. Save it for later. Leave it to Christo. He will make sure nobody regrets it."
Christo nodded appreciating Bruce's confidence.
Olga turned to me. She looked me up and down. "So, Liam, right?"
"Yeah," I said.
"Are you excited about tonight?" She looked at me mischievously.
"Yeah."
"Really?" Her eyes narrowed, teasing but curious.
"Why do you ask?"
Her lips curved into a hint of a smile. "Because I'd like to get to know you more. You look interesting."
I wasn't sure if Olga was teasing me or was actually serious. People often told me I was decent-looking, but that didn't mean I believed it. Back home, they always said I'd inherited the best of my parents' genes. At least, that was the story they liked to tell.
Christo slung an arm around my shoulders. "Leave the man alone. Don't tease him."
Olga's brows lifted. "What do you mean? Do you really think I was teasing?"
Leland, off to the side, gave me a look I couldn't quite understand.
Before I could figure it out, two cars pulled into the lot. A Porsche and a Mustang, rare sights around here. Four figures stepped out, looking far more fashionable than the rest of us. The cool kids of our faculty, clearly. Christo would fit right in with them.
At the same time, three more people appeared through the front gates of the university. An older woman in a tailored coat, flanked by a boy and a girl. I was pretty sure she was Mrs. Faber. She had that air of authority, and the professional outfit sealed the deal.
I did the math quickly. The ones already in the lot, plus the newcomers. That made twelve students. And with Mrs. Faber, we were 13 people. So, it was right.
The boy beside Mrs. Faber looked ordinary in that above-average way most students here did. He looked fit, confident, but not someone who'd stand out in a crowd. But the girl beside Mrs. Faber was someone very different. She drew the eye without effort.
She was absolutely gorgeous. Tall, like many here, but with a perfect balance. Her frame was both slim and curvy. Mahogany hair fell across the side of her face and neck. And her eyes...they were amber. I'd never seen anything so mesmerizing. Her blue jeans and black top only made her stand out more. But her face had that edge. Maybe angry?
"She's very beautiful, right?"
"She is," I said before I could stop myself. The words slipped out, too honest.
I turned and found Bruce smirking at me.
I was caught admiring a girl. Christo and Leland were looking at me, like they understood what I was going through.
Soon, everyone gathered, and we formed a group. Mrs. Faber stood before us with the practiced air of someone who'd done this countless times before.
"Hello, everyone," she said, her voice sharp with authority. "I'm Augusta Faber, head of the QB faculty. We'll have plenty of time for introductions over the next four years, so, let me say this first: these years are the foundation of your future. As the first generation of QB students, I expect you to give your all. Be prepared for challenges. Keep yourselves open to new ideas, new methods, and new ways of thinking. And remember what I said."
She was a no-nonsense type, then. Good. I liked that. But a little warmth would have been better.
"Let's go," she said briskly, already turning on her heel.
We followed her across the lot and down a narrow side path that curved along the left wing of the White Office. Compared to the massive buildings we'd already passed, the one she stopped at looked modest. It was single-story, small compared to others, but grand nonetheless.
"This is the QB lab," Miss Faber explained. "You'll be using it extensively in the future. Most of your time will be spent here. Both theoretical and practical. We won't be going inside today. That can wait until semester begins. For now, I want you to know the places that matter."
Her heels clicked as she pivoted back toward the path again. "Now, let's visit the Arboretum."
We trailed behind her again, moving a hundred meters or so until the campus gave way to a different kind of forest. Unlike the dark forest in the main walkway, this forest looked carefully arranged. There were trees and shrubs of different species pressed together in many patterns. A mixed forest, but designed.
"This...," she began, sweeping a hand toward the trees.
A shrill ringtone cut her off. Miss Faber froze, eyes narrowing.
"Whose phone...," she said, "...is not on silent?"
The girl with the amber eyes pulled out her phone. She glanced at the caller ID, frowned, and without hesitation turned around, heading back the way we'd come from. She didn't ask permission, didn't even excuse herself.
I knew this wasn't school, but still, walking out in the middle of tour? On the first day? That felt... kind of rude.
"Lira, where are you going?" Miss Faber's voice cut across the group.
So that was her name. Lira.
"Home." The word sounded absolutely final.
"The orientation is not complete, Lira. You need to finish it."
"I don't care. We'll do it tomorrow." She didn't even slow her walk, let alone look back.
We all stood there, watching as she disappeared down the path.
Miss Faber, meanwhile, looked... unsettled. Not angry, exactly. Just thrown. It wasn't the reaction I expected from someone who seemed very strict just a moment ago. A student dismissing her on the first day, it made her look weak, didn't it? Yet she let it go. That in itself was strange.
The group stood in a stunned silence after Lira's blunt exit. Boys were amazed while the girls looked impressed, probably, admiring her boldness. Few like me saw that as a bit of disrespect to the professor.
"Wow. She is a firecracker, right?" Bruce whispered at my side.
"Why are you asking me?" I said, though the words came out more defensive than I meant. He only smirked in reply, like he'd caught me staring too long. Was I staring too long?
Mrs. Faber cleared her throat and turned back to us. "So. Coming back to the topic, this is the Arboretum. I'm sure everyone of you knows what an arboretum is. More than two hundred species of trees and shrubs grow here. Materials for your lab work will be collected from this place. If you need anything, you will ask me for permission first."
We, then, went on to different locations. But nothing as important as the lab or the arboretum. It felt like Mrs. Faber had taken us on these locations just for the sake of taking us there. She lacked the earlier energy.
Finally, her gaze swept across the group. "That is all you need to know for now. Other facilities will come in time, as the course requires. Some lessons may also take us to forests or facilities outside the university. But that is for later."
She smoothed down the front of her coat. "For today, we are finished. You may stay, or go about your work. That's all."
And just like that, the tour ended.
Maybe she had planned to show us more, but after Lira's exit she'd lost the will. Either way, it was short. Which was fine by me. We had four years to get familiar with these buildings. No hurry. Better to spend the time getting to know each other.
The group slowly relaxed again. Whatever excitement I'd built up yesterday about today felt thinner now, cut down by how quickly it had all ended.
"So, what do you think about her, Liam?" Bruce asked once again.
I groaned inwardly. "Again, why are you asking me?" This guy was targeting me. But why?
"Answer the question. Don't be shy, Liam." Olga leaned in, clearly interested in what I'd say.
"Honestly... I don't know." And I didn't. I wasn't dodging. I just hadn't figured her out.
"Come on," Bruce pressed, grinning. "Give us a real answer."
I glanced around. Ten pairs of eyes, all fixed on me, waiting. Why were they so invested in my opinion?
"She seemed a bit... ah... disrespectful to Mrs. Faber?" I offered. That was the truth. My second thought about her eyes being mesmerizing stayed in my head where it belonged.
The group fell quiet. A few faces looked stunned, mostly the fancy ones, as if I'd broken some unspoken rule. Olga, though, tilted her head and smiled.
"That's correct, Liam. I'm impressed."
It didn't feel like a hard answer to me, but apparently, it impressed her.
She then turned to Christo. "So, aren't you going to invite the rest of us? You haven't invited those five." She nodded toward the group from the cars, and the boy who had come with Mrs. Faber.
Christo hesitated, studying them. He knew everyone in the dorms, that much was clear, which meant these ones must be living outside. Understandable. If you had the money to study here, you had the money to live anywhere you wanted.
Still, I thought the dorms mattered. They weren't just rooms. They were the way of university's life. For me, that was part of the experience.
Christ stayed quiet. He looked like he'd already made up his mind. Maybe he didn't want to invite anyone he didn't know properly.
"Maybe some other time," he said at last. "The fewer people, the better. Too many and you don't really get to know anyone. Smaller groups are best. That's how you make something memorable. Don't you think, Kusum? A big crowd would kill the haunting thrill, right?"
Kusum thought it over. Then she nodded. "Yes."
With that settled, we walked back to the dorms. Conversation picked up in pieces but nothing worth paying attention to.
The rest of the day passed in a blur. Meals with Chad, idle conversations, nothing much in between. His day had been even quieter than mine. No orientation, no tour. He'd said their group would do it later. Tomorrow was the last day before the semester officially started. So, maybe they would do it tomorrow.
When six o'clock rolled around, Chad was already dressed. Black T-shirt with the word Interesting printed across the chest, black trousers and white shoes. Not the best outfit for walking through a forest at night, but he wore it like it didn't matter.
"Looking sharp, Liam," he said, grinning. "Trying to impress anyone? I heard your faculty has some pretty girls."
I glanced down at myself. It was just plain grey T-shirt, grey track pants and running shoes. I had a backpack slung over one shoulder with an extra jacket stuffed inside. Just in case it got cold.
"Same, man," I told him.
"Ready to go?"
"Yeah."
We were late. The clock had already struck six by the time we left the room. When we reached the lot, the guys were already waiting.
"Finally," Leland sighed. Dressed as usual, nothing fancy, nothing memorable. "I knew this was going to drag."
"Sorry," I stammered, feeling the weight of their stares.
"Come on, we're here right on time," Chad cut in. "Cut us some slack. Liam was digging around for his best clothes."
"Really, Liam?" Olga chimed in, rocking denim shorts and a simple T-shirt. Definitely not forest-ready either. "You trying to impress me?"
"No..." I said, heat crawling up my neck.
"Don't be shy, Liam," she teased, flashing me a look that was half a smile, half a dare.
I didn't answer Olga. When she realized, she wasn't going to get a rise out of me, her interest slipped away as quickly as it had sparked.
That was when Riya arrived. She walked into the lot at her own pace, unhurried, as if the whole group could wait for her. Her T-shirt caught my eye. White letters across the front read Not Really.
I snorted before I could stop myself. The timing was too perfect. Chad in his Interesting shirt, Riya in her Not Really. Opposites standing side by side.
Everyone turned to look at me, puzzled. They didn't get the joke. And I kept it to myself.
"Let's go," Christo said at last.
I climbed in his Golf; Chad and Bruce did the same. The rest of us squeezed into Olga's Polo.
Christo didn't waste any time and began driving to our unknown destination, while Olga followed us closely.
In the backseat, Chad leaned forward, grinning wide, practically vibrating with excitement.
"So, what's up with this car?"
Christo just laughed. "It's a rental."
"So, where's the place?" I asked, still unsure.
"You will find out soon enough," he replied vaguely. I didn't like that.
Meanwhile, as I could see in the rearview mirror, the campus faded away while the town of Schönwald emerged ahead. The buildings here carried a traditional German style but looked modern at the same time with large gardens. Some were small businesses with signboards in German. Soon, the buildings grew sparser and sparser, gradually replaced by clusters of trees.
We turned onto a smaller road which was less of a road and more of a track, with loose dirt and gravel crunching under the car's wheels. The ride got a little bumpy, but Christo navigated it with ease.
"Almost there," he said, sensing our discomfort.
I didn't know what this place was, but with the trees so close, hints of raining and sky darkening, a feeling of anticipation began to build in my gut. Chad and Bruce were leaning back, enjoying the ride. I decided to do the same.