The Arrival

sUMMER | cHAPTER ONE

13 July 996 Mr Matthias T Cadwell 451 Sicarus Road Outland, Kohryu 95109

Dear Matthias,

On behalf of the administration, faculty, staff, and student body of Terra Cantor University, I invite you to become a member of the class of 1000. We believe your success in high school has prepared you to contribute to the impressive tradition of Terra Cantor.

You may be alarmed to receive such a notice. We are aware that you have been denied to Terra Cantor prior. We are also aware of the need for every young mind to excel in the world we live in. Gaia needs young minds such as yourself in order to succeed. This is why, on behalf of the selection committee at the Office of Admissions, we invite you to become a part of our student body. You have earned a second chance.

You have also earned some financial aid. On behalf of myself as well as the financial department of Terra Cantor, I hereby approve of your acceptance of the EXIMA Scholarship, should you choose to come here. Should you choose to come to Terra Cantor, your entire tuition will be paid for, including room and board. The money has been appropriated automatically, so there is no additional action required on your part.

For the time being, we have placed you on a pre-major path, where you can receive a sample of the curriculum we have to offer at Terra Cantor. I'm confident that this path will help you gain insight. We ask that during Orientation, you simply pick classes that most intrigue you, but be mindful of the core curriculum. You can learn more about Terra Cantor's curriculum on our official website. We will help guide you once you arrive on campus. Orientation will be on Saturday, August 13, starting at 12:00 p.m. in front of the university union. Class begins on Monday, August 15.

Terra Cantor has long been known for combining a strong academic focus with opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. These experiences at Terra Cantor will provide the foundation for a lifetime of personal and professional achievement.

I look forward to see you on campus next fall!

Sincerely, Soren A. Linos Dean of Admissions

---

I folded the letter up and put it back. There was a seal used to bind the envelope. It had an image of Terra Cantor's sigil: five circles inscribed with designs and arranged in a diamond, representing the five houses of Terra Cantor.

I placed the letter in my messenger bag. I pulled up my wrist to check the time. The parting gift my parents gave me said 8:30 a.m. Riding the train to the city of Calcos has been an exciting experience. Not exciting like entertaining, though. The excitement I was feeling was more like apprehension. I had so many questions I had to ask at my orientation.

Why me? That's what I wanted to know the most. Why was I chosen? Why did I earn a second chance to further my education? There are thousands upon thousands of students on Kohryu, and even more to choose from on the entire planet of Gaia. What did I do to deserve this? Others are more deserving of an education.

And what the heck was the EXIMA Scholarship? A full ride? That's almost unheard of! I'm actually getting paid to come here!

I never did anything remarkable in high school. I graduated 50th of 489 students. I was the president of only one school club, a small group of about 10 people. I helped out with the yearbook and school newspaper. That's as far as my leadership positions went, and even my performance in those clubs were unnoticeable. I never did sports, nor band, or orchestra. I didn't do anything remarkable. I didn't do anything to deserve this.

So why was I even offered such a thing? And a full ride on top of that? What did I do to deserve a full ride to the most prestigious university on Kohryu, if not the world? I wasn't anything special. I wasn't anything remarkable.

I am the eldest of four children. I have two younger brothers, and the newest member of the family is a girl. Grover, Otis, and Violet all look up to me to set an example for them. I thought the best way to excel was to do what comes naturally to me. That involves performing well in my academics, getting involved in the community, and working hard when I got home. I believe my example has worked, as my parents commented on how much my siblings mimic me.

And now I have to rise up and set an example again. This was a rare chance for me to show everyone what I can do. Gaia has blessed me with such an opportunity, and I need to take advantage of it. I cannot let value like this slip through my grasp.

But... even if I do excel... what am I going to do with a degree in anything? I don't know the world outside of where I live. This is my first time living in an actual city. This is my first time confronting the real world. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Well, today is the day. Either I figure out what I'm going to do with myself, or I continue to have doubts. Today is the day I find out what I'm capable of and what I can do for the world.

Today, I find out who I am.

---

"NOW STOPPING AT CALCOS, LOCHOR TERMINAL! NOW STOPPING AT CALCOS!"

That was my cue. I stood up from my seat, strapping my bag across my shoulder while holding a duffel bag full of clothes in my free hand. As soon as there was enough room for me to move, I jumped off the train and finally planted my first steps alone within the great city of Calcos, the capital of Kohryu.

I've only been here a few times when my parents took my family here as leisure. I don't know what this place is or what kind of life one would have here. I lived in a rural community my entire life. I'd never thought I'd make the transition from the country to the city. The buildings were so tall, they were making me dizzy and giddy at the same time.

Luckily I knew where to begin looking. I had studied and printed out a map when I went to the library to get a better idea of what Calcos was like. Terra Cantor was to the southwest of the station. Thus I began my trek.

I learned that Calcos was so big, the city itself had to be split into several districts and zones. In fact, Calcos continues to grow even after the Century War, inheriting nearby plots of land for infrastructure and development. Construction was always going on in Calcos. I had to navigate through the districts of Lochor, Crotona, and make it to Taenth, which was where Terra Cantor was located.

I had studied the maps of Calcos so well, I immediately headed in the direction I needed to go. The trek was long and tiring, but nostalgic as well. I looked at the skyscrapers, remembering them as tall as they were when I was here as a child. I remember certain landmarks, such as the large bank with a statue of an Ursus holding a globe on his shoulders.

Further down the road, I recalled that small pink ice cream shop Mom took me to when I was younger. I had walked a good distance, so I decided to stop here and order my favorite treat. It was called a turtle sundae, a treat with vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, caramel, crushed walnuts, and whipped cream. After I paid 5 denarii and took my first bite, it all came back to me. Yes, I remember now. I haven't eaten this in so long! Now that I'm in the city, I realized I can eat here as much as I wanted to.

After I finished eating, I checked the clock. It was 10:38, and I still had a long way to go. I didn't want to be late on such an important day like this.

---

From Lochor to Crotona to Taenth, I had finally ended up on the street where the university union was situated. I was growing exhausted as well. Kohryu was the central continent, so it was notorious for having very hot days thanks to the equator. Back in the country, it was much cooler. I guess it had to do with that "urban heat island" thing I read in a book once.

The university union was a large edifice. It was actually two tall buildings connected together on the second and third floor. A massive tower was next to the building to the right, where I noticed a large clock was about to strike noon. As soon as the minute hand moved, a loud bell could be heard from the distance. It played a 28-note tune, then it rang twelve more times.

I crossed the street and found the man I was looking for, or so I hoped. He was a Tyto, a race of anima that looked like barn owls. He was in a slick and clean business suit. He turned his head around, left and right, shielding his eyes from the sun with his left hand. In his right hand, he was holding a purple backpack that was too small for him to wear.

As soon as I got close, he made a humming sound. Then he approached me slowly. I stood my ground. "Matthias Cadwell?" he asked.

"Y-- yes," I said, bewildered. "Who are you?"

"Dr. Yarrow Navarre," said the man. He held out a hand for me to shake, then nodded. "Head of the Honors College at Terra Cantor. I was expecting you."

I had figured this school was expecting me, but I didn't expect it to send the head of the Honors College to stand and look for me out in the sun. Why him, of all people? I began to grow more suspicious. Regardless, I pushed away the thought and turned to the man. "Nice to meet you, Dr. Navarre."

"Please call me Yarrow," he told me. "I want students to refer to me by my first name."

"Uhh," I said. "Okay then... Yarrow." Gaia, that felt weird.

"Let me be the first to congratulate you and also welcome you to Terra Cantor University!" He brought his hand around as he gestured to the university union, as if he were presenting something brand new. I tried to smile, but it felt awkward. I already knew what this place was.

This was the man I was looking for. As I departed, my mother's sole piece of advice was to ask questions, even ones that might sound too deep or too intrusive. She told me to learn as much as possible, both in relation to academics, in relation to the mysterious letter, as well as why I was chosen. I had to ask the questions now.

But before I had the chance, Yarrow interrupted. "We ought to begin right now. We've prepared a tight schedule for you, and you only have two days to register for classes and familiarize yourself with the campus and its culture. I'll lead you to the dormitory. Your roommate told me he was going to wait for you there."

Roommate? That never occurred to me. The entire time leading up to this point, never once did I really consider the fact that I was going to live with a stranger. I felt stupid for not realizing it sooner. Well, now it's too late. Now all I can do is pray to Gaia that he is someone likable. Or that he likes me, at least.

"Oh," Yarrow said, breaking me from my thoughts. "I forgot. You need to wear this." He zipped open the backpack and pulled out a purple bandanna. He gave it to me. "Wear it on your body somewhere. This is a symbol used to identify our students. We enforce a mild dress code. Anyone may wear anything appropriate, but they must wear the bandanna given to them. You can wear it anywhere on your body, but make sure it's visible."

I took a closer look at the piece of cloth. There were interesting radial designs on it, very reminiscent of Sol, the bright star in the sky that gave life to every living thing on our planet. At the center of the handkerchief was Terra Cantor's sigil, the same one on my envelope. I took the bandanna and wrapped it around my left wrist, giving it a firm knot and leaving the sigil visible before showing it to Yarrow. "Is this good?"

He nodded, then smiled. "I think you'll fit quite well among the student body, Matthias."

I hope so.