le

he love of my

ht to m

ugging at the co

fore me, their laughter and animated gestures l

what it would be like to share mom

r step, lost in the

ge of a block stickin

dam

led forward, comple

catch myself, I hit the ground with a

hter erupted around me from nearby stud

adow fell over me. A slim hand reached out to help,

rt skipped-not out of awe,

en admiring moments ago. Her features were pla

and somewhat outdated

. She had a slightly awkward smile, her

oka

er voice sof

arking a surge of determination

f the dust clinging

sked again, her voice

, I'm

g. Without waiting for her response, I began walking aw

Nel

d me, her tone hesit

arely glancing o

ht, th

, my voice

her expression dimming slightly as if my cold

cus was on putting as much di

r near the campus garden. The soft rustling of leaves and

e, I slumped into the wooden

plenty of time before my first lecture, but the event

to start the day," I

le demeanor replaying in my mind. As much as I tried to brush it off, guilt began t

I overr

st the table. But then again, she wasn't exactly wha

of students nearby, laughing and chatting

s, while others seemed more interest

sed my arms, and le

er get used t

sa

university buildin

ere, Deck Mack University was a whole new wor

t my less-than-stellar attitude toward Nelly wa

ce to make it right-or maybe I

rdness of the morning and focus o

like a brief m

ad flown by in what seemed like seconds. The han

muttered under my breat

otta

ed the courtyard and spotted a stream of s

ngling with the crunch of hurried f

chests, while others strode alone, headphones

tch theirs. The campus that had seemed so vast and tra

of the university's various departments, spli

couldn't help but feel a mix

f what could either be an exhilarating aca

in the air, mingling with the faint hum of an overhead projector from a nearby classroom. Some students hurriedly fl

ght,

, gripping the strap

ke a decent

y assigned lecture room. My heart raced as I found it, the

e, filled with students settling in. A few glanced up at me briefly before re

near the middle, trying not to d

ving me a brief window to catch

rig

my breath, leanin

e we

apers as I braced myself for the first lecture of the day, my mind already

w students were busy arranging their books and pens, while others chatt

academic posters, each showcasing snippets of knowledge. There was a large whiteboard at the front, f

an air of seriousness swept over

e him look more like a CEO than a professor. His presence was commanding,

ss," he said, his

onded in unison, though some voices

s briefcase on the des

les, and a thick book that look

lecture in Advanced Cre

just about puttin

t buildin

s, and, most importantly, fin

a jolt of excite

t I had been

e go

ories that will challenge your imagination

onti

Great writing requires discipline and

d around

es scanning

embrace that, you're

the door is

ld feel the tension in