In search for the north star

Neo opened his eyes with a pounding heart, and his breathless panting enveloped him in a suffocating atmosphere of agony and discomfort.

"Where am I?" was the first question that came to his mind.

Looking around, Neo found himself lying on a bench in a small square surrounded by houses and a wall with a hole that served as the only exit. Inside, there was an abandoned water fountain right in the middle of the place, and a large tree in the corner cast a deep shadow. The place was filled with cats wherever he looked, with one of them staring at him at that very moment.

His head was throbbing, and gradually, he felt the pain subsiding. His memory was scrambled, and he couldn't remember much besides his name and small details about the city. His thoughts were focused on the nightmare he had just escaped from, trying to find answers but without success. Names, faces, or any details slipped away from his mind quickly.

Neo was wearing a black school uniform with gold details, trying to remember which school it could be. However, after thinking for a long time, he couldn't find the answer. He knew that his city, Claws, had four major schools, and judging by the style of the uniform, it could only belong to one of them.

But hey, he had a uniform, a symbol, and a name. So now it was just a matter of using his legs.

First, he headed south, where the path to the school was filled with inspiring places, open spaces, and parks adorned with colorful murals. It was the most beautiful part of the whole city. The school he found was Cherry, which stood out for its variety of artistic programs, such as painting, sculpture, photography, and design.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the one he was looking for.

He decided to go east this time, where the sun rises. He left behind the beautiful landscape and encountered sports centers. Laughter and cheering echoed through the streets as he passed by a group of people jogging, who greeted him with energy. It was there that he found the C.L. Academy, known for being the best sports school, offering a variety of programs ranging from soccer and basketball to swimming and athletics.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the one he was looking for.

How about the opposite side? The West, known as the starting point for exploring new possibilities, with various modern buildings and houses straight out of a futuristic movie.

There was the Futura School, focusing on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. This school provided students with an education oriented toward innovation and technological development, even offering higher education courses.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the one he was looking for.

Neo's last stop was in the north of the city, where he felt a welcoming and familiar atmosphere. The area around the school was characterized by a mixture of residential neighborhoods and small local businesses. Tree-lined streets and well-kept sidewalks created a calm and inviting environment. And there he found what he was looking for, Hoshi School, the Northern Star. A school that serves as a guide for lost young people, bearing the same name and symbol as the uniform that he was wearing.

The gate was open, and there was no sign of anyone nearby to talk to, so he decided to enter. He walked through the courtyard and entered through the double doors.

Once inside, his first thought was that it was larger on the inside than on the outside. Compared to the other schools he had seen from the outside, it seemed to be the smallest of the four.

The empty corridors made anyone feel as if they were in a dream, and the sound of his footsteps echoed in the distance, almost as if he could hear them going around the building.

Neo looked around every corner, searching for any clues. He went upstairs, walked around, went downstairs, went from one side to the other. He found student posters, photos, some notes on boards, but nothing significant. He entered a few classrooms, observed chairs and lockers. Nothing felt familiar.

Everything seemed absurdly normal, which frustrated him.

He wondered if he was searching incorrectly or even what he was searching for. And his questions were answered when he reached a room. 3 - G.

The view from the window of that room was strangely pleasing to him. He couldn't explain it, but it felt as if he had already observed that same image a hundred times in another life.

He felt he was close to discovering something.

He continued his search until he reached the ground floor of the school. He was very hungry, and his search had prevented him from looking for food the whole day. He found a vending machine with neatly packed snacks that looked delicious.

He stared at the machine as if he could taste the snacks with his eyes, unaware of the footsteps approaching him.

"Neo?"

A voice, seemingly a woman's, called his name, interrupting his train of thought.

When he looked to the side, he had to look slightly down to see the face of the person speaking.

A woman in formal attire, who seemed important. Her straight black hair was long, and even though her eyes were hidden behind thin-lensed glasses, Neo could see that they were teary.

"Neo, is it really you?"

The boy became serious and asked, "Do I know you?"

His words were dry and devoid of any emotion. The woman didn't expect to receive a harsh response and looked at him confused and hurt.

"Well, sorry... I must have mistaken you for someone else."

Neo nodded, turned his back to her, and continued walking, looking around. The woman looked down, searching for words, and when she met his gaze again...

"Wait! You came here for a reason, right?"

"I'm looking for something."

The woman smiled as she saw a possibility.

"Unfortunately, I can't let you wander freely like this."

Annoyed at being prevented from continuing his investigation, Neo protested.

"I need to spend more time here, I'm searching for answers."

The woman thought about how to solve the problem in front of her.

"How about becoming a student? That way, you can roam around here as much as you want when it's not class time," she said, extending her hand as a way to make a deal.

He thought for a moment before responding. If he said yes, he would have to spend more time in that space.

"I don't know."

She looked at him as if a child were asking their father to take them to an amusement park.

"Please."

With no other options and wanting to find answers, he accepted the proposal. He could leave whenever he wanted anyway.

"Alright then, I want to enter the school. What do I need?"

Upon accepting, her eyes seemed to shine with extreme happiness, although her face remained serious.

"Nothing, you've been enrolled for some time now. Today is Sunday, your classes are from Monday to Friday, from 7:30 a.m. to 12:55 p.m. So, you can come tomorrow, don't be late or absent. I'll arrange your materials and give them to you next week. If you need help with anything, you can come talk to me anytime. I'm Karine, the school principal."

There was so much information that Neo's brain was trying to understand everything he needed to do, and one thing didn't make sense in everything she was saying.

"Sorry, but tomorrow at 7:30? I can't tell the time."

Karine looked at her own wrist and took off a watch she was wearing. She pressed a few buttons, took the boy's arm, and put the watch on him.

"I set an alarm that will ring at 6:30, so you have an hour to get ready and come. When you arrive tomorrow, come see me, then you can return the watch, and I'll give you another one. Take care of it; it's important to me."

He felt uncertain about keeping the watch, but if he didn't accept, there was no way he could show up tomorrow, so he smiled.

"Okay, see you tomorrow."

"Oh, and one last thing."

Karine put some coins into the vending machine, took out a large, stuffed sandwich, approached Neo, and gave him a hug.

"You must be hungry."

She offered him the packaged meal while looking into his eyes.

Neo felt embarrassed but took the food and left.

"Thank you."

"Neo... Take care," Karine said softly.