32 GB - Mikhaiah Fanfiction

7 - New World

March 28, 2024 - Cebu City, Cebu

We hadn't walked far from my house, well her house, but stepping outside with Micah, I felt like I had stepped into a dream—one of those wild, impossible dreams where nothing makes sense, but you're too fascinated to care. The world was both familiar and entirely alien, every detail catching my eye as if I were seeing it for the first time.

The streets, once filled with the comforting rumble of sturdy old cars, were now alive with sleek, silent machines that glided along as if they were floating. The buildings towered over us, all glass and steel, with a brightness that made me squint. It was as though the city had been polished to a shine, every surface gleaming, every edge smooth and sharp.

As we walked toward the bus stop, I couldn't help but stare. The buses were nothing like the clunky, gas-guzzling beasts I remembered. These were sleek, modern marvels, with enormous windows and engines that barely made a sound. The people around us moved with a quickness and confidence that left me breathless. Their faces were glued to small, glowing rectangles they held in their hands—telephones, Micah had told me, though they looked nothing like the ones I knew.

I looked at Micah with an uncomfortable look on my face. Micah glanced at me and chuckled softly. "I guess it's a lot to take in for you, isn't it?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Everything felt different—the air, the pavement, even the light had a sharpness to it that was both thrilling and a little frightening.

When we boarded the bus, I was struck by how smooth and quiet it all was. The doors whooshed open with a soft sigh. Micah swiped a little card against a machine, and we settled in as the bus started to glide forward with barely a jolt. The seats were cushioned and comfortable—nothing like the hard, rattling seats I remembered from my time. 

I stared out the window, completely mesmerized. People hurried along the sidewalks, their clothes strange and varied, their faces calm and focused. The advertisements flashed and moved, not just painted on signs but alive with color and motion. It was like being in a movie.

This wasn't just the future—it was a whole new world. One that was shiny and bright, and just a little bit scary.

When we arrived at the university, I nearly gasped. The buildings were magnificent, all sleek lines and towering heights, so different from the brick and mortar of my time. Students rushed by, their conversations full of strange words, their clothes a mix of colors and styles that left me baffled once again.

Micah led me through the campus, and I tried to take it all in. Everything was new, everything was different. And yet, despite the strangeness, there was a thrill in it, a sense of excitement I hadn't felt in years. I was determined to understand this world, to learn its ways, and maybe even find my place in it.

For the first time since I'd found myself in this new time, I felt something close to hope.

As we walked further into the campus, something caught my eye—a building in the distance, standing tall among the sleek, modern structures that surrounded it. My breath hitched as recognition washed over me. The lines of the architecture, the shape of the windows, even the way the moss clung stubbornly to the old stone—it was all so familiar.

It was my old university.

But the other buildings... they were different. Renovated, modernized, with glass facades and sharp angles that seemed to pierce the sky. Yet here was this building, standing like a relic from the past, as if time itself had forgotten to pull it forward.

I slowed my pace, my eyes fixed on the structure as memories flooded back. I could almost see the students from my time, laughing and chatting as they hurried to class, their voices echoing in the corridors. The building might have been surrounded by the new, but it was unchanged, a piece of my past anchored in this strange future.

Micah noticed my hesitation and followed my gaze. "That's the old Humanities building," she said, her tone casual. "It's one of the few that haven't been completely redone."

I nodded, still staring, unable to tear my eyes away. It was like seeing an old friend after years apart, someone who had changed, yet remained the same at their core. The familiarity was a comfort, a tether to the life I'd known, in the midst of all the strangeness.

The building stood still while the world around it rushed forward.

"This was my university," I whispered, more to myself than to Micah. "This building hasn't changed."

The world around me might have transformed beyond recognition, but this building was a reminder that not everything was lost. It was a small, precious piece of my old life, standing firm amidst the waves of time.

Micah glanced at her watch and then back at me. "I have to get to class," she said, her voice tinged with urgency. "But we can meet back here at eleven, alright?"

I nodded, though the idea of being left alone in this strange, half-familiar place filled me with a quiet apprehension. Still, I didn't want to burden her more than I already had. "I'll be here," I promised, trying to sound confident.

"Ah, I almost forgot, here have my watch so you'll know what time it is." She said as she handed the watch to me.

With a quick wave, she turned and headed toward one of the new buildings, her steps brisk and sure, as if this world was as ordinary to her as mine had been to me. I watched her go, feeling suddenly adrift.

As she disappeared into the crowd, I looked back at the old Humanities building, its familiar stone walls offering a small comfort. The campus buzzed with life around me—students hurrying to classes, chatting in groups, all of them part of a world I didn't quite belong to anymore.

The world had changed, that much was clear. But here, amidst the echoes of my past, I felt a little less lost. I knew I had two hours before I needed to meet Micah again. Two hours to piece together what I could of this place, of this time, and of myself.