Suspicious New Professor

A New Semester Begins

1

The first day of the semester dawned with a clear sky and a crisp, invigorating breeze. Lille National Institute of Advanced Technologies was once again brimming with students, some catching up with friends, others lost in thought about the new courses and challenges ahead. The campus, with its historic buildings and sprawling green lawns, seemed to hum with the promise of fresh possibilities. Jenissa Faras walked down the pathway leading to the main building, feeling the energy of a new beginning surround her.

At seventeen, Jenissa was a second-year student in the diploma engineering program, specializing in computer science. Her dedication to academics was something her friends teased her about, but she took it in stride, knowing her priorities. With her long dark hair tied back and a focused look in her deep brown eyes, Jenissa looked every bit the dedicated student she was. Though she had a few close friends, she preferred solitude when it came to studying, often immersed in her books and projects.

Jenissa’s family was her anchor. Her mother, Nancy Faras, had been a single parent since her father passed away several years ago. Nancy worked hard, balancing two jobs to support Jenissa and her younger siblings. Jerina, fifteen, was in grade 10 and had a vibrant personality that often filled their home with laughter and chaos. The youngest of the Faras siblings, twelve-year-old Jerrik, was in grade 7. Mischievous and full of energy, he was the heart of the family, bringing smiles to their faces even on tough days. Then there was Aunt Thereza Gomes, Nancy’s sister, a steadying presence in their lives. With her gentle wisdom and constant support, Thereza had always been Jenissa’s trusted guide and confidante.

“Another year, another level up,” Jenissa muttered to herself as she entered the bustling campus cafe, where she planned to meet her best friend, Emile Bleck, before her first class.

“Jenissa!” Emile’s voice called from across the cafe. Tall and lean with an easy smile, Emile had an approachable, laid-back vibe that instantly put people at ease. His dark hair was as unruly as ever, and he wore his signature look of jeans and a vintage t-shirt. They had been close since the beginning of their first year, and he was one of the few people Jenissa trusted implicitly.

“You’re here early. What happened? Lose track of time studying over the break?” he joked as she took a seat across from him.

“Very funny,” Jenissa rolled her eyes, but a smile crept onto her face. “Just excited to get back into the swing of things. We have a pretty loaded schedule this semester.”

She laid her course schedule out on the table, and they looked over it together. Their classes included Data Structure using C, Database Management System, Digital Techniques, Object-Oriented Programming using C++, Computer Graphics, and Essence of the Constitution. Each course was challenging, and Jenissa was eager to dive in.

Emile whistled. “That’s quite a lineup. They’re not going easy on us this year.”

“Tell me about it,” Jenissa replied. “But I think I’m most curious about Computer Graphics. You know Professor Bergman, the one who taught it last year? She’s gone—apparently, she left because she’s pregnant.”

Emile nodded, his face lighting up with a hint of amusement. “Oh, I heard about that! She left, and they hired this new guy… Elias Noir, I think his name is. The rumors are already swirling.”

Jenissa raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Oh? What have you heard?”

“Well, for one, he’s supposedly really young—barely older than us, from what I’ve heard. People say he’s brilliant but a bit… clumsy. Like, awkward in that absent-minded-genius kind of way,” Emile chuckled. “One of my friends said he tripped over his own feet during the faculty introduction meeting.”