A left turn. No, was it a right turn? Where even was she going? Who was she supposed to be? The familiar landscape of plains and hills that stretched for miles on end were gone, the rivers, lakes and ponds with sparse trees were gone. The sound of the trees swaying in the breeze and the smallest chirps of life were all but gone, the nature that was once around her was no more. There were much taller buildings, much more elaborate, expensive looking. The streets seemed to be cleaner, seemed to have more steps across it. Trimmed with gold and etched with fine artisan’s hands, there were fine arches of green and red, bricks paving the city like it were made of riches, of promise, of sacrifice. There were intricate, new dragon heads in front of buildings, unlike the old, ancient stone sculptures in front of the one temple in the old village she called her home. Where she was now was where she dreamed to be; in a place so different, grand, almost holy, that her previous life would pale in comparison. Here she would become someone she could never be on her own. Merchants had fine carts with colorful ornaments that were much more vibrant and beautiful than any marketplace she had ever seen in her life. Large books were in the hands of many passing her by, large bags full of knowledge. As she walked through the city slowly, she was caught off-guard by the sheer amount of movement around her, the large amounts of people who had places to be and things to do.
The colorful landscape in front of her could never compare to the old countryside she was used to, could never compare to the horses she’d see on her way to school. It would never compare to the fine art around the small village she lived in, where only local artists would display their work to be enjoyed. In this new chapter of her life, there would be new things for her to observe. Students with careers different than anything she would ever imagine in a plain, small village. People with lives so stark from her own, that it would seem as if they were from another world rather than simply across the country. It was strange to believe that this elaborate life she had just walked into was normal for others. Who was she supposed to be? What actions was she supposed to take, what people was she supposed to surround herself with? She didn’t quite know who she was just yet, but or her, it seemed, this new world would define the rest of her life.