Chapter 51
He closed the book with a swift motion, refusing to listen any further.
Disappointed and irritated, he exhaled a long breath, telling himself that a teacher should never enter a student's room just to listen to cheap romance readings.
He turned around, almost stepping away, and the atmosphere of the room suddenly felt tighter, colder than before.
Yet Ilux did not give up.
In a low voice, he pleaded for one more chance, this time not to read a teenage love story, but something deeper.
He pulled a book from the shelf—thick, with a black cover, the faded letters on its spine old and solemn.
The book spoke of faith, of devotion, of humans who had lost their way and sought meaning amid the darkness of the soul.
Aldraya paused, his steps halting at the doorway.
There was something in Ilux's tone—an almost unexcessive sincerity—that made him turn back and sit.
Night spun on once more, this time with a more solemn rhythm.
'First arc, middle episode eight.
If I'm not mistaken, this is the moment when the attraction between Aldraya and Ilux truly becomes visible.
Not just glances from afar, not just sharing absurd philosophical readings about God and mankind.
This time, they will go out together.
A date.
In the world of Flo Viva Mythology, this moment determines the direction of their relationship—especially for Aldraya Kansh Que.
If it fails, the consequences could ripple all the way to the end of the first arc.'
Flufffy!
'And that day is today.
Just a few hours after I trained Erietta for forty-five days to control the Core of Lu in the Realm of Gloom.
Forty-five days of following every absurd command, completing instructions that made no sense.
Repeatedly.
And the result? Erietta succeeded—not only in the Realm of Gloom but also overcoming all opposition that usually blocks the Realm of Joy.
The girl is extraordinary.
But because of that, I feel it's time to finish my part and step back slowly.'
Suasssh!
'So now, I bid farewell.
Though from the outside it seems like I'm just going to a bar, in truth, I am making sure of one thing.
The date between Aldraya and Ilux proceeds as it should.
No distractions that might ruin the plot. This world is already chaotic enough; at least let their love story flow according to fate.'
That morning, the sky still held the soft remnants of dawn.
In the academy's backyard, the grass remained wet with dew, not yet fully touched by sunlight.
Theo stood at the edge of the path, his body slightly leaning forward, watching Erietta bowing under the light that shimmered across her hair.
Forty-five full days of training had passed—days demanding patience, precision, and countless small wounds.
At precisely four in the morning, the final session ended.
Then they walked together, treading the quiet corridors of the academy, passing through spaces until the sun appeared beyond the trees, marking the end of that grueling chapter.
Yet when the clock struck eight, Theo decided to stop.
He knew there was something else awaiting him today.
Two other humans about to experience a day more intricate than any training, even without swords or physical wounds.
Aldraya and Ilux.
Two names now being readied by fate to play their roles in a larger scenario—a date seemingly simple on the surface, yet beneath it simmering something slowly boiling.
Theo recalled clearly a line in the Flo Viva Mythology script that described today as the beginning of "true bonding between teacher and student, between the one who guides and the one who seeks direction."
He knew their meeting was no coincidence, just as he knew that love stories in this world always move along paths preordained, with costs rarely acknowledged by those involved.
So that morning, as he watched Erietta with a gaze that could not be fully explained, Theo was not merely bidding farewell—he was creating distance for himself, to observe from afar without interference.
'That gaze again.
Calm, neutral, yet containing something that anchors my steps.
Not anger.
Not sorrow, but a silence demanding answers.
As if her eyes spoke without words: "Do not leave without telling me anything."'
In the silence hanging between them, the air seemed to pause.
Erietta stood under the rising sun.
Her body upright, hands at her sides, eyes fixed on Theo without a word.
Yet in that gaze lay something unspeakable—a quiet plea, a form of uncertainty rarely shown by someone usually so composed and controlled.
Theo understood perfectly what that look meant.
He knew the way Erietta looked at him as well as he knew the rhythm of his own breathing.
No explosive emotional tremor.
No moving lips demanding explanation.
Only eyes, so still yet so deep, as if saying, "Give me clarity, don't just go."
'Searching for reasons is exhausting.
My plan to follow Aldraya must remain a secret from Erietta.
Darn Ilux!
If I spoke honestly, Erietta would surely stop me.
What I need is to twist the facts.
Thus I must appear as someone bored, someone to be pitied—not suspected.'
Huuuuuh!
"No need to worry.
I won't go anywhere, nor intend to do anything improper.
Besides, think about it, forty-five days of training without rest—of course I want to enjoy myself."
"Is that so?"
"Exactly, I'm just heading to the bar next door, spending a bit of money while 'pouring all my love on the women there.'
Consider it light entertainment, so no need to fret like that, Erietta Bathee."
Theo certainly would not reveal the truth.
His tongue was too trained to weigh each word before it left, especially in front of Erietta—a girl who, though appearing cold and unapproachable, had intuition sharp enough to detect half-hearted lies.
So instead of admitting he intended to follow Aldraya and Ilux's date—which even sounded ridiculous to Theo—he chose a slicker path.
A lie human enough not to arouse suspicion.
He planned to hide his true intention under the most clichéd excuse found between exhaustion and the stillness of dawn.
'Going to the bar.'
Instantly, Theo set his expression to neutral—a thin, forced smile, yet natural enough to fool the morning light falling on his cheek.
He looked at Erietta from the side, like someone trying to appear relaxed while a small storm laughed at him from within.
"No need to worry," he said, "I'm just going to the bar next door, spending a bit of money while 'pouring all my love on the women there.'"
'Honestly, I believe she won't care.
Erietta isn't the type to ask where her teacher goes, especially about matters that… well, would sound disgusting to any woman.
Going to a bar, having fun, drinking to enjoy—it's not something a student should hear.
She usually just stays silent, nods, and continues training as if the world has no business with her.'
Faaaaaah!!
'Yet this time—not.
That gaze appeared again, sharp and piercing like a freshly sharpened sword.'
"How important is Aldraya that you must go to him?"
To be continued…