Silence fell over the table after Rick finished speaking. Rick looked at Theo's expressionless face. He had a feeling he had made a mistake by telling him that, that perhaps he wasn't supposed to say it. He wanted to say something to ease the weight of the silence, something that would bring comfort to Theo's heart, but he didn't know how to phrase his words.
A few heavy seconds passed before Theo finally opened his mouth and, with an awkward smile trying to mask his unease, said:
"Excuse me... can you guide me to the classroom now?"
Rick was slightly surprised by his reaction, but he quickly regained his composure and replied gently:
"Of course... the classroom is on the second floor. Go up that staircase, then keep walking down the corridor until you see the classroom door. Its name will be written on a sign next to it."
Theo stood up from the chair slowly, then extended his hand to Rick with a sincere smile:
"Thank you for everything. You've been very kind to me."
Rick stood as well and shook his hand warmly, his eyes observing Theo's expressions, trying to read what lay behind them.
"You're welcome. It was my pleasure to help you."
"Goodbye."
Theo bid him farewell in a calm tone, then turned and left. His steps were steady, but weighed down by silence.
Rick stared at Theo as he walked away, his mind still spinning with questions. "Was I overthinking? He doesn't seem worried at all…" Then he shook his head in an attempt to dismiss the thoughts and sighed to himself: "It's none of my business anyway."
...
As for Theo, he was in a state of silent denial. He refused to believe that "trouble" could follow him on his very first day at the academy. His mind refused to acknowledge the presence of danger, as if denial could somehow delay the truth. He wouldn't believe it until he faced it head-on, until he was forced to see it with his own eyes.
He walked down the corridor, its high walls bearing symbolic paintings and class names carefully engraved, until he reached the door with the classroom name written beside it. He quietly pushed the door open and entered.
The class was about to start. Most of the students had already arrived, with low murmurs echoing and a soft noise of chairs shifting and whispers filling the room. Theo felt a surge of tension, his eyes scanning the place for a seat, a spot that wouldn't draw attention.
He approached the nearest person, a young man, and said hesitantly:
"Excuse me..."
The boy turned to him, surprised.
Theo said, "I'm new here... could you tell me which seat is unoccupied?"
Surprise appeared on the boy's face before his expression softened into silent pity. He nodded toward the third row:
"Over there... in the third row, the seat by the window is empty."
"Thank you..."
Theo nodded gratefully, then made his way toward the indicated seat. As he walked between the rows, whispers started to spread among the students, as if his presence had sparked everyone's curiosity.
"Is that a new student...?"
"He's replacing the last one, isn't he?"
"Definitely... everyone has a training partner except him and Mans."
"I feel sorry for him... poor guy."
"Do you think he knows about it?"
"No idea..."
Though whispered, their words cut into Theo like knives. He tried not to look around, to keep his focus solely on the seat, but he could feel all the eyes following him, as if he were a strange creature inside a glass cage.
He sat in his seat, trying to ignore the pitying glances, and took a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves.
But the situation didn't last long. A boy entered the classroom—he had neatly styled brown hair and calm black eyes, his face carried a neutral expression. The whispers stopped immediately, and silence spread as if everyone knew exactly who he was. Theo looked at him and thought: "That must be one of the brothers."
Seconds later, another man entered. He had black hair and bright green eyes that shone with an unusual spark. He carried a small bag on his shoulder. He walked confidently and stopped in front of the board. Looking at the students with a warm smile, he said:
"Hello, I'm Lionel, I'll be your new teacher."
The students all stood up at once out of respect, and Theo followed slightly late, and they all said in unison:
"Hello, teacher."
At that moment, another boy entered—he had long red hair that reached his shoulders. He walked indifferently to his seat and sat down. Lionel's eyelids twitched for a moment, but he showed no reaction. He ignored him and said calmly:
"You may sit down."
He continued: "Let's not waste time. In the first month, we'll focus on teaching the basic knowledge that everyone must know, and on foundational combat skills. I'm sure your previous teacher informed you of this. We'll start today's lesson from the beginning."
The students had already studied this before, so they seemed uninterested—some were absent-minded, others yawning. But one student alone looked at Lionel with eyes burning with passion: Theo. He was fascinated, thirsty for knowledge, and now the opportunity had come to him. He was truly happy.
But, as with all beautiful moments, time passed quickly. After some time of teaching, Lionel closed his notebook and said:
"Now, let's head to the training room."