Elion's morning routine has finally come to an end. If you think carefully about what awaits the young hero next, the conclusion is obvious: his afternoon routine.
However, his afternoon routine today is anything but routine, which is why he had hoped to fall asleep a little earlier yesterday. He even asked Annabelle to postpone watching him fall asleep, and she agreed, gritting her teeth, because she knew the next day would be important for him.
The reason today was such a momentous occasion was...
"The last day of school!" Elion exclaimed joyfully, spinning around his room in a ridiculous dance.
Elion had actually been looking forward to this day more than his birthday. The two days were closely related, and when his parents mentioned his birthday, he couldn't help but think about the upcoming day.
Oh, I can't wait to be free. Thought the boy.
It wasn't that he disliked school so much—quite the opposite, in fact. He considered school one of his favorite places because every day was filled with joy and fun. He considered every student in the class his friend and could have a great time with any of them. If they all got together, it would be even better. Of course, he had his favorites in class, and there was one girl he couldn't get away from. She was so much fun to tease that, after school, he would share with his family how much his pranks had upset the poor girl that day.
Of course, when considering everything, this boy overlooked one fundamental point: school is not a place for games and fun, but rather a place for learning and studying. As Elion said, this was his fly in the ointment at school.
The boy didn't hate studying, but he wasn't a fan of it either. He viewed it as a boring necessity.
If people knew Elion's circumstances, they would certainly understand and excuse him. They would probably also take to the streets in his support, carrying posters that called for him to be freed from the stigma of being a bad student. Almost every teacher at the school had pinned this stigma on him.
Elion comforted himself with these thoughts as he finally finished packing a small suitcase, grabbed his little pipe, closed it, and began to prepare his costume.
His teachers were understandable, too. Why would they love a student who fooled around in every lesson and didn't take anything seriously? The most annoying thing about him, according to the teachers, was that he never missed an opportunity to correct and mock them when they made a mistake. They even secretly organized a union against him and developed decisive measures to curb his disrespect.
Imagine their surprise when Elion united the students into an organization called 'Determined Students Fighting Injustice and Clara,' abbreviated as 'DSFIС.' At secret meetings, participants shared information about the teachers' plans, which they had eavesdropped on. Based on this information, they prepared their own countermeasures and took preemptive action. Needless to say, the teachers' alliance didn't stand a chance.
Each of this organization's members was shrouded in secrecy, and the teachers were never able to get the students to admit that they belonged to it.
The participation of one particular student in the organization was obvious, of course. However, it was best not to mention this in front of her.
What a pity they didn't come up with a name for their union. It would have made a good headline, lamented the worst student, regretting the missed opportunity.
Elion finished reminiscing, closed the wardrobe by the bed, and walked over to the wooden table on the other side of the room. He took a small mirror from the table and began to examine how his clothes fit.
As he twisted the small mirror around, Elion had no choice but to sigh dejectedly and mutter,
I can't see anything... What the hell is the point of it?
They had a normal-sized mirror at home, but to get to it, he would have to leave the room. Due to recent circumstances, Elion was completely incapable of such a rash move.
He had no choice but to drop his hands and plop down on his old chair. He had at least a couple of minutes before his inevitable fate, so he decided to occupy himself.
He noticed his table and the bedside table with drawers next to it. He was about to open them and take out a notebook with his personal jokes or drawings. However, his gaze caught on the small mirror in his hand again. The boy began to wonder,
Where did it come from in my room? And why did they even invent such a small mirror?
He quickly found the answer to the first question when he noticed the back surface of the mirror, which was decorated with various brightly colored patterns. The answer was simple—his sister had left the mirror there. Another question arose: Why did his sister's things appear in his room with unwavering regularity, at least once a day? However, it was best to ignore this question.
"The deeper into the forest, the thicker the shadows..." Elion muttered, beginning to think about the second mystery.
What is the main function of a mirror? Obviously, to reflect something. Then, what can such a small mirror reflect? More precisely, what reflection could fit in it? Of course, this only works if you're close enough. If you move a couple of meters away, you won't be able to see anything. The young detective constructed his logical chain.
Then, looking at his reflection, he came to a definite conclusion.
"If mirrors at home are mainly used to see one's reflection, then the only reflection I can see clearly is my face and its details. I think I've solved another mystery," the detective smiled smugly and added another accomplishment to his list.
Elion was inspired by his father's stories about the mysterious "Seekers of Secrets," with whom his father often came into contact through his work, to create another role model, namely a clever detective.
Having spent his entire childhood listening to mystical stories and tales of mysterious investigations, it's no surprise that Elion developed an aversion to boring everyday life at school. Although he loved learning new things, his teachers were sometimes surprised by how much strange knowledge he possessed.
The clock of fate ticked slowly, and Elion had no choice but to look at his own reflection.
His father's light hair color blended strangely with his mother's almond shade, forming a soft wheat-peach combination.
His slightly longer hair fell softly over his ears.
His straight nose contrasted with his soft, baby-like cheeks and the dimple on his chin.
His sharp, lemon-colored eyes reflected light strangely and were a couple shades brighter than his father's.
After examining his face for a minute, Elion had a funny thought and smiled cheerfully.
"Yeah, I understand why Clara is so crazy about me. If I were a girl, I would fa..."
But before he could finish, he heard a familiar, charming voice behind the door that stirred his whole being.
"My dear little brother, are you ready?"
Hearing his beloved voice at that moment, however, did not make the boy happy at all.
Elion was terrified.
He froze, deciding not to make a sound. He hoped the predator would pass by without noticing him.
However, this was a mistake because, in his fear of the beast, he forgot that Anabel was walking him to school that day and would definitely not pass by.
Elion realized his mistake too late and continued to respond with silence to the terrifying voice. Then the voice continued:
"Well, if you're not ready yet, I have no choice but to come in and dress you myse..."
"Stop!" Elion jumped up quickly, stopped the door from opening, and locked the handle. He leaned his back against it, putting all his strength into blocking it.
"And why is that...?" The voice behind the door asked in a drawn-out tone.
"I-i'm already dressed..." The boy said shyly.
"Then... What are you waiting for? Or maybe you..." The sweet voice slowly moved from the center of the door to the crack on the side.
As luck would have it, Elion's ear was right there.
"Are you embarrassed to see me now that you've almost said you love me?"
"Not at all! I'll be right out!" Elion interrupted the temptress loudly, his face red with embarrassment.
"Well... I'll be waiting for you." The voice finally fell silent, leaving behind a terrifying revelation.
Realizing that the threat had passed for now, Elion finally relaxed. He sighed deeply and began tidying himself up.
After smoothing out his rumpled clothes and preparing himself mentally, Elion reached for the doorknob.
"Gods, please have a mercy..." he muttered, unsure if they existed, and opened the door.