As soon as I finished reading my story, I could tell something was wrong.
The quiet enveloped us all. As my glance shifted from one student to another, I noticed that everyone went quiet, including Ms. Cyan. After a closer look, I saw that her cheeks were wet. Had she been crying?
"That's all for today," she said and swiftly left the classroom. When the door closed behind her, confusion was all that was left.
"Have I done something wrong?" I asked no one in particular.
"No, you haven't done anything wrong," Max replied with a slight smile that looked so strange on his usually serious face. "The class is over and we are done for the week. Thanks, water girl!"
With that said, he got up and left, followed by Leo. After them, the rest of the students did the same.
"Are you coming?" Opal asked when she saw I was the only one who remained seated.
"Something's wrong," I said. My eyes focused on the patterns the tree rings formed on the table before me. "Something has to be wrong. Professor Cyan never acted like this before. She was always so composed."
"I don't know, but if you're not planning to stay here until next Friday, then let's go. Weekend has begun!" Opal's face lit up with a smile. She invited me with a gesture of her hand and I followed her, taking all my worries with me.
During the weekend, I tried to talk about it to Nia and Ardea but neither of them seemed to be interested at shedding some light on the matter. They both believed that a person is entitled to her privacy.
For a while, I even played with the thought of speaking to Mr. August before realizing that there was only one person who could give me the answers I was looking for. That person was Ms. Cyan.
I showed up at her classroom door on Monday, right after the classes ended. As I waited for the third-year students to exit her classroom, I came face to face with Mathias.
I kept my distance over the past weeks, and he kept his.
"I didn't know you were here," I stuttered, not wanting him to think I was stalking.
"It's okay. Relax," he said. "I took an extra dose of the potion today."
Did he know he was gonna run into me, I wondered? Are werewolves psychic? Naturally, I said nothing out loud.
"Still, this doesn't mean that I'm gonna stand here chatting with you," he said and left. His long steps led him down the hallway and soon he was out of sight.
It only took seconds for me to remember the reason I was there. Hesitantly, I entered the classroom. It was chilly inside, probably because of the open window in the back of the room. The table was empty, all the chairs neatly tucked under. Ms. Cyan sat on her blue chair, sorting out her papers, so she didn't notice me right away.
"Professor Cyan," I said softly. "May I speak to you for a moment?"
"Ah, Azora, it's you. What do you need?" she asked. She only glanced at me before turning her attention back to her gloved hands full of papers.
"I just wanted to make sure everything was okay," I replied, looking at my own hands. Fingers of my right hand were nervously squeezing the fingers of my left hand.
"Why wouldn't it be?" she answered with a question. She didn't even lift her head, just kept looking at her papers.
"Well, on Friday you dismissed us before the class ended..." I didn't have the chance to finish the sentence because she cut me off.
"And now you're wondering about your grade. Don't worry, I gave you an A. You may leave now." Once again, she gave me nothing more than a brief glance.
"But Professor Cyan, you were crying and I thought it was because of my story. Perhaps I wrote something I shouldn't have."
"Don't be silly! I wasn't crying. I was merely feeling a bit under the weather, that's all. Thank you for your concern, however, it is unnecessary. I'm fine, and you should be on your way," she said, her hand pointing in the direction of the door.
"Right," I replied, although not quite convinced. It didn't escape my attention that she didn't look at me once since I came in. Not really.
I remained standing. I didn't move, forcing her to look at me. As she did, I noticed her eyes were teary.
"I dismissed you," she repeated once again.
"I'm sorry, Professor Cyan. If there's something bothering you, I want to help. Especially if I'm the reason you're crying."
"I'm not crying," she said, but one traitorous tear slid down her cheek. She used her hand to wipe it off in one quick motion.
"Is it because of my story? Have you heard it before? Is it more than a legend?" I had to find out.
"It has nothing to do with your story! It is just a story, nothing more. And my personal issues are none of your concern," she said and indicated the door with her hand. She wanted me to leave.
Although I felt a lump in my throat, there was one more thing I had to say to her. "A friend of mine told me that all legends are stories, and the story of the lost Princess lives in the memory of my people for so long. Most of the Aquantiens believe that it really did happen, they believe it's true."
"Where are you going with this?" she asked. I could hear her voice tremble.
"I just thought..." What? What did I think? That Professor Cyan was so moved that she cried? Stupid. If our daemons didn't make her cry, why would my story have that effect on her? So I just said, "Nothing. Never mind."
"I think that you should leave now." She stood up and turned her back to me, dedicating her attention to returning the books on the shelf behind the table.
Our conversation was over and it became more than obvious that I overstayed my welcome. Come to think of it, judging by her demeanor, I wasn't welcome in the first place.
I left her classroom with even more questions. So much for finding the answers there.
Visibly distressed, I returned to my room where I found Opal and Ardea. My dwarf friend was busy rearranging her stone collection, while the elf was leaned over her homework. They both stopped what they were doing the moment I shut the door behind me.
"So? Did she give you a bad grade?" Opal asked, misinterpreting my expression.
"No, she didn't give me a bad grade," I replied and sat on my bed. "She cried again. I mentioned my story, and her eyes filled with tears. She assured me it wasn't because of my story, but I have this feeling that it was."
"Are you sure?" Ardea asked. "Professor Cyan certainly won't share her problems with students. You have to remember that teachers are ordinary persons, just like everybody else."
"You're probably right. But somehow I hoped that the tale of the Princess is more than just a story."
"Of course it's more than just a story!" Opal joined in. "Take Rubion, for example. Do you think he was nothing more than a legend? No! He was very much real, and he did all the things I mentioned in my story, from wandering through the wastelands, to opening a passage to the deserted mine and eventually finding the most cherished treasure of my race. And if Rubion was real, then why would your Princess be just a legend?"
Question after question kept popping in my mind, but before I vocalized any of them, Ardea joined in.
"What you are not considering," she said, "is that legends tend to get distorted over time. A coward may become a hero, and a hero may become a villain."
"Are you saying Rubion was a coward?" Opal took it as an insult, and that was something she wasn't going to overlook.
"I'm not saying he was a coward. I'm just saying that time has the power to change everything," she said in a calming voice that had no impact on Opal.
"You know, Ardea, I hate when you do that! You think that you're explaining something, but in reality, you're not!" Opal was on fire. "Hey, where are you going?" she added when she noticed I got up and headed to the door.
"I'm going to take a walk," I answered. "You two have successfully confused me and I need some time to think in solitude."
"Do you want me to go with you?" Opal asked in a much quieter tone.
"In solitude means that she wants to be alone," Ardea offered an explanation. I hoped it wouldn't add fuel to the fire.
"I know what it means!" Opal exclaimed. The fire has been fueled.
"You just let your tongue be quicker than your mind," I added and stepped into an empty hallway.
Thank you for reading Chapter 21.
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