Chapter 10. The Syllabus

"You'll soon discover how wrong you are."



STORMS from the north did not often sweep down into Renenxia, but now the clouds have grown darker. Darth felt the cold north wind ruffle his hair. He smelled the rain, and he could now hear the distant rumble of thunder. But when he recollected what happened earlier, the chill suddenly turned into utmost bafflement and dread.

The wolves he encountered earlier, who are they? Their avidity to get Hera was unwonted. Furthermore, the ominous words he heard from one of those werewolves are utterly erroneous, which complicates him.

'There must be a profound reason behind all of this.' he thought.

He watched the approaching storm and saw in his mind the evil foes, the dragons and greedy werewolves rolling together over the land. And just the thought of that gave him to fear not because he was afraid, but because he knew very well, that was the most terrible predicament in the mortal world.

"Your Highness, I just finished reading the first ten chapters," someone said in a low voice. "Did you write it all for me, Your Highness? Are you the author of my syllabus? The whole lesson was interesting to read."

Darth looked at the speaker and found himself faced with his scholar, Amiro Feren. His eyes shone brightly, like stars reflecting on the night sky, showing how much he enjoyed reading.

"You're intelligent, Amiro. But I suggest you read your task from the beginning, so you'll know who the author was. And you're not going to inquire me again."

Amiro frowned slightly at the rebuke. His young master was correct.

"I beg your pardon, Your Highness." he bowed his head slightly before continuing. "Can I ask you something?"

Darth nodded, waiting for him to continue. "I have read the first ten chapters, and it's quite challenging."

"That's because it's all not about the weapons or strategy. It's about awareness."

"Precisely, Your Highness. So I would know how to protect myself!" he agreed as he smiled cheerfully.

"A warrior is not just good at weapons or tactics; he needs awareness to be wise enough to see through any situation. You must understand your weakness and strength, which was the key to initiating a move effectively."

Amiro nodded slowly, clearly understanding what he meant. He was an idealist, after all. And that makes Darth proud of him.


"Thank you for the meaningful words, Your Highness. I wish I could absorb them all.

Darth sighed deeply. "That is exactly why you need more experience in life. There will come a time when you'll have to rely entirely upon yourself alone and unprepared, but the important is you are knowledgable enough about your capability."

With a smile, then Amiro bowed his head once in acknowledgment. "I'll do my very best, Your Highness. Gramercy!"

He then returned to studying the book. As always, he didn't take offense to all the things he discovered and instead kept absorbing new knowledge while reading the page of the book he was holding in his hand until he reached the study room.

However, Darth veered his attention to the sky, and the rain pelted down on the ground after a while with a lightning bolt struck so close. He could hear it sizzle and smell the brimstone, causing him to question.

Was there such a phenomenon? Hadn't he discovered that unusual lightning strikes signify danger, and something else has come up?

But he knew better than to assume anything yet. It might be the effects of another powerful force— the dark power. And that was a terrible sign.



HONESTY and bravery are what Hera kept holding while sitting on a chair in front of her parents, listening to their words. She felt the tension suffocating her, but she managed to oppose the nervousness and keep calm as her parents were talking. It helped her to hide her emotions so they won't find out about it.

"So you've been hiding the truth from us, Hera? You should have told us about it. That you don't feel the same way about Cayden," Lady Criolet said calmly. "You know we would be fine with that. And we're not going to be upset."

"Your mom was right, Hera. It's your choice that matters, not ours," his father added. "And as long as you are happy, we support you completely, sweetheart."

Hera took in a deep breath. "Forgive me, mom and dad. I just don't want to disappoint you, and I thought I could learn to love him, but I realized I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Hera. We understand that your heart belongs elsewhere. Please reconsider your decision, and think about the outcomes," Lady Criolet said, then walked toward Hera. Her eyes glittered with concern as she hugged her daughter.

Her dad also walked towards them and joined, hugging them. "Don't worry too much, Hera. I'll talk to his parents to formally apologize. I'll apprise them about this, and everything will be fine. Okay?" he spoke softly, caressing Hera's head.

Hera had no idea what to articulate, but somehow she could feel her heart getting lighter and lighter the longer she was hugged by her parents. At least they knew the truth, and she didn't have to lie anymore.

"Thank you, mom and dad," Hera whispered.

Lady Criolet and Gabriel let her go and smiled gently at her. "Everything's going to work out perfectly, Hera. Now get some rest."

Without hesitation, Hera stood up and went directly to her room.

The moment she threw herself onto the bed, she pondered everything that's happened to her today. Something still bothered her heart and soul even when her parents talked to her.

The scenario earlier and how the wolves attempted to attack her kept unsettling her mind. That was considered awful— bloodcurdling. She must be scared and anxious about it. But she also knew she'd never say to her parents what transpired in that forest. Nevertheless, she felt secure that Darth protected her with his power and strength. And the thought induced her to smile like an insane whenever it came across her mind.

With that, she planned to see him tomorrow to ask another permission to paint one of his wolgan sculptures, this way; she could have at least moments with him again.

She was about to close her eyes and dig into a slumber when a flash of light came through the stained glass gothic window. She paused briefly and then decided she should just check it out. As she opened the window, the sight which greeted her made her gasp in intense fear.