“Have you ever heard of another Great One besides the usual ones mentioned in the textbooks, Irene?” I asked.
Irene froze mid-movement, just about to kiss Leon on the cheek when my words stopped her. “Another Great One? Besides the ones written in the textbooks?” She paused, thinking. “I think I’ve heard something like that before, but I’m not sure about its authenticity. There’s no proof that things not written in the textbooks but only based on rumors are true, but at the same time, you can’t say they’re false either. We can’t know for sure unless you see it with your own eyes.”
Sometimes I forget that Irene had studied social science and history, and she became a professor teaching cadets about it. Back when we were cadets, she was the only one who actually paid attention to history. So, it made sense that Irene knew more than most about how our world came to be.
“I’ve had the same question,” Leon added. “I was actually planning to ask you last night, Professor, but we didn’t get around to it. So, I’ll ask now.”
He glanced at me briefly before looking back at Irene.
“I heard the name Great Darkness. Have you ever come across that before?” I asked.
“Great Darkness?” Irene repeated. “There’s no such thing. Only certain beings can call themselves Great, and I’m one hundred percent sure the Great Darkness isn’t one of them.”
As I suspected, the whole idea of a Great Darkness was just something Sesillian had invented to manipulate people, making them believe in it and turning it into their faith. It was a lie he crafted and brainwashed people with, making them think it was real.
But then, Irene continued, her voice taking on a thoughtful tone. “That’s just my take on it, though. It’s based on the textbooks we have. You have to remember, textbooks aren’t always reliable. They don’t always reflect what really happened in the past. History might have played out differently than what’s written, and with so many years gone by, things can get twisted. Some details might’ve been altered, omitted, or even completely made up. Like I said, the only way to know if something’s real is to witness it yourself.”
It was undeniably true. We could never be entirely sure about what had existed in the past. The past held secrets, just as the future would hold surprises we couldn’t anticipate. Time changes everything—what we take for granted now might be unrecognizable tomorrow. And things we couldn’t even imagine might have been realities long ago.
“I mean, it’s not something you’ll find written in any textbooks, but there’s a rumor that Jeanne adopted a young girl during the war against the demons,” Irene said, her voice breaking through my thoughts like a blade through silence. “I don’t get why so many people are trying to hide that, and I honestly don’t see the point. The thing is, not all important truths make it into the books. Some stories are buried.”
She moved fluidly, walking over to gather her clothes. The casual, almost indifferent way she slipped them on made the tension between us all the more frustrating. Piece by piece, she pulled her outfit together, until finally, she was back in her professor uniform—the one that always made her look so official.
“Alright, let’s head to the academy,” Irene said, her tone firm, as if the prior conversation was already forgotten.
“And… what about him?” I gestured toward Leon, who hadn’t moved much.
“He’ll sit in the back with me,” Irene replied without hesitation.
“Wait, you’re not going to sit up front with me?” I asked, genuinely caught off guard. I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice.
Normally, Irene was always riding up front with me when we went to the academy together.
“I’d rather sit with Leon today,” she said.
I couldn’t help but feel that pang of jealousy hit me as I watched them. Seeing them together like that…
***
Leon’s POV
“The only way to know if something’s real is to witness it yourself, huh?” I murmured to myself, my thoughts drifting as I sat in the cafeteria. Titania was beside me, chewing on her lunch with her cheeks puffed out like a squirrel stuffing its face. She looked downright adorable.
Honestly, as much as I wanted to reach over and pinch those cute, round cheeks, my mind was still caught up on what Irene had said earlier.
She was right—sometimes the only way to know if something was real was to see it for yourself. No matter what textbooks or people said, you couldn’t truly know until you experienced it firsthand.
“So I’ve got to see it to believe it, huh?” I muttered under my breath.
“What?” Titania glanced at me, confusion all over her face. Her head tilted slightly, and her mouth was still full of food, making her cheeks look even more bloated. Damn, she looked so cute like that.
“Nothing,” I said, shaking my head. “But seriously, don’t stuff so much food in your mouth at once. You’re gonna choke.”
“I’m fine,” she mumbled through her full mouth, clearly unconcerned.
Then, of course, she did choke. It took me a bit to finally dislodge the chunk of food stuck in her throat.
By the time that little ordeal was over, the afternoon class had started. Trill wasted no time—she sat beside me and, without hesitation, took my arm, sliding it between her breasts and hugging it close. A few of our classmates looked over, surprised, probably confused by what they were seeing. Irene, who wasn’t too far away, didn’t look too thrilled about it either.
We had already agreed that the afternoons belonged to Trill. It was her “lover time.” Though she hadn’t made any grand declarations, it was clear she considered us lovers now, and this was her way of letting everyone know. I’d told Titania about it earlier, and she didn’t seem mad at all. In fact, she wanted to talk to Trill about setting up some kind of schedule or something. Out of all the students at the academy, they were the only two who openly considered themselves my women. They didn’t know about Charlotte, though. And as for the three professors—Gabrielle, Irene, and Rose—they weren’t too interested in organizing anything like that. Rose, in particular, didn’t seem all that thrilled with me in general lately.
After class, I headed back to my dorm room, needing some time to unwind. I hadn’t been there long when my phone buzzed. Curious, I grabbed it and checked the notification.
The name “Elise” flashed on the screen.
My sister had texted me, asking to meet up.
Elise is coming back next chapter!
