Chapter 134
"So… you really are going to leave?"
"Yes."
"I understand. Sorry, I'm just a little surprised."
Ooooh!
"Will you come back someday?
If so, should I escort you to the outer gate of Star Academy?"
From behind the curtain that served as his screen, Theo watched the clear change in Ilux's shadow.
A figure who had previously sat with an upright posture—though occasionally bowing his head for a moment—now appeared to lower it deeply and for a long time.
His head seemed pulled down by the weight of the news he had just received, forming a silhouette filled with unease and unspoken questions.
A few seconds later, he finally lifted his head again, straightening his posture with a breath that seemed to gather whatever remained of his strength.
The shadow then began to move again, his mouth opening and closing in a steady rhythm, indicating that he had begun speaking.
His voice sounded faint yet clear enough in intonation—asking whether Aldraya would return someday.
Was there a chance they might meet again in the halls of this academy, or at least beneath the same sky?
The question lingered in the air, followed by a sincere offer: would Aldraya allow him to accompany her to the outer gate of Star Academy, as a final gesture of respect—and perhaps also as an attempt to prolong a parting that felt far too brief?
Aldraya, whose shadow remained still and calm, seemed to consider the offer.
Perhaps her head tilted slightly, or her hands clasped more tightly together, giving the faintest signal that she was reflecting on Ilux's request.
In the distance, Theo felt a different tension—hope floating from one side, uncertainty rising from the other.
The night breeze that drifted softly seemed to wait as well for Aldraya's answer, carrying a coldness that pierced the air yet failed to cool the burning human drama unfolding behind the curtain.
Ilux remained in his place, waiting patiently yet brimming with anticipation, as though the answer to his question would determine many things in his future.
From his vantage point, Theo continued to observe, realizing that behind every spoken word, behind every shift of a silhouette, lay emotions and stories far deeper than what appeared on the surface.
Tonight, in a room dimly lit by the warm glow of a lamp, a bond between teacher and student was being tested—and Theo became the silent witness to every detail of it.
"For now, it is very likely that I will not return.
The matters I must resolve are too heavy to predict their duration.
Thank you for your wish to accompany me, but I do not need it."
"Alright… then. I understand."
Aldraya answered with a voice as flat as flowing water—steady, without tremor, without any hint of emotion on her face.
Her silver hair remained perfectly neat, not a single strand moving with a heartbeat that seemed frozen in its coldness.
She made it clear that she most likely would not return, delivering the certainty as though reading a weather report.
Though she expressed gratitude for Ilux's offer, she gently declined the escort to the academy gate, as if this farewell had to be made in silence and solitude, without ceremony or excessive gestures.
From behind the curtain, Ilux's shadow could be seen nodding slowly, accepting the decision with a mixture of respect and nervousness.
His body seemed slightly tense, his shoulders rising and falling with deep breaths.
It was the first time he had heard that his greatest mentor—his personal teacher—would be leaving the academy for an uncertain span of time, perhaps months, maybe years.
His hands, once clasped tightly on his lap, now trembled slightly—a small detail only eyes as observant as Theo's could catch.
Aldraya remained in her perfect posture, like a statue carved from ice—unmoved by the waves of emotion likely shaking Ilux's heart.
Her refusal to be escorted was not a rejection of Ilux as a person, but a firm declaration that the path she would soon walk was a solitary one.
The room's soft lamp light struck her profile, creating a silhouette that further emphasized the unseen distance between teacher and student.
Theo, from his hiding place in the tree, watched the scene with mixed feelings.
He understood how heavy it must be for Ilux to accept that the one he admired would leave for good; yet at the same time, he could sense Aldraya's unshakable resolve.
The night wind blew more strongly, as if accompanying the difficult decision just announced, while the shadows of the two figures remained etched behind the curtain—engraving a farewell moment that would be remembered for a lifetime.
"I'm sorry. I must have troubled you a lot all this time."
Fhhh!
"I am very fortunate to have been your student, teacher.
Thank you for teaching me so many things."
"Accepted."
Without hesitation, Ilux's shadow behind the curtain moved.
His figure bent slightly forward—a gesture of sincere apology and deep respect.
His voice, though faint, carried the clear intonation of gratitude, expressing how fortunate he felt to have met Aldraya, the teacher who had patiently taught him so much in this academy.
Every word he spoke held weight, as though he wished to pour out all the gratitude he had kept in his heart before the chance vanished forever.
Aldraya, on the other hand, remained unmoving.
Her static silhouette gave no physical response—no nod, no shake of the head.
Only after Ilux finished speaking did her flat voice return, replying that his apology was accepted.
Yet that acceptance was delivered with the same flatness she used when announcing her departure—without additional explanations or comforting words.
The space between them seemed filled with an emotional gap impossible to bridge.
From above, Theo observed the silent tension settling after their exchange.
Ilux's shadow remained bowed for several moments, as though waiting for something more than a formal acknowledgment.
But all he received was silence from a teacher who was cold and unreadable.
The lamp continued to illuminate the scene, creating a sorrowful contrast between the humility of a student and the indifference of a teacher who would soon leave forever.
'That crucial moment is about to come.
Everything branches from a single point—from the beginning to the middle of episode nine, the first arc.'
Fhhhh!
'At Aldraya's moment of transformation… I must faithfully record everything that happens.'
With an almost automatic motion, his left hand opened the small yellow notebook.
His fingers, stiffened by the rising cold, gripped a simple pen, etching lines of cramped and hurried words.
Underneath the pale moonlight, the scribbles became an unspoken witness to the turning point soon to unfold.
His eyes occasionally glanced at the window, making sure the two silhouettes remained in the room before focusing again on his task.
The notebook seemed like a vault—storing all secrets and observations that must never be forgotten.
He let out a short breath, and in the freezing air, it turned into a cloud of white vapor that quickly faded in the wind.
In his heart, a certainty crystallized.
'Just a little longer.
The moment he has been waiting for—the event that will change everything—is nearly here.'
These were the final seconds before Aldraya, the cold silver-haired girl, underwent an inevitable transformation.
A change that would turn her from an academy teacher into a mid-level boss in the first arc—specifically in the early and middle parts of episode nine.
A position that would place her as one of the major obstacles within the game's scenario.
To be continued…