As I walked toward Minerva Institute on Monday morning, my mind was filled with analyses from the weekend. On one side was the excitement of my planned trip to Heroica, on the other was the deep questioning brought on by my sister Marcella's warning: "Don't you think you should let others make their own mistakes?" This question caused me to reevaluate every step I took, especially my attitude toward Marcus and Luna. Even amidst these thoughts, the possibility of seeing her again lit up my day like a light shining in the background.
As I moved through the corridor, I saw her. She was talking with two friends beside her, spreading light around her with that sincere smile. The moment our eyes met, it was as if the noise around us stopped for an instant. An even warmer smile appeared on her face and she said "Good morning" in an almost inaudible whisper. This silent greeting was enough to brighten the rest of my day.
The first class was with Professor Livia. The warm and friendly atmosphere of the classroom was comforting as always. Livia's humorous delivery and ability to simplify subjects made even the most complex statistical models understandable. Throughout the class, Ella and I made eye contact several times, smiling at each other faintly. These small, silent moments seemed like proof that the bond between us was strengthening even without the need for words.
After class, I saw Marcus alone in the corridor. I approached him. "Marcus, how was your weekend?" I asked in as natural a voice as possible.
He glanced at me briefly and muttered, "Fine." The coldness and distant attitude in his voice were immediately noticeable.
"Is everything okay? You seem a bit distracted."
"I'm fine, just a bit busy," he said, passing by me. Marcella's words echoed in my brain: "Don't you think you should let others make their own mistakes?" Perhaps I should give him space. In trying to protect him, I had unintentionally pushed him away from me. Although this thought saddened me, for now I had no choice but to step back.
At lunch we gathered at our usual table. Cassius and Gaius were in the middle of a heated argument as always. Just then, we were startled by a crash from a few tables away. Felissia had collapsed to the floor with her tray. The murmur in the cafeteria stopped for a moment, giving way to whispers and a few giggles.
While Felissia's face turned red with embarrassment, Ella stood up without hesitation. "Are you okay?" she said, going to her and trying to help her up. However, the combination of Felissia's disorientation from the fall and Ella's delicate build made it difficult for her to lift her from the ground. This helpless moment between the two of them seemed to be under a merciless spotlight in the middle of the cafeteria.
Just then, Luna's calm, almost murmuring voice reached our table. "A sweet effort, isn't it?" she said, not taking her eyes off me. "But I suppose sometimes good intentions aren't enough."
Her words were like a poisonous whisper that belittled Ella's actions, made her appear inadequate, and indirectly presented a challenge to me as well. I could no longer remain silent. I walked calmly over to them. First I extended my hand to Felissia, then with Ella's support, I easily helped her to her feet. While Felissia thanked me in a low voice and quickly walked away, I looked at Luna before returning to the table.
There was no expression on my face. "Helping is about intention, not strength, Luna," I said in a calm and clear voice. "Some show their intentions through their actions, others just watch from afar and comment."
The mocking smile on Luna's face froze for a moment. She didn't answer. She didn't need to. A cleverly constructed attack could only be neutralized by an even more clever defense that rendered it ineffective.
When we returned to the table, Ella's face was still pale. Luna's words had clearly hurt her. I leaned toward her. "What matters is not what people say, but what you do," I whispered. "And you did the right thing."
Ella raised her head and looked at me. The momentary hesitation in her eyes gave way to a grateful sparkle.
The afternoon class was with Professor Flavia. Under the iron discipline of the classroom and Flavia's sharp gaze, my mind focused completely on the lesson. This intellectual challenge was a wonderful escape from the day's social complexity.
When school ended, the group slowly dispersed. As Ella and I walked toward the bus stop, I was the one who broke the silence.
"Don't let her upset you."
She nodded. "I can't help it. I just... felt so weak in that moment."
"Weakness means not trying," I said. "You tried. That makes you strong."
The small, grateful smile that appeared on her face was enough to take away all the tension of the day.
As I watched outside through the window of the bus going home, the day's events were spinning in my mind like a film strip. Marcus's coldness, Luna's poisonous words and my response... I had defended Ella, yes. But was this the right move, or was it another reflection of my desire to take control? If Marcella was right, had my intervention prevented Ella from finding her own strength? My thoughts had turned into a labyrinth.
When I got home, I found my father in his study, with a book in his hand as always. He looked at me over his glasses and before I could say anything, he asked, "Was it a difficult day, son?" His all-knowing looks could sometimes be annoying.
I nodded and threw myself into one of the chairs. "Dad," I began, not quite knowing how to express it. "How do you understand the line between helping someone and trying to control their life?"
My father slowly closed his book and focused completely on me. A wise smile appeared on his face. "You reminded me of my youth," he said. "When your mother and I first met... There was someone following her, someone not very trustworthy. Naturally, with the fire of youth, I wanted to protect her. I went and talked to the boy, told your mother what kind of person he was, thinking I had saved her like a hero."
He paused and his eyes smiled. "Your mother gave me the lesson of my life that day. She didn't say 'Thank you for protecting me.' She said, 'I'm hurt that you didn't believe I could make my own decisions.' At that moment I realized that in trying to protect her, I had actually told her 'You can't understand this on your own.' Even with the best intentions, this can be the greatest arrogance. Supporting someone means walking beside them, not clearing the path for them, Octavian. Sometimes letting them fall allows them to be stronger when they get up."
My father's words were like a force that tore down the walls of the labyrinth in my mind. My attitude toward Marcus, my instinctive desire to protect against Luna... They all came from the same place. But my help to Ella was different. I hadn't fought in her place, I had just stood by her side while she was already fighting. This subtle but important difference changed everything.
The story my father told gave me not just advice, but also a message of trust. As I walked toward my room, I felt the burden on my shoulders lighten a little more. There were still many things I needed to analyze, but at least now I knew I was asking the right questions.
[That Same Night - Marcus's House - Marcus's Perspective]
As I tossed and turned in my bed that night, the day's events kept replaying in my mind. The ceiling was like a blank screen reflecting my thoughts. That moment I witnessed while sitting at our table with Luna in the cafeteria... Felissia's fall, Octavian's intervention in the incident as if stepping onto a stage, and the sentences Luna whispered in my ear... Everything was like pieces of a puzzle. But the picture that formed in my mind was very different from what Octavian saw. It was a picture that proved Luna was right.
Octavian... He was one of the closest people to enter my life in the last twenty days. Maybe we hadn't known each other for years, but when he gave me the opportunity to get close to Luna, I had truly trusted him. I was just beginning to learn his nature of analyzing everything, trying to control every situation. But this structure had taken on a different form, especially since Ella entered his life. He wanted to protect her, I understood. Just like he tried to protect me. But this protective instinct could become suffocating even in such a short time. Just like when setting up the study group. "This is best for you," he had said. He had made decisions for me without even knowing me completely yet.
Luna, however... She was different. Today she had come to me in the corridor after the cafeteria. There was genuine concern on her face. "It was a difficult situation," she had said in a soft voice. "Octavian is well-intentioned, I know, but sometimes he forgets that people need to be given the chance to stand on their own feet. You're not like him. You listen to people, you understand them."
These words had touched that insecure and silent place in my soul. Someone had seen me. Someone had noticed Marcus, not that child left in Octavian's shadow. Luna had understood me. Luna's "understanding" had erased that subtle condescension I felt under Octavian's "protection."
The next morning, as I walked to school, there was a weight in my steps. The thought of seeing Octavian tied a knot in my stomach. How would I face this resentment and sense of betrayal I felt toward him? Maybe I wasn't the one who was betrayed, maybe it was him. But then why did I feel so justified?
As soon as I entered the school gate, I saw him. As always, there was an aura around him, confident and calm. I averted my gaze to avoid eye contact and quickly passed by him. I heard him calling after me but I didn't stop. Not now. Right now I didn't have the strength to listen to his logical explanations, his sentences beginning with "for your own good."
When I entered the classroom, Luna was at her desk. She smiled when she saw me. "Good morning," she said. That simple word was all I needed at that moment. I sat next to her. "I was thinking about what happened yesterday," she whispered before class. "What Octavian did... was showy. But what Ella needed wasn't a hero, just a friend. Just like you."
She had done it again. She had expressed my thoughts, my feelings better than I could. Octavian's action really was showy. It was like a show in front of everyone. It wasn't like what I would do. I would just help quietly.
At that moment I made my decision. Octavian was pursuing his own truth. Maybe it was time for me to find my own path too. Maybe that path passed by someone who understood me. Octavian's intention might be good, yes. But as Luna said, sometimes good intentions weren't enough. And I no longer wanted to settle for just good intentions. I wanted to be understood.
[Same Time - Computer Laboratory - Cassius's Perspective]
The cool silence of the computer lab was filled with the rhythmic symphony of code lines and keyboard clicks. The algorithm problem Professor Ventorius had given was on the screen, but the real problem in my mind wasn't between the lines, but between the rows of people moving around. Like everyone else, I appeared focused on my work, but every movement, every whisper in my peripheral units was processed as a new move on the massive chess board in my mind.
Yesterday's cafeteria scene was much more than simple clumsiness and high school drama. Felissia's fall was the toppling of a pawn, yes. But Luna's move at that moment... was the trap of a master player. Her words that belittled Octavian's intervention while next to Marcus were like threatening multiple squares with a single piece. She wounded Ella, provoked Octavian, and most importantly, bound Marcus even more tightly to her side.
Marcus... This was the pawn that made me think the most. Octavian had no obvious fault toward him. Yes, he might have been a bit too controlling when setting up the study group, but this wasn't a crime worthy of completely cutting someone off. Marcus's disproportionate reaction, this obvious escape, wasn't coming from within. This was an insecurity fed from the outside. Luna had seen Marcus's weaknesses and turned them into weapons. By giving him the approval he needed, she was turning him against Octavian. For now, intervention was meaningless. A man in love doesn't act with logic. The healthiest strategy was to leave him alone and observe Luna's next move.
Just as I was immersed in these thoughts, I came to myself with the professor's voice. "Yes, who wants to solve this optimization problem?"
My eyes immediately shifted to Octavian. He was calm as always. He raised his hand and walked to the board. The way he took the chalk, his steps, everything was filled with that annoying confidence. He examined the problem for a few seconds, then began writing the solution. The code was elegant, efficient, and flawless. Admiring murmurs rose from the class. Even I admired him internally. He was intelligent, undeniably so.
But just as the professor was about to congratulate him, a thin voice was heard from the back rows. "Professor, may I share an alternative?"
Like everyone else, I turned toward where the voice came from. It was a girl with glasses and a serious expression. Caelia. I knew her name from the class list; ever since she had presented an elegant solution to a similar problem last week, her quiet but sharp attention in classes hadn't escaped my notice. She went to the board and wrote her solution next to Octavian's. It was shorter, required less processing power, and frankly, was more ingenious. This time there was astonished silence in the class.
This was the real test moment for me. I looked at him to see Octavian's reaction. There wasn't the slightest trace of jealousy, anger, or humiliation on his face. On the contrary, his eyes sparkled with interest. He approached the solution on the board and examined it carefully for a while. Then he turned to the girl.
"This... is amazing," he said, with genuine admiration in his voice. "This approach hadn't occurred to me. How did you think of it?"
This reaction confirmed everything for me. Octavian's goal wasn't to be the smartest or the strongest. His goal was to be the most effective. When he saw a better solution than his own, he saw it not as a threat, but as a new strategy to learn. This was what took him from being a dangerous egomaniac and turned him into a valuable ally.
His action in the cafeteria was also clearer from this perspective now. While helping Ella and Felissia, he wasn't just playing hero; he was applying the most efficient solution to a problem.
I looked at the board. On one side was Octavian's strong but traditional solution, on the other was Caelia's elegant and unexpected move. And an Octavian who, instead of being disturbed by this situation, was enjoying it.
Yes, there were dangerous players on the board. Like Luna. But a player like Octavian who was open to development and could control his ego was always the most valuable piece. For now I would continue to observe. Because this game was just beginning.
[Same Time - Computer Laboratory]
Professor Ventorius's class was like a refuge for my brain. Code lines, logical structures, optimization problems... Everything was clear, everything was bound by rules. How different it was from the murky, unpredictable nature of human relationships. The flow I felt while going to the board and solving the problem, that sense of control, was like armor against the uncertainties of the rest of the day.
My solution was elegant and effective. I was sure of this. But then Caelia came to the board. I had noticed her before; she was quiet but her gaze was sharp. The code lines she wrote on the board were like poetry placed next to my solution. Shorter, smarter, more... beautiful. For a moment I seemed to hear a whisper from my old self. That competitive voice that wanted to be the best. But the whisper quickly disappeared. It was replaced by pure admiration.
When I asked her "This... is amazing. How did you think of it?" the sincerity in my voice surprised even me. There was no jealousy, only a desire to understand. This was that subtle but important detail I had noticed after my father's conversation last night. The issue wasn't being the strongest, it was being able to make the most correct move. And Caelia had made the most correct move on the board at that moment. Appreciating this was my strength, not my weakness.
As I returned to my seat, the pieces in my mind were falling into place. The situation with Luna and Marcus... For today, I decided to shelve this equation. I couldn't control the moves they would make on the chess board. Constantly trying to analyze the next step was only tiring me. My sister was really right, sometimes you had to let people make their own mistakes.
There was a more important problem I needed to solve right now: Ella.
But this wasn't an algorithm problem. This was an equation with boundaries. How could I support her? How could I make her feel more comfortable? And most importantly, how could I do this without taking on that arrogant "savior" role my father mentioned, while respecting her space? How could I walk that fine line between helping her and trying to control her life?
When class ended, I slowly packed my things. Possible dialogues, different scenarios were spinning in my mind. But then the driving instructor's voice came to mind: "Stop thinking, feel." I took a deep breath and stopped analyzing.
I saw her in the corridor. She was saying goodbye to her friends. When I approached her, my steps naturally slowed.
"Hello," I said, making sure my voice came out as calmly as possible.
She turned to me. That familiar, warm sparkle was in her eyes. "Hello."
There was a momentary silence. My heart rate had quickened. At that moment, I realized that making plans was meaningless. "I was walking toward the bus stop... If you want, we could walk together."
A sweet smile mixed with surprise appeared on her face. "Okay," she said in a soft voice. "That would be very nice."
As we walked side by side on the campus's wide paths, the silence between us was comforting. As we moved from the buildings toward the main gate, it seemed like words weren't needed. We didn't talk about the cafeteria incident, Luna, or Marcus at all. Instead, we talked about a funny anecdote Professor Livia had told, about how difficult tomorrow's Flavia class would be. Her conversation was so smooth, so natural that when I was with her, letting my guard down, just being myself was very easy.
When we reached the stop, the sun was beginning to set behind the buildings. The sky was wrapped in warm tones of orange and pink.
"Thank you for today," she said as the bus arrived. "I mean... for walking."
"I thank you," I said. "For accompanying me."
She waved at me as she got on the bus. Her smiling face from behind the window was the last image etched in my mind.
When I returned home, I took stock of the day in the silence of my room. Yes, there was another challenging Flavia class tomorrow and I had to focus my mind completely on it. But the real problem was Thursday. Professor Aurex's class would test not only my intelligence but all my psychological resistance. The fear was still there, yes. But today, for the first time, I hadn't allowed that fear to control me. Maybe my father was right. Maybe the issue wasn't solving all problems, but starting to ask the right questions. And I think I was finally starting to ask the right questions.