"No, no... This must be a joke, or there must be a mistake," Fern said with a trembling voice, her plant vines briefly contracting. "Are you sure this is for us?"
The ssenger consulted his scroll again, running a finger down the ornate script. "Fern and Reed Patinder, residents in the Twisted Black Oak area, outer district 15. There's no mistake, ma'am."
"But... six hundred thousand crystals," Reed insisted, his mature plant's leaves rustling slightly. "Our Ren used to collect and save rain crystals, but... That's... it's an impossible fortune for a first-year child to gather in just six months."
The ssenger shrugged, his professional deanor unruffled by their disbelief. "We only deliver, sir. But if it helps, the sender spoke directly with the business owner. That's not sothing just anyone can do."
They spent the next few minutes bombarding the patient ssengers with questions, most of which they couldn't answer.
"What should we do with this?" Fern whispered, as if speaking too loudly might make the mont disappear or change reality. Her fingers nervously smoothed the letter, tracing the now more weirdly confident strokes of Ren's handwriting.
Reed reread the letter, his eyes lingering on each extraordinary line. "If all this is true... if our Ren has really accomplished all this..."
Fern nodded slowly.
They looked at each other, and in their eyes saw the sa decision. With care, Reed drafted the response, the quill gliding over the paper as Fern nodded at each word.
♢♢♢♢
The first day of the new sester began with the usual frantic activity. Students rushed through corridors, comparing schedules and still exchanging stories of their brief day of freedom.
Ren, after completing the brutal morning routine imposed by Lin, was returning to his dormitory to change before classes when a small white canary intercepted him in the hallway.
The bird carried an envelope with the Pegasus seal. Ren took it, intrigued, and the canary departed with a cheerful trill that seed to hang in the air longer than natural sound should.
"What's that?" asked Taro, who accompanied him, dragging his feet and Min's 'lifeless' body by one foot, together with Liu, who was pulling Min by the other foot after their exhausting training.
"I don't know," Ren responded, breaking the seal. Inside he found two notes. The first, brief and formal, was from Alicia:
Esteed young Patinder,
I regret to inform you that your shipnt has been returned by express request of the recipients. The funds have been redeposited into your account at the academy. I attach a letter from your parents explaining the situation.
Always at your service, Alicia Pegasus
Ren felt a void in his stomach. They had returned it? Why? With trembling fingers, he unfolded the second letter, imdiately recognizing his father's rustic but tidy calligraphy.
Our dear Ren,
Your letter and the extraordinary shipnt that accompanied it have left us speechless. Reading about your achievents, your double contract, your tournant victory, and your discoveries has filled us with such big pride that it cannot fit in these pages.
However, after -y-o-u-r- -m-o-t-h-e- much reflection, we have decided to return the crystals. Not because we doubt you or your words (-t-h-o-u-g-h- -I- -c-o-n-f-e-s-s- -t-h-e-y- -s-e-e-m- -t-o-o- -f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c- -t-o- b-e- --t-r-u-e-), but because we firmly believe these resources should remain with you.
If everything you tell us is true, these crystals will be much more useful financing your cultivation and studies than accumulating in this modest ho. What would we do with six hundred thousand crystals? Our needs are simple, and although the idea of recovering the house is tempting, it's not sothing we really need.
What we truly desire is to see you grow, to see you reach your full potential. And for that, you must have all possible resources at your disposal.
Don't worry about us. We're perfectly fine. The work in the kitchens, far from being a burden, is sothing we enjoy. We cook with love, and each dish we create reminds us of you.
As for the ritual you taught us, we haven't missed a single day. And though you may know it, we've noticed changes. Small, subtle, but undeniable. We don't know if it's because of the ritual or simply because the hope of your success keeps us young, but your father can now lift pots that previously required great effort, and your mother's hands no longer ache at night.
Use those crystals wisely, son. Cultivate your beasts, develop your gifts, and when your break cos in six months, tell us your whole story in person. We'll be waiting with open arms and a sweet root stew ready for you.
With all our love, Mom and Dad
P.S.: Your mother insists that not telling us what the surprise is is cruel, but I think it's fair. We await it eagerly.
The letter slipped between Ren's fingers as tears clouded his vision. Hearing their words made him realize how much he missed them.
A sob escaped his throat before he could contain it, and then silently, he was crying in the middle of the hallway.
Min revived and stood up alard, approaching quickly. "Ren? What's happening?"
"Bad news?" Liu and Taro also asked, their faces showing genuine concern.
But Ren couldn't speak. His parents' words resonated in his mind, each phrase imbued with such pure and selfless love that it physically hurt, constricting his throat.
They had returned the crystals, not out of distrust, but out of concern for him. They preferred to continue working hard rather than deprive him of any amount of resources useful for his future.
And despite everything, they had also given him the greatest gift: they believed in him. In his achievents, in his spore, in the ritual. They had even noticed changes, which ant the process was working exactly as he had predicted.
The tears wouldn't stop flowing, but gradually his face transford. A smile forced its way onto his face, and the mushrooms in his hair began to pulse with a brighter glow than ever before.
"They're tears of happiness," he finally managed to explain to Taro, Liu, and Min, who watched him with growing concern. "My parents... they..."
He couldn't complete the sentence, but it wasn't necessary. His friends nodded, understanding without needing words. Taro placed a comforting hand on his shoulder in a gesture of silent support.
Ren carefully folded the letter and kept it close to his heart.
♢♢♢♢
Later that day...
Luna carefully folded the letter, wiping away a treacherous tear before it could fully travel down her cheek. She stored it in the sa pocket where she had carried the previous one, her fingers lingering briefly on the paper.
"Don't you get tired of reading those cursed words?" Mayo asked from the doorway of the room, observing her with a touch of exasperation. The maid leaned against the fra, her arms crossed over her uniform.
Luna shot her such a penetrating look that Mayo raised her hands in surrender, taking a small step back.
"It was a joke, it was a joke," the maid quickly clarified, her tone softening. "Although I don't understand why they keep trying to maintain the faction's image like this." Her tone changed to a more serious one. "It's already a pretty sad image since the extre horde ravaged us... Maybe it wouldn't hurt to..."
Luna visibly tensed. Her shadow wolf briefly flared around her, the darkness deepening. With deliberately slow movents, she approached Mayo so closely that the maid had to suppress the urge to retreat. Leaning in, Luna whispered directly into her ear…
"Although I hate it, my father has his reasons." Her tone allowed no argunt, the intensity making Mayo swallow nervously. "And since we lost my mother, I understand them perfectly." After a brief silence charged with emotion… "Despite everything, it's necessary."
She pulled away, studying Mayo's reaction before turning to walk toward the window. The shadow wolf receded beneath her skin.
The maid slightly shook her head when Luna wasn't looking at her, but hurried to nod when the young Starweaver looked back again.
Luna approached the window of her room, observing the academy grounds. Her fingers played distractedly with the earrings Larissa had given her, simple artifacts but remarkably useful.
"The help from Liora's family is also good," she reflected aloud, her gaze distant. "But I would prefer to solve things with my own power."
"Like beating Ren?" Mayo inquired with a touch of mischief.
Luna ignored the comnt, her gaze lost on the horizon.
"I need to be stronger," she continued, her voice taking on a steel edge. "Only then will I recover my faction on my own, without depending on the families of Liora and Larissa to defend from those who want to use my dumb inherited right."
Her hand closed tightly.
"The secret of the legendary upper door of the underground tower of the main vein..." Mayo recited, deliberately dramatizing the mont. "At least… we're lucky that the three rings aren't in the hands of a single person yet."
Luna nodded gravely, her expression solemn as she contemplated the weight of these words.
"Do you think your father will be able to continue guarding the second ring?" Mayo asked, her voice tinged with concern. "Even though it's yours by right, it won't be easy to keep the Goldcrests or the Ashenway heir on the sidelines forever."
"Selphira treats my father as if she wasn't interested," Luna responded, a small smile forming on her lips. Her shadow wolf's eyes glead with a knowing light. "But my mother once told that many forget he was her favorite disciple for so ti, when he was young."
She turned to look directly at Mayo, an unusual confidence shining in her eyes.
"If things get serious, I'm sure she won't leave him alone." Her voice acquired a tone of absolute certainty. "And together, no one who isn't the King can defeat them."
♢♢♢♢
The sun was setting behind the mountains when the Goldcrest entourage arrived at the academy's boundaries. Golden banners fluttered in the evening breeze, bearing the proud emblem of the lion family.
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