Tale of Atheniacus

It was a sunny Monday afternoon at Optimus Princeps Academy, celebrated as the greatest institution of higher learning not just on the continent of Atheniacus, but across the entire planet.

In the square-shaped park nestled within the academy’s grounds, a lone figure sat on a bench. He was a young man with dark, short hair, seemingly detached from the bustling footsteps of the students passing around him. The stillness was broken as a girl hurried toward him. She had a fair face, was slender and of medium height, and her confident stride reflected a self-assured purpose.

“Tranquile, are you coming for history?” Felistus asked, her tone tinged with impatience.

“You know I can’t miss history,” Tranquile replied casually, barely looking up.

“Then hurry up!” she urged.

“Maybe if you let me finish the founder’s assignment, I might actually have something to present,” he quipped, scribbling hurriedly in his notebook.

Felistus rolled her eyes. “We had a whole break to do that! You’ll find me in class.”

With that, she left, her figure disappearing into the crowd. Tranquile sighed and scrawled a few more lines before abruptly standing and sprinting down the corridor. “History, history… Where do we have it again?” he muttered under his breath, scanning his memory.

Ten minutes later, he arrived at his classroom. The moment he opened the door, he was met with the sharp gaze of Professor Radson. An older man with a mane of silver hair, he stood at the front of the room, holding a smartboard pen in one hand. Despite his commanding presence, there was something about his demeanor that suggested a sense of dry humor.

“Well, nice of you to finally join us, Tranquile,” Professor Radson remarked in a tone that was calm but steeped in sarcasm.

Tranquile shifted awkwardly. “Someone told me class this semester would be held at Kamuzu Hall while renovations were taking place,” he offered, his voice earnest.

The professor sighed and shook his head. “Why didn’t you think to confirm that with Felistus when she saw you finishing your assignment?”

Tranquile’s eyes darted toward Felistus, narrowing as he realized her betrayal. Her indifferent expression betrayed no remorse. He bit his tongue, muttering something under his breath before lowering his gaze.

Radson, however, wasn’t about to let him off so easily. “Since you’ve been so diligent with your assignment, you’ll have the honor of presenting first.”

Tranquile froze for a moment, then reluctantly walked to the front, dropping his bag on the desk and flipping through his notebook. Clearing his throat, he began, his voice a mix of hesitation and determination.

“It is said there were once five brothers, known collectively as the Ephors. Their names were Malthus, Apollo, Leviathan, Socrates, and Architek. They were considered the wisest men of the year 0 of the revised calendar. During their time, humans and beasts coexisted in harmony. One day, Leviathan approached Socrates…”

Tranquile shifted his tone to match the dialogue, giving life to the characters.

“‘You, among us, are best at contemplating abstract notions,’ Leviathan began. ‘I would like to exercise your mind for a moment.’”

He paused dramatically, adopting a sarcastic edge for Socrates’s reply: “‘What do they say about you, Leviathan? That your tongue was twisted at birth, which is why you can’t speak clearly? I’m starting to believe it. Out with it—what troubles you?’”

Leviathan hesitated before responding. “‘I beg your patience. The issue on my mind is like clay refusing to take shape. Perhaps your skills can mold it into something tangible.’”

Socrates, intrigued but sharp, relented. “‘Very well, I shall do as you ask.’”

Leviathan then posed his question: “‘Why has nature deemed it proper for organisms to feed on one another in order to survive?’”

Before Tranquile could continue, a sudden knock at the door interrupted him. A tall, broad-shouldered boy entered. On his left bicep, he wore an armband signifying his authority.

“All students are to report to the assembly hall immediately,” the boy announced firmly.

Tranquile sighed, glancing down at his notebook before turning his gaze to Felistus. He started to approach her, but she was already slipping out of the room, disappearing into the sea of students filling the hallways.

As they walked to the assembly hall, whispers buzzed among the students:

“I heard they caught someone trying to sneak into the forbidden section,” one girl whispered.

“If it’s forbidden, why even have it on campus?” her friend replied incredulously.

“Don’t ask me! I didn’t design this place!”