Caelio’s POV (Lilies Park)

It was the morning of a new day in the place where demigods were free to live and train, safe from all dangers of the mortal world. Caelio walked slowly towards the entrance of the seventh house, his gaze remained fixed on the modest wooden door painted grey, the distinctive color of the sons of Ien. The lilies park was still immersed in the silence of the early morning, most of the demigods were still at rest, which was why the boy moved so calmly.

Having reached the entrance, Caelio stopped and put a hand on his chest. His heart was beating wildly, more than he himself would have liked.

Despite his typical enterprising spirit, he had thought about that moment and that gesture for a long time, imagining the possible consequences, however, now that he was in front of the house, uncertainty was slowly starting to attack him.

With a deep breath, he took the letter he had prepared with so much care, even though his writing wasn't exactly "neat", and placed it delicately on the doorstep.

He hoped it was enough to get Marina's attention, at least as much as the blonde had managed to do with him.

Ien's daughter, for some strange reason, had been constantly occupying his thoughts since she had crashed into him. Caelio had observed her in secret during the following days, fascinated by her gaze and her innate grace. Because of Elaine's warning and the strict freedom Aena had given him, he had never been able to muster the courage to approach her. That letter was his classic attempt to break the ice, to open a window to have contact with someone he longed for.

Then, if she doesn't answer me, I can always hit on Elaine.

He laughed silently and, after taking a last look at the letter, walked away with slow steps, aware that now there was nothing he could do but wait. He hoped that Marina, or some relative, would find his message and be polite enough to deliver it without reading it. Maybe, just maybe, it would be the start of something special.

“Mission to the seventh house complete, next stop is to the Great Mansion.”

The demigod set off. As he walked along the path that would lead him to the hill where the temples were located, Caelio could not concentrate on anything other than his anxiety. He had found the courage to take the first step, but now he feared the consequences of his actions.

In fact, he had been too reckless, as usual. What would Marina think of that letter? What if she decided to not even read it? The idea of being rejected terrified him, but the damage had already been done.

Or not? I can always go get it before it's too late.

He stopped and thought about it for a few seconds.

His mother, may the gods bless her soul, always used to say that his biggest problem was indecision. Every time it was the same circle of events. He made a choice instinctively, then he thought about it and realized that it wasn't very intelligent. Doubts and paranoia followed until someone made the decision for them.

His back tingled, as if telling him to go back.

No, not this time. I promised I would be a different person here.

Finally, he chose to continue on his own path and reach the large house.

The demigod crossed the always open entrance and took the corridor that would take him to the rector's office. It took little more than a minute before he found himself in front of the carved wooden door. He grabbed the handle with his left hand and, with his right, pressed his knuckles on the door, so as to signal his presence.

He waited three seconds, counting them in his head, then he turned the handle and entered the office with a jovial smile on his face.

“Good morning, Lyceum. Is everything okay here?”

Caelio immediately noticed that something was wrong with the man. The tired look of Lyceym, the rector of the park, was visible even to a fool. The blond-haired boy knew that Lyceum suffered from a curse that forced him to constantly fight against his nature as an erchitu. Aena had told him this when he asked questions about the rector's identity.

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“Good morning to you, Caelio. Please sit down,” he welcomed him with his hand pointing towards the seats. “I have to talk to you about an important matter.”

The two exchanged a look and the boy noticed the yellowish sclerae, a clear sign that the rector's condition had worsened.

He nodded and followed Lyceum to his office, wondering what awaited him. He knew the man had concerns about the passage of Elaine, Mardi's daughter, and wanted to have updated news. But there was something more, he could read it in the rector's "golden" eyes, a tension that Caelio couldn't decipher.

“Caelio, I'm really happy to have you here. I hope you are managing to find a little more freedom, now that the divine Aena is far from the park,” Lyceum began, his voice veiled with relief. “But I need to know how Elaine is, because I haven't heard from her in days.”

Caelio did not relax or show any signs of being relieved, on the contrary he seemed to be more tense than before. He wished he could give the good news to the rector, but he had made a promise.

“Elaine is fine, Lyceum. The ritual failed as Aena expected and she is now dealing with the failure on the sidelines. The last time I saw her she told me she wanted to be alone for a while.”

He paused for a moment, before adding, “You should focus on yourself a little too, you don't exactly look healthy...”

The rector nodded slowly, concern still evident on his face.

“This…” he touched his cheekbone, “You don't have to worry.”

“But I'm really worried.”

Lyceum smiled and put on the glasses with dark lenses that were placed on the desk.

“The divine Mardi takes care of my treatment and, according to his opinion, I must start reducing the doses if I want to keep my condition stable. If I always maintained the same frequency, the cells in my body would develop a resistance to the potion. Having closed this discussion, tell me, Caelio, why didn't you inform me about Elaine before?”

The boy hesitated for a moment, aware that he had lied to Lyceum. “I... I didn't want to worry you unnecessarily. Elaine asked me to keep quiet until she made peace with herself.”

Lyceum's eyes narrowed in disapproval.

“Caelio, you know well that we cannot afford to keep secrets inside the park. Especially when it comes to such dangerous powers. If we start not telling each other things, it won't take long. We will all become distrustful of each other and the war will already be lost.”

Angered, Caelio could not stop himself from involuntarily exuding his regal aura, a reflection of his divine heritage. “Lyceum, Elaine can handle the situation. There was no need to alarm everyone... and I'm tired of being controlled by everything and everyone.”

The rector's expression hardened immediately. The aura released by the blond forced him to step back, the wheels of his chair made an annoying noise when they hit the floor.

“I-I don't accept tones like that, Caelio. There are rules everywhere, especially here. I order you to remain inconspicuous and to keep a low profile, as requested by Aena.”

Caelio clenched his jaw, frustrated by Liceo's reprimand. “Otherwise? How do you think you can silence me if you can barely stand” he said through clenched teeth, before turning away.

“You know what? I’m tired of these rules, you all seem scared of making a misstep. We are not on a minefield. Emion can even shine my shoes! Did you hear that?” he shouted upwards.

Then, without waiting for a response, he left the office, slamming the door.

As he walked away, Caelio found himself thinking about the injustice of the situation. Why did he always have to be treated like a spoiled child, when he knew he was so much more than just a demigod? His regal aura was an integral part of who he was, and he had no intention of denying it just to please others. He would soon celebrate his first month there and no one even knew his name except for Elaine.

The only reason that had pushed him to lock himself away in the Lilies Park was his mother: Tessa Rivoli. A mortal born to a pair of demigods, capable of seeing through the veil of reality created by the goddess Rutia.

Dead, because of me.

His last advice had been to go to the lilies park and stay there until he turned nineteen. Despite his frustration, Caelio was determined not to disappoint his mother.

It's not long now anyway.

In reality, he knew he could count on the rector and did not want to jeopardize that relationship. He would need support when he gave Aena the unpleasant surprise.

With a sigh, Caelio decided to follow Lyceum's orders, at least for the moment. He would find a way to prove his worth without drawing too much attention to himself.

As he walked along the path that took him back to the central square, he felt his heart hammering in his chest again. He glanced at the seventh house, from which not a soul could be seen emerging.

Clearly. Too early for the princess.

Despite the tension with Lyceum, his mind was still dominated by the memory of that letter left at the door of the building. What would Marina have thought? Would she have been intrigued? Or would she simply ignore his gesture?

Uncertainty tormented him, but at the same time a spark of hope was rekindled in his heart. Maybe, just maybe, he would be able to create a bond with that girl who had impressed him so much. He was aware that there would be troubles along the way, like the kind Elaine had mentioned, as well as her noble house, but he was determined to give his all to win her over.