Fourth Period: Legendary Creatures – Hall 14
This class was completely different from any that had come before it. Its atmosphere was more playful, but also more mysterious.
Ryan and Edan entered a spacious hall, its walls covered with pictures and drawings of strange creatures: dragons of different colors, goblins with terrifying faces, sea monsters with massive bodies, giant birds soaring above mountains, creatures half-human half-animal. In the center of the hall, there were three-dimensional models of some of these creatures, crafted with amazing precision, so lifelike they seemed ready to come alive at any moment.
Before them stood an elderly man, his hair completely white, his long thick beard reaching his chest. He wore a dark blue robe adorned with strange symbols resembling ancient letters, and his grey eyes gleamed with intelligence and wisdom. He was constantly smiling, which made him seem less intimidating than the other professors, and more like a grandfather telling stories to his grandchildren.
Professor Thorn Whitehill – a specialist in the study of legendary creatures, said to have spent forty-five years researching and documenting them, traveling across the kingdoms and collecting countless stories and legends.
He began the class in a quiet, warm voice, as if whispering ancient secrets.
"Legendary creatures are not just myths. Not just stories told to children before bedtime. Most of them were real at some point. Some still exist, but hide in remote places. Some went extinct due to human hunting or natural changes. And some... are still waiting."
He moved his hand gracefully, and an image of a massive dragon appeared on the back wall. The dragon was red, with golden eyes, enormous wings, and its mouth open as if preparing to breathe fire.
"The dragon. The most famous legendary creature, and the most terrifying, and the most controversial. There are many types of dragons: fire dragons, ice dragons, earth dragons, sky dragons, and even shadow dragons. Each type differs in size, strength, intelligence, and behavior. But there is one thing all dragons share: greed."
He looked at the students and smiled a mischievous smile.
"The dragon loves treasure. Loves gold, jewels, and precious things. Not because it needs them, but because it desires them. Some scholars believe the dragon is not merely a beast, but an intelligent being, perhaps smarter than humans. But its greed makes it make stupid decisions sometimes. There's a story of a dragon that attacked an entire kingdom just because it heard the king possessed a rare golden necklace."
Then he moved his hand, and the image changed to a strange creature: half-man, half-bull, with a massive body and eyes glowing with rage.
"This is the Minotaur. Lives in labyrinths and deep caves. Fierce, violent, knows no mercy. But it's not very intelligent. It can be easily fooled if you know how. The trick is to use its voice against it – the Minotaur loves to hear the echo of its own voice, and if you can make it get lost in the maze of its own voice, it might forget it was chasing you."
Professor Thorn continued showcasing creatures one after another. He spoke of nymphs that live in springs and lakes, luring travelers with their songs. Of goblins that live in mountains and caves, loving to set traps. Of small dragons kept as pets by some wealthy nobles. Of griffins that guard ancient treasures. Of phoenixes that are reborn from their ashes every five hundred years.
The students were fascinated. Even Ryan, who knew a lot about legendary creatures from Anna, found himself listening attentively. Professor Thorn was a skilled storyteller, and his stories captivated the mind, his hand movements adding life to every creature he described.
But at the end of the class, the professor's tone suddenly changed. He became more serious, darker. He stopped smiling, and his eyes became sharper.
"There are creatures... that books don't talk about much. Creatures that live in the shadows. Creatures that no one wants to talk about, because the fear of them is beyond description."
A short silence. The students exchanged glances, and some felt a chill run down their spines.
"Who among you has heard of the Shadow Worm?"
The students exchanged glances. Most had never heard the name before. Some shook their heads, others looked at their classmates as if asking if they knew.
"Shadow Worm," Professor Thorn repeated, his voice becoming lower. "A very rare legendary creature. So rare that some scholars doubt its existence. It is said to live in the deepest caves, in places where light never reaches, in the cracks of the earth where no human foot has trodden. It has no fixed shape – it can be as small as a worm, or as large as a snake. But the most terrifying thing about it is not its shape, but its effect."
The professor stood and began walking between the aisles, his hands behind his back.
"It is said that the Shadow Worm enters the body of a living being through its ear, then takes control of its mind. Controls it like a puppet. Makes it do what it wants, say what it wants, think as it wants. Its will becomes entirely subject to the worm's will. Its body remains alive, but its soul becomes a prisoner."
Silence filled the hall. No one dared to speak.
asked one student in a trembling voice.
"Is it real?"
Professor Thorn smiled a mysterious smile, not a malicious smile, but the smile of someone who knows more than they say.
"No one knows for certain. But there are ancient legends that speak of it. Some tribes in the Black Sand Desert believe in its existence. They say it is a weapon used by some powerful individuals to control their enemies. And in some stories, it is said that whoever controls the Shadow Worm can control an entire kingdom."
Ryan listened to the professor's words and mentally noted what he said about the Black Sand Desert and the Shadow Worm. He felt no particular discomfort or concern – it was just new information added to his knowledge, like the rest of what he had learned in the class.
The class ended, and the students left the hall, talking excitedly about legendary creatures. Some were scared, others excited to learn more.
Ryan left the hall and met Edan, who looked excited.
Edan said.
"That was the best class yet! Dragons, Minotaurs, nymphs... and even the Shadow Worm! Can you believe there's a creature that can control your mind?"
Ryan replied calmly.
"Interesting information,I haven't heard these stories before."
He said no more. It was just an ordinary school day, an enjoyable class about legendary creatures. There was no reason to feel worried or troubled.
*******
Ryan returned to his room after dinner. He was tired from the long day, but satisfied with what he had learned. He sat on his bed, took out his notebook, and began writing a summary of what he had learned in the Legendary Creatures class.
He wrote about dragons and their types, about the Minotaur, about nymphs, and about the Shadow Worm. They were just study notes, like any other notes.
Then he closed his notebook and lay down on his bed.
he thought.
"Good day,I learned a lot."
He closed his eyes and began to prepare for sleep.
He felt no worry. He felt no discomfort. He was just a student who had finished a long school day and needed rest.
At that moment, he heard a knock on the door.
He got up and opened it.
Eri was standing there, a small smile on her face.
"Brother... are you busy?"
"No, come in."
Eri entered and sat on his bed, patting the spot beside her.
"I heard you talked about legendary creatures today. Was it fun?"
"Yes," Ryan replied, sitting beside her. "It was an enjoyable class. We talked about dragons, the Minotaur, and the Shadow Worm."
Eri's eyes widened. "Shadow Worm? What's that?"
"A legendary creature said to control the minds of those it enters through their ears," Ryan explained. "But it's probably just myths."
Eri said.
"Scary!",Do you think it's real?"
Ryan replied.
"I don't know,But it's an interesting story."
Eri looked at him with sharp eyes.
"You seem relaxed today. You're usually tense."
Ryan said.
"Today was a good day,I learned useful things, and the exercises weren't too harsh."
Eri smiled. "That's good. I'm happy for you."
They sat in silence for a while, gazing at the night through the window. The moon was shining, and the stars were twinkling in the clear sky.
Ryan felt at peace for the first time in days. He wasn't thinking about the prince, or the fire, or the past. He was only thinking about tomorrow, about the upcoming classes, about what he would learn next.
He didn't know that somewhere else, in the darkness of the Black Sand Desert, forces were moving. Forces he had no idea about. Forces that hadn't reached him yet.
But that would change soon.