Chapter Text
Alhaitham was walking in the gardens of the Akademiya, a book in his left hand and his head wrapped in a thousand thoughts.
Ever since he had become the acting grand sage, he had less and less time for himself and for reflecting on what really interested him. He would have wanted everything except to assume a leadership position like that, but there hadn't been much choice, and he knew well that letting the Akademiya drift meant seeing it end slowly.
Even the lesser lord Kusanali had begged him to bring order and to make the Akademiya a place of knowledge and positive wisdom, as it should have been from the beginning.
Alhaitham stared at the green hills in the distance, so alluring and wild, so imbued with a freedom he could never have…
I should leave them all here and go on a journey far away. Maybe I'll take Kaveh with me, otherwise he'll surely complain…
"Acting grand sage!" A voice roused him from his thoughts. A girl was running in his direction. When she reached him, she bent down to catch her breath, then looked at him and said: "I need some urgent documents…"
Alhaitham wanted to activate his soundproof headphones and resume reading his book, but instead he nodded and walked with the girl towards his office.
The idea of a trip seems good, he thought as he entered the room. In the end, it's less than a month before I leave this position, I should start organizing… He looked for the documents and handed them to the girl, who thanked him with a big smile. "Thank you so much!" she said. "By the way, are you ok, acting grand sage? You look very tired."
"I'm alright," Alhaitham replied, without even looking at her face. He wasn't interested in the people around him, least of all in the students of the Akademiya who tried to get into his graces to get their projects approved.
The girl nodded slightly and disappeared through the door with the papers, leaving Alhaitham alone, looking out the large windows of his office.
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and searched within himself for the strength to get back to his desk. He really wanted to go outside again…
"Acting grand sage!"
Alhaitham turned and found the girl from before in front of him. "I brought you some tea to drink. You looked so tired, and I thought it might be good for you…"
Alhaitham eyed the tea with a bit of surprise, then he looked again at the girl and accepted the offer. The tea she had brewed was delicate and had a slight mint flavor which made the drink refreshing and invigorating. He thought absently that he hadn't tasted a similar tea for years. The last time had been when his grandmother was still alive. She particularly loved the taste of mint, and often mixed a few leaves into the tea.
"Thank you," he said, handing her the empty cup back. It had been a while since he had sincerely thanked anyone.
"No problem," she replied. Her big eyes moved to the book Alhaitham had been reading earlier. "I read that book, it's really interesting."
"Really?" he asked, taking the book back in his hands.
The girl nodded. She seemed enthusiastic about that topic. "I think that the author treats human emotions with incredible delicacy. And I think it's impossible to read it without getting emotionally involved. We are all emotion seekers after all..." She hesitated a moment. "Do you think so too?"
Alhaitham nodded. "Those who think otherwise have not really understood the story," he agreed with her.
"Oh!" she exclaimed. "Then it's not true that you are heartless!" Her hands went to her mouth as soon as she finished speaking. "Sorry, I didn't mean..."
Alhaitham smiled. "No problem, I know the rumors going around at the Akademiya."
"But I don't believe any of these!" she protested.
Alhaitham said nothing, but smiled at her again, and the girl left the room shortly after.
He picked up his papers, trying to resume the work he had begun earlier. He suddenly remembered Kaveh’s accusations for his lack of empathy. It was true, ever since he lost his grandmother, he had avoided forming emotional ties and had lost interest in what people thought or said about him. As long as his grandmother was alive, she had done everything to protect him from people who targeted him for his exceptional talents, but after her death, Alhaitham had found himself surrounded by a thousand voices, a thousand mistrustful whispers. It was then that he had begun to wear his headphones, to isolate himself from everything and everyone.
The only exception for his lonely heart, was Kaveh. A genuine person, with a smile ready for everyone, naive and… alone. Alhaitham had thought that their loneliness was similar, but he had learned that Kaveh, unlike him, couldn’t accept disinterested kindness. So he had begun to treat him coldly while always trying to do Kaveh’s own good, at the cost of being accused of lack of empathy.
He smiled again, turning back to his documents.
It’ doesn't affect me at all if things go well and he's happy.
He broke off shortly after, due to a noise coming from outside his room. He got up and opened the door to find a red-covered tome in front of it with a note on it:
Sorry for earlier, acting grand sage. If you feel like and you have time, try reading this book, it's one of my favorites.
Alhaitham stared at the book for a while, uncertain what to do, then decided to take it.
It would not be like me to leave a book on its own, even if I already read it three times. He shrugged. What a strange girl that I’ve met...
* * *
From that day on, Alhaitham met more and more with the girl who had lent him the book. Her name was Asha and she was unexpectedly kind and reserved. Alhaitham often found her reading in the Akademiya garden, and when she saw him, she always asked a lot of things about books.
The two ended up having tea together often, and Alhaitham had to admit that the tea she made was one of the best he had ever had.
He wasn't thrilled with her company, but he wasn't bothered by her either.
One day, after talking with Asha about a book he had recommended her, Alhaitham headed to the city center to run some errands and, at a certain point, he saw Kaveh striding towards him.
"Okay," he started with his usual annoyed tone. "What's going on?"
Alhaitham stared at him blankly. "What do you mean?"
Kaveh sighed, running a hand through his blond hair. "First the traveler and Paimon, now that girl who always hangs around you... Come on, confess why you're socializing so much these days. What's underneath?"
Alhaitham didn't understand how Kaveh had come to know such a thing, but he decided to play his game anyway. "Girl? What girl?"
"Oh, come on! The girl you always talk to about books and drink tea with every day!"
"And how do you know that?" he asked, with his usual impassive expression.
Kaveh's eyes widened, and he blushed suddenly. "I-I-I heard some rumors about it..."
"Rumours?" repeated Alhaitham. "From who?"
“It’s not important.”
“It is.”
"I tell you it's not!"
"And do you believe the rumors?"
"I-I believe in what I saw! And today I saw you two together at the Akademiya. An antisocial guy like you, cynical and without empathy, can't make all these friends in such a short time! You're bound to be planning something!"
"Kaveh" Alhaitham's voice became more serious than ever as he approached the other. He came within inches of his face and looked into his eyes, clearly perceiving the nervousness growing more and more in the other. It was all too easy to read Kaveh's emotions.
"Are you, perhaps... jealous?"
Kaveh gasped. "J-Jeal..." He blushed even more. "Why should I be?"
Alhaitham shrugged and started to walk again on his way. "Same reason you went asking your friends about me," he said as he left him behind, ignoring his protests.
* * *
"And you left him there? Without listening to him?"
"Obviously. When Kaveh starts complaining he won't stop for a lot of time." Alhaitham looked at Asha, which seemed concerned. He had told her about his discussion with Kaveh to encourage her to keep distance from him. He didn't care if there was gossip going around, but for Asha, being seen with someone with a not so good reputation as him, was sure to lead to trouble.
The girl shook her head. "In any case, it doesn't matter! I'm fine with your company. Even if there are rumors, I'll ignore them."
Alhaitham sat down on one of the chairs next to the small table set out in the garden, and moved his gaze towards the green hills he liked so much.
"It's not that easy," he murmured.
"Yes it is if you don't listen to the other's words. You yourself taught me that we shouldn't let ourselves be conditioned by those around us."
"Well, that's true, but practically nobody can do this. You must remember that weapons cannot hurt as much as words. Words can hurt a lot, especially when used by those who don't realize their power."
"Is..." Asha hesitated for a moment. "Is Mr. Kaveh someone who doesn't realize the power of words?"
Alhaitham looked at her again, puzzled. "Why do you ask?"
The girl began to pour the tea in silence, then she handed him a cup. "Because when you talk about him you always sound sad. And I feel like he's the only person whose words you can't ignore."
Alhaitham sipped his tea, enjoying the usual mint flavor that tickled his tongue. "It's complicated… Just forget it."
Asha moved in front of him, looking into his eyes as if she wanted to suck out his soul. Then she bowed her head slightly and and brought her lips to his.
"I know the power of the words very well. And I would never use it inappropriately, unlike Mr. Kaveh."
Alhaitham continued to stare at her. Intrigued by what she had just said and confused by the kiss he had just received. "So it was this. You wanted this emotion from me."
"Yes," Asha replied. "Please, consider it." She begged.
Alhaitham got up and left the cup of tea on the table. He thought that, after all, he would be missing that delicate mint flavor.
"I'm sorry. There is nothing to consider," he said before leaving.
* * *
"You don't look well…" Kaveh approached Alhaitham, who was lying on the sofa, and looked him over with a critical eye.
"None of your business"
"Yes, it is! You've been lying there all afternoon staring into space! I'm worried..." he admitted.
Alhaitham rolled onto his side, giving his back to the other. "Go out for a drink with your friends and all your worries will go away."
Kaveh tried to contain his anger. "You know what? I'll do exactly that!" he sighed, grabbing his shawl and hurrying out of the house, slamming the door behind him.
Supid Alhaitham! It’s obvious that you are not feeling well! Why don't you ever let me worry about you?
Kaveh reached Lambda's tavern and sat down at a table in the corner, ordering a glass of wine which he sipped lightly at first, but then stared at as if in a trance.
Stupid, stupid, stupid Alhaitham...
"Kaveh?" Tighnari's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, hello Tighnari! Do you want to join me for a drink?"
His friend sat down but shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm waiting for Cyno."
Kaveh smiled and sighed. "I’m jealous of you two… You always get along so well!"
"Things are not going well between you and Alhaitham?" the other asked. "Is it because of that girl?"
Kaveh rolled his eyes. "Do you know about her too? So it's true that she and Alhaitham are friends... I was convinced she was a cover for one of his stupid evil plans..."
Tighnari seemed to want to say something, then stopped and finally asked: "Are you sure they're just friends?"
"Why?"
"Because some say they saw them kissing in the Akademiya garden."
Kaveh nearly dropped the glass of wine from his hands. "What?"
"Kissing," Tighnari repeated. "It looks like they were kissing."
Kaveh stared at him, blankly.
"Kaveh? Are you ok?"
"W-w-what kind of girl could possibly want to kiss s-someone as rude as Alhaitham... I-is she desperate?" He tried to laugh, but he made a strange sound instead.
Tighnari looked at him sceptically. "Kaveh... are you jealous?"
"J-jealous? Why would you ask me such a thing? How could I be jealous of an emotionally ignorant man like Alhaitham?"
Tighnari shook his head. "Not jealous of Alhaitham, but of that girl."
Kaveh's eyes widened.
"What?"
His friend sighed. "You can't hide it from me, it's clear that you have a soft spot for Alhaitham. Besides, he's the only one who seems to know how to treat you..."
"How to treat me? But if he always insults me!"
"It's just my guess, but I think it's a voluntary thing to reassure you in some way... You can ask him if you don't trust my instincts."
Kaveh got up from the table, abandoning his still half-full glass. "I'm leaving," he announced. "All this nonsense made me lose the will to drink."
Tighnari smiled and waved at him, keeping a pitying expression on his face that made Kaveh furious.
As he walked home, the thought of what Tighnari had told him buzzed through his mind.
Me? A soft spot for Alhaitham? Absolutely not! He's so rude, so little empathetic, so...
Kaveh froze in the middle of the deserted street and sighed.
He couldn't lie to himself and keep it that way. The thought that Alhaitham had kissed that girl, bothered him very, very much.
Maybe they had been together for a while, maybe they were lovers, maybe...
"Excuse me..."
Kaveh turned and nearly jumped.
In front of him was the girl he had seen together with Alhaitham a few days before.
"Sorry to bother you." The girl was holding a decorated little box. "You are Mr. Kaveh, aren't you?"
Kaveh nodded "Yes. Do you need something?"
She handed him the box. "Could you give this to the acting grand sage and tell him Asha sent it to him as an apology? It's mint tea."
Kaveh took the box in his hands and couldn't help asking: "Did you have a fight?"
The girl shook her head. "Not really, let's say I made a mistake..."
"Don't worry" Kaveh smiled at her. She didn't seem like a bad girl and, despite everything, Kaveh felt a little sorry for her. "Alhaitham is not easy to deal with, he has a bad temper."
She smiled. "Oh no, I think he’s very easy to deal with. The only difficult thing are his emotions…"
"Emotions?" Kaveh chuckled. "Someone like him has no emotions," he said with a touch of bitterness.
"Do you think so?" In a flash, she pulled a gleaming blade from her skirt pocket and hurled it at Kaveh.
"Then let's see if he will remain impassive when he sees you dead."