With fuming anger Avon just roamed around the campus trying to calm himself and find solutions. While doing so, he heard Sylvia call him out. He turned around and saw her running towards him.
"Hey Avon, What happened, I saw Thamo going about how he fooled you, what did he do?"
Avon explain everything to her and she asked gently,
"Is really that important to pass the test tomorrow itself?"
"Yes, this is going to make things much more difficult. I can't believe I fell for a trick like that. Just checking the notice board once or simply asking the professor could have saved me but here I am." *TCH*
Avon's irritation was obvious in his tone. Sylvia was curious for a while now as to why Avon was always in such a hurry. She didn't understand his rush but looking at Avon's response to the situation, she knew it was something very troublesome for him. That is all she needed, her friend, especially one she respected was in trouble. She knew Avon was not the type to lose his temper over small issues. Still, she asked Avon
"Avon...can you tell me why you in such a hurry all the time. What is your goal? After all this time do you not trust me enough that you cannot tell me what you intend to achieve?"
Avon could see what she meant but he was not sure if he could just tell her
"I know what you mean Sylvia but....it's not that I don't trust you but..but I don't think it will be right for me to reveal it to anyone"
Narrowing her eyes she asked again "Why? Why would it not be right to tell me?"
"Because...."Avon's voice started to lower
"....too many things are at stake."
She barely heard it but understood what he said. Grabbing his hand suddenly, she started pulling him away from the academy towards the garden nearby and then through an unknown path to an isolated area. There was an underground structure.
"Don't worry, no one knows this place. I built it when I found this isolated area. No one comes here and even if by chance anyone does, they cannot find the underground room I've built." Sylvia said.
"You built this? Amazing" Avon was surprised.
After taking him into the room, she turned the lights on. Then stood right in front of him and looked him straight in the eye. "Now tell me. What is at stake? Maybe I can help you? Please, you know I just want to help. No one can hear you here. It is only the two of us who are here."
"Uhhh..I trust you completely and am well aware of your intentions. It is just that..argh I don't know!"
Avon's head was already a mess because of what happened. His mind was messed up since some time now. Plus he didn't sleep well at all. All of this was now affecting him. His patience was running out, his energy was all gone and he was exhausted mentally.
He just looked at Sylvia in the eyes and thought to himself
'It is fine right ,it will not be whatever it is that she thinks it is but she has helped me so much, she deserves to know. I'm still not sure how much I should talk with her...'
"Okay Sylvia, I'll tell you everything. Listen carefully..."
Avon decided to tell her that his planet was under attack by heretics and that he was sent to inform the knights of the theory three said planets.
As he began telling her, he suddenly remembered about the heretics' code.
"Umm Sylvia , let me ask you something.."
"Sure.."
"Is purple the most evil color of all?"
"Hm? What does purple have to with evil?"
She was dumbfounded at this purple question thrown at her out of the blue.
With relief in his eyes Avon told her the partial story he decided on.
Sylvia's eyes widened as she heard more and more and couldn't believe what she was hearing. After she heard everything, she narrowed her eyes and stared at Avon for some time. Then ssuddenly, she came closer to him and gave him a warm hug,
"Uh..what are you doing?"
Avon was caught off-guard as he didn't expect this kind of a reaction. Sylvia spoke then,
"You know barely anything about the universe. Yet here you are carrying the burden of the lives of so many people. It must be so difficult that I cannot even imagine it. I am sorry for thinking it was some shallow reason. I now understand why you couldn't explain it...is there anything I can do to help you?"
Avon smiled weakly..
"Could you maybe be strong enough to defeat cultivators at the manipulator level?"
Sylvia sighed and shook her head.
"It must be difficult right? Not many are even capable of helping.."
"Yeah, don't tell anyone about this please"
"Yes of course, I will not do anything that will trouble you"
Avon who heard all of this felt relief in his mind. It felt good to speak to someone properly. But right now his body as tensed as it could get.
"Thank you for understanding but umm..Sylvia ...why are you .....hugging me?"
She released the hug and Avon sould see her cheeks were slightly red. She did it without thinking much when she heard his story.
"Umm..that..I just wanted to comfort you.....actually I just wanted to tell you you're not alone, that's it. I wanted you to know that I'm here. That you don't have to solve your problems alone. That's it!"
Sylvia spoke very fast and in a very low tone. Avon barely heard it but knew what she meant.
"Thank you."
He said in a relieved manner and sat down.
Then he looked at the time and realised that there was still some time left till he went to meet Aveline.
The atmosphere was a bit awkward and Sylvia got up first unable to bear the embarrassment of what had happened. She led Avon out of the underground chamber and said,"If you need any help tell me".
"Sure " he replied and then they both set off towards the exit of the garden. Then she went her way and Avon went his way.
Upon reaching Aveline's house he rang the bell and she opened the door and asked in a casual manner, "Come in"
"There's something I must tell you"
Avon said seriously.
Aveline raised her eyebrow in curiosity and he spoke,
"The test's tomorrow not the day after."
Her eyes widened, "what? How did the dates change?"
And Avon explained everything to her.
"So that's how I got tricked"