A full week had passed since Caelen opened the schoolhouse. Each morning, he stood in front of the old wooden board, teaching the basics—letters, numbers, how to hold a charcoal stick steady. The students were all young goblins, curious but a little shy. Except one.
Tikka.
She always arrived first, even before Caelen. She sat in the front row, notebook ready, eyes wide and eager. At first, she was quiet. Unsure. She stumbled through her letters and mixed up the alphabet. But day by day, that changed.
Now, just a week later, she could read short sentences. She could spell her na. She answered questions before the others even raised their hands.
Caelen noticed the difference right away.
"She's sothing else," he muttered one morning, watching her scribble neatly on bark paper. "A week ago, she didn't know the letter A."
That afternoon, after the other kids left, Tikka stayed behind again. She did that a lot now.
"Um... Caelen," she said, clutching her notes. "Can you teach more?"
Caelen blinked. "More?"
"Like the things you know. How the world works. Not just letters and numbers."
He tilted his head. "You want to learn science?"
She nodded fast. "And math. And... everything."
Caelen paused, thinking it over. It felt strange. Just a few days ago, he was teaching her how to count. Now she was asking for the advanced stuff.
He smiled and pulled over another piece of bark paper.
"Alright. Let's start with math."
The next day, after the regular class ended, Caelen gave Tikka her first real math lesson. He explained how numbers weren't just for counting berries—they could describe shapes, amounts, and even patterns.
She was a little slow at first. Division made her grumble. Fractions made her groan.
"Why can't I split seven berries into three bowls evenly?" she frowned.
Caelen laughed. "Because numbers don't always play nice."
She kept trying. She used her fingers, her charcoal, little pebbles on the table—whatever helped her see it. Sotis she got stuck. But every ti she figured sothing out, she grinned like she'd won a battle.
"Five tis four?" Caelen asked.
"Twenty," she said with a nod.
"Good. What's twelve divided by three?"
She stared, counted silently, then said, "Four?"
He gave her a thumbs up. "You're getting fast."
Tikka bead. "It's fun now."
Then ca science.
He started simple. Plants, fire, water. He showed her how plants grew from soil, light, and water. He explained how fire needed air. How steam worked.
"That's why the drill works," he said, drawing a picture. "It uses steam to spin."
Tikka's eyes sparkled. "That's so cool."
She asked a hundred questions after that.
"What makes lightning?"
"Can we make steam into wind?"
"Do stars fall?"
Caelen did his best to answer, but half the ti, he had to secretly use Google under the desk.
Still, she soaked it all up like a sponge. Even when she didn't understand right away, she kept trying.
And that's when Caelen realized sothing.
She was a genius.
Not just smart—truly sharp. The way she asked questions, rembered things, and connected ideas... It wasn't normal. Not for a kid her age. Not for anyone, really.
She was born to learn.
By the end of the week, she could read better than most adults. She could multiply double digits. She knew the basics of gravity, water pressure, fire, and even energy.
Caelen leaned back in his chair that evening, watching her explain sothing to Miko outside the schoolhouse.
She was using pebbles to explain subtraction.
He smiled to himself.
"She doesn't need anymore."
The next morning, Caelen waited until class was done and the younger kids had left. Tikka was still at her desk, erasing a mistake in her notes.
"Hey," he said.
She looked up. "Yes?"
He rubbed his chin. "Can I ask you sothing?"
"Sure."
"...How would you feel about teaching?"
Tikka blinked. "Teaching what?"
"Everything. Reading. Numbers. Science."
She stared at him.
Caelen continued, "You've learned more in a week than I expected anyone to learn in a month. Maybe more. And you're already helping the others."
Tikka's eyes widened. "You an... like you?"
He nodded. "Exactly like ."
Her mouth opened slightly. "But... you're the teacher."
"You could be one too," Caelen said. "In fact, I think you're ready."
Tikka was quiet. She looked down at her notes, then up at the board.
"You really think I can do it?"
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't."
She clutched her notebook tighter. Then smiled—shy at first, then proud.
"I always wanted to be like you," she said. "So yes. I'll do it."
Caelen nodded once. "Then it's official."
[System ssage: New Title Unlocked – Village Teacher: Tikka]
[Village Education Level Increased]
The next day, Caelen stepped aside during the afternoon class.
Tikka stood in front of the board, nervous but excited. Miko, Rena, and the other kids sat up straight, waiting.
Tikka cleared her throat.
"Okay! We're going to review how to read two-letter words!"
She drew "go" and "hi" on the board. Then "no" and "it."
She asked questions, waited for answers, and gave small nods every ti soone got it right.
Caelen sat near the back, watching her with his arms crossed and a grin on his face.
She was a little stiff at first, but her voice got steadier. Her confidence grew. The other kids liked her. They paid attention.
Tikka had beco a real teacher.
Not an assistant. Not a helper.
The first real teacher of the village.
Caelen leaned back and looked out the window.
One week ago, there was no school.
Now there was a classroom, students, and a bright-eyed teacher who once struggled to spell her own na.
And she had done it all by wanting to learn.
He smiled to himself.
"You're going to do amazing things, Tikka."
And he ant it.
Reviews
All reviews (0)