Something Something Learn Fast or Die

Absinth shifted her weight, circling the children, watching each pupil with the practiced patience of a hunter. Her ears tilted forward as she continued, her voice taking on a sharper edge. “To preserve yourself, you must learn to recognize the danger that has come for you. Threats come in many forms—some are obvious, while others are damn hard to see. Some are your own fault. Your instincts will speak to you, and if you’re wise, you will listen. Does your enemy want you in chains, can you win if they try? Is your new friend leading you further away because there truly is something they want to show you, or is it a trap set to fool you? Maybe you should have held your tongue in the face of a bigger, stronger wolf. Gut instinct will tell you, never take it for granted.”

She observed Ravana, who was already leaning forward with wide, eager eyes. Abyssinica sat more calmly, expression guarded, while Sericea’s gaze lingered somewhere between curiosity and wariness. “But instinct alone is not enough,” Absinth said, tilting her head slightly, her tail flicking to the side as if to punctuate her point. “You must identify your weaknesses, too. Knowing where you are vulnerable allows you to protect yourself. I am not well liked for the way I speak, and I don’t care to hold my tongue. I half expect every other person I meet will try to take a pound of flesh by the end of our meeting. Maybe they’ll succeed.” A grin, a confident and impish one flashed by quickly.

Her voice lowered, filled with a cold certainty. “A threat unacknowledged becomes a wound waiting to happen. Do not think you are invincible; that’s a fool’s delusion.” Absinth met each of their gazes, letting the silence press upon them. “Each mistake you make will shape you. But remember,” she added, her voice softening yet retaining its intensity, “the dead cannot learn.”


"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"