I walk alone through the huge entrance corridor of the Academy, toward the Great Chamber: the central hub of the entire Academy. Lion brooch csps my red cloak, my long red hair falling free across.

  The younger students who pass nod at me. I do the same toward them and toward the caretakers soon following in their trail. The Breakers I saw prior mostly ignored me, as they often did ignore all students.

  I hasten my steps, focusing my hearing on the commotion a good distance ahead of me. Two figures are almost hugging the side of the well-lit corridor, very close to the pisters: the shallow-carved, decorative pilrs.

  ''They get stolen!'' Master Keeper of the Great Library cmors. ''And then someone returns them back.''

  Vice Keeper Sabina Sabinus shakes her head sadly. Her spotless face a complete contrast to the old man next to her. A man who I've heard was once deeply respected but nowadays is mostly ignored. ''Sir...sometimes some of the students forget to return them. And our records could be fwed. Students are searched for such things when leaving the Academy grounds.''

  ''They get stolen!'' the half-deaf, stubborn old man repeats loudly.

  With deference, Sabina gently guides the shriveled form of Master Keeper further through the corridor, her pink-tinted gsses reflect the fat lines of polished bronze above.

  I curl my fingers instinctively. ''Vice Keeper, Master Keeper,'' I say respectfully, smiling and nodding as they are about to pass by me.

  Sabina barely nods in my direction. The old man seemingly ignoring me at first. Then stares at me.

  He points at me. ''Face of Acrona, and body of Theia! The things I'd do to her were I forty younger,'' he chuckles to himself.

  I walk on, pretending not to have heard that.

  My mind wanders off toward the Great Library.

  Over the years I've read what I could about Vorzas and I still don't know what is ''wrong'' with me. There are many contradicting texts and hard-to-believe tales. However, many sources agree that Vorzas were unable to perform Genesis, but were, however, able to have children. Also I'm fairly certain I'm not inclined to worship the Void in any near future. Frustratingly there was no relief since I'm no closer to understanding why I'm not like the others.

  There is a part of me that would sometimes feel guilty at seeing my cssmates suffer during training in gymnasiums and all the while I would seldom feel tired. Or when one of them gets sick or hurt. But it's not my fault they were born weak. I constantly need to be careful not to crush someone's wrist during greeting or snap someone's neck during wrestling. They are all so fragile.

  The yout of the Great Library, the area allowed to students, resembles an open book, but the pce itself is anything but.

  I've memorized the diagrams and used the maze-like air tunnels to sneak into the cold, forbidden parts of the library—but only during certain rare nights and only moving among the darkest of shelves. Early on, I found the book register. Things went a little faster after that. It was all interesting yet tedious work. Found nothing concerning my issue.

  Only...

  So, during one of such outings I perused through some texts—texts forbidden to all students, to most people probably—that cimed how Vorzas were connected to an ancient cult called Worshipers of the Void.

  Ouroboros was their symbol. The cultists mocked and rejected the teachings of the Faith, supposedly chanting Void is one Void is all at their unholy gatherings. Weird sort of stuff. They believed all life started with the Void and that it must end in the Void. The texts spoke about how they were known to embrace death.

  Although I'd need thousands of lifetimes to read all the books in the Academy's huge library, I will never stop searching. Maybe there were others like me. Legends always have a grain of truth.