Cssroom: deep inside a cliff, subject: semiotics, me: bored.

  The cssroom has a semicircur seating arrangement, with students scattered up and down its ample space. The pale blue light of the many crystals shines generously, bringing a slice of day into this big den.

  My long legs are heavy and sore from the past few weeks of running the Academy's main courtyard and the rocky ndscape in front of the facade that the sick bearded bastard is making me do. On top of that, sometimes he makes me wear a special tunic whose pouches are filled with wet sand—makes running so much more fun. Apart from that first day in the arena, so far he didn't teach me on how to swing my chosen bde even once. What the fuck?

  I release a long, long sigh.

  Sometimes it feels as though our entire fifth year is going to be wasted on writing these arcane symbols on sheets of papyrus and wax tablets. Michael said—during those rare times we talk—that they will never teach us all the Genesis symbols. Supposedly those secrets are known to only a few and are covetously guarded.

  Wrist-painfully, twenty-five of us are writing today's most popur Genesis symbol: a small circle with an arrow moving away from it, downward—diagonally to the left. The symbol means night.

  In the past half an hour, I already wrote that one, one simple shape many times, across several sheets of papyrus, again and again.

  I release another deep sigh. This is some mind-numbing shit. Why do I need to know this? Genesis symbols are already carved in the stone floor of the Creation Chamber, also known as Telesterion. I accidentally overheard some fully-fledged Breakers talk about it.

  Since many things regarding that room are shrouded in secrecy, I couldn't really talk about what I overheard to anyone. Not even Hebe. It would get her in trouble.

  Grandmaster of semiotics strides through the cssroom. ''Lower your styluses and quills we're done with symbols for today.''

  Thank the Allmother and her daughters.

  Grandmaster Bels takes time to look each of us in the eye. ''What we speak of today stays in this cssroom, else you will be expelled and your parents left destitute. Are my words clear?''

  We all nod and utter our affirmations.

  ''You can ask anything regarding Genesis, or things reting to it. I will not hold back and will answer to the best of my abilities.'' He is very old, over seventy my guess, has a short beard, hair and beard are Thumper-white, his fingers: roots of an ancient tree.

  The quiet that takes the cssroom is otherworldly, not one student speaks.

  The grandmaster raises his brows. ''Well, do not all break the silence simultaneously.'' He smiles. ''Speak, children.''

  ''What is Genesis, really?'' Zuri asks. She sits closer to the lecture floor, lower and to the left of me. ''All the sources are vague.''

  I'm surprised she would ask such a thing. One year older than me, Zuri is shrewder than almost anyone I know, and also stronger than most other girls in our css. Bde Grandmaster Cariocecus would often task her with helping her fellow students, instructing them spear, sword, and bow in particur.

  Grandmaster's smile is genuine as he regards Zuri. ''Genesis spreads everywhere, through and around the world. Forever an unseen and untouched thing, but there it is nonetheless. Those that are blessed with it can channel it, harness its awesome might to bring life upon the world.''

  The previously clear and unlined brown skin of Zuri's forehead furrows, her long fingers drumming across her closed wax tablet. She doesn't seem very happy with that answer.

  Michael twiddles his golden stylus between his nimble fingers. ''What would happen to someone standing inside a creation circle during Genesis?''

  ''Their flesh would become torn apart,'' the grandmaster answers.

  Never stand in a creation circle. Got it.

  ''Cute rhymes, cute rhymes, cute rhymes,'' Hebe whispers toward Michael, leaning in his direction. She sometimes says that when Michael gets or says something gloomy.

  His dark brown eyes just narrow at her in response. At sixteen, Michael is among the youngest of boy students in our css and yet he wins most of his wrestling bouts. From time to time, a girl student from one of the lower years would randomly approach me to ask about him, often wearing the most witless of smiles while doing so. And Tomoe often looks in his direction. She thinks no one noticed.

  ''Will we be able to influence the shape or form of the resulting crystalborn?'' The girl with ravishing midnight-bck hair is Ariana Cassian, one of the tallest girls among all the fifth-years, her limbs long and elegant like the four neverending waterways of Lodestar; Lana Furia sits by her side.

  ''No,'' Grandmaster Bels answers. ''There was no Breaker ever who could do such a thing.''

  ''Was the Blue Demon able to do it?'' Peter, the biggest student in our css, asks. Peter is the type that likes to get under your skin, but is not cruel, annoying more than anything else really. He sits some distance to the right of me and next to Gabriel.

  The grandmaster is silent for a while. ''The Blue Demon was an abomination. Not a Breaker. And no. Chronicles say that even he was unable to do such a thing.''

  ''What does the word paterniel mean?'' I ask. The legends I've read rarely used the words like blue demon when referring to this Lord of Ultimate Evil.

  The old grandmaster stares at me for some time, a cobweb's pattern of wrinkles spreading across his face. ''It is an old word from a dead tongue. It means father of all.''

  I smile sweetly. ''Is it true he could create human-like creatures? And...also creatures capable of reason.''

  I get a few chuckles for that. Gabriel, sitting far to my right, smiles in my direction. I smile back, focusing my eyes on his perfect lips, on his---

  ''Hirious, Mistress Bolormaa. I see you have been reading many things outside the required curriculum.'' He clears his throat. ''Now, some chronicles do cim such things. Others...'' He pauses for some time, regarding the entire css. ''That mankind created him.''

  Disbelieving murmurs consume the css.

  Those words could get him in trouble. Everyone knows Allmother created the Blue Demon from Void's foul essence to punish mankind.

  ''Quiet! Quiet,'' he calms the css and then looks at me coldly. ''Unless one wishes to call Guts their new home or worse, upset the clergy, they should abstain from looking into such tall tales.''

  The Senate has made the burning of books a capital offense. Most of the ones in the Great Library have the status of something like holy relics. Nevertheless, certain topics are indeed avoided by most, and I know some books are hidden from the students, hidden from everyone except the Academy leadership.

  Imagine what concealed tall tales this old man has read.

  Peter points at me, then at Gabriel, his palm humping his left hand.

  ''Eat my ass!'' I yell in his direction.

  ''I would but then Gabe would kill me.'' He gives me a wry smile. ''Wonder how many tongues already tasted such delectable treat.'' He says that st part quietly, but easily heard by all; more than a few of my cssmates snickering in my direction.

  I rise, my face is fire. ''Say that again, cunt!''

  ''Enough!'' grandmaster yells. ''Sit down, Bolormaa.''

  Peter stands up slowly, his huge frame rising—well over seven feet of him. Peter is a head taller than me, his shoulders much wider, his upper arms almost the thickness of my thighs, and yet my mind sees only a tiny nuisance. No threat at all. A corner of his mouth rises. ''Anytime, Red.''

  I see nothing but his disgusting smile, hear nothing but my rampaging heart—the previous snickering of my cssmates still fresh, still echoing.

  I take a step toward Peter when Hebe grabs my arm, stopping me.

  She squeezes my wrist tightly. ''Ann, what the fuck?''

  I pause. Her voice and eyes soon bind me to my seat again.

  Gabriel does something simir to Peter, his hand on Peter's shoulder, his calm blue eyes focused on that huge bag of rocks. It is not long until Peter too sits down.

  Peter looks at the grandmaster. ''We were only pying around.'' He smiles sheepishly, but his eyes are wolf.

  ''You are to be adults soon, some of you already are. Sadly, I see now this is but in number only. Guards! Guards!''

  No more than ten heartbeats pass when a tall red-cloaked figure enters the cssroom. A sinewy woman holding just a spear and wearing the light thorax armor. ''Yes?''

  ''Student Bolormaa volunteered to work at the pigsty for the next two days.'' The grandmaster points at me.

  Seriously?

  ''That is not right, she didn't do anything,'' Hebe says in my defense, the grandmaster ignoring her.

  The woman looks toward me, bronze helmet obscuring most of her face.

  She ends up standing next to my sitting form. ''You can come with me, upright, or on your back. Either way, you're coming with me,'' the guard says, her voice cold and neutral.

  As I get up, about to leave, I look at Hebe. ''Please take care of my stuff.''

  She throws me a sweet, sad smile. ''You know it, Ann.'' Her fingers brush mine as I move toward the exit.

  ''Peter challenged her first,'' Zuri says to the grandmaster.

  ''Oh, for him I have a far worse punishment.'' He turns to look at Peter whose eyes throw daggers at Zuri. ''You are to write ten pages of blood phoenix symbol. Its flowing lines will entertain you for a bit.''

  Walking outside the cssroom, I make an effort to not look at Peter. Knowing if I do so, I will be slightly tempted to snap his neck.

  His disgruntled groans prompt a smirk from my face.