Book One – Chapter 20

Yu tore his eyes away and looked down at his passport again. Still sitting, he leaned back, lifted his leg, and grabbed the booklet with his left talon. He tossed it onto the bed, and, seeing all the crusted dirt on his talons, decided to use his wings to flip through instead. The passport was slim but elaborate, with a cover of fine veneer and thick paper that was adorned with elegant writing and official seals. There were more inside, along with several signatures, most of them from Tria.
    How odd. It was such a small and simple thing, easily pocketed and carelessly dropped, and yet, it held his entire identity. A thing that defined him, but also confined him. For all it represented for other people, it had only ever been a barrier to Yu’s freedom. His identity, sealed and signed, was shirrin to Tria.

For a while, Yu just stared at the writing, at Tria’s name, where it said Shirka.

He was very aware that he was distracting himself.

He was distracting himself from THE.QUESTION.

He was also distracting himself from s l e e p.

There was something they told young Transcenders. A Master at Ayenfora had mentioned it during one of the introductory classes. With Transcenders, it was difficult to discern their individual dispositions amidst the spectrum, much harder than with the other two spectra:

Your abilities to recognise the physical and the ethereal, as well as the past, present and future, may fluctuate constantly. It depends on how you lean toward the different kinds of reading, and when you discover and cultivate these abilities. Be open to this change. It is common for Transcenders to experience new sensory impulses or distortions as their dispositions develop. For some, it may happen swiftly. For most, it is likely to occur gradually, over decades, perhaps not before your first century. Be attentive to what you see, hear, and feel. If you seek a revelation, trust your impulses, whether through wandering thoughts or stray focus. Let these impulses unfold. For Transcenders who cannot yet guide their reading, it is often realised through instinct. In other words, you may recognise a revelation without consciously realising it. You might find yourself on the brink of reading.