The Library

"Anything else?" Mr. Rochester turned towards his valet for a reminder of what was next on his schedule. His mind was a little muddled after that disappointing conference overseas, and concentrating for lengthy periods of time right after returning home completely exhausted his spirit.

"Sir, about the young master…" His valet answered softly. He didn't dare speak too loudly, for fear of his employer's wrath when reminded of this unpleasant matter.

Mr. Rochester pinched the space in between his eyebrows to clear his mind and to calm himself, before heaving a weary sigh, "Yes…"

After waiting for a few moments, he adjusted the computer in front of him and began typing with lightning speed.

…

The library was separated into different segments using walls, but the layout of it was an open concept, meaning that everything was connected, although clearly divided into parts. A person needed to walk through Sections 1 and 2 if they wanted to get to section 3.

As Fei strode through the library, she realized that most objects placed in the library weren't like the devices that Carlos had used in the lounge.

They were void of technology and instead were physical books that consisted of at least 500 pages each, Fei analyzed. She randomly stared at a nearby bookshelf filled with books that had at least one inch of spines. She had arrived at the library too early and wasn't sure what to do.

Fascinated, Fei walked over and pulled a tome from the shelf, looking at the large, bold words on the hardcover.

"The Odyssey".

They were words that she's never seen before. She supposed that it was because the Language A learning video she saw only comprised the basic words and phrases. Fei flipped open the book and started reading…

"… Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns …

driven time and again off course, once he had plundered

the hallowed heights of Troy.

Many cities of men he saw and learned their minds,

many pains he suffered, heartsick on the open sea,

fighting to save his life and bring his comrades home.

But he could not save them from disaster, hard as he strove—

the recklessness of their own ways destroyed them all,

the blind fools, they devoured the cattle of the Sun

and the Sungod blotted out the day of their return.

Launch out on his story, Muse, daughter of Zeus,

start from where you will—sing for our time too…" **

Fei was suddenly jolted out of the narrative.

She had remembered that there was a mission to accomplish, and that there was less than a minute left before she would be late. At top speed, she restored the book to the shelf and then steered herself towards Section three.

As she walked, Fei was in deep thought about the book she read. Although she could read the physical, literal words in the book, she couldn't understand the content's meaning at all; for example, why was the man from the story in pain when he didn't get stabbed or physically hurt?

Maybe I'll understand later on, Fei mused to herself. Now isn't the time to think of such matters.

Archiving that strange story to the back of her mind, she sped through the different library sections, arriving at her destination in time.

Every section of the library is accompanied by a reading area, with seats and tables scattered around. Section three was no exception, and all the bookcases were labeled with the language and parts of the language that its books pertain to. The largest collection of books was from the Language A segment.

There was no teacher to teach Fei, so she could only self-teach, deciding with a start that she would read everything in this library. Although these books seemed very boring to the average person, as a mutant with an intense curiosity that she didn't even realize herself, Fei was very interested in these "boring" books.

As she immersed herself in the books, she slowly forgot about the passing of time…

It was only when two hours were up that she awoke from the world of grammar. Her mind automatically calculated time, and so even when Fei herself forgot about the existence of time, her brain would remind her.

In Section 5 of the library, where physical combat archives were located, Fei read up on Wing Chun, a concept-based traditional Southern Chinese Kung fu style and a form of self-defense that required quick arm movements and strong legs to defeat opponents.

There were three-dimensional videos that fully showcased the art, some had people performing Wing Chun and others that spoke of its colorful history. There were also volumes and volumes of books written about the art.

It only took a single glance, and Fei was captivated by these records that detailed the unconventional stances and choreography.

Martial arts overall seemed like an attractive subject to her.

Soon, however, time was up, and Fei disappointedly prepared to go to the courtyard where she would learn Wing Chun from a master. She had wanted to spend the entire day in Section five of the library, but her mission-oriented mind did not allow her to do that.

But her disappointment did not last long and was soon replaced by anticipation.

After some pondering, Fei realized that it would be fascinating to learn Wing Chun, and the thought of protecting her master using the art overtook her thoughts.