It was late afternoon by the time they departed from the registrar's, their destination being the admissions department for Aemonsford Central Academy. Andy had telegraphed a message to an old colleague of his that occasionally handled 'interesting' applicants to the Academy, a category Avakian certainly fell under.

They had been walking for a good 25 minutes before they first saw signs of the Academy; a 30 ft high stone wall with an arched, portcullised entranceway next to a sign that read 'for students'. Entering under the arch, the first thing Avakian noticed was the architectural style, a certain nagging part of his subconscious signifying that it was called 'Gothic' or 'Baroque'.

"Now I must warn you Avakian," Andy started, "The woman we are meeting today is... Well... There's no easy way to say it - she's quite possibly the most terrifying person I have ever met."

"How bad can she be?" Said Avakian, climbing the stone steps that led to the departmental building, "You didn't seem particularly frightened of the bear back in the forest."

"Bears can't punt tanks into orbit. Kamatie can, has and will probably continue to do so. Now be quiet. Dark knows how good her hearing is."

Avakian decided not to point out who between them had been making most of the noise as they entered the building, heading past the empty reception directly to the agreed upon meeting point. He noticed Andy's breath quickening upon arriving at the door, it didn't appear he was lying about being afraid of her.

Opening the door and entering, the first thing Avakian saw was the woman in the centre, seated on a cheap, undersized couch reading a comic-book the size of her palm. Walking closer he realised that his perspective was askew, the couch was not undersized at all; the woman was simply gigantic.

"Dr Kamatie, how nice to see you again after so long!" Andy gave her what he may have thought was a warm smile, which in reality looked rather constipated.

"Long? I thought you retired last month Andrew." She said, standing slightly to envelop his hand in a greeting.

"Month? No, I retired ten years a-, well, anyway this is the young man I contacted you about, name's Avakian, you did get the telegram I sent yes?"

She nodded incredibly slowly, as she inspected Avakian, and vice versa. His first impression of her was that of a statue or a gargoyle, she was tall; almost 10ft, and had mottled grey skin that looked stone at a glance. Her face would have been surprisingly normal, if not for the twin horns that sprouted from the top of it. Even with her posture slouched as it was, Avakian could see the musculature of her limbs showing through her tunic.

She was mountain given flesh.

"Interesting." She said, peering intensely at him, as though to pierce through the mysteries he may have held, "The Void within you is sparse, but these patterns and glyphs... Those meddlers in the 7th would tear their own hearts out to dissect you."

Kamatie muttered something else and shifted in her seat, before reaching into a small knapsack at her feet and pulling out some kind of device. Without warning she suddenly lurched forward, and grabbed Avakian's wrist between her thumb and forefinger, before strapping the device around his arm.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Spelled microscope." She grunted, in response to Avakian's unasked question, "Lets me observe your cells in greater detail."

At this point he was barely listening, thoughts racing as he tried to keep up with what was being said.

"Glyphs? DISSECT?" He shrieked in an octave he didn't know he could achieve.

"Hmmm? Yes, glyphs are a... You can think of them as a pseudo-language that can overwrite reality on a local level." She said, paying more attention to the device strapped to Avakian's wrist.

"That's fascinating but not really the part I was worried about!" Stressed Avakian.

"Oh, the dissection? Indeed, terrible way to go."

A moment of silence passed before he realised that Kamatie was finished.

"I don't suppose you could offer any more consolidation than that? Maybe a 'Don't worry Avakian! Noone is going to dissect you on my watch!"" He blustered.

"Don't be so dramatic." She sighed, looking up from the device, "Besides, you have more immediate problems"

"Dissection isn't an immediate issue?" He mumbled to himself.

"Your anatomy is clearly extremely dependent on the Void, it needs it like humans need oxygen or sustenance. The issue lies in the sparseness of the atmosphere here in the 74th Fold, there is simply not enough Void for you to sustain your body."

"And what'll happen if my body runs out?"

"Nothing good." She winced, "I've seen someone die from it before; a veteran who left the Inner Folds, where the Void density is higher, to pursue a life of peace."

"How long until it starts?"

"I would give you around a year. Perhaps three years if you receive regular void infusions." She reached again for the knapsack by her feet, drawing out a clear orb, filled with a pulsating dark mass, which she then handed to Avakian, "Swallow that; whole, if you will."

He lifted it up to inspect; the dark mass was shaking and undulating many times per second, creating a plethora of random geometric patterns before destroying him in the next instant.

"No, not random." Realised Avakian with a growing excitement, "They each have a purpose, they all contradict each other yet match at the same time. Each a fragment of a greater whole, I wonder if-"

"Stop." Ordered Kamatie, abruptly, "Do not look too closely into the Void. It will promise secrets it has no intention of relinquishing, it will keep you on the precipice of understanding until your mind either breaks or bends to it's image."

Avakian gulped in fear, he could understand why now, looking away from the orb; if he continued to look he would keep looking forever, trapped feeling as though he were this close to understanding. He instead swallowed it as was asked of him.

Immediately his body contracted around the orb, as his cells warred to be the first to absorb its eldritch power. He could feel a wave of something radiating through his body, travelling from his stomach all the way to his extremities, pushing away fatigue and energising his being. Avakian had not even realised it before, but his body was growing more and more tired the longer he went without the Void; the orb was panacea for his weary soul.

"Done?" She queried.

Avakian nodded.

"Good. I do believe we have some testing to do. Andrew, you will be departing now." Clearly from her tone she was not someone who expected to be argued with.

Andy; who still looked rather queasy from Kamatie's intimidating countenance and demeanour, gave Avakian a shaky thumbs-up before departing.

"Are you ready, Avakian?" She said, face impassive yet serious.

Avakian had a distinct feeling he was not.