I ran aimlessly, my long silver hair waving behind me, reflecting sunlight like a bright mirror. My feet carried me away from school, away from accusing looks and hurtful words. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I needed to escape.

Tears clouded my vision as I ran through the town streets, ignoring the concerned looks from passersby. Sophie's words echoed in my mind over and over, like an endless echo.

«You're so wrapped up in your own world of genius that you don't see what's happening around you.»

I clenched my fists so hard that my knuckles had turned white.

Was it my fault to be the way I was? Should I pretend to be less intelligent, less talented, just so others would feel better?

It's not fair, I thought, as my feet continued carrying me away. I didn't ask to be like this. I didn't ask to be different. Finally, my steps led me to a small park on the outskirts of the city. Physically and emotionally exhausted, I collapsed under a large tree, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

—Why? —I whispered to the air, my voice broken by crying—. Why do I have to be like this? Why can't I be normal?

The wind whispered through the tree leaves, as if trying to comfort me. I closed my eyes, letting tears flow freely. For the first time in my life, I wished I wasn't Anastasia Pendragon, the prodigy, the genius. I wished to be simply... normal.

How could I fix this? How could I be myself without making others feel bad?

«Maybe you can't, maybe this is the price of being different.»

I shook my head, refusing to accept that idea. There had to be a way. There had to be a balance between being myself and considering others' feelings.

Finally, breathless and with trembling legs, I stopped. I looked around, realizing my steps had led me back home.

The mansion stood before me, imposing and familiar at the same time. I opened the gate and took big steps, but in the front garden, before reaching the door, I stopped, broken.

I hesitated for a moment. What would my mother say if she saw me coming home so early? What if she discovered I had run away from school? I shook my head, trying to clear those thoughts. I didn't want to face anyone at that moment. I just wanted to be alone, maybe hide in my room and...

With trembling steps, I approached the mansion's back door. I knew that at this time of day, most servants would be busy in other areas of the house. Silently, I slipped inside.

The mansion's interior was quiet, only interrupted by the occasional sound of activity coming from the kitchens. I moved like a shadow through the hallways, instinctively heading towards the training area where I knew I would find Arceus.

As expected, I found my younger brother in the training yard, diligently practicing with a spear.

Suddenly, Arceus stopped. He lowered the spear and turned, his blue eyes meeting mine. For a moment, there was silence between us. —Ana, —said Arceus, his voice surprisingly mature for his age—. What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at school?

I felt the tears I had been holding back threatening to spill. I tried to maintain my cheerful facade, forcing a smile that didn't reach my eyes.

—Oh, you know, I decided to take a little break. School can be so boring sometimes.

But Arceus wasn't so easily fooled. He narrowed his eyes, looking at me intently. —Ana, —he said softly, approaching me—. What really happened?

And with those simple words, my facade crumbled. The tears I had been holding back finally spilled, and before I knew it, I was sobbing uncontrollably.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Arceus, showing maturity beyond his years, dropped the spear and hugged me. I clung to him, letting all the frustration and pain I had been keeping inside out in the form of tears.

—I... I'm selfish and I'm kind. I'm not that good! I'm a good person, I need to fit in, but... I want to be myself. I'm brave, but I get scared, I make mistakes and I'm bad. I'm strong and I'm weak... I don't want to be different, —I sobbed—. I don't want them to look at me like I'm a freak. I don't want them to hate me for who I am.

Arceus held me in silence, letting me vent. When my sobs finally calmed down, he guided me to a nearby bench and we sat together.

—Ana, —Arceus said softly—, tell me what happened.

I told him about the looks at school, the whispers behind my back. I told him about the fight with Sophie, how my best friend's words had hurt me deeply. I confessed my fears, my doubts, my desire to simply fit in.

—Sometimes I wish I wasn't a genius, —I said, my voice barely a whisper—. Sometimes I wish I was normal, like everyone else.

Arceus listened in silence, when I finished speaking, he took my hands in his. —Ana, you're trying to fit in, but fitting in isn't the same as belonging. Fitting in is like adjusting into a reduced space of a puzzle by cutting parts of yourself to adapt to what surrounds you, you adapt to others' experiences and sacrifice your essence. You're trying to avoid loneliness without knowing that the most painful loneliness is the one felt when you're surrounded by people who don't understand or value who you really are. Being different isn't something bad, it's what makes you special, what makes you you.

I looked up, surprised by the wisdom in my younger brother's words. —But everyone hates me for it. Sophie said...

—Sophie spoke from fear and insecurity, —Arceus interrupted me—. You can't let others' words define who you are.

Arceus paused, as if looking for the right words. —Look, mediocre people are abundant; they're the majority and they don't like anyone standing out. If you do something they'll criticize you, they'll try to highlight the flaws in your work, but they'll hardly recognize your successes. Anastasia, define your goals, fight for them, and if they speak ill of you, don't flinch.

—But if they speak ill of me and I don't answer, it's like showing I agree with what they say —I argued.

—On the contrary. Unsolicited explanation is assumed guilt. Who doesn't defend themselves is because they know they're lies. Only those who get angry and lash out against viper tongues hang themselves. Everyone thinks 'if it hurt so much it must be true.' Assimilate it. It's not possible to separate triumph or being different from others without attacks. They come in the same package, but true triumph is the product of a lot of work with deaf ears to unhealthy criticism. Remember that every Ascendant is spoken ill of, remember that false stories are whispered about every artist, remember that every great person is said to be incompetent or lucky. Thousands of people who pursued the desire for an artistic career crumbled at the first 'comment,' millions of potential winners decided to shrug their shoulders to live insignificantly when they faced the poison of resentful critics. But poison doesn't kill if you don't drink it. Let insults go in one ear and out the other. If you equal yourself with toads, you'll stop focusing on your growth and you'll be finished wallowing with them in the mud. Never be submissive, but go peacefully against the current, fighting for your desires and enduring the mockery of the frustrated. It's part of the price you have to pay to be different or like you, to be special.

I reflected on my brother's words. I had never thought about it that way. —But, how can I do that when everyone sees me as... as a freak?

—Losers associate and there are so many of them, that they seem like everyone, but different people also exist and they tend to associate too... Nothing is free in life, Anastasia, and if they bother you laugh at them. You have the right not to be liked by everyone, understand it as a right. No one will ever love you if you're not capable of running the risk of some hating you.

I didn't know what to say to him. He spoke with such eloquence, with such truth that, for a moment, I doubted that I was his older sister.

—If dogs bark —continued Arceus, licking his lips—, it shows that you're walking... Pursue your desires. Listen to criticism, but don't let it hurt you. A statue has never been erected to a critic. Statues, real transcendence, belong only to the criticized. No one stands out for their good luck.

—Envious people bother, make noise and seem to stand out, but their bitterness sooner or later makes them rot. In the end, each person is exactly where they should be. We are all the sum of our actions. Showing them that you're more than your intelligence. Showing them your heart, your kindness, your compassion. You don't have to hide your genius, Ana. But you don't have to give them the power to define everything you are either.

I felt something changing inside me. Arceus's words resonated in my mind, offering me a new perspective.

—Besides, —added Arceus with a mischievous smile—, who says being normal is so great? Being extraordinary is much more fun.

This drew a small laugh from me, the first in what seemed like an eternity. —You know?, —I said, wiping away the last tears—, for being my younger brother, sometimes you seem much older.

Arceus shrugged. —Well, someone has to be the mature one in this family. —We both laughed, and I felt as if a weight had lifted from my shoulders. Not all my problems were solved, but somehow, things seemed a little less overwhelming.

—So, —said Arceus, standing up—, what are you going to do now?