Nova and the other new students entered the Sorting Hall. Crystals of different colors hovered above platforms: Red, Blue, Green, and Gold. Students were called one by one, and their crystals glowed as they were sorted.

  When Nova stepped forward, her cracked crystal flickered… and refused to change color. The hall went silent. Nova felt every gaze on her. A teacher whispered, “It has been centuries since we’ve seen this…”

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  Nova didn’t know what it meant. But she felt both fear and excitement. She was different—and maybe, that difference was important.