Lucia was up before dawn. The silence of the morning broke only when she splashed water on her face, jolting her drooping eyes awake despite a night without rest.

  Water streaked her cheeks like tears as she stared into the mirror of the rather confined bathroom at the far end of the nuns dormitory. She had checked the lock three times already, yet her fingers twitched to check again, as if the whole world might collapse if she didn’t.

  “Breathe, dear. In for four, out for four.”

  Sister Teresa’s voice echoed through her mind, the first person who ever noticed her spirals. She remembered those first nights nearly a decade ago, Teresa stroking her hair until she could fall asleep.

  Her gaze drifted back to her reflection. Those eyes. The same eyes from the night of the Upheaval. Little Lucia always treasured the resemblance of her eyes back then. But now, it was more like a curse. A constant reminder of what had happened.

  She tore herself away from the mirror, heart pounding. Her dark hair still damp despite taking a shower almost a half hour ago. She wrung her wet hair squeezing them as her mind rang through last night's happenings. Everything had begun to unravel so fast she needed time to catch up.

  She replayed the flashes from last night. Despite being obsessed over counting numbers Lucia could only remember bits and pieces of it. The desert pin-light was too fast, too long to hold onto.

  It’s code…it’s code for something…But what?

  The thought unsettled her. Partly guilty for caring, partly curious despite herself. Maybe she would give in to V’s schemes. Maybe she wouldn’t. But if she were to agree to help V, she would be betraying her loyalty to the Faith, the one place that helped her all these years, her home.

  Why did she have to join the Lantern, of all things?

  Lucia pushed her hair away, droplets pattering the tiled floor. Her thoughts began to ricochet between V’s cryptic assignment and Brother Roman’s mysterious visit to the assistant head nun’s quarters last night.

  Her hand crept into her pockets revealing the pocket watch V had tossed only hours ago. She still hung onto it, not like V asked for it anyway.

  The hands on the clock reached half past five. Lucia pulled on her veil, her damp hair clinging dark to the cloth.

  If I go now…maybe, just maybe, Sister Teresa might answer the door?

  Lucia thought over once more. In about an hour, the convent will flutter awake. She had to make a decision now.

  She breathed in, then at once grabbed her tunic, wearing it lopsided and dashed out the bathroom.

  She hurried into the corridor, boots slapping against stone, dawn smearing blue across the grey world. The night’s chill still clinging to her.

  She avoided the main route, the arches through the senior nuns’ building. Instead cut behind the library. Soon, she was staring at the building. One of the oldest. Now serving as the Head Nun’s residence, office, and occasional guest wing.

  Lucia entered through the side door at the back. Then quickly found the stairs. She had been through these only a few weeks prior with Sister Cathy to finalize preparations for the recruitment ceremony. This time her steps were lighter, cautious.

  She eventually found the door with the frosted glass marked Supreme Head Nun Offices. Her hand raised, knuckled white as she held it out and knocked.

  Silence. She knocked again. Nothing.

  It’s barely morning, obviously, she’s not here…

  Lucia exhaled. Hope dwindling. Her eyes raised. The head nun’s quarters were only two floors above. No one was allowed there. Not officially.

  Lucia hesitated. But something in her tugged her forward, making her pivot, racing up the stairs.

  She quickly found the door with a metal plating engraved ‘Supreme Head Nun Quarters’. Her hand raised to knock when she noticed the door hung ajar, lock loose.

  She eased it open, breath tight in her throat.

  The room, wide and spacious. One area for living with a plump couch set up opposite the non-functioning fireplace. A partition separating the rest of the room with a small bed in the center, untouched, perfectly made. Lucia was confused, if Teresa was not in her office, she should surely be in here, asleep.

  Maybe, I should go tell someone…Maybe, I should alert the convent…

  But then Claudia’s voice came back to her, and the vial. The senior nuns hadn’t been surprised by Teresa’s absence.

  Where…is she?

  She spotted an armchair facing the open window, a candle burned to a stub on the wooden arm. Lucia edged forward, floorboards creaking beneath her, coming closer to the window, curtains dancing in the morning chill breeze. For a moment she half-expected Teresa asleep there with a book in her lap.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  But the chair was empty. Only the candle and a thick book: Everything to Know About the Twenty-First Century in Five Hundred Pages.

  She picked it up only to watch two sheets slip free. One empty, another with dots and dashed scribbled on paper. She picked them up observing falling into deep confusion. She was about to set the book down when she noticed an object lying on the seat of the chair, an ornate piece of metal. A pair of old binoculars.

  She lifted them, tracing their line through the open window. It pointed to nothing but the empty desert beyond the convent barrier and the mega cluster.

  V did the same thing last night…

  Had Teresa been watching too? Or someone else?

  A sudden movement below startled her. She had almost forgotten that the building currently occupied visitors, perhaps rising for the day.

  She placed the book back in its place. Shoved the loose pages into her pocket and left immediately, closing the door to Teresa’s quarters behind her, with one last glance heavy with worry.

  Lucia was making her way down the stairs when the bell announced the sixth hour. The sound faded unlike last night when it rang between her ears. Her eyes drew to the corridor window, the cathedral dome gleaming, reflecting the peeking sun rays as dawn began breaking.

  For a moment she was caught off guard by the beauty of it. But she needed to get back.

  She was halfway down the stairs when a door creaked open below. Footsteps echoed in the corridor, her only route out. Lucia pressed herself against the wall, pulse hammering. If anyone found her here, the questions would be relentless.

  “Be patient, Roman. Answers will be found.”

  It was Ilya’s voice.

  Lucia peeked around to see Roman standing in front of Ilya’s door.

  “I suggest you come inside and call it a night,” Ilya muttered, half-asleep in his doorway. “At least what’s left of it.”

  But Roman only stood there, arms crossed, gaze lowered deep in thought.

  “Maybe you should talk to one of the sisters. Sister Lucia perhaps. She seems to be more open to conversation than the rest of them. She might, unknowingly, get you some answers,” Ilya said, making Lucia suddenly perk up. Was this about the vial from Claudia last night?

  But Roman was quick to shake his head. “She’s the last person I should be talking to. She is as clueless as anyone in here. I’d rather let her continue to be so.”

  Lucia felt the words burn. A jab at her?

  Ilya shrugged, “I thought she was pretty knowledgeable. And quite delightful to speak with.”

  Roman shot him a look sharp enough to end it.

  “Keep this between you and me,” Roman said. “I wouldn’t want any of this getting out. Especially not when it could hinder my task at hand.”

  Task at hand?…Being a mentor brother? Or…task related to Sister Teresa?…

  Lucia watched Ilya nod lazily. The gesture of someone who had heard this warning enough times already.

  “Oh, I meant to ask,” Ilya said. “Have you found anything about this other sister? Sister…V?”

  The name jolted her. Her foot creaked against the stair.

  Both heads turned at once.

  Lucia whipped her head back just in time, hand over mouth. Her eyes darting to the next set of stairs. But she couldn’t reach them without revealing herself. She was stuck.

  Roman shifted, starting toward her when another door opened.

  “There you are, Roman,” An older brother appeared in the door opposite Ilya’s “Mail came for you yesterday. If you don’t mind, collect it now, please.”

  Lucia took the chance. She peaked to see the brothers preoccupied and bolted, heart still racing from what she’d overheard.

  ***

  Morning breakfast brought chaos to the courtyard. Sisters craned their necks, whispering as Brothers trickled in from their quarters. The spectacle would lose its novelty in a few days, but for now, every entrance drew stares.

  Lucia and Cathy had just managed to corral their recruits when the line began curling around the courtyard.

  V groaned at the wait. “Can’t they hurry up? We’re starving.” A couple of recruits shot her a look before deciding not to get involved. V rolled her eyes at them.

  Just then, Lucia turned up, brushing past, bumping into V’s shoulder.

  “Woah, slow down there,” V teased, winking.

  “Fine,” Lucia whispered, voice low.

  “Fine?” V scoffed. “Do you see this line? Nothing’s fine.”

  Lucia bit the insides of her cheeks. Her mouth was already moving before her mind could stop it.

  “I’ll do it.” The words dropped like stones.

  V blinked, mouth half-open, confused. “Do what?”

  Lucia exhaled, heart hammering against her chest. She forced herself to meet V’s eyes. “I’ll help you.”

  V stared at Lucia. Eyes wide, frozen in place. Lucia nudged her forward to keep the line moving.

  “You?” V whispered, grabbing Lucia’s chin with a shake. “You will help me?”

  Lucia slapped her hand away. “Stop it! There are nuns around—”

  “What have you done to my sister? Where is she?” V reached for her again, but Lucia shoved her forward, forcing a smile at Sister Benedict, who turned to greet her mentor-nun.

  “Do you want my help or not?” she hissed.

  V beamed, smiling from ear to ear, too wide to twist into her usual smirk. “I knew you’d come around.”

  “No, you didn’t.”

  “Of course, you would. Even now, you can’t let go of your sisterly duties. How else would you know when to cover for me?”

  Lucia rolled her eyes, grabbed V’s shoulder, and pulled her close. Her voice was sharp enough to cut.

  “I’ll help you—But only under one condition. I want something in return.”

  V’s brow arched. “Terms and conditions?” She almost looked impressed. “Fine. What do you want? Money? Fame? A statue in your honor? You don’t even know my assignment yet and you’re already bargaining?”

  Lucia tugged V closer, silencing her sister for once.

  “I—” Lucia started, then paused.

  Her eyes flickered about the courtyard just in time to see Sister Claudia greet Roman and the entourage of senior Brothers heading to breakfast.

  Her stomach dropped at the sight, but she leaned back in, voice low and urgent.

  “I’ll help you with your mission. You help me find Sister Teresa.”