Some would describe the Faith of the Bound Word as one of the last sanctuaries free of hierarchy where people lived by will, spending their analog lives in peace, far from tokenized, gamified existence. But few truly understood the hierarchy that thrived behind the purified convent walls, ancient in form, quiet in domination.

  “Out of my way, Sister Lucia. You shouldn’t be out here so early trying to prove your worth when we were all reminded of how there truly isn’t much value in you by the weakness of your body last night. To faint in the presence of the head nun when you are supposed to take care of the elderly is completely against our principles.”

  Lucia inhaled deeply. She had only just been released from the infirmary by Sister Portia, instructed to grab breakfast from the courtyard. But she hadn’t expected to run into the infamous bully in the convent, Sister Irene, so early in the morning.

  Sister Irene was five levels above her in rank, closer to gaining the senior-nun status than most, known to be the pet of the superior nuns, and a relentless tyrant to everyone else. The younger nuns feared her. The older ones detested her. But no one dared to stand up to her, out of fear that they’d be punished, asked to kneel at the altar for days.

  “She looked like she was faking it, really,” Sister Leon muttered beside Irene. Dry, cutthroat, and handpicked to be in Irene’s circle, Leon had arrived six years ago and swiftly picked up on who to align with.

  Nuns who were quieter, more wide eyed and peaceful were often shunned, provoked, and poked at by them. A cruel reality for anyone seeking peace.

  “I was instructed by Sister Portia to get breakfast,” Lucia said quietly, grabbing a metal plate and heading toward the bread trays.

  But that plate never made it. It clattered to the stone floor, bouncing once. Lucky for her it was metal. If it had been ceramic, she would have been punished for shattering it in the courtyard.

  “No breakfast for you, Sister Lucia. You need to scrub the kitchen floors before that. It’s your turn.”

  Sister Irene’s harsh words only made Sister Lucia sigh. She did not know what to do. She had seen what standing up to Sister Irene looked like before. One of the sisters who did so mysteriously left the convent the next day, never to be seen again. Whatever power Irene held, Lucia wanted no part in challenging it. She never wanted to go back out there again. She feared the outside world more than any dread within the convent walls.

  Irene loomed over Lucia, her skin flushing with a reddish hue in the morning sunlight already reaching scorching levels. A group of onlookers had already gathered around the commotion. Among them, Lucia spotted Clarence.

  Sister Clarence had always encouraged her to stand up to her bully. But now, seeing Clarence’s eyes, Lucia looked away. She didn’t want to disappoint her again.

  “Answer me,” Irene jabbed Lucia’s shoulder, leaving a distasteful dent in Lucia’s uniform.

  “And you haven’t even changed your clothes since last night. Becoming an assistant nun doesn’t mean you get to slack off. Being a part of the Faith means presenting yourself both dainty and decent at every given moment!”

  Sister Lucia balled her fists, her neatly cut fingernails digging into her palm. A harsh breath caught in her throat, steam rising inside her.

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  Yet as soon as she met Irene’s eyes, she deflated.

  “Right. I apologize for my appearance and thoughtlessness, Sister Irene. I will report to the kitchen at once.”

  The sudden apology caught Irene off guard. She recovered quickly, raising her chin with smug satisfaction.

  “Correct! You may do so. And be sure to mention to the matron that I sent you over.”

  Lucia quickly nodded, plastered a forceful smile, and picked up the fallen metal plate without a second to lose. It was her moment to escape before Irene could change her mind.

  She moved fast, pushing through the onlookers toward the north wing.

  Footsteps caught up to her.

  “I don’t want to hear it, Sister Clarence,” Lucia snapped.

  “Well, I was going to say Sister Ray would probably have a better breakfast in the kitchen than what’s out there.”

  Lucia shot a glare. Clarence played innocent, looking away just in time.

  “Stop following me.”

  “Fine. I only wanted to let you know of a rumor that’s making the rounds.”

  They were out of the courtyard and entering the corridors leading to the back kitchen at this point. These parts were quieter in the early mornings.

  “If it's about the brothers visiting next week, I don’t even want to—”

  Sister Clarence punched Lucia on the shoulder, only playfully, slightly.

  “Ow!” Lucia hissed.

  Clarence leaned in, her face suddenly serious.

  “What is it?” Lucia whispered.

  “Sister Teresa had a visitor last night, a human visitor.”

  Lucia frowned, “A visitor? After we got back? It was well past visiting hours.”

  The image of Sister Teresa standing alone in the dark courtyard staring towards her quarters flashed in Lucia’s mind. Sister Teresa looked troubled.

  “Apparently, a visitor from the outlier regions.”

  Lucia blinked. “Outlier regions?”

  Clarence nodded, “The ones wiped out during the Upheaval.”

  Lucia froze. Her cheeks burned with a sudden flush. The word Upheaval sent a strange hot pulse through her body. It had been a while since she had heard that word, over a decade now.

  “There’s no one living in those regions anymore,” Lucia said quickly. “No humans.”

  Clarence shrugged, “So we are told. But the rumor has it that someone of no valid identification made it in for a chat with the Supreme head nun of the Northern Sector.”

  A thousand emotions quickly rose in Lucia. Sister Teresa had once been her assistant nun, her bridge into this new world. Even if it wasn't her duty to worry about the head nun’s visitors, she still felt responsible. Protective.

  “Well, you shouldn’t be worrying about it, Sister Clarence. I’m sure it's nothing,” Lucia said flatly.

  But Clarence only scowled, “Nothing?...Then why did I even bother?”

  “You should go eat. Sister Cathy wants you to help organize the halls before the new recruits arrive today.”

  Clarence snorted disgustedly then waddled away leaving Lucia to begrudgingly make her way to the kitchen.

  She walked alone, but her mind stayed stuck on that one word.

  Upheaval.

  It lingered like blood in the back of her throat.

  The outlier regions weren’t supposed to be inhabited anymore.

  They barely were, even back then.

  She would know.

  She grew up there.