'Sanctimonious prick'—the words V had hurled at the Brother in the courtyard earlier that morning—replayed in Lucia's mind. That phrase wasn't typically used to describe a Brother of the Faith, though many sisters had probably thought it. The Brothers had a reputation for getting overzealous with authority the higher they climbed. Had V actually picked up on something without even knowing it?

  Lucia didn’t even remember how she made it back to her room after the whole debacle at dawn. She’d gone numb from the embarrassment, her mind a blur. By the time she got to her room and opened the door, V was already inside, staring out the window again like nothing had happened.

  Lucia had been halfway ready to yell at her, but the morning had other plans for them.

  An emergency gathering was announced, blaring through the clanking voice box system as old as the convent itself. Within minutes, the whole convent had filed into the courtyard, rank by rank, row by row in perfect arrangement. Not a hair out of place.

  The courtyard bell rang eight times, its deep chime echoing off the stone walls while the choir, assembled in a hurry, rang out their final off-tune note.

  “There they are,” Clarence whispered, leaning toward Lucia. “The Brothers.”

  A wave of whispers followed. Nuns craning their necks to get a glimpse of the spectacle ahead. Lucia resisted the urge to look, but eventually gave in like everyone else.

  A line of Brothers, all shapes and sizes, stood at the edge of the courtyard, clustered near Sister Claudia on the creaking makeshift stage. Their recruits stood off to the side, too many of them to fit up there without snapping the platform in half. That would’ve been disastrous for Sister Claudia’s back. And the convent’s reputation.

  “We are pleased to welcome the Brothers of the Faith from the West End this morning,” Sister Claudia announced, voice louder than usual. “They've arrived earlier than scheduled to begin their annual joint training with our new recruits, and for the joint recruitment ceremony at the end of this week…”

  Clarence leaned back in, whispering, “Why are they here so early though? Do you know?”

  But Lucia had turned to stone.

  She had spotted him. There he was, standing tall next to Claudia.

  He looked sharper than he had that morning. Robes pressed, hair combed, stubble gone. His face was leaner than she remembered, his skin oddly sun-touched for someone who should’ve spent most of his time indoors. Hands clasped. Shoulders squared. Head held like he was used to being watched.

  “I’m not sure. We were told they’d be here at the end of this week. Although Cathy did mention there was a rumor they’d be arriving early.”

  “A rumor? How did I miss it again?” Clarence hissed.

  “The self proclaimed queen of gossip falling short on her duties? Tsk.”

  “Oh stop it!” Clarence groaned.

  Lucia smiled, but it faded the second she noticed his gaze sweep past her. She followed it out of the corner of her eye—right to V, standing a few rows behind with the rest of her recruits. Unlike the others, who looked awed by the Brothers' presence, V wore a smirk.

  Of course. He’d found her.

  “...We will be hosting a dinner tonight to formally welcome the Brothers,” Sister Claudia said. “Until then, please make yourselves at home, gentlebrothers. It is an honor to be hosting you this year.”

  Claudia gave a final nod. The choir, voices still hoarse, began another hymn at her signal while the sisters gathered followed in a forced harmony. Early morning hymns weren’t the ideal, not everyone was awake.

  As soon as the final note rang out, the crowd scattered like they’d been holding their breath.

  “See ya!” Clarence winked and darted off toward the kitchen for some overdue breakfast. No one had time to lay it out in the courtyard this morning.

  Crowds of nuns whipped past Lucia. She barely had a moment to orient herself when Cathy grabbed her by the elbow.

  “Sister Lucia, come! We must greet the Brothers in charge of their new recruits.”

  “Shouldn’t we check on our own first?” Lucia asked but only went unheard.

  “I spoke with Brother Ilya this morning. I tried to get you earlier but you weren’t in your room. Where were you?”

  “I—uh—I was in the toilet.” Lies. She was chasing V.

  Cathy raised an eyebrow but didn’t push. “They want to begin joint training with the Sisters today.”

  “What? But we usually only—”

  Lucia froze. She had spotted two men approaching, making it through the amused crowds of nuns pausing to take a look at the men. One of them, bright copper hair with a giddy smile. The other was him.

  “Oh no,” the words left her lips before she knew it.

  Cathy twisted her neck at once. “Brothers!” she greeted, too cheerfully.

  He’s an assistant brother?…

  Lucia worried watching them approach.

  “Brother Ilya, how wonderful to have you all here,” Cathy said.

  “You’re too kind, Sister. We hope our arrival isn’t a disruption,” said Copper-Hair, his eyes twinkling like emeralds, his skin as pale as a ghost. His eyes quickly landed on Lucia. “You must be Sister Lucia.”

  Lucia reached out without thinking. He took her hand gently, cupping it in both of his.

  “Apologies for the hassle, Sister.”

  “Not at all,” Lucia managed to sound some words out.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  “And this is Brother Roman,” Sister Cathy jumped the gun, introducing the man Lucia was hoping would be one of the brothers that would lock themselves up in the visitors’ quarters and would only make it out to the recruitment ceremony at the end of the week.

  Lucia looked up. He was watching her, expression unreadable.

  “I believe we’ll be working together,” he said, offering his hand.

  Lucia froze for a second. Then with a slight nudge from Cathy she took his hand and gave it a quick, slightly-too-eager shake.

  She couldn’t read him. He was too still, too composed.

  Regardless, now that the introductions were drawing to an end, she was hoping she could finally head her own way. Find peace in solitude. Perhaps come up with a plan for the week. Have V avoid Brother Roman at all costs.

  Instead, Cathy gestured toward the kitchen. “Shall we get some breakfast? Just the mentors.”

  ***

  “What about our recruits? I should check on them,” Lucia muttered as they sat at a small corner table in the crowded kitchen. Eyes on them from every corner. Two brothers in a kitchen full of nuns wasn’t exactly the norm.

  “I have Sister Irene and Leon covering for us,” Cathy said.

  “What?!” Lucia blurted out. Irene and Leon were the last two who should be watching over V. But she quickly composed herself and managed a smile for the Brothers sitting opposite.

  “I hope the journey here was pleasant?” Cathy asked to which Ilya perked up at once, delighted to answer.

  “Mostly,” he said. “Rough once we hit the desert. Brother Roman here was picked up from the Central region so I suppose it was all just sand for him.”

  Roman didn’t respond. He dipped his bread in soup and bit into it.

  “I didn’t know you weren’t at the West End with the rest of the Brothers,” Cathy attempted probably for the fourth time now to get Roman to say anything other than yes and no.

  He licked his lips before answering, “No, I was not.”

  Silence.

  “What made you go to the Central region? A new assignment?” She persisted.

  “I am originally from the Central location. I work with the High Priest.”

  Lucia’s back straightened at once. That meant he worked directly under the highest-ranking clergy. Her eyes found the purple embroidery on his collar.

  “Ah! That explains your rank,” Cathy said. Yet Lucia was only baffled. He looked too young to have such a high rank, practically only three levels below the High Priest. “But, what made you come here as an assistant brother? A much lower rank and…menial responsibilities than what you are used to, is it not?”

  Roman thought for a moment then, “A change of scenery."

  A beat of silence passed. Awkwardness slipped into the cracks. Thankfully, Ilya jumped in to save the moment. “Sister Cathy, I've been meaning to ask, I would love it if you could show me where the fruits are kept. I am told the convent has the best pears.”

  Cathy was ecstatic to help. But that meant Lucia was left alone with the nonchalant sanctimonious prick all to herself. Lucia grabbed onto Cathy as she swept away, not a glance her way. Perhaps Cathy too was itching to flee away from Roman, leaving Lucia to deal with him.

  A few minutes passed, enough for Lucia to feel like she was falling into her own soup. Then—

  “How long have you been here?”

  Lucia jumped.

  “Sorry?” Her tongue was faster than her mind.

  “How long have you been in this convent?” He spoke, rudely slower and louder.

  “Um, close to ten years now,” she answered, forcing a smile.

  And silence. He looked about then leaned back on his chair. “Is it always this quiet? Living next to the quantaminiums?”

  Lucia blinked. That wasn’t a question people usually asked. If Sister Cathy was here she would have promptly changed the subject. But to Lucia it only piqued her interest.

  “The wall helps. Things went underground before I arrived. I was told it’s a thousand times better ever since.”

  Roman nodded, in an approving kind of way. “Do you ever leave the convent?” An awful lot of questions from a man that barely answered any before.

  “Only for visitations to the senior care facility outside. But we mostly stay within the convent, nothing really important out there.”

  “I see. What about within the cluster? Any humans living inside?”

  “The mega cluster?...No humans live here except for us. Oh, and the gatekeeper, Restor. He manages a fleet of humanoids at his disposal. But we rarely see him… or them.”

  A sliver of enthusiasm shone through his immovable face. “Restor, you say?”

  “Yeah, he usually patrols the wall…so I am told.”

  “He guards the node then?” He continued.

  “I suppose so. Isn’t the location of the node unknown?” Lucia asked back.

  Roman's eyes glinted with something like amusement. “Debatable. It's believed the all-knowing, all-powerful savior of the new world is a mist moving through the underground quantas. Perhaps it visited the convent?”

  Lucia smirked. “Perhaps, but we wouldn't know. Or more precisely, it wouldn't know us. There's no technology within these walls. The Node doesn't govern up here.”

  “But it governs reality,” Roman countered, watching her with calculated intensity.

  “It's just a bunch of ones and zeros stitched together by the same humans who destroyed the last one.” Lucia's voice hardened to steel. “Maybe it governs structure. Not reality.”

  Roman studied her, something shifting behind his eyes. “For a nun of the analog faith, your stance on the Node is surprisingly...measured. Detached, even.” He leaned in. “Maybe it's because you've been sheltered in here, but out there, the Node is God. It dispenses tokens that determine your worth. It decides who thrives and who starves. That's not structure, Sister Lucia. That's divinity.”

  “Sounds like someone’s already been converted,” Lucia said, meeting his gaze without flinching. “Maybe you should consider switching careers. Start worshipping your digital divinity officially.”

  For a fleeting moment, Lucia caught the edge of a genuine smirk on Roman's face. It transformed him completely, then vanished behind his mask of indifference.

  Roman leaned closer.

  “That reminds me,” he said, voice dropping to a whisper. “Do nuns usually run around at dawn in nightgowns?”

  Lucia stood so fast her chair tipped over and hit the ground. She grabbed it, apologizing under her breath.

  “What did you just say?”

  “Sister Lucia, your mentee, the nun you are in charge of, called me a prick this morning. To be more precise, she called me a blasphemous—no, sacrilegious?—”

  “Sanctimonious,” Lucia corrected in a beat then bit her lip. Roman’s judgment fell on her.

  “...Sanctimonious prick,” he finished, then sighed before continuing, “...I so desperately wanted to complain to your head nun about the lack of discipline and order within the convent, but apparently your head nun is not seeing anyone during one of the most important weeks of the year.”

  “She's not seeing anyone?” Lucia asked quickly, her heart skipping. Teresa had never refused visitors before, especially not high-ranking Brothers.

  Roman's eyes narrowed at her reaction. “Is that unusual?”

  “I—”

  “Regardless,” he cut her off, “you should feel lucky that I am letting this go, for the sake of the recruits under me. I urge you to speak to your mentee as soon as possible. I don't want her becoming the center of a scandal before training even starts.”

  Lucia nodded looking at her feet. She felt the heaviness of it all as Roman sat there. His gaze seared into her skin. He sighed a few times before he stood, chair scraping against the wooden floor.

  “And next time,” he added, “don’t run across the courtyard half-naked.”

  “I was wearing a coat,” she muttered, heat flooding her face.

  “Then get a thicker one.”

  Roman’s eyes held hers for a moment longer then turned to leave.

  Lucia watched him disappear through the door, robes sweeping behind him. The bitter taste of defeat clung to her tongue.

  Sanctimonious prick, she thought. Maybe V had a point.