“Well, that was an…interesting lunch,” Anna said the moment they entered their room. Amari snorted. “No kidding,” she said, dumping her jacket on her twin bed. “God, I felt weird talking about Brian,” she said, collapsing on her jacket, falling back on her bed. She rubbed her eyes. “Was it weird? Did I sound weird?”

  “No,” Anna said. Amari turned to her - neither of them were convinced by Anna’s words. “Well, it wasn’t weird - I think. The others seemed genuinely interested in what you had to say, and I’m sure Brian would love you spreading the word,” she said, cracking a smile at her horrific joke.

  “Boo,” Amari said at the pun. “But, you may be right. Heck, at least the others have some food for thought. I wonder how the twins are doing,” she said, staring up at the ceiling.

  Anna lay down on her bed, joining Amari. The twins were interesting, to say the least. Probably the most similar to their upbringing as well. Anna burned with curiosity, and wondered if there was a way to ‘bump’ into them during the trip.

  “Nah, I doubt we’ll see them again, they mentioned they’re fucking off to Italy,” Amari said. Anna turned to her in amazement. “How do you *do that*?” She asked.

  Amari turned to her, grinning. “I just know you that well,” she replied.

  Meanwhile, the twins were in their hotel room, browsing the brochures the staff handed to them on the way out. "Hot chocolate?" Ichiro offered. "Sure," Kai agreed, if only to get out of the hotel room and explore the city on their own. The two grabbed their things - a wallet and hotel keycard each - and left, stepping into the Italian sunset. The crowds from earlier had melted away, and the streets were largely empty, save a few passers-by. Ichiro pulled the brochure out of his pocket and peered closely. Kai snorted. "Why don't you just wear your glasses?" Ichiro shook his head. "I left them at home," he said, mildly squinting at the brochure. "This shit is hard to read in dwindling daylight, okay?" "Dwindling? Sure," Kai said, grinning. He snatched the brochure out of his brother's hands. "Let me see," he said, before crossing the street and heading down the road.

  The two walked in-step, silent for a few moments. "So, what did you think of Aysha and Amari?" Kai asked. Ichiro frowned. "Honestly, Aysha seems a little too nosy. I liked Amari, though - I liked that she stood up to Aysha's bullshit, at least."

  Kai nodded. "That's fair. Ralfie seemed interesting, too, I kinda hope we run into him again."

  Ichiro looked confused. "Why?"

  "I don't know...I wanna meet more people that don't just agree with everything, you know? I mean, we got invited to this 'lunch' for a reason, right? I don't think we're a random selection of people."

  "Yeah, but still..." Ichiro seemed hesitant. Kai looked annoyed, but continued. "Aren't you curious, to know how the others feel? Heck, I want to know more about Amari's 'friend' - 10 bucks that she *is* the 'friend' she's talking about."

  "I'll take that action - she does not give me terrorist vibes, that's for sure." Ichiro shook Kai's hand, before Kai could yank it away.

  "Man, those groups aren't terrorist groups, what are you saying?"

  Ichiro waved his protests away. "You know what I mean. Violent, peace-disrupting types."

  Kai looked at him in mock horror. "Man, your definition of terrorism is horrifying. Do not go into politics, I beg of you."

  Ichiro mouthed a sarcastic *ha-ha* as the two of them arrived at the nearest cafe, and grabbed a table inside.

  Anna and Amari were climbing into the taxi at that moment - Amari with her suitcase, Anna with a small bag containing her phone, wallet, keycard, and a few other essentials. "I still can't believe you're choosing to go back so early," she grumbled. Amari sighed. "I need to get back to Brian, Anna," she said. "I need to help him. Honestly, I think you should come, too - you need to stop sticking your head in the sand and come see what's happening in the world," she continued, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

  "I didn't stick my head in the sand!"

  "Come on, Anna - you were unreachable for years. You locked yourself away in that apartment and thrived while the rest of us fought. If you didn't, you'd know what the fuck I was talking about with *John* during the lunch. Don't pretend like you didn't run away."

  Anna looked stunned, and then looked down, mostly upset - and a little embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she said, in a soft voice. Amari immediately looked guilty. "Hey, Anna - I didn't mean to snap at you like that," she said gently. "I just... I missed you. We all did. It hurt, when you just disappeared, like that. When you didn't reach out. I know you were trying to get away from it all, I get that - but it still hurts."

  Anna looked up, tears in her eyes. "I just...never realized. I know that sounds so dumb," she says, sniffling. "I know, but it honestly felt like we were friends because we were chosen, and that if I wanted to walk away, I had to walk away from all of it, and that we weren't *really* friends anyway, we were just friendly - " "Did you really believe that?" Amari asks, her voice sad. "Maybe? I don't know, I was just...running away and sticking my head in the sand," Anna admits. Amari smiles. "I'm glad you realize it now." "Yeah," Anna lets out a hiccup-cum-giggle, "only took me a few years."

  They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each thinking about the other.

  "Okay," Anna said. "I'm not saying I *fully* agree with you on whether or not I was present, but I... I know I messed up." Amari smiles wryly. "Let me make it right, Ame. I don't want... I don't want to just stick my head in the sand and pretend everything's okay. What do I do?"

  Amari looked at her, for a little while. The silence stretched, before Amari sighed. "Honestly, Anna, I don't know." She looked out the window, at the passing city, as she spoke. "I don't have the time to educate you, and I don't know how much you don't know, either. It's not just that, it's that me telling you about these things isn't enough - you need to see it for yourself." She turned back to Anna. "Remember the protesters we saw, earlier? Do you know why they're protesting, exactly?"

  Anna was about to open her mouth when she realised she couldn't answer her question. "Exactly. Attend a protest. I'm sure you can find the details of when the next one will happen here. It'll probably be pretty soon, we're not the only round of blessed dear John's invited up here." Anna was mildly surprised at that - and then annoyed at herself for being surprised. *Of course* they wouldn't be the only ones. "Alright, I can do that."

  Amari nodded. "Good. It's as good a start as any."

  Anna smiled at her. "Thanks. I appreciate it. I know I'm not always the easiest to work with."

  "It's not that, it's.... I'm glad you're back. I'm glad you're coming back to us, Anna."

  The rest of the taxi ride was filled with conversations about friends and family back home, and the latest content they've watched. At the airport, Anna hugged Amari goodbye, before waving her off at the airport check-in.

  "Could we go to the town centre, instead? I'm not ready to go back to the hotel just yet."

  "Of course," the driver replied, and took her to St. Peter's Square. In the setting sun, the square was teeming with people - with curious tourists, pickpockets, local families and their children, and pets tugging at their leashes. Scattered amongst the crowd were protestors, wearing white shirts with slogans painted on, handing out flyers to a largely disinterested public.

  She's right. I have to make a choice. So she did.

  Aisha and Ralfie found themselves sitting next to each other at the same sushi bar after the eventful lunch. "I didn't know you were a sushi person," Ralfie said. Aisha shrugged. "This is the best sushi bar in the city, and I found myself craving some after the lunch," she said. Ralfie nodded. His stomach wasn't fully settled, and he enjoyed the idea of leaving the entire area for a while, to catch his breath and organise his thoughts.

  "So, what did you think?" Aisha said, sipping on a glass of sake.

  "Wow, you get right to the point, don't you?"

  "I don't like to waste others' time, or my own."

  "Noted. Honestly, it could have been a lot worse."

  Aisha rolled her eyes. "That's not an actual response and you know it."

  "What? I genuinely did think that after I left. Could have been a real shitshow, I thought. Could have been a PR disaster."

  Aisha laughed. "Well, let's put it this way. I was fascinated by Amari, and the young twin boys. I thought the twins were brave to come here so soon after what they went through back home."

  Ralfie nodded. The twins' story was harrowing - one he could not relate to. In contrast, his life was comfortable, and largely trouble-free. "I agree - Amari does seem like someone to watch out for."

  "Did you know she's already left Vatican City?"

  "Already? That's fast," he muttered, mildly disappointed.

  "Wow, I can see your broken heart from here," Aisha joked. "I'm not surprised, she seems like the person who wouldn't stay for the frivolity. She came, she saw, she went. Besides, she's going for a worthy cause." She ate one of her california rolls - the two had ordered the same thing as well.

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Ralfie looked at her. "A worthy cause?"

  Aisha met his eyes. "Yes, a worthy cause. Don't you think so?"

  Honestly, Ralfie didn't. "Well, it depends on whether you mean the larger cause - which is much safer - or the various offshoots - that, in my opinion, are far more unsettling-"

  "Get to the point, Ralfie," Aisha interrupted. "If I wanted a speech, I'd have invited John to sushi instead."

  "Look, whether or not I agree with you depends entirely on what the cause means to you," he finished.

  "That's so....meaningless, Ralfie. God, do you not have your own opinion at all?"

  "I do!"

  "Feel free to share it with the class, then!"

  "Fine! I don't think the 'cause' is worthy, or righteous, or just! I think they're a bunch of depressed people who are angry at God because they're too lazy to find their own solutions, and have roped in a few blessed that have lost their way!"

  The silence was thick, following the outburst.

  Ralfie sighed. He didn't normally lose his cool so easily, but something about Aisha - her presence, her accusatory tone, her judgement, pushed him over the edge.

  "Why don't you tell me what you really think?" Aisha joked weakly.

  Ralfie smiled at her. At least she had a sense of humour.

  "Do you remember the riots in Arkansas? When an incident spun out of control and 4 people died?" she asked.

  Ralfie nodded. "I remember two of them were children."

  "That was me." She looked down, at her half-empty plate, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you know the worst part? Some nights, I can still feel it. I can still feel the raw heat my hands, from my face, from my eyes. I can smell it - I can smell flesh burning. I can hear them, Ralfie - " she blinked a tear away. "Their bodies were so small," she said.

  He said nothing. What could he say? That it wasn't really possible to remember your possessions, that she hallucinated or dreamt it? That it wasn't her fault? That the victims became one of God's many chosen souls?

  "Well, do you remember the riots in Plymouth?" Aisha shook her head. Of course. Very few outside the UK would have heard of it - heck, even in the UK it was largely covered up. "Well, it was one of the first anti-possession riots in the world. The family of one of the victims felt that their son was unjustly taken away - that he was a victim of crossfire. Thing is, he wasn't. That incident took place out in the countryside, and no other being was harmed - not even some of the foxes or rabbits in the forest. The papers never revealed much about who he was, but make no mistake - God took His vengeance against that man, and he wasn't a victim." Ralfie swallowed. It had been years since he told anyone this story. "Well, his family didn't agree, and they were large. His mother corralled their cousins, and they took to marching on the streets, calling for justice. The march grew into a bigger crowd, because the people were frustrated at the collateral damage and the costs they bring. They marched all the way to the blessed's house - she was just 15. Her grandparents were visiting while she recovered, and her older sister just had her first baby. Everyone was at home." He paused, uncertain of how to delicately phrase the rest. He thought delicacy was not the way to go.

  "They burned the house down, with everyone in it. They barricaded the front and back doors, and torched the walls. The house was old, and made of timber - it caught fire immediately. Most of the crowd didn't realise the fire started until it was too late."

  Two more plates - this time of prawn tempura rolls - were placed in front of them.

  "It wasn't 'mob mentality', it was a planned execution. The family's lawyers used the insanity plea, and nothing happened. That family faced no consequence for taking eight lives, as 'justice' for one."

  Ralfie stopped, and took one of the prawn tempura rolls. He chewed slowly, waiting for either of them to break the silence. Both of them ate for a few minutes, each processing their own grief, and barely digesting the other's.

  "I didn't know you had that...experience," Aisha said, after a little while. Their meals were over, and the two of them were sipping glasses of warm green tea. Ralfie snorted. "It was an experience, all right," he muttered. He sipped his tea noisily, and Aisha - despite her best efforts - found herself getting irritated by it. "Look, you can't change my mind, alright? I know that truly, truly, there are no accidents. That every incident of 'collateral damage', of victims getting hurt, of things coming apart, is by design. It is part of a larger picture that we cannot see."

  "And what of the family that walked away? Is their survival part of a 'larger picture'?"

  "Yes."

  Ralfie was stone-faced. His eyes were dark, but Aisha could see that he truly *believed* that there was a grander plan. "I truly believe that," he continued. "God would not have forsaken her so easily. Time will tell. It always does."

  Aisha nodded. It was useless to argue with deep believers, no matter how relaxed and approachable they seem on the surface. She pushed her empty cup of tea away from her, and put her phone back into her pocket. "This was a pleasure," she said, making no attempt to hide the sarcasm from her voice.

  "Do you?"

  "Excuse me?"

  "Do you truly believe that every innocent person is now condemned to an eternity of suffering and pain? That God makes that many mistakes?"

  She stood up, silent. She could feel tears pricking her eyes. For some reason, admitting the truth to him hurt. Like she never really digested what she decided to follow, until this moment.

  "Yes. I do."

  Anna chose to wear a light, summery white dress to the group discussion that evening. The woman who handed her the flyer kindly handed her a map as well, with clear directions (and graphics) pointing to the group's meeting point. This was an introductory session, and all newcomers were welcome. She felt nervous, as though she was going for an interview, or a therapy session. She knew that in all likelihood, she wouldn't have to share much with the others. It'll be fine. Everything will be fine.

  "Welcome, everyone! We're so glad you could make it!"

  She had a bright smile for everyone who attended, and her auburn hair was neatly coiled into a tight braid at the back of her head. Her skin was pale under the naked lightbulb, but she glowed with enthusiasm. Aria was excited - this was the largest turnout she's seen so far, and she just started canvassing two weeks ago. *Shows John right,* she thought. John sulked in the corner, aware that his attempts at canvassing for over six months brought half the amount that had filed in today. Aria had a way with people - her smile was disarming, and you found yourself wanting to please her. So, people showed. Mostly men, but they showed.

  Anna found herself in the back of a large room, in a dark corner. Aria's voice carried well, despite having no microphone. She sounded strong, and assured of herself.

  "All of us have enough reasons and more to fight for a cause like this," she said. "We've all lost someone, or something here. We've all been expected to go on as if nothing happened, or worse, to shoulder the blame - as though the ones we lost deserved the worst form of punishment on Earth." A few heads nodded with her. Anna observed the crowd - everyone was quiet, and the ones next to her looked forlorn, forced to remember what they'd rather forget.

  "I lost my little sister, about 6 years ago," Aria said. Her voice was strong, but solemn. "She was just a little girl, and she was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. I remember having a closed-casket funeral because her body was unrecoverable - there was nothing left. I remember zealots coming to the house and proclaiming that my sister *deserved it*, because God did not make mistakes." Anna was surprised - Aria's voice did not quaver, and she maintained eye contact with those she could see from the front of the hall. Whether she told this story so often, or whether she was made of stronger stuff, Anna couldn't say. She guessed the latter.

  "We moved a year later, because my mom couldn't bear it. She couldn't bear the acusatory glances, the veiled threats parish-goers made, the assumption that if Melody deserved it, did we?"

  She paused. "We moved a lot, and I found myself feeling isolated from everyone around me, because I could not accept what had happened. I chose to study the experience further, which lead me to apply to the Antonianum here," she smiled at the few gasps from the audience. "Yep, I'm a certified scholar, with a doctorate in theology. Who'd have guessed, right?"

  "It was during my time at the Anotonianum that I came across these people," she gestured to the ones sitting behind here, "people who had suffered the way I had, who were as confused and conflicted as I was. It seems strange, but coming closer to the heart of it all brought me to the people I needed to be with. We're not just a group of rabble-rousers and anti-establishmentarians, we're people who've suffered immeasurable loss and are trying to find some form of justice."

  "I'll leave you now, with one last thing. You may not want to join us - and you do not have to. I do want to ask you to think, and I mean really *think*, about your faith. What role does your faith play in your life? Does it truly help, or does it blind you to what's happening right in front of your eyes?"

  She stepped off the podium to applause, and took her seat amongst the others, while Jonathan explained the history of the organization, the VABs.

  Anna continued to look at Aria throughout the rest of the talk. She couldn't help it, her eyes were drawn to Aria like a magnet. Right before the end - before they turned the lights back on and people would leave - Aria looked at her, and their eyes met across the room.