When the first bell rang at 7:23 a.m., girls loyal to the order froze mid-breakfast.95Please respect copyright.PENANAxYjdoCFlI1
By the second bell — louder, longer — every corridor emptied into the courtyard.95Please respect copyright.PENANASkySZqfa36
Whispers flew faster than feet:95Please respect copyright.PENANAnGCBCHrGHO
“Tribunal.95Please respect copyright.PENANAT9KEP2bl1l
“She’s calling names.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAfSQ5i7mwt5
“Is it because of the video?”95Please respect copyright.PENANA0R3ZqvwVkp
“Did someone move the ledger?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAPJiq2G8vyc
Inside the Assembly Hall, Naomi stood center-stage, hands behind her back.95Please respect copyright.PENANATlFr7fJHWD
Behind her: two senior prefects. To her right: Mary.95Please respect copyright.PENANAFxQdLu08ZI
To her left: the Order Ledger Book, unopened since Mercy’s fall.95Please respect copyright.PENANAtuswLTLhO1
The girls filed in. No laughter. No chatter. Only breaths held under stiff collars.95Please respect copyright.PENANAvh724UEGH4
Naomi’s voice echoed when she began:95Please respect copyright.PENANA9B88MuvNVW
“There is a war over truth. Before we face it out there, We must decide who we are in here. I am calling an Order Tribunal.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAbgvEluetmq
Gasps rippled through the room.95Please respect copyright.PENANAcn6vWP507c
“Each girl in this hall will have a choice: Recommit to the Order — or walk away.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAHCC9mvxxFJ
A hand shot up. Seline. “What about those who were never in?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAzhLBBioR4f
Naomi didn’t flinch.95Please respect copyright.PENANABnglqMkt4E
“Then decide who you’re standing beside now.”95Please respect copyright.PENANABSxmBEHfEM
She pointed to the bell.95Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7eLQdndmv
“Step forward. Touch the bell. State your name. You’ll be marked ‘Known.’ Stay silent — and you’ll remain ‘Unlisted.’ Either way, we’ll all see who you are.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAVZZHi56Tq8
The first girl — a Form 1, trembling — stepped up and touched the bell.95Please respect copyright.PENANAINlqcXkcRP
“Amara Oketch,” she whispered. The bell rang once.95Please respect copyright.PENANAnZJbjh7aup
Another followed. Then another. Shiko, near the back, stayed seated, her eyes locked on Kim across the room. Seline stepped forward dramatically, hand brushing the bell with a smirk. “Seline Wanjiku. Still watching.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAvhPJ5RKZrz
Naomi’s expression never changed.95Please respect copyright.PENANAQlOrTokan3
But inside, the ledger was already shifting — loyalty was becoming currency.95Please respect copyright.PENANAuw2AglOhtR
Kim rose only when half the room had already gone forward. She walked slowly, eyes not on Naomi, but on Mary. She touched the bell.95Please respect copyright.PENANAn9wmPNswgc
“Kimberly Diana Otieno. I came to listen. Not to lie.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAOU6WpozcR9
The bell did not ring.95Please respect copyright.PENANAaEiqVdvqem
Mary frowned.95Please respect copyright.PENANAj3B4IzcMTS
Naomi closed the ledger without writing.95Please respect copyright.PENANA4rTeLxz31t
“Some names don’t need to echo,” Naomi said.95Please respect copyright.PENANAjF4vYkYwbv
There was one empty chair near the stage — June’s and as if she was called out, the back door creaks and June enters late, eyes calm, uniform clean, face unreadable.95Please respect copyright.PENANAxWiz7PONX9
Naomi’s voice is filled with unspoken disgust:95Please respect copyright.PENANAJyPKalMW1A
“Miss June… do you still believe in the wall?”95Please respect copyright.PENANACdjHXDTNUj
June walks past the bell, but doesn’t touch it. She stops beside Kim.95Please respect copyright.PENANAG0xzHr0p5v
“I believe in the cracks.”
*****95Please respect copyright.PENANAh5JYV14VwT
June didn’t speak until all three of them stood in silence. The air was humid. The echo of the bell still rang faintly in their ears.95Please respect copyright.PENANAwcasgmoFma
“There’s a ledger being held by Jabari’s boys. Not the one in the broadcast. A second one. Still sealed.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAwpsJ5lGsAk
Kim tensed. “We thought Ayo took it.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAEJnqXSqls6
“He did,” June said. “But he gave it back too quickly. That means it’s stashed somewhere, waiting for the right time.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAW2UJQLnxPU
Shiko asked, “What’s inside?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAackzelkyJj
June pulled a folded note from her pocket — Mercy’s handwriting, unmistakable.95Please respect copyright.PENANAiX01JlJHCu
“Box 3 holds their fingerprints.95Please respect copyright.PENANAfNOFQN4MNb
What they buried beneath your dorm.95Please respect copyright.PENANAEd7sMz4lIM
Who vanished, and who let them.”95Please respect copyright.PENANApawevoRqKj
Kim’s throat went dry. “That’s… not just old Order business.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAtyCwvdBZZt
“No,” June said. 95Please respect copyright.PENANARjuLK0qlLF
“It’s a minefield. You need to find the crate. It’s in the archives wing on the boys’ side. Jabari’s men have it under pretext of ‘found records.’ You need to swap it before it's opened. Replace it with anything that looks like it.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAPYM3IBybok
Shiko frowned. “We’re not even sure what it looks like.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAZpdX4pv0cF
June smirked slightly. “You will. It’s the only crate stamped in red chalk. ‘M.O.3’ — Mercy’s final cipher box.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAyVqOZMUyaA
Kim looked at her. “And what happens if they’ve already opened it?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAofkkRaX3lE
June met her eyes.95Please respect copyright.PENANAaL23C4uUrH
“Then make sure what they read next… isn't real.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAGNobiiChf3
Kim nods slowly.95Please respect copyright.PENANAChxPUoXmmB
Shiko reaches into her backpack and pulling out a dummy crate lid she stole from chemistry storage and June hands Kim a paperclip bent into a tiny “M.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAhBI6YGJwcC
“Plant it when the swap’s done. That’s how I’ll know.”95Please respect copyright.PENANASUAi8MaAgp
As June walks away, she murmurs to herself: “Let them remember what we allow.”95Please respect copyright.PENANA87z6wmJCtq
*****95Please respect copyright.PENANAPMWYjOmXjE
Naomi stood beneath the frangipani tree, flanked by two prefect guards. The tribunal had quieted some nerves — but not all. There was still one ledger out there. Still one story too dangerous to break.95Please respect copyright.PENANANnPD69QQUg
“We need eyes everywhere,” Naomi said. “No dorms unchecked. No keys misplaced.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAEsHQ1VhoyS
Seline stepped forward with studied calm.95Please respect copyright.PENANAFtl7T3QUhs
“I may know where they're planning to meet.”95Please respect copyright.PENANACOHy0zVoo8
Naomi narrowed her eyes. “Who?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAtWZldSCr3r
Seline didn’t answer directly.95Please respect copyright.PENANAC6FfTwsnov
“Let’s say I’ve seen enough body language. Kim. And the quiet one. Shiko. They’ve been whispering too much for two girls with nothing to hide.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAcs7S7QXjvU
Naomi raised an eyebrow. “You think they’re involved with Mercy’s crate?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAMzL684v5Qq
Seline folded her arms.95Please respect copyright.PENANApOotiAte0Y
“I think if you want answers, send your guards to the south incinerator lane — just before dusk. They’ll find more than ash.”95Please respect copyright.PENANA1btPL1nGiT
At the meeting point near the old herbarium wall, Kim adjusted the dummy crate lid inside her bag. Shiko scanned the perimeter with a pocket mirror.95Please respect copyright.PENANAiNWJjjwQ1f
“We have six minutes,” Shiko whispered.95Please respect copyright.PENANALR90wHpXx2
“Once the bell rings for sunset inspection, all internal guards get recalled.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAprLaSKpD1y
Kim glanced at the marked fence post — red chalk: “M.O.3.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAbkgo4z9WQd
“Let’s just make sure we’re not the ones being followed.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAEYtg241o5Z
Naomi nodded slowly. “Good work, Seline. Stay close.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAkgaKtLWzK5
As the prefect guards jogged off, boots thudding across the tiled walkways, Seline lingered behind — smiling faintly. She pulled her phone from her sock — the one she was never supposed to have — and tapped a message into a hidden note app:95Please respect copyright.PENANARSM946xSWG
“If the bait’s good, they’ll bite. If they bite, I watch who bleeds.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAqU9NeU61fk
She never pressed send.95Please respect copyright.PENANAGYQu0Bi50a
She didn’t need to.
******95Please respect copyright.PENANAFaMHE3xDU7
They came from two sides — four prefect guards, swift and silent, their batons clipped tight and flashlights already stuttering in the growing dark.95Please respect copyright.PENANApBPh1TiC0t
Kim turned first.95Please respect copyright.PENANAv5AQ29BUA9
“We’re boxed.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAJ6SAXgGEl0
“No,” Shiko said, calm. “We’re just poorly lit.”95Please respect copyright.PENANA5qbfOoYeWU
From her satchel, she pulled a small envelope marked “Science Week – Safe Burn”.95Please respect copyright.PENANAEQ72QX1P4U
Flash-paper.95Please respect copyright.PENANAr0ab9ME7ec
Confetti-layered. Impregnated with fine magnesium salt.95Please respect copyright.PENANA0dXuj4y8z1
Designed for stage experiments.95Please respect copyright.PENANAALYI8AKten
She struck the match.95Please respect copyright.PENANA0fXIMdohyy
FOOM. A burst of white light exploded around them — silent, heatless, bright enough to blind the guards for two full seconds. White flecks scattered through the air like ash and stars.95Please respect copyright.PENANAurKLsUbyjS
Kim didn’t flinch.95Please respect copyright.PENANA7MtxO9qsDJ
She sprinted through the dust cloud, weaving past the closest wall and cutting behind the Hall, where the delivery crate — “M.O.3” — was being wheeled toward the west staff entrance on a borrowed AV trolley.95Please respect copyright.PENANAs9sfquKO0F
Two tech interns who worked in the principal’s office were halfway through handing it over to the runner when Kim appeared, winded, bag in hand.95Please respect copyright.PENANAOcGjLmUova
“They sent the wrong box,” she said, breathless, flashing her forged badge.95Please respect copyright.PENANA79DKR9jfnH
“I’ve got the corrected archive.”95Please respect copyright.PENANANMu00KqtBJ
They looked confused. One shrugged. “It’s all sealed.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAItSKOqYHOm
Kim tapped the chalk mark on the side — slightly smudged.95Please respect copyright.PENANAXLf71dFjgo
“See? Rained out. Mercy’s tag faded. Could be mislabeled.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAOjByyD3PqQ
They hesitated.95Please respect copyright.PENANANVnYNNMmr4
Shiko appeared behind them, adjusting her glasses, calm and efficient.95Please respect copyright.PENANAyDfapbi1vu
The boys handed it over.95Please respect copyright.PENANAfWgbpJNXdR
Kim wheeled the real crate away, heart pounding.95Please respect copyright.PENANAfyzdC3yn6t
The prefect guards staggered out of the light-blast cloud, coughing and confused. Seline, watching from the upper dorm window, narrowed her eyes.95Please respect copyright.PENANAp2TdBQIQFY
“You underestimated the quiet ones,” she whispered.
*****95Please respect copyright.PENANAg79mb3csRE
Naomi stood at the front table, her fingers on the crate’s seal.95Please respect copyright.PENANAQDI3v9bOLi
June and Mary flanked her. The Order Hall was quieter than usual — no full assembly, just a controlled group of trusted seniors. The rest had been dismissed after the Tribunal.95Please respect copyright.PENANAx7Otw7ZAXN
“Let this end what she started,” Naomi said.95Please respect copyright.PENANAUFqHZIUbU2
She peeled back the tape. Inside: a folder marked “Confession Index: Volume I” — filled with blank pages.95Please respect copyright.PENANACERIIzD26S
Mary frowned.95Please respect copyright.PENANA8qtYDyPqLF
June looked to Naomi, whose face remained unreadable. “This isn’t the original,” she said.95Please respect copyright.PENANAg5pcVxL9SS
Then the lights flickered.95Please respect copyright.PENANAnS7TN4onIf
Just once.95Please respect copyright.PENANANmZ7mMqfAY
Not enough to panic. But enough to shift attention.95Please respect copyright.PENANANHYGDl7MIC
A faint hum rose from the archive cabinet in the corner — the audio box used for morning address recordings. It hadn’t been touched in weeks.95Please respect copyright.PENANANMCXCDhWMW
Then it clicked. And played.95Please respect copyright.PENANA6l8tucaC2R
Mercy’s voice.95Please respect copyright.PENANA4T1n5YsBux
“Nice switch. Too slow.”95Please respect copyright.PENANA55puP9TEnq
Heads turned sharply. A soft whir from the old cassette speaker in the wall — a repurposed relic. Vintage. Protected.95Please respect copyright.PENANAp514whi4Jb
The voice continued — calm, amused, in perfect control:95Please respect copyright.PENANAF7bYFPL00A
“Let’s not pretend this was about justice. This was about story. And I still write the better one.”95Please respect copyright.PENANA9ZBP3Q41nV
A pause. Then:95Please respect copyright.PENANA6N1uaoIsBZ
“To the girl with the sharp hands—well played. But you forgot something. I never left. See you in the crypt. Round two begins.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAARjzcdA74C
Click. Silence.95Please respect copyright.PENANAiNUOBz0xZr
Outside, thunder cracked.95Please respect copyright.PENANA6Y8mbDBim2
Naomi’s fingers tightened on the empty folder.95Please respect copyright.PENANAt27H6Jxtpg
Mary whispered, “She recorded it before the Tribunal.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAMpOx9MgELh
June looked at the now-open ceiling vent above the archive. “No. She triggered it after.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAgvlSqEPAOR
Kim, listening from the hallway, stared at the speaker — then slowly slipped the real crate deeper under her cloak.95Please respect copyright.PENANAKo86PSOl6z
The war hadn’t ended. It had just gone underground again.
**********95Please respect copyright.PENANAidh2PPJpDR
Jabari laid out the sealed envelope on the table. It had come that afternoon — slipped through the vented panel beneath the main wall, the one only a few knew existed. No name, but the handwriting was unmistakable.95Please respect copyright.PENANAikrUGEwPZx
Naomi’s.95Please respect copyright.PENANAQ612sDr1db
He broke the seal.95Please respect copyright.PENANAm0ztQU1Lv7
Inside: a short message and a typed formal proposal, stamped with Naomi’s name.95Please respect copyright.PENANA00CeULn6Nh
“Temporary Intelligence Exchange Proposal.95Please respect copyright.PENANATVAgTXVVic
Objectives: Stop second wave. Contain ledger fallout. Restrict Shadow Walker expansion.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAvsSlw73nRw
Musa leaned in. “She’s serious.”95Please respect copyright.PENANATWtQTcqr1G
Juma scoffed. “Serious or desperate?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAZP1iQMce37
Jabari didn’t answer. He was already reading the fine print: No direct physical meetings. Exchange via designated wall drops. Shared surveillance logs (anonymized). Tunnel use strictly prohibited unless both sides agree. All mentions of “M.O.” to be contained or denied until internal hearings.95Please respect copyright.PENANAO5U16q0iRg
Ayo paced. “You trust Naomi?”95Please respect copyright.PENANAsUdfXK1SqC
“No,” Jabari said. “But I trust the threat.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAJNkAIy4GKk
Juma added, “If she’s suggesting shared control, it means she doesn’t have it.”95Please respect copyright.PENANALnT94lgk19
Musa tapped the table. “And if we say no, we’re not allies. We’re targets.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAoQWuYmYmg5
Juma looked around. “I can’t believe we’re even considering this.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAlj1Esy2azD
But his voice wasn’t angry. Just tired.95Please respect copyright.PENANAgr12xlNf1j
“She beat us. That message from the chapel? That was a declaration. If we don’t stand together, we’re all just going to be footnotes in her confession index.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAZIbqFivRgc
One by one, hands rose.95Please respect copyright.PENANA22JLXzThfQ
Even Juma’s.95Please respect copyright.PENANAzwgCz2UqCB
The decision was unanimous.95Please respect copyright.PENANAeNgLjISMai
Jabari scribbled a short response:95Please respect copyright.PENANAKxAvObNaSn
“Agreed. Shared containment.95Please respect copyright.PENANAuqbLbceO2J
Our fire stays cold until her flame dies.”95Please respect copyright.PENANAzaxNG0zIsj
He slipped the letter into a clean envelope, sealed it with the old Order wax-stamp, and marked it with a chalk triangle. That night, just before midnight, Musa tucked it behind the drain grate, the way they used to pass ledgers during term inspections.95Please respect copyright.PENANArFLhWUmydl
The next morning, the note was gone.95Please respect copyright.PENANA8ZBxUDqUt8
And beneath the vent, someone had drawn a small M.95Please respect copyright.PENANAzhCuyRV4gr
Then crossed it out.