When the first bell rang at 7:23 a.m., girls loyal to the order froze mid-breakfast.63Please respect copyright.PENANAw4PEmq8Bmb
By the second bell — louder, longer — every corridor emptied into the courtyard.63Please respect copyright.PENANAClgRtozG05
Whispers flew faster than feet:63Please respect copyright.PENANArKlcJXf2yr
“Tribunal.63Please respect copyright.PENANA1oUSH5YhIx
“She’s calling names.”63Please respect copyright.PENANABs2aO1htIk
“Is it because of the video?”63Please respect copyright.PENANAmwuC0VDYED
“Did someone move the ledger?”63Please respect copyright.PENANAIbsvgS0irv
Inside the Assembly Hall, Naomi stood center-stage, hands behind her back.63Please respect copyright.PENANAkm3RbzLEc1
Behind her: two senior prefects. To her right: Mary.63Please respect copyright.PENANAl6zBZvn2Xx
To her left: the Order Ledger Book, unopened since Mercy’s fall.63Please respect copyright.PENANACHYDaGFEjM
The girls filed in. No laughter. No chatter. Only breaths held under stiff collars.63Please respect copyright.PENANASMdymyP22E
Naomi’s voice echoed when she began:63Please respect copyright.PENANASmsNlRfkJq
“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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAvyJUXCuMpv
Gasps rippled through the room.63Please respect copyright.PENANA5p8AjcXd26
“Each girl in this hall will have a choice: Recommit to the Order — or walk away.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAPiuxJ4rkJu
A hand shot up. Seline. “What about those who were never in?”63Please respect copyright.PENANA0JWzt9Q9IP
Naomi didn’t flinch.63Please respect copyright.PENANAn3jV3ZxPT9
“Then decide who you’re standing beside now.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA2FDbmAjqzG
She pointed to the bell.63Please respect copyright.PENANA9irGMqQyfD
“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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA3BfyUjhwWz
The first girl — a Form 1, trembling — stepped up and touched the bell.63Please respect copyright.PENANA6k9oMnAyQl
“Amara Oketch,” she whispered. The bell rang once.63Please respect copyright.PENANAwaXKGlJw4g
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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANACDOVYYYEUI
Naomi’s expression never changed.63Please respect copyright.PENANAEpmQkvDo3P
But inside, the ledger was already shifting — loyalty was becoming currency.63Please respect copyright.PENANAsCo0x4XvTu
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAO0ys96Ndet
“Kimberly Diana Otieno. I came to listen. Not to lie.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAVUpm8t3DF6
The bell did not ring.63Please respect copyright.PENANA88JCaKirG7
Mary frowned.63Please respect copyright.PENANAqpRzfZaPFL
Naomi closed the ledger without writing.63Please respect copyright.PENANABft8XFWlBK
“Some names don’t need to echo,” Naomi said.63Please respect copyright.PENANAKtboSPzVDH
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAjFQXygfBOv
Naomi’s voice is filled with unspoken disgust:63Please respect copyright.PENANAdGvwNnaBiu
“Miss June… do you still believe in the wall?”63Please respect copyright.PENANAOncrNiaXgZ
June walks past the bell, but doesn’t touch it. She stops beside Kim.63Please respect copyright.PENANAL5dHpzMyyG
“I believe in the cracks.”
*****63Please respect copyright.PENANAGHCiwTQy0M
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAK98bR0r65d
“There’s a ledger being held by Jabari’s boys. Not the one in the broadcast. A second one. Still sealed.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAhTcD882WK9
Kim tensed. “We thought Ayo took it.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA44JtWGaeDR
“He did,” June said. “But he gave it back too quickly. That means it’s stashed somewhere, waiting for the right time.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA7mB8krLeq5
Shiko asked, “What’s inside?”63Please respect copyright.PENANABEzWhkFvdf
June pulled a folded note from her pocket — Mercy’s handwriting, unmistakable.63Please respect copyright.PENANA7IX63zc03W
“Box 3 holds their fingerprints.63Please respect copyright.PENANAQdC1OOYE9l
What they buried beneath your dorm.63Please respect copyright.PENANAdv276S6Btn
Who vanished, and who let them.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA9LepOBqllQ
Kim’s throat went dry. “That’s… not just old Order business.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAQJn5UH7f0I
“No,” June said. 63Please respect copyright.PENANAkIYtgdNyjy
“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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANACZqvw2gT5Q
Shiko frowned. “We’re not even sure what it looks like.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAYWvj830V2l
June smirked slightly. “You will. It’s the only crate stamped in red chalk. ‘M.O.3’ — Mercy’s final cipher box.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAXrl6jmuoSD
Kim looked at her. “And what happens if they’ve already opened it?”63Please respect copyright.PENANAICVrXNfdz4
June met her eyes.63Please respect copyright.PENANAIye0nWrlmc
“Then make sure what they read next… isn't real.”63Please respect copyright.PENANASwzTUsKPMV
Kim nods slowly.63Please respect copyright.PENANAPwl3NsPRpd
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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAV0lr0Iq3A4
“Plant it when the swap’s done. That’s how I’ll know.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAtzrF7VP70b
As June walks away, she murmurs to herself: “Let them remember what we allow.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAAzT8x4oxl6
*****63Please respect copyright.PENANAsQQLzTV7ut
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAe1tzZdMqyv
“We need eyes everywhere,” Naomi said. “No dorms unchecked. No keys misplaced.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAr1WbtrhCp9
Seline stepped forward with studied calm.63Please respect copyright.PENANA8Td84iBbNL
“I may know where they're planning to meet.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAHaIL3nut1b
Naomi narrowed her eyes. “Who?”63Please respect copyright.PENANAvomCzDGEBz
Seline didn’t answer directly.63Please respect copyright.PENANAcaDhHuloDi
“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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAsk0e8K4Iv4
Naomi raised an eyebrow. “You think they’re involved with Mercy’s crate?”63Please respect copyright.PENANArk1fx0PBvj
Seline folded her arms.63Please respect copyright.PENANAbxfUbgUx8g
“I think if you want answers, send your guards to the south incinerator lane — just before dusk. They’ll find more than ash.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAuCtjN7cTNb
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANA9fZd6tQkxw
“We have six minutes,” Shiko whispered.63Please respect copyright.PENANABDDIBTYoYK
“Once the bell rings for sunset inspection, all internal guards get recalled.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAS8YA0nE8Mc
Kim glanced at the marked fence post — red chalk: “M.O.3.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAQP7W0SeCZS
“Let’s just make sure we’re not the ones being followed.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAX28JKAKXQ7
Naomi nodded slowly. “Good work, Seline. Stay close.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAOl1Ha4Au6h
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:63Please respect copyright.PENANALPF0h1jdN4
“If the bait’s good, they’ll bite. If they bite, I watch who bleeds.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAeD8QJqLKMt
She never pressed send.63Please respect copyright.PENANA4EuXDWHzHg
She didn’t need to.
******63Please respect copyright.PENANA4KmVNFNYb6
They came from two sides — four prefect guards, swift and silent, their batons clipped tight and flashlights already stuttering in the growing dark.63Please respect copyright.PENANAIMUeQt0dUu
Kim turned first.63Please respect copyright.PENANAQCN5YowvHX
“We’re boxed.”63Please respect copyright.PENANATz9y4yzSUg
“No,” Shiko said, calm. “We’re just poorly lit.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAfW7ooeAhdj
From her satchel, she pulled a small envelope marked “Science Week – Safe Burn”.63Please respect copyright.PENANAJIHkO6kgbV
Flash-paper.63Please respect copyright.PENANA4jjSGXBMi1
Confetti-layered. Impregnated with fine magnesium salt.63Please respect copyright.PENANA9TkZlX4ePV
Designed for stage experiments.63Please respect copyright.PENANA4ERihCiYl9
She struck the match.63Please respect copyright.PENANA6z3uZjtWMF
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAe0fUqUI34I
Kim didn’t flinch.63Please respect copyright.PENANAZADZ77kXN8
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAEgvFZN3Mfc
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAHJuW34hvOL
“They sent the wrong box,” she said, breathless, flashing her forged badge.63Please respect copyright.PENANAkLlPtoBS1A
“I’ve got the corrected archive.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAiei88yDDfp
They looked confused. One shrugged. “It’s all sealed.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAIbShYpH4FN
Kim tapped the chalk mark on the side — slightly smudged.63Please respect copyright.PENANAsE6XDh9ewT
“See? Rained out. Mercy’s tag faded. Could be mislabeled.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAgBRAVVHwAQ
They hesitated.63Please respect copyright.PENANAYEP1fGAZdN
Shiko appeared behind them, adjusting her glasses, calm and efficient.63Please respect copyright.PENANAoIEtimBjXw
The boys handed it over.63Please respect copyright.PENANAcKYRC5JXRE
Kim wheeled the real crate away, heart pounding.63Please respect copyright.PENANAihMMRnoh5Y
The prefect guards staggered out of the light-blast cloud, coughing and confused. Seline, watching from the upper dorm window, narrowed her eyes.63Please respect copyright.PENANAsySO9L1ykq
“You underestimated the quiet ones,” she whispered.
*****63Please respect copyright.PENANALueNmTAvqS
Naomi stood at the front table, her fingers on the crate’s seal.63Please respect copyright.PENANA97SdkbUoF9
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAEO6VK1q6dC
“Let this end what she started,” Naomi said.63Please respect copyright.PENANARx174zXqmc
She peeled back the tape. Inside: a folder marked “Confession Index: Volume I” — filled with blank pages.63Please respect copyright.PENANAOxlZ6pxjgh
Mary frowned.63Please respect copyright.PENANAiY3dZNuuhV
June looked to Naomi, whose face remained unreadable. “This isn’t the original,” she said.63Please respect copyright.PENANAjJWwBMkr5q
Then the lights flickered.63Please respect copyright.PENANAHDVHbVzFMA
Just once.63Please respect copyright.PENANAmdjKu6AC29
Not enough to panic. But enough to shift attention.63Please respect copyright.PENANAwVM3ZPRBlN
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAfNpeNwubVP
Then it clicked. And played.63Please respect copyright.PENANAmE3dZbgS6h
Mercy’s voice.63Please respect copyright.PENANA2DQygjoDoI
“Nice switch. Too slow.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAZPSAw2rpRn
Heads turned sharply. A soft whir from the old cassette speaker in the wall — a repurposed relic. Vintage. Protected.63Please respect copyright.PENANASrlr2f6LWg
The voice continued — calm, amused, in perfect control:63Please respect copyright.PENANApPr2nteFfJ
“Let’s not pretend this was about justice. This was about story. And I still write the better one.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAKIXdFDBykv
A pause. Then:63Please respect copyright.PENANARqaVJ8W7TM
“To the girl with the sharp hands—well played. But you forgot something. I never left. See you in the crypt. Round two begins.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAGu2f37mAf9
Click. Silence.63Please respect copyright.PENANAJMWEiWadEx
Outside, thunder cracked.63Please respect copyright.PENANAyBEA1c5Rya
Naomi’s fingers tightened on the empty folder.63Please respect copyright.PENANAuaKOFFhp55
Mary whispered, “She recorded it before the Tribunal.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAh7LiSnPQoM
June looked at the now-open ceiling vent above the archive. “No. She triggered it after.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAaHIwj62k30
Kim, listening from the hallway, stared at the speaker — then slowly slipped the real crate deeper under her cloak.63Please respect copyright.PENANALhRYwk5C68
The war hadn’t ended. It had just gone underground again.
**********63Please respect copyright.PENANA4oAfrGRyN7
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANAwBif3O8YAb
Naomi’s.63Please respect copyright.PENANABubqyHqKjO
He broke the seal.63Please respect copyright.PENANAS7p307w0un
Inside: a short message and a typed formal proposal, stamped with Naomi’s name.63Please respect copyright.PENANAzrJrdHxJD9
“Temporary Intelligence Exchange Proposal.63Please respect copyright.PENANASpKcTwspKu
Objectives: Stop second wave. Contain ledger fallout. Restrict Shadow Walker expansion.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAU0OYHFwkEV
Musa leaned in. “She’s serious.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAv2Y0mRqJan
Juma scoffed. “Serious or desperate?”63Please respect copyright.PENANArc5CvafG5e
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANA5g8GB9CFqM
Ayo paced. “You trust Naomi?”63Please respect copyright.PENANARcLlg1cQlt
“No,” Jabari said. “But I trust the threat.”63Please respect copyright.PENANARyt7tmxQPf
Juma added, “If she’s suggesting shared control, it means she doesn’t have it.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAvQIy8EEgDr
Musa tapped the table. “And if we say no, we’re not allies. We’re targets.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA3JVeL3prrD
Juma looked around. “I can’t believe we’re even considering this.”63Please respect copyright.PENANA1doLxKoOdT
But his voice wasn’t angry. Just tired.63Please respect copyright.PENANAVt6vYELhs3
“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.”63Please respect copyright.PENANALNgCmozboA
One by one, hands rose.63Please respect copyright.PENANALzuF3SrMIp
Even Juma’s.63Please respect copyright.PENANABZFpswYK4P
The decision was unanimous.63Please respect copyright.PENANAJkqdcilQCT
Jabari scribbled a short response:63Please respect copyright.PENANA9bOKZs6u0N
“Agreed. Shared containment.63Please respect copyright.PENANA4RfI47UDG7
Our fire stays cold until her flame dies.”63Please respect copyright.PENANAfbdmVveQra
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.63Please respect copyright.PENANArZwdQorgkX
The next morning, the note was gone.63Please respect copyright.PENANAj9n5PkBVJQ
And beneath the vent, someone had drawn a small M.63Please respect copyright.PENANAo9b2yLOz5o
Then crossed it out.