It began on a restless afternoon, when the air was thick with the scent of dust and jacaranda blossoms. Kim, clutching a folded note in her palm, hesitated at the edge of the wall where the bougainvillea grew wild and tangled—a riot of green and magenta that masked secrets in its thorns.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA9io0eidya
The Order’s code had been clear: blue for urgent, tucked deep in the roots. She glanced around—no prefects, no teachers, only the distant shouts from the boys’ field. Her heart hammered as she knelt, searching for the hollow described in whispers and half-remembered maps.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUb44Wb9TTv
Her fingers brushed something smooth: a tiny glass bead, blue as the lake at dawn. Beneath it, a gap in the roots. Kim slid her note inside, careful not to snag it on the thorns. She pressed the bead atop the hollow—a silent signal, visible only to those who knew what to seek.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2a1dMjJ7r
She lingered just a moment, listening to the hush of the grounds and the distant, careless laughter from the far side of the wall. The glass bead caught a slant of sunlight, glinting like a secret eye. Kim wiped her hand on her skirt, nerves prickling as she glanced around once more.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbMqCGxiQrM
She was about to stand when her fingers brushed something else—paper, but not the note she’d just hidden. It was wedged deeper in the roots, folded small and bound with a second sliver of blue thread. Kim’s breath caught. This hadn’t been there before.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcT1G6eCrQ
She hesitated, then carefully worked the scrap free. The handwriting was unfamiliar, the ink hurried and smudged:57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlGObah8LHA
Trust the blue.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEEE4xgrddo
Tonight, after lights out.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOhleiy9uF
Alone.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4ZoxwIV6tz
A shiver ran through her. The message wasn’t signed, and there was no hint of who had left it or what they wanted. Was it a warning? An invitation? Or a trap? She looked at the bead, now sitting atop two hidden notes—a silent signal, suddenly layered with meaning and risk.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWz9VNGH3J1
Kim tucked both messages into her pocket, heart racing. For a moment, she pressed her palm to the rough bark, feeling the thorns and the pulse of something older—an unbroken chain of secrets, stretching back through years of girls who had risked everything for a chance to reach across the silence.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmPC1BVrc65
As she slipped away, the bougainvillea’s blossoms trembled in the breeze, scattering petals at her feet—blue, magenta, and white. Kim didn’t look back. The code had changed. The game had begun again.
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Shiko lingered by the edge of the courtyard, watching Kim disappear toward the bougainvillea. She wasn’t sure what she was looking for—maybe just proof that her friend was hiding something, maybe a sign that secrets weren’t as safe as everyone believed.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkU0SRvZ4E
After Kim left, Shiko circled back, heart pounding. She scanned the roots and branches for any sign of blue. Instead, she found nothing odd: a torn corner of notebook paper, snagged on a thorn and half-hidden by fallen petals. 57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0BP3W7iriY
Shiko cornered Kim near the washrooms, her voice low but sharp. “You’ve been sneaking around, Kim. I saw you by the bougainvillea. What are you hiding?”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4i4MIubSNY
Kim stiffened, annoyance flaring. “Since when did you start following me?”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBaDcSHqZT
Shiko crossed her arms. “Since you started acting like you’re the only one with secrets to keep.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCHMZskSEza
Kim’s jaw tightened. She hated being trailed—hated even more that Shiko, of all people, was the one doing it. But Shiko’s eyes held something more than accusation: worry, maybe even fear.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATZ36hfQEs
After a tense silence, Kim sighed and pulled the folded note from her pocket. “Fine. I found this. Someone left it for me. I don’t know who.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHC0ss86kzS
Shiko hesitated, then produced her own scrap—the torn corner she’d found snagged on the bougainvillea’s thorns. “I found this after you left. I thought… I thought maybe it was a set-up. Or a warning.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8tAVPoDnew
They laid the two pieces side by side on the sun-warmed concrete. The torn edges fit perfectly. Together, the message read:57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7ALCZQBsNf
Make sure she gets this. Blue at dusk. Use the old code. Don’t sign your name.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEctSuB8khA
Trust the blue. Tonight, after lights out. Alone.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD96hGDAsLf
Kim frowned, tracing a finger over the writing. “Whoever sent this knew both of us might find it. Sedately. Or wanted to test if we’d talk.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ484z6KOWuS
Shiko nodded, more thoughtful now. “Look at this—” She pointed to a flourish on the letter “M,” and a faint blue fingerprint at the bottom. “That’s Mary’s handwriting, isn’t it? And she’s always got ink on her hands.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2KKWNwKVwr
Kim’s annoyance faded, replaced by a chill. “So, Mary’s involved. Or someone wants us to think she is.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkBNiwrfRkw
They exchanged a wary glance, the old tension softening into uneasy alliance. “We need to watch her,” Kim said quietly. “And not just her. This code… it’s not just for us.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEkpvj3Puua
Shiko nodded. “We’ll keep eyes open. Together this time.”
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The news spread through the dorms like a spark in dry grass: Mercy was coming back.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQNmJeRNjTX
She arrived in the late afternoon, escorted by her parents and the Deputy Principal himself. Her uniform was crisp, but her eyes held the wary defiance of someone who’d seen too much in too little time away. The girls gathered in doorways and along the verandah, some craning for a glimpse, others shrinking back as if Mercy’s shadow might bring trouble with it.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NgmvVJIs9
Principal Kiaye’s voice had echoed in the morning assembly hall: “Mercy is returning under strict probation. She will be watched. She will be given a chance to prove she belongs.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuj61QiZK8G
Some students exchanged nervous glances. For weeks, rumors had swirled about why Mercy was expelled—some said she’d betrayed the Order, others whispered she’d taken the fall for someone else. Now, her presence was both a threat and a promise.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdSzqsBjjfw
Kim felt her stomach twist. She remembered Mercy’s old confidence, the way she could command a room with a glance, the way she’d once seemed untouchable. But now, the Order was had split: a few girls, especially the younger ones, looked at Mercy with awe, desperate for her leadership to return. Others—Seline included—watched her with suspicion, remembering the chaos that followed her last mistake.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmtFO3KfK5
Mercy’s first words were quiet, but they carried: “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to finish what I started.” Her gaze swept the crowd, daring anyone to challenge her.
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Seline stood at the edge of the corridor, arms folded, watching the commotion ripple down the hall. Mercy was back—she could feel it in the way the whispers sharpened, the way girls clustered in doorways, eyes wide with a mix of hope and dread.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ56OUWi7CTA
She remembered Mercy’s last day: the slammed doors, the accusations, the silence that settled over the Order like a shroud. Seline had never quite forgiven her—not for the mistake, but for the way Mercy had looked at them all, defiant and unrepentant, as if she alone understood the rules of the game.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTRUJ5kF7ec
Now, as Mercy walked between the prefects, Seline studied her closely. She looked older, somehow—her uniform perfect, her chin lifted, but her eyes darting, always measuring. Some girls shrank away, but others edged closer, hungry for the old spark of leadership Mercy used to bring.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡENKVIQmzCZ
Seline’s stomach twisted. She knew what it was to want someone to take charge, to make the choices no one else dared. But she also remembered the chaos Mercy left behind, the way trust in the Order had shattered, the way Kim had grown quiet and Shiko had started keeping secrets.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9la9ywAAYg
When Principal Kiaye announced Mercy’s probation, Seline caught Kim’s eye across the crowd. Kim looked unsettled, but Seline couldn’t read her—couldn’t tell if she was relieved or afraid.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMrgNc7eUPX
As Mercy spoke—“I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to finish what I started.”—Seline felt a chill. Was that a promise, or a threat?57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCRImBF6S8V
That night, as the dorm buzzed with speculation, Was Mercy here to reclaim her place—or to settle old scores? Would her return unite the Order, or tear it apart for good? Seline sat by the window, knees hugged to her chest. She watched the moonlight spill across the wall outside, wondered what secrets Mercy had brought back with her, and whether the Order could survive another storm.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZoWp18bnl3
And she was not the only one.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHwgS4ZXJ36
Mary kept to the back of the crowd as Mercy stepped onto the compound, her heart pounding in her chest. She remembered too well the night she and June had helped Kim and Seline expose Mercy’s secret—how her hands had trembled as she passed on the evidence, how she’d told herself it was for the good of the Order. But now, as Mercy’s gaze swept the hall, Mary felt exposed, as if Mercy could see right through her.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDGPeWeRMQK
She caught June’s eye across the room; both looked away quickly. The guilt was still there, heavy and sour. But there was something else too: fear. Mercy had never been the forgiving type, and Mary knew what she herself would do in Mercy’s place.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwBWBTLq4BA
Yet, Mary’s ambition burned just beneath her nerves. Naomi’s grip on the Order was tight—stricter rules, fewer chances for mistakes, and no tolerance for divided loyalties. If Mary wanted back in, she’d have to prove herself all over again. She’d have to show Naomi she was loyal, resourceful, and above suspicion. That meant watching Mercy closely, reporting anything suspicious, and never letting her own fear show.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMai2pU3A2
But as Mercy passed by, eyes hard and unreadable, Mary couldn’t help but wonder: was it possible to serve two masters—her own ambition and her conscience? Or would the cracks in her loyalty finally split her apart?57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvvu12xFGs
June pressed herself against the wall, trying to blend in as Mercy returned. The memory of last term’s betrayal gnawed at her—she’d been the one to tip Seline off, the one who’d whispered secrets in the dark. She’d told herself it was for the Order, for the greater good. But now, with Mercy back, June felt hunted.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBjtsTvHjr
She was sure Mercy hadn’t forgotten. The way Mercy’s eyes lingered on her for just a second too long made June’s skin prickle. Retaliation was a real possibility, and June’s nerves were stretched thin.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpYxVXmdD55
But June also saw an opportunity. Naomi’s leadership was nothing like Mercy’s—cold, efficient, unyielding. June wanted back into the Order, wanted to matter again. She’d been on the outside too long, and she knew that helping Naomi keep tabs on Mercy could be her ticket in. If she could improve her loyalty now, maybe the past would be forgiven.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJAiG45Gzv9
Still, every time June caught Mercy watching her, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake. Was survival worth the price of trust? And if Mercy decided to strike back, would June have the courage to face her—or would she betray someone else, just to stay safe?57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYdDBkJsHH
Seline lay awake, with Mercy back, every secret felt heavier. Every alliance, more fragile. And somewhere in the shadows, the wall seemed to listen, waiting for the next crack to appear. She wanted to believe in second chances. But as the shadows deepened, Seline couldn’t shake the feeling that Mercy’s return was just the beginning—and that this time, the cracks in their foundation might be too deep to mend.
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As soon as Naomi heard the prefects had escorted Mercy back through the main gate, the memory surged—sharp and unwelcome. She gripped the edge of her desk, letting herself fall back into that night months ago, when the Order’s fate had hung by a thread.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzWaTbYf2ij
It was after midnight, the old laundry room thick with the smell of soap and secrets. Only the core members had come—no Kim, no Seline, no outsiders. Naomi remembered the way her own heart had hammered as she faced Mercy, the legendary leader whose mistakes had almost destroyed them.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF8Qe0Nw2Ae
Mercy’s voice had been low but unyielding. “You want me out, Naomi? Say it.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNuuL6YYDc
Naomi had kept her own voice steady, though her palms were slick. “We can’t survive another mistake. The prefects are watching us. We need discipline, not drama.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡultxlR3q3x
Mary and June, eyes darting, had produced the evidence—coded notes gone astray, a list of names nearly exposed. They’d hesitated, but Naomi had promised them a place in the new Order if they stood with her. Ruth, always the quietest, had spoken up: “We need to be invisible again. If we’re caught, it’s over.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSIWNjaRcS
Mercy had looked around the circle, reading the fear and resolve. “You think you can do better?”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPy9eEC7Co
Naomi had met her gaze. “I can do what needs to be done.”57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMBxbzyZep
The vote was close, but when the hands were counted, Mercy was out. She’d stood, jaw tight, pride intact. “You’ll regret this,” she’d said, but there was no fire—only exhaustion.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vSnl1ntOZ
After Mercy left, Naomi had set new rules: stricter codes, no more solo missions, absolute secrecy. Mary and June had pledged loyalty, eager for a second chance. Naomi knew she wasn’t loved the way Mercy had been, but she didn’t need love—she needed control.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeazgVodNvZ
Now, as the news of Mercy’s return spread, Naomi felt the old anxiety clawing at her. Mercy had promised they’d regret it. Was this the moment that promise would be kept?57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahRKPxycL7
She straightened her back, forcing herself to breathe. She was the leader now. She would not let the Order fall—not again.
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Jabari heard about Mercy’s return before the afternoon bell had even rung. News moved fast across the wall—faster than any official announcement, faster than the prefects could hope to contain. By the time he reached the old mango tree, two of their informers from the girls’ side had already confirmed it: Mercy was back, under probation, her arrival watched by the entire school.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlVDyn3gny0
He leaned against the rough bark, trying to read between the lines. Mercy’s name still carried weight, even after last term’s scandal. Some said she’d been betrayed by her own. Others whispered she was the only one bold enough to challenge Naomi’s iron grip on the Order. Jabari knew better than to trust the rumors, but he couldn’t ignore the ripple of unease running through their own ranks.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe033aWKwqM
He wondered what Mercy’s return meant for the delicate balance they’d managed to keep. Would she try to reclaim her old power? Would the Order fracture again, giving them an opening—or closing every door for good? Jabari signaled to Juma, who was already scanning the wall for any unusual movement. Whatever happened next, they’d need to be ready.
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Juma had always prided himself on knowing things before they became common knowledge. The girls’ network was impressive, but the boys had their own ways of listening—quiet exchanges at the canteen, coded glances during assembly, a note slipped through a crack in the wall.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq95dhizaZS
When word of Mercy’s return reached him, Juma felt a mix of excitement and dread. Mercy’s reputation was legendary, her mistakes even more so. He remembered last term’s chaos—the sudden silences, the looks exchanged in the corridors, the sense that something big was always about to break.57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7WlhTgx0u4
Now, with Mercy back, Juma sensed opportunity. If the Order was distracted by old grudges and new power struggles, maybe the boys could finally get answers to the questions that had haunted them for months: Who really controlled the blue signals? And most of all, who could be trusted when alliances shifted with every rumor?57Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb8xYdd9B9I
He caught Jabari’s eye and nodded. Whatever Mercy’s return unleashed, they would watch, listen, and be ready to move—because in the shadow of the wall, information was power, and the game had just changed again.
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