by Dylan Steel
Aura looked up from her databook and met Sage’s gaze with a half-smile. Satisfied, Sage began to turn back around, but an uneasy feeling made her glance back at Aura again. She was no longer looking up. Her eyes were downcast and shiny.
Sage’s heart dropped. Aura hadn’t passed.
Ms. Pembergast’s call to attention prevented Sage from discovering who else had passed.
“Now, students, it has been my absolute pleasure and privilege to teach you all this year. I am so impressed with how far so many of you have come.” She looked squarely at Sage.
“Unfortunately, our time together is coming to an end. I will escort you to your respective Common Lounges for your new level assignments, and then from there, you will be shown to your dormitories. Your new classes begin tomorrow. I wish you all the best. I certainly have prepared you the best I can.”
Ms. Pembergast dabbed at the corners of her eyes with a tissue.
“Come along, children. You may leave your databooks. You’ll be assigned new ones tomorrow.”
She led them through the corridors one final time. They arrived at the first Common Lounge without delay.
“Alright, all Level Eight students, this is your stop.”
Sage took a deep breath and started to step forward. She stumbled to the side as Carnabel sneered and pushed her way past. Groaning internally, she regained her composure and stepped inside.
The room was already filled with her new classmates. Apparently, today was everyone’s level promotion. Penelope spotted her and waved from the corner of the room.
Sage smiled and then realized she hadn’t said goodbye to Aura. She turned around, but it was too late. They had already left for the Level Seven Common Lounge.
Now that she had a moment, she surveyed the room. It seemed that only Aura and Rit were missing. Everyone else had passed.
She would have spent more time feeling sorry for Aura, but Penelope whisked her away and began making introductions.
“We all felt sorry for your class,” Penelope said. “Ms. Pembergast doesn’t seem like she’s very nice.”
“Now you tell me!” Sage retorted. “I thought it was just me!”
“Are you kidding? We wouldn’t have dared say it while she was still your instructor! She probably would have sent us all to Cleansings!” a girl with wide eyes exclaimed.
They laughed.
Sage noticed Pippa staring at her reproachfully. She excused herself from her new group of friends and made her way across the room.
“What’s wrong?” Sage asked.
“I heard what you said,” Pippa frowned.
“Well, it’s true,” Sage insisted. “But you know, Ms. Pembergast has nothing to do with Eprah. Eprah’s still great. Ms. Pembergast’s just really strict.”
“She’s only strict so that we learn how important it is to love Eprah,” Pippa pouted.
Sage nodded. “You’re right,” she agreed. “But maybe she could be a bit nicer?”
“You’re so ungrateful,” Pippa spat. “If it weren’t for her, you’d still hate Eprah. She helped you!”
Sage fought the urge to argue.
“I’m sorry, Pippa. I guess I wasn’t thinking about it like that. You’re right.”
Pippa crossed her arms and looked at the floor. “I’m sure our new instructors wouldn’t rule out Cleansings if they’re still needed.”
A knot formed in Sage’s stomach, but she kept her tone even. “C’mon, Pippa. You know that’s not what Cleansings are for.”
She shrugged and kept staring at the floor.
“Pippa,” an edge of warning crept into Sage’s voice, “you know how I feel about Eprah. And I’m not sure how our new instructors would feel about you threatening me. After all, they expect all of us to be good judges someday. If you know I love Eprah and you’re still threatening me with the same consequences that the Lawless face, I think that makes your judgment questionable.” She paused while her words sank in. “Yeah, I think the instructors might be interested to know more about that.”
Eyes wide, Pippa opened her mouth and then seemed to think better of it. She gave Sage an uncertain look and walked away.
Sage was surprised by her own boldness. She debated chasing after Pippa and apologizing again, but if Pippa thought she was in the right, she would probably try to have Sage put in another Cleansing. While it was doubtful that they would resort to Cleansings again in Level Eight, she didn’t want to chance it.
She put it out of her mind and returned to the group she had met earlier. There was a heated debate going on about which instructor would be the worst this year. Rumors were flying about the new instructors. Mr. Gunnerly apparently picked one student to hate every year. Last year, he’d made a boy sit in the corner of the classroom nearly every day. No one was quite sure why.
“At least Mr. Walsh is cool,” a girl named Laana piped up.
“That’s true, but history is so boring.” Another girl rolled her eyes. Sage couldn’t remember her name.
Suddenly, everyone stopped talking and stiffened up. Sage felt a pinch across her whole body. Stupid zeptobes. She furrowed her brow in confusion. She followed everyone else’s gaze to the doorway where the plump outline of a woman stood, tapping her toe.
“Ladies, it’s time for bed! Quickly now!” The woman crooned into the room.
“Yes, Madame Humphrey,” the girls said in unison. Sage followed quickly behind Penelope and the other girls as they filed out of the room.
Madame Humphrey glanced back in the room and addressed the boys. “Mr. Larson will be by in just a moment for you.”
She turned back to the mob of girls lined up behind her. “Ah, I see we have some new students with us. Welcome, ladies. I’m sure the others will help you learn what to expect quickly. I don’t tolerate a lack of discipline.”
Sage bobbed her head and fell in step with the rest of her new class. They weaved through the halls and stopped in front of a door that seemed vaguely familiar. Madame Humphrey pushed it open and waited until all the girls had piled in. The room was impossibly large and filled with more beds than Sage could count.
Without saying a word, Madame Humphrey closed the door as soon as the last girl was inside. Sage quickly realized that the room was not just for Level Eight students. The room was already partially filled with younger girls, probably as young as five. Sage noticed Aura’s curls poking out from under the covers on one of the bottom bunks.
The other girls seemed quite familiar with the routine. They speedily readied themselves for bed and climbed into their bunks. Sage was still a bit unsure of this new process, but she followed suit as best she could and crawled beneath the covers.
They finished not a moment too soon. Madame Humphrey returned with the Level Nine girls she collected, and the flurry of activity restarted with a new batch of students.
This pattern continued until the final group of girls from Level Sixteen arrived. Rather than immediately leaving this time, however, Madame Humphrey lingered in the doorway.
“Lights out is in ten minutes, ladies! I shouldn’t need to remind you that there is to be absolutely no talking. I will see you in the morning. Congratulations on your new level assignments. Let’s make this a great year, shall we? Goodnight, ladies!”
“Goodnight, Madame Humphrey!” the chorus rang out in unison.
Sage pulled the thin covers up a bit higher around her shoulders. She shut her eyes and listened as the oldest girls ran around the room getting ready for bed.
The running water from the sink stopped, and the last few footsteps padded towards the bunks. Several beds squeaked, covers flapped, and one of the girls cleared her throat.
Then suddenly, blackness blanketed the room.
Sage blinked in the darkness. She still found it almost comforting, even though it had been so long since she’d been forced to endure it.
Tomorrow, she’d start a new year as a Level Eight student. She hadn’t forgotten anything that had happened to her over the
past year. Not her parents. Not their love. Not what Eprah expected from her. Not what Eprah had taken from her.
She could do this. She could play the game. And—she was pretty sure—she could win.
***
The story continues in The Archives: Sacrisvita Book II.
Thank you so much for reading this book.
If you liked this story, please share it with your friends and consider leaving a review. These are some of the best compliments an author can receive. Thanks!
-Dylan
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READ MORE BY DYLAN STEEL
Sacrisvita
THE INSTITUTION: Sacrisvita Book I
THE ARCHIVES: Sacrisvita Book II
THE RELIC: Sacrisvita Book III
***
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Table of Contents
Also by Dylan Steel
Table of Contents
1. The City
2. Orientation
3. Best Behavior
4. The First Day of School
5. The Tour
6. The Cleansing
7. Founders’ Day
8. Bokja
9. The Center
10. Vandalized
11. The Exam
12. Graduation
13. Placements
Read more by Dylan Steel