Rice in the pot? She hoped it was the right amount.

Water? The line had to be above the rice as per the instructions... and the other attempts.

The fire on the stove was high. The pot was small and the water was already boiling. She had spent a long time preparing the salad and mixing the dressing, and the day's session was almost over. Many in the collective kitchen had already finished making their recipes.

It was important to stir the rice with the spoon a little. Salt! Salt! She had almost forgotten.

This time, it would all work out.

"Homura?"

She looked at the short girl at the neighboring counter. Like her, Madoka was wearing an apron and a hairnet, which was quite voluminous. From her expression, she must have been in some kind of trouble.

"Errmm..." The pink-eyed girl gestured with her hand and spoke in a lower tone, "can you come here for a moment?"

Homura looked around, confirming that the instructor was distracted with another student, and headed to her.

Madoka bowed her head, more embarrassed. "You... Could you try my Nikujaga? I know the instructor said he would try it first, so it's kind of a cheat..."

"Yes, I know." Homura smiled.

With a tender smile as her reaction, Madoka used chopsticks to pick up a piece of boiled potato. She blew on the food and brought it close to the other girl's mouth. "Careful, it's hot."

Homura chomped down on the offering and chewed slowly.

Making Madoka more anxious. "How did it turn out?"

The girl with violet eyes finished swallowing and said, "It's good, it has a soft texture."

"And the taste?"

"Mild."

"Hmmm..." Madoka made a pout, not liking to hear that, "So do I need to put more seasoning?"

"I don't know." Homura turned her face to see if the instructor was still busy. "I can only give my opinion, it's fine to me."

"Huh-huh-huh-huh-huhmmmmmm..." Madoka kept poking her own tense chin, pondering, "the meat must have absorbed more of the seasoning, you should try it too, just to be sure."

Homura smiled again. "You'll want me to taste everything, won't you?"

"Wehihi!" Madoka's cheeks, which were already reddened from the heat of the kitchen, turned even redder. "I prepared enough for everyone to try, so don't worry about being the first."

Cracking sounds could be heard in the kitchen.

"What is that?" Madoka asked herself, curious.

Homura already had an idea, not a good one, of what was going on. She turned around and saw a thick column of smoke coming out of the pot, it looked like a volcano.

"Akemi-san! Isn't that your stove?"

And the instructor's voice was an omen of the inevitable.

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

The firmament abandoned its blue tones as the sun approached the horizon. It did not matter to Mitakihara, the city would not stop when the dark veil came, it was alive, breathing, with the scars of a cataclysm clean, if not forgotten.

For two girls, however, it was a sign that they would be late for their respective homes.

Walking down the sidewalk side by side with her colleague, Madoka asked, "The kitchen got pretty clean, didn't it? The instructor will be surprised at the result of our hard work."

"I'm the one who's surprised I wasn't suspended from the cooking club. If it weren't for the exhaust fan, everyone would be smoked." Homura looked at the pink long-haired girl. "You didn't have to help me."

Madoka raised her eyebrows. "How couldn't I? I'm the one who distracted you."

"I could have turned off the stove earlier." Homura returned to gaze ahead. "It was my responsibility."

"It's the fault of both of us." Madoka smiled. "Or did you forget that I was cheating?"

Homura did not speak, silence could be a comfortable reply, yet her hands gripped the strap of her school bag more firmly.

Madoka continued, looking more thoughtful, smoothing one of her long locks, "And even cheating... They considered that the flavor is still weak. I had cooked this recipe at home, my dad said I had put too much seasoning in it, but he's biased to speak, I think you're too."

"Huh?" Homura looked at her, now surprised.

"You got used to my dad's food, wehihi..."

Dispirited, Homura shook her head. "I can't suggest anything, I can't cook a simple dish."

Madoka frowned. "But you made the salad and the dressing."

"I just washed and chopped some vegetables, and for the dressing I only needed to mix ingredients that come ready-made from the supermarket."

"If you can eat it, it's food, and you've put in effort to prepare them." Madoka looked up at the sky, again pondering. "We just need to practice more, I'll help you, but it would be nice to meet someone with a different opinion about flavors... Hmmm..." She opened her mouth and put her hand on her forehead. "How come I didn't think of that before?"

Homura was going to ask what it was about, but she saw the other girl jump in front of her, forcing her to stop walking.

With her hands holding her school bag behind her back, Madoka projected her torso forward with a wide smile and wide eyes.

With her so close, and with that face, Homura leaned back, frowning. "What?"

Madoka announced her great epiphany, "Let's ask Mami-san to teach us something!"

Homura gaped.

And the pinkette opened her smile even wider.

Finally, Homura turned her face away. "No..."

Losing her smile, Madoka tilted her head to the side. "No?"

"We'll bother Mami-san," the long raven-haired girl closed her eyes.

"'Bother'?!" Madoka's smile soon returned. "She'll love it~!"

"She studies in Shirome now, and... and there's Ch... I mean, she's taking care of Mo-Nagisa-chan. I believe she's very busy, yes..." Homura reopened her eyes and glanced at the other person.

Madoka was staring quizzically, the smile was there too, but with an air of sassiness.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Homura questioned.

Without changing her countenance, Madoka replied, "You're afraid to show Mami-san that you're bad at kitchen, aren't you?"

Homura turned her face back to the other girl and stated, "I'm not afraid of that."

And Madoka's countenance had not changed.

Homura lowered her gaze. "Maybe... I might be worried that Mami-san will be upset."

"She won't, so it's settled!" Madoka gave a little jump of excitement and then opened her bag to grab her smartphone. "I'll call her already to ask."

With a sigh, Homura smiled slightly. With Madoka, everything was inevitable, the only way was to make the best of whatever may come. As she gazed at the other girl distracted by the device, her mind started to pay attention to the sound of the passing cars. She looked down the street and saw the movement of people. They were surrounded by buildings with few floors, some with stores on the first floor, almost a commercial area, a mere speck of dust in this city.

My problems have become so small...

"She didn't answer the call," Madoka said in frustration.

"Maybe Mami-san is still in Shirome. Cell phones aren't allowed there. Why don't you try writing a message?" Homura looked at the front of the building where they had stopped. Coincidentally, there was a clothing store. In the window there were many mannequins. She stared at them for a long time, but the dolls' expressions did not change, their painted eyes are harmless.

By a quirk of fate, perhaps that was why she noticed a movement. The store window mirrored the orange sky and the top of the building across the street, and from there a shadow appeared. She couldn't discern the details, but it was a person, wearing a pompous skirt and a tall hat. If anyone was near Homura at that moment, they could see the reflection in the glare of her frozen eyes.

"Ah! Nagisa-chan sent me a message. Mami-san is in the bathroom and she said she'll call me as soon as she leaves," Madoka announced in glee, but it was short-lived as she noticed the other one was distracted. "Homura?"

The girl turned quickly, a precise movement, her long black hair swayed, and with a calculated smile, she replied, "Good to know."

Supression

The sisters' bathroom had a shower as a background sound. Inquisitor washed his face and felt the water run down his body in a vain wish that it would take away his worries.

The loss of contact with Washington and the other cells, the theft of the seeds, the shaky mood of the members as the tension grows with the existence of a traitor.

He turned off the shower and huffed, letting out a puff of water droplets. In no hurry, he walked over to one of the cabinets and grabbed a towel to dry himself off.

The last event was that the cameras had been disabled. Nano repaired the cut cables, but nothing was discovered about who had done it, certainly the thief, let alone the purpose of it. The seeds under the guard of Generalíssima were still safe and nothing seemed out of place. What was going on?

After rubbing his hair thoroughly, Inquisitor patted his beard with the towel to absorb the dampness well.

The only certainty is that the traitor was still among them.

His line of thought was interrupted when he got the feeling that he was being watched. Without making any sudden movements, pretending to still be distracted, he turned to look at the rest of the room.

It seemed that he was alone, but his trained eyes scrutinized every detail, it was the best resource in a world of tricks and magic.

This time it was a simple trick, too simple, as he noticed a shadow with a distinctive shape being projected onto the floor. "Lucky, I can see your ear."

From behind the cabinets, a pair of long, fluffy ears emerged, followed by a freckled face. "Hihoo!" With a shy chuckle, Lucky revealed herself completely in a leap.

Inquisitor furrowed his eyebrows, for he was naked. "Why are you here? I warned you all that I would always use the bathroom at this time."

"I know." The young woman looked away and shrugged. "But I can still come in, right?"

He shook his head and sighed. "Then do what you have to do. Don't worry, I won't look." And he returned to drying himself with the towel.

"Okidokie." Lucky's attention was drawn to something that was on the bench and she went to pick it up. "Look at that..." She examined the red cloak, especially the red cross-shaped gem that was on it. "Don'tcha worry in always carryin' that with ya? I nevah take my eyes off mine."

He opened his eyes wide and said firmly, "Put it back." He also started to dry faster, because his intuition said that it was just a pretext for her to get closer.

Lucky complied, but soon she was leaning over, her eyes curious to see what was inside the open locker. There were man's things, like lotions, shaving brush and razor, there was also a small safe, simple and with some signs of rust. However, it was the lack of something that prompted her to question, "Wheah's the clothes? Don'tcha wear the uniform?"

"I only have the clothes I wore when I traveled to here," he replied as he wrapped the towel around his waist.

Lucky raised her eyebrows.

Realizing that the answer did not satisfy the question, the man added, "They're in my room."

She smiled in joyful surprise. "Ah! So ya're like me!" And her body was covered by a flash of light.

Inquisitor gulped.

The pair of rabbit ears were gone, as were all the clothes, revealing much more besides that Lucky also had freckles on her shoulders. "Those magical clothes are always comfortable, they even come with a self-cleanin' function! Why weah anythin' else, right?"

The man looked up at the ceiling. "What are you... doing?"

Putting her hands on her waist and making a face of annoyance, she said, "I allow ya ta look down heah, okay?"

Inquisitor lowered his gaze, staring into her eyes again.

"It must be hard for ya ta hafta live with so many young and beautiful gals, even though theah's no rule in the Sistahhood about relationships between members..." Lucky raised her head and used both arms to pull her hair back in one long, slow motion, stretching her body and raising her breasts. "But I'm quite frank, and I'm in the mood for some noice rootin' with ya."

He said, "I read your profile."

"Oh?" she opened an insinuating smile. "My profile~"

Inquisitor kept a neutral expression. "You put in there that you worked as a prostitute."

"Oh yeah?" Her sexy countenance changed to that of a confused child. "I didn't even remembah anymore, but it's true. In our nomadic life, my friend and I needed money."

"Couldn't you have used your luck for that?" He raised his eyebrows.

She nibbled her lips and held up her hands, admitting, "Yeah, I was a little bit curious too."

The man remained silent, with his judgmental gaze.

She continued, "It was cool. It was a woman who ran the business, so it was pretty relaxed. The customers weah polite, but mostly old men, their performance was horrible. I used ta tell my customers 'bout that, and they appreciated my frankness, see? But the woman sent me and my friend away, 'cause we would have lost some customers. Kinda stupid." Lucky moved closer, smiling, in a soft, whispery voice, "So... Since ya know that, ya don't hafta think ya'll be abusin' me, dya?" She began to play with the hair on the man's chest.

Inquisitor held his breath.

She liked that reaction, showing it with her naughty gaze. "Let's relieve this stress togethah, it'll be good for our gems, huh?"

In one swift motion, Inquisitor grabbed Lucky's wrists, dropping his towel.

The grip was somewhat painful and woman froze, but past the momentary fright, she smiled again. "Ah, ya like it rough..."

The man's visage was not sexy at all. "Do you know what 'Inquisitor' means?"

"Sure, it's kinda a badass priest." She continued, but now with a frown. "Ya're not a real priest, though, are ya?"

"It's a title," he said.

And Lucky's confusion became complete. "A title?"

"I didn't choose that name, it was bestowed upon me by Matriarch herself," he explained. "As Souls' Sisterhood expanded throughout the world, she became concerned about whether the virtues and values of its foundation would be able to be kept. I, as well as other chosen ones, received extensive training to safeguard her dream."

"Oh okay, got it..." Lucky nodded and looked down, specifically at the small, flabby part between his legs, then she looked back into his eyes, grimacing. "Are ya gay?"

Inquisitor pushed her violently.

"WOWOWOWOWOW! I HAVE NOTHIN' AGAINST GAYS!" Lucky regained her balance. "Actually, I dunno if I should say ya're gay. I heard ya weah a girl, so it's only natural that ya like men. Well, I like men, I know what I'm talkin' about." Then she rubbed her forehead with her fingers. "I just think it's weird that ya switched sex, as a girl it's easier to attract men."

He turned his face. "Go away..."

"Look!" She mimicked, closing her lips as if there was a zipper. "That secret stays between us, okay? Guaranteed." She headed for the exit. "If anyone asks, I'll tell them we had sex, but it was nothin' special. Is that good for ya?"

He glanced at her. "Lucky!"

"What?" she looked down, noticing her own nakedness. "Ah!" A light quickly enveloped her body, bringing back her bunny clothes as she used her hand to stifle a giggle. "That happens sometimes." She then waved her hand. "Sorry about anythin', but ya have a hot body. If ya look for it, ya'll find a noice bloke in no time. See ya!"

Inquisitor waited for the sister to leave the room to relax his body. His legs trembled. He sighed and hid his face with his hands.

However, the silence was genuine, as in the moments when he listened to Matriarch's stories.

When his hands opened like a curtain, his image was already firm. He turned to the cabinet and began to open the safe.

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

A black essence surged from the gem to the seed. Maya felt as if a disease had left her body immediately, in a miraculous cure.

As she finished the purification, Revenant questioned the novice, "Why didn't ya warn me befawre? With yah soul gem in that state, ya weahn't gonna last anothah day."

Maya bowed her head at the sister's annoyed expression. "I... I don't know..."

Revenant took a deep breath and offered the gem, "We're doin' this rationin' ta keep everyone safe 'n sound, got it?"

Maya timidly nodded and picked up the gem, which soon became a ring on the middle finger of her left hand.

"Now go," said the strong black woman, "ya're already late fawr lunch."

Obeying the sister, Maya went to the refectory. However, her mind was elsewhere. At some point, her gem had become the reflection of a devouring emptiness. The longing for her family, for where she lived, is certainly stronger. However, she was sure that emptiness was a regret lurking in her heart, related to the moment she crossed paths with Madre. Had joining Souls' Sisterhood been the right choice? It was a decision she should not have made alone.

Before Maya knew it, she was already holding the tray with the plate of food and looking for a place to sit. As she had arrived late, she came across tables that were completely occupied, except for one where there was only one girl. She approached and sat down, making as little noise as possible so as not to disturb anyone.

"Hey."

And failed miserably, being forced to exchange glances with the other girl at the table. She was pale and thin, with purple eyes, purple hair with red tones at its ends, and an unhappy face. Maya stood up.

"Wait, why are ya leavin' the table?"

The dark-skinned girl was surprised by the question.

"Sit down."

Maya complied with the request, doing so in one slow motion.

"Ya're the newcomer," the pale girl spoke, "what's yah name?"

"Maya, and you are..."

"Evie."

She smiled and nodded. "Nice ta meet ya, Evie."

The other girl did not react, showing an apathetic face, and went back to eating.

Maya's smile slowly faded as she also gave her attention to her plate.

However, suddenly, Evie asked, "Did they rescue ya or recruit ya?"

"Does that have a difference?" Surprised, Maya said without thinking, soon regretting it.

"It doesn't seem like it's been long since ya've been a magical girl," Evie continued, "why didya wanted ta be one? What didya wish for?"

"Ahm..." Maya replied, "I wished I had a friend." Then she heard the sound of cutlery being dropped. Hesitating at first, she looked at her tablemate.

The pale girl's purple gaze was intense. "Whata fackin' wish is that? Ta force someone ta be yah friend."

"What?! No! I didn't wish for that! I wanna somethin'..." The dark-skinned girl lowered her blue gaze for a moment "...somethin' more natural."

Evie's countenance still showed her furious intent.

"B-Besides, my wish hasn't come true yet. I don't have a friend. So what ya say must not be true."

"It's still a crappy wish," Evie shook her head, saying coldly, "ya're bound ta become a witch."

Maya's eyes widened. "W-Witch?"

Evie, on the other hand, squinted hers. "Ya paid attention in Madre's teachin', huh?"

"Yeah! Yeah! It was one of the first things she taught me when I came heah. Witches were magical girls." Maya looked at her sparkling gem on her ring. "But why am I destined ta become one?"

"Would ya give yah life ta have a friend?"

"Eh..." Maya grimaced, that question had such a clear answer. "How am I gonna have a friend if I won't be alive?"

"That's right, 'nd yet ya screwed up." Evie maintained her coldness. "The only wishes worth havin' are the ones that are worth more than yah life."

Maya looked down, unable to ignore those words. However, the very words made her curiosity speak louder. "And what was yah wish?"

"I wished for someone's death."

She was dumbfounded, asking the only question she had the courage to utter, "Why..."

"It's a long story, one that repeats and go nowhere," Evie said without hesitation, "I was twelve years old and enjoyed a simple life. My hobby was roller-skating and collecting posters of boy bands. Until one day I was kidnapped by a man."

Maya immediately looked at her when she heard this.

And the pale girl had already understood the reason for that reaction.

"Evie..." Maya blinked her eyes. It was as if a curtain had been raised. "Of course, the missing Evie. The girl who was featured in all the newspapers. It was months of national commotion until ya managed ta escape from captivity, 'cause the kidnapper had committed suicide. From what I remembah..."

Evie did not move a muscle of her face.

Maya, on the other hand, flashed a shy smile. "I remembah my mom kept mentionin' yah name ta me all the time. It was for me to avoid walkin' in the street when it was gettin' dark, and ta always keep close ta home."

"Yah mothah is stupid," Evie stated, "I was near home, in broad daylight, when it happened. He just needed a chance, no witnesses, I was distracted by the music in my headset... A piece of cloth with a strange smell covered my face. I think I felt like I was thrown into a car, but I only remembah waking up in a windowless room." She looked around. "Like heah, but the walls were made of cement brick. I was already unclothed, gagged, hands tied, and the guy was standin' theah, holdin' his dick."

Maya pressed her lips together, feeling sick, "It must have been horrible."

"Oh, he explained everythin', very talkative, ya know?" Evie said in irony, "he had confirmed that I was a virgin and I was gonna lose right then and theah. If I fought back, he was gonna make me sleep again and fuck me anyway. He was even kind enough to put lube on it."

"Didya fight back?"

"Of course!" Evie bared her gritted teeth. "But he was big, heavy, and he laid on top of me. He didn't even care that I was strugglin', in fact he kinda liked it. I almost choked ta death my first time, and it would have been so much better if I had."

"It was months of captivity." Maya shook her head. "I don't think I'd be strong enough ta take that much..."

"I'm not alive cuz I was strong." The pale girl lowered her gaze. "In there ya couldn't count the days, only how many times ya weah fucked. I tried some things. Even with my feet and hands bound, I managed to remove the gag by dragging my face along the floor. I screamed, I screamed a lot, but it only made him come, no one else." She looked at the food on her plate and fiddled with her fork. "I went on a hunger strike, but he would come with a syringe and inject something into me. I felt dizzy, my body was limp, so he force-fed me. He left a bowl for me to use as a toilet, but I urinated and defecated on the floor, then I rolled my body on it with the idea of becomin' undesirable ta him." Evie looked back at the other girl, who was looking disgusted. "I only make that pig laugh, he liked my anger. The only thing I could really do was bang my head against the floor or the wall until my skull cracked, but I never had the courage."

Maya remained silent, in a mournful disposition.

And Evie was not finished yet. "He started injecting heavy drugs into me. I was sweatin', with a euphoria I didn't want, 'nd my skin became more sensitive. He would masturbate me and the bastard as able make me have orgasms. Once he said, 'Nothin' heah is yours,' and he was damn right. My body belonged ta him. Would you kill this man?

At the sudden and unexpected question, Maya brought her hand to her chest, uncertain of what she should answer, "M-Me? If I were in your shoes..."

"Nahnahnahnahnah." Evie leaned over the table and whispered. "As a magical girl. If ya knew all this stuff I told ya and ran into him, would ya kill him?"

Maya shook her head. "I dunno what ta say..."

"Or maybe ya wanted ta keep that ta yahself." Evie sat up straight again and sighed, "Anyway, ya can probably guess what happened. At one point when I was alone, I noticed Kyuubey watchin' me in the cornah of the room. I thought I was hallucinatin', especially since he came ovah ta talk ta me and I could answer even with the gag on. He offered me the contract, promising that it would save my life, but I didn't care. I wanted that fucker dead."

"The news said he had committed suicide," Maya concluded, "ya wished it that way so no one would arouse suspicion."

"No!" The girl averted her purple gaze, shaking her head and with a painful smile. "No, no... When I became magical girl, I felt sober and strong. I broke the restraints and broke down the door; I found that it was a basement of a house; I went up and looked for him, to smash his face before the dream ended. But I found him lying on a couch; he was cold. Kyuubey said he was dead, that's when I started to believe it was real. I left the house and ran down the street, in an unknown suburb." Evie closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. "Kyuubey hadn't even told me about the magical uniform, I was naked, but I was so used to the condition, I didn't even notice. I guess I just wanted to see the sky. Someone saw me and called the police."

Maya creased her eyebrows. "So yah wish killed him."

Evie looked at the other girl, now more serious. "The police said he died of an overdose, they found a lettah too. They told my family that his mothah had recently passed away and he had inherited that house. He had no fathah, lived in seclusion and nevah had a job, with no prospect of future. The lettah made it clear that he wanted ta 'enjoy a denied youth' before puttin' an end to his life. The drugs he bought with the savings he had made from his mothah's pension."

"So he committed suicide, he was already dead," Maya widened her eyes as she concluded, "Kyuubey fooled ya..."

"Kyuubey told me he was still alive when he entered the house, he could have survived the overdose, but my wish made sure that didn't happen..." Evie took a deep breath and flashed a wry smile, "The police said the drug was high quality, so he died happy, gettin' everythin' he wanted in his life, and I made sure of that." She shrugged. "But I don't care. Sooner or latah he was goin' ta die, and I was gonna rot in that room before anyone could find me. Life is made up of losses after losses, and ya shouldn't care. That's the mentality a magical girl should have." She narrowed her gaze. "Ya wanna know somethin' ya didn't see on the news? A month and a half latah, they examined me once again and found out I was pregnant."

Maya was slack-jawed.

"With all that shit he injected into me, I hadn't gotten pregnant, but by becomin' a magical girl, I became healthy and clean, and veeery fertile. The doctors recommended abortion, but my parents wanted me to have the baby and send it away for adoption. They believe in this karma stuff, for them the baby was not only innocent, but it could make up for the harm the father had done." Evie raised her eyebrows. "But they didn't have to argue much, because I ended up havin' a miscarriage."

Maya held her breath as she noticed the sarcasm on the other girl's face. "You..."

"What's wrong? I just wanted it ta be somethin' more natural." The pale girl's smile gave way to apathy. "Now get off my table, before I start likin' ya against my will."

"Huh?" The dark-skinned girl frowned.

Slowly, Evie's gaze widened and her mouth became more aggressive. "Get. OFF."

Maya winced and lowered her eyes, then she stood up quickly, taking the tray with the food with her.

For a moment, Evie watched the other girl looking for another place to sit, expecting that she might look back. When that did not happen, she returned to her meal.

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

In hurried steps, Inquisitor walked down the corridor, making noise with his boots.

Madre was having a hard time keeping up with him. She felt that she had started a locomotive, which was now out of control and speeding up.

The man came to a metal door and pressed a button on the panel to open it, but a noise followed by a small red light indicated that the access was not authorized. "They dare!" he vociferated.

"Inquisitor!" Madre touched his shoulder. "Calm down, just put in the code."

He typed frantically on the panel and the door opened.

In the room, everyone was already looking toward the door. Invader was standing beside a large screen, while the other sisters were sitting at the oval table. Generalíssima and Nano, as well as Revenant and Lucky. The bunny girl smiled and waved to those who had arrived. "Hello~"

Inquisitor ignored her, focusing on Generalíssima. "What's the meaning of this?! A meeting without my presence."

"That's not a meeting." The Latina woman looked at the child. "Nano had an idea and she invited me here so she could share it. The other sisters ended up coming along. It was something unexpected, I was going to tell you about it later." She then noticed that he had not arrived alone. "Madre, did you tell him that we were in a meeting?"

"No." The redhead pressed her lips together, knowing that statement was subjectively false. "Aftah I cleaned up the kitchen, I wanted to know where Revenant and Lucky went after they finished washin' the dishes. So I saw them goin' into this room. Then I crossed paths with Inquisitor and he asked me where Lucky was. I said she was here, in the meetin' room."

Generalíssima sighed.

Lucky, on the other hand, tried to pretend to be confused, but failed completely because of the smile. "Oh? Was he askin' about me?"

Revenant glanced at her, squinting her eyes.

The man, however, was more interested in what was appearing on the screen, the map of the United States of America. "Is this meeting about Washington?"

"This is not a meeting..." Generalíssima spoke in a low tone as she rubbed her face.

"Yes!" Nano nodded, smiling, "I had an idea that will help us searc-"

"No one is leaving this base." He looked intensely at the child.

Nano lowered her head. "Eh... hmmm..."

"And what do ya want us ta do?" Revenant complained, "We haven't found those bloody seeds until now. Re-establishin' contact with Washington is our best chance, they can help us."

"Yeah, we haven't even had any more calls from Willa," Lucky said, now more serious, if not sadder, "I wondah what happened ta her."

Generalíssima joined the other sisters, "Let Nano speak, I want to hear her idea."

The child exchanged glances with the man again, he appeared to be calmer, but no less intimidating.

"Inquisitor..." Madre called out to him in a soft voice.

He nodded slightly, saying, "Be succinct."

Nano made a short smile, agreeing, and she began, "It's dangerous for us to search Washington in person, we have no knowledge of the current extent of the problem. Instead, we can plant a drone there and it would be maneuvered from here, via satellite, Invader could arrange that. Inside the drone would have a coded message about our situation, so it could just land as soon as we find Washington."

"What if we can't find Washington?" Inquisitor raised his eyebrows.

"Washington will be found," Generalíssima affirmed, "if Washington had fallen, there would be nothing alive on the surface of Earth."

He just looked at her briefly, and crossed his arms. "What if the drone is captured by the enemy?"

Nano had the answer already. "I can build a drone with a self-destruct device. The encoded message, as well as any information there is, will be unrecoverable."

"Uh-huh..." He looked at the Asian girl next to the screen. "And what's your opinion?"

Everyone in the room looked at Invader.

She took a deep breath and summed it up in a single word, "Risky."

Nano was aghast. "I-Invader?!"

The blue ballerina looked away. "I know, we've talked about it, but..."

"What's the problem?" Inquisitor asked.

"Nano worked for years in Washington," Invader replied, "the sisters who live there are aware of her capabilities." She looked at Generalíssima. "Although Washington has not fallen, some of these sisters may have become this new type of witch. They may spot the drone and recognize that it was built with Nano's magic. Instead of capturing the drone, they can monitor the signal used to control it to get the location of the source, and this attempt is difficult to detect in time." Then she looked at the child. "I doubt they would get the exact position, it would be more of a general direction, it's hard to say. At the very least, they would know that Nano is looking for Washington. She will be hunted."

That last statement, accompanied by that icy stare, made Nano flinch.

"Don't worry, Invader, that will never happen," the man declared, "anyone who leaves or sends anything outside the base will immediately be considered a traitor to the Sisterhood, and will be punished accordingly."

"WHAT?!" Revenant exasperated, "Are ya fuckin' with us?!"

"Geez," Lucky commented in a low voice, "he's in a bad mood."

Revenant turned to her. "Why?"

The bunny girl shrugged, smiling, "Who knows?"

With a frown, Generalíssima inquired, "Punished by whom?"

Inquisitor promptly replied, "By me, of course."

The woman stood up from her chair. " The members in those installations are MY responsibility."

He stated, "Your responsibilities end when the entire Sisterhood is threatened."

Generalíssima's tense face radiated anger.

Inquisitor appeared to be unfazed by this.

"Oh God! Stop!" Madre exclaimed, "ya're behavin' like children!"

The man turned his head and nodded to her, before announcing, "This meeting is over."

Generalíssima exhaled, letting a mutter escape between her teeth, "This... is not a..."

Invader sighed and shook her head, turning off the screen.

Nano remained silent in her chair, downcast.

Also still in the chair, Revenant protested, extending her arm toward the man. "Generalíssima, c'mon! Are ya gonna let this smeg-head call the shots around heah?"

"I agree with Invader." Generalíssima leaned on the table with one hand as she tried to relax the tension in her body. "Nano's idea has merit, but it's risky. Besides, I want to resolve this seed issue and resume work on the project before we have contact with Washington."

Inquisitor raised his voice, making it clear that it was for all to hear, "I wasn't sent here to please you. That's why I tolerate verbal aggression, as long as nothing leaves this base."

Madre opened the door to leave, her voice not hiding her disappointment, "I'm goin' to go to the dormitory to see how the novices are doin'. Please, I hope I don't have to start doing that with you all."

／人 ◕‿‿◕ 人＼

Lying on the bed, Maya contemplated the neighboring bed. It was empty, everything was empty. Feeling bad again, the girl rose quickly and checked her soul gem. The blue tone of the stone in the ring was clearly visible, a good sign, but nothing that satisfied her.

She bowed her head and let the air escape her lungs. It seemed only a matter of time before she sank back into silent despair. Deep inside was a question she did not want to hear, much less find the answer to it.

Have I become a magical girl for nothing?

"My dear, what ails you?"

Maya raised her head and saw a red-haired woman standing there, gray eyes and tender smile, one hand always holding a red rosary. She did not want to drawn attention, much less from a sister, but since it was Madre, maybe she could be a little honest. "I dunno... I'm feelin' a bit lonely."

"Why don't you interact with the other novices?" Madre spoke.

Evie came to Maya's mind, but she decided to avoid mentioning something so sensitive. She looked at the other novices in the dormitory to observe what they were doing, but what caught her eye most, somehow, were the empty beds, there were many. "I don't know if I'm really feelin' lonely, I can't tell what it is."

"Hmmm..." Madre looked at the ceiling, pondering, "Perhaps it's longing."

"Could it be?" Maya raised her eyebrows. That word seemed to fit best with what she was feeling.

Madre looked at her again. "You must be thinking about when you will see your family again."

"Oh..." It was true, Maya remembered cogitating that, but something inside her pointed out that feeling did not seem to be related. "Yeah, I... thought..."

"Your family will be fine. I will fight for that." Madre nodded. "Be patient, this crisis will pass. Wars, plagues, gods... Humanity has often felt on the brink of extinction, but it has not only survived, it continues to evolve. We magical girls have a part in that, but unlike what Incubator thinks, every human soul counts."

Maya nodded in response, accompanied by a shy smile.

"You should talk to the other novices, it will help you adjust and you will feel better."

"I'll do that."

Madre was satisfied with the answer and leaved to see other novices.

Maya followed her with her eyes for a while, before letting the smile fade and laying down on the bed again. She stretched and looked at the empty neighboring bed. Despite what she had just said, she was indisposed, if not embarrassed, to talk to other novices in front of Madre. That could be done another time.

As she was straightening her pillow, she felt her fingers touch something underneath it. "Huh?" she pulled and saw that it was a small piece of paper and on it was written a name in pen.

Alice

"What's that?" She recognized that it was a torn piece of a page from her diary, which she had left at home. She looked on the other side of the paper and found that there was something else written on it.

Maybe you never really wanted to be my friend. Forgive me for interfering in your life, but I really wanted to be your best friend. As much as you may hate me for doing this, all the moments we spent together were real and precious. Please, don't make me regret them.

"That's my handwritin'." Maya left the bed, her heart racing, for she could not remember, no matter how hard she tried. "Who's Alice?" She frowned. "Could... my wish..." She then looked around for Madre.

The sister was heading toward the exit tunnel.

The novice ran after her. "Madre! Madre!"

"Hmm?" The woman stopped and turned around, "My child, what now?"

Maya asked, "Alice, dya know anyone with that name around here?"

"Alice?" Madre was thoughtful for a moment before declaring, "I believe there is no Alice at the moment."

The girl stammered, "M-Maybe she was heah before, but she left..."

Madre shook her head. "I doubt that. Is she someone important to you?"

"She's my friend," Maya stated, even if there was nothing concrete, that sounded natural.

"Oh..." Madre inquired, "Is she a magical girl? If she's not, there's no reason for her to come here."

Maya lowered her head, trying to remember, but to no avail. "I don't know."

Madre sighed and asked a new question, "What does she look like?"

"I-I don't know..."

The redhead wrinkled her eyebrows. "Is she an imaginary friend?"

"No, that's not it!" Maya exclaimed.

Madre widened her eyes and brought her hand to her chest.

Maya looked around, checking to see if she had caught the attention of anyone else in the dormitory. Confirming that she had not, she said, "Okay, I'll explain," she took a deep breath and continued, "when I made the contract with Kyuubey, I wished I had a friend. Alice must be that friend, but I can't remembah anythin' about her! How's that possible! It's my wish!"

"I see." Madre lowered her eyelids slightly. "How are you so sure it's her?"

"I think it's faith." Maya shrugged. "Ya understand more about it than I do, right?"

"Faith?" Madre smiled. "I have witnessed that relentless force many, many times, and how far hope can carry us. I have a long experience of it, to the extent that I might dare to say I shouldn't."

"So..." Maya bit her own lips. "Ya believe me?"

"Yes, I do." Madre nodded. "What you said may be strange, but knowing that magic is real, nothing can be ruled out. I will help you."

Maya's face brightened.

"Firstly, I still need to understand a part of your story."

Maya became worried again. "What would it be?"

"How do you know her name is Alice if you can't even remember what she looks like?"

"Ah..." Maya looked at the piece of paper she was holding in her left hand.

"Is it written there?" Madre opened her hand and offered it. "May I see it?"

The girl brought the hand with the paper to her own chest, then covered it with her other hand.

"I can imagine how much this is worth to you," Madre's voice grew softer, "but if I give this to Generalíssima, it will be easier to convince her to research whether there are records of an Alice around here."

Maya removed her hand from her chest. She nodded, but could not take her eyes off the paper.

Alice

She wanted to mark this name in her mind, never to forget. She slowly reached out her left hand and placed in Madre's hand the evidence that her wish had been granted.

What?

A rattling sound of jewelry caught the novice's attention. Madre was wearing an extravagant gold bracelet with gems, something the girl thought it was hard not to have noticed before. Then she also noticed that her arm was too bare, her skin too dark. She wanted to exchange glances with the redhead, but came across a pair of voluptuous breasts, the skin smooth and soft, and muscles sculpted to perfection. She raised her head and found a pair of pink eyes, serene like Madre's, but above them was a tiara with a black gem, a nexus of a raging storm.

"Well done, child, you have done everything exactly that was asked for."

Maya was not understanding anything. She heard the cheerful voice of Madre, but there was only that woman in front of her, with lips shut. However, her train of thought was interrupted by a sudden, excruciating pain. She opened her mouth to scream, falling to the floor. She quickly looked at the source of that sensation and saw that her left hand no longer had her middle finger, in its place blood pulsed out, staining her white shirt and camouflage pants. She screamed again, but realized that she was voiceless. She really did not understand anything, except for being a nightmare about to end. She looked at the tall woman.

But the woman did not exchange glances with the girl. She was more interested in removing the ring from the severed finger she was holding.

Maya looked around. The novices in the dormitory were resting, walking, talking, laughing. She extended her arm and called for help, but soon concluded that it was useless without a voice, so she hit the floor with her legs and body to try to make some noise. However, even when the novices seemed to be looking in her direction, they completely ignored what was happening.

The woman brought the ring closer to her black gem. The ring liquefied into a blue essence, which spiraled toward the gem, painting it with a beautiful turquoise hue. The blue turned pink, and then the colors sank into darkness.

Maya froze for an instant before becoming a lifeless doll, and slowly becoming transparent.

The woman waited until she could no longer feel the severed finger she was holding. On the floor, there was now only the Sisterhood uniform, no bloodstains, no trace of the novice who wore it. No, this was not so simple. She looked at the piece of paper, on which was written the name given to the other soul, and crumpled it into a small ball, then she picked up the clothes on the floor and went to Maya's bed.

As usual, the novices keep their belongings under their beds, but this time the woman would check everything, even inside the mattress and pillow. She found nothing in those places, but in the girl's belongings, she found a red rosary, one that she recognized immediately.

The woman's gaze was lost in cogitation as the grip of the hand that held the rosary grew stronger and stronger, the spheres of the instrument of faith marking her skin. Eventually, her breathing was noisier and she shook her head, determined to continue what she was doing. She fluffed the pillow and tidied the bed sheet, not leaving a single wrinkle. Her fingers were still good for that.

After she finished cleaning up, she headed toward the exit of the dormitory, carrying the rosary and the novice's belongings with her. It was then that she saw Madre coming through the tunnel. Without hesitating for a moment, she hurried her steps and held the redhead's shoulder.

Madre stopped suddenly, her eyes aiming at an uncertain destination.

The woman pulled the sister's hand away and carefully opened her fingers, placing the rosary in her palm and only then closing it again. To finish, she tapped her shoulder twice.

Madre resumed walking, arriving at the dormitory.

As soon as the novices spotted her, they greeted, "G'day!"

"G'day..." Madre was distracted as she coiled the rosary in her hand. Somehow, it was misplaced.

"Didya come ta purify our gems?" a novice asked, "Revenant did that before lunch."

"I'm aware of that." Madre smiled. "I just came to see how ya're behavin'."

The tall woman with long white hair analyzed the scene, watching everyone's every reaction. Convinced that it was stable, she continued into the tunnel, disappearing at the first corner.

Next chapter: Apokálypsis