We had ten streets to go and no margin left to lose. The Sorting would start before dusk, and if the Enforcers reached the Rhian boy first—if they saw the mark rising beneath his collarbone—there’d be no questions. No mercy. Just a sentence straight to the Veil Mines

​

My satchel dragged heavier with each step—three wax-sealed vials, enough to blur his mark for a day. Maybe two. Enough to damn me if found. My own mark was covered, but I felt it anyway—pulsing low and savage. Some scars stay hidden. Others demand to be seen. I wasn’t sure which mine wanted.

​

Serenya moved at my flank—silent, steady. We carved our path like two girls with everything to lose.

Then the bells rang out.
Three strikes. Sharp. Exact.
A shutter slammed.
Charcoal scattered across the stones.
A child bolted.

The Enforcer sweep.
 

They were checking for caste violations. Anyone who dared act above their station, or hide what they were. Serenya caught my eye. We knew the rules of this game: keep your hands visible, your spine straight, and chin high. Like you’re not waiting to be dragged out for inspection at any moment. A flicker surged through me though—searing and hungry. Part of me wanted it. Let them try. Let it end in blood. I crushed the urge down the best I could and grasped the amulet beneath my collar. The metal burned from my skin’s heat, reminding me it was more of a shackle than a shield.

The pale blue of my cloak marked me as Luminar. True enough. On the surface.

But, surface truths had a way of unraveling under scrutiny. I kept walking. I would not be caught. Not yet—not with a child’s life waiting at the end of this path.