As the sole survivor of an earthquake that swallowed up her past and reshaped her future, young Sefara seeks out the key to unlocking her memories and the identity of her savior. But her path is dangerous, as she soon discovers the terrors that lurk...
After the day of the Festival, each one of the children had found their reason to be Peacekeepers. And on the crest of a new dawn, new promises were made.
Sefara, the sole survivor of The Earthshake, was nearly consumed by the loss of her teacher. She vowed to become a Peacekeeper and prevent the tragedy that had devoured her hometown from happening ever again.
At home, Sefara unwrapped a brown package they had found in Mme Nthabi's store. It had a note in Mme Nthabi's handwriting addressed to her. It read:
Sefara, I will always be watching over you...
When Sefara opened the package, she found a delicately designed shweshwe fabric. Her eyes teared up. She missed her teacher. She promised she'd meet her again.
Khaya, on the other hand, was the second son of the Mavuso household, resolute on becoming a Peacekeeper and saving his brother.
He stood before his parents as they wished him good fortune. They maintained an appearance of strength before him, but he knew that it was hurting them to see another son follow the path of Peacekeeping.
Sure enough, as Khaya turned around and walked off, his parents broke down in heartache.
Khaya would later learn that they would retire from being Peacekeepers and lead the rest of their days as bakers.
As he walked away from his home, Khaya fought back tears and the urge to turn back. But then Sefara put her hand on his shoulder, so as to remind him that she was with him.
Abby stood next to her as they had both been waiting for him. Together, the three of them began their journey to the Keep by carriage.
And of Abby, the child Peacekeeper. She sought reason for the claim on her childhood. She wanted to know what lay beyond the peace she had been raised to protect.
As they sat in the carriage, Abby spoke,
"From now onwards, you'll be trained to be Peacekeepers. You'll face the Trials, that will push your mind and your body to their ends. Your humanity will be tested and be bent so out of shape that you no longer recognize yourself. Then you will take a Path which will determine whether you have what it takes to overcome terror and protect the peace."
She had been looking out the window as she spoke, but then she turned to them. Their eyes showed no hint of fear. No, in their hearts lay a maddening fixation. Just like her, they were already little monsters, yearning for a better world.
***
End of Volume 1: Festival Arc
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
