Rosamund moves quietly through the frigid corridors, wrapped in layers of wool, her breath a ghostly mist in the air. Beyond the convent walls, silence reigns, broken only by the distant howl of wind and the mournful creak of ancient timber. In the chapel, priestesses gather for morning prayer, their voices trembling with both cold and fear.
Rosamund listens intently to the frightened conversation in the refectory. "Did you hear about Sister Livia? They found her in the passage—no sign of who did it," one priestess murmurs, eyes darting toward the darkened halls. The secret passages beneath the convent, once a source of comfort, now seem to harbor something sinister.
Rosamund runs her fingers along the rough wall, searching for clues. The passage twists and narrows, its silence heavy and pressing. "I have to find out what’s happening before another sister is lost," she whispers, her resolve hardening as she spots a scrap of fabric snagged on a loose brick.
A senior priestess enters, her expression grim. "Rosamund, you spend much time in the passages. Is there something you wish to confess?" The accusatory tone makes Rosamund bristle, but she holds her gaze steady. "We can’t trust the walls to keep us safe anymore. I’m trying to protect us," she replies, voice echoing in the cold silence.
Rosamund kneels, finding a bloodied rosary tucked beside a cracked chalice. Her heart races as she realizes the killer knows the passages better than anyone. "Whoever it is, they walk among us. They know our secrets," she breathes, glancing over her shoulder as footsteps echo in the distance.
"Why are you doing this? We’re all that’s left," Rosamund demands, her voice trembling but determined. The figure lowers their hood, revealing a priestess’s face twisted by desperation and fear. "Survival demands sacrifice. The world is ending, and faith alone cannot save us," comes the reply, cold as the winter itself.
Rosamund lights a single candle for each sister gone, her eyes reflecting both grief and hope. "We will endure. In the darkness, we are each other’s light," she whispers, as outside, the winter rages on.
