My gaze was impassive.

Judah swung his heavy arm around my shoulders and began leading me into the house, the house where we had been kept apart all our lives from others of The Order. Where we’d been trained since adolescents for a day such as today, no other family but each other, our mission as the heirs was our only purpose in life.

“We have begun to rebuild,” Judah informed. “We have found a new site for the commune to where our people can be moved. We are planning on uniting all the communes, creating one unified community: more guards, more people, and more guns. Then it will be time, brother,” he said meaningfully, squeezing my arm.

I stilled.

Judah moved before me and frowned. He had always been the most militant of us both, the most devout. He had never left The Pasture, believed one hundred percent in the cause.

“Time for what?” I asked vaguely.

Judah smiled in excitement and in response, a wave of dread set in my stomach. “For you to ascend… Prophet Cain.”

My heart stopped.

My eyes widened.

Oh… fuck…

The End