CHAPTER ONE12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB0Gu7kupa0
Seline12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpMmJDrUPTE
Mercy’s help has been a game-changer. Before she stepped in, our investigation felt like stumbling around in the dark, piecing together rumors and scraps of evidence. Mercy brought order to our chaos. She showed us how to organize our notes, cross-reference details, and even nudged us to request access to old council records-something I never would have thought to do on my own.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkB7YcqsMOA
She’s always calm, always two steps ahead. Whenever we hit a dead end, she’d suggest a new angle or connect us with someone who might have seen something. It almost feels like she’s mentoring us, giving us the confidence to dig deeper and move faster. I can’t deny how much we’ve accomplished with her guidance; we’ve found patterns in the furniture thefts I never would have spotted alone, and we’re actually starting to get somewhere.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiR9eheAFxn
Still, Mercy keeps her distance in a strange way. She never talks about her own theories, just listens and pushes us to think harder. Maybe she just wants to see what we’re capable of, or maybe she’s testing us. I don’t really know. What I do know is that, thanks to her, Kim and I are working better than ever. We’re close to something big-I can feel it. For now, I’m just grateful for the help, even if I don’t quite understand why she’s so invested in our search.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgbKXSRH8Y5
I couldn’t shake the feeling that the furniture thefts weren’t just random pranks. Over days of careful watching, a pattern started to form in my mind. Every year, right after the new prefects are announced in the second term, desks, chairs, or cabinets begin to vanish-always at the same time, always from different places. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Wv5JzWGYE
Then, months later, those same pieces show up somewhere completely unexpected: a library desk in the music room, a teacher’s chair in the gym storeroom, a cabinet reappearing in the art block. It was too consistent to be coincidence.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7642jwy05A
The more I dug, the more convinced I became that this was a ritual-one with rules and meaning, not just mischief. I spent hours poring over old student council minutes and whispering with alumni. The stories always matched: the thefts stretched back decades, shrouded in secrecy, never solved.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0J1yuq9Tf
Mercy encouraged me to organize everything-dates, locations, even the way the furniture was found. With her help, the pattern became clearer. I finally told Kim what I was starting to believe: what if these thefts were actually an initiation rite for new members? The Order of Hermes has always been rumored to have elaborate rituals and loyalty tests, just like the secret societies I’ve read about, where symbolic acts and secrecy are part of becoming an insider12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLuJp4VfIYN
I pictured how it might work: a new recruit would have to move a piece of furniture without getting caught, placing it somewhere significant to the Order’s history or symbols. Pulling it off would prove you were clever, resourceful, and trustworthy-exactly the qualities the Order values. When the furniture was finally found, it would mean the trial was over and the recruit had earned their place.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzOyrWUNXs
It all fits. The thefts aren’t just about the furniture-they’re about proving you belong. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsM1CXbwP8H
I told Kim, “If we can catch someone in the act, or figure out how they pick their targets, we might finally expose the Order’s initiation-and maybe everything else they’re hiding.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXE6rF5lotY
**********12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIQEU5Pdl4s
June Mwangangi moved through the corridors of Kisumu Girls with a quiet authority, her sharp eyes missing nothing. As co-chair of the Order of Hermes, she was used to pressure, but this year’s initiation week loomed like a storm on the horizon. The timeline was tighter than ever-just two weeks before the term ended-and the usual calm that accompanied the ritual was nowhere to be found.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGrRlSSLfAA
The disaster with Kim still lingered, unresolved and casting long shadows over the Order. June had yet to decide whether Kim was a liability or an opportunity. Now, with Mercy newly elected as president, the school’s power structure was shifting beneath her feet. Mercy’s ambitions were no secret, and her rivalry with Jabari was already sending ripples through the Order’s ranks. Jabari, for his part, was insistent: Kim should be recruited. He saw potential in her, a chance to strengthen the Order with someone who had already survived scandal and scrutiny.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFR2cGEtaSe
June was less certain. She knew that bringing Kim in could either stabilize the Order or expose it to new dangers. The stakes were higher than ever, and she couldn’t afford a single misstep. The initiations were more than tradition-they were the Order’s way of ensuring only the most resourceful, discreet, and loyal students joined their ranks. This year, with so many eyes watching and so much at risk, the process had to be flawless.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ51KCrMLmvz
She spent her days quietly observing, assigning trusted seniors to watch Kim and report back on her behavior. June weighed every detail: Kim’s interactions, her silences, her reactions to pressure. If Kim passed these invisible tests, June would orchestrate the next step-a coded invitation, a subtle challenge, something only a true candidate would recognize.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhPeEfcuQAE
Meanwhile, June kept a wary eye on Mercy. The new president was clever, ambitious, and unpredictable. If Mercy suspected the Order’s plans, she might try to interfere or use the situation to her own advantage in the ongoing leadership war with Jabari.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDkrhUOZy7d
June felt the weight of tradition and expectation pressing down on her. She knew that this year’s initiation would determine not just the future of the Order, but her own place within it. Every decision mattered. And as the days ticked down, June steeled herself for the delicate, dangerous work ahead-knowing that the line between success and disaster had never been thinner.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7kJRtSvi5
Mercy12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡklKVD65HkV
I’ve always believed the best moves are the ones no one notices. When I saw the chance to put Kim and June together, I didn’t hesitate. June, as Deputy President in charge of academics, technically outranks all the class prefects, Kim included. It was almost too easy.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDHMIRdjMuw
During a council meeting, I casually suggested that the prefects should lead a review of classroom environments before exams. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9JvBIPt1WQ
“It would be a great way to show student initiative,” I said, making sure to mention Kim by name as an ideal candidate. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHznSQHZeir
No one questioned it. By the end of the day, Kim’s name was on the list, and June had been assigned to oversee the project.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIgMQtieXko
I watched from a distance as Kim received the memo-signed by June, summoning her to a planning meeting. To Kim, it probably felt like just another task, another chance to prove herself. But I knew June would see it differently. She’s always so precise, so careful in her judgments. This was her chance to size Kim up, to see if she was really as sharp and resilient as Jabari seemed to think.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZJgkV95PzB
I didn’t need to be in the room to know how it would play out. June would run the meeting with her usual efficiency, her eyes always lingering a little longer on the ones she’s truly interested in. Kim would feel that scrutiny, even if she didn’t understand it yet.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgjQIYa4VIC
I kept my distance, letting the school’s hierarchy do my work for me. Now, their paths had crossed, and I could sit back and watch what happened next. In this game, sometimes all you have to do is set the pieces in motion.
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Kim12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMTOUbFOQIh
Kim’s mind was still reeling from her last encounter with June. The meeting had been briefed but charged: June’s questions were precise, her silences deliberate, her scrutiny unmistakable. Kim had left feeling both tested and strangely seen, sensing that June was weighing her for something beyond the usual prefect duties. There had been no promises, just a lingering look, Kim wasn’t sure if it was a warning or an invitation.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqio6j61g7C
After the meeting, Kim lingered, pretending to organize her notes. June approached; her presence quiet but commanding.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsxiGMDuI4I
“Kim, a word?” June’s tone was neutral, but her eyes were sharp.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtd4FuWLmBR
Kim nodded, following her into the corridor. The hallway was empty, the afternoon sun casting long shadows on the floor.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4pzgBdBp6f
June began; her voice low. “You handle pressure well. That’s not common.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5GLd27N05
Kim hesitated, unsure if this was praise or prelude.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdayAcYmsON
“Thank you. I try to do my best.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTFAP64ZwmW
June studied her for a moment, then handed her a folded slip of paper. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtdBzsCmBrs
Room 14, after prep. Don’t be late. And don’t mention this to anyone.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWlO9HO66AK
So, when Kim found a cryptic note tucked into her Kiswahili exercise book the next morning, her pulse quickened. The riddle was unmistakably Order business, referencing myths and secrets in a way that only an insider would recognize. But the style was different-bolder, more direct. Kim realized with a jolt that this was an invitation, deliberate test from June. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLZGOt8PnNb
“For those who walk between shadow and flame,12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeIOTvfuOYH
The forge awaits at the hour when day and night are twins.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBhVTrbUMHM
Bring only your questions. Leave your fear at the door.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTjEvX6Mg5I
Kim can’t shake the feeling that something bigger is at play. The timing is too precise to be a coincidence: just as June, a senior figure with quiet authority, singles her out for a special meeting, she suddenly receives a mysterious, coded note-one she assumes is from June, which actually comes with the fine prints of the Order itself.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaNRtnUuF3x
She finds herself wondering about June’s true role. Is June simply acting as Deputy President, or does she have a deeper connection to the Order of Hermes? The overlap between June’s attention and the Order’s secretive outreach makes Kim suspect that June is either a gatekeeper or a recruiter for the society. Why else would the Order reach out now, when June has just begun to test her?12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmNnu2Zmi5o
Seline12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKmCPnvhLR
I’ve spent weeks piecing together the pattern behind the furniture thefts, and now, with Kim suddenly at the center of the Order’s attention, everything is coming into focus. If the Order of Hermes is really using these thefts as initiation rites, and Kim is the newest recruit, we have a rare chance-either to expose their methods or turn the knowledge to our advantage.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsPEH5L0J6h
I scanned the lines, my heart thudding faster with every word. “Kim, this isn’t just some random note. It sounds like an initiation. Like what the Order would do.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9rJUxAiJg2
Kim’s eyes widened. “You really think so?”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlgttRWTcTY
I nodded. “The timing is too perfect. Every year, after new prefects are picked, the furniture starts disappearing. Always in weird ways, always showing up months later. I’ve been digging through old council records, and it’s the same pattern, every time. I think it’s a test. For new recruits.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HXxZw6MFw
She went quiet, thinking it through. “So… you think I’m being recruited? That this is all connected?”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdZsyRYhkne
“Exactly.” I felt a surge of excitement. 12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnx7UMLZBds
“If we can track what they ask you to do, we might be able to predict the next theft-or even catch them in the act. We could finally prove what the Order’s been doing.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9cdzBqfec
Kim’s face set with determination. “So, what do we do?”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyrYBCkfP4R
I leaned closer, lowering my voice to a whisper. “You play along. Follow their instructions, but tell me everything. I’ll keep track of the details-dates, times, places. If we’re right, we’ll see the pattern before they realize we’re onto them.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWvyJXWBylD
“And if they ask me to steal something?” Kim asked, her voice barely above a whisper.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqiAnyv47pa
“We’ll be ready,” I said. “We’ll set a trap. If we can catch them in the act-or get proof of the ritual-we can expose the Order. Or, if it’s too risky, we use what we know to protect ourselves. Either way, we’re not just pawns in their game anymore.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyLrvjuUaK
Kim nodded; her eyes fierce. “Let’s do it.”12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ36TCZPdzD5
**********12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHGwPbajB4y
Mercy listened intently as Seline and Kim laid out their discoveries in her office, their voices low but urgent. The desk between them was scattered with Seline’s neatly organized notes, color-coded charts, and a copy of the cryptic note Kim had received. The atmosphere was charged with the thrill of revelation and the tension of risk.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡg0djKUPkXi
Seline explained the pattern she’d uncovered in the furniture thefts, tracing the timeline and highlighting the strange consistency with which items vanished and reappeared. Kim described her recent encounters with June and her suspicion that she was being tested for something bigger. Together, they presented their theory: the thefts were not random acts of mischief, but part of the Order of Hermes’ secret initiation rites.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1SzfKP8Il4
Mercy nodded along, her expression calm and encouraging. She offered practical advice, reminding them to be careful and to document everything, to trust no one outside their circle, and to always have a backup plan. She didn’t reveal how much she already knew about the Order’s rituals, nor did she share her own ambitions regarding the society’s secrets. Instead, she played the role of mentor and ally, reinforcing their trust in her.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHAsW6WShyY
She recognized the value of what Seline and Kim had brought to her. Their plan was simple but effective: Kim would go along with the Order’s recruitment, reporting back every step. Seline would keep meticulous records, looking for the next predictable move. If they could anticipate the Order’s next act, they might catch them in the process or at least gather enough evidence to expose the truth.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgP0N0ix391
As the meeting ended and the girls left her office, Mercy allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. She was proud of their resourcefulness and determination, but she was also acutely aware of the power such secrets could bring. Whether the plan succeeded or failed, Mercy was prepared to use whatever they uncovered to her own advantage. In the intricate web of Kisumu Girls, she intended to remain at its center, guiding the game as only she could.
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