It was completely dark when Leora’s alarm went off. She stared blankly up at the ceiling, still half immersed in her usual dream. She had been dreaming about the same place for such a long time that it was almost a comfort to her. The world made no sense, it was loud and shiny, with strange foods and magical devices unlike anything Leora had ever seen, yet it still felt somehow familiar.

  Leora rolled out of bed with a yawn and padded over to the little bathroom to wash up before slipping the white dress over her head. It was shapeless sack, made to be able to accommodate any immediate physical changes that could occur during the ceremony. Leora pinned the shrine’s star to the front of the dress, which showed she was already a member of the faith and hurried downstairs with her coat over her arm. Her mother was dressed in her official regalia and watched silently as Leora ate a quick breakfast of oatcakes and fruit.

  As they were about to leave, she held out a small shiny pin and gestured for Leora to put it on. It was the family crest, like the one emblazoned on her mother’s sash and carved over the fireplace. Leora was touched that her mother had been thoughtful enough to give her this small token of belonging and pinned it neatly beneath the larger star.

  Casual speech was forbidden on the day of a ceremony, so Leora could only smile up at her mother in thanks, before hurrying to put on her shoes and coat and head out into the dark city.

  There were a few people out and about, even at the early hour. When they saw Leora’s dress they would smile and nod encouragingly.

  It’s a nice feeling, she thought smiling back at a woman who stepped aside to let her past, people aren’t usually this friendly. Buoyed up by the support she was feeling, Leora began to feel more positive about the day ahead. So, I will blow out the candle in the east window as the sun rises, then I spend the morning in silent meditation. Then I head down to the grotto for the afternoon where I will receive my status in some way that’s a big secret, then back upstairs to the west window to light the candle as the sun sets. I can do all that, it’s not like I have to fight a monster, or take a test on the scripture. Everyone goes through this. Ok maybe at the smaller shrines it’s a bit simpler and doesn’t take the whole day, but still, this is all going to be fine.

  They were met at the main door to the shrine by Bishop Sorin. He was the oldest demi elf Leora had ever seen, his hair and beard were both streaked with white, and his skin was almost translucent. They had met in passing several times before, but his duties as advisor to the Prince of Lichten kept him too busy to oversee day to day matters at the shrine. He wasn’t the only high-ranking priest in attendance, and Leora felt her stomach churn when she saw the throng of priests following her into the chapel.

  Leora did her best to ignore the people watching silently behind her, as she stood looking out the window, matches in hand, waiting for the first ray of sun to pass over the fields in the distance. Lichten was situated in the middle of fertile plains, broken up by the meandering of the river Licht, which flowed south until it merged and became the river Brant, eventually leading out through the neighbouring country, Hagan, and ending in the eastern sea. The view from the west window was more interesting, on a clear day, to the south you could see the mountains, and to the north, the shadow of the great woods.

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  Leora watched the clouds in the distance slowly lighten to a pale lilac, and as the first glimmer of light was visible, she struck her match and the candle flared to life in front of her. She let out a sigh of relief, first step successfully achieved! She turned back to her unwelcome audience and smiled nervously as they parted to allow her to pass between them on her way to a side chapel where she would be left in isolation until the midday bell.

  She sat silently on the hard pew looking up at the light beginning to come through the stained glass, leaving washes of colour on the floor. The colours shifted and brightened as the morning went on and Leora felt almost relaxed in the tranquil space.

  The bell rang, and any semblance of peace was immediately forgotten. Leora stood up, discreetly stretching her limbs and headed to the door. It was unlocked a few moments later, and she smiled when she recognised the trainee priest who had been sent to collect her. Sofia was two years older than her and had been raised at the orphanage. A few months back, Sofia had caught Leora sneaking out of a lesson, and instead of snitching, had come and sat with her under the oak tree and had helped her collect acorn cups which she was using for a project. She had always been more studious than the other children and had been taken on in the library after her ceremony, where she seemed very happy.

  Sofia reached out and squeezed Leora’s hand briefly with a smile, before stepping aside to let her out of the side chapel. They headed into the main shrine and then down a short flight of stairs next to the altar. The space was lit by candles, and Leora was directed to remove her shoes and stockings, and then wash her hands and face in a basin cut into the stone wall. Preparations completed, Sofia opened the second door, handed Leora a candle and waved her through with an encouraging nod.

  Leora gulped as she saw the next flight of stairs, lit only by the flickering candle she was holding. The door swung shut behind her with a thud. The air was much cooler underground, and she could barely hear the sounds of the shrine above her. Leora inched her way down the stairs, one hand clutching the candle, the other trailing along the wall, which was rough and damp. The stone beneath her bare feet was polished smooth and felt like ice.

  Well, this isn’t ominous at all, thought Leora. It’s completely normal to have hidden underground staircases that nobody mentions. It felt like she had been walking for ages, and the deeper she went, the colder it felt. She finally reached the bottom of the stairs where she found a roughly hewn archway which opened into a cavernous space. Her little candle did nothing to dispel the darkness around her. She kept one hand on the wall behind her and looked around the space as best she could. She stubbed her toe on what felt like a hole in the floor, but then realised it was a groove carved into the rock, leading towards the middle of the cavern. Tentatively she followed the line away from the wall, and after a few steps, she noticed a slight glimmer in front of her. As she got closer, she saw it was in fact an intricately cut-glass orb, which reflected back the light of the candle.

  The orb began to flash, as if lit from within, shining brighter and brighter until it lit the entire cavern. Leora was distracted by the light bouncing off the walls, revealing the fact that the whole space seemed to have been carved out of crystal. It created an incredible effect, with the light flashing against the facets in the rock face throwing little rainbows of light back onto the marble plinth which supported the orb.

  Leora gazed around in awe at the magical space. She felt like she was in a fairy tale or a dream, before she was brought crashing back to reality by a furious voice.

  “What did you do!?”