[I]

Sixteen years had passed since then.

When I regained consciousness that time, I immediately realised that something had happened that must have been impossible. And that was the fact of being reborn.

I opened my eyes, and suddenly I was a baby again.

Probably the biggest difference now is that I have no parents, but am an orphan in a Catholic orphanage.

I was... Shin-Ae Heewon, but my name is actually Amadea. Amadea Dionysus.

It's only been a few months since I turned sixteen, it's been a long time living in this new world to tell the truth. And after all these years, studying in a nuns' school, there are several things about this world that I want to say.

The Catholic Church is run entirely by women.

I think I saw a film in my original world that looked at the possibility... the fact that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a daughter and that daughter became the symbol that gave birth to the Church in this world.

The only "Pope" there was was St. Peter, later everything began to be directed by the "Matriarch". The most influential religious entity in this world changes every few years just like the "Pope".

I could say that it is amazing how being led by women now makes Catholics and other religions more united, even wars have been avoided in the history of this world because of it.

It is certainly an influential factor in human history...

-Amadea, presta attenzione alla classe.

(Amadea, pay attention to the class.)

The nun in charge of the theology lessons says to me, tapping me on the shoulder with a ruler.

Studying to be a nun in this world is studying to be a priestess. As if I were in the seminary. It's been eight years since I've been studying this, as have all the girls around me.

We are a group of twelve sisters, each one has strengths and weaknesses, normally we are a big family but now that ordination is near, only one of us will have the opportunity to become a priestess.

Here they are much more selective and demanding about who gets ordained to the priesthood. It is not enough to be the best student, we must also be the best possible icon for society.

But even if we fail this year, we can still keep trying until we are officially ordained as priestesses.

Within minutes, the bell began to ring, signalling that lunchtime had begun.

I calmly picked up my school supplies from my desk, not so anxious to go out this time....

These last few days have been more stressful than usual. My school life is about to end again, I didn't think I was going to feel so bad about leaving school again.

-Credo che presto le cose cominceranno ad essere diverse...

(I guess things will soon start to be different...)

I mutter to myself, and rise from my seat, only to make my way to the entrance as I am used to.

-Amadea! Aspetta un momento, voglio andare in sala da pranzo con te.

(Amadea! Wait a moment, I want to go to the dining room with you.)

I stop my walk, as I am interrupted by my dorm mate. She approaches me with quick steps, not bothering to mess up the habit she's wearing. She has golden hair that she has combed into a braid to the side, porcelain white skin, and green eyes that mimic emeralds.

This girl's name is Clarisa Angelucci. And we've been friends since we were little girls basically. We grew up together in this very orphanage.

Clarisa is... one of the unfortunate children who experienced the one bad thing about this new world.

As unbelievable as it all seems, the reality is that humanity has an incessant conflict against the "Demons". Not in the figurative, expressive or superlative sense. Demons in the full sense.

The last war that happened fifteen years ago was the one that resulted in the death of Clarisa's parents. It was chaos then, I remember, as Rome was under direct attack and hundreds of thousands of civilians lost their lives in the process.

The only means by which we have a way to defend ourselves is through "Miracles"... they are like an abstract kind of "Magic" that can only be used by us, the members of the church who are ordained for this.

I guess we could call it "Demon Killing Magic" or something like that.

After meeting her, we basically never separate from each other anymore, we're like flesh and blood.

-Sbrighiamoci, Clarisa. Ho davvero molta fame in questo momento e vorrei mangiare una grande ciotola di stufato intero.

(Let's hurry up, Clarisa. I'm really quite hungry right now and I'd like to eat a big bowl of stew whole.)

-Va bene, va bene! Allora andiamo in fretta. Condividerò anche un po' del mio cibo con te, va bene, Amadea?

(All right, all right! Then let's go quickly. I'll even share some of my food with you, ok, Amadea?)

-Mi sembra perfetto. Le sarò molto grato per questo.

(Sounds perfect for me. I will be very grateful to you for that.)

We both basically pranced out of the classroom, excited to occupy some nice table in the dining hall before everyone else.

[II]

Once the food was served, Clarisa and I went to one of the tables by a window. I ordered stew, as I had said. While Clarisa ordered "burrida ligure"... it's basically a fish soup.

It seems that today they used red mullet to make it, uh. I would have ordered it but the smell of canned anchovies is not my cup of tea.

On the other hand, my lamb stew is as delicious as ever, Sister Francesca always makes me a special order when I don't want anything else!

-Suor Amadea, suor Clarisa, posso unirmi a voi?

(Sister Amadea, Sister Clarisa, may I join you?)

As soon as we sit down, one of the new girls in our nuns' school comes up to us. She is small, barely 12 years old, but she sure has good manners.

Her name is Ginevra Lombardi, and she is a transfer student from St. Teresa of Calcutta Nuns' College in Venice.

We have known Ginevra for some time, the theology teacher, Mother Vittoria, asked Clarisa and me to welcome her. And she has fitted in very well in our school.

By the way, this school is the Convent of the Franciscan Sisters of the Conception. That's why our habits are all black.

But well...

I answer Ginevra with a smile:

-Nessun problema, Ginevra. Le abbiamo già detto che può sedersi con noi tutte le volte che vuole, non ci dispiace la compagnia degli altri.

(No problem, Ginevra. We've already told you that you can sit with us as often as you like, we don't mind the company of others.)

-Siediti, Ginevra! Amadea e io siamo felici di averti con noi, non c'è nemmeno bisogno di chiederlo.

(Have a seat, Ginevra! Amadea and I are glad to have you with us, you don't even have to ask.)

Seeing that both Clarisa and I welcome her back, Ginevra's expression brightens, and she takes a seat in the last remaining chair.

She is more or less a social outcast for not belonging to her group since they were children. The same is true of several other sisters who are excluded from groups because they don't belong to them.

And not everyone likes her either because Ginevra is a child prodigy. She is a year ahead of all the other girls, and she is also the best student of her generation. I can say that's a good achievement, I'll give her that.

-Grazie mille, suor Amadea e suor Clarisa. So che posso sempre contare su di voi.

(Thank you very much, Sister Amadea, and Sister Clarisa. I know I can always rely on you both.)

We smile at Ginevra, and then...

-Tutti in piedi! Suor Amadea, presenta la tua preghiera per il pasto di oggi!

(All rise! Sister Amadea, present your prayer for today's meal!)

The Mother Superior of this convent, Mother Viviana Ferraro, orders us all to stand up. And she directly gives me the order to begin the prayer.

Although we speak Italian, the prayers must be in Latin, this is pure protocol.

I make the sign of the cross, saying:

-In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti...

(In name of the Father, the Son, and the Holt Spirit...)

-Amen. -. All the sisters answer in unison.

I continue:

-Deus, domine mi et vivificator, hodie confiteor tibi pro omnibus quae dedisti nobis. Bona. Mala res. Agnosco benevolentiam ad tuenda nos a malis mundi. Gratias tibi ago quod occasionem nobis hodie hic esse des, et nos tecum ad mensam tuam coniunge sinamus.

(God, my Lord and giver of life, this day I thank you for all that you have given us. Good things. Bad things. I thank you for your benevolence in protecting us from the evils of the world. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be here today, and for allowing us to gather at your table.)

Once finished, Mother Viviana says:

-Domine, da esurientibus panem.

(Lord, give bread to those who are hungry.)

-Et fac eos qui esuriunt panem. Amen.

(And give hunger to those who have bread. Amen.)

Everything turned out perfect. So we can sit down again and start eating.

This mastery of Latin took me many years, and even now I am still learning a few new words. At least I can say that I can say Mass with all that I have learned.

Already this is a procedure we do on a daily basis. I guess I had escaped long enough from doing the thanksgiving for the food.

-Amadea, vuoi il mio pane? Suor Francesca mi ha messo il pane all'aglio per sbaglio e mi vergogno di andare a cambiarlo. -. Clarisa asks me.

(Amadea, do you want my bread? Sister Francesca put garlic bread on me by mistake and I am ashamed to go and change it.)

To which I reply with a smile:

-Naturalmente. Può tenere questo pane a fette, se non le dispiace.

(Of course. You can keep this sliced bread if you don't mind.)

-Sei molto gentile Amadea. Grazie. -. She accepts the sliced bread.

(You are very kind Amadea. Thank you.)

Then, Ginevra asks something:

-La prossima settimana c'è l'ordinazione, sapete già chi sarà eletta sacerdotessa?

(Next week is the ordination, do you already know who is going to be elected priestess?)

Clarisa and I looked at each other. A little awkwardly, I can say.

We both talked about it in our dormitory. As the two best students of our generation, it was obvious that we should discuss it. But that talk didn't go very well, shall we say?

I don't really want to be a priestess. I feel it's a position that doesn't suit me. I would rather stay to instruct other sisters to aspire to this, but not become one of them.

But even though I don't want to, Clarisa thinks it's a waste for me not to become a priestess and leave her with the job.

The Church doesn't want someone intelligent, they want someone who can be an image to represent them.

I can't be that kind of person at all. I can say that I wouldn't have the title or the responsibility.

-Temo che non sia ancora stato deciso, Ginevra. Siamo stati così impegnati nei preparativi finali che non abbiamo potuto chiedere informazioni. -. Le responde Clarisa.

(I'm afraid it hasn't been decided yet, Ginevra. We've been so busy making the final arrangements that we haven't been able to ask about it.)

-Penso che Suor Amadea sarebbe perfetta per essere una sacerdotessa! Lo pensa anche lei, Suor Clarisa?

(I think Sister Amadea would be a perfect fit to be a priestess! Do you think so, Sister Clarisa?)

Clarisa looks at me with an expression of disbelief, and says:

-Lei capisce.

(She understand.)

I just look down a little. I find it uncomfortable to be told that.

-Suor Amadea è stata di grande aiuto per tutti, posso affermare che è la migliore.

(Sister Amadea has been a great help to everyone here, I can attest that she is the best.)

-Tutti meritano di essere giudicati allo stesso modo. Aiutare gli altri non mi rende migliore di chiunque altro. -. I say to Ginevra, in a somewhat angry tone.

(All deserve to be judged equally. Helping others does not make me any better than anyone else).

Oh, the garlic bread is amazing with the stew sauce.

Clarisa rectifies:

-È solo modestia, Amadea. Sai che sei tu a dover diventare sacerdotessa, nessun altro.

(That's just modesty, Amadea. You know you are the one who must become a priestess, no one else.)

"Thud."

-Non è modestia. Voglio solo un accordo equo. Non ho bisogno di ricevere un trattamento speciale solo a causa di una o due persone che ho aiutato.

(It's not modesty. I just want a fair deal. I don't need to be given special treatment just because of one or two other people I helped.)

"Thud."

-Solo negli ultimi sei mesi avete aiutato 27 persone.

(You helped 27 people in the last six months only.)

"Thud."

-Non credo che farà differenza...

(I don't believe it make difference...)

"Thud."

-È vero.

(It does.)

"Thud."

I can't argue much against that anymore, at least not here... I don't want to start shouting about some oversight.

"Thud."

What the hell is that noise? It's been bothering me for a while now.

"Thud."

It's getting closer and closer...

"Thud."

Several of the other sisters begin to put down their cutlery as I do, and begin to look around, searching for the source of the sound.

"Thud."

I turn to look at Mother Viviana, and she makes eye contact with me as well. She nods at me.

"THUD."

A great roar, the dining room door was sent flying. Those in the path used a [Miracle of Protection] to shield themselves from the projectile.

-Ghuooooooooo! -. A demonic scream, intermingling different voices at the same time, reverberates in the room.

The responsible for kicking down the door is a young boy, probably in puberty. His skin is ravaged, full of sores and you can see his bloodshot eyes.

Oh, this is going to be trouble.