Chapter 35: Anastasia

The double wooden doors of Room 104 open inward, releasing the twenty families into the central corridor. I keep my right hand flat against the back of Luna’s shoulder, guiding her through the crowd toward the glass exit doors that lead to the southern courtyard.

Outside, the air is warmer than it was during early registration. The brick pavement of the courtyard has absorbed the midday heat, radiating a dry warmth. Along the western wall of the main building, two long folding tables have been set up under a white canvas canopy. Silver coffee carafes, porcelain cups, and small glass plates of sliced fruit are arranged in...