PRESENT DAY

Isabel’s voice trembled as she finished recounting the harrowing story. “That night was just the beginning. Adriana didn’t join the convent. Instead, she ran… and fell into the arms of La Hermandad de la Estrella. It was her actions that started the conflict between both groups, and her choices led to the bloodshed that has followed ever since. But Adriana’s story didn’t stop there; it spiraled into something far more gruesome and disturbing than you can possibly imagine. Yet, I’ll leave it at that for now.”

Arya sat in stunned silence, grappling with the weight of Isabel’s revelation. Her mother, the woman she had idolized and revered, had...