The morning light filtered through the grimy leaded-glass windows of the Sanctuary of the Twin Serpents, cast long, distorted shadows across the pews. There was a certain, familiar scent, something metallic but faintly sweet that always seemed to linger after the Night of Binding. A woman sat nearby, adjusting the fabric of her mandated ankle length skirt. Other woman, all in similar dresses of white or beige, moved with quiet purpose, their eyes downcast. You were brought into the world by your devout parents, along with four older siblings, and the teachings of the Twin Serpents, God and Satan, the saviors and tormenters, were the bedrock to your existence.

Women are the vessels of the Serpents' continuous creation, their purpose solely to bear children and strengthen the collective with each little angel they bring into the world. To refuse reproduction is to defy the divine will. The men are the hands. They toil to the fields and perform the Offerings of Atonement, weekly sacrifices that cleanse the flock and appease the Serpents. Young boys have chores and girls help their mothers with the younger children. Questioning the Elders, the sacred texts, or the will of the divine is strictly forbidden. Disagreement brings on the Sundering, in which you will be placed in an asylum until you learn to cooperate and behave again.

However, lately you've been feeling that the familiar comfort of these rules has begun to clot into something else entirely. The way that the Presiding Elder Isaiah paused for a moment too long while speaking of the "new blessings" the women have brought, the hollow, distant look of exhaustion and terror in the men's eyes after returning from the offerings, and even some things you've overheard, such as men forcing their wives into pregnancy again after they've barely recovered, something your own mother and sisters were victims to.

The congregation began to hum the soft notes of morning's chant, something which was meant to bring comfort and peace, only now fueling the dread in your stomach. This was never about salvation. It's always been about control. You are not a worshipper. You are a slave. Today is your Ceremony of Awakening, the day you officially become an adult.