The train car was dimly lit. There were no windows as to look outside and provide a bit of light, only small blue bulbs overhead. We were all silent.

The three of us were trapped in our own seas of worries.

We arrived within 10 minutes at the gathering sect- this year it was sect C. Young women flooded the courtyard in matching atire, some faces looking lost, some excited, some bleak, and some worried. We all made our way through the gaping doors of the marble building and into an elegant ballroom.

The floors were carpeted with red velvet and the ceilings soared, decorated with cherubs and other intricate carvings. The lighting was intimate, and there were tables that lacked chairs laiden with a bounty of food.

Everyone was silent, save for some murmurs. After a few eternal minutes of standing unsurely, a woman's voice led our attention to the side of the room.

"Esteemed members," she began. Her hair was done up in a stern knot, and her eyes commanded reverence. "Welcome to the gathering. I trust from here you will all go on to do great things- whether that be in the maternal field, or elsewhere. I hope tonight you find the answers you are looking for, and choose to fulfill the path society has paved to the best of your abilities."

There was a round of applause at the conclusion of her speech. She bowed to the audience and gave a tight smile, which twisted to open-mouthed awe as she caught sight of something in the audience. We turned our attention to find two women with their chests aglow. It was a color I had never seen before, but it was a sight I remembered.

"Well," the Leader gestured to the two women. "What an honor! Our first pairing." More applause.

I turned to Keiko, who was smiling kindly in approval and clapping with everyone else. It could be her next, I thought.

The night dragged on. There was socializing; I must have shaken countless hands over the course of it. But my chest remained the color it had always been- the color it might always be. I watched as other pairings happened. I kept tabs on Keiko.

I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned. It was the Leader. "Good evening, Isla."

My brow furrowed. She knew my name.

"Good evening." I bowed my head a bit.

"You must be fatigued. These events can be taxing. Please, have a drink." We had been walking, and arrived at a table. There were a few glasses of foggy blue liquid next to a dish of finger sandwiches.

She grabbed one and handed it to me with a smile.  I tentatively took a sip.  It was good.  Before I knew it, it was gone.

"Why don't you take one to your friend Keiko?" The Leader slid her fingers beneath my chin and tipped my gaze in her direction.

My head was spacing a lot.  I nodded, dumbfounded.  I think I must have walked somewhere.  I felt a cool glass in my hand.

Keiko.  Keiko... I was out a side door and in an empty corridor.  No.  Not empty.  Keiko was there.  I pushed the glass into her stomach. 

"Drink..." My head spun.

"Isla?  Isla, are you alright?"  Her voice was so lovely.

I slumped to my knees on the ground.  I heard her voice in my ear.  What was she saying?  The clink of a glass.

I looked up.  Something dark... coming.  Keiko.  I tried to open my mouth.  No!

Silver slammed into her neck.  What?  I leaned foward and fell off the edge of the world.