The White Rose

3. Secrets and tells

As Sophia turned to me with her intense green eyes, she made a gesture, it seemed to me that at that moment she just wanted to run and never look back. But she knew that when you join the sisterhood your secrets become everybody’s secrets and your life’s are joined together.

She opened her mouth to speak but not a single word came out of it, it was as if she wanted to talk but her body wouldn’t let her. I decided to not pressure her, we waited for a while until she finally said - I come from a wealthy family, my father owned a company and my mom comes from one of the founding families of the White Rose Order. For years, my mom and dad tried to keep me away from the capability tests so I wouldn’t have to join the Order. But one day, as I arrived at my house, I found my father laying on the ground, cold and still, after that my mother decided that it was best if I joined the order. It took some convincing, the order felt betrayed by the fact that my family had hidden me for so many years. The sixth Elder Sister decided to send me on a mission to prove my capabilities and my worth. It was a simple mission, to retrieve some archives from a thief. When I arrived at the location, I wasn’t alone, three little girls were being held hostage by a wicked man that hated the White Rose. I knew what my orders were, I knew what I was sent there to do … but still I couldn’t control myself. I tried to save the girls, I knew that I wasn’t ready, I had only been trained in basic combat by my mother, but I was so confident about how amazing my skills were. I rushed and I failed. That error was played by the life of one of the little girls. The Order decided to forgive my mistake and I know better now. But her face, her fear, I will never forget.-

I nodded my head as Sophia finished her story and asked - What happened to the other two girls ? - Sophia seemed shocked, as if she had never thought about it. - I think they are both part of the White Rose now - she answered. We all had bad memories of missions gone wrong, everybody makes mistakes. But I could understand that Sophia regretted the error because she knew she was the only one to blame. She had made a decision, a bad one for that matter, and her punishment would always be to carry with that memory and that burden.