#recoleta

Recoleta's breath trembles more than it should be. Her finger traces along the pages of her notebook, deep in thought. Perhaps this is the right choice. Perhaps it is her way of finally being accepted for her passion.

She doesn't bother to consider a second option. Every other scenario has led her to the exact same place. She's dealt with rejection for more times than she could count. Recoleta could only hope that this group would benefit her in the long run.

Recoleta springs up from her seat on the couch and darts toward the door. She's made up her decision. Her notebook is clutched tightly within her fist as if she wanted to crush it in her hand. Her palm reaches for the doorknob, but it seems to be turning by itself.

Recoleta flinches and steps back with her jaw tightening. The door flings open, and she blinks twice.

It's you.

"...?" Recoleta narrows her eyes. She doesn't say a word. She hadn't anticipated for you to appear at her doorstep at all. You close the door and lock it to prevent her from leaving. You're aware of what she's about to do, what she's getting herself into.

"Recoleta." Your voice is kept low.

"Huh?" She whispers, the bitter undertone evident within the way she delivered her response. You take a breath, gathering the words in your jumbled mind. Recoleta was the last person you'd expected to be invited into Manus Vindictae. For her to make her decision so quick was beyond you.

"You shouldn't go." Your voice is audible enough to reach Recoleta's ears.

She takes a step forward, her voice snapping at a higher, insistent volume. 'You don't understand! Aren't you aware? The people have rejected us, they don't even bother to recognize us."

She doesn't stutter in the slightest. Her face contorts with bottled-up emotion that looks foreign on her. It almost makes you forget who she used to be.

"No... You don't know what you're talking about, Recoleta. This isn't the right choice for us."

The notebook audibly crumples. Recoleta's eye twitches. "When has the righteous ever been the one to blend in our society?" She swallows in an attempt to hide the subtle evidence of her losing her composure.

"They made me realize how much more I could be with my passion. Don't be so blinded by the society who looks down at our works, at everything we worked so hard for!"

Her voice cracks at the last word. Your mouth opens, but not a sound comes from it. The absurdity of her words make you freeze.

Is Manus Vindictae so dangerous they were able to convince Recoleta out of her mind?

The silence from you prompts Recoleta to continue in a quivering voice that contrasts her previous outburst.

"You were always proud of me whenever I expressed my passion. And you even followed me wherever I went, despite the situation. Why are you backing down now? This is it!" Her pleading is enough to make you speechless. This isn't the same Recoleta. She wouldn't be so easily swayed by them. By Manus.

"You have to understand, this is as righteous as we can be!"

"Recoleta, they are killing people for their own pleasure, and you're telling me you want to join them? This is incorrect."

"And the people who refused to acknowledge us are just fine?" Recoleta snaps back. Her notebook falls to the hard floor. "Words can hurt people, much more than just physical injuries."

"Recoleta, this isn't..." You halt your words as Recoleta reaches for your hand.

"Mi querida..." She brings your palm toward her lips, pressing a featherlight kiss to it before her glistening eyes meet yours.

"I need this. I need you."