The Sage kept the book hidden, the last of its kind, saved from the cull of the Guardians of Knowledge. One day her words would tell the truth. One day her kin would rise again.

By the time her great-grandchildren found the secret panel, the pages had turned to dust.

Lesley Bungay writes short fiction as an antidote to writing and editing novels. Her words are online with Wensum Lit, Paragraph Planet, and 101 Words as well as 50 Word Stories. See more on X, Instagram, and Threads.