In the House of the Sacred Sisterhood, the unworthy live in fear of the Superior Sister's whip. In an atmosphere of constant threat and tense rivalry, they plot against each other and wait to see who will ascend to the level of the Enlightened - and who will suffer the next exemplary punishment.

Risking her life, one of the unworthy keeps a diary in secret. Slowly, memories surface from a time before the world collapsed, before the Sacred Sisterhood became the only refuge.

Then Lucia arrives. She, too, is unworthy - but she is different. And her presence brings a single spark of hope to a world of darkness.