Page 177 - DivineSparkRisingFinal

Nicholas Boothman
Chapter 27: Pretend No
More
The auditorium in Lisbon’s National Library
was full, but quiet.
Rows of wooden seats creaked under the weight
of a crowd that had come for answers. Students,
teachers, journalists, and wanderers filled the hall.
Some leaned forward, elbows on knees. Others sat
back, arms folded, guarded but curious.
Above them, painted ceilings shimmered in the
low amber light. The walls breathed with old paper
and dust. On the stage, a black curtain hung behind
the lectern, marked with a faint white spiral.
Thirteen arcs.
The whispers faded as the lights dimmed. The
air tightened. Someone coughed. A phone screen
blinked and went dark.
Then Jacinta Borges de Castro walked out.
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