THE MARTYRS Novel

On a cold dewy morning in early January, the town of Abagana witnessed a transformative moment when Mercy arrived at Saint Luke's Convent carrying a carefully wrapped infant. Young and unprepared for motherhood, Mercy grappled with the harsh reality that bearing a child proved far simpler than raising one. The burden of single parenthood weighed heavily on her shoulders, a struggle intensified by her isolation and lack of family support. As the saying goes, a mother without relatives must carry her child while dancing—a poignant metaphor for her impossible situation. Walking toward the convent that morning, Mercy was consumed by guilt and internal conflict. She carried with her a beautiful, innocent child who had done nothing to deserve the mistreatment she feared she might inflict. The weight of her desperation and the child's vulnerability converged at the threshold of the sacred sanctuary.