When the town of Spirit Pines starts smiling a little too perfectly, Sister Mary Mercy can smell trouble-a problem, since the town wants her to be a more "pleasant" person.

A mysterious teen recruitment movement has swept the American Midwest, backed by shining megachurch energy, pastel drones, and spiritual synergy levels so aggressive they might violate international law. But beneath the surface lies something far worse: Elsewhere-a reality-warping force that steals stories, rewrites memories, and wants to turn humanity into tidy little narratives.

When Lily is nearly absorbed into the cult of good vibes, the Sisters of Perpetual Enforcement discover that Spirit Pines has been built on a single stolen life: Ellie Graceland, a girl whose memories were harvested to create a perfect template town. To save her-and everyone trapped inside-a vow-dampened Mercy must face weaponized positivity, emotionally hostile architecture, hologram youth pastors, brochure swarms, and Spirit Pines' disturbingly flawless welcome team.

But as Elsewhere collapses, Mercy becomes the one thing the narrative can't parse: a contradiction with free will, sharp edges, and a vow that refuses to be edited.

Armed with paradox, friendship, rage, and one very civic-minded goat, the Sisters will tear down the Template, rescue Ellie from literal erasure, and prove that imperfect, messy humanity is worth fighting for-even if it means punching a megachurch so hard it becomes a crater.

In a story warped by the void, the only thing that makes sense...

is a nun who won't.