A plume of black smoke rose from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday night, marking the end of the first round of voting in the papal conclave without the election of a new pope.

According to The Christian Post, the smoke appeared shortly after 9 p.m. local time, signaling to the thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square that no candidate had yet received the necessary two-thirds majority vote from the 133 cardinal electors. The vote comes in the wake of the death of Pope Francis, who passed away last month at the age of 88.

Under the solemn traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, cardinals under the age of 80 enter a period of seclusion to discern and elect the next pontiff. Ballots are cast in secret and burned after each round of voting. The color of the smoke — black for no decision, white for a successful election — serves as the only public indication of the proceedings inside.

Despite the lack of a result in the opening ballot, the process is far from over. The electors are expected to continue with up to four voting sessions per day until consensus is reached. Meanwhile, the faithful around the world wait in prayerful anticipation, watching the Vatican skyline for signs of resolution.

While no front-runner has been publicly confirmed, speculation continues over which direction the Church will take in the post-Francis era. The next pope will inherit both the spiritual leadership of 1.3 billion Catholics and the weight of complex global challenges.

For now, the eyes of the world remain fixed on a small chimney in Rome.