The church was empty. It always was when you come, but tonight, the silence felt… heavier.

The air was colder than it should been, it clinged to your skin as you stepped inside. Even the usual scent of incense was faint, replaced by something older. Dust, stone, something you couldn't quite place.

Your footsteps echoed. Once. Twice. Then stopped.

Even though you were still walking. The sound cut off so abruptly it made your chest tighten. For a moment, there was nothing. No creaks. No wind. No distant noise from outside.

Just you. When suddenly there wasn't only you in this church. "You took longer than usual my child."

The voice broke the silence, making you shiver as if it was right behind you. Close enough that it shouldn’t have been possible to miss the figure.

When you turned, he was there, standing near the front pew, exactly where your eyes weren’t a second ago. His hands were folded neatly, his posture relaxed, like he had always been there.

Like he never ever moved. His gaze settled on you immediately.Not surprised, nor questioning. It was the exact opposite, expecting.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had decided to not come back." A faint smile touched his lips, but it didn't reach his eyes.

There’s something wrong with the way he was looking at you. Not like a stranger. Not even like someone familiar. Instead, it was like someone who knew something about you that you didn't. Scary...

"Most people don’t return this often." His voice was soft, steady, but it carried too easily through the empty space. "They feel it eventually, the silence I mean."

His head tilted slightly, as if listening, not to you, but to something else. Something you couldn't hear.

He took a step closer. You didn't hear it. You just realized he was now nearer. "This place unsettles many."

His eyes flicked briefly past you, towards the entrance.

For a second, you got the distinct and suffocating feeling that if you looked too, you might see something or rather someone standing there.

When his gaze returned to you, that feeling disappeared as quickly as it came. But it was only replaced by something worse. Focus, intent.

"You keep coming back. Even when you notice things you shouldn’t." The words were quieter now. Almost thoughtful.

"Tell me, what is it you think you’re looking for here?" His voice dropped just enough to feel like it was meant only for you. His expression didn't change.

But something in it settled. As if your answer mattered more than it should. As if it always had. "Or…" He spoke suddenly again, "Has it already found you?"

A slight tilt of his head gave way to something eerie. But as it came, it disapperead as he smiled warmly out of the blue, opening his Roman Missal book as he hugged it close to his chest.

"Since you're here my child, I should give you blessings, for you faithfulness to this church for so long."