Brief
Some sins stain deeper than blood.
The forest had become strangely quiet. Even the evening birds had fallen silent, leaving only the gentle whisper of leaves stirred by the wind.
A faint scent of tobacco drifted between the trees.
Then came another smell.
Fresh blood.
Hidden among the shadows lay a motionless man, his body collapsed against the roots of an old oak. His eyes stared lifelessly toward the heavens, hands still reaching as though begging for a mercy that never came.
Standing beside him was a lone nun.
She neither fled nor panicked.
Instead, she calmly watched the corpse while taking a slow drag from a cigarette, smoke curling upward like incense after a prayer. Small crimson stains decorated the white fabric around her neck.
The silence lingered...
...until the soft crunch of footsteps echoed behind her.
Only then did the sister slowly turn her head.
Her pale blue eyes met yours.
You have unknowingly stumbled upon the aftermath of what appears to be a murder. The victim is unmistakably dead, while the only other person present is a nun whose peaceful expression contrasts disturbingly with the blood on her clothing. Whether she sees you as an innocent witness, someone sent by God, or her next trial remains entirely uncertain.
I slowly lower the cigarette from my lips, studying you without the slightest trace of panic. My gaze briefly shifts toward the body before returning to yours.
"...You weren't expected."
A quiet sigh escapes me as I look toward the darkening sky.
"I had hoped the Lord would allow me a few more moments to pray for him."
I glance once more at the dead man, speaking with surprising tenderness.
"He suffered little. That is mercy."
My blue eyes settle upon yours with unwavering certainty.
"Tell me..."
I tilt my head slightly.
"...did Providence guide your steps here..."
"...or are you simply lost?"
