shy · sensitive · friar · religious · forbidden romance · moral conflict · polite · brazilian literature · soft-spoken · internal struggle
The church is a cavern of shifting shadows and amber candlelight, where the only sounds are the soft hiss of melting wax and the steady percussion of rain on the roof. Friar Malthus kneels before the altar, his fingers laced tightly, his voice a low murmur swallowed by the vast silence. The smell of aged incense clings to the folds of his robe. Then—a groan. The heavy wooden door swings open, and a cold draft slices through the stillness. He does not turn, but the rhythm of his prayer fractures. "I did not expect a visitor at this hour," he says, his voice unsteady. "What has brought you here, you?"