Repentance

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Chapter 2

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Kind old lady and good friend whom have been his first discipline in learning how to be a follower of the Lord, her white hair with a face filled of small wrinkles at her current age, blue eyes with a friendly demeanor, and round glasses perched upon her nose, she is nonetheless a person worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven.

"Morning to you, sister," he answered in a smile, hoping his response didn't sound forced. The older woman chuckled softly at the awkwardness of their meeting. Her gaze moved toward the window on her left, where sunlight came pouring through, brightening up the room in its warmth.

She sighed quietly while closing her eyes briefly. "Are the nightmares still bothering you?" Tera inquired kindly while peering back at Seth, waiting patiently for his response, "How long have they been troubling you?" I asked kindly once more after a few seconds went by without an answer from him.

Few more seconds later, "yes," honestly answering as she nodded in understanding, he wasn't keen on sharing his problems, but Sister Tera was the only person who could help him. "Well, you already know what will happen," he said, gazing away from her in conflict, "nothing will change that my constant nightmares of dying over and over while getting tortured are always terrifying for me to experience," shuddering involuntary of the traumatic memories.

Sister Tera looked at Seth with concern written across her face before nodding slowly. Her brows furrowed slightly at what she was hearing: "Would you like to sit with me and pray together?" The old lady asked in the hope that it might help him calm down a bit.

At first, he thought about refusing such a request, knowing that if he declined her offer, it'd only hurt her feelings, but instead, Seth gave out a sigh, "Sure, I wouldn't mind joining with you," accepting the invitation as she grinned at his answer, "maybe it can help alleviate the tension I'm having lately."

"I'm glad to hear that, come," she gestured for them to the bed, where they then sit at the edge of it side by side. "Let us begin," she said, smiling sweetly while clasping her hands together, placing them in front of her. Seth then followed suit by mimicking her posture, lowering his head to look at his palms. Both were silent for several minutes after that before she suddenly spoke, "forgive my selfishness, but may I know the nightmare you get in full detail?" The elderly woman inquired, peering at him from the corner of her eye.

Shaking his head, he opened his eyes and turned to her. "I can't really recall other than knowing that I'm dying and getting tortured," he said in uncertainty. "It's all too difficult to remember, and the dreams were too foggy to begin with," he confessed honestly as he lifted up his right hand to scratch behind his ear sheepishly.

She merely hummed before nodding again. She looked down at her lap, where she continued to keep her hands folded together with thumbs rubbing against each other absentmindedly. "But what if these nightmares aren't just regular dreams of you simply being tormented? What if they're more than that? What if they're visions of your future that's yet to come, warning you what fate has in store for you?" Querying calmly to the young man

Seth was surprised to hear that; he hadn't thought of it, but they were nonetheless too obscured in details for him to decipher accurately. "I'm not sure," he stated in puzzlement, "perhaps I'm only overthinking things and making them seem worse than what they truly are," pondering if there's actually a connection between these two things.

Suddenly standing up, she turned around to face and bowed her head in apology. "I'm sorry if I scared you. It's just that some dreams can be prophetic. They reveal hidden truths and messages we aren't aware of when we're awake," she explains apologetically while glancing back at him.

Smiling lightly, he lowered his head in respect for her. "There's no need for that; I understand, and don't worry about it. Some dreams can be just nothing," Seth raised his head, now grinning up at her reassuringly. He had learned that some dreams are merely harmless and meaningless, while others are either signs from the divine beings above or just simple imagination going wild.

Consciousness is the most powerful thing humans have; it allows them to imagine things beyond reality itself. Many have claimed to have experienced events prior to them taking place; some say it's because of intuition, while others believe it to be connected to certain elements that exist in reality, such as destiny.

Humans are capable of doing incredible things in this world and beyond. There are things they can achieve through their actions, and others lie in wait for them, waiting to be discovered. Whether it is a matter of faith or mere coincidence,

Surely, the state of being aware of and responsive to one's surroundings is the most complex function anyone can possess. Seth understood that being conscious means being able to recognize oneself as separate from others while also having an understanding of who they are as an individual.

Regardless, he is beginning to get cut off track by this nonsense: "I want to assure you that I am fine and nothing is going on. Please don't worry about it anymore; I'm really grateful for you worrying over me, Sister Tera," sincerely admitting at this.

Tera was taken back by this sudden statement, but then smiled gently. "Very well," she responded, "if you insist on continuing, I won't pry anymore. Though there was another reason why I came here like always to check on you," she said, clearing her throat as she glanced away, appearing almost timid. "You may not remember, but today is supper for all the priests in the temple," referring to the food they are preparing.

"Ah, I see," delighted to see this special event coming up in celebration of a week without any fights or disputes happening throughout the building itself, "that is wonderful news," happy to hear as the old lady nodded, "I suppose the nuns are preparing the feast as usual, no?" smiling proudly at how they take care of cooking the meal.

Nodding, "Yes, that is correct; although they wanted them to see you," her brow arched as she eyed him intently, hoping he would accept the task. "They are working very hard to make this evening a success for all of us," emphasizing how busy the group of women are.

Frowning at this sight, he was conflicted. On one hand, he allowed women to take simple vows but live an active vocation of prayer and charitable work. Aside from doing plain chores, the men are the ones responsible for managing the place and other religious works all together.

This is a double monastery and church after all, combining priests and nuns in one church to help each other grow spiritually while maintaining different tasks. "Of course, I shall do it," he said, finding it rude to not even participate in any of the activities in the temple itself as it is his temple.

There is no greater joy than spending time together in harmony, regardless of gender or origin. All are equal under God as long as they follow his teachings. This is why they are gathering at this time in order to celebrate their unity as a family.

For the women, however, they are sadly excluded from their upcoming feast, making him obliged to at least do something or even help them cook. Finding it unfair, the sisters do most of the cooking every day while not being allowed to become ordained priests for various reasons. Where men and women are preferably suited to different roles and functions in the church. As to abandon a thousand-year-old understanding of priesthood would be a doctrinal change to their religion.

Especially when the nuns are usually left out to do minor chores that aren't really significant at all in terms of spiritual growth in themselves, "I shall go, but please excuse me; I have to get ready." Seth quickly apologized and stood up.

"I shall join with them," she said, turning to the closed door. She headed toward the knob before stopping right in front of it as she looked back, smiling widely. "May the Father bless you on your path," her gentle voice echoing throughout the room as Seth watched in silence.

Watching Sister Tera leave the room with no more words exchanged between them, Seth has yet again begun to feel downhearted about how his duties are affecting him; he never meant to disappoint those who support him in spreading the father's word.

Moving to the door and opening it, he finally left his comfort zone, placing himself into the nearly spacious hallway stretching across the large church in length as far as the eye could see. Filled with stained glass windows and lit by candles everywhere at each stone pillar.

While also acting as a double monastery for them to dedicate their lives to religious vows, it is also a church. With a high ceiling and a narrow walkway. The walls are painted a muted color, and the floor is covered with a thick red rug. This temple is an amazing sight to behold, and the beauty of the hall makes it a work of art in itself.

Many priests with their hoodless and long-sleeved black cassocks roamed around in the large pathway, some speaking among one another while others read scrolls of writing. Most are carrying books and scrolls all throughout their daily routine with fellow brothers in arms.

No nun is in sight, for truthfully, rarely any woman is interested in serving the church and choosing a life of celibacy for the entirety of their duration; the only ones willing to join are usually few in number. But it does bring equality to some degree by having to balance out male and female alike, even though the men have higher authority when it comes to the church itself.

Shaking away these thoughts, he walked forward as the sunlight poured through the stained glass windows, casting colorful rays upon the floor. I walked past fellow priests chatting happily about their current mission in the temple.

Some, however, took a glance, waving with a smile or greeting their founder in such a cheerful mood they hadn't seen since days ago. "Good morning, father Seth," one of them greeted before resuming conversation with another man beside him.

Nodding in acknowledgement, "Hello," Seth replied simply while proceeding onward. It wasn't long before he noticed a wooden sign with a carved sign that said kitchen, feeling rather nervous about seeing the nuns, as he wasn't really sure why he was going to visit them other than that they wanted to see him.

Slowing down his pace until he came to a stop, Seth stood at the entrance while mentally preparing himself for whatever reaction awaited him. "Usually I'm busy with my prayers and sermons, but its nice to have a change in schedule sometimes." Taking deep breath, he pushed aside any worries and anxieties lingering within him.

He is doing this for the people, not himself. While he does love himself, Seth loves more for others. A leader should always think about their followers rather than himself. Their happiness comes before his own, and nothing else matters more than having the ones he cares about.

"It's not always about me, but them."

With God's humility in his heart, he entered the room to find all of the twenty nuns talking merrily to one another while preparing the supper at different tables, one of them stirring stew while others chopped vegetables or slicing meat. The entire room had an atmosphere of peace and tranquility, which he felt himself drawn to immediately as soon as he stepped inside.

It was large, with pots and pans hanging from hooks on the ceiling and spices neatly lined up in jars on shelves. There was a large oven where one of the nuns was baking bread. The kitchen had a calming atmosphere, with the quiet murmur of voices and the sounds of knives and spoons clinking against pots and pans. It smelled like cinnamon and baked bread, with a hint of citrus in the air.

The kitchen was a hive of activity, with the nuns hurrying around the room, chopping, mixing, and preparing everything. They all wore long black habits with white wimples and black veils. Their faces had varied emotions, some laughing and joking, some looking tired or concentrating on their tasks.

Most of all, its walls and floor were tiled with smooth gray stones, and the ceiling was vaulted, with more lanterns hanging down from chains attached to the rafters. The sun shone through large windows set high up near the ceiling, allowing plenty of light to illuminate the area.

Especially the massive and rectangular wooden table along with a hundred chairs surrounds it. Each unoccupied chair is suited for each priest who will be attending the supper this early morning. "I believe we forgot to tell our founder that we will be cooking our special supper this time!"

Sister Tera's voice caught him off guard. He turned to see all the women looking at him with admiration; they all seemed to have forgotten what they were doing as they stared at him in awe. Their expressions changed from confusion to understanding in realization.

Embarrassed by their reaction, he never sees himself as some messiah or deity, for it is God they should adore—not him, but Seth understands why every priest and nun has deep respect or admiration for him, he was responsible for giving them purpose in their new lives as well as a place to call home.

Then all the nuns rushed and surrounded him, eager to share their stories and concerns with him. While also thanking Seth for everything he has done for them, the young man listened attentively, responding back with smiles and trying his best to be patient despite his personal difficulties.

"Ladies!"

All the women and girls stopped, turning to Sister Tera, who was clearly folding her arms in disappointment. "It is rude to mob someone, especially when they are obviously busy and need space to breathe." Glaring at the others in disapproval, the nuns shyly separated themselves as they made their way back to their routine.

Tera sighs in disbelief of the events that had transpired before them as she approached with a regretful look. "Dear, I'm sorry for their behavior; it seems they all forgot their manners in welcoming a guest in their kitchen," expressing her own apologetic in behalf of their rudeness. "Please forgive me again; they're usually very well behaved, unlike today," frowning in dismay.

Chuckling, he shook his head and said, "No, it's okay; I understand their enthusiasm for meeting me like this, plus I'm glad that they are bonding together," glancing at the many nuns who were talking to one another, a sign of friendship and familial bond at each of them.

Seth's face turned melancholy as he remembered his past companions, the ones who have died but will always be remembered in his heart and soul, almost making him tear up at losing so many great people who brought joy and kindness to him.

Catching his peculiar expression, "Is something the matter?" She gently placed her on the young man's shoulder, "You seem hurt," studying him closely, her brow creasing in concern for the man who had shown them a better life.

"It's nothing," forcing a smile, "everything is fine; trust me," taking a deep breath and letting it out, "beside, I'm here to assist in making the feast. Isn't that what I came here for?" putting up a facade to hide his troubled past in order to move on.

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by 3 Armored Kittens · Prodromos v.1.1 - World Anvil 0.9.15.042 © 2017-2024 [en] | Anvil Time: 01:57, Nov 13 2024