Maria's footsteps sounded softly in the quiet chapel hallway, like the tone of a heart that had not yet decided whether to sin or remain pure. The incense burning at the side of the altar gave off a soft scent of lavender and holy root, but tonight, the smell only added to the tightness in my chest.
The small prayer room that used to be a sanctuary now felt too narrow. The candles burned dimly, as if guarding the secret that was about to be born.
Ren was waiting for her. He stood in the corner, not wearing a servant's robe, just a linen shirt unbuttoned at the top. The shadow of his face was reflected in the stained glass window that was covered by curtains. He did not speak. Did not call. Just looked. And Maria understood.
The girl's heart was still at war, but her feet had chosen a direction. She stepped inside, closing the door softly, as if hoping the sound of the creaking wood would not reach heaven.
"Why did you come?" Ren asked softly.
Maria stood a few steps away from him, her eyes lowered. "Because I can no longer run away from myself."
Ren approached slowly. "And who are you tonight?"
Maria bit her lip. "A priest… who has sinned too much in his heart."
Ren raised his hand. "Then let me… be the last sin you consciously choose."
Maria didn't answer. But she didn't back down when Ren touched her cheek. The touch was light, but it burned her skin. Ren stared into her eyes—not like a man who wanted a body, but like someone who wanted to swallow all the wounds and doubts in her soul.
"If you want me to stop," Ren whispered, "I will go now."
Maria shook her head.
She took his fingers and placed them on her own chest, right above her throbbing heart.
"Take me to the bottom… before I become a prison to myself again."
Ren's eyes softened. He pulled Maria slowly into his embrace, and as their bodies met, their breaths became one.
There were no words. No sacred promises. Just tension melting into intimacy.
Ren kissed her forehead first. Then her eyelids. Then her lips, slowly, as if giving Maria time to run. But Maria kissed him back. Her hands squeezed Ren's back, and the kiss changed—from confession to urgency, from guilt to need.
Clothes fell slowly, unhurriedly. The sound of breaths, hesitant whispers, and heartbeats filled the narrow space.
They didn't tear each other. They gave each other.
And when their bodies touched without barriers, it wasn't heat that overwhelmed Maria—it was destruction. Because in that moment, she knew: she couldn't go back.
"Ren…" Maria whispered, her voice broken. "If this is a dream, let me sleep forever."
Ren kissed her shoulder, then whispered something in her ear. The words were lost amidst heavy breathing and rising tremors.
The night dragged on slowly. Only one candle remained lit.
When it was all over, Maria lay on Ren's chest. Her arms were around his waist, her eyes still glassy. Not because she regretted it. But because for the first time, she felt… free.
"I can no longer touch the altar with a pure heart," she said.
Ren stroked her hair. "Then make my body your new altar."
Maria laughed softly through her tears. "You're a devil."
"But you summoned me," Ren replied.
They were silent.
However, before the silence turned into peaceful sleep, the door to the prayer room shook.
Ren immediately sat up, pulling on his makeshift robe. Maria held her breath.
The door did not open, but the voice behind it echoed clearly.
"Maria… Are you in there?" Alicia's voice. Soft, but with a suspicious tone.
Maria froze. Ren stared at her—both eyes were shocked, their breaths had not yet fully recovered.
When Maria was about to answer, Hiro's voice was also heard from outside. "If she doesn't answer… we'll break it down."
In an instant, their secret paradise turned into a deadly trap. Would the door open? Or would Maria have to lie in the face of the light?