Tulia led Sophia to the only remaining Church in Northport.
The once-bustling Courtyard had long since fallen into neglect, overgrown with weeds. The crowds that used to line up for relief meals had vanished without a trace.
In a daze, Tulia could still see those two thin little figures from back then—herself and Ella, curled up against the cold wind, waiting for their weekly serving of hot soup and bread.
At that time, they barely survived on Tulia’s occasional pilfering, weighing every Copper Coin in their hands again and again.
Going to the Church every Thursday for relief became the rare moment in their lives when they could briefly forget hunger.
After coming enough times, Sister Maria noticed the sisters who always quietly queued at the end of the line.
Though young, they understood etiquette, and their eyes were clear. The Sister felt compassion rise in her heart.
To this day, Tulia still remembered Sister Maria’s gentle voice that day:
“Since you two come so often, why not help out at the Church?”
As she spoke, the Sister handed over two rough pairs of Sackcloth Gloves.
“Clean the Garden, wipe the Benches, you’ll get eighty Copper Coins every week. It’s better than going hungry.”
…
Tulia took a deep breath. The air still faintly carried the familiar fragrance of flowers from her memories, seeping into her heart.
It seemed that some things really could not be entirely erased by time.
Sophia turned to look at Tulia, only to find that the person who should have been happiest to come here was hesitating at the threshold.
“What are you thinking about?” Her voice was gentle.
“I…” Tulia was at a loss for words.
Over the decades, there were so many questions she yearned to find answers to here. She always felt that this Church could offer her a complete explanation.
But decades had gone by, and so many things had been weathered and scattered by time.
Sister Maria, after all, was only human. Perhaps she had long since… Tulia dared not think further.
She hoped the Sister had lived a long life, leaving behind even a few words, but she also feared facing a world where everything had changed, perhaps even hearing the news she most dreaded—that the one she cared about most, not a blood relative yet closer than family, might already be in her twilight years, or perhaps had passed away.
“That’s enough, don’t hesitate.” Sophia saw right through her, speaking softly, “We’ve already come to the door. Are you really going to shrink back at the very last step?”
No one knew better than Sophia why Tulia had come—for the search of her sister Ella, who had relied on her for survival.
She also understood that some truths could not be hidden forever. Instead of stopping her, it was better to stand by her side.
The one who least wanted Tulia to return here had now become her most steadfast supporter.
“My beloved Mistress, please—”
Sophia’s tone suddenly turned playful. She strode ahead, pushed open the weathered wooden door, and with an elegant bow, placed a hand over her chest in a gesture of invitation.
“Sophia, this really isn’t like you.”
Tulia couldn’t help but giggle at her sudden mischief.
“People change, Mistress.” Sophia straightened up and gazed at her with deep eyes. “But my love for you will never change.”
That half-joking, half-serious line somehow soothed the heaviness in Tulia’s heart.
She took a deep breath and stepped into the Church.
Inside was completely different from the decay outside: spotless, utterly tranquil.
Sunlight streamed through the stained-glass windows, casting dreamy rays of light that looked like rainbow bridges falling from the sky.
“Is anyone here?” Tulia called softly, her voice echoing lightly in the empty hall.
There was no answer.
Was her confusion destined to remain unresolved forever? How she longed to see Ella once more, even if only to pay her respects at her grave… Her courage ebbed away again.
Sophia looked at Tulia’s timid figure and let out a helpless sigh. Her little bird was always like this—when it mattered most, she needed a gentle push.
“Is anyone here? Is anyone here! Is anyone here—!” Sophia simply raised her voice, her clear tone reverberating throughout the Church.
Still, only silence replied. With each call, the disappointment in Tulia’s eyes deepened.
“Don’t worry, I have another way.” Sophia reassured her and strode straight to the Donation Box, tossed in a Coin, then tugged the Praying Rope beside it.
The bell rang with a crisp “ding-a-ling.”
Almost at the same moment, a muffled thud sounded from the direction of the Confessional near the Church entrance, followed by a girl’s yelp: “Ouch!”
Immediately after, a figure dashed up to the Donation Box, deftly unlocked it with a key, and fished out the gleaming Coin.
“Wow! A Coin! Haven’t seen one of these in months!” The girl, a Young Nun of the Church, showed no decorum at all. She squinted her eyes, her brows dancing with delight, eyes darting between Sophia and Tulia as she quickly deduced, “Are you two a couple here to pray?”
“We’re not—”
“That’s fine! It’s fine!” The Young Nun cheerfully interrupted, “The Church is very open these days! We welcome partners like you just the same!”
That bit of flattery landed perfectly. Sophia flicked her fingers, and another Coin spun through the air, swiftly caught by the Young Nun.
“We… are looking for Sister Maria.” Tulia stepped forward. “My name is Tulia. There are some things I wish to ask her.”
The Young Nun showed a look of sudden understanding. “Oh, so you’re looking for Old Lady Maria! What a pity, she passed away ten years ago! Buried right in the Graveyard out back, want to go take a look?” Her tone was flippant, with no respect for the deceased—an incorrigible little miser.
“Take us to see her.”
In the Graveyard, the headstone engraved with “Maria” was as clean as new, standing out starkly from the others, which looked somewhat weathered.
It seemed to have been carefully tended, faintly radiating a special luster, as if the Sister’s soul was still silently watching over it.
So, this little miser of a Young Nun wasn’t as indifferent as she appeared.
Tulia bowed silently before the grave.
The Young Nun asked curiously from the side, “Were you close with the old lady?”
“Not really. A long time ago, Sister Maria was kind to me, but unfortunately, even until her death, I was never able to repay her.”
“How long ago was that?”
“About… half a century, I suppose.” Tulia gazed at the gravestone, her eyes full of longing.
“Half a century?”
The Young Nun looked Tulia up and down in surprise. There really were humans who could stay young forever… Silver hair, the features matched, just more mature, and the eye color was off—in her memory, the magical portrait had red eyes, but this woman’s were blue.
“May I ask, what’s your name?”
“Tulia… or Tuling.”
“That’s it! That’s it!” The Young Nun’s eyes lit up instantly. “Before the old lady passed away, she told me to give something to you!”
“She left something for me?” Tulia’s confusion deepened.
Maria shouldn’t have remembered her so clearly. Even after she’d been imprisoned in Sophia’s manor, she’d tried sending Letters in secret, but none had ever been answered.
Why would Maria go out of her way to leave something for her?
Following the Young Nun to the Church’s living quarters, she saw on a simple, spotless wooden table, a Glass Bottle holding a dazzling Rainbow Rose, with a white Letter beside it sealed with a Red Wax Seal.
“This… is for me?”