As we went inside, the heavy wooden door clicked shut behind us, completely sealing out the cool, damp air of the village and the oppressive weight of the bruised grey sky that hung permanently over the entire settlement. The interior of the Church of Saint Maris was quiet and still, filled with a calm, sheltered atmosphere that contrasted sharply with the bleak and impoverished streets outside. We began to walk forward together, our boots stepping softly onto the smooth floorboards of the main hallway. The sound of our footsteps was low and muffled in the enclosed space, creating a gentle rhythm as we moved further into the building. The nun walked ahead of us, guiding us through the simple corridors of the structure. The walls around us were plain and unadorned, reflecting the modest nature of the church, yet the space felt safe and secure compared to the rest of the rundown neighborhood. We continued walking down the length of the hall, navigating the quiet path until we reached a small, comfortable communal area that was set aside for visitors and residents alike. Inside this room, a simple furniture arrangement was positioned neatly against the wall, offering a clear place to rest after our journey. We approached the seating area without any delay, our physical movement through the building remaining steady and smooth as we prepared to sit down and speak about the primary reason for our sudden visit to this quiet establishment.
We walked directly over to the furniture, and we sat at the couch together, settling into the cushions as our long walk from the village perimeter came to a complete end. The physical act of sitting down allowed us to rest our limbs after the journey, the soft material of the seat fully supporting our weight as we adjusted our postures. Tokine sat right next to me on the same couch, her movements quiet and deliberate as she took her place on the cushions, turning her attention toward the center of the room. The nun remained standing near us, looking down at us with a friendly and patient expression, waiting to see what we would do or say next now that we had officially entered the building and made ourselves comfortable. The room was perfectly peaceful, the silent air wrapping around all three of us as we sat securely on the furniture. I rested my hands smoothly on my lap, focusing my thoughts entirely on the immediate task at hand while the quiet atmosphere of the church interior remained completely undisturbed. We sat there silently for a brief moment, letting the exhaustion of our travel fade away as we prepared to engage in a direct conversation regarding my ten year old little sister.
Once we were fully settled onto the cushions of the furniture and the initial silence of the room had been established, I turned my gaze directly toward the woman standing before us. I looked at her with a calm and serious expression, preparing to ask the single most important question that had driven me to travel back to this settlement. I broke the quietness of the indoor space, and I asked her, "Where is Mia right now?" The question left my mouth clearly and directly, the syllables of my sister's name echoing softly against the plain walls of the room. I kept my tone steady, ensuring that my inquiry was perfectly understandable as I sought immediate information regarding the current location and status of my young sibling. Tokine sat quietly by my side, listening intently as the words hung in the peaceful air of the church, waiting along with me to hear the answer.
The nun listened to my direct question with a gentle and understanding expression, her posture remaining calm as she prepared to provide the necessary information about my sister. She looked down at me kindly, her face reflecting a deep familiarity with the children under her care. She answered with, "All of the other kids and she are asleep right now, but in a few hours they'll be awake." Her voice was soft and quiet, perfectly matching the peaceful environment of the church interior as she delivered the update. She explained the situation clearly, letting me know that my young sister was currently resting peacefully alongside the rest of the children in the sleeping quarters, completely undisturbed by our sudden arrival. The information made it clear that we would have to wait a little while before we could actually see her face to face and speak with her directly. The nun's words flowed smoothly through the room, reassuring me that Mia was safe and resting comfortably, while also establishing a clear timeline for when she would ultimately open her eyes and join us in the main areas of the building. We sat on the couch, absorbing the answer completely as the quietness returned to the room, the reality of the children's sleep creating a temporary pause in our plans for the day.
I listened to her complete response, processing the realization that my little sister would not be conscious for at least a few more hours. I did not express any disappointment or impatience regarding the delay; instead, I remained perfectly calm as I sat on the furniture. I just nodded my head in a slow, understanding motion, lowering and raising my chin to show that I fully accepted the information she had given me. After completing this simple physical gesture, I decided that we should utilize this waiting period to step away for a brief moment. I looked back up at the woman, and I said to her that we'll be right back. The short statement was delivered clearly, informing her directly of our temporary departure from the room without giving any complex reasons or lengthy explanations.
Immediately after speaking those words to the nun, I turned my physical attention entirely toward my companion sitting right next to me on the cushions. I extended my right arm across the small space between us, reaching out deliberately toward her. I grabbed Tokine's hand, closing my fingers firmly around hers to establish a secure and solid physical connection between us. She did not pull away or resist my grip; instead, she allowed her hand to remain securely held within mine as I prepared for our sudden departure from the interior of the church. The physical contact was immediate and firm, ensuring that we were completely linked together before any action took place. I held her hand tightly, bracing my posture as I prepared to change our location instantly.
With our hands tightly locked together and our physical connection completely secure, I activated the spatial movement without a single moment of delay. I teleported both of us away from the church room in an absolute instant, completely vanishing from the sight of the nun and the interior of the building. The transition happened so fast that the comfortable couch and the plain walls disappeared in the blink of an eye, replaced immediately by a completely different environment. There was no physical movement through the hallways or the village paths; we simply ceased to exist in that indoor space and immediately materialized in our new destination. The process was completely seamless, shifting our entire physical mass through space instantly until the shift was fully complete.
We teleported at the top of the mountain nearby, our feet landing heavily on the solid, rocky ground of the high summit. The sudden change in elevation was immediately noticeable as the cool, thin air of the peak rushed around us, replacing the sheltered warmth of the church interior. We stood side by side on the highest point of the terrain, surrounded by rough stones and sparse vegetation that clung to the mountain slopes. From this elevated position, the entire village below was completely visible, sprawling out across the lower plains under the permanent, bruised grey sky that looked even closer from this height. The rugged earth beneath our boots was uneven and firm, requiring us to adjust our balance after the instant spatial journey. We stood together on the rocky peak, looking out over the vast landscape that stretched out in every direction from the top of the mountain nearby. The strong wind blew continuously across the empty peak, carrying a deep stillness that matched the quiet mood of our journey. We remained completely stationary on the high ground, looking down at the small houses of the settlement far below us while we waited for the hours to pass. The heavy atmosphere of the region enveloped both of us completely as we stood together on the highest rock under the grey canopy. Tokine slowly released my grip and looked down at the village lanes, observing the quiet view with a silent expression while I watched the horizons. There were no sounds up here, just the cold wind moving softly over the stones, keeping us company while we waited for the right time to return down there very soon.