She hadn't meant to hear it.
Or see it.
Sister Beatrice had only been passing by the chapel that evening, her steps quiet, her thoughts elsewhere—
Until voices stopped her.
"…You're holding back."
She froze.
That voice—
Soft. Female.
And then—
"…Yes."
'Father Adrian'
Her breath caught slightly.
She shouldn't have stayed.
Shouldn't have listened.
Shouldn't have stepped closer to the partially closed door—
But she did.
Just enough to see shadows.
Not clearly.
Not fully.
But enough.
A girl.
Close.
Too close.
And then—
"…Don't do that again."
Silence.
"…Test me."
Sister Beatrice stepped back immediately.
Her heart pounding—not from fear…
But something sharper.
Disapproval.
By the time Seraphina stepped out of the chapel, Beatrice was already gone.
But the image—
That moment—
Stayed.
And it changed something.
The Next Morning
"Seraphina."
The tone was different.
Not warm.
Not welcoming.
Seraphina turned slowly.
Sister Beatrice stood a few steps away, her posture straight, her expression composed—
But her eyes…
Cold.
"Yes, Sister?" Seraphina replied calmly.
A brief pause.
"The chapel floors were not properly cleaned yesterday."
Seraphina blinked once.
"…I cleaned them."
"Then you didn't do it well enough."
Silence.
Seraphina studied her.
Carefully.
"…I'll redo it."
"See that you do."
And just like that—
She walked away.
Seraphina didn't move immediately.
Her gaze lingered slightly.
"…Strange," she murmured.
Because that—
Hadn't been about the floors.
Days Later
It didn't stop.
"Seraphina, you're late."
"I wasn't assigned—"
"Now you are."
"Seraphina, this isn't arranged properly."
"It was done exactly as—"
"Redo it."
"Seraphina, pay attention."
"I am."
"Clearly not."
Small things.
Constant things.
Nothing loud.
Nothing obvious.
But enough.
Enough to be noticed.
Enough to irritate.
Enough to push.
And Seraphina—
Noticed everything.
Whispers
"She's hard on you…"
Seraphina didn't look up from the cloth she was folding.
"…It doesn't matter."
"But it does," the younger nun insisted softly. "She wasn't like this before."
A pause.
"…Before what?" Seraphina asked.
The girl hesitated.
"…Before you."
Silence.
That—
Was interesting.
**********
The hallway was quiet.
Dark.
Midnight had a way of revealing things the day tried to hide.
Seraphina walked calmly toward her room, her steps soft, her expression unreadable.
She already knew.
She had known for days.
And tonight—
She was done pretending not to.
"…You've been watching me."
The voice came from the shadows
Sister Beatrice stepped forward slowly.
"I could say the same about you."
Seraphina didn't stop walking.
Didn't slow down.
"Then say it," she replied calmly.
That—
Wasn't the reaction Beatrice expected.
"…You think I don't see it?" Beatrice continued, her voice lowering. "The way you behave. The way you speak to him."
Seraphina stopped.
Finally.
She turned.
Slowly.
"And how exactly do I behave?" she asked.
Beatrice stepped closer.
"Inappropriately."
A pause.
"With a priest."
Silence.
Then—
Seraphina smiled.
Not sweet.
Not soft.
Sharp.
"…Is that what this is about?"
Beatrice's expression tightened.
"You're a distraction."
Seraphina tilted her head slightly.
"To him?" she asked softly.
A beat.
"…Or to you?"
That hit.
Beatrice's jaw clenched.
"Watch your words."
But Seraphina didn't step back.
Didn't soften.
Instead—
She stepped closer.
"You've been making things difficult for me," she said quietly. "Over small tasks. Small mistakes."
A pause.
"…That's not discipline."
Another step closer.
"…That's personal."
Silence.
The tension thickened.
"You don't belong here," Beatrice said finally.
Seraphina's eyes darkened slightly.
"…Neither do you."
A beat.
"What?"
Seraphina's smile returned.
Slow.
Deliberate.
"You're not angry because of what you saw," she continued softly.
Another step.
Closer now.
"You're angry because you felt something."
Beatrice's breath hitched slightly
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?"
Seraphina's voice dropped—
Almost a whisper.
"You saw him hesitate."
A pause.
"You saw him react."
Another step.
"And you didn't like it."
Silence.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
"…You're overstepping," Beatrice said, but her voice lacked its earlier firmness.
Seraphina leaned in just slightly.
"No," she murmured.
"I'm just saying what you won't."
A long pause.
Then—
She stepped back.
Just like that.
The distance returned.
"But don't worry," she added lightly. "I'm not here to take anything from you."
A faint smile.
"I don't want what you can't have."
That—
Cut deeper than anything else.
Beatrice stood frozen.
Silent.
And Seraphina?
She turned.
Walked to her door.
Paused briefly before entering.
"…Next time," she said without looking back, "be more bold like me"
A soft click.
The door closed.
Silence.