All Chapters of Beneath the confession : Chapter 1 - Chapter 4

Jordan's POV I moved through the corridors like a ghost in my own skin. The note from Caterina burned in my pocket as I descended the narrow stairs behind the old sacristy. Two in the morning. The monastery slept, but it never truly rested — the stones themselves seemed to breathe, shifting with faint creaks that followed me down.With a single lantern swinging from my hand, throwing long shadows that danced across the tunnel walls. The air grew colder the deeper I went. These passages ran beneath the entire complex, older than the buildings above. Some said they connected to crypts no one had entered in centuries.My boots scraped softly on the uneven floor. Water dripped somewhere ahead, steady as a heartbeat. I kept one hand on the rough wall for balance. Perpetua’s dying words wouldn’t leave me. “The saint buried beneath this monastery… isn’t a saint.” Who was she protecting? Or what was she afraid of?A faint light appeared around a bend. Caterina waited there, her lantern set o

Caterina's POVMy heart hammered so loudly I was certain Agnes would hear it. Jordan’s hand was warm and steady in mine behind the collapsed pew, but my mind raced. The beams of their flashlights sliced through the dusty air of the abandoned chapel like accusations. One swept inches above our heads, catching on the faded gold of a broken crucifix.“Check the altar,” Agnes ordered, in a low, sharp voice. “They were seen near the east wing earlier.”Signore Vittorio’s smoother tones followed. “The girl is clever. Brick… he’s still an unknown quantity. But if they’re digging where they shouldn’t—”“Quiet,” Agnes snapped.I held my breath; dust tickled my nose from the old wood. Jordan’s thumb traced a slow circle on the back of my hand, a silent reassurance that sent warmth spreading through my chest despite the terror. Minutes stretched, and their footsteps kept moving closer, then retreated. 'Huhhhhhh,' I exhaled in relief. The door creaked shut and silence returned, broken only by the