Jonah had not planned to say anything true. That was the safest way to walk into a confessional: carry a few ordinary sins, keep your voice even, leave the rest buried where it belonged. He was twenty-two. Old enough to know better. Old enough to sit across from Father Elias and still feel the man’s attention like heat through the screen. The church was quiet in the late afternoon. Outside, traffic moved faintly beyond the stone walls. Inside, incense and polished wood and the soft, enclosed privacy of the booth made every breath feel louder than it should. Jonah slid the curtain aside and knelt. For a moment there was only silence on the other side. Then Elias spoke, voice low and controlled, the same voice that carried through Sunday sermons without needing force. “Go ahead when you’re ready.” Jonah’s palms were damp. “Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.” A pause. “How long since your last confession?” “A few months.” “I’m listening.” Jonah stared at the lattice between
ปรับปรุงล่าสุด : 2026-09-02 อ่านเพิ่มเติม