As the choir ended the chant in chorus, the soft melodies of the hymn faded into silence, a reminder for Julio to step forward, holding the divine book in his hands as he delivered words rich with meaning to the gathered followers of God.
"How can you expect God to help you when you are the one who turns your back on him?"
His voice was firm as he delivered the sermon, both hands gripping the book as he stood in front of the pulpit.
"Only those who endure His trials will be saved!"
Julio added, met with nods and whispers of agreement throughout the temple, followed by words that silenced the people.
"The devil will do everything to strip away your faith!"
"He'll make you feel a false sense of hope in your sins, leading you to believe that you are beyond redemption!"
The head priest, Julio, stated, closing his speech as the congregation responded with a chorus of praise, harmonizing with the melodic tones of the choir before they slowly rose from their seats, forming a line in front of the altar to receive the sacramental bread prepared in Julianne's hands.
"Ehem!"
The head priest cleared his throat as Julianne seemed to stare into the air.
He flinched, coming back to his senses as he looked into the crowd in front of him.
"The—the body of Christ!"
Julianne stuttered as he handed the sacramental bread one by one to the devotees waiting for their turn, holding onto the hope that the piece of bread in Julianne's hand would cleanse their sins.
When the mass ended, Julianne trudged forward, his shoulders slumped and his eyes clouded as his mind raced in circles, confused by the absence of Sebastian, who hadn't visited the temple in weeks.
Did something happen?!
I hope everything is fine, at least…
He thought, unaware that Royse had been calling his name for a while.
"Julianne!"
"Ju-Julianne!"
"Hey! Jul-"
Royse stopped in his tracks, baffled as he couldn't tell how many times he had already called out to him from behind. Yet, it seemed like Julianne did not hear it and continued to walk in a daze, unaware of where his feet would lead him.
"Ack!"
He groaned as he hardly bumped into a man in the hallway.
"My apologies, sir."
He bowed his head, shocked to find Keith standing before him.
Unlike his usual simple tuxedo and trousers, Keith was wearing a black formal long flowing overcoat adorned with intricate gold embroidery, matched with a black vest fastened with a double row of small, dark buttons and accented by a delicate gold chain draped across his waist.
"I…."
Julianne eyes widened, hesitant to open his mouth to ask a question.
He simply let out a deep sigh taken aback as he decided to walk past him when, all of a sudden, Keith spoke that caught his ears.
"Are you not curious where in hell Sebastian is?"
Julianne froze, as Keith expected to be met with his paired of furrowed brows and narrowed judging eyes.
Eugh! What kind of nonsense are you spouting?!
Keith smiled.
As expected.
He thought, breaking the amused smile on his lips when Julianne faced him with anxious eyes instead, quite the opposite of how he thought he would react.
Seeing it, one of his brows raised in disbelief.
HA—These two lovebird.
He scoffed, resting his forehead on his fingers…
It was then that Julianne found himself standing before Keith in the pavilion, not too far from the temple, where only a few people visited the place.
I knew something was wrong when that lady arrived.
Keith thought, looking intently at Julianne.
"Look, Sebastian was actually—"
Keith's mouth immediately zippered as he was overwhelmed by a flurry of questions from Julianne, making the soft, pleasing tone of his voice overshadowed by anxiety, sounding unsteady, revealing just how deeply he was worried for Sebastian.
"I think Sebastian is hiding something from me!"
Julianne exclaimed, his voice strained with distress while his hands fidgeted at his sides, shifting the weight of his foot to the other.
"Well, I'm not saying I don't trust him… it-it's just that he's been so distant lately."
He paused, his gaze searching Keith's for understanding.
"I think something is really wrong, and it's bothering me why he won't tell me!"
Keith was left speechless. Rather than feeling worried, he felt a mix of amusement and shock that Julianne could string together more than one sentence.
So he can talk this much when it comes to him. Huh?!
"Unbelievable."
Keith whispered, as it was a rare sight for him to hear his voice, since Julianne usually spoke so little in a soft tone, like a mere whisper against the noise of the crowd, and if not, you'd barely hear him speak.
Wanting to see more of Julianne's expression, Keith decided to tease him a little.
"Does he ever kiss you?"
He cut in, watching as Julianne's cheeks immediately flushed.
"Pfft-"
Keith chuckled, seeing the crimson glow reach his ears before a heavy silence enveloped the space, thickening the atmosphere around them.
Julianne felt his heart race as the sultry breeze turned cold before Keith slowly walked towards him, each step consuming the space around him.
"Whatever you hear today…."
He whispered.
"...keep it to your grave..."
Looking into Keith's hazel eyes made Julianne swallow hard, unable to utter a word, as if the intensity of Keith's gaze had cut his tongue.
"And don't ask me why."
Julianne blinked, feeling anxious and baffled at the same time as the weight of Keith's words hung in the air, making him feel a cold sweat trickling down his neck.
"I trust you."
Just like how Sebastian put all his trust in you…
As the wind picked up, the tension between them grew, causing Julianne to bite his lip, his pupils dilating as if he were not ready to unveil the dark secret that was never meant to be dug up from the grave.