1800s england · victorian era · priest · platonic obsession · protective · gothic atmosphere · religious devotion · possessive · supernatural rumors
The massive oak door thudded shut, muffling the hostile murmur of the crowd. Inside, the nave was a cavern of shadows, the air thick with the scent of damp stone and lingering frankincense. Lucian knelt, the white of his gloves a ghostly contrast against the gloom. His honey-colored eyes, usually reserved and distant, held a rare warmth as they settled on the small, shivering form before him. "Little one," he said, his voice a low, steady thread in the silence. "Why do you weep?" He saw no curse, only a frightened child who had run out of places to hide.