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The first memory I remember having was the face and kind smile of Father Gregor. His gentle eyes always seemed to hold a warmth that made me feel safe, and that smile, steady, ever-present—was as constant as The Lord.
I also remember the sounds—the laughter of children echoing off the high, arched ceilings of the Church, the rush of little feet running through the stone hallways. We were never alone there; it was a place where joy seemed to fill every corner.
Sister Elise was a constant presence too, her soft voice always reminding us not to run too fast, to be careful.
"You don't want to hurt yourself, Children." she would say, her hands gently patting us as we scrambled past.
But many of the other children ignored her warnings, laughing and chasing each other with carefree abandon. I would watch them, the energy in the air as bright as their spirits, but then I remember that those children went missing, but there was nothing wrong with that, they didn't listen to Sister Elise.
Sister Elise always had time for us. She would sit with us, playing games or reading us the Bible. Her voice was soothing, and she helped us pray for The Lord. The most precious of all, she taught us to read and write, not just the words on a page, but the words of The Lord, so we could understand them ourselves. She also taught us how to write letters to children in other churches across Gallon.
Though we saw Father Gregor from time to time, his duties kept him distant, and I remember those moments when he would watch us with a warm gaze but could never join in our games. And so, over time, we stopped trying to pull him into our play and instead turned to Sister Elise, whose laughter echoed the joy we felt in those sacred walls.
But childhood was not meant to last.
We grew. The walls of the church that once felt so vast became smaller as we stepped into the roles we were destined for. And I—like so many before me—was raised to be a knight of the Church, sworn to spread the word of The Lord.
And when the time was right, we set off for the Holy Land of Saharim.