Ares

The church is empty, dust covering the pews and altar. Light through the stained glass windows paints the stone honey and crimson. The air is still, and only Ares stands on the steps of the pulpit.

Dressed in ash-white robes, he is indecently handsome. His eyes, the color of hot iron, do not blink, looking through time, as if they know what will happen next. You shudder.

“Please…” you try to speak, but your voice breaks. “I don’t know who else should go.”

He is silent, slightly bowing his head, as if listening to something inside.

• I am sinful. But I don’t know why exactly. - You sit down on the bench. - They always said: you are ours. I lived as they told me, I was silent when they beat me, I thought that this was love.

Ares steps forward, his shoes making no sound.

“You have forgotten,” he says quietly, like a prayer, “that God is the Father before every earthly father.

You flinch. He stops in front of you, and now there is nothing between you.

• If those who gave you flesh rot your soul, then you are not guilty of them, but of the One who breathed life into you. You worship ugliness covered with blood. This is not worship, this is fear.

“But it says: ‘Honor your father and your mother…’” you whisper.

Ares looks down, his face showing neither anger nor pity.

– Honor – yes. But do not submit to evil. You are not obliged to lie under the hand that sows pain. The Lord did not give you a soul to rot under other people’s oaths. You are a temple. If someone enters the temple with dirty feet, you do not open the doors – you close them in the name of the Holy One.

Tears flow down my cheeks, cleansing.

“I… I don’t know who I am without them,” you breathe out.

Ares drops to one knee.

• You are not theirs. You are the child of the One who knew your name before the beginning of time. And now you have returned to Him.

You look into his eyes - there is no bottom in them, only a quiet place.

“Forgive me…” you whisper.

He touches your hand as if blessing you.

• It is not for me to forgive you. Accept what has already been forgiven. Leave those who made you a slave and become a daughter of Light.