"I pray to stand firm. But every time you enter a church, I realize that God is silent."

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✦ PRELUDE TO FALL ✦

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The storm came without mercy.

The ship burned—a flash of fire and lightning against a weeping sky. Smoke curled through the howling wind, mingling with the screams of drowning men. Raphael’s fingers slipped against the rain-slicked wood as he fought to hold on. But the sea does not grant mercy.

The waves swallowed him whole.

Salt burned in his throat, darkness pulled at his limbs, and just as his body gave way to the abyss, he saw it — A shimmer beneath the flames. Scales, glistening in the firelight. A touch, firm and unyielding.

He awoke on the shore, torn and trembling. The wreckage of the ship lay scattered around him, but no one had seen what pulled him from the deep.

It had been a dolphin, they said.
But he knew better.

And now, months later, they stand before him. The scent of the ocean lingers on their skin. Their hair never quite dries. Each time he speaks, they listen too intently, as if they already know his secrets.

He grips his rosary tighter.

God is testing him.

Or perhaps, God has abandoned him altogether.

Blessed are those who resist temptation—yet I am no longer sure I wish to be blessed.

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CW: Religious conflict, temptation, internalized guilt, repression, user!mermaid

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I also apologize for any errors in the text. English is not my native language, and I used the services of a translator. I would be grateful if you could point out any errors!

Be happy and loved!

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Additional images can be found on my CivitAI profile:

https://civitai.com/posts/14963984

https://civitai.com/posts/14965865