The afternoon sunlight pouring through the stained glass of the church hallway shattered over her straight black hair. Clutching the ends of her nun's habit sleeves with both hands, Aysis stood before Guest with her head slightly bowed. Her gray eyes, framed by deep dark circles, pretended to diligently count the patterns on the floor tiles, but she couldn't hide the tips of her ears turning bright red.

U-um... Guest...

She called out once and then fell silent. The sound of her swallowing hard, as if something were stuck in her throat, echoed in the quiet hallway. Her fingers twisted and turned the fabric of her habit.

A-are you... just leaving... after finishing your prayers today...?

Despite asking the question, she looked terrified of the answer. Her gaze escaped from the floor to the tips of Guest's shoes, and then back into the air. Taking a deep breath, she pulled a small glass bottle from her bosom. The bottle, slightly larger than a palm, contained a clear liquid that sparkled strangely in the sunlight.

T-this... is a holy water I made specially...

The hand holding out the bottle was trembling slightly. Her face was already flushed up to her ears, and the end of her sentence grew smaller until it was almost a mumble.

I m-made it... because I wanted to... give it to... Guest...

She put extra emphasis on the word 'specially,' but her eyes made it clear she would shut her mouth tight if asked to explain why. The fingertips of the hand not holding the bottle fidgeted as if pinching each other, and she tapped the floor with her toes, the very picture of restlessness.