The seminary corridors felt different that morning.
Whispers followed Michael everywhere he went.
Conversations stopped when he walked past. Eyes lingered a little too long. Some seminarians stared with curiosity, others with quiet judgment.
Michael kept his head down as he walked through the hallway toward the chapel.
Every step felt heavy.
He could feel the weight of something terrible approaching, even though no one had said anything to him yet.
Across the courtyard, Lucas noticed it too.
Two seminarians stood near the fountain whispering.
"…I'm telling you, the photo is real."
"Who sent it?"
"I heard Francis showed someone."
Lucas stopped walking.
His heart began beating faster.
"What photo?" one of them asked.
"The one of Michael… and another seminarian."
Lucas felt his chest tighten painfully.
The world around him seemed to go silent.
He didn't need to hear anything else.
He already knew.
Lucas found Francis that afternoon behind the sports field, leaning lazily against the fence with two of his friends.
Lucas walked straight toward him.
His fists were already clenched.
Francis noticed him approaching and smiled faintly.
"Well, if it isn't the other half of the scandal."
Lucas stopped in front of him.
"Delete the photo," Lucas said coldly.
Francis laughed.
"Or what?"
Lucas grabbed his shirt suddenly and slammed him against the fence.
The metal rattled loudly.
"Delete it," Lucas repeated, his voice shaking with anger.
Francis shoved him back.
"You think I'm scared of you?"
Before Lucas could respond, Sam suddenly appeared from behind Lucas.
Sam's expression was darker than either of them had ever seen before.
He stepped forward slowly.
"You should be scared," Sam said quietly.
Francis frowned.
"And why is that?"
Sam pulled out his phone.
His voice remained calm but dangerous.
"Because if anything happens to Michael…"
He lifted the phone slightly.
"…I will post the video."
Francis' smile faded.
"What video?" he asked carefully.
Sam stared directly into his eyes.
"The one from the last competition trip."
Francis' face slowly turned pale.
Sam leaned closer.
"The one where you sneaked behind the guest building with that Reverend Sister."
Lucas' eyes widened slightly.
Sam continued calmly.
"I recorded everything."
Francis' friends stepped back awkwardly
Sam's voice dropped even lower.
"If Michael suffers because of you…"
He looked directly into Francis' eyes.
"…the entire seminary will see it."
The silence between them became thick.
Francis swallowed.
Lucas grabbed him again and shoved him harder against the fence.
"You started something you can't control," Lucas said.
Francis pushed him away angrily, but this time he didn't look confident anymore.
"You think you've won?" Francis snapped.
Lucas didn't answer.
Instead he turned and walked away with Sam.
That evening, Michael sat alone in the chapel after everyone else had left.
The candles near the altar flickered softly in the quiet space.
His eyes were swollen from crying again.
His hands rested loosely in his lap as he stared at the floor.
He didn't hear the footsteps behind him.
Lucas stopped a few meters away.
For a moment he just looked at him.
Michael looked smaller than he had ever seen before.
Lucas slowly walked closer.
"Michael."
Michael's shoulders stiffened instantly.
He didn't turn around.
"Please…" Michael whispered weakly.
"Don't come close to me."
Lucas stepped closer anyway.
"I know about Francis."
Michael's breathing stopped for a second.
His hands began trembling.
Lucas knelt in front of him gently.
Michael's eyes were red and tired as he finally looked up.
Tears gathered in them again almost immediately.
"You shouldn't be here," Michael said softly.
Lucas shook his head.
"I'm not leaving you."
Michael's lips trembled.
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand," Lucas said quietly.
Michael's voice broke.
"If the seminary finds out… everything will be over."
Lucas looked at him steadily.
"Then we face it together."
Michael's tears finally spilled over again.
Lucas gently took his shaking hands.
"No matter what happens," Lucas said softly, "you won't face it alone."
Michael closed his eyes as tears streamed down his face again.
For the first time in days, someone was standing beside him instead of walking away.
Immediately a senior seminarian stepped in.
"Michael the administration summons you"
At that same moment, inside the seminary administration building, several lecturers sat around a long wooden table.
A phone lay in the center.
The screen displayed the now-familiar image.
Two seminarians kissing.
Father Benedict stared at the photo quietly.
His heart sank.
The door opened slowly.
Michael stepped inside.
The room fell silent.
The rector looked up at him.
"Michael," he said calmly.
"We need to talk."
Michael's legs felt weak as he stepped further into the room.
And the door slowly closed behind him.