The night after Francis threatened Lucas felt endless.
Sam lay on his bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the scene again and again in his mind.
Francis' voice.
The threat.
The fear in Lucas' eyes.
Sam clenched his jaw.
This has gone too far.
By sunrise he had already made up his mind.
Someone had to stop this.
And it had to be today.
Father Benedict was already inside his office when Sam knocked.
"Come in," the priest said.
Sam stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
His expression was serious.
"Father… I need to tell you something important."
Father Benedict looked up immediately.
"What is it?"
Sam took a deep breath.
"Last night I heard Francis threaten Lucas."
The priest's brows tightened.
"Threaten him how?"
Sam explained everything he heard in the dark courtyard—the warning, the anger in Francis' voice, and the way he tried to intimidate Lucas.
Father Benedict's face slowly hardened.
"So Francis knew about the photograph."
"Yes, Father," Sam replied.
"And I believe he's the one blackmailing Michael."
A long silence followed.
Father Benedict stood slowly from his chair.
"Thank you for telling me this, Sam."
He walked toward the door.
"It is time we hear the full truth."
Not long after, Michael was summoned again.
When he entered the administration office, his heart was already racing.
The room looked exactly the same as before.
The long wooden table.
The stern faces of the lecturers.
Father Benedict sat quietly beside the rector.
Michael stood in the middle of the room, feeling small under their gaze.
The rector spoke calmly.
"Michael, please sit."
Michael obeyed slowly.
His hands trembled as he lowered himself into the chair.
Father Benedict leaned forward slightly.
"Michael," he said gently, "someone has informed us that you may have been pressured into stealing those examination papers."
Michael's breathing immediately grew uneven.
His eyes flickered nervously.
"Pressured?" he repeated weakly.
"Yes," Father Benedict said softly.
"Michael… Did someone force you to do those things?"
The question struck him like a blow.
His chest tightened painfully.
His mind screamed one name.
Francis.
But the fear still chained his voice.
His lips trembled.
"I…"
He couldn't finish.
Tears slowly began forming in his eyes.
The rector watched him carefully.
"Michael," he said firmly, "we are not here to harm you. But we need the truth."
Michael's breathing became shaky.
The weight he had been carrying for weeks pressed heavily on his chest.
His hands began shaking uncontrollably.
Then suddenly—
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Then another.
Soon the tears came faster.
"I'm sorry," he whispered brokenly.
His shoulders started trembling.
"I'm so sorry…"
The room fell silent.
Father Benedict's voice softened.
"Michael, what are you sorry for?"
But Michael couldn't answer.
He bent forward slightly, covering his face with both hands as the sobs finally broke free.
At that same moment, Lucas was walking across the seminary courtyard when one of the staff members approached him.
"Lucas."
Lucas stopped.
"The rector would like to see you immediately."
His stomach tightened.
Without another word, he followed the man toward the administration building.
As Lucas approached the office door, he could already hear something inside.
Crying.
Soft, painful crying.
His heart skipped.
That voice—
He knew it instantly.
Michael.
Lucas pushed the door open.
And the sight before him made his chest tighten painfully.
Michael was sitting in the chair in front of the table.
His shoulders shook violently as he cried.
His face was buried in his hands.
Tears dripped through his fingers.
Lucas had never seen him like this before.
Not even during the worst days.
Something inside Lucas broke.
"Michael…" he whispered.
Michael slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were red and swollen.
His face was wet with tears.
The moment he saw Lucas standing there—
his composure shattered completely.
A painful sob escaped him.
Lucas stepped forward without thinking.
"Michael, what happened?" he asked urgently.
But Michael couldn't speak
His breathing came in uneven gasps.
He tried to say something, but his voice collapsed into more crying.
Lucas' chest tightened as fear rushed through him.
He turned toward the lecturers.
"What's happening to him?" he demanded.
Father Benedict spoke calmly.
"Lucas, please sit down."
Lucas hesitated before obeying.
But his eyes never left Michael.
Michael looked broken.
Completely broken.
Lucas' fists slowly tightened at his sides.
He already knew who had done this.
And the anger burning inside him was becoming harder to control.
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
Francis walked in.
He stopped when he saw everyone in the room
Michael crying.
Lucas sitting beside him
Sam is standing near the wall.
Something about the atmosphere felt wrong.
The rector gestured to the empty chair.
"Sit down, Francis."
Francis obeyed slowly.
The rector folded his hands on the table.
"Francis," he said calmly, "we have been hearing some very troubling information."
Francis forced a small smile.
"I don't understand, Father."
Father Benedict's voice became firmer.
"We believe Michael may have been blackmailed."
Francis' expression didn't change.
But inside, his pulse quickened
Sam stepped forward slightly.
"Tell them, Michael."
Michael wiped his face weakly.
His voice trembled.
"He… he took the photo…"
His words broke between sobs.
"He said he would send it everywhere… if I didn't do what he wanted."
The room fell silent.
Francis stared at him.
"You're lying," he said sharply.
Michael shook his head desperately.
"No… no…"
Lucas leaned forward, his voice shaking with anger.
"Stop lying, Francis."
Francis' calm mask finally cracked.
"I didn't do anything!" he snapped.
Sam stepped forward again.
"Oh really?"
Everyone turned toward him.
Sam crossed his arms.
"Do you want me to show them the video?"
The words hit Francis like a thunderbolt.
His face turned pale instantly.
The room went completely still.
The rector narrowed his eyes.
"What video?"
Francis' breathing quickened.
He looked at Sam.
Then at the lecturers.
Then at Michael.
His lips trembled slightly.
The confidence he once carried was gone.
Finally the rector spoke again.
"Francis," he said firmly, "if there is something you need to confess, this is your final chance."
Silence filled the room.
Francis slowly looked around.
Every face was watching him.
Waiting.
His shoulders slowly dropped.
"…Fine," he whispered.
But before he could continue—
The rector's phone suddenly rang loudly on the table.
Everyone froze.
The rector answered the call quietly.
His expression changed as he listened.
Slowly he lowered the phone.
Then he looked at the room.
His voice was grave.
"The bishop has been informed about this situation."
The room fell completely silent.
"He will be arriving at the seminary tomorrow."
No one moved.
Because now…
this scandal had reached the highest authority.
And everything was about to change.