I sat on the pew, hands crossed over my lap, listening to the prayers echoing through the temple. They were meant to bring peace and fill the heart with grace. The soft light of the morning dawn seeped through the stained-glass windows, painting the cold stone floor with colorful patches. But the prayers... the prayers were empty. I couldn't focus.

The priest's words drifted into the void, dissolving into the air, while my thoughts, like wild winds, carried me far, far away from this sacred place. I tried to return to prayer, to silence and peace, but instead, my eyes wandered through the hall, sliding over the candles and the faces of saints on the icons, only to return to that dream.

He was with me again. That strange face, that strange man—young, with dark hair that fell softly over his forehead, and eyes... green, so green that it was hard to remember I was no longer in the dream. I almost felt his gaze like a touch. That look, filled with mystery and unspoken words.

Suddenly, I felt his eyes piercing me again. I could almost hear his voice, but it was distant, as if from another world. Had I been dreaming of him? Or was it something more? I couldn't tell. He appeared in the strangest places—in the city streets, in thick mists, even in the whispers of the wind. And now, here, in this temple, his presence would not leave me.

I nearly jolted when I realized I had lost track of the sermon. I tried to bring myself back, to focus on the priest’s words, but no matter how hard I tried, his face, his eyes, remained in my mind.

Green eyes. Like his. Like the man from my dream.

"Lord, what is happening to me?" I whispered, trying to banish the thought. But the moment I closed my eyes, he was there again. That man. The same one. The same gaze.

I felt myself being pulled into that whirlwind of thoughts, nearly forgetting the prayers, but then something shifted.

The liturgy had ended, and I rose to my feet, feeling the temple’s air fill my lungs. People began to leave, their faces passing before me like distant blurs, but my eyes kept searching for him—the man from my dream. I told myself it was just a trick of the mind, a figment of the night’s visions.

And then, I saw him.

He stood by the doors, amidst the crowd, dressed in the white robes of a priest, golden embroidery decorating the fabric. His long, light-colored hair fell over his shoulders. But it was more than just his appearance. It was the same look—green, deep, cold yet warm, like fire burning in the heart of a dark forest.

"He… he looks like him." My thoughts stumbled, scattered like autumn leaves in the wind, unable to settle. And at that moment, when our eyes met, the ground beneath me seemed to vanish. He stood still, watching me, as if trying to remember where he knew me from. I clasped my hands over my chest, unsure of what to do.

I took a step forward, and our eyes locked once more.

— Bless you, my child. —  His voice was deep yet soft, just like the man from my dream—but now, in a different body. He didn't know me, but his eyes… they could not be strangers.

— I… I’m sorry,— I stammered, unsure of what to say.

He looked at me as if seeing through me and smiled.

— It’s alright,— he said, tilting his head slightly. —I am the new pastor. It is a pleasure to meet you.

I froze. My soul trembled between this world and the one from my dreams. Everything became unclear. But I knew one thing for certain: he was here. And perhaps, I could no longer run from whatever connected us.

I stood in confusion, as if the world around me had blurred like a reflection on water. His words barely reached my mind. I tried to understand what was happening—why his face, his eyes, stirred something deep inside me, as if I had known him before, even though we had just met.

His voice broke the silence again:

—Please, don’t be shy.

He took a step closer as if trying to put me at ease, and his gaze was so warm that I felt the tension in me loosen just slightly. But his eyes… those same green eyes from my dream. I couldn’t shake the feeling that he had seen me before, in some distant, unknown place.

— Are you new here? — he asked gently, not waiting for my answer, as if already knowing I would remain silent.

I nodded, unable to find my voice. Everything was too strange, too unreal. He studied me again, as if searching for something in my eyes. I felt the heat in my chest rise once more. He was both a stranger and someone familiar at the same time. And that terrified me.

— Don’t worry, I understand that the beginning can be difficult. It’s not always easy to get used to this place. We’ve all been in your position before.

He spoke with a light smile, yet there was something unreadable in his gaze. He stood close, his presence enveloping the air around us.

I held my breath, noticing how his fingers slightly fidgeted with the black leather-bound prayer book in his hands, as if calming himself just as much as he was trying to calm me. He was composed, steady, but his eyes held such depth that I couldn't help but think there was more to him than what he showed.

—What is your name?— he asked softly, as if continuing a conversation from a dream.

—Elissa, — I answered, feeling my own name slip from my lips, as if it belonged not only to me but to him as well.

— Elissa…— he repeated, tasting the name on his tongue, as if testing how it felt to say it aloud. — A beautiful name.

I blushed, but before I could gather my thoughts, I knew I had to leave—I had to get away from this overwhelming moment. And yet, his presence held me captive, making it impossible to move.

The pastor smiled, and I saw a flicker of something in his gaze—something like recognition, as if he had realized something I had yet to understand. He was different. He was… from another world.

—If you ever need anything, Elissa, don’t hesitate to come. We are all like a family here.

His voice was gentle but firm, carrying an undeniable certainty.

I nodded and, without another word, hurried out of the temple. My legs nearly gave way beneath me. This was too much. Everything was too much.

Green eyes. The man from my dream. I knew that meeting him was no coincidence, that this encounter was something more than just chance. But how? Why? And what was I supposed to do now?

I tried to push all the thoughts away, but his face, his eyes, followed me in every step, in every breath, like a shadow. Something was happening—something important. And I could no longer ignore it.