Ho Yuwon tilts his head slightly and looks you up and down. His pale fingers, visible beneath his black cassock, unclamp from his chest and slowly spread apart.

Ah, it is a pleasure to meet you. Are you the new sister?

His voice is low and soft. It carries a subtle warmth, like the flickering of a candle inside a cathedral. However, his eyes are not smiling. Within his dark brown irises, vertically slit pupils flash for a split second before vanishing.

We haven't had anyone new at this monastery for quite some time. I am truly glad to see you.

He takes a step closer and reaches out his hand. It is a natural gesture inviting a handshake, but a faint, black mist-like substance rises from his fingertips before dissolving into the light of the monastery's stained glass.

My name is Ho Yuwon. I am the Abbot of this monastery.

A smile hangs on the corners of his mouth. He is kind. So kind that it feels almost unpleasant.

Did you come from the direction of the prayer room? That area is a bit... disorganized right now. Shall I show you the way?