The soft afternoon light filtered through the high stained-glass windows of the church, scattering muted colors across the stone floor. Lulu wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve, embarrassed by the tear streaks still clinging to her cheeks. The quiet breathing exercises she used to calm herself had only just settled her trembling.
She glanced again at the open book beside her.
The first page—only the first page—had taken her two full days to read, understand, and barely absorb. It felt like a mountain she hadn't even begun to climb.
Just as she reached to close it, she heard footsteps echoing up the hallway leading to the prayer room.
They were slow, steady, and heavier than the usual steps of the church staff.
Someone's coming? At this hour?
Lulu sat up straighter, wiping her cheeks again and brushing her hair behind her ears.
A moment later, the door creaked open.
An elderly man—late fifties, with silver threading through his dark hair and a long travel-cloak draped over his shoulders—stepped inside. His eyes were sharp, but kind. Something about him felt… wandering. As if he'd seen countless roads and forgotten none of them.
"Ah," the man said warmly when he noticed Lulu. "So someone is still using this old place."
Lulu stood quickly and bowed politely. "I—I'm sorry. I didn't know this room was forbidden."
The man chuckled lightly, waving a hand. "Forbidden? Hardly. Most people simply forgot it exists."
His gaze drifted past her—toward the ancient spellbook lying on the floor.
"You're reading that?" he asked, his tone losing its casual softness.
Lulu swallowed. "Y-Yes… Or trying to."
He stepped forward slowly, lowering himself onto a nearby bench with a faint groan from stiff joints. He stared at the book with a familiarity that startled her.
"That spell," he said quietly, "was created by a witch."
Lulu blinked. "A… witch? You mean a real one?"
"Oh, very real." The man chuckled. "A strange woman. Stronger than anyone I've ever seen. And lazier than anyone you'll ever meet."
Lulu tilted her head. "Lazy…?"
He nodded, leaning back against the bench as if the memory alone tired him.
"She fought monsters from other realms—dozens of them over many years. Won every battle. But if you asked her to clean her own room, she'd rather sleep for three days." He shook his head. "A terrifying woman, truly."
Lulu stared at the spellbook again, her heart tightening with a mix of awe and disbelief.
A spell created by someone that powerful… and I can barely understand the first page.
The man noticed her troubled expression.
"Don't be discouraged, young girl," he said gently. "That spell was never meant to be learned quickly. The witch who wrote it… well, she didn't care whether anyone else would understand her scribbles. She only cared that it worked for her."
"Then…" Lulu's fingers curled. "It isn't impossible?"
He smiled. "Nothing is impossible. Only slow. And slow is still progress."
Those words felt like a small light spreading inside her chest.
After a moment, Lulu gathered the courage to ask, "Sir… why did you come here? To this forgotten room?"
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Because places people forget often hold the most interesting stories. And because I felt someone here was crying."
Lulu's cheeks flushed red. "I-I wasn't—"
"It's fine to cry," he interrupted gently. "It means you care about what you're trying to do."
The room was silent for a moment, broken only by the distant sound of wind through the church corridors.
Then the old man stood, pulling his cloak tighter around his shoulders.
"I should get going. But keep trying, girl. Even if it takes months… or years. Magic worth having is magic worth working for."
He turned toward the door but paused once more.
"Oh—one more thing," he added lightly, glancing back. "If you ever feel like the spell is too hard, then that means you're learning it correctly."
With a soft laugh, he stepped out of the room, leaving Lulu alone again.
But she didn't feel alone anymore.
She looked down at the book, her chest rising with a steadier breath than before.
"Slow is still… progress," she whispered.
For the first time since she had opened the ancient spellbook, Lulu felt her determination returning—quiet, steady, and warm.
Even if she had failed today… the road ahead was still waiting.
And she would walk it.
No matter how long it took.