The dormitory corridor smelled faintly of soap, old books, and polished wood.
Michael walked slowly down the hallway, his suitcase rolling softly behind him. The quiet footsteps of seminarians echoed in the distance, and somewhere nearby a door closed with a dull click.
Everything still felt unfamiliar.
He checked the small piece of paper the administrator had handed him earlier.
Room 214.
When he reached the door, he paused for a moment before knocking.
A voice from inside called out, relaxed and slightly amused.
"Come in."
Michael pushed the door open.
The room was simple—two beds on opposite sides, a wooden desk under the window, and shelves filled with books that looked like they had been carefully arranged over time.
On one of the beds sat a young man with a long face and short curly hair. He was leaning back comfortably, reading a thick theology book with a pair of glasses resting low on his nose.
The young man looked up.
For a moment he studied Michael quietly, his eyes scanning the suitcase, the neatly folded clothes, and the hesitant posture.
Then he smiled.
"You must be the new guy."
Michael nodded slightly.
"Yes."
The young man closed his book and swung his legs off the bed.
He extended a hand.
Michael shook it.
"Michael."
Samuel tilted his head as if analyzing something.
"You look like someone who thinks too much."
Michael blinked in surprise.
Samuel laughed lightly.
"Relax. Everyone looks like this their first week here."
Michael placed his suitcase near the empty bed. The room felt strangely comfortable already, as if someone had lived here long enough to make it feel real.
As he began unpacking a few things, his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
The screen showed Mother Calling.
Michael hesitated before answering.
"Hello?"
His mother's voice came through immediately, warm and slightly worried.
"Michael! Did you arrive safely?"
"Yes, Mama."
"And the seminary? Is it nice?"
Michael glanced around the room, at the wooden furniture and the quiet light entering through the window.
"Yes. It's… peaceful."
Samuel was pretending to read again but was clearly listening.
His father's deeper voice appeared on the call.
"Remember why you are there, son. Stay focused."
"I will."
After a few more questions and blessings, the call ended.
Michael placed the phone on the desk.
Samuel looked over his book.
"Parents?"
Michael nodded.
Samuel grinned.
"Don't worry. After a few months they stop calling every day."
Before Michael could reply, someone knocked on the doorframe.
Both of them looked up.
Lucas leaned casually against the door, one shoulder resting against the wood like he had been standing there for a while.
"Thought I'd find you here."
Michael hadn't noticed how tall Lucas seemed until now.
The afternoon light from the hallway fell behind him, outlining his broad shoulders and the relaxed way he stood.
Samuel sat up immediately.
"Oh, Lucas."
Lucas gave him a quick nod.
"Sam."
Samuel looked between them with interest.
"So you two already know each other?"
Lucas smiled slightly.
"We met earlier."
Then his attention returned to Michael.
"Finished with the administration office?"
"Yes."
Lucas stepped fully into the room.
"Well then," he said lightly, "I guess it's time someone actually shows you this place."
Michael frowned slightly.
"The administrator already gave me directions."
Lucas chuckled.
"I'm sure he did."
He folded his arms.
"But trust me, the seminary makes a lot more sense when someone normal explains it."
Samuel laughed.
"That's true."
Lucas turned back to Michael.
"Come on. I'll give you the real tour."
Michael hesitated.
But something about Lucas's easy confidence made refusing feel strangely difficult.
A few minutes later they were walking across the seminary grounds.
Lucas moved easily through the pathways like someone who had walked them a thousand times.
"That building is the library," he said, pointing ahead. "You'll probably spend half your life there."
"And the chapel?"
Lucas gestured toward a tall stone structure in the distance.
"Over there."
They walked past a small football field where a few seminarians were kicking a ball around.
Lucas slowed down.
"I usually play with them in the evenings."
Michael glanced at him.
"I didn't imagine seminarians playing football."
Lucas laughed.
"What did you imagine? Silence and prayer all day?"
Michael almost smiled.
They continued walking.
For a moment neither of them spoke.
Then Lucas suddenly looked at him more carefully.
"You still look like you're not sure you belong here."
Michael looked down at the gravel path beneath their feet.
"I'm still thinking about it."
Lucas stopped walking.
Michael turned.
Lucas was standing closer than before.
Up close, Michael could see the warmth in Lucas's dark eyes and the slight curve of a smile on his lips.
"Truth is," Lucas said quietly, "most of us felt that way at first."
Michael watched him quietly.
"You did?"
Lucas shrugged.
"First week here, I almost packed my bags and left."
Michael blinked in surprise.
"But you've been here since minor seminary."
"Yeah."
Lucas gave a small smile.
"But that doesn't mean I always felt like I belonged."
The wind moved softly through the trees around them.
For the first time since arriving, Michael felt something inside him loosen slightly.
Lucas turned and started walking again.
"Come on," he said. "There's still one place you haven't seen."
"Where?"
Lucas glanced over his shoulder with a teasing grin.
"The best place in the seminary."
They stopped near a large old tree overlooking the football field.
Lucas leaned against the trunk comfortably.
"This is where everyone comes when they need to think."
Michael sat on a nearby bench.
The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, painting the clouds with soft orange light.
For a moment they simply sat there in silence.
Lucas looked over at him.
"So… do you still think you don't belong here?"
Michael thought about the quiet chapel, the unfamiliar dormitory, Samuel's curious smile…
Then he thought about Lucas standing beside him now.
"I'm not sure anymore," Michael admitted.
Lucas smiled slightly.
"Good."
He pushed himself off the tree.
"I'll introduce you to the rest of the guys tomorrow."
As Lucas walked away toward the dormitory, Michael watched him go.
And for reasons he didn't understand yet…
The seminary suddenly didn't feel quite as lonely.