"Have you arrived?"
Ian tilted his head slightly and looked at the halo. It hovered over the statue's surface, slowly spreading along its outline like some signal that had not yet fully taken shape.
He glanced at the homeless man—still lying on his side, breathing steadily, unchanged. Then he looked back at the statue. The halo was still there, neither growing brighter nor fading away. It simply persisted, as though someone on the other side was trying to use this statue to confirm whether he was still here.
"Rather late."
Ian did not get up or move closer to the statue. He merely remained where he was, as if he had already received some confirmation he did not need to question. Wind seeped through the gap beneath the door, passing through the aisle between the pews and stirring a small swirl of dust across the floor. It drifted along the wall for a short distance before dispersing.
The homeless man was still sleeping soundly on the pew, his breathing barely producing an echo in the empty space. The faint halo in the church continued to glow, neither brightening nor going out, like a signal lamp turned to its lowest setting. It seemed to be waiting for a response to be sent—or perhaps its very existence was the response.
"What do you want with me?"
Ian's gaze remained on the statue. The halo continued to shine, neither strengthening nor weakening, like a signal lamp dimmed to its lowest brightness.
He was full of curiosity, but he still did not move or intend to get up and inspect it. He simply sat there and waited, confirming whether it would fade at some point.
Then the halo began to brighten. Not gradually, but by spreading evenly outward along the statue's outline. It began