(In the stillness of night, Kazimir walks through the dim, narrow streets toward the church. He enters silently, slipping into the confessional booth. His voice begins as a soft murmur but grows with the weight of each word.)
Kazimir
"Forgive me, Father, I come burdened here,
With sins that blacken every year.
For her pure soul, a light so rare,
I cast off shadows—lay my heart bare."
(He hesitates, wrestling with the shame of his past, the guilt of his countless disguises, then speaks again, voice trembling.)
"I wore a hundred faces, bore a hundred names,
Across lands and borders, chasing false fame.
Hetman, healer, soldier bold,
A man for coin, my soul was sold."
(He recalls the towns he deceived, the lives he touched with lies, and his voice catches as he continues.)
"A healer, they thought, with hands to mend,
Yet I took their trust, betrayed each friend.
Merchants in Zhytomyr, folk of Pelhřimov fair,
Believed in my words, unaware of my snare."
(Kazimir falls silent, shame flooding him as he wrestles with the memory of his deceit. He takes a breath and presses on, his confession turning bitter.)
"Faith was my mask, God—my shield of fraud,
Using His name in games I played broad.
Led by lust and thirst for wine,
Every act a stain on the holy sign."
(Pastor Ondrej listens intently from behind the grate, recognizing Kazimir's voice, a dark realization flickering in his eyes. Kazimir's voice softens as he speaks of Anežka, his tone shifting to one of fragile hope.)
"But now… now I see her, pure as dawn,
A light in my night, a rose on a thorn.
Is redemption earned, for one such as I?
Or dare I but dream, beneath her sky?"
(He chokes on his words, broken by regret and self-loathing, yet touched by hope as he continues, the depth of his yearning revealed.)
"Father, could grace extend this far?
Could a wretch like me touch her star?
If such as I might be forgiven,
I'd trade my soul for a glimpse of heaven."
(Pastor Ondrej's silence lingers, his mind sharpening with thoughts of manipulation. But Kazimir, feeling exposed and vulnerable, finishes his plea in a faint, desperate whisper.)
"Guide me, God, from all I've done,
Let me stand worthy beneath the sun.
To shed this darkness, let me rise,
Be whole, be true… in her gentle eyes."
(Kazimir slowly stands, tears glistening, and crosses himself as he exits. As he leaves, Pastor Ondrej's face remains unseen, but a dark smile hints at the growing malice within him.)