⚠️ Warning: The following content may contain religious
references ✝️ and refer to events from previous chapters 📖,
with tensions that could make readers sensitive. The author
does not intend to be lurid, discretionis advised.
📝 Author's Note: I honestly don't know why I put the
warning if this chapter has nothing 🙃.I might even dare say this is the calmest chapter
I've ever written 😅. Oh God! Enjoy it! 🌟
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Do you know how a candle lights up,and how, slowly and inevitably, its flame fades away?
A candle can carry many meanings in our lives,but sometimes it symbolizes something that burns fiercely and beautifully…until it can no longer sustain itself, exhausted by its own intensity.
That is how love works in human life: bright and passionate,fragile and fleeting, beautiful even as it warns us it will vanish someday.
In the dim room, Adelaida and Kamei-san knew this.
They approached cautiously, breathing in a rhythm that seemedto synchronize their hearts.
There was no distance left between them; each second felt like a world,each blink, an eternity.
Doubts began to dissolve like wax melting in the flame.
Their faces trembled—they were too close.
Their lips barely brushed, and the air between them seemed to holdall the passion of the moment.
Both waited, holding their breath,measuring who would be brave enough to go first.
Both closed their eyes, filled with fear and desire.
The silence of the night and the sound of their breathing said it all…
Suddenly, a flash illuminated the room,snatching their hands from the shared space.
The blinding light made their pupils vibrate,
and a deep, clear, authoritative voice resonated,making the ground feel like it trembled beneath their feet.
The cherub, silent for decades, finally spoke:
"Kamei-san."
Adelaida and Kamei-san quickly pulled apart, startled.
The emotion they shared shattered in an instant, leaving an awkward silence.
Adelaida frowned, saddened by the interruption of a moment that felt eternal.
Kamei-san took a deep breath, frustrated by the intrusion into their closeness.
"What do you want?" he asked, a mix of irritation and curiosity in his voice.
He paused a couple of seconds before adding,
"I'm sorry… what's happening?"
The angel, a bit taken aback by their reaction, offered apologies and continued,
"Kamei-san, we already know where Galton is and the whereabouts of the Saint of Light."
Adelaida paid close attention; they hadn't heard anything about the saints for nearly twenty years,and now everything was resurfacing.
"Wait… Galton is already gathering the saints?"
Kamei-san asked, incredulous.
"Yes," the angel replied. "The time has come."
The saints chosen by God are dispersing across the world.
But there's a problem: Galton doesn't seem to listen again.
"Don't be confused, Kamei-san," the angel continued.
"Galton has no ill intentions, but his disobedience leads himto make mistakes that are not part of the plan."
"Now we must urgently retrieve the Saint of Earth,for he is the one most exposed to death."
"Do not worry about the other saints:the Saint of Light, the Saint of Ice, and the Saint of Metal.We will bring them back without Galton."
"What we need now is for you to rescue the Saint of Earth."
The angel spoke in a firm, yet gentle tone:
"This is the first message God sends you: to inform you of the situation.
The second is that you are the one to go for the Saint of Earth.You must gather your things and depart at dawn."
"You will leave from Vermont to a hostile land now at war: Vietnam.You must bring him back safely."
"If you fail, it could take a hundred or two hundred yearsbefore a new candidate arises for the Earth's Creation Gift."
"And the third is:"
"God commands you, Kamei-san, to allow Him to love you.He has seen your prayers and your inner pain."
You are not unworthy of love. If you were,He would not have entrusted you with these special missions.
You are a child of God, and the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christwill accompany you on your journey.
"You must depart as soon as possible, and if it takes months, that is even better.Good luck, ancestor of the stars."
Meanwhile, in the Brazilian jungle, dawn was breaking.
Helena walked behind Galton, attentive to every word.
Galton stopped and held her by the shoulder:
"Listen carefully, Helena. I won't always be here to protect you.That's why we'll go to that mountain, and I'll explain secrets from 2000 years ago."
"I will teach you to use your Creation Gift," he whispered, intense and full of emotion,"the Gift of Light, and also how to redirect it.I will make you the strongest warrior I have ever trained."
He paused, his gaze serious.
"I am very sorry, Helena… about your family.The reason I never touched that topic in depth…is because I lost mine long ago,and it was all my fault."
"I want to spare you that pain.That doesn't mean I won't be strict with you,but I want you to know that I am trying to help you."
Helena didn't know how to take his words.She remembered the violence she had seen in him the first time,but in these last two days,Galton seemed calmer, almost reasonable.
"I wish you would speak to me more kindly…then I would not be so afraid of you, sir," she said, hesitant and stammering.
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean anything," she added.
Galton looked at her seriously.
"There are many things you don't know.I will tell you in due time.We will travel from village to village, from this jungleto the Colombian border, and then take a boat to Europe.
I don't know where the Saint of Ice is,but the Orb of Creation points toward him.We must find him."
He stepped a little closer."Helena… I need you for this now. Is that alright?"
She froze.Out of nowhere, he was asking for help after everything that happened.
"Alright…" she finally said."Where are we going?"
"To that hill. Come on," Galton replied.
While Helena and Galton made their way toward the hill,the scene shifted softly to Vermont, United States.
Back in Vermont, Kamei-san was preparing himself.He traded his tailored suit for traveler's clothes,more comfortable and harmonious than the last time.
He packed his jacket, compass,and everything he'd need for the journey ahead.
That night, Adelaida couldn't sleep.She lay awake, staring at the ceiling,her soul tangled in knots.
She felt as though her feelings didn't matter,as if something inside her couldn't crossthe invisible wall between her heart and Kamei-san's.
In her mind, a persistent voice tormented her:
"I'm such an idiot…"
"Why would God call him now, of all times?"
"I had nearly two decades to try—to tell him how I feel—and I barely got further than yesterday."
"And just when I do,when he finally dares to look at me that way…now he has to leave."
She turned on the bed,burying her face in the pillow.
"I think Kamei-san only sees me as a child."
"I can tell by how he talks to me,how he looks at me—with tenderness, yes,but not with desire."
"And that hurts."
"It hurts to feel like I'm not enough,that I'm the one insisting,the clumsy one,the one who never understands the moment."
"If he was about to kiss me,then why didn't he?""Is it because he doesn't like me?""Or because he pities me?"
"I don't know.But it hurts.It hurts so much I want to scream—and I can't even cry out loud."
The candle, now burned out, left the room in shadow.Adelaida stayed silent, her heart burning,her thoughts spiraling until dawn began to peek through the window.
Hours later, Kamei-san was ready to leave.His figure, dressed as a traveler, looked strangely solemn.He wore a compass around his neck,and his face reflected the bitter calm of one saying goodbyewithout knowing when he'd return.
He stood by the door and spoke to everyone—except Nuriel, who still slept in his long slumber.
"I haven't done this in years."
He chuckled softly, a weary smile crossing his face.
Dánae stepped closer, nervous."Hey, otter man… promise you'll come back, alright?"
Kamei-san looked at her and replied,"I'll come back for all of you. I don't want to leave—I just have to, Dánae."
But she wasn't satisfied with just a joke.With her heart steady and brave,she gave him a proper farewell.
She hugged him tightly, clinging as if she feared losing him."Promise you'll come back…" she whispered."Last time, you were gone almost a year. You left me with Jack…please, come back. Don't leave us."
Jack watched the scene in silence,his serious gaze saying more than words could.
Kamei-san nodded, holding back his emotions."I won't fail. The angel gave me orders—if I retrieve the Saint of Earth,I must bring him back here, to Vermont.The other three saints will come on their own…or at least, that's what I understood."
Then, Adelaida stepped forward.She didn't say a word at first.She just hugged him, trembling,trying to make the moment last a little longer.
"When will you come back?" she asked,her voice breaking into a fragile whisper.
Kamei-san lowered his gazeand placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.
"I don't know, my dear," he answered softly."It might take months… or years."
Adelaida felt her chest burn.She swallowed hard, forcing a smile,but tears slipped down without asking permission.
She stepped away before he could say another word.She climbed the stairs quickly, and as she shut her door,she collapsed onto the bed.
She didn't have the courage to watch him leave.She knew that if she saw him go,her heart would finally break apart.
He reached the twin towers by the entrance,three meters apart, leading toward the cave ahead.
He stopped for a moment at the first one,placing his hands on the cold stone.He closed his eyes and let the wind brush against his face.
Then he leaped to the next tower. And another.Each jump was a small act of release,an attempt to ease the tension coursing through his body and mind.
At the mouth of the cave, Kamei-san stood still.He stared into the dark tunnel, breathing deeply,his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
It wasn't haste that he felt, but a quiet pull—a gravity that kept him there,staring at the place where destiny awaited him.
His thoughts wandered, mapping routes, recalling faces,feeling the weight of what he had to do,while minutes stretched like invisible threads.
Time slipped by—ten, maybe twenty minutes—without him noticing, lost in that stillness,in the silence that surrounded him.
Then, a sudden sound shook him—his name,shouted with force and urgency.
"Kamei-san!"
It was Adelaida. She was leaping from tower to tower,one foot after another, never stopping.
The slight limp left by that bear in Greenland still remained,but it didn't stop her.Each jump burst with determination and courage.
Kamei-san, startled, stepped back,his heart pounding in his chest.
"Adelaida! Don't come closer—please, go back!"
But she didn't listen. With a burst from her left foot,her gift of creation launched her forward,carrying her tower by tower through the air.
Kamei-san realized she wasn't stepping on them—she was using them as platforms to propel herself,rising higher until she landed softly beside him.
He blinked, a flash of pride and relief crossing his chest."Wow… you've been practicing, haven't you?You're controlling your gift better now."
Adelaida looked at him, determination mixed with nerves."Look, listen to me, Kamei-san…" she said,her voice trembling but firm.
"I was so nervous. I had so many things to tell you…The impulse to come here made me feel so much,I just couldn't let it pass."
She thought to herself, her mind rushingwith the urgency of a secret that needed release:
"If I don't tell him now, I'll regret it.What if he doesn't come back? What if he dies?Even if he's immortal and sacred, that doesn't mean he's safe."
She stepped closer, her heart pounding in her chest,letting emotion fill every word.
"Kamei-san, listen carefully…I think you're a wonderful, extraordinary man, okay?You're the complete opposite of what I was taught to want."
"Since I was little, they told me to wait for a prince…but you're nothing like that. You're much better."
She started to stammer—nervous, yet brave.Slowly, she moved closer, and Kamei-san, unable to resist,placed his hands on her waist.
"Listen to me—you have to go back, okay?You need to go back."
Adelaida couldn't hear his words.Her mind traveled to the past—her childhood,her father's voice telling stories,
her mother's laughter, and that of her sisters, Constanz and Christa.The wind stirred her hair, and in her eyes gleameda mix of fear, love, and desperate longing—
a plea for him to understand what she felt.
She remembered the day everything changed:the foreigners, the crying,the moment her family was taken away to Berlin.
She also remembered the years of calm beside Nuriel,and how, little by little, she had learned to draw closerto Kamei-san.
And she remembered his words from long ago,echoing in her memory like a voice carved in stone:
"Love must be expressed in many ways, Adelaida.Not only through feelings and actions,but through how the spirit responds."
"If your spirit wishes to express itself,let us see what it paints to reflect what it feels."
Adelaida remembered it clearly.
Then Kamei-san broke the silence, his voice urgent."Adelaida, listen to me carefully.I don't want to worry you, okay? But I have to go, understand?"
She looked straight into his eyes.For an instant, the world stopped.The air grew dense—something painful yet healing filled it.
Shadows trembled on the cave walls as if they breathed beside them,and the light filtering through the crack wrapped themin a golden silence.
Everything slowed—their breath, their thoughts,the rhythm of the universe itself.
Adelaida felt her body move on its own,as though an invisible thread pulled every muscle,guided by something deeper than reason.
With a powerful push from her left foot, she leaped.Her legs wrapped around Kamei-san's waist,and he, without hesitation, caught her midair—firm, steady.
The world stopped.
Adelaida's heart burned like wildfire.Her mind screamed with intensity,every fiber of her being trembling between fear and desire—an act of courage… of madness… or both.
"Don't go… Kamei-san…I love you…please don't go."
She moved closer, her hands gently holding his face.Their lips met, entwining with fierce longing,breathing, gasping between pauses,
with the clumsy passion of someone daring for the first time.She hadn't learned how to kiss,but in that moment, she was brave.
Each time she pulled away for breath,she sought his lips again,with the urgency of someone afraid the worldmight end the moment she let go.
It wasn't just desire—it was need, it was soul,her way of saying "I want to know what your love tastes like,I want to know the taste of your kisses,I want to feel what it means to be loved."
Tears began to fall as she kissed him.She trembled, stammered, but didn't pull away.
Then she spoke, between sobs and gasping breaths."Please… tell me you'll come back…Please, tell me you'll return.I don't want to be alone.Every time people leave, they never come back,and I'm always here, with things left unsaid.Please… I'm begging you, come back."
Her tears fell faster,and her mind screamed through the trembling in her chest.
"I'm so stupid… such an idiot… what am I doing?What if he doesn't love me? What if he doesn't care?But I'm already here… I can't run away anymore.If he doesn't love me, then I'll just breatheand cherish this moment for as long as I can.But please, Kamei-san… tell me you love me.Say it… I love you."
Kamei-san finally understood.Many thoughts rushed through his mind,but he remembered what the angel had told him.
"Don't think you are unworthy of love."
He held Adelaida's face in his hands,and with a trembling voice, he said,"Adelaida… I don't want to go.Truly, I don't want to leave.I want to stay here, with you.I want to stay forever… but I have to go."
He looked at her with sorrow and resolve."Even if you cry, I can't stay now,but I promise I'll come back."
He gently cupped her cheeks,and this time, he kissed her properly.
Adelaida felt her spirit tremble, overwhelmed.It was strange, because as she was moved to tears,Kamei-san was also expressing all the lovehe had kept hidden inside.
With that kiss, they shared everythingtheir souls had kept silent for years.
After parting, Kamei-san caressed her head and cheeks.
"I will come back, Adelaida.And I will finish what you began."
"Don't think I'll just waitfor someone else to come for the Saint of the Earth."
"Don't think what you startwill be left unfinished. I'll take responsibility for you."
His voice trembled, yet remained firm.
"You are free to love me as much as you wish.After so many years… nearly a hundred, maybe two hundred…I will love you with all my strength."
"Because I'm not afraid to say it—Adelaida…I have loved other women, yes…but that doesn't mean I don't love you."
"Now that you've shown it,I'll carry you in my heart through every journey."
"I'm not afraid when I'm with you.Maybe because you're immortal, just like me.That gives me the courage to tell you everything I feel, Adelaida."
He caressed her again, with a tenderness that hurt.
"Don't think I'll abandon you.I'll return… for Dánae, for Jack,for Nuriel… and most of all… for you."
"When I return,I want you to tell me everythingyou couldn't express… today."
"Do you think you can bear that?Do you think you can endure someone… like me?"
"Do you think you could ever love someone like… me, Adelaida?I've lived too long…almost two thousand years."
"Do you think you could love me as I am?"
Adelaida understood what Kamei-san felt.She kissed him once more and said softly:
"If I'm kissing you now… it's because yes.Because I truly believe I can love you, Kamei-san.Because I already do…and I'll love you again when you return."
"When you return, I promise to tell you everythingI couldn't express before."
The two pressed their foreheads together and embraced,breathing in unison.
Dánae and Jack were at the end of the tower.Dánae joked,
"Oh, finally… it took them long enough.I was getting tired of waiting."
Jack replied,
"Honestly, I knew they'd move forward,but I didn't think it would happen so suddenly."
Dánae shot back,
"Suddenly? They took forever.They've wanted each other for years…but neither took the first step."
"It wasn't until he was leaving that she finally did…That's a bit cowardly… but at the same time,a little brave of Adelaida."
"I'm happy for them both.I just hope Kamei-san doesn't take too long…or he might end up hurting her feelings."
However, Jack was thinking about something else.He made up his mind…and leapt from tower to tower.
Dánae shouted,
"Hey, wait!Weren't you the one who saidwe shouldn't bother them?"
Jack's voice echoed from above,
"Come on, Dánae! We need to test something!"
From that distance, Jack landedand saw Adelaida and Kamei-san together.
Obviously, they both blushed.Adelaida was about to pull away out of embarrassment,when Jack said,
"No, no, no, relax.I'm not here to bother you or anything."
"You have my full blessing.You two look great together."
They both calmed down a little, still embarrassed,but they understood Jack's hint.
Dánae came right after him,and Jack turned to Kamei-san, speaking firmly.
"Kamei-san, we have to try one last time."
Kamei-san asked,"What are you talking about?"
"I don't agree with you going alone.I want to go with you, to help you find the Earth Saint.Someone has to watch your back."
"I'll cover your back, and you'll cover mine.You can't go alone."
Kamei-san replied with a faint smile,"You know what? Why not.Let's give it one last try."
"Last time, it almost threw you offfrom the other side of the towers."
"Maybe… but that's not what God wants, Jack.God wants you to stay here.It's necessary to keep the Saints safe."
Jack fell silent for a moment,the weight of worry heavy on his chest,then he said,
"I don't understand why you have to do all this alone.You'll be in danger.Who's going to watch your back?"
Kamei-san took a deep breath,his gaze fixed on the horizon.
"I think there are several reasonsthey wouldn't allow you to come, Jack.You have no experience out there."
"Only Nuriel and Adelaida have real experience.Dánae doesn't control her gift,and you don't know what it's like beyond this place."
In the middle of their argument,an ancient wind began to rise,swirling with supernatural force,as if the earth itself had held its breath.
The leaves, the grass, even the air trembledbefore a presence unseen,yet felt in every fiber of their being.
Then, from high above,a vast and thunderous voice emerged,as though born from the universe itself,echoing across centuries.
"Jack Fürts… my chosen one… Jack…my little flock… Jack… Jack…"
It wasn't just a sound—it was power, eternity, and justice intertwined.
Each word resonated in their bones,vibrating through the air,rumbling through the earth and their hearts.
Adelaida, Jack, Kamei-san, and Dánae froze,their breaths caught in awe and fear.
The reverence was not only spiritual but physical.Each heartbeat seemed to syncwith the rhythm of the divine voice.
In that instant, a spark burst from the airand became a flame burning with the intensityof a thousand suns condensed into a single point.
From it emerged a cherub, floatingwith supernatural majesty.
Its wings shone with pure light,illuminating everything around like a beaconpiercing through time and space.
Its gaze seemed to pierce the souls of all present,seeing everything they had beenand everything they would become.
With a clear, deep, resonant voice,it spoke softly into Jack's ear:
"Jack Fürts, God sends me to tell you this:God blesses everything that happens here.You have progressed greatly, even without leaving this place."
"He has heard your prayers and your tears.Your father bears no guilt, nor your mother, nor your sister.They are all innocent."
"What happened that day had nothing to do with you.You were a victim of it all."
"Despite everything, God grants you permissionto leave Vermont."
"He has seen your frustration and your heart, Jack.You've put your spirit and your strengthinto preserving what you have, and that has pleased Him."
"There are not many men who would do what you did.For being the saint who best controls his giftand for having a righteous heart,God allows you to go."
"Accompany Kamei-san on his journey.He will protect your back, and you will protect his.Your path will lead to Vietnam."
The cherub lifted its gaze toward all of them,and the light surrounding it expanded,forming a sphere of fire and peacethat seemed to suspend time itself.
Its voice became solemn, echoingthrough every tree, every leaf,and every heartbeat of the world—an eternal echo no one could ignore:
"Remember this…This is not merely a journey.It is the trial of your spirits—the spark that will ignitea destiny transcending both mortals and saints."
"The entire world watches you.I, who hold the strength of the Creator,will guide the thread of your steps."
"Walk together, with courage,for even in the deepest darkness,the light of duty and love shall never fade."
The wind swirled around them,lifting dust and leaves into the air,while the cherub's flame illuminated their faceswith a warm, sacred glow.
Every breath felt charged with history,with sacrifice and destiny intertwined.
Kamei-san and Jack understoodthey stood before something beyond comprehension—something that would change not only their lives,but the course of everything they knew.
A powerful, magnificent omen surrounded them,and for an instant, time itself stood still.
The whole world seemed to hold its breathas they prepared to taketheir first step toward something immense…epic… irrevocable.