⚠️ WARNING ⚠️The following material may contain explicit violence 🩸 and referencesto Jewish mythology ✡️ and theological perspectives 📜.The author does not intend to be pretentious with these topics,which might be delicate for some readers.And remember, everything told here is fiction 🎭.Reader discretion is advised 👁️.
📝 AUTHOR'S NOTE: You know what? Today was really hard for me 😮💨.So I'll just say this... Tomorrow, the good thing is that tomorrowis Bocchi the Rock Marathon Day 🎸🔥.That's all I'm gonna say.
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That morning, in the confined forest, birds sang with devotion.Their songs rose to the sky, filling the air with sacred harmony.
The light of God touched every corner of the forest,gilding leaves and branches alike.
Their chants lifted in hosanna before the Creator's decree,which reached the ears of the Saint of Fire.
Jack listened in awe — it was the first time God spoke to himdirectly, calling him to go forth and discover the worldHe had crafted with such mystery and care.
The cherub spoke with joy, eager to move the chosen one,who would step into the world for the very first time.
The cherub gazed at him calmly, its voice like a soft windwhispering through the trees.
"Go, Saint of Fire.Join Kamei-san and fulfill your mission beyond this forest."
It paused, lowering its gaze slightly.
"But be careful, Jack.The world you'll see is not like this one.It was made by God, but its beauty is not always kind."
Then, with a faint gleam in its eyes, it added:"Entrust your heart to the Most High...and never forget — God is with you, Jack."
The cherub faded away.
The radiance that had filled the air slowly dissolved,as if the sky exhaled after holding its breath.
Gradually, everyone regained their composure.
The silence that followed wasn't empty — it was contemplative.
The winds, now warm, brushed gently against their skin,touching their souls like a promise...an affirmation of what was yet to come.
Kamei-san smiled then,with that mix of relief and awe that only fate leaveswhen it finally decides to show itself.
"What are you waiting for, Jack? Go get your things. I'll be here."
Jack didn't hesitate for a second.As soon as he heard the order, he leaped with joyand jumped from the height with strength.
He didn't bother climbing down the towers carefully;he jumped with such force that the third tower trembled beneath him.The ground cracked when he landed, and without wasting a moment,he ran toward the cabin.
There, he gathered what he would take with him:the backpack Kamei-san had given him, Nuriel's maps,supplies, a change of clothes, his dagger,and his notebook for writing.
While checking his gear, he couldn't help but smile."I'll tell Dánae, Adelaida, and Nuriel everything I see out there,"he thought, filled with a childlike excitement.
He took a deep breath, ran a hand through his hair,and with a restrained grin, headed straight to Nuriel's room.Nuriel was still asleep.
Jack leaned closer and shouted with excitement:"Nuriel! I can't believe it! I'm finally leaving! I'm so excited!"
Leaving Nuriel half-awake and tangled, Jack dashed toward the exit.He opened the door with such force that the frame cracked as he passed.He kept running, light-footed,as if something inside pushed him toward the entrance towers.
With every leap, his joy was visible,an emotion burning in his chest.And when he finally reached the top, his body was so hotthat a faint smoke rose from his back—he was so excited he was already burning his clothes.
"Kamei-san, come on! If we go, we'll enjoy the journey!"
"Of course," replied Kamei-san."Now I feel more confident—the fear doesn't weigh on me as much anymore."
Adelaida turned to Jack and hugged him tightly."You idiot... you burn my room and now you leave."She kissed his forehead and added, fixing his shirt:"Please, come back with Kamei-san, alright?Both of you, return safe and sound.The world is dangerous, Jack... take care."
Dánae, pouting, crossed her arms.
"You're saying you're leaving... and... what about the sled, idiot?"
Jack looked at her and smiled."I'm coming back, Dánae, to finish that sled."
Tears welled in Dánae's eyes as she replied between sobs,"Please, come back soon... It hurt when Kamei-san left,and now you too."
Jack looked at her gently, trying to calm her."You can play with Nuriel."
"No!" Dánae shot back, her sarcasm barely hiding the sadnessin her voice. "How could I play with him? He's so boring."
An uneasy silence wrapped around them.They stood before the cave's entrance.The wind blew outward, carrying the damp scent of the forest.
That could only mean one thing—the tree had already bent... the exit was open.
Jack and Kamei-san stood there motionless,as the air filled with strange anticipation.For a brief moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then Jack, his voice trembling between nerves and hope,broke the silence."Do you think we'll find the Saint of Earth soon?"he asked, trying to hide the excitement in his tone.
"With the compass, maybe," Kamei-san replied."Though... I no longer remember what the world outside is like."
"I've brought supplies, gold, silver, metal...many things to trade, but I don't knowhow the world is now.
I'd dare say it changes so fast,I no longer know what it's become in twenty years."
Jack looked at him, astonished.His heart pounded so loud he feared the echo would betray him.
Kamei-san met his eyes,a mix of doubt and hope in his expression."Are you ready to discover what the world is like now, Jack?"
"I've never been more ready in my life," Jack answered firmly."I've always wanted to go out... and this time, I won't hold back."
Without waiting for a reply, he took a deep breath and entered the cave.Darkness swallowed him whole. Stalactites hung from the ceilinglike the teeth of a sleeping giant.
The path narrowed, twisted, until a faint light appeared at the end...a promise, a destiny waiting for him.
Kamei-san, watching Jack vanish into the shadows, exhaled deeply.Then he turned to Adelaida and Dánae, his voice gentle but firm."Girls... wait for us. We're leaving."
Jack hugged Dánae one last time and kissed Adelaida on the forehead,as if trying to seal that moment forever in his memory.
Then, with his heart pounding wildly, he stepped into the cave.Kamei-san ran after him, muttering under his breath,"I still can't believe Jack was allowed to leave..."
When Jack emerged on the other side, he froze before the lake.He had never been outside the confined forest.Everything felt... foreign.
The trees stood still, without the rhythm or songof Vermont's sacred woods.
The sky, a piercing blue, held no stars.Far away, a pair of towers rose,defying the reach of his imagination.
The lake was ordinary, even murky—nothing like the crystal dreamhe had always pictured.
Before Kamei-san could speak, a deep crack echoed behind them:the wooden tree marking the hidden forest's entrance was closing,as if the ancient world were bidding Jack farewell with one final sigh.
Jack drew in a breath, his throat tight, and whispered,"The real world... isn't what I imagined."
His voice sounded more like a confession than surprise.And in that moment, he understood there would be no return.
The forest was behind him,and what lay ahead was his alone—a new, unknown, and overwhelming world.
While Jack and Kamei-san left Vermont,on the other side of the world—in the depths of the Brazilian jungle—Galton and Helena stood upon a hill.
She sat, exhausted,while Galton paced around her, explaining in detail the plan.
He was explaining the training process and everythingshe needed to understand before joining him on his journey.
Helena was lost in her thoughts.
"From what I understand..."
"Am I some kind of chosen one?"
"What the hell does that even mean?"
"I don't get it. Aren't saints supposed to be statues in churches?"
"This man is completely insane... and dangerous on top of that."
"I tried to escape, but when he saw me, I knew I wouldn'teven make it to the corner. I gave up immediately."
"And that creature I saw said it was a cherub."
"I don't even know what the hell that is."
"He said it was an angel, but... aren't angels supposedto be beautiful? That thing had three heads.It looked more like a beast than a—"
"Helena!" Galton roared. "Stop daydreaming and focus!"
Helena looked up, furious."Son of a bitch!... sorry, what were you saying?"
Galton stared at her calmly, though the veinon his forehead looked ready to burst.
Seeing she wasn't paying attention,he decided to discipline her in his own way:
he forced her into the horse stance,a huge log resting across her shoulders.
It was the horse stance—also called the "Chinese stool"—legs bent as if sitting, holding the weightuntil her muscles burned.
"This thing's too heavy!" Helena shouted.
"Fuck! I can't—these damn antsare crawling up my armpits!"
"Galton, deixa eu baixar o tronco, por favor!"
"Ah, ajuda!" she added, arching her back."It's too heavy!"
Galton sighed, unbothered.
"We need to learn how to awaken your Divine Force," he said calmly.
Then he thought to himself:
"This time, I have to be more patient with this girl."
"Even if I dislike the method, I must admit that if Jack becameso violent and unstable because of what I did..."
"Maybe it's time to try another path."
"I've been thinking a lot about it… about everything that happened."
"But now I have to focus on teaching Helena what the Divine Forcetruly means."
"Her way of thinking is messy. If I'm going to train her,I need to become her real master."
"I need to shorten the time," Galton thought.
"Even though I said it would take three years...I must accelerate the process as soon as possible.Because if I don't..."
While he meditated on how to guide the training of the Saint of Light,a scream tore through the air.
"Hey, hijo de puta! This thing's too heavy! Please, help me!"
Galton approached without hesitation. He slapped her clean across the faceand sent her tumbling down the hill with the log.
As he followed her descent, he frowned and thought:
"I must do everything I can to reform this girl.If I don't, things will get far worse than they already are."
Helena tried to stand, but lost her balanceand rolled until she hit a tree.
Luckily, the log kept rolling downhill and missed her.
Galton reached her in an instant. He saw her crying from the pain,but wasted no time.
He grabbed her by the shoulder firmlyand dragged her back up the hill.
Placing her in the center, he stared coldly and ordered,"Stand up."
Helena obeyed. She wiped her tears, clenched her teeth,and swallowed her pride.
Galton began pacing around her,his voice steady with the calm of someone who had seen too much.
"To teach you how to control your gift,I must first show you how it works."
"How the Gifts of Creation operate,how the Divine Force acts...and how to merge the two.Because they are not the same."
"Helena listened in silence."Fear held her stiff, her heart beating so hardshe could barely breathe.
Her only goal was not to earn another strike.
Galton stopped before her. His eyes, old and stern, pierced her.
"The gifts of Creation are, technically, a spiritual gift,"he said softly. "A machinery of the angels."
Helena looked at him, confused. Galton continued:
"It's the best way to explain it. Just as man invented the wheel,industries, beasts of burden… or even the weapons used today,angels too were granted the power to create certain things."
His tone grew heavier, almost reverent.
"Some used that power for good — the cherubim,and all who remain with God.Others, however, used it for war.
An example of that are the swords… and all the ancient weaponsknown to humankind, passed down by the sons of the Nephilim.That knowledge was inherited, century after century,until its origin was forgotten."
Galton raised a hand, his voice carrying a weightthat seemed to hold centuries of memory.
"The gift of Creation comes directly from God,but its manifestation depends on the machinerythe angels use to redirect the energy of the universe."
"It's a way to imitate the angelic gifts…and adapt them to the human body."
He paused and fixed his gaze on her."The human body is also made of spiritual gears.We are a living machine."
"To have life doesn't mean to lack parts.We are one, and at the same time, many within one.""That's why we can seek, discover… and learn."
Helena tried not to cry. Her head, her body, her pride —everything hurt. But she listened intently.Something in his voice kept her awake.
"The gifts of Creation," Galton went on,"granted by the Orb of Creation,are presents given by God through the angels.God allows this machinery to reach humanityto fulfill a prophecy."
His gaze hardened.
"A prophecy I can't speak of yet," he said,"but it's vital that every Saint understands this:you were not chosen at random.
You weren't chosen for who you are.You were chosen for a greater purpose — to balance the cosmos."
He paused.The wind blew between the trees, stirring dust and leaves around them.
"Something is happening," he said at last,"not just in this world. The prophecy is tied to that."
"That's why there's no one — neither in past nor future ages —more fit than you all."
He leaned slightly forward, locking eyes with her."And you," he said, his voice low but sharp,"you are the only one among millions of souls throughout the centuries."
Helena thought only one thing:that this man was completely insane…or worse, that he was telling the truth.
Because seriously — who the hell talks about angels and divine machinerywith the confidence of a college lecturer?
But then again… Galton had superhuman strength.He had pulled her out of Rio de Janeiro,and no one — no one — had been able to stop him.
So between believing she was crazy or believing him,she chose the latter.Pure mental resistance.
"So listen carefully, Helena.Today you'll learn everything you need to know.
What are the gifts of Creation? What is the sun?All of that is tied to the same thing —the power God granted to the Saints."
"I'll give you some clues about the prophecy,so you'll understand why you're here,and why it's so crucial that you fulfill your role.
And above all, so you'll know why we'll go afterthe Saint of Ice first…and why I won't take you to Vermont — yet.
It's the only way to protect the Saints' integrity."