Chapter 2: The Child of the sun
Adam knelt before her, a graceful movement that didn't crease his clerical robe in the slightest. He extended a pale hand toward the child's head. At that exact moment, he felt neither love nor pride. He simply observed how this new « daughter »could help him.
Despite the limited time he could devote to her, he will certainly try to be with her as long as he can but he still needed to locate the remaining Uniquenesses of the Visionary, the Hanged Man, the Tyrant, and the White Tower scattered across the galaxy in order to claim the throne of one of the Four Pillars: The God Almighty. At the moment, he already possessed the Sun, which had been transformed into the silver cross hanging around his neck.
« I am only a humble servant of the Sun God, my child, » he lied with warm kindness. « And you… are a spark that has traveled far to find me. »
Elara, seeing his smile and mistaking it for tenderness, felt her shyness fade away. She pointed at the silver crucifix.
« Mom says you're close to God and that you can even talk to Him. I can do things too! If I tell people to fall asleep, they listen right away. Even big men with guns. »
She let out an innocent laugh, unaware that her power was an embryonic version of her mother's Suggestion. Adam gently stroked her hair.
« That is an incredible power, Elara. But here, under the Lord's gaze, you won't need to command others. You will learn at my side more about the Lord. And perhaps… you will help me find what this world is missing. »
Kafka watched the scene, a mysterious smile on her lips before stepping back into the shadows of the nave.
« Adam, we need to speak privately now, if possible, » Kafka suggested, still wearing her characteristic smile. « I'm sure the little one would be very curious to explore the church, wouldn't you, sweetheart? »she continued, glancing at the small tuft of violet hair beside Adam.
Hearing her mother's suggestion, the little girl became excited and nodded eagerly, first toward her mother and then quickly toward Adam with pleading, puppy-like eyes.
« Can I explore the church while you talk, please? » the girl asked, her voice filled with both cute insistence and curiosity about this new environment.
Adam, who had been observing the small exchange between mother and daughter, looked at the child, then at her mother, one with a gaze full of mature charm, the other with innocent cuteness.
« Of course you can, »he replied softly.
He then looked toward one of the priests who had arrived after hearing that a notorious criminal had appeared on their planet, worse, that she had incapacitated all the guards in her path and entered the cathedral where their Saint usually prayed.
The priest stood frozen for a moment, his mind in turmoil. He had heard enough to understand that the situation was far beyond anything he should be witnessing. The presence of the Saint, the criminal, and the mention of a child… it was something that could shake the entire planet if revealed.
Then he felt it.
The Saint's gaze fell upon him.
In that instant, all his thoughts stopped.
He understood.
Despite the storm of questions in his mind, he did not hesitate. His faith,and more importantly, his instinct, compelled him to obey.
« Yes, Your Holiness! »
Straightening himself, he approached the child and offered a warm, reassuring smile.
« Come, my child. I will show you the church and its beauty. »
« She has her mother's powers, but she was born from my divinity, » he thought, his mind already analyzing the consequences of the fusion between those two forces: Divinity and Mortality. « While finding the remaining Uniquenesses remains important, I cannot obtain them the way my predecessor did. But if I cannot conquer this universe through brute force like the Ancient Sun God… then I will do so through faith and blood. And Elara… she will be the human face of my invisible cruelty. »
« Father? » the little girl asked, tugging on his sleeve. « Can we go see the glowing flowers? »
Adam lowered his gaze toward her, his smile perfectly unchanged.
« Of course, Elara. Go with him, » Adam said in a voice that seemed to wrap around the child like a warm blanket. « He will show you the glass gardens. The flowers sing when touched by sunlight. Follow him, and he will explain everything and answer all your questions along the way. »
As the silhouette of the middle-aged man and the little girl disappeared from view, their small footsteps echoed against the marble until the heavy bronze doors closed behind them.
Silence returned to the church.
But now, it was filled with an invisible tension.