⚠️Warning:The following content may contain references to World War II. It may include descriptions of post-traumatic stress and references to the year 1945. The author does not intend to make humor or be sensationalist with these elements. Reader discretion is advised.
🫠Author's Note:I must acknowledge that the character Nuriel is very special to me. Every character I write in this work holds a particular value, but Nuriel occupies a unique place. I have known him since I was 13 years old, and despite all that time, I must admit that I will never fully understand him, nor can I comprehend what it would have felt like to be in the places he experienced. Nuriel is a complex and vast character, too much for my pen to describe completely.(Tholio; 2025).
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June 8, 1945
We were in Vermont, in the confined forest. After finishing the construction of the cabin and assigning the rooms, Jack tried to teach Dánae English, without fully understanding what she was saying, while she took it as a game.Jack spoke rough English, learned in the 1870s, and barely understood the English of that time; his fully known languages were Hebrew and Aramaic, though he only remembered parts of them. Dánae, for her part, mixed in some Russian words, as she hadn't had time to learn other languages.
Jack: Eat… I eat. I… eat.
Dánae (confused): В… русском… человек… яйцо…? (In… Russian… man… egg…?)
Jack: No… eat! I… I eat! You eat!
Dánae: Я… я… человек яйцо? (I… I… man egg?)
Jack (sighs): No! Eat… like… food. I eat. You eat. Understand?
Both of them grew frustrated, unable to understand each other. Jack, in Aramaic, spoke to Kamei-san, while Dánae said her part in Russian.
—Kamei-san, lā' māvīn 'enāh ṭalyātā. (Kamei-san, I'm tired, I don't understand this girl.)—Kamei-san, этот человек странный, он ничего не делает, когда я говорю «человек яйцо». (Kamei-san, this guy is strange, he does nothing when I say "man egg.")
Kamei-san took the time to help them, as he had to give explanations in both languages and try to make everyone understand. First, he spoke to Jack, then to Dánae.
—You both make me laugh. This place was gloomy and boring; now everything looks more colorful.—In order to understand each other, we must work on the languages. I will teach you the basics.
Addressing Jack:—You will have to learn Russian, English as well, and more languages that I will teach you.
Then, looking at Dánae:—And you will learn Aramaic, Hebrew, and Chinese. You will need that language too.
Jack replied:—Well, I'll try… but I don't like speaking languages I don't understand.
Dánae added, annoyed:—I have to learn all that… just hearing it makes me hungry and sleepy.
Kamei-san laughed.—No problem, you'll get used to it. It's a good thing. You must learn several languages, because there's something I need to tell you: you are saints.
He paused, repeated his words in Russian and Aramaic, and then continued:—You were both chosen by God for a prophecy whose purpose is yet unrevealed. But you already have immortality and gifts: of nature and fire. I gave Dánae the gift of creation; I took it from Galton's possessions. Even as a meta-human, Galton would not have been able to carry the three gifts.
He paused for a moment and added:—The angels assigned me the power to name saints. Apparently, the cherub spoke to me about the saint of the wind and the saint of the lightning. They are now traveling with Galton, and they will probably take longer than expected. I don't know the details.
Kamei-san stood up and looked at them calmly.—Come, let's sit at the table. While I prepare lunch, we will practice word by word. Little by little, you will integrate it into your vocabulary. One day we start with one language, the next with another… believe me, you will get used to it.
With that, the three moved toward the cabin table. The atmosphere changed: they were no longer scattered in laughter and frustration, but gathered in the same space, ready to learn while sharing the meal.
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After this touching scene, the story continues in Iceland, on the same date: June 8, 1945.
They departed from the port of Hommelvik, in Norway, heading to Iceland. The trip was supposed to take about ten days, but they ended up taking thirteen. The cause was Galton, who, not knowing how to distinguish a sailing ship from a motorboat, thought the vessel was incomplete. He tore a sail off a nearby fishing boat, convinced it would make them move faster, until they finally understood what was missing was gasoline. After this confusion, they reached the southern coast of Iceland and from there headed to the village of Mýrdal.
Once in the village, Nuriel was received into the home of a rural doctor, who had opened his house to care for refugees and war castaways. Although he had arrived in better condition than anyone could have endured after thirteen days at sea, he ended up in bed, sunk into a deep sleep.
Nuriel spent nights trapped in the same nightmares since Adelaida slept beside him: memories of the Holocaust, memories of his family. It was always the same dream, repeating endlessly. At first, he only saw emptiness.
Suddenly, his loved ones appeared and, little by little, turned into trees. Their faces were trapped in the wood, motionless, as if they were carved masks. Then, SS soldiers arrived with torches and set the forest on fire.Nuriel looked at his own hands and saw branches and leaves sprouting from his palms, as if he himself were condemned to become the same. And, among the smoke and flames, the same angel appeared again.
Adelaida was entering the joining room. In the village, they had found a hospitable doctor. They didn't have to threaten him; this time, Adelaida asked for his help to avoid problems. As compensation, he told them they could keep both the provisions they had stolen and the weapons. If they wanted, they could keep the boat. However, the doctor accepted the food but not the boat.
Out of kindness, the man was moved by Nuriel's condition and examined him. He warned that Nuriel had early-stage tuberculosis and showed patterns of anemia, as well as malnutrition and dehydration. He commented that, although he could stand up, he could not do so for long. He also noticed the knee fracture, which seemed to have been set badly.
However, he said he was surprised that Nuriel's recovery was so accelerated. He had seen people with the same patterns who ended up dying one or two months after leaving the camps, since several refugees had arrived before. This was the first case he had seen with an almost supernatural recovery.
The man decided to let Nuriel recover in his house, attended by his wife and daughters, who were nurses. His home also served as a refuge for people who arrived after the war.
Adelaida held Nuriel's hand and said softly:"See? We've arrived. I'm going to check out the place and the market. Also, I need to get some money, because I don't want to sound pessimistic… but I've been wearing the same dress since we left Buchenwald, and frankly, I stink. The doctor already gave us the chance to bathe; he already washed you, only I'm left. And I wouldn't ask Galton because, honestly… he kind of disgusts me."
Nuriel looked at her and murmured:"It's strange, this man, isn't it?""Yes," Adelaida replied. "He looks like someone from another time: long beard, messy hair… and those clothes seem like they haven't been washed in years. From here he smells like cow."
They both laughed softly."We'll continue on this journey. Is that okay, Nuriel?" she added.He nodded.
Then, Adelaida went into the rural market. She didn't speak the language, but still tried to communicate. Silently, she asked the cherub why he hadn't given her the power to speak it.
The cherub answered her:"The reason I didn't allow you to learn Galton's language, and vice versa, is because it was the only way to save Nuriel. If you hadn't been able to communicate with Galton and understand him, the chances of him surviving would have been nil. You, Adelaida, were the means by which God preserved his life. Heaven rewarded you for it. But now, you will have to work hard and learn this language on your own."
However, lying in bed, Nuriel thought to himself:What is happening to me? Not even in Auschwitz did I torment myself so much. This damned dream won't let me sleep. And it's always the same, identical, night after night. Why? Why has it haunted me since I left Buchenwald?
Adelaida helps me warm my hands every time I tremble… every night we've slept together. But now, I don't know why, I feel angry with her. Am I really angry at Adelaida? I'm not sure.But when I look at Adelaida, at times, I don't see my sister, but I see them. I see the same wretches who took everything from me.
Nuriel clenched his hands tightly.No, I don't hate Adelaida. She saved me. I can't hate her. She's my sister, isn't she? We're supposed to be siblings… God… what's happening to me?
While all this was devouring him inside, he wasn't crying from sadness but from rage. He clenched his teeth so hard he could barely breathe. The only sensation that invaded him was wanting to run, to do something, anything… but his body still didn't respond; he wasn't even able to stand on his own feet.
Nuriel spent weeks like this, trapped in his thoughts, trying to process them, but only falling into repressed resentment. Time slipped by, and what had been weeks turned into months.
Meanwhile, Adelaida got a job at a bar. There she noticed that the gifts of creation had changed her: she wasn't like Galton, with his overwhelming strength, but she also wasn't an ordinary young woman. She discovered she could carry five trays on one arm, push a customer's cart, or lift a sack of provisions as if it weighed nothing.
Over time, she also learned to manifest small bursts, although still without control. It was only a glimpse of what she could do with that gift that had marked her.
Galton, on the other hand, remained distant. He continued protecting them, always at a prudent distance, but without coming closer than necessary. He observed, didn't ask, didn't intervene. He only spoke once about Nuriel, after his fifth month of recovery.
Galton said to him:"Listen to me well, boy. You will heal, and when you do, I will give you immortality. That way, the chance of you getting sick again will be less. We will cross Greenland and descend from the north of America to the south, until we reach the forest of Vermont. Before we leave, I have to teach you a couple of things; otherwise, you could die. Where we're going, there are bears and the cold is extreme."
Adelaida told me that, according to the cherub, your recovery would take eight months from the time you left Buchenwald. That means we'll leave at the end of November.After several months, Adelaida managed to learn the language, while Nuriel's recovery progressed at a bewildering pace. The doctor, incredulous, commented:"I've never seen a case like this. It's medically impossible for someone with these conditions to heal so quickly."
When analyzing his blood, he discovered anomalies he couldn't explain: platelets multiplied rapidly but maintained a perfect balance with red blood cells. His body not only fought tuberculosis, but seemed to neutralize it. Even the iron in his blood increased abnormally after each meal. By November 29, 1945, Nuriel was clinically healthy, as if the disease had never existed.
That same day, Adelaida returned from work. Upon learning that Nuriel would be discharged in two weeks, she set about gathering resources. With enough fuel and supplies, they thought perhaps it wouldn't be necessary to cross Greenland: they could skirt Iceland and, with the nautical map a local sailor had given them, try to reach the United States, even if illegally.
Still, Nuriel remained for another week under Galton's discipline. He trained him to strengthen his body: running, jumping, and enduring the cold. He also taught him to handle a bow and arrows he himself had crafted."When the snow rusts the bullets or freezes the barrel, this will be the only thing you have to defend yourself," he warned.
Then, the following conversation happened:"We leave tomorrow," said Galton. "I'm only going to ask you not to die. You're definitely the saint who's caused me the most trouble in all my years of existence.""I've heard you say that more than once," replied Nuriel, a little annoyed. "I think I've had enough of being told I'm a problem."
Galton approached him. Without another word, he took from his pocket an orb that shone like a fragment of a storm; it was strange, because it moved as if a cube were inside another cube, but spinning at the same time and taking another shape. He placed it on the boy's chest, and a current of light ran through his body. Nuriel felt his heart burn, and began to feel as if a heat enveloped him."Now you are immortal." Galton withdrew his hand. "All right, prepare your things. Tomorrow we leave for Vermont."
Galton walked away and went on his way. Nuriel just stayed there, thinking that now they would have to resume the journey, but he thought that, if they went with him, only misfortune awaited them.
That night, Adelaida was excited, though also worried. Taking care of Nuriel made her feel responsible, but the idea of going to Vermont filled her with a strange anticipation. Still, thinking about leaving the people in the village, she felt a slight sadness, but also the thrill of going to a place she didn't know."You know… I've been thinking so much," said Adelaida, sitting near him. "I haven't focused on what Galton's been telling us about Vermont and about being saints. At least now I'm calm knowing you've completely recovered. The doctor discharged you a week ago.""I'm not calm," replied Nuriel, his eyes fixed on the floor. "Now that I can move and think, I can't help but feel overwhelmed by that man's power. I realize that even if we joined forces, we couldn't escape, Adelaida."
She tried to smile."I've been practicing a little, but not enough. I don't know how to control these gifts, not even how to use them well… but do you think that matters?"
Nuriel turned his gaze away. He felt the pressure in his chest; he didn't know how to tell Adelaida, to shout at her to leave.
Adelaida lay down on her bed and hugged him, saying:"All right, let's sleep, Nuriel. Tomorrow the high seas await us, and it's awful to sleep in the middle of the waters with the ship moving."
She made herself comfortable and added:"We'll go together to Vermont, Nuriel."
But as she hugged him, Nuriel couldn't stop looking at her face. He felt the urge to push her off the bed; he felt the guilt of wanting to shout at her and use her as a catalyst for his loss, because, as much as he didn't want to admit it, she was German. With a firm voice he said:"Forgive me, Adelaida. Tonight I want to be alone."
"Did I do something?" she asked, lowering her voice."No, it's not that. I just… need to think. Please, I don't need your company tonight. Please go."
Adelaida got up slowly, but despite not knowing what Nuriel was thinking, she linked it directly to the camps, because she had already noticed this distant behavior for four months.
She knew it: it was a heavy pressure, maybe guilt or maybe the fact that her brother was indirectly telling her that he hated her. She stayed there saying to herself:"Nuriel, why doesn't he want to sleep with me? Could it be that I did something wrong?"
Yet her mind went back to the first days she met him and remembered that she had called him a Jew. With guilt in her chest, she just turned halfway and said:"All right, Nuriel. Good night."
When he was left alone, the boy clenched his hands until his nails dug into his skin. He didn't cry from sadness, but from rage; his mind was chaos.They all survived only to be sent to the camps. And after that, the only one left was me.How will I know if they're still free? Or if they're still in those factories?Why did no one do anything?Why did God choose me as a saint?What does that mean?
He felt fear, because the mere mention of a prophecy about a saint of lightning meant an enormous weight on his shoulders. Nuriel was not ready to bear it, and he couldn't even process what had happened to him.
He fell asleep. Adelaida, on the other hand, could not. She felt that something was wrong with Nuriel and was worried, although she couldn't say anything to him. She also knew that sleeping beside him could disrupt the bond between them, as seeing her as German might bring back horrible memories of the camps, even though they had already forgiven each other.
At 5 a.m. the next morning, they said goodbye to the doctor and thanked the sailor who had given them the map to reach their destination. They set sail, prepared, heading toward the United States; however, they had to make stops as support points. Otherwise, their plan would be impossible, since a hybrid fishing boat of that era couldn't make the journey without sinking.
However, there was a problem. As they sailed toward the ports, trying to skirt Greenland, they ended up lost in Prins Christianssund due to a map confusion.
They couldn't orient themselves properly, as they were not sailors and didn't have one among them. Moreover, they ran out of fuel. They had food, but saints need to eat only once every six months; that is the condition of their immortality.
"I think I know this place. This is not the American continent," replied Galton.
"I told you we needed a sailor. I warned you many days ago," Adelaida responded, frustrated. "I even said we could go back to the village, but you didn't listen."
"We've already taken too long," Galton replied. "I waited patiently for Nuriel to recover. I told you we weren't going to do it this way, so we'll do it my way. Understood?"
Adelaida packed the things. Nuriel carried two rifles that had remained on the boat since they left Norway. Both were ready to walk across Greenland to the United States, to Vermont.
Now, on the ice, they arrived in Greenland on December 21, 1945.