⚠️ Warning: This chapter may contain explicit imagery and graphic descriptions of the characters. The author does not seek to be morbid nor to make fun of these mentions. Everything narrated here is fiction. Reader discretion is advised.
🫠 Author's Note: These days it has been very difficult for me to keep publishing daily chapters. Even though I already had some pre-written, I've had to rewrite them to give them coherence. What is about to come took me days of research, because even if I don't want to admit it, trying to step into the psychology of these characters has been a true challenge for the imagination.
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The ambiguity of knowing whether it was a dream, a vision, a revelation, or a combination of the three still troubled Galton.It disturbed him to find himself in the same place alongside Batuya.
Batuya spoke to him in a serene yet firm voice:"God has been trying more than once to make you understand, Thiago. But it seems you do not."
He paused, as if it pained him deeply to continue."You know, it hurts me greatly to know that even in the other world our paths will part."
Galton could not process anything, for Batuya's silhouette was already fading away.
A shiver ran through Galton, and suddenly the dream dissolved. The feeling of separation and unfinished destiny lingered in his mind as the light of Vermont began to filter through his eyelids.
Galton opened his eyes. He was being carried by Kamei-san. The leaves were a deep green, and summer was beginning to yield to autumn. In that moment, he realized that he had finally arrived in Vermont.
He suddenly regained the divine strength he had lost in Greenland and freed himself from the leather sack in which he was being carried, shouting at Kamei-san:"Kamei-san, put me down!"
His anger turned into confusion. His mind was still trapped in Greenland; he remembered nothing clearly. He had heard nothing while he slept—he had simply been in a coma—and that enraged him even more.
At that very instant, Nuriel stepped back alongside Adelaida.
"Nuriel, the madman is awake!" said Adelaida, with a mixture of repulsion and disgust.
Nuriel turned around. He was carrying Adelaida on his back, in a sort of improvised chair, bracing his foot against a piece of timber.
Galton, both astonished and exasperated, asked:"How did I get here?"
Kamei-san looked at him with such fury that even his own heart seemed to refuse to move out of fear, but it was his spirit that gave him the necessary impulse.
He clenched his fist tightly and threw it. With a sharp blow, he knocked him to the ground and said:"You are in Vermont."
Galton wanted to react, but intrigue left him paralyzed. Then Kamei-san spoke again:"I had to rescue you from Greenland. Thank Nuriel. He saved your life."
But Galton's expression was anything but grateful. With a gesture of repulsion, he snapped at Nuriel:"Go to hell, boy."
The young man turned, indignation in his eyes and a coldness that cut through the air. His demeanor was dry, almost impenetrable, as if every muscle rejected any sign of doubt.
Nuriel was no longer a child. Every step he took resounded with the firmness of a man forced to grow up too quickly, marked by a world that gave him no choice.
His face, serious and restrained, was a map of invisible scars: Greenland, Iceland, Berlin, Buchenwald, Auschwitz, the ghetto… and the ghosts he carried with him, all fused into a single gaze that could freeze the blood of anyone who faced it.
The fact that he was carrying Adelaida and spoke to Galton with such normality showed that there was no trace of fear left in him.
Staring at him, he stood his ground:
"I don't care what you think, what you believe, or who you are. I already brought you to Vermont. Thank God, not me; I didn't do this out of desire."
"I don't care whether you say it or not, but I am the Saint of Lightning, and the one on my back is the Saint of Wind. We took on those titles because we earned them, not because you say so."
"Coming all the way from the European continent to here, on foot, was madness, a recklessness you ignored. And to be honest, nothing you do matters to me."
"The only thing I care about is reaching the confined forest, because I trust the man beside me far more than the trash standing in front of me."
Adelaida looked at him with a restrained disdain, almost without words. Nuriel turned his gaze away and walked off.
Adelaida wanted to speak, but Nuriel had already said everything she wanted to say, and in response to Galton, he raised his middle finger:"Rot in hell, asshole."
Kamei-san watched her, a faint smile on his face, thoughtful:"Interesting… this woman has character. I'm surprised at how boldly she speaks."
He turned his attention back to Galton, his voice calm:"Galton, let me assure you of something: lately God has been pulling strings, and it seems He's not going to involve you this time. He will not allow you to put the true saints at risk."
They were entering Vermont, and before them rose the confined forest. Its shadows cast strange shapes among the filtered light, almost as if the place itself were breathing. There stood the tree that marked the entrance. Kamei-san pointed to it:"There it is. That's the tree."
Nuriel remained silent, assessing the scene:"Well… you found the tree. Should I be glad or worried about that?" he said with a touch of dry humor. "Look, I'll even clap. You found the tree. Great. And now what?"
Adelaida blinked, captivated, a thread of wonder in her voice:"Well… you found the tree. That's… good, isn't it? Aren't we supposed to already be in the special, magical forest?"
Kamei-san raised his hand calmly."No. Don't misunderstand my words. This tree is only the entrance."
From his palm emerged a luminous orb that floated before them, connected to his gift of creation. The soft, vibrant light traced lines across the bark, which slowly split in two, revealing an opening.
The wood creaked as if it were breathing, and from within emerged a cave that seemed alive: the entrance to the confined forest.
Nuriel and Adelaida were left speechless before the tree that seemed to move with a will of its own. Adelaida, trying to break the tension, gave Nuriel a small smack on the head:
"Oh, please, don't get so excited. We've seen things even more surprising than a tree that opens. And we have to go in there, don't we, Kamei-san?"
Kamei-san nodded, his voice echoing through the gloom:"Yes… let's go in."
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As soon as they entered, the air wrapped around them with a faint glow, as if every floating particle contained its own light. The forest's shadows intertwined with beams of brightness that seemed to breathe and move with a life of their own.
Focusing their gaze deeper inside, they were completely astonished.
What they saw was a vast forest, dotted with hills and towers aligned with an almost ritual precision. Each tower stood three meters apart, and above them auroras danced, painting the air with impossible colors, reflecting off the foliage and the river that wound in the distance.
Although outside it was already night, within this confined forest reigned a dawn. The stars shone with an intensity that seemed to defy the laws of the other plane of Earth.
The wind carried a murmur that echoed like ancient whispers, and from the height of a nearby hill they could see meadows, vast forests, and mountains fading into the distance.
A mountain crowned by a waterfall fed a river that branched into six arms, intertwining like a liquid labyrinth, weaving the hidden heart of the forest.
Adelaida and Nuriel were left speechless.
"I can't believe it…" said Adelaida. "I mean… well, I can believe it because I'm seeing it, but if I had to describe this in a book, I wouldn't know how."
At that moment, Kamei-san spoke to them in a calm voice, his eyes scanning the forest that seemed to pulse with life itself:
"Listen carefully. This forest… it is actually alive. Every stone, every tree, every river, even the clothes we wear—everything that makes up the world is spirit. There are two types of spirits: the living spirit and the natural spirit.
"The first dwell within beings that feel; the second are in the essence of the earth, the water, the air… even in the oldest stones."
A gentle breeze, carrying warmth, seemed to welcome them, confirming Kamei-san's words. He turned to Nuriel:
"Give me Adelaida. I'll carry her from here. The towers are three meters apart. Even though you possess part of the Divine Force, you don't yet have the training to leap while carrying someone. Let me do it this time."
Nuriel nodded and adjusted her."Yes… carefully."
Adelaida couldn't help but think:"Wait, what? Is he going to carry me or something?"
Kamei-san extended his arms toward her and said calmly:"Come, Adelaida."
She let herself go, though it was difficult to accept what she was feeling. Her mind was full of confused thoughts, locked in a true war with herself:
Alright, alright… calm down, Adelaida. It's not like… No, it can't be. He's an Asian man. Why is my heart beating so fast? Why am I so nervous?How could I possibly like a man like that?
The perfect German man I always imagined had light eyes that pierced right through you, blond hair that gleamed in the sun, a firm and elegant bearing, and precise, measured gestures… as if every movement had a purpose.
I don't like him… I don't like him… he's not handsome… he has no refinement… he has no… no, I can't like him…
While Adelaida was lost in her thoughts, Kamei-san lifted her gently, making sure to hold her firmly as they moved forward. Each step seemed to dance over the confined forest, which breathed and pulsed all around them.
Noticing Adelaida's tension, Kamei-san thought:"She's nervous… maybe she's afraid of falling."
"Relax," Kamei-san said in a calm voice. "We'll get down from here, and afterward I can carry you to the cabin in Vermont with Jack and Dánae. You won't fall."
Adelaida could only look into his eyes and nod, caught between fear and fascination, unable to say another word.
As Kamei-san carried her, Nuriel thought to himself:"The fool has started losing her mind again."
Halfway along the path, Kamei-san noticed Adelaida's expression—a mix of surprise and tension, as if something was bothering her. Misinterpreting the situation, he said:"Perhaps you'd rather go back to your brother. That makes sense… forgive me."
Adelaida froze, her thoughts spinning a thousand miles an hour:
"No, wait… no… I didn't mean to… Did he get tired of carrying me…?"
Adelaida, her heart still racing, replied:"I want to see the view."
She said it in German, without realizing it. In that instant, something in Dánae stirred: although she didn't really know the language—she had only learned a handful of words, nothing concrete—she could recognize the way it sounded.
A heat of alert ran through her body, as if her instinct reacted before her mind.
Suddenly, a small memory broke into her thoughts. She remembered her mother, her voice filled with affection and urgency:
"Daughter, listen to me… we're just going to the factory to ask for some food, okay? You stay here with the lady, don't be reckless, alright?"
And she, barely able to hold back her tears, replied:"Mom… please don't go."
Her father appeared then, holding her briefly and kissing her forehead:"Sweetheart, we'll be back, okay? Mom has to come with me too."
But they left, and Dánae remembered that she had lost everything in that war. The lady who was supposed to take care of her abandoned her, leaving her sick and almost malnourished, alone in the house that now felt like a frozen, empty memory.
She could still feel the cutting cold on her skin, the snow stinging her eyes, the sensation of helplessness and absolute loneliness.
Now, upon hearing Adelaida speak in German, she couldn't help but connect it to all that pain, to the feeling of fear and abandonment that had marked her most solitary days.
As if it were her body's own expression, or an involuntary reaction, Dánae grabbed the stone that lay beside her shoe and hurled it at Adelaida.
The rock spun with such force that Adelaida barely managed to turn her head to see it; the impact split her forehead open, making her bleed.
Kamei-san could barely react. Nuriel neither. But Galton was the one who grew the most furious.Dánae screamed with a pain that resonated in everyone:
"What is she doing here?! She's German… I can tell by the way she speaks. Why did you bring her here? Don't you realize she's a murderer? Her nation destroyed my home and took my parents away from me!"
Tears streamed down her face; although she had accepted that her parents were probably not alive, the pain of her loss and the impossibility of returning home weighed on her unbearably.Nuriel, annoyed, shouted at her:
"Girl, what's wrong with you?!"
At that moment, Galton stepped forward. For the first time since they had faced each other, Kamei-san felt fear: although he had confronted him before, he knew Galton had regained part of his divine strength.
Galton thought, cold and calculating:"I only came for the Saint of Wind and the Saint of Lightning… What is this girl doing here? If she was able to jump from the house all the way here, and even enter Vermont, that means she is a saint."
When he saw how Dánae had thrown the stone at Adelaida, his rage exploded without restraint. With a brutal motion, he kicked her in the stomach, sending her crashing against the cabin door with a dull thud.
Dánae's torso slammed against the wood; the blow bent her ribs, and a sharp pain cut off her breath. Air escaped her in gasps, her vision blurred, and a metallic taste of blood filled her mouth.Her body curled up instinctively, and the pressure in her abdomen forced her to vomit while her heart pounded wildly, as if it wanted to burst out of her chest.
Each second was torment.The pain left her trembling, the strength drained from her arms and legs.Her tears mixed with her saliva, and a muffled scream got stuck in her throat, unable to form words.
Jack's eyes burned with fury and concern. He planted himself in front of her, firm as a wall."No, Galton! This time I won't let you! Not with Dánae!"
At that moment, memories struck Kamei-san with crushing weight.First came the image of his first son—the one he barely managed to hold without trembling. He saw himself as a bad father: clumsy, distant, incapable of giving the warmth that was needed.
Then, one by one, he remembered his second and third sons… and how, with time, he had learned to be a father, even if it was already too late.
The images shifted. Graves. Freshly turned soil.Himself, with empty hands, burying the sons he had loved.Each handful of dirt was a confession. Each stone, an unspoken forgiveness.
He also remembered all the wives he had had, the children born from those fleeting loves…And how, one after another, they faded away with old age, while he remained alive.
Then came the memory that hurt him the most: Jack—along with the weight of his guilt.He had never been able to stand up for him.
His last son, Dechen, had come to hate him, accusing him of having left and abandoned him.Kamei-san never explained why he left. He simply left.
In his mind echoed the last words of that aging son in Tibet, bedridden by an illness that had pinned him down for twenty years.His skin was as thin as paper, and his bones creaked with every breath.He saw him looking into his eyes, his voice weary but filled with both affection and despair:
"Listen… Dad…" he coughed, his voice barely a thread. "You always tell me… about that boy… Jack."
"I… I've already lived my life… I've buried my children… one by one. And look at me… I'm still here… trapped in this body… broken."
"You have to take care of them… protect them… don't do to them… what you did before. If you love me… help me."
"My bones… they burn. My body… no longer obeys me. This isn't life… it's pain. Take me… to the garden. Leave me there… to rest. If you do that… if you give me that peace… I will forgive you… everything."
"Dad… I love you. It hurts me… to know that I… mortal… buried my children… and you… immortal… will outlive me. But if you must go… to that boy you speak of… go."
"Because I… did not forsake my children… and they… left me in my old age. I don't want you… to do the same. Family… between parents and children… is never abandoned."
Kamei-san closed his eyes for a second. That last sentence stabbed into his chest like a dagger; the weight of centuries and guilt crushed him all at once. His hands began to tremble, as if Dechen's pain had lodged itself in his bones.
Then he sprang to his feet. He wasn't going to allow it.
He grabbed Galton's wrist with a strength the divine energy couldn't shake free from. Was Kamei-san's strength greater than Galton's? Had Galton weakened after facing the saints? It didn't matter—Galton struggled to break free.
Kamei-san let out a scream, loaded with rage and everything he had held back for centuries:"That girl you just kicked is my daughter!"
"Galton, if you touch her again, I swear I will cut your throat! If you think you are the saint chosen by God, then come and prove it! I don't care if I go to heaven or hell."
"You will not touch Dánae or Jack!"
Kamei-san drew his sword calmly and said,"Back off! Don't give me a reason to kill you!"
Galton, despite everything he was, for some reason felt betrayed by Kamei-san —a blow to his narcissism.Divine strength had never failed him; this was the first time in centuries something like this had happened.Kamei-san's energy was visible; the divine force sat in his body like a flash of angelic power.
Galton demanded,"What is this, Kamei-san? Since when do you stand up to me like this? Who do you think you are?"
Kamei-san looked at Dánae lying at the door. With a dry, precise motion he swung the blade: one clean cut; and in a single moment Galton's fingers fell to the ground. The pain split his voice."Not long ago you feared the wrath of God!" Kamei-san warned. "But if you are so arrogant as to say your words are His, I will feel nothing killing a fallen apostle!"
Galton, out of his mind, shouted,"What is this?! What is this cabin, to begin with?! How is she your daughter, Kamei-san?!"
Kamei-san answered, steady:"She is my daughter! The Saint of Nature! She is under my protection, Galton. I will not make the same mistake I made with Jack!"
"Jack didn't deserve to be by your side. I won't leave like before. I will protect those who are with me: they are my family."
He stepped forward, his voice now charged with conviction, a vow."God is in my sword now, Galton. If I cut you, it was because that sword is the spear that exposes those who oppress the truth and hide it.""God is in my sword!"
"The angels watch in silence: the cosmic future of the saints hangs by a thread, wavering between a single outcome or a fracture that threatens to tear the prophecy apart."