Chapter 7: Adam thought
In the silence of the place, Adam, while observing the Blasphemy Slate that contained the secrets of the 22 pathways, fell into a long silence of reflection.
"Now that I have this slate and its information, what should I do?" Adam murmured as he thought about the possibilities offered to him. "Now that I possess the secrets of the 22 pathways, should I create an organization for my future plans and for unforeseen variables like "Him"?"
Rather than lingering here, he decided to go check on Elara. Just as he had arrived, he simply teleported through the Spirit World and walked by following his spiritual intuition, arriving in the courtyard of the church where many children were playing and enjoying themselves together.
He did not approach but remained at a distance, observing the little girl playing with the others. It seemed there were no issues with her integration. Watching her smile and laugh with the other children, Adam, with his ever-present warm smile, could not help but appear slightly softer. However, he did not stay long and simply turned away, leaving her with the other children, who were all orphans taken in by the Church.
Adam left the courtyard without a sound, his black silhouette blending into the radiant light of Solaria. His steps were silent, almost nonexistent, as if the world itself refused to disturb his passage. Behind him, the laughter of the children continued to echo.
"Integration is not a problem…" he thought calmly. "She seems to be the extravert type."
He walked through the corridors of the cathedral, the stained glass casting golden patterns across the immaculate walls.
Upon arriving in an isolated room, he stopped. It was a simple space: a round white wooden table, a dozen chairs, and at the center, a symbol engraved into the floor representing the sun. Adam stepped forward slowly and sat down.
As he sat, he could hear different voices. Prayers.
The voices had different tones, some filled with hope, others with regret, and others with fervor. He closed his eyes, and murmurs rose within his mind. Different voices, coming from all corners of the planet. Some prayed to thank him for food, others for healing, some… for forgiveness.
Adam listened without emotion.
Then, with a simple act of will, he selected a few threads.
A sick woman in a distant city, an injured child, a man on the verge of despair.
Without opening his eyes, he responded.
A soft light briefly manifested around him, almost imperceptible. Thousands of kilometers away, the prayers found their answers. The illness receded, the pain eased, and the despair faded.
Adam opened his eyes.
"The anchors are stable…" he murmured, his gaze lifting toward the ceiling as if looking beyond the planet itself. "…but insufficient."
He withdrew his hand, and silence fell again. If he truly wished to fight "Him," then he would need as many anchors as possible.
He remained still for a few seconds, then his thoughts naturally returned to the slate.
"The 22 pathways…"
He did not need to consult it again; the information had already imprinted itself into his mind, complete, clear, and unalterable. An absolute tool, but also a danger.
"If others were to get their hands on it…"
The sentence remained unfinished. There was no if" in this world, as fate had already begun its preparations.
"All gifts from fate already come with a price on it," Adam thought, recalling that particular and important phrase, "A price is always exacted for what fates bestows, isn't that so?"
"An organization…"
The word echoed in his mind.
Until now, he had built a Church, a stable, visible, respected structure. But a Church alone was not enough. Not against what might come.
"I need something else."
Something more discreet. More adaptable.
His fingers lightly tapped the surface of the table.
"An organization in the shadows…"
Like the Church, it would be guided by faith, but also by utility, control, and information. His thoughts flowed quickly: recruitment, structure, objectives.
"Individuals with potential… who can become Beyonders and rise through the sequences."
Then another thought emerged, more subtle and more disturbing.
Elara.
His smile did not fade.
"She could become a central point."
A link between the Stellaron Hunters, his Church, and his future network. He recalled her behavior: her curiosity, her spontaneity, her ability to influence others.
"She will grow quickly."
And with the right guidance, she could become far more than a simple tool.
A silence settled in, heavier than the previous ones.
Adam remained motionless, his thoughts gradually slowing. Then, almost unconsciously, another idea crossed his mind.
"…or she could become a problem."
His eyes narrowed slightly. Not because of an immediate danger, but because of an uncontrollable variable: emotions, attachments, choices.
Things he did not fully control yet.
Unlike Adam from lotm, she would not offer herself without resistance.
He opened his eyes.
A faint sound caught his attention.
Footsteps, slow and hesitant, someone was approaching.
Adam did not turn immediately. He waited, then spoke in a calm voice.
"You may enter."
The door opened softly, letting in a young sister who looked slightly nervous. She quickly bowed.
"Your Holiness…"
Adam slowly turned his head toward her, his smile perfectly in place.
"Yes?"
"The child… Elara… she seems to be asking many questions. About you."
Adam remained silent for a moment before answering.
"That is normal. Continue answering her questions."
He was not worried. It was likely Kafka's influence, and it was not as if she would discover anything truly important.
The sister nodded, but hesitated again.
"She also… asked if you were a god."
Silence fell once more in the room, heavier this time.
Adam did not answer immediately. His golden eyes remained fixed on the sister before he slightly averted his gaze.
It was normal for her to be nervous. After all, for a believer, calling someone "God" was a great blasphemy and a cardinal sin.
"She is only a child. It is normal to be curious at her age," Adam said. Whether he truly meant it, only he knew.
Before the sister could say anything else, he asked, as if satisfying a small curiosity:
"And what did you answer?"
"That you were the messenger of the Lord…"
Adam nodded gently, his warm expression unchanged.
With a soft and benevolent voice, he said:
"That is good. Continue like that."
The sister seemed relieved, bowed once more, and left the room. The door closed quietly.
Adam remained alone, once again.
Silence returned, but this time his thoughts did not return to the slate or the Uniquenesses.
They lingered elsewhere.
On a simple question.
"A god…"
His gaze fell upon the sun symbol engraved on the floor.
Then, very slowly, he murmured:
"She's not wrong… but saying that in a church…"
And at that moment,
deep within his mind, something seemed to begin awakening.