A man with a brown beard, slicked-back brown hair, and eyes of the same color stood at the edge of the bed, leaning forward to watch the sleeping child better. He was wearing a white robe with golden strands on his shoulders and two golden circles: one on his chest and the other on his back. The strands moved from one side to another with the leaning man.
The child groaned and woke up. Again, he woke up; he didn't like waking up. The only time of the day he would enjoy was right before he headed to bed. Not because he wasn't a morning person or anything like that. No, no, that was just a scratch of the whole picture.
The boy sat upright and turned his head to the left. The sun barely kissed the earth. It was too damn early to wake up at this hour.
"I'm awake, Father," the boy mumbled sleepily.
"Good, that's what I like to hear. Come, child, we have a long day ahead of us."
The man left the boy's room. The child sighed and got out of bed.
He took off his pajamas and then put on a black robe that looked too large for him. In his wardrobe, the same white robe the man was wearing was visibly hanging. But this one was made for him.
The boy left his room, and a hall as tall as a few people stacked on top of each other greeted him. Marble bricks coated the walls, and golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling. He made his way through the hall, and in front of him lay a wooden, rotted door. He opened it, and what met him made his stomach turn every time.
The main praying hall of the Church of Heaven. Countless people were kneeling before the altar. Rows of wooden benches filled the place, but no one sat in them. A prayer could be heard from the people:
"God Most High, He who is infinity. He who is boundless. He who is Heaven. He who wears the white helmet. We ask you to guide us, sinners, to salvation."
Day and night, the prayer could be heard through the Church, which was to the northeast of Graven Keep.
The Father, standing at the top of the altar and watching the people from above, shifted his gaze to the boy and gestured for him to come closer. The boy obeyed and walked closer until he was next to The Father.
The man put his hand on the boy's back.
"A new day arrives, and with it, we thank the Lord for another chance at redemption."
The boy nodded in agreement.
"Now then, shall we start? Our people's faith is wavering. Like yesterday, I will let you choose the number. I trust it will be high this time."
"Yes, Father."
The boy's golden irises changed into the number "50". The boy fell to his knees, weak and tired. The father caught him before he hit the ground. Then the prayers started to get louder, clearer, and more sincere.
"Excellent, that's your highest number so far. I'm very proud of you. I'm sure your sister is also very proud of the boy her brother became."
The boy gave a weak smile. "Where is she?"
"We are not sure. I'm still searching for her. But don't try to think much about her. She doesn't have any power, and in this world, power is everything. But I do feel bad that I didn't choose your sister as well when your parents came. If only I knew how distraught you would turn out to be due to her."
"It's okay, you don't have to be sorry. We will find her."
The man gave a polite smile. "Good, now go back to your room and study. Tomorrow, I hope you can reach sixty."
"Yes, Father."
The boy walked away from the altar and back to his room. There, he opened a book and started reading:
"At first, there were three gods. The first, The God of Heaven, the one who made the world and its people. He resides in Heaven. The second is the Goddess of Hell, who made the people have feelings and evolve. She is in Hell. And lastly, The God of Nature, the one that protects Earth and its people. If, by chance, something or someone disturbs the laws of nature, He will come out of the Earth's core to deal with the threat."
As the boy kept reading, his eyes started to close from fatigue. Then he fell asleep at the table. He dreamed of a time when he was together with his twin sister, playing and having fun. Now, he was stuck in training for the role of the new Priest, one that would be his once the current Father passed away.
He was woken up by thunder and rain, and at first, he was sleepy. Then he heard someone talking beyond the door.
"Any luck?"
"Luck for what? Oh, you mean the sister. No, that foolish boy thinks I'm pouring countless hours into searching for his parents and sister. I only want what's best for him, and that is for him to keep training. His sister is a distraction."
The boy's eyes widened in shock.
What? This can't be... Father... I believed in you.
The boy headed to his dresser and grabbed the white robe. He then climbed onto the bed and unlocked his window.
"What was that? Did you hear it? It came from the child's room."
"What?" screamed The Father.
They bolted through the door, opening it forcefully. But they only saw the room empty.
"ELYON, COME BACK HERE!" the father screamed in protest.
Elyon stirred awake. He turned his head to the right, and the only thing he saw was that the sun was barely kissing the earth.
"Damn, that dream again. I hate it," he muttered.
He groaned as he left his bed. In front of him, the same robe that was meant for him to wear at the church now lay discarded on the dusty floor. He leaned down and picked it up.
Why do I still keep this piece of trash?
He sighed, then crumbled the robe into a ball and threw it under his bed. He went to his dresser and picked up a white shirt and a pair of black pants. His gaze landed on the mirror.
What are you looking at? Are you disappointed in me for running away from that place? The same place that brainwashes people into believing in a useless God? Hell, I want to find my sister, but even that is not working. That's why I wear that damn robe, so she can recognize me somehow.
He scoffed and went outside. Once he left his house, he saw Eve swinging her sword.
"Did you sleep?" asked Elyon.
"Yeah, a bit. Don't need more. I hate sleeping."
"Have you slept outside by any chance?"
She didn't respond, just swinging her sword away.
He sighed. "Not much of a talker, huh? Then fine, come here. I will explain my powers so I can train you."