Chapter 25 – The Pieces Start to Fit Together
Adrian punches the ground in anger.
The cold stone beneath his fists trembles as the force of the blow echoes through the ancient halls of the temple.
"How could he do that to him?" he thinks, his hands trembling.
He doesn't know how to feel after hearing everything about humanity's past.
"How could he?"
The impact cracks the floor like a spider web, lifting a cloud of dust that dances in the golden light filtering through the broken stained-glass windows.
The air inside the temple feels heavy, almost sacred, carrying the weight of centuries of suffering and silence.
"They're human beings, Adrian," says Cordelia, her gaze distant, almost lost in memories.
Outside, the sun begins to set beyond the temple ruins, casting a soft orange glow over the marble floor.
Shadows stretch like fingers, as if trying to pull the past into the present.
"When my parents were looking for a cure, no one helped them. The only thing we heard were people mocking: 'Why don't they just give up? How can those weaklings even think they'll find a cure?' That's all we heard."
She lowers her head, her eyes cloudy.
The wind blows softly through the cracks in the walls, whispering like ghosts.
Then, taking a deep breath, she continues:
"But when I was about to give up, ready to tell my parents it was better to stop trying… I looked at their faces.
They were tired, exhausted, and still… they smiled at me and said, 'Don't worry, sweetheart. Mom and Dad will fix this. You'll go to school, play with the other kids… Daddy promises, okay?'"
She pauses, blinking back emotion.
"That's when I understood.
We don't let ourselves be shaken by cruel people, Adrian.
We protect those who need us from this harsh world."
She turns to him, her eyes reflecting the fading sunlight like polished amber.
"I think that's why he surrendered.
He knew who he wanted to protect.
And it wasn't those idiotic traitors who stood in his way.
So… who do you want to protect, Adrian?"
He closes his eyes.
A gust of wind stirs the dry leaves outside the temple, and for a moment, he feels the warmth of childhood return — a laugh, a lullaby, his mother's embrace.
Then, the void.
The pain of loss.
Maria's arms lifting him from despair.
The orphanage.
Theo's jokes. Lia's drawings.
A new family built from the broken pieces of the old one.
"Yes, I may have lost my parents… but I still have people who love me and are waiting for me.
I will protect them.
That's why I came for this legacy!"
Adrian rises, determination burning in his chest like a fire that refuses to die out.
He walks toward the scroll, his footsteps echoing through the silent temple.
"Adrian, what are you going to do?" Cordelia asks, confused.
He kneels before the altar.
Outside, the sun sets behind the mountains, painting the sky red and violet.
Night is falling.
"Jesus… I don't have the words to thank You for what You did for us, humans.
Maybe I don't mean much, I can't speak for everyone…
but from the bottom of my heart, thank You."
Cordelia watches in silence and then kneels beside him.
"Thank you so much for your hard work.
We will be forever grateful."
Adrian stands, his eyes now full of purpose.
"I've found this legacy.
And I will protect everyone I love."
Cordelia is with him.
"I know you will," she says softly, walking beside him.
The temple doors slowly close behind them.
Silence returns, accompanied by the distant sound of cicadas.
"So now what, Adrian? What's the plan?" Cordelia asks.
"The scroll said all the innocent are trapped in this divine domain.
That means your parents are here too, Cordelia.
Now, we just need to find the final boss, defeat him, and then I can inherit the legacy and save them all."
"It's going to be very hard…
He must be way stronger than that general.
Are you ready? We could die…" Cordelia says, her eyes reflecting the light of the rising moon.
"I'm ready.
But we're not going to die.
Remember? I promised you'd help find your parents."
He lifts his fist with a confident smile.
"Right," Cordelia replies, bumping her fist against his.
"Let's set up camp.
Tomorrow, we go after the final boss."
"Do you know where he is?" Adrian asks.
"It can only be that monster in the castle.
He's the only one who gave me that overwhelming sense of danger in here."
They look to the horizon.
The castle looms in the distance, a dark silhouette against the starry sky.
"So in the end, we still have to face that thing…" Adrian says with an ironic smile as he steps into the tent.
"Looks like it," Cordelia replies, handing him a piece of bread and dried meat.
"Thanks," Adrian says, chewing slowly.
The night grows silent, the fire crackling softly between them.
"You know, Adrian… I've always had a question about the barriers."
"What question?"
"I always wondered: if it was possible to create barriers, why didn't they succeed worldwide instead of just around the cities?"
She watches the flames dance before continuing:
"But now I get it.
Jesus died to complete the barriers in a hurry.
That's why some areas are protected and others aren't.
That's how the cities were formed.
The strongest beings remained with the largest protected areas, while the weakest stayed in the smallest ones."
"So that's why there are still demons and monsters outside the cities…" Adrian concludes.
"Yes. That's why we have to stay inside them."
Adrian clenches his fists, the firelight reflecting in his determined eyes.
"That just gives me another reason to get stronger as fast as possible…
if I want to protect the people I love."
What did you think of the story? Leave a comment below so we can keep improving it together.
If you enjoyed the story, don't forget to vote with a Power Stone!
Your support helps this novel grow and reach more readers.