Chapter 1.5 - God’s Gate

Feeling a stinging pain in his temples, Adam's consciousness began to return.

His muscles were hurting, but not as much as his head. Pounding as if someone had stomped on it, Adam struggled to open his eyes.

On the outside, it was quiet. The lighting was soft, and he was lying on something hard and uncomfortable.

"Easy…" A male voice said, making the boy blink to focus.

First, Adam saw the ceiling of a tall cave made of limestone. A rock that had melted from the ceiling, creating pillars from the drops. It was madness how the room looked like it was liquid. What was even more absurd was how Adam knew all of that just from looking at the material.

Turning to his side, the boy saw gray hair. Rubbing his nose.

"Argh…" He complained and scratched the itchiness.

"Welcome back… Again." Calder was the one standing by Adam's bedside.

"What happened?" He had a vague memory of the temple. Then flashes of people screaming and the things he saw hit him like a punch to the stomach.

He was still in that dimension, which meant he was really, really dead.

"You blacked out after receiving your powers."

Calder could've told him what really happened, but it would just make the boy feel guilty and make his transition even harder.

Pulling himself up, Adam noticed he was at the center of a massive, circular stone table, surrounded by four seats carved from the same ancient rock.

Coming from above, a beam of light landed directly over him.

"I feel like someone stepped on me."

"You'll feel better after resting for a while. The first couple of days are rough on newcomers."

Finally paying attention to his peacock guide, the man was seated at the table.

"Where are we?" Adam got off the table, still feeling a little dizzy. "This isn't the Temple."

"This is the God's Gate." Calder opened his arms, presenting the colossal natural construction. "Where we meet, mostly to receive new Gods and to say goodbye when they leave."

"We?"

"Yes, and I brought you here to meet them."

Actually concerned about the kind of people the old man would want to introduce him to, the boy sat on a chair, expecting the worst.

"Come on, guys, it's time to meet our baby brother."

In a spontaneous combustion, a beam of red flames hit one of the seats.

Adam jumped, scared out of his wits, and nearly fell off the chair.

From within the sudden blaze emerged a beautiful woman.

"Finally, I was tired of waiting," she said in a very demanding tone after the flames evaporated. "I hate the suspense you create. Is it really necessary, Cal?"

"Of course, otherwise this whole ritual would be very boring!"

"So you keep saying."

Turning to the newest member, the fire woman looked him right in the eyes. Hers were of a crimson shade mixed with black marks, thrilling as the lava that comes out of an active volcano. Her hair was braided back in a low bun, giving her a composed, sophisticated look, like someone who embraced restraint.

"Nice to meet you, Adam Cross."

Before Adam could bring himself to reply to her, a wind current blew so strongly that everyone in the room lost their breath. Struggling to see past the blowing wind, they heard a melodic voice.

"Hey, you guys!"

An enthusiastic being entered the cave, turning the whips of wind into a soft, fresh breeze. Flying in a very performative way, with lots of twists and turns, the person landed by Adam's side.

The smell of rain filled the new God's nose, throwing him back to his childhood playing in the lake.

"I'm so happy you're here. I hope we get along!" Adam was even more startled when the jovial character grabbed his hand to shake it cheerfully, their faces inches away from each other.

That person was very distinct from the others. For starters, the pointy, elvish ears covered in jewelry called Adam's attention instantly. The next thing to cause wonder was the white skin, as clear as the clouds, without any sign of aging, making them the youngest of them all. To go with it, a long and elegant face, tapering into a sharp, delicate chin that gave them an otherworldly grace. Almond-shaped eyes that gleamed like a cat's—narrow and decorated with colorful makeup—added a youthful touch.

"Me too, I guess." Adam was a bit embarrassed, but he liked the person's spontaneity.

"Shu, sit down. You're scaring the boy," said Hikari.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Adam. Sometimes I get carried away."

With giggles, the person let go of the newbie's hand to take a seat across the table. Sitting facing one another, the four people were extremely contrasting.

A woman, looking very respectful and intimidating. An old man with a silly smile and wearing a dress. A person that looked a lot like the spirits Adam saw in the city. And, at last, a playboy who had no idea what he was doing at that table.

"Since we are all finally here."

Calder stood up, summoning his godly tone.

"I would like to finally introduce the new Earth God. Adam, meet Hikari, the Fire Goddess, and Shu, the Air Deity, as they prefer to be called."

The woman bowed her head very formally, while Shu's smile was so big their eyes were nothing more than a line on their face.

"As for me, I am Calder—as you know—the Water God."

Unsure of what the protocol was for that meeting, the new member raised a hand to greet them all.

Adam just wanted to be back home, to his mother. Not that he had the courage to face her; he just wanted all of that to go away.

He didn't care about their names and titles; he didn't want to be there. Being just dead seemed like a better idea.

"Can someone actually explain what's going on? What am I supposed to do now?"