Chapter 1.4 - Temple of Elements

Adam was really not impressed with the revelation. Among all the things that had happened to him in the past hour or so, being called a God was actually the most believable one.

"Is that it?" 

Calder got soft and began to lower his arms in slow motion. The kid was touching his chest, trying to catch a breath.

"I just told you that you are A GOD!" 

He tried one more time, the grand gesture followed by the thunder voice. 

"I got it the first time, Gandalf. I just need a minute, my head is hurting like hell."

Drained, Adam took a seat at the feet of his statue. Inside his head there were a billion voices talking, people walking, marching, jumping. All sorts of movements he could hear all at once. It was too much. Like a lightening, pain irradiated from his brain to his legs.

On his knees, the new God was screaming while holding his head, as if pressure would tone down the noises. It was a different kind of pain, not physical, but it manifested on his body as a consequence. His soul was hurting. 

"Son, listen to me!" 

Calder's voice joined the crowd on his head.

"You can stop it, just focus on where you are now."

"I don't know where I am!" 

Adam was shouting, it was even harder for him to hear himself talk. 

"You are in the Temple of Elements." Calder started to shout back at him. "Remember the white marble pillars and the horizon with the forest at our feet."

The picture started to get painted on his mind. The high ceiling and the blue sky.

"Focus on the statue you liked. The unfinished God."

Adam let go of some of the strength he was using to hold himself, as the noise began to settle. Calder lowered his voice to match the boy's behavior.

"Quiet them down. Just focus on the floor beneath you and the silence around."

When they arrived it in the temple was really quiet, if it wasn't for Calder's presence, Adam would say it was inhabited. Even down in the forest he didn't see or hear any animals. That was not the Earth he knew, it was more mysterious. Something was hiding from him. 

As the new enigma took over his thoughts, the world became quieter. Adam felt like the weight of the planet was taken off his shoulders. He was drained when he opened his eyes to face Calder who was kneeling in front of him.

"Good." The old man said.

"Won't that hurt your knees?"

Calder smiled, admiring the sagacity of the young God. The older man helped him get back on his feet but Adam couldn't wait until he was standing straight to ask.

"Where am I? Really."

With a nod, to reflect on where to begin, the bearded fella headed the stairs they came out from. At the edge of the steps, instead of going down, the old man stepped into the air and didn't fall. 

Adam instinctively moved to help but nothing happened. Like a puppy running after its mother, the boy rushed after his guide.

"You're familiar with the four Elements, I presume," the man said, glancing down at Adam, who nodded in response. "This temple safeguards those Elements. But, as you've likely noticed, we exist on a different plane from the one you once called home."

Walking through the temple, Adam felt so small between the magnanimous walls of solid rock. Their steps resonated around the building before they reached the door. 

As they reached the end of the structure, the two white blocks of rock, veined with golden cracks, opened effortlessly on their own, without a single movement to prompt them.

"You are in the Spiritual World, Adam Cross." 

Adam walked past the doorway into a vivid landscape. 

From where he was standing, the tree tops were higher than the mountain they stood on. The trunks were as thick as buildings to support the weight. Together, they formed an endless green carpet that stretched far beyond sight.

Moving outside the walls, high distant mountains were on his right and a vast body of water took most of the view on his left. They advanced to another set of stairs that led to the trees roots.

"This is the place where the souls from the Material World reside." 

Before getting to the edge to begin their descent, Calder stopped and turned to Adam who looked disoriented with the size of the staircase.

"This is where you are gonna live now. Your physical body is gone. Only your soul exists now."

Quiet, the young man nodded. He was still trying process the meaning of that world. It was so different from Earth, but yet so familiar. The world was different but he wasn't; he felt the same, as if nothing had happened. 

The best he could do to answer Calder was nod, again.

"Don't worry if nothing makes sense now. With time you will understand."

Hearing that made Adam feel more at ease. All that time he was trying to rationalize everything that happened but it was impossible. He was in another world and he didn't know what the rules were, what was possible and what wasn't. Instead of trying to control the situation, he decided to just feel it. 

Once Calder saw Adam was more relaxed, he advanced towards the staircase. It was as high as the hill they were in, ending at the feet of the trees. Adam was ready to walk down when his guide stopped him.

"Walking is for mortals, son."