Compassion

Adel struggled to rise, only to hear the raspy voice of the man speak: "You may call me Nesser, Nesser Riggs."This was Adam's true name in this world. As the name escaped his lips, Adam's presence seemed to surge, an invisible force that instinctively told those in its vicinity that something momentous lay behind it.With Adam's initiative in speaking, he effectively provided Adel with a subtle escape, allowing him to step into Adam's rhythm, alleviating the tension and easing the atmosphere."Adel Lien, has Mr. Riggs summoned me for some task?" Adel stood up, his eyes meeting Adam's calm gaze, causing him to involuntarily hunch his back, diminishing himself, making his presence insignificant.Though this was his own house, it suddenly felt as if Adam had claimed dominion over it."There are indeed matters at hand, though it seems Mr. Lien is not particularly welcoming of me," Adam said, his gaze never once settling on Adel, instead casually surveying the room's furnishings.Finally, his eyes lingered on a book titled The Word of God."Mr. Riggs, I… I merely mistook you for…" Adel's gaze fell upon the monk's robes, his head lowering slightly."A member of the Church?" Adam smiled softly, his fingers tracing the monk's garb. His tone carried an emotion so complex it seemed as though he truly had once been a monk.This caused Adel to bow even further, trembling as he stood before Adam.Most churches did not allow for members to resign; once one entered the Church, they belonged to it in life, and their soul belonged to it in death.But no institution could remain harmonious forever. Discontent would always arise, and those who chose to leave were branded as traitors.Every monk who deserted the Church was seen as blasphemous, even though the Church accepted many things, even the unnatural. But a traitorous monk was a sin that no church would forgive.The Church would stop at nothing to eliminate them, so those who survived such attempts were almost always incredibly powerful, for only the strongest could evade the relentless pursuit.Adam wore the monk's robes as a means of donning a mantle of authority, a strategy that had worked wonders on Adel, who, having ventured beyond the city, understood the significance of a defector.It seemed that Adam's identity, combined with the prior psychological tactics, had thoroughly intimidated Adel.As Adam stood, Adel instinctively stepped back."Look at you, frightened. Don't worry. Since I chose not to kill you, I still have tasks for you." Adam picked up The Word of God, flipping it to the page he sought."Wheat withers, fruit is eaten by worms, cattle and sheep die in droves, and the second son, witnessing suffering, trembles before his father's shepherd's staff.""Those filled with panic cannot hide their guilt; the ugliness once concealed emerges, and it can no longer be hidden.""The second son… I have a way. From the shadows, the dark spirits emerge, whispering in the second son's ear.""At the heart of the most prosperous place, there lies a lake. The rippling waters will reveal your true form, and your ugliness shall be hidden."—The Word of God, The Age of Divine RevelationAdel did not understand why Adam had chosen to read this passage aloud. Adam returned to his seat, speaking as if delivering a sermon:"Even the beasts that defy the divine, after their deaths, are bathed in the tears of God.""They are tears of mercy, and in the legends, they symbolize the salvation of the beasts.""Under endless light, the beasts destined to turn to ash can be reborn if they catch the tears."Adam, speaking with a tone that could have been either sarcasm or admiration, continued: "Sadly, by that time, the beasts were nearly extinct. Those few who survived had lost their forms, hiding in the dark caves, afraid to see the light.""So tell me, what is this dark spirit? And what was the lake that tempted the second son to seek it?"The God in The Word of God had truly existed in this world. While it was unclear whether this being had created the world itself, many of its deeds were indeed real.Though the text was artistically embellished and filled with indirect references, much of its content still bore meaning.To Adam, the "second son" might not refer to just one person, but rather a group—perhaps the earliest of the Otherkin—and the "shepherd" father could be seen as an incarnation of the divine.This led to the formation of a church, the Church of the Shepherd, devoted to the worship of the god incarnated as the shepherd."The Church of the Tears of God, with its doctrine of redeeming the Otherkin, their emblem is, in fact, a lake." Adam slowly revealed his method of concealing his true nature.This wasn't a lie. Had it been, even with his half-blood status, Adam would have been exposed when the head monk laid his hand upon his head."Someone has created the Tears of God ritual. While it may not grant the salvation of the true Tears, it can allow you to reveal your 'true' form.""The strength of this ritual's concealment far surpasses that of consuming demonic drugs." Adam's voice was laced with temptation: "With this, as long as you don't expose yourself, no one will ever know you are Otherkin.""So, do you understand what you need to do?" Adam stopped just short of pushing too hard, knowing that excessive pressure might make Adel suspicious.Adel, fulfilling Adam's expectations, quickly knelt before him, his voice trembling with restrained emotion: "Mr. Riggs, whatever you command, I, Adel, am willing to pay any price, even my life, to fulfill it."Adam knew Adel would never truly offer his life for his commands, but such a pledge was more than sufficient."My identity makes certain tasks in this city difficult, and what I plan to do next requires more hands. So, I need you to contact every Otherkin you know.""They must be aware of my presence and be ready to accept my invitation to hire them." Adam's eyes narrowed. "Of course, the price for this is the Tears of God ritual.""The ritual has three stages, each providing a layer of concealment. After completing all three, even standing before the head monk, no one will be able to tell that you are Otherkin.""Tomorrow night, gather all the Otherkin you can find. Based on how many you bring, I will consider performing the first stage of the ritual for you.""Now, go and do your best, Adel Lien!" Adam finished and slowly walked away, leaving Adel kneeling, respectfully bidding him farewell.As Adam disappeared into the distance, he quickly stowed away his robes and mask, then transformed into his wolf form and swiftly exited the slums, once again heading toward the river to cleanse himself of any lingering scent.The cold river water submerged Adam's body, the moonlight casting its pale glow across the surface. Yet, none of it could calm the tumult within him.His bloodline stirred, the exhilaration of successfully claiming a blood slave mingling with the fear of exposure, an array of conflicting emotions clouding his mind, preventing him from settling."My words still have many flaws, but Adel has already fallen into my trap—it's nearly impossible for him to escape now."In his past life, Adam had seen how even the most simplistic and idiotic scams succeeded because of people's greed, which blinded them to logic.Even when they sensed something was wrong, they instinctively chose to ignore it, convincing themselves with lies, and even when the truth was revealed, they refused to believe it, choosing instead to believe the lies.Adel was the same. Though most of Adam's story was true, only small portions were false, woven into the truth.His mysterious and powerful persona had been deeply embedded in Adel's mind, and he would spread it to other Otherkin.Soon, with the Tears of God ritual in his grasp, Adam would become the king of these Otherkin.Adam returned to his attic, ended his transformation, intending to reflect on the events of the day before resting. But he found himself unable to settle.The development of his bloodline had reached a crucial point. Even after releasing his transformation, the restlessness still lingered within him.Memories of past events resurfaced, making it difficult to focus, and he could not calm his thoughts