Chapter 20: Adam's influence
A few hours later, in the living room of the apartment where Adam and Elara now lived, the two sat together watching a popular animated show from Solaria. Normally, Elara would be glued to the screen, but today her gaze was distant.
She was curled up into herself, her knees pressed against her chin, her arms tightly wrapped around her small legs, her head buried down.
Adam, still dressed in his white priest robe, smiled as he watched his daughter withdraw into herself, as if she wanted to isolate herself from the world. He gently raised his right hand and softly stroked her head until she lifted her face to look at him.
"Tell me, my dear, what's wrong? Did you not enjoy attending the lesson with Stephanie?" Even though he already knew the reason, he still asked.
Elara, who had remained silent until now, opened her mouth but closed it again. 'I can't tell him what I said today… He is the saint and the messenger of God… 'she thought.
Seeing her silence and small movements, Adam withdrew his hand. As the sensation disappeared, Elara looked at him curiously.
"You don't need to be afraid. If you encounter any problem, it is my duty as your father to help and support you. Before being the saint of this church, I am first and foremost your father, Elara."
Hearing her father's words, the dullness in Elara's eyes faded. Tears began to form, and she suddenly threw herself into Adam's chest, wrapping her small arms around his back and gripping his robe tightly.
Her reaction surprised Adam slightly. His calm eyes wavered for a brief moment before returning to normal, but he did not push her away and instead embraced her.
'This little girl… even though she seemed cheerful, I could tell she had unconsciously built a wall around herself since her arrival. Yet she was open with her mother.
Despite everything, she is still just a child living with a father she has never known.'
As Adam thought this, Elara continued to sob in his arms. He said nothing and simply waited for her to finish.
After several minutes of trembling from her uncontrollable crying, she finally calmed down, but she did not leave his embrace, instead burying her head deeper into him.
"Today, during my lesson with Miss Stephanie, I compared the Aeons to the Sun God… and Miss Stephanie grabbed my shoulders and scolded me before canceling the class."
Elara explained the situation with fewer details than Stephanie had, her voice hesitant and slightly trembling. She expected to be punished or at least scolded, but instead Adam simply smiled. His warm smile eased some of her tension.
With the sound of the television playing softly in the background, Adam gently asked, "Do you regret what you said?"
Hearing the question, Elara lifted her head and looked at him. She didn't speak, but nodded.
"Elara, listen to me. Solaria is a planet that believes in the Sun God, their savior and guide. Look at Stephanie, she is a devoted believer of our Lord.
She did not mean you any harm. In truth, she is someone who has suffered greatly because of the Aeons' inaction. You must have learned that Solaria was once a world plagued by constant war, and during that time, Stephanie lost someone very dear to her.
That is why her reaction was so extreme. In reality, it is a defense mechanism."
As Elara listened, she asked curiously, her cheeks still damp with dried tears and her eyes red, "The teacher lost someone close to her?"
Adam nodded. "That is why she hates the Aeons so much. They did nothing despite witnessing the suffering of the people. Take Aha, for example, only interested in amusement, even if that amusement comes at the expense of others."
Hearing this, Elara asked in disbelief, "So even though the Aeons have power, they refuse to help people? Why? If they can, shouldn't they help others?"
"It's not that they don't want to help," Adam replied calmly. "It's that they cannot. They are prisoners of their own nature, and they can only act according to it."
After hearing this, Elara, as if indignant, pouted and complained openly, "Then why do they act so mighty and powerful if they are actually powerless? While others suffer, they just watch, how can they be called gods?"
Adam watched his daughter complain and simply smiled, letting her continue until she finished.
Once she was done, Adam asked her a favor. "Could you help Stephanie, please? Help her open up. Since losing her friend, she has become cold, even though she is truly kind-hearted."
Elara jumped off the sofa and landed on the floor with a small thud. She turned to face her father, placed her hands on her hips, and declared in a completely different tone from earlier, "Of course, don't worry, Father!"
Adam thanked her simply, but inwardly he analyzed:
'Placing Elara, a curious five-year-old girl, with Stephanie, someone burdened by a painful past, was a good decision.
Now they will grow closer and become friends who can rely on each other. Stephanie can offer something neither Kafka nor I can give her "love".
Even if Elara makes mistakes, Stephanie will always be there to support her, like a mother to her child.
And even if her mind is eventually crushed by me… she will still have that anchor call Stephanie.'
With that same warm smile fixed on his face, so warm it could reassure anyone who looked at him, no one could imagine that behind it lay a cold and calculating existence.
Elara, having finished complaining, looked at Adam and smiled brightly, as if she had returned to her usual self.
'I truly am a cruel person… a cruel father', Adam thought as he watched his daughter, someone he had known for barely a week, yet whose entire life he had already planned without her knowing.
The light from the television illuminated both father and daughter. What should have been a moment of love ended like this, a moment of manipulation from her father.