Call Me Akuma

After my father destroyed the bedroom, we moved to another room. Now, I'm trying to fall asleep, but the excitement of what's to come keeps me wide awake. Despite feeling tired, my mind refuses to rest. The atmosphere feels a bit awkward. My father lies silently and composed beside me on the bed, while my mother talks to me as if I can respond. 

Her habit of talking to me, even when I can't reply, has helped me understand what's happening around me. So, I pretend to be fully engaged in whatever she's saying, hoping she doesn't stop. From what I've gathered so far, we're heading to a place called the Home of the God, where the High Priest resides. It's there that I'll celebrate my birthday, and my name will finally be announced by the High Priest. 

The mystery of why I wasn't given a name at birth was finally revealed, but it only left me more curious about what awaited us at the Home of the God. Who is this High Priest? What role will they play in my life? So many questions swirled in my mind, but as always, I chose to wait and see. 

After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached our destination. Peering out the window, I saw an armada of spaceships. While the limited view made it impossible to count their exact number, it was clear there were far more than I had initially expected. 

We disembarked through the exit, once again greeted by the same familiar procession of people as before. This time, we boarded the same car-like airship. Thankfully, this airship was equipped with a 360-degree projection on a round table at its center, displaying a full view of our surroundings. This feature greatly helped me understand where we were and allowed me to piece together the scale of the area around us. 

We detached from the main spaceship and began our descent toward our destination—a massive planet that appeared far larger than the one I used to live on, perhaps several times its size. Its surface was primarily green and gold, with small patches of white scattered across its vast expanse. Unlike the blue planet I once called home, this world had an entirely different look and feel. 

This planet orbited a magnificent blue star, its brilliance impossible to ignore. It was one of the brightest and largest stars in the galaxy, at least ten to twenty times the size of the sun I remembered. Even from this great distance, its immense size was awe-inspiring—like something out of the pages of a science book come to life. 

What fascinated me even more, however, were the countless translucent objects encircling the star. 

They resembled thin, glass-like structures—barely visible, yet their sheer number was staggering. There must have been trillions of them, all orbiting the star in perfect synchronicity. Some of these structures seemed to focus the star's solar beams on a distant planet. It reminded me of a Dyson Sphere, a theoretical megastructure designed to harness the power of a star. Witnessing such advanced technology firsthand was breathtaking. 

Beyond the star and its orbiting structures, space itself teemed with activity. Spaceships were everywhere, far more than I had seen earlier. By my estimation, there were at least ten million of them, moving in intricate patterns around the system. As we entered the planet's atmosphere, my mind raced to process everything I had just witnessed, marveling at the wonders of this extraordinary world. 

As we descended closer to the ground, my eyes were drawn to a massive cathedral—easily several times larger than the one I had seen near my home. The structure was resplendent in gold, with intricately carved marble walls that gave it a divine and otherworldly aura. Surrounding the cathedral were lush plants and greenery, as if nature itself sought to reclaim the structure. The planet seemed like a perfect blend of civilization and untamed nature, coexisting in breathtaking harmony. 

When our airship finally landed, we were greeted by the sight of thousands of Custodes lined up in perfect formation, their golden armor gleaming under the planet's light. The ground beneath them was draped with a golden carpet, stretching as far as I could see. Even the Custodes who had accompanied us throughout our journey silently joined the ranks, as though they had always belonged there. Now, it was just the three of us remaining. 

As we stepped out, every Custodes warrior placed a fist over their chest and bowed deeply in unison. The sight of so many golden-armored warriors paying homage was awe-inspiring, and yet I noticed something peculiar—I didn't feel the suffocating atmosphere of their collective presence as I had before. It must have been my father shielding me from their overwhelming energy. That had to be the reason. 

We proceeded forward, walking past hundreds of Custodes, their silent reverence amplifying the grandeur of the moment. Eventually, we reached the main gate of the cathedral—a towering structure at least 60 feet wide and hundreds of feet tall. The golden doors were intricately engraved with countless figures, each one radiating fierceness and magnificence. 

But one engraving stood out, dominating the center of the massive doors. It depicted an old man sitting cross-legged, his frail body hunched and wrapped in a large, tattered cloth that looked worn and weathered with time. His hands held a simple wooden bowl, raised toward the heavens as though pleading for food or mercy. 

In stark contrast to the other figures—each radiating power and majesty—this man exuded no strength, no grandeur. He appeared utterly ordinary, almost pitiful, like a beggar lost to time. Yet, despite his unassuming presence, he was the undeniable focal point of the entire door. His figure was the largest and most prominent, placed deliberately at the center of this intricate masterpiece, as if his humble existence held a deeper, hidden significance. 

It was a puzzling sight—why would a beggar be at the heart of such a grand and divine depiction? The question lingered in my mind as the two Custodes standing guard at the gate moved to open the massive doors, their strength effortlessly moving the enormous golden structure. 

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If we reach 100 stones, I'll reward you all with a bonus chapter!