"I am sorry, my children, but this is all I can offer with my meager means. If I had more money, I would have made you hot chocolate to warm and comfort you. Still, I hope that if the Lord does not see fit to answer my prayers for myself, He will at least see the distress of my grandchildren…"
Thus spoke the old man, his voice trembling with humility.
Validus cast a knowing glance at Saiko and Carnaticum, as if to confirm what he was thinking:
"I told you, he is far too poor."
Carnaticum lowered his head, then, suddenly raising his chin, addressed the old man:
"Sir… do you have anything to eat for me?"
Embarrassed, the old man hesitated, then replied awkwardly:
"Ah, young man, I mean no offense, but that is a lot to ask of me…"
He rummaged through his old cupboard, pulled out a piece of stale bread, and added, his hand on his heart:
"I swear to you by the gods, this is all I have left to eat here. I prefer to keep it for my grandchildren. I haven't eaten anything for three days, but thanks to prayer and meditation, I'm still standing. Well, take it anyway, young man, and enjoy… Forgive me for not being able to do more."
Carnaticum, moved by such deprivation, gazed at the hard bread and felt his hunger fade.
"Don't worry about me. I know that soon the gods will grant me light, and on that day, I would like to share a feast with you and your grandchildren," he said with a smile.
The old man, animated by deep faith, still hoped his prayers would one day be heard.
Validus then interrupted:
"May I see your grandchildren?"
The old man nodded and invited them to follow him.
They entered a modest room. On a cloth, a little boy of about seven slept. On an old mattress, a five-year-old girl, adorable but shivering with fever, struggled against illness.
Mortuus approached the little girl, placed her hand on her burning forehead, and exclaimed:
"This child is gravely ill, her temperature is alarming!"
"I know," replied the old man, "but tomorrow I will see the healer. Today, this cursed rain kept me from going. It fell so suddenly, as if to trap me. But what can I do against nature?"
Validus and Mortuus exchanged a meaningful look, while Mortuus seemed weighed down by guilt.
"Sir, do you have enough to pay the healer?" asked Saiko.
"Yes," replied the old man with pride. "I worked three months at the market to save enough to treat my little one."
Carnaticum, exasperated by such misery, wanted to intervene to heal the child, but Validus stopped him telepathically:
"Not now, let's observe a little longer."
Carnaticum, reluctantly, agreed.
"Very well, as you wish…"
Validus then addressed the old man:
"We would like to rest. Where could we sleep?"
The old man sighed, lowering his head:
"You ask a lot of me, my children… Come, follow me."
He led them to a room with only one bed.
"Rest here, my children. Tomorrow, everything will be better, the rain will stop, I'm sure of it."
The children of Mü Thanatos lay down, and the old man closed the door behind them. All fell asleep, except Mortuus who, troubled, got up and stopped the rain. Passing through the living room, she discovered the old man lying on the floor.
Moved, she understood that he had given them his only bed. She returned to the bedroom, her heart heavy with compassion.
In the morning, a piercing cry woke the children of Mü Thanatos. A cry of pain, bearing misfortune.
The little girl, Nina, had passed away during the night.
"Nina, Nina! Answer me, I beg you!" cried the old man, devastated.
The little boy wept bitterly, shattered by the loss of his sister.
The children of Mü Thanatos watched the scene, shaken by the old man's suffering and the lifeless body of the girl.
"What a tragedy… Do you think her soul has already been touched by a god? Or by reincarnation?" asked Mortuus.
"We'll only know by checking," replied Saiko, determined.
Saiko, Carnaticum, and Validus approached.
Validus took the little boy on his shoulders, trying to comfort him:
"Come now, little one, dry your tears…"
But the inconsolable child kept crying.
Mortuus approached to comfort the boy, knowing they could only resurrect the girl if no god had yet altered her soul.
Carnaticum, speaking to the weeping old man:
"You mourn your granddaughter… What if we tried to thank you for your hospitality yesterday, what would you say?"
The old man, eyes brimming with tears, replied:
"What are you talking about, young man? Can't you see my pain? This is not the time…"
Saiko gently insisted:
"Let me examine the little one, please."
The old man, bewildered, stepped aside, leaving Nina's body in the children's care.
Saiko placed his hand on the girl's lower abdomen, focused, and sensed her soul: it was no longer in her body, but still wandered the earth, vulnerable to demons. They had to act quickly.
Reassured, Saiko signaled to his companions. All understood that resurrection was possible and smiled. Carnaticum addressed the old man:
"Watch closely what is about to happen."
Saiko released a brilliant red aura, filling the room with a supernatural light. The chamber trembled, the old man, terrified, cried out:
"What's happening?!"
The light faded, silence returned.
The old man watched, incredulous, as Nina's arm moved weakly. He thought he was dreaming. Then the little girl opened her eyes, sat up, and smiled at her grandfather.
"Grandpa!" she called in a clear voice.
The old man, overwhelmed with emotion, replied:
"Yes, Nina, it's me… How is this possible? You're walking, you're alive… I must be dreaming!"
Validus put down the little boy, who rushed to his sister to embrace her, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks. Nina, too young to understand she had just returned from the dead, simply thought she had awakened from a long sleep.
The old man hugged his granddaughter tightly, while the children of Mü Thanatos, standing aside, whispered:
"Every miracle Saiko performs is counted…"
Validus interrupted the family reunion:
"Take my hand. Each of us will grant you a great miracle, and from now on, you will never live in misery again."
The old man, still in shock from the resurrection, accepted. In an instant, he and his grandchildren found themselves in a vast land surrounded by majestic mountains.
Validus rose into the air, arms outstretched to the sky. Suddenly, billions of fruits, plants, and ripe vegetables sprang from the earth, and animals appeared, grazing peacefully.
The children, amazed, watched this spectacle of abundance.
Mortuus approached the old man, moved to tears:
"All this is yours, to thank you for your kindness. A simple gesture on your part has been rewarded a hundredfold."
She stamped her foot, and a magnificent home rose from the ground, vast and bright. With a second stamp, an entire city was born, powered by inexhaustible energy.
The old man, overwhelmed, thought:
(All this for me, when I have done nothing extraordinary… I must be dreaming! The gods have finally heard my prayers!)
"Here is your city, do with it as you wish," declared Mortuus.
Carnaticum stepped forward, struck his chest, and proclaimed:
"My turn!"
He caused springs of pure, crystalline water to gush forth, capable of healing the most mysterious diseases.
The children of Mü Thanatos gathered one last time to thank the old man, who replied with gratitude:
"No, it is I who should thank you. The gods have finally heard my prayers! I am so happy I could leap for joy, share a meal with you, and tell you I knew it, the gods have finally seen me!"
He pointed at Carnaticum, and everyone burst out laughing.
Carnaticum placed the new city under the protection of Mü Thanatos. The first inhabitants, numbering a thousand, became her subjects.
The children of Mü Thanatos then returned to the world of the gods to fulfill their destiny.
"Goodbye, sir, be happy," they called in unison.
I will be, thank you from the bottom of my heart, my children… or rather, my lords, replied the old man, saluting his grandchildren.