Morning arrived gently, as though the world were trying to pretend the previous day had never happened.
Enoch woke to the sound of birds and a ray of light invading his tent. He sat up slowly, pressing his fingers against his eyes until small bursts of color faded behind his lids. When he lowered his hand, he placed it over his sternum. The faint ache from overusing the gift Adam had granted him still pulsed there, dull but insistent, like a bruise beneath the bone.
So it was real, and not imagination. Not hysteria brought on by fear. He drew a quiet breath and pushed the thought aside for now.
The flap rustled as he stepped outside. Cool morning air brushed his skin, carrying the scent of damp grass and lingering smoke from the distant village. He stretched his back, a yawn escaping before he could stop it, then turned his gaze toward the scattered tents across the hill.
The villagers were already awake.
Most stood facing the same direction, toward their home below. Children clung to parents, men shaded their eyes, women whispered prayers under their breath. The chaos from earlier had faded. No thunder split the heavens, no violent currents tore the sky apart.
Only thin ribbons of smoke rose lazily upward.
"Looks like the battle has ended."
Thomas approached from the left, arms folded loosely. Enoch nodded, his eyes settling once more on the wounded outline of the village.
"So any suggestions?" Enoch asked without looking away.
Thomas followed his gaze.
"How about we inspect the extent of the damage and then move on from there?"
A sensible answer.
Enoch gave a small nod and started down the slope. Thomas fell into step beside him, though his attention drifted back to Enoch more often than the road.
Enoch noticed.
"What?"
Thomas hesitated before speaking.
"You aren't shocked by all this?" he asked, raising one eyebrow.
A small laugh escaped Enoch before he turned toward him.
"Gods exist Thomas, so why would this be shocking to you?"
"Obviously, they too have disagreements. They are bound to escalate one way or another. Sadly, when elephants fight, the grass will suffer." He added
Of course, he was not about to reveal that he had once ruled within the hermetically named kingdom of Elren, nor that he had stood far closer to divinity than most men ever would.
Thomas scratched his jaw.
"I... I guess that makes sense. But a battle of such proportions is unimaginable. It makes me wonder just how mighty the god of order is."
The words seemed meant more for the wind than for Enoch. Silence settled between them again as their boots found the road. After some distance, Thomas spoke again, his voice lower.
"I should apologise for the way I behaved earlier. I was away from home for quite a long time, and hearing that you were living with mother made me feel like I was being replaced."
Enoch chuckled softly.
"I did notice that you didn't seem to like me."
Thomas grimaced.
"However," Enoch continued, "you do not have to worry. I am not here to take your place. Rose would never replace you, she adores you far too much for that."
Thomas hummed, embarrassment coloring his expression. By the time they reached the village boundary, relief met them.
For all the terror the heavens had unleashed, the village itself stood largely intact. A few shattered windows. Fences knocked flat. Roof tiles scattered across the lanes.
The manor in the north had not been so fortunate.
Its western tower lay collapsed, stone spilled outward like a broken crown. Part of the outer wall had caved in, exposing the skeletal ribs of the structure.
Thomas let out a low whistle.
"Could have been worse," he muttered.
Enoch agreed silently.
Together they walked the streets, checking homes, pushing open stubborn doors, calling into quiet interiors. They found frightened families hiding in cellars, an elderly couple trapped behind a fallen beam, and one stubborn baker already sweeping dust from his shop as though defiance alone might restore normalcy.
"Bread will be ready in 5 minutes lads" he said
When Enoch and Thomas heard this, they laughed loudly commended the man's bravery and never say die attitude. Then word spread quickly that it was safe.
When Enoch and Thomas returned to the hill, they did not shout orders. They simply began guiding people down in steady groups. Fear loosened its grip once feet touched familiar ground.
Enoch lifted debris alongside the men, his shoulder aching ever so slightly but steady. Thomas organized the stronger villagers to clear pathways while directing others toward homes that remained livable.
Rose moved among the children, her calm presence working better than any command.
By midday, cookfires burned again. By the afternoon, voices returned to the streets, and finally by evening, the village breathed as if the battle that shook the heavens didnt take place.
When the work was finally done, the sun had already begun its descent, spilling amber light across the land. Long shadows stretched between buildings, softening the scars left behind.
Thomas wiped his hands on a cloth.
"We should eat before we fall over."
Enoch almost laughed.
"True, my stomach is empty. I could eat an entire Seraphyrax" said Enoch
The manor, though damaged, still offered shelter. One wing remained perfectly sound, and it was there that Rose insisted they gather.
Dinner was simple.
Grainback soup, thick and steaming, paired with fresh bread still warm from a hastily relit oven. Yet after the strain of the day, it tasted richer than any feast.
Enoch pulled the chair for Thomas who patted his back and laughed boisterously with Enoch.
Rose watched them both with quiet satisfaction.
"You two look less like strangers now," she said.
Thomas chuckled
"We just started off on the wrong foot, that is all"
Enoch smiled faintly, "We, survived the sky falling together surely that has to count for something right?"
Warmth filled the room, the kind that would radiate from a family that has been through much together.
Exhaustion claimed them without protest, each made for their chambers. Enoch lay upon a narrow bed in a guest chamber, the faint ache in his chest finally dulling.
Sleep approached him swiftly, threatening to whisk him away to the realm of Adam.
Then—
Light flickered before him.
His partially closed eyes snapped open, and a floating screen hovered inches above his chest, translucent yet undeniable.
[Congratulations, you have received the Elemental System.]
Enoch froze.
"What…"
The words beneath it twisted suddenly.
[ %¥$[#^%@/:£[^ ]
The symbols crawled across the surface like something alive before clearing.
[Your level of being is not high enough.]
His pulse thundered, and before he could speak, another line appeared.
[Initiating tutorial.]
He swallowed.
"I am either still dreaming," he whispered, "or I have finally lost my mind."
[You are fully conscious.]
A stream of information surged inside him. From the functions of the system and how it would be beneficial to him. When the surge of information stopped he gasped. Then he looked at the floating screen again, and two sections unfolded before him.
Status Window
Resonance Section: (Disabled)
"Disabled?" he muttered.
The status window expanded.
[Name: Enoch
Level: 13
Strength: 14
Intelligence: 19
Constitution: 16
Soul: 27 ]
His breath caught.
"Soul… twenty seven?"
All this was surreal, he couldn't believe the number of surprises he has received in a span of two days.
[Higher soul values increase affinity with divine and elemental power.]
[Caution! Once soul values becomes higher than constitution by 20 values, bad things will happen]
Enoch pushed himself upright, staring at the glowing interface reflected in his widening eyes. He frowned at the words on the screen while touching it in contemplation.
"What exactly have you placed in my hands…" he murmured, though whether he meant the system or Adam himself, even he did not know.