Eden looked at the two-year-old child in Eve's arms.
The child's skin had a faint purplish tint, with a bony protrusion on his forehead, giving him the appearance of a bald, sharp-toothed, large-headed baby—quite an unusual sight.
Poor child...
Eden sighed inwardly.
This child must have been affected by radiation while still in his mother's womb, resulting in his deformities.
The couple clearly adored their child.
They gazed at him with affection, soothing him with gentle words and kisses on his forehead, calming his emotions.
Seeing this, Eden tactfully chose not to bring it up.
He didn't want to reopen any wounds for this unfortunate couple.
Once the child had settled down, Eve placed him in a chanized baby cradle beside the dining table.
She pointed at Eden, introducing him:
"Little Gallia, this is your brother Eden. You two should get along well from now on..."
Huh? Eden was puzzled.
When had he revealed his na?
He couldn't quite recall.
His mind had been in a haze lately, as though sothing was affecting his thoughts.
Eden felt a pang of worry.
Could it be that he had overused his psychic powers and fried his brain?
"Eden, are you alright?"
Eve frowned, looking concerned.
"Are you feeling unwell? I can ask the neighborhood priest to take a look at you."
"No, no, I'm fine... just a bit hungry."
Eden shook his head quickly. He couldn't risk a priest examining him.
If they discovered he was a psyker, it would be a huge problem.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Good, then let's start dinner!"
In the dim candlelight, Eden joined the Gallia family in a prayer ritual before the al, giving thanks to the great Emperor for their food.
"Alright, let's eat!"
Eve served Eden a steaming bowl of mushroom soup and gave him a large piece of corpse-starch, more than what she and Gallia had combined.
Seeing Eden's hesitation, Eve spoke firmly, almost in a commanding tone:
"If you're hungry, eat more...
Don't hold back; we're family now!"
Gallia chid in:
"Children should eat plenty.
They're the hope of the future, and all who are loyal to the Emperor should do everything to care for them."
With the couple's insistence, Eden gratefully accepted their kindness and began to eat.
"Brother, brother..."
Little Gallia suddenly looked at Eden, mumbling in his childlike voice.
Eve bead: "Eden, look! Little Gallia likes you!"
Eden looked at Little Gallia, pinching his small purple cheeks.
This little one was quite endearing.
For so reason, the more Eden looked at him, the more adorable he seed.
Eden scooped half of his food onto Little Gallia's plate.
He gently patted the boy's head:
"Eat well and grow up strong..."
Little Gallia nodded happily.
He grabbed his small plate, stuffing all the food into his mouth, his sharp teeth clacking together, making an oddly grating sound.
Eden nodded with satisfaction.
Now that's how it should be.
Eve and Gallia watched their child with faces full of joy.
"Dear..."
Eve suddenly put down her utensils.
She looked at Gallia as if she had sothing important to say.
"What's wrong?"
Gallia asked with concern.
Eve gently placed a hand on her stomach, a loving smile on her face:
"I have good news—I'm expecting another child!"
Gallia was stunned:
"Really? When did you find out?"
"Just recently. I wanted to surprise you."
Gallia's face lit up with joy, almost jumping with excitent:
"Praise the Emperor! This is wonderful news!"
To the Emperor's loyal followers, having more children was a sacred duty and a symbol of family happiness.
He had been troubled about only having one child, often teased by his colleagues because of it.
In their community, the more children, the better.
The Gormans, a family in their district, had ten children.
Though Gormans had starved to death, they were honored by the church, canonized as holy followers for everyone to emulate.
Their children had been taken in by better families.
Those children would beco loyal warriors soday.
Gallia often fantasized about having ten children of his own.
Even if he couldn't have ten, just one more would be enough.
He never expected his wife would surprise him so soon.
Gallia held his wife and Little Gallia in a loving embrace:
"Tomorrow, I'll announce this good news to everyone!"
Eden watched the happy couple, unable to hold back a smile of his own.
Soon, Eve pulled Eden into their embrace as well.
He was now a part of their family.
Thus, the family held each other closely.
It was... wonderful.
After dinner, it was ti to rest.
Eden was assigned to share a room with Little Gallia.
As he lay down, he felt sothing crawl onto the bed, putting him instantly on alert.
What is that?
Then, a small, soft hand rested on him.
"Brother, hug..."
Little Gallia's tiny voice chirped.
So it was Little Gallia.
Eden relaxed.
The boy wriggled his way into Eden's arms, gripping him tightly with his little hands:
"Hug... sleep..."
It seed the little guy wanted Eden to hold him while they slept.
"Alright, alright, just don't wet the bed!"
Eden smiled.
He pinched Little Gallia's cheek, then wrapped him in his arms.
As Eden lay there, a thought surfaced.
Why did I co here again?
He felt like he was forgetting more and more things, yet he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of contentnt.
He felt a deep sense of belonging and relaxation.
He just wanted to stay here and live peacefully.
With his mind at ease, he drifted into a deep sleep.
It was the best sleep he'd had in days—deep and restful.
"Eden, Eden, wake up!"
Suddenly, he heard soone calling him urgently.
He opened his eyes.
In his sight, Gallia and Eve were standing there, fully dressed, holding their child and looking at him with concern.
"Finally, you're awake!"
Gallia chuckled:
"You slept like a rock. I couldn't wake you up at all..."
Eve looked anxious, urging him:
"Eden, hurry and get ready to go with us to the chapel; today is Prayer Day. If we're late, we won't get a good spot."
It turned out today was Prayer Day, when all the residents would go to the chapel square to seek the Emperor's blessing.
Eden joined the Gallia family as they moved with the crowd toward the chapel.
Most people held several children's hands, chatting warmly, their faces filled with sincere and joyful smiles.
As Eden stepped into the square, he looked at the enormous fifty-ter statue of the Emperor at its center.
The overwhelming aura of sanctity, combined with the sheer visual impact, left him montarily speechless.
Eden felt a conflict in his mind, questioning in astonishnt:
"Is this the true statue of the Emperor?"
In his line of sight, the statue of the Emperor lood above the crowd—with four arms!
(End of Chapter)
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