The child was sitting on his bed, shaky and dazed. The Madonna was before the child, her lips twisting with disgust.

"Messiah," she spat. "This what trial do you wish to put before me?"

The child was silent, barely cognizant.

The Madonna sighed. "You take care of him, Initiate."

A woman stepped out from behind the Madonna and nodded. She was a frail-looking woman in black robes. Her hair was white, and her eyes red. She stood with deference to her Madonna and nodded.

"We cannot allow the Messiah to abandon us.

"Yes, Holy Madonna."

The Madonna scoffed and left the room without a word. There was only the woman and the child. She smiled and kneeled before the child.

"Hello, Messiah... My name is Gloria. Serving you is the greatest pleasure of my life. I am happy and thankful to be in your presence."

The child stayed silent. Gloria smiled in response and walked out of the room. She returned a minute later, holding a tray with a cup of baby food, a spoon, and some napkins. She pulled up a chair and sat in front of the child. 

"Do you feel like you could eat?" she asked, her tone gentle.

The child nodded.

Gloria smiled. "Good... that's good. This food should be easy on your stomach. Could you open your mouth, please?"

The child opened his mouth weakly, and she gently put half a spoonful in.

"Take your time, don't worry. We just want to make sure you can keep this down, okay?" Her smile grew warmer. "If you don't like it, you can stop eating, okay?"

The child nodded.

Gloria continued feeding the child. The entire process took a little over an hour, but the child had finished.

"You did so good!" she said as she cleaned the child's mouth. "Say, what do you think about going for a walk? Do you think you can walk?"

The child looked up at Gloria and shook his head.

"But do you want to go outside of this room?"

The child looked at Gloria for a few moments and then nodded.

"Then, wait for a moment. I will be right back... Is that okay?"

The child nodded.

"Great! I'll be right back."

Gloria left the room, leaving the child to stare at the door for ten minutes. She returned to the room with a wheelchair in tow. 

"Shall we go for a walk around your home?"

 

***

 

Gloria wheeled the child into an atrium filled with green fruit trees and pools of water. The child's eyes went wide as he looked around.

"It's a beautiful place," Gloria said. "Our own little garden... It smells nice in here, doesn't it? It took many decades for this place to come together, I've been told." Gloria looked down and noticed the child's mouth hanging as he admired the atrium. "Messiah," she said, her tone gentle. "Have you ever been in here?"

"I haven't," the child whispered.

Gloria knit her brows. "Really? But why would she do that--"

Two black-robed followers walked up to the pair.

"Hello, Messiah," said one follower.

"Thank you for gracing us with your presence," said the other.

The child nodded and averted his eyes. Then, one of the followers turned their attention to Gloria.

"Does the Holy Madonna know he is outside his room?"

Gloria chuckled. "I am his designated caretaker. The Holy Madonna has permitted me to care for him as I see fit."

The follower's tone turned harsh. "I see. So you're the initiate. Very well."

The other follower touched the child's arm. "I am so blessed... Thank you for all you do, Messiah--"

"Please do not touch his wrists," Gloria said, her rebuke sharp.

The follower looked up at Gloria, appalled and offended. Gloria did not back down.

"Those are not for you right now."

"Tch, upstart," the follower scoffed.

The two bid the child farewell and left as Gloria sighed. "They should learn restraint." She continued wheeling the child through the atrium. "If they weren't so sinful, there wouldn't be a need to 'save' them so often."

Gloria wheeled the child around, taking him to see all the most exotic plants in their atrium.

"It is because of the Madonna's power and the Messiah's blessing that we can enjoy the company of plants from all over the world. Did you know that, Messiah?"

Gloria took the child around and watched with glee as the child was astounded by all the colorful flowers and fruits growing in their large atrium. The child couldn't believe it. He could not believe there were colors other than white, gray, black, and red.

Gloria continued taking the child around, letting him marvel at all the most amazing sights. They spent hours just looking around, with the child even getting to touch some of the flowers with his mittens and head.

Gloria found a small clearing deep within the atrium and helped the child out of his wheelchair. She had set down a blanket for the two and sat down with the child.

"They say the plants of this garden are only a fraction of the variety we can see once we ascend into paradise."

She then pulled out a knife. The child, having felt the tug of a smile for the last hour, suddenly paled and fell backward.

"Messiah?!" Gloria yelped. She dropped the knife and helped the child up. "Messiah? What is wrong?" 

Gloria noticed the child staring at the fallen knife and then quickly hugged him.

"Messiah, please do not fear. Now is not the time for that."

Gloria held the child until he stopped shaking, and when he did, she gently released him and watched him sit up with his own strength.

"Good, Messiah... Please, watch without fear."

Gloria pulled out an apple from a small basket she had brought along and started peeling it.

"That's all. I was just going to cut up an apple for you, see?"

The child watched her and gulped. The apple smelled good, and it looked juicy.

Gloria giggled. "Next time... I think I'll just bring a peeler. There's no need to scare the dear Messiah so."

She sliced up the apple into very small pieces and placed the plate in front of the child. "Eating fruit while surrounded by nature. That's wonderful, isn't it?"

Gloria pulled out her own apple a took a bite into it. She laughed when she noticed the child was looking at her.

"Messiah, your stomach isn't strong enough to eat the way I do. You'll just vomit all up. Eat the ones there."

The child picked up a small slice, examined it, and then placed it in his mouth. His eyes shot open, and he picked up another one, pulling a laugh out of Gloria.

"Not so quickly, Messiah. You'll get sick," she said, rubbing his head.

"It's tasty," he whispered.

Gloria smiled, pain in her eyes. "I thought you could do with something sweet." She watched the child eat the other slices and watched with pained eyes as tears fell from the child's eyes. "You're our Messiah, but you're a child too. How can the others not see that?"

The child looked up at Gloria, a twinkle of light in his eyes.

"Say, Messiah, what do you think? Should we take a little walk through this garden whenever we can?"

The child smiled, showing his filed teeth without shame. He nodded as he giggled.