“I know enough,” Elior replied calmly. “Because the God who created heaven and earth knows you. And He sent me.”

The fire between them crackled, sparks rising into the night.

“There are many who call themselves gods,” Elior said, his voice steady and firm. “But they are nothing more than shadows and idols. False gods and powers that only borrow and imitate what they did not create. Only one God formed the heavens, the earth, and every living thing within them.”

He lifted his ...