11 Chapter 11

— Two Years Later —

— Adam —

He had to admit life was good.

The day he and Eve had been kicked out of the Garden of Eden had been the worst day of their lives. It was the day they walked away from everything they knew to build something for themselves. At the time, it was hard. They set up camp, and Adam would hunt for food and gather berries, all while Eve began carrying and nurturing their children.

As they produced more and more life, Adam didn't know how to feel anymore.

Initially, everything was hard; they were in a place without the beauty or protection of God's garden-

Yet why did Adam feel happier outside than he ever did inside the Garden of Eden?

It was a question he often asked himself, and as he returned home and his children and wife wrapped themselves around him in a tight embrace, he realized that it didn't matter.

He was happy, but more importantly, his family was happy, and what more could he ask for?

He prayed silently to God, something he hadn't done in over a decade. He was thankful. He was thankful for getting kicked out of the Garden and seeing this life with his family.

He hoped that these good times would last forever and beyond.

— God (Three Days Later) —

"So now, what do we have here?" I asked, staring at the blonde boy on his knees. "What do you have to say for yourself, Young Man?"

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" Cain cried out, tears streaming down his face. "Please, God Almighty, I never met to end his life! I was filled with wrath, i-it consumed me, and I struck Abel down; it was…it was never my intention!"

"I know that, Cain. I merely needed to look into your heart to see such a thing, but that doesn't excuse the fact that Abel is dead." I frowned deeply. I had asked the boys to compete since they always loved competing, and both of them were to find things that interested me and present them to me. Cain brought me some fruit, while Abel brought me the first-born of the sheep he tended to.

Obviously, I deemed Abel the winner. His gift was well thought out, and it took time for him to prepare and a lot of self-sacrifice. While Cain just walked around, found some fruit that had fallen to the ground, said, "Oh, that looks cool!" and then brought it to me.

Cain couldn't handle the loss and got mad, striking his brother down with a rock. He hit him once, and I could tell it was an act of anger, but he didn't seem to know how durable Abel was…or how fragile.

They were not their father. Eve made sure of that. Her body was softer, and Cain, Abel, and their siblings inherited her weakness. From what I can see of Cain's thoughts, he believed they were more durable, like their father, Adam, and struck his brother because he had seen his father get hit harder by animals like bears.

"I cannot let this go unpunished, Cain," I said slowly, looking down at the boy shaking in fear. "You will walk this Earth forever. I mark you with immortality!" I declared, and with a bright light, a tattoo appeared on his neck before disappearing. "No one will be able to take your life, nor will anyone be able to remove this mark from you. This is my decree; now go!" I demanded, and the boy got up from the ground and started running.

I let out a long and tired sigh as I watched him go. Adam had come to me whenever Cain killed Abel and asked for advice, and I told him the truth.

He needed to go out on his own.

His siblings would never forgive him for such a thing, and every time Eve looked upon Cain, she felt pain. Pain for not being able to help Abel, and that pain weighed deeply on the family as a whole.

It wasn't the advice Adam wanted to hear as a family man who would die a thousand times over for the sake of any and all of his children, but he had to agree that I was right.

Of course, I could have just brought Abel back, but that would have taken him away from his eternity in Heaven.

Abel was a boy who committed little sin in his life and prayed to me for forgiveness for everything terrible thing he did; who am I to deny him the pearly white gates?

And thus, Cain became the first murderer, and Abel became the first soul to enter the gates of Heaven.

A sad day indeed, but I still had plans for Cain, and while this would be a trial for him, I knew he would be happy at the end of the day.

— Lilith —

"Lord Rizevim, I ask that you don't act so rashly; you could get hurt!" One of the maids said in worry as Rizevim trained. Rizevim looked upon the maid and tilted his head before looking towards Lilith.

With the most innocent smile, the teenage boy asked, "Mother, can you kill her?"

"Of course!" Lilith cooed, sending a chain of light through the maid's skull, killing her instantly. "Will that suffice, my little Hellwalker?"

"Mhm." Rizevim hummed, returning to his training. It warmed Lilith's heart whenever her baby boy asked her to kill people for him. He was at that age now where he would usually do it himself, and she felt left out, but times like this are when she loved being a parent!

"Mother?" Rizevim said, earning her attention.

"Yes, Rizevim?"

"You want God dead, right?" The white-haired teen asked, scratching his cheek.

"Well, it's rather complicated," Lilith answered, gesturing for her baby boy to come over. "You see, God is the Leader of Heaven; more than that, he is the Almighty. What we want dead is his name and title." Lilith explained slowly. "Though we do not wish to claim his actual life."

"Oh," Rizevim said, sounding more than a little disappointed. "Does Father feel the same way?"

"I believe your father feels the same way, albeit…more strongly." Lilith smiled nervously at her son. Images of Lucifer taking on a feminine form and beckoning his devils in to take all of his/her holes while they looked like God came into her mind. "If there is anyone who wishes to see God alive for eternity, it's your father."

"Oh…" Once again, Rizevim seemed disappointed. Seeing her son in such a state hurt her heart, but her goals wouldn't sway her, and she doubted Lucifer would either. Her son walked away, heading somewhere in the castle to be alone as he typically liked to be.

Now that Lilith was left alone in the room, she couldn't help but let her mind roam to the topic of the previous conversation.

Her nipples hardened, and her hand drifted down, rubbing her feminine folds as she let out a needy breath. No amount of sex with any man could ever satisfy the need she had for her father. She wanted him…She needed him.

Time…in time, she would have him-

Then, no one would be able to separate them again.

— Azazel —

"Hit or stand?" Azazel asked, looking at Baraqiel. The black-haired man frowned, inspecting his cards with great focus.

"...Stand." He said after a long moment.

"Alright." Azazel grinned, looking to Michael, Gabriel, and Remiel. "What will it be, you three?"

"Stand," Michael said with his typical smile.

"Hit." Gabriel frowned, her face reflecting her cards.

"Hit." Remiel shrugged.

Oh, she wanted to hit both of them, specifically those fat tits of theirs. Especially Gabriel's.

Azazel shook her head, trying to clear the lustful thoughts from her mind. No, she couldn't keep thinking like that! God said she couldn't force Gabriel into anything, and Azazel knew she had to wait.

Gabriel would come around whether it took a century or a dozen millennia. She knew it, and God knew it.

"Alright," Azazel forced a smile, sliding two cards over to Gabriel and Remiel. "Hit or stand?"

"Stand."

"Stand."

"Alright, let's see those cards."

The angels around the table flipped their cards for all to see, and all eyes went to Michael.

"How in Father's name do you keep getting blackjack?!" Remiel crossed her defined arms and let out an annoyed huff.

"God's grace." Michael smiled innocently.

"Well, that's the game; come on then, give your chips to Michael."

"Isn't gambling a sin?" Metatron asked from his seat in the corner of the room. A book in his hand and a cold drink at his side.

"Well, it is, but we're not placing any value on the bet." Azazel shrugged. "These chips mean nothing to us; it's just a friendly game."

"Hmph." Metatron shrugged, refocusing on his book.

"Well, I guess I win…again." Michael chuckled to himself.

"Pride is a sin, Michael." Gabriel chastised, but Michael shrugged her off.

"Feeling the grace of God can never be a sin."