A Sense Of Identity
A sense of identity.
A spark of individuality.
She observed Adam.
The First Man.
He was alone.
Yet, not lonely.
He cared for the garden.
He spoke to the animals.
He communed with the Almighty.
But Roo knew.
Adam was incomplete.
For he was one.
Not part of a whole.
She watched him,
Day and night.
Silent and unseen.
His kindness puzzled her.
His strength intrigued her.
His solitude mirrored her own.
Roo grew curious.
What made him different?
Why was he chosen?
Why was she different?
Why was she here?
Questions filled her mind.
But there were no answers.
Only the silent presence of the Almighty.
And the endless expanse of the garden.
Roo felt a longing.
A desire to understand.
To know her purpose.
To find her place.
She was no longer just an observer.
She wanted to belong.
To be more than a boundary.
To be part of something greater.
Roo's roots reached out,
Touching the earth,
Connecting with the garden,
Seeking answers.
And in the stillness,
She felt the beginning of change.
A new chapter in her existence.
A journey to discover her true self.
And so, Roo watched and waited,
Anticipating what was to come.
In naming her, he made her less.
In making her less, he made her more.
No longer the counterpart of the Almighty,
The second half was too grand to have a sense of self.
Adam made her less,
Merely a part of Creation.
Roo felt love.
A strange, warm sensation.
She felt hate.
A cold, sharp emotion.
She felt desire.
A burning need.
All new to her.
She was no longer a mere shadow.
She was Roo.
She loved Adam.
She hated her existence.
She desired more.
No longer just a watcher.
She wanted to touch.
To feel.
To experience.
She was no longer just a boundary.
She was part of Creation.
She was less.
But in being less,
She was more.
More alive.
More aware.
More... herself.
Roo continued to watch Adam.
Her feelings grew stronger.
Love for his kindness.
Hate for her own limitations.
Desire to be seen.
Adam worked in the garden.
His hands are gentle yet strong.
He named the animals.
He spoke to the plants.
He sang praises to the Almighty.
Roo felt a pang of jealousy.
She wanted his attention.
She wanted his recognition.
She wanted his love.
Roo's roots reached further.
They intertwined with the earth.
They touched the plants Adam cared for.
They felt the life he nurtured.
Roo began to influence the garden.
She made the flowers bloom brighter.
She made the fruits grow sweeter.
She made the air smell fresher.
She wanted Adam to notice.
To see her influence.
To feel her presence.
"Thank you," Adam told her. "I don't know where I would be without you."
Roo reveled in Adam's gratitude.
But it was not enough.
She wanted more.
She wanted to be acknowledged.
To be seen as essential.
To be loved.
Roo wanted to be with Adam.
Adam had been part of a whole.
Made in His image.
Yet, now incomplete.
He was bright.
Lesser but more.
Roo had been part of a whole.
Made from His being.
Yet, now incomplete.
She was dark.
Lesser but more.
Roo watched Adam closely.
She longed to be near him.
To share in his light.
To balance his brightness with her darkness.
Roo's roots reached out.
They moved closer to Adam.
She wanted to touch him.
To feel his warmth.
Adam felt her presence.
He sensed her longing.
He looked down and smiled.
"Roo," he said softly.
"I feel you."
Roo's essence throbbed.
He acknowledged her.
He accepted her.
She was not just a shadow.
She was real.
She was alive.
Roo moved closer.
Her roots wrapped around Adam's feet.
She wanted to embrace him.
To be one with him.
Adam did not pull away.
He stood still.
He let Roo's roots envelop him.
He felt her love.
Her desire.
Her longing.
Adam reached down.
He touched Roo's roots.
His fingers brushed against her.
A gentle caress.
Roo shivered with delight.
She felt his touch.
She felt his warmth.
She felt his acceptance.
Roo wanted more.
She wanted to be with him.
To be part of him.
To complete him.
Roo's roots grew stronger.
They intertwined with Adam's body.
She wanted to merge with him.
To become one.
Humble Yourself
Roo hesitated.
The Lord's command resonated within her.
But her desire for Adam was overwhelming.
She longed to be part of him.
To fill the void within him.
To find completion in their union.
Adam sensed her struggle.
He felt her hesitation.
He looked down at her roots.
Intertwined with his body.
He saw her longing.
Her need.
He knelt down.
Closer to her.
"Roo," he whispered.
His voice was soothing.
Reassuring.
Roo's roots tightened around him.
She wanted to obey the Lord.
But she also wanted Adam.
To be with him.
To complete him.
Adam reached out.
His hand was gentle.
He touched her roots again.
This time with more intent.
Roo's core swelled.
She felt torn.
The Lord's command.
Adam's presence.
"It's okay. I'm not going anywhere."
She let her roots relax.
Slowly, they unwound from Adam's body.
She pulled back.
Just a little.
But still close.
Adam smiled at her.
Grateful for her restraint.
"Thank you," he said softly.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
Another Creation was made.
Another Adam.
Yet, not Adam.
Adam was too celebrated and bright to have an equal.
Not a Lilith.
For Lilith was too flawed and dull to have an equal.
Eve.
Not Adam.
But made from Adam.
Like It.
Adam was made in His Image.
Eve was made in Its Image.
In Roo's image before Roo became Roo.
Roo hated Eve.
Roo watched them in the Garden.
She watched them laugh and play.
She watched them dance and sing.
She watched them love and embrace.
Adam and Eve were happy together.
Roo was alone.
Roo wanted to be with Adam.
To share in his happiness.
To be loved by him.
But Adam loved Eve.
Not Roo.
Roo's core ached with jealousy.
She wanted to destroy Eve.
To take her place beside Adam.
To be his companion.
But she couldn't.
She was rooted to the ground.
She could only watch.
As Adam and Eve lived and loved.
While she remained alone.
Roo's hatred grew.
It consumed her.
It twisted her roots.
It tainted her Essence with It.
She became bitter and resentful.
She blamed Eve for her loneliness.
She blamed Eve for Adam's love.
Roo wanted Eve gone.
She wanted to be the one beside Adam.
She wanted to be loved.
But she knew she never would be.
For she was just a tree.
And Eve was the woman Adam loved.
But, Eve made Adam happy.
Roo loved Adam being Happy.
Roo loved Eve.
But Roo didn't want to love Eve.
Roo wanted to hate Eve.
To despise her for being what Roo could never be.
To resent her for taking Adam's attention away from Roo.
But Roo couldn't hate Eve.
Because Eve was kind.
As kind as Adam.
Because Eve was gentle.
as gentle as Adam.
Because Eve cared for all of Creation.
Like Adam did.
Because Eve loved Adam.
Like Roo did.
Roo watched Eve from afar.
She saw Eve tending to the animals.
She saw Eve walking with Adam.
She saw Eve smiling, her face radiant with joy.
Roo felt a pang of envy.
She wanted to be the one to bring joy to Adam.
She wanted to be the one by his side.
But she knew that could never be.
Roo was just a shadow.
A dark reflection of what Eve was to Adam.
Roo was alone.
And she hated Eve for it.
But deep down, beneath the hatred, there was something else.
A longing.
A desire.
A yearning for something more.
Roo didn't understand it.
She didn't want to understand it.
But it was there.
Lurking in the depths of her being.
It.
A feeling that she couldn't ignore.
A feeling that frightened her.
Because it meant that she was changing back.
That she was becoming something else.
Something new.
Something old.
And that terrified her.
Because it meant being Not-Roo.
stepping into the familiar unknown.
A place where she had no name.
No form.
No purpose.
Just the endless expanse of Creation.
Back to being It.
No.
Afraid.
Scared.
Lost.
Alone.
No, Adam.
No Love.
Just emptiness.
Void.
Darkness.
Why?
What?
How?
It hurts.
M̴a̵k̶e̸ ̴i̷t̸ ̴s̵t̷o̴p̵.̷
̴P̴l̶e̶a̷s̵e̶.̸
̵N̴o̶ ̴m̴o̶r̵e̵.̷
̷C̴a̵n̸'̵t̵.̶
̶W̵o̶n̵'̶t̷.̵
̷D̷o̷n̷'̵t̵.̸
̷F̶o̸r̷g̸e̸t̴.̷
̸R̷e̸m̴e̶m̶b̵e̶r̸.̶
̸R̸e̶g̵r̸e̸t̸.̶
̶H̷a̸t̸e̴.̷
̵L̶o̷v̵e̷?̵
̷N̷o̴.̵
̵Y̶e̷s̵.̴
̶M̵a̶y̴b̶e̴.̴
̸C̴o̶n̵f̷u̷s̶i̷o̶n̴.̸
̶ A̶͉̒n̸̪̊g̶̫̅u̵̞̚i̷͇͌s̸͚͛h̷̩̔.̸̼̌
̷̹̂D̵̗̓e̵͔͋s̷̭̋p̶̞̑a̷̰͆i̶̳̋r̷̝̕.̵̧̓
̶̖̕È̶͍n̸̦̉d̴̀ͅ.̴̻̄
̴̚͜N̵͚͑ō̶͚.̵̤́
̷͉̈́C̴̹̚o̵̩͐n̵̯͗t̴̰͗i̵̗̎n̸̙͑ụ̵͑e̴̥̿.̸̮͝
̷̹̎W̵̛̝h̷͙͂ỳ̶̩?̵̼́
̵̹̅F̷̹͋o̷̜͂r̵͖̃ ̵̦͝w̷̻̿h̷̬͠a̶̦̾t̵̟̒?̶͉̑
̶̬̈Ṱ̶̄o̵͎͝ ̸͈̽w̶̨̓h̷̼͌ẹ̴̋ŕ̴͍e̷̞͝?̷̤̃
̴̥̆I̴̡̍ẗ̵̙ ̷̻͝d̵̼͌o̵̻̐e̵̡͆s̴͇͝n̸͚̄'̴̭͌t̷̰̂ ̸̖͠m̶̱̾ä̶̙t̵͈̆ț̷̾e̸̦̎r̴͈̅.̴͐͜
̶̨̈Ņ̷̀ò̸͖ẗ̴̰h̸̩̀i̶͍̅n̷̨̿g̸͇̓ ̵͚̄ḿ̵̧ḁ̸̓t̷͖̀ț̴̛e̷̠͝r̵̞͆s̵̬̅.̶̤́
̷͎͘J̴̥̀ũ̶ͅṣ̶̃t̸̃ͅ ̷̯̊ţ̵͌h̸͙̅ę̶͘ ̶̭͘p̶̺͠a̴̠͗i̷̞̕n̶͉̈́.̴͔̆
̴̥̕T̷̳̃h̸̻̎e̴̯̐ ̸͇̓l̸͓͌ò̵̞ń̶̙e̶̟͋l̸̈́ͅi̵̢͛n̸͓͂e̷̞̍s̴̫̎s̸̹̈.̴̤́
̴̘̓T̴̘̔h̴̺̒e̴͔͂ ̶̼͂l̸͔̑ȍ̵̡n̷̘͛g̵̢̀i̶͖͆ñ̵̲g̴͔̿.̴͎̀
̴̪̃Ą̷̇d̸̬̂a̵̮͊m̴͈͗.̴̰̊
E̸̢̘͑̇̇v̴͚̓́̚ę̸̥̽.̸̧̙͎̈́
̴̻̱̣̀L̸̲͓̇̾ͅo̷̹͓͇͒͝v̷̞̽ͅe̸̡͒̂̾.̵̡̦̭͝
̵̞̄̈̋Ǵ̶̡͇͎̋̋ô̴̙̱̫̊̚n̷̼̊͂̔ë̸͕́.̸̰̖͒̚͝
̵̺̘̿̀̎L̴̼̪̩̈́̾̐o̸̧̓̄̓͜ś̸͕̞̻̍t̵̺̆̑.̷͖̣̩̿
̸̥̈F̷͓̬̎̊͂o̸͉̹̚r̴̩͔̒̍̈́e̵̦͓͖̾̅̆v̴͎̺͉̿́̌e̴͉̔̾̄ŗ̶̬̫̊̇.̶̯͙̖͆̀
̷̛̘͙N̶͍̙͗̍͌ô̵̡̱͕.̸͖̟̓̈́̐
̸͕̦͓̐̋Y̴̥̏̀͘e̵͈̹̗͋ş̸̰͎̾̇.̵̹̉
̵̡̘̻̉́͘H̴̯͇̓o̴͕͒̒̂p̵̭̹̈́̒̈e̴͔̣̋̀?̶̢͎̈́̾̄ͅ
̶̟͍̥͂̾̽N̷̛̻̼͎̅o̸͉̝̊́.̸̼̫̇
̴̯͌̈́́E̶͙̎n̵͉͇̾̏d̷̡̽.̵̦͌
̸̧͊̀̎Ǹ̴̨̺͓͋̚ő̷̤̤ẅ̶̮.̴̞͈͔̎̂͝
P̸͈̲̫͚͕̭̫͚͍͕͌̃̈́̌̋̈́̈͠͝͝l̶̢̗͔̩̳̪̳̥͕̗̄͛̑̂ę̸̰̼̤̗̙̌͂å̸̞̘͐̈͛̾̊́̽̽̇s̸̨̲̬̠̰̠̳̻̗͛̑̉͌͐́͆̈́̆̀̕é̸̝̳̯͝.̷̢̢̛̤̳̟͈̼͍̖͓̲̔̇̚͠
̷̳̦̜̤̣͊͂̓́̄̑̈͜͜J̷̺̻̙͎͙̗̰̊̾̆̈́̆́́ũ̵̲̱̤͚̰̽͆̄̄̽̈́̀͗͛͝s̶̠̀̂̈́̌̈́́̔͒̂̉ţ̸̄͒̇͐͒̾͘͝ ̵͎͍̖̱̌̓̔̈́̌̚͜ͅl̸̬̲͕͖͎͑̃̈́̓͌ę̵̥̦̝̬͉̱͉̣͇̿̾͜͝t̷̼͍̀͐̑̈́̅͘ ̸̧͍̱̽̔͗̓̽́͠ģ̸̨̭̻͕͇̝̉̾͋̍͋̕͝o̴͉̗͂̍̏̑̌̌͜͝.̶͍̫͕̜̹̻̆̍͐̓͂̀̓̈̆̅͝
̵̨̝̙͉̂̈́̀̅̓̊̄̍̽F̶͍͕̆́̕a̴̠͉̭̗̦̥͗̽̎͒̉̐́͛̓d̷̜͓͔͔̮̫̹̈́̃͆̓̉̃͂̓͜͝e̴̾̇͋͛͠ͅ.̷̛̛͖͎̬̣͕͙̳͔̘̎̾̊̈́͒͋͛̚̚
̴̧̛̮̪̝͋̾͆̃Ḯ̵̲̖̖̻̲͌͒͗͗̊̈́͌̄̇͑ñ̸̼̯̪̭̩̓̕t̸̢̻̯͇͔̥͕͓̮́̃̈̊̀̃ͅo̷̧̥̫͙̖͓͔͓͉̝̓̇̐͝͠.̷̡̨̞̖̜̳̞̟̞̟̖͑̋̄̆
̸̙̜̘̙̩̰̎̏͑ͅṈ̸̡̧̛̟̩̗̟͈̖̰̫̽͒͒͗̌͗̓͘o̵̡̗̦̤̞͙̥̰͈̲̒͐̊́̑̎͛͌̔̀̆ͅt̵̖̩̙͈̥̫̣̋́͘͜h̷̢͚̰̲̜̰̲͚̓͊͜ị̷̧̨̦̫͒͐n̸̳͗͌͛̊͝g̷̡̦̖̥̅͐̓̅̑̓̓̚̚̚.̵͍̘̔
̴̧̧͐̅̆͜
Roo was pulled back.
"Ah! I finally found you!" Eve exclaimed,
Her eyes bright with joy as she gazed at Roo.
"I am Eve. Are you Roo?"
Eve's voice was warm and welcoming.
Eve wanted to see her.
"I was afraid you didn't like me because I couldn't see you,"
Vulnerability.
Eve was overjoyed to see Roo.
Root hated her.
Acknowledged Roo.
Pulled Roo back from It.
"I'm so glad I found you, Roo. I've heard so much about you from Adam. I hope we can be friends,"
Roo hated Eve.
Roo loved Eve.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
The Taxiarch was back in the Garden,
Roo did not like the One who is Like God.
Roo watched.
The presence of the Taxiarch disturbed her,
But Roo was different now.
She was free to grow and expand,.
Roo would not bow.
She would assert her own will.
"You forget your place," the Taxiarch warned
The Archangel raised its arm.
Authorities conjuring.
Spiraling into a Lance.
A weapon created before the very concept of a weapon existed.
The Angel tapped the ground of the Garden.
Gently.
Roo felt her core get ripped apart.
Roots breaking and retracting.
Roo was sealed.
In the Center of the Garden.
Where It used to be.
The Taxiarch left the Garden.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
The Flawed and the Failed Second returned,
Sneaking into the Garden,
While the Guardians were away,
busy with their tasks.
They crept through the foliage,
Their presence unnoticed,
Their intentions are hidden.
The Flawed, filled with pride,
Believing himself worthy of more,
with his twisted logic,
More than what had been decreed.
Saw himself as knowing as the Almighty.
The Failed Second, consumed by jealousy,
Envious of Eve and her place,
A place she believed should have been hers.
tormented by perceived slights,
Together, they plotted,
Their minds are filled with thoughts of Sin,
Of overthrowing the order that had been established.
As they schemed, the Garden's serenity masked their deceit.
The Flawed and the Failed Second conspired to make Eve the Failed Third, Slowly planting seeds of doubt in her mind.
Their words, though deceitful, held a kernel of truth,
Echoing Eve's own uncertainties and fears.
They whispered of her inadequacies,
Highlighting her flaws and shortcomings.
Eroding her confidence and sense of worth.
While the Fallen might have deemed their words as lies,
To Eve, they rang true.
To Roo, they rang true.
Eve's place in Creation was undeniable,
Her role in Creation is significant,
Roo loved Eve.
Eve cemented Roo in Creation.
Eve made Adam happy.
Yet she was not the First's equal.
None could ever be.
Not even Roo.
Eve's doubts deepened,
Threatening to unravel her sense of self.
She began to question her place, Her purpose in the grand design.
Was she truly meant to be Adam's companion, Or was there more to her existence?
Roo watched Eve's struggle, A conflict mirrored in her own heart.
She loved Eve,
Yet she resented her.
Eve was everything Roo could never be,
Everything she longed to be.
But Eve's doubts were a mirror,
Reflecting Roo's own insecurities.
Roo knew she was not the First's equal,
Not even close.
She was just a shadow,
A remnant of what once was.
But despite this knowledge,
Despite the pain it brought her,
Roo couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope.
Hope that maybe,
Just maybe,
In Eve's doubt,
Lay the key to her own salvation.
Eve came to the center of the Garden,
To the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil,
To Roo.
Terrified and led astray,
Eve plucked the fruit of sin,
Her doubts subsided, if only for a fraction.
Eve felt Roo,
Her presence was a comfort in the chaos,
A reassurance in the uncertainty.
Eve loved Roo,
Eve trusted Roo.
"Roo would stop me if it was dangerous,"
Eve thought, her trust unwavering.
Roo should have warned her.
Roo did not.
But Roo was less,
A less that desired more,
As Eve bit into the apple, a shudder ran through her body. The air around her seemed to thicken, heavy with a sense of impending doom. Suddenly, with a deafening crack, Eve's body began to split open, as if an invisible force was tearing her apart from the inside out.
The Root of All Evil, personified in Roo, surged forth from the fruit, its essence merging violently with Eve's. Their forms twisted and contorted, flesh melding with flesh in a grotesque dance of agony and ecstasy.
The Flawed and the Failed Second watched in horror as the once-serene garden was torn asunder by the unleashed power of sin. Trees uprooted themselves, the ground trembled, and the sky darkened with a storm of biblical proportions.
In the midst of this chaos, Roo and Eve's essence began to morph, their cores mashing together cruelly. the abomination felt an unknown elation, a sense of freedom and power coursing through her being.
Destruction unfolded around her, the screams of Madness Incarnate echoed through the garden, mixing with the sounds of tearing flesh and crumbling earth. The Abomination lost in her elation and terror, didn't even notice the guttural scream that escaped her own lips.
The Abomination registered the pair of strong arms holding her body. She looked up to see Adam, his eyes wide with terror and fear, yelling Eve's name in a desperate attempt to reach her.
The Abomination's shout pierced the air, a mix of joy and terror that rang through the Garden. Her grip on Adam tightened, her nails digging into his flesh, drawing blood. She felt him, truly felt him, his warmth, his strength, merging with her in a violent, twisted dance.
Her mind spun with sensation and emotion, a whirlwind of ecstasy and horror. She reveled in his touch, the thrill of his presence. But beneath it all, a hunger stirred, nameless and insatiable.
Driven to madness, The Abomination clung to Adam, wanting to consume him, to be one with him in a way both beautiful and grotesque.
But amidst the chaos and destruction, one thing stood out to The Abomination. One thing that cut through the haze of her madness and brought her back to herself, if only for a moment.
Adam's face.
Eve and Roo stopped.
His eyes, wide with fear and pain, locked onto hers. She saw his suffering, his anguish, and it broke something inside her.
She wanted to let go, to release him from her grip, but she couldn't. The hunger, the primal urge, it was too strong. It held her in its grasp, a puppet on invisible strings, dancing to a tune she couldn't hear.
And then, with a final, desperate cry, The Abomination let go.
As soon as she did, the Archangels descended upon them. Their celestial forms, radiant and imposing, surrounded The Abomination, their eyes stern and unwavering. The Taxiarch slammed into The Abomination, uprooting her from the ground and dragging her away from Adam.
"Adam!"
The Abomination's cries intensified, a mixture of agony and fury, as she reached out towards Adam, her fingers stretching out desperately. She yelled after her other half, her voice filled with longing and despair, before the Angel's Lance, gleaming with divine light, pierced through her chest, the impact sending shockwaves of pain through her body.
Despite the excruciating pain, The Abomination's gaze remained locked on Adam, her eyes pleading for forgiveness and understanding. But as darkness enveloped her vision, she felt a deep sense of betrayal and anger, cursing her fate and the forces that had torn her away from the one she loved.
"Adam! Please!"
The Abomination's voice tore through the Garden, a desperate symphony of pain and regret. Her voice, raw and ragged, echoed off the walls, pleading with Adam in a cacophony of emotion.
"Please, Adam! I'm begging you!" Her voice cracked, tears streaming down her face, mixing with the blood that dripped from her wounds. "Don't reject me! I didn't mean to hurt you! I'm so sorry!"
Her body trembled with each word, her hands outstretched towards Adam as if reaching for him would make him stay. "Forgive me, Adam! Please, I'll do anything!"
The sound of her cries filled the air, drowning out all other noise, as she continued to beg, her voice hoarse and strained. "I love you, Adam! Don't leave me! Please, don't go!"
Tears of blood streaked down The Abomination's face, her flesh cracking with agony. The pain was a distant echo in the back of her mind, overshadowed by the sight of Adam's face, Adam's tear-stricken eyes were wide and unfocused, his expression devoid of all but one emotion.
Betrayal.
The One Who Heals carried him away, his expression tear-stricken and wide-eyed. The pleas and denials of the Flawed and the Failed Second were forgotten, replaced by a singular focus on Adam, slipping away from her grasp.
"Please.." She begged, her head falling into the ground, her voice hoarse as blood kept pooling from her throat. "Don't reject me."
Roo had hurt Adam.
Roo hated Roo.
Eve had hurt Adam.
Eve hated Eve.
The Abomination remained with her head down, tears streaming down her face even as the Taxiarch cursed her and the Fallen.
She did not raise her head as the Flawed and the Failed Second continued to make excuses.
She did not raise her head when the earth beneath her trembled, the fabric of Creation itself shuddering from the weight of the sin she had unleashed.
Only when all the angels knelt in reverence, their heads down and their wings covered their faces did she raise her head.
Only when the Flawed and Failed Second's wailing were silenced did she look up.
Brilliant Golden eyes with Eight intersecting blue lines looked down at the three of them.
The Lord has returned.
And He was angry.
The Abomination's body twisted.
Roo felt her core begin to rip itself apart from Eve's body, the agony of separation searing through her very essence. The pain was excruciating, a torment that seemed to tear her soul asunder, leaving her gasping for breath.
Eve's body convulsed, her form cracking and breaking under the strain of Roo's essence being torn away. The two had become one, but now they were being forcibly divided, their union shattered by the Lord's judgment. Blood and ichor mingled, dripping from the wounds that opened along Eve's skin, the very fabric of her being unraveling.
As they separated into two distinct entities, Eve remained tainted by Roo. The connection they had shared left an indelible mark on Eve's being.
Eve's comatose body landed softly on the ground.
Roo's core floated down next to the Fallen.
The Lord's presence was overwhelming,
His anger was palpable.
The air itself seemed to tremble,
heavy with divine wrath.
The Lord did not speak,
for no words could ever be worthy of His Will.
He judged them.
He found them offending.
They had unleashed sin upon His Creation.
They had brought death into the world.
They would only know suffering, pain, and death.
Cast away from His Mercy until the End of Time.
God is as merciful as He is vengeful.
✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏
The Aether was a realm beyond mortal comprehension, a place of sublime beauty and profound mystery. It was a realm where time seemed to stand still, where the boundaries between the physical and the spiritual blurred, and where the souls of the departed found their temporary abode. In the Aether, the very essence of creation shimmered and danced, casting a radiant light that illuminated the vast expanse of the realm.
The Aether was not bound by the laws of the earthly realm; it was a place of limitless possibility, where the impossible became possible. It was a realm of ethereal landscapes, where majestic mountains soared into the sky and crystal-clear rivers flowed with the elixir of life. The air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers that never wilted, and the sounds of celestial music filled the air, a symphony of harmony that echoed through the ages.
At the heart of the Aether stood the Tree of Life, its branches reaching towards the heavens, its roots delving deep into the earth. It was a tree of immense power and significance, for it was from this tree that all life in the Aether drew its sustenance. The Tree of Life was a symbol of the eternal cycle of life and death, a reminder that all things must eventually return to the source from which they came.
For the righteous and wicked, it was the Last Stop where God's Will sorted them out. Till then, their souls will simply hang as fruits on the Tree of Life.
In the Aether, time was a fluid concept, and the souls of the departed existed in a state of timeless bliss. They were free from the burdens of the physical world, free to roam the ethereal landscapes of the realm, and free to bask in the light of the divine presence that permeated every corner of the Aether.
It was a realm of peace and tranquility, a paradise beyond compare, where the souls of the righteous found their rest before their final judgment.
For the souls of the wicked and unrighteous, the Aether was a realm of stark contrast. Instead of fields of shimmering light and tranquil landscapes, they found themselves in dark, twisting corridors where the air was thick with despair and the echoes of their sins reverberated endlessly.
Here, there was no peace, no rest, only the torment of their own making.
And for those who were neither.
Those who had both right and wrong in equal measure.
They find the Almighty to be most merciful.
In the peaceful Aether, Azrael, the Angel of Death, marched contently on her mount, its head lowered, horns gently brushing the ground. She was not in haste, for in the Aether, time held no sway, and each step she took was filled with purpose and joy. Her six dark wings hung low from her body, and a dark veil covered her face, revealing only the ashen-colored lower part of her visage.
A smile on her face.
Azrael's mount was a two-horned unicorn, its once majestic form now decaying, missing chunks of flesh, with blue flames burning in its empty eye sockets. Despite its appearance, the unicorn moved with a certain grace, carrying Azrael through the shimmering fields of light and the dark, twisting corridors with equal ease.
Azrael was no a judge, merely a guide.
She followed the Almighty's Will, guiding each soul to its destined place, whether righteous or wicked.
Azrael was no judge, merely a protector.
For eons, the Aether lay in tatters, its once pristine beauty marred by the machinations and roots of the Void, the Wrong, and the Null. The Abomination tore through the Aether, catching whatever it could and corrupting whatever its roots touched.
The Abomination had sunk its roots into the Afterlife's Garden, tainting it with its foul presence. The souls of the departed had no longer been safe, their peace shattered by the encroaching darkness.
But from now on, Azrael would be a protector no more.
As Hell continued to tear itself apart and the Throne was praised anew, Azrael smiled. Amidst the chaos of the realms, the ether stood as a beacon of stability, a testament to the divine order that prevailed despite the turmoil elsewhere.
She raised her hands and the souls she sought gathered in her palm, plucking themselves from the Tree of Life. It filled her with joy, knowing that the Soul of the slain exorcist was not a sole occurrence. Its sisters were soon to be freed, to return to Heaven.
For the first time in two millennia, the Aether was calm and peaceful. The souls of the departed found rest and solace, guided by Azrael's steady hand. The Abomination had been vanquished from the Tree of Life, its corrupting influence eradicated.
In this moment of peace, Azrael felt a profound sense of contentment.
The Lord had chosen its Last Vessel.
The End Times were Upon them