— Present Day —
Before Lucifer had left Eden's borders, he wouldn't let his lingering curiosity over certain things of Eden continue to evade him. One such thing was the true power that was hidden behind the fruits that the Tree that Bears Truth produced.
On the day he and the other angels of his faction were to be cast out, he took from the tree one of its many fruits. He used the power of his Divine Weapon—Pandemomium—to conceal his thievery from his Gods.
When he got to the place where his dominion was, at a time when the Gods were least likely to care or expect something to be amiss, he took a bite from the fruit.
"Yes…I can see it! I can—," Lucifer shouted, before keeling over and vomiting his guts out.
From the moment he had taken the bite, his body contorted with pain. His wails echoed across the landscape that was destined to be his home to rule, shaking every angel to their core.
Dominions and Powers alike of his clan rushed to their Virtue within his gothic fortress of a castle, seeking to understand the source of his pain.
Those who arrived were greeted by the sight of Lucifer trying to claw his own eyes out of his skull.
His ichor seeped onto his rings and fingers. He was on his hands and knees, crying blood. He vomited all kinds of substances, some blacker than tar and some redder than the colouring of the fruit he had eaten.
One set of his wings–the lower wings–became darkened in colour beyond darkness. An additional two that were smaller in length and width emerged on his ears—it was as if he was the dark incarnate comparable only to the Spirit in look.
"I can see it all, all the truth of this world, all the truth of their existence. I can see it so clearly what it is I need to become, what it is I am to become. The Gods want Chaos…," Lucifer said, his eyes falling out of his head with a squish! disintegrating and leaving puddles of blood in their disappearance.
The eye sockets then became lit ablaze with white and dark light. He gained new eyes with crosses and pupils of black and white.
"I'll show them something better."
The other angels looked on at him with fear gripping their hearts, dark and thick smoke evaporating from his form.
*****
When Uriel and his clan had left Eden, he wanted absolutely nothing to do with his Virtue brothers and sisters. He took up a place that was as far away as possible from the other Virtues' dominions to keep the wars from reaching his people.
He didn't want to disobey the words his Lords had given him; he had to mentally prepare himself to do what was necessary—no matter how much he hated it.
His clan took refuge in an obscure part of Paradioso-Chutz, finding solace in a Tundra-draped snowfield that would shift into a Temporal Forest in the Day, and back to its raging Tundra at nightfall.
The leaves of each tree that surrounded their territory and houses were white. The barks were silvery-grey, matching the colour of the mountains that sat at the rear of their dominion, protecting against attacks from the south.
Why? How did all of this happen? How did everything I knew suddenly just get thrown away in an instant? Uriel lamented, Everyone I knew, all those I considered my friends—all now just enemies? No, this isn't right. How am I to hold these weapons they've given me in good faith against any of them, especially someone like—
His chain of thought was snapped by a messenger entering his midst, flying into the room, and landing in the small space that was present at the foot of his throne.
His palace and the homes of his fellow angels were a steel blue with snow perpetually atop their roofs, never melting and never yielding. Blizzards enshrouded their world, swirling around the apex of the castle. The stronghold was built in a stark Tudor style with hints of Gothic flair.
Snowfields and hail could freeze an angel's wings dry in a second, forcing Uriel to cast magic around the realm to make it habitable for his people.
The place was an icy wonderland of hell frost that very few could weather and even fewer would dare go. This was why he chose the place—a place where no angel would dare traverse unless the Gods ordered them to do so.
"Lord Uriel, I do not wish to disturb you, but…Lord Chamuel and some of his family are present at our gatefront," The messenger said, "And he wishes to have an audience with you."
The other Powers that were near had their weapons at their side as the angel spoke to Uriel. Their Virtue's face twisted with apprehension and quiet fear at the words his messenger told him.
Chamuel—no, why would he be here for…? Uriel thought, his mind racing with endless thoughts, but if so, why would he then seek an audience with me and come only with his family?
"Does he bring an army with him?" Uriel asked.
"I doubt he has intentions of conflict, my lord," The Messenger said. "Only he, Dragnash, and Midra are present."
After pausing for a moment to deliberate with himself, he replied. His voice was tinged with an air of depression, unable to decipher the reason for their arrival
He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself.
"Bring them."