Chapter 32: Presuming Upon Favor
"My God, of late, many angels have been afflicted with 'Grey Wings.' What is the cause of this?"
"This is a sign of corruption."
God's words startled Lucifer; he instinctively dropped to his knees, only to be gently lifted back up by a soft, unseen force.
"My God..." He could scarcely believe that fallen beings could exist among the ranks of the angels.
"Loyalty, Temperance, Generosity, Diligence, Fortitude, Humility—those who strictly uphold these Seven Virtues shall receive My divine protection and shall never descend into the abyss of damnation." Bathed in holy light, God gazed upon the Arch-Seraph, offering him an explanation for his doubts.
"Conversely, Betrayal, Lust, Envy, Sloth, Pride, Greed, and Wrath constitute the Seven Deadly Sins—the very essence of evil. One must not draw near to them; to approach them is to risk falling under their influence."
"So that is why there have been so many such cases among the angels dispatched to the mortal realm to quell the demonic uprisings!" Lucifer realized with a start, instinctively heaving a sigh of relief.
"While demons are indeed an external factor, there also exist angels whose minds lack fortitude." God cast a reproachful glance at the Arch-Seraph—who had visibly relaxed the moment he learned the problem did not stem from within the angelic ranks themselves.
"Lucifer, you must not grow complacent."
Although God had chided him for being overly protective of his own kind, Lucifer showed not the slightest sign of worry; for he knew that God was not truly angry. In certain matters, God's indulgence toward him was such that it would be the envy of all Three Realms.
Thousands of years had passed in the celestial realm; throughout them, the Arch-Seraph had remained a figure of radiant purity and noble grace. As God's cherished favorite, he lacked for nothing; indeed, if anything could be called eternal, Lucifer believed it was his own profound reverence and devotion toward God.
God's treatment of him had remained steadfast and unwavering throughout the ages; consequently, even the typically cautious and humble Lucifer would occasionally—albeit rarely—presume upon that divine favor.
"Lucifer shall take God's teachings to heart," he remarked offhandedly. With a few light steps, he approached the divine throne, gazing with a gentle smile at the indistinct figure shrouded within the holy light. "God, I've recently composed a new melody; perhaps the Cherubim could..."
"Unless you play it yourself, let it be," God said with a smile, gently stroking the angel's long, pale-gold hair. Lucifer's ceaseless diligence was as renowned throughout the Three Realms as the immense favor he enjoyed; it was truly remarkable that the Arch-Seraph still found the presence of mind to think of Him in such matters.
Official duties meant nothing; God was paramount. Since God did not wish to hear the musical angels perform, Lucifer decided he would simply play it for Him right now.
"I shall wait until you find a moment of leisure," God said with great thoughtfulness. Then, before the Arch-Seraph could utter another word, He asked him:
"How has Adam been of late?"
"...He is well enough." Lucifer—who, truth be told, felt little inclination to speak at that moment—fell silent for a brief while before offering his reply.
It was just that he asked a few too many questions.
Not missing the Arch-Seraph's momentary exasperation, God's golden eyes gave a faint twinkle; recalling Adam's peculiar nature, He could not help but feel amused. Gazing at the World Tree, where new shoots the size of a human finger had already begun to sprout, He issued a pleasant command:
"Then bid him come to the Grand Cathedral to see Me."
"As you command," Lucifer replied, bowing his head in assent.
Meanwhile, having received directions from an angel, Adam had set off running eastward—and he refused to stop until his legs were aching and weak.
With every step he took, he drew one step closer to the Celestial River.
Clinging to this conviction, he believed that in the farthest reaches of the East—at the very end of the path—there surely lay a Celestial River, waiting to be drunk.
Raphael, who had ascended to the Seventh Heaven to deliver his official report, spotted a naked human figure weaving through the clouds from a great distance. Curious, he followed behind to observe what the man was doing. To his surprise, after trailing him for quite some time, the human showed absolutely no signs of stopping; on the contrary, he appeared to be merely running in circles. Seeing that the man was on the verge of total exhaustion, Raphael stepped forward to inquire.
"Lord Adam," he called out, bowing his head slightly in a gesture of respect. "What brings you to this place?"
Despite his physical exertion, the eyes of the First Human remained bright and clear, and the aura he exuded was of a quality rarely seen even among the angels.
Indeed, not even the most untamed of angels possessed such... *wildness*. "Revered Angel, I am searching for the Celestial River." Adam brushed aside the sweat-dampened hair from his forehead and looked up at the angel standing before him.
"I've heard that the water flowing within it is absolutely delicious."
It certainly seemed like a rather peculiar notion.
So thought Raphael; he tried to explain to the human that the Celestial River held no such water as he sought, yet Adam remained unshakably convinced by Beelzebub's words.
Seeing his stubbornness, Raphael chose not to argue further; instead, he smiled.
"You won't reach it this way. Why don't I take you there so you can see it with your own eyes?"
The Cherub spread his six wings and, amidst the human's gasps of astonishment, carried him upward toward the Sphere of the Moon. As particles of light dispersed in cascading layers—from the Sphere of Saturn down to the Sphere of the Moon—Adam felt as though he had experienced the full cycle of day and night in a single instant. He was still immersed in the mystery evoked by the darkness when, abruptly, a colossal luminous body burst into view before his eyes.
"What is that?" he murmured, gazing at the massive, glowing sphere. And it was not the only one; behind it, to its front-left, to its front-right... stretched a multitude of identical luminous bodies.
"These are the stars created by God."
"Is *this* the Celestial River?" Adam found it impossible to reconcile this colossal, suffocatingly vast sphere with the image of a river.
"The Milky Way is over there." Raphael extended a hand to point the way. Adam followed his gaze, beholding thousands upon thousands of stars drifting within the harbor of the night—like silent sentinels, radiating a timeless, unchanging brilliance.
The distant stars hung suspended at the edge of the heavens, forming a boundless sash of light—resembling a tangible, silvery river, dazzling in its splendor.
"Compared to them, I am truly so very small." Adam was awestruck by the divine miracle; yet, once the initial shock subsided, only a sense of loss remained.
No matter how beautiful the stars might be, one could not eat them. He sank into the melancholy of the moment, while Raphael remained noncommittal regarding the human's shifting moods.
Based on Adam's description, Raphael surmised which angel had likely been playing a prank on the human. With the intention of making amends on his companion's behalf, Raphael smiled once more.
"If it is food you crave, that, too, can be arranged."
He then proceeded to tell Adam of how the angels were currently laboring to construct the Garden of Eden for the sake of mankind. "Inside, it's nothing but fruit trees; come the time, you can eat as much as your heart desires."
"Really?"
"I speak the absolute truth. Just await God's command, and you may move in at once."
Having been successfully coaxed by Raphael, Adam was now itching to meet the Divine.
Believing that only Lucifer could guide him up to the Ninth Heaven, he grabbed his newfound angelic friend and headed back toward the Seventh Heaven. Raphael was slightly taken aback by the human's unbridled enthusiasm, yet he soon shook his head with a wry, helpless smile.
"There is no need to rush. Let me first report to Lord Beelzebub, and then I shall take you up."
Raphael soon led Adam back to the Seventh Heaven. Upon reaching the palace of the Archangel of the Dominions—located within the Seventh Sphere—he saw Beelzebub conversing with a female angel.
He paused, hesitating as to whether he should intrude upon their conversation. Adam, however, harbored no such qualms; spotting the familiar golden-haired angel, his eyes lit up. He instantly left Raphael trailing far behind as he dashed toward them.
"Humans are so easily duped. I simply told him that the River of Heaven held the most delicious water to drink, and he went running off toward it without a second thought." Beelzebub, having encountered Lilith just outside the Archangel's palace—where she had come to retrieve some items—was regaling her with the tale of how he had pranked a member of the human race.
"With merely human legs, how could he possibly reach the River of Heaven?" Lilith failed to grasp his meaning at first; however, upon catching sight of the mischievous smirk playing on the corners of Beelzebub's lips, she instantly realized he was merely tormenting the poor human—and felt utterly speechless.
"You were just messing with him..."
"If only he'd read a few more books, he wouldn't be quite so gullible," Beelzebub remarked with an indifferent wave of his hand.
"It is precisely *because* you are always acting this way, my Lord, that I simply couldn't take it anymore and decided to switch allegiances!"
"You cheeky girl! You abandoned me, yet you have the audacity to be so brazen about it?" Beelzebub shot her a reproachful glare. "I haven't even gotten over my indignation yet!"
"Oh, I feel quite melancholy about it myself," Lilith replied with an air of innocence. She had desired to serve under Gabriel; yet, ever since her promotion to the rank of Throne Angel, she felt she actually saw her new superior *less* often than she had back when she was merely a Virtue Angel. "I really can't stay and chat with you any longer. Prince Samael ordered me to report to the Mars Heaven Service Office immediately upon my return." Lilith blinked, clutching the items she held in her arms. "So, don't go bullying anyone... Um, Your Highness?"
Following Lilith's gaze, Beelzebub looked behind him, only to see Adam standing a short distance away, staring fixedly at him. The human's frank, unblinking gaze made him feel somewhat uncomfortable; yet, unable to bring himself to yield to a mere mortal, he decided to strike first.
"What are you looking at?!" he snarled in a foul temper.
"There is no water in the Celestial River." The human harbored no malice; he was merely stating the factual result of his search to the Seraph. However, the angel's expression grew increasingly sour.
"There is nothing there but countless stars..."
"Fool!" Beelzebub scoffed, turning on his heel and striding away.
Adam could only turn his gaze toward Lilith. Although he did not understand the meaning behind Beelzebub's words, he *had* heard Lilith's earlier plea: "Don't go bullying anyone."
Sensing the kindness behind those words, he felt an immediate surge of affection for the angel standing before him—a being of exquisite beauty and graceful bearing—finding her utterly captivating.
"My name is Adam," he introduced himself eagerly. Yet, the Throne Angel merely cast a fleeting glance at his bare, exposed chest before covering her face and hurrying away, without even deigning to share her own name. Adam felt a sudden pang of disappointment.
It seemed none of the angels he had encountered so far were particularly fond of him... Wait—that wasn't entirely true! There was still Raphael!
He turned his gaze toward the Cherub he had left far behind earlier. Surely Raphael could explain to him why Beelzebub had been so angry with him.
Raphael—the very one who could provide the answers Adam sought—was currently preparing to report to Beelzebub regarding the construction progress in the Garden of Eden. Having just witnessed the tense exchange between the Archangel and the human, he decided against bringing Adam inside; instead, he simply instructed the human to wait outside.
Adam had no choice but to wait outside—and while he waited, he was found by the Seraphim Archangel who had been searching for him.
"Adam, what are you doing here?"
Lucifer had spent the better part of the day scouring the Seventh Heaven for him. Anxious not to keep the Almighty waiting any longer, and having no patience for Adam's rambling explanations, he simply took the human by the arm and headed straight for the Great Cathedral. Adam tried to speak several times, but the fierce winds of the starry sky stung his face. Even with Lucifer protecting him, he still felt uncomfortable and had to suppress his unease, harboring resentment all the way.
So, upon seeing the gods, as if afraid of being interrupted again, he couldn't wait to even step into the temple before speaking impatiently.
"Father, there's no drinkable water in the Milky Way. Why did it happen after I told him?"
He asked loudly, like a wronged youngest son bursting through the door to complain to his family.
Lucifer, carrying Adam, hadn't even had a chance to greet the gods when a thunderclap boomed behind them, and his smile visibly froze.
Although he had never truly experienced the bond of siblings.
Although he didn't believe Adam was a son of God.
Although the relationship between creator and god was never, and never would be, purely that of father and son.
Yet, when Adam uttered those words, Lucifer still miraculously felt a pressure that could be called 'the pressure of the firstborn son.'
Especially after God cast a glance at him because of Adam's words, the pressure felt like a mountain.
"...The angels are ignoring me now?"
Like being doused with a bucket of cold water, he snapped back to reality.
Although it seemed abrupt, Adam's complaints mentioned the word "angels," and Lucifer became uncontrollably sensitive.
(You provide the author Danmu's [Hebrew Mythology]: The arduous process of creating a world)