Sophia's Chronicles

Chapter 4: The Threat

Passing through the threshold of the door connecting the kitchen hallway to the front of the hall where the feast would be served, I entered the pompously decorated Grand Hall. Colourful banners were hung on all the walls with Enochian words saying divine praises written on them. Music wafted through the air from the 1000-piece orchestra and choir. One's spirits could be lifted by merely being there, present in such an atmosphere. At the centre of the Grand Hall was a large fountain that had an intricate carving of a cherub standing on one foot as he tried to fly. The light misty spray rising up from the flowing water made it look like the cherub's wings were floating on clouds. There was an elevated platform before the fountain with a curved table where the Feast would be served to the Gravidas. The platform was flanked by the orchestra and choir. The back and sides of the Hall had levels upon levels of seats extending outwards for a good distance in order to seat all of Heaven.

I found Michael with Gabriel and Raphael at a hallway under the levels of seats. The archangels, myself and God were to enter together when all the angels had arrived. Gabriel was the first to receive me with open arms, pulling me into a tight hug. "It's been so long!" he bellowed a deep laugh.

"Look at how you've grown, Gabe," I cupped his face with both my palms as I studied his glass-like irises. "It wasn't too long ago when you were hiding behind my skirt after Lucifer caught you stealing his knives. Now you're so big and handsome like your brothers."

I blinked away a tear. "You'll always be my safe place, Sophie," he vowed, eyelids thinning as he smiled with all of his spirit. "Doesn't matter how big I am. I'll always run towards you and away from Lucifer," he smirked. "Guy has some pretty knives. Don't tell him I said that."

I chuckled, patting his shoulder lightly. Next, I met Raphael's bored, bronze gaze. "Raphael," I greeted.

He raised his eyebrow and averted his eyes. "Sophia," he sighed. Alright…

"How's work at the infirmary?" I feigned concern. "Going well without my assistance, I hope," I joked.

"It's been fine even before God brought you home," he remarked snidely, and then angled himself away from me.

Ever the conversationalist. Don't say I never tried. Finally, I approached Michael and took his arm as he welcomed me with a warm smile. "Everything went well, I trust?" Michael concerned.

"Just peachy," I reassured him. "How are you, Michael?"

"I'm… good," he said, only glancing at me momentarily. Why that hesitation?

"What's wrong?" I probed, tightening my grip on his bicep.

"Nothing, it's just…" he stroked his chin, similar to what Lucifer would do. "It's Lucifer. You don't think he's acting weirdly or anything, do you?"

I was taken aback by the question. My mind raced through all our recent interactions. Not that we were talking too much in those interactions, but still, nothing particularly stood out. "No, why? Did he do something?" I responded, curious about what must have bothered Michael.

"It's probably nothing," Michael shook his head. "I shouldn't read too much into it."

"Mike…" I used my no-nonsense voice, which I've been told is effective. "Tell me."

"He-"

"Where's Lucifer?" Raphael's vexed voice cut Michael off. "He'd better get here before Father arrives. It's almost time!"

Gabriel looked at me. "Did you see him?"

"No," I replied almost immediately, regretting my quickness to deny.

"Well, it is time for me to call the angels, so it's on him if he's late," Gabriel said, and made appear his sigil (The Horn of Gabriel) in the Grand Hall to summon the angels.

"Don't get your chest-plates in a bunch," Lucifer entered suavely with a cool that was unseemly of the moment. I raised an eyebrow at him and he winked at me. I immediately turned back to Michael, trying to pretend that that didn't happen. "Takes time to look this good," he preened as he gestured to his face.

"Yes, I've heard that time heals all wounds," Gabe sneered. A chuckle made it past my lips and I rushed to cover my blasphemous smile when Lucifer's head jerked to face me. He was about to say something nasty to his little brother when a familiar, all-enveloping bubble of light and warmth approached us.

"Good, you're all here," God said as He joined us. "Let us enter," God beckoned as He took the lead in entering the hall. God and Lucifer walked together in front of Michael and myself, and Gabriel and Raphael followed behind us as we entered the music-filled hall. The angels got up to welcome us and sang alongside the choir, embracing us with their voices.

As the Feast began, I was to explain the significance of every meal that had been prepared. Then, God would come up and formally begin the event. He would greet every Gravidas angel individually, feed them a spoonful of food, bless them and give each unborn angel a name as He proceeded down the table. Then, us archangels would follow behind Him, repeating His actions. After us, it would be the angels. This segment was followed by free interaction, which was a time to socialise and partake in the formal dance around the fountain. This was a time when angels got to know each other better, since most of them rarely met others from departments outside theirs.

For all the hassle of organising such events, it was a nice pay-off to see my friends happy and dancing and talking without a care in the world. It was of even more significance that this was the last time all the angels were in the same room, alive and not ready to kill each other. There was a time when this was truly Paradise. An eternity could have gone by like this and we would all still be happy. It never got boring. This was home and home was perfect. On some days, I still long for a time like this. A time when I didn't have to worry about getting knifed in the back in the presence of people I recognised and knew for billions of years. A time when they still smiled at me. A time when Uncle still cared about us and spent time with us like this. I blamed no one but myself for having such ill luck.

It started off as a little shiver, an inkling of something being awoken inside of me. Something changed in the air and I think I was the first one to notice it, aside from God Himself. My head felt light as a foreign aura filled the air. Perhaps I felt so affected by it because it wasn't so foreign to me. A side of me that I thought I'd buried deep within my core reminded me that it was still there. All jubilance drained away from me as I remembered the trauma of a life lost to the sands of time. And then She sauntered in, wearing a dark ensemble as She normally did. The Darkness. My Mother.

Funny how the memories felt like they were made just yesterday. For so long, I asked myself, "Why that day?" Why, after billions of years, had Amara decided to show up? I'll never know, though I suspect God had the answers. It'll forever be ingrained in me the way Her eyes pierced through me like a javelin from across the large hall. No one had even noticed her standing there. The rumble of their voices, innocently chatting through the night, would never remain the same. She simply raised her palm and the water from the fountain turned a ghastly shade of black. That certainly got everyone's attention. A pin-drop silence fell over the hall. My fingers trembled with the glass of wine in my hand.

"Amara," God called out, stepping out in the open. The angels cleared the path between them, not keen on getting caught in their crosshairs. "You're not supposed to be here."

"That makes two of us," Her dead eyes returned to me. I shuddered. An impending sense of doom overcame me and nothing else was obvious except for the strong urge to run away.

"What do you want?" God asked, trying to stay as collected as possible though even He could not avoid being cautious in approaching Her.

"You've had your fun, brother," She began. "Playing dress-up with my daughter, making her do your bidding. But I think it's high time we put an end to that. Things must be where they belong."

"Sophia is no thing. And she certainly isn't yours," God stood His ground.

"You gave her a new name? Cute, but it doesn't change anything," Amara challenged. She turned to me again and if I wasn't mistaken, I could have sworn Her eyes were pleading me. "Come home, love. We miss you. Come and take what is rightfully yours."

Voice trembling, I replied, "This is my home now." Wait, did She say 'we'? Must be Her and the hounds.

Her eyebrows eased in a look of pity, but then creased deeply as She frowned at God. "Look at what you've done to her," She hissed. "She thinks she can be one of yours, just because you lit a fire in her core. But I'm telling the both of you now – Darkness and Light don't mix. One can never become the other, no matter how hard you try!" She raised a hand again and this time, She seemed to be harvesting energy from the atmosphere. As we watched in horror, Her signature black lightning shot down from the sky, rocking us where we stood. I felt Michael's protective arm ushering me away.

"Stop this!" God demanded, trying His best to counteract Her powers.

"I will once you hand her over," Amara vowed. A shiver coursed through me. I couldn't help but feel… frozen.

"I cannot do that. She is one of mine," God rebutted. It gave me some hope to see Him stand up for me, yet at the back of my mind I wondered if this was all too much trouble. Things could really escalate between the two of them and it could all be avoided if He just… let Her take me. As much as I dreaded that option, I couldn't help but feel guilty that all the angels had to see the suffering caused by my continued presence.

"Are you willing to war over something that you did not create?" Amara growled, Her voice racking my body from the flashbacks of things I thought I'd forgotten. Michael's arms tightened around me as I cowered further, wishing nothing more than to curl up in a corner out of everyone's sights.

"I will war to protect her right to free will," God snapped. It wasn't often that He appeared so ferocious and seeing Him like that struck fear in all of us. He seemed as though He'd seen enough of Amara to be so exhausted by Her that He couldn't help but react this way. My heart sank to see Him, the epitome of patience, be pushed to such a limit. I had the strong urge to fall to my knees and beg for forgiveness that any of this was happening. I didn't want to see any more hostility or suffering.

Amara was practically seething at this point. "Then so be it. Be ready, brother. I will take what you love away from you, just like what you did to me," She ended. Just like that, She ascended in a dark, sinister cloud and disappeared. I looked around. I wasn't the only one shaken up by the whole ordeal. The once-lively atmosphere had mutated into something so grim that we were all uncertain as to how things should proceed from now. How could we move on from this? My reputation must have been so irredeemably tarnished by now. I wondered if anyone would dare even look my way again. Was it all gone? Everything I'd worked so hard for? I might as well begin saying my goodbyes…

God simply turned to all of us and said, "Do not let this incident frighten you. We must remain strong and united, especially now. We can't let Amara's threats get in the way of our happiness. We especially cannot let her get in the way of this momentous occasion. You will all put this incident behind you and carry on with the celebrations. I order it to be so." In an instant, the orchestra's symphony resumed and slowly, but surely, the angels were talking again. It would be a stretch to say things went back to normal, but this was as normal as it got. An indelible stain was left on all our hearts that day.

I pulled away from Michael's arms and though he tried to comfort me, I excused myself to the garden outside, needing the time alone to reflect on all of it. The night was quiet and the solitude was reassuring. I pulled a red shawl around my arms as I walked through the garden to the lake, which, in the darkness of the night sky was only illuminated by the light reflected off of five moons of nearby planets. I stopped and stood, staring at the moons and thinking about how their unintentional beauty existed without accusations of having no value, and wondered whether I would achieve the same status. At the core of my misery at that moment was the uncomfortable truth that I felt undeserving of the praise and love I received from God and his creations because I was an awkward existence between the all-consuming antimatter and the elegant matter.

"You know, sulking is not going to help," Lucifer said as he approached. His eyes held concern for me. Concern which I could not find in myself.

"I'm not sulking," I shot back, folding my arms. "I have totally rational reasons to feel terrible and I do not appreciate you insinuating otherwise."

"Calm down, love. I wasn't saying that," he said as he wrapped his arm around me and held his torso against my back. He blew a small gust of wind and suddenly the air around us became much colder. "You need to chill out."

I cracked a smile despite myself. Only Lucifer could make me smile in a moment when I wanted to break down and bawl so loudly that all of Heaven would be filled with thunderstorms. "Sorry. I don't know what to do anymore. I feel so… so conflicted," I confessed, leaning my head back onto him. "What if Amara's right? What if I'll never belong here?"

I heard him huff a few breaths in bewilderment. "That's ridiculous, Sophie. I'm surprised you would even think that. Even now?" he sounded exasperated.

"I can't help it…"

"Then let me set it straight for you. Amara is evil and you should never listen to Her," he commanded. "After all, you left Her. What She says shouldn't matter at all! You aren't across the Veil anymore. All of us love you just the same. You heard what Father said. If He's willing to fight for you, so will everyone else. And so will I!"

I broke away from his arms, just to turn around and hold his hands in mine. "That's what I'm afraid of. I can't help but worry if things will only get worse. I mean, if Amara's showing up after so long, it must mean something. I won't be able to forgive myself if someone got hurt because of it. Especially if it's you…" I caressed his cheek with a thumb. His face was deep-set with a grave expression. I knew he couldn't accept what I was saying but I had to make him understand. "If it comes down to choosing between me and everyone else…"

"Don't say that," his voice trembled. "It won't come to that. You need to have faith. Do you trust me?"

His eyes beckoned me for an answer. "Yes," I answered sincerely.

"Do you trust God?" He lifted my chin up with a thumb, palm rested against my neck. Forcing my eyes to meet his, there was no place for anything but the truth between us.

"Yes," I answered, more firmly this time.

"Then that is all you need. Father will find a way. He always does. And if He doesn't, I will never let anyone take you away from us," he swore. My eyes stung with tears and before they could escape, I buried my head in his neck, seeking refuge in his embrace. The tightness of his embrace made me feel secure, like a child finding a place to hide in a game of hide-and-seek. He held me without so much as a twitch, ready to comfort me for as long as I needed. I knew it in my heart then that he'd remain this way for an eternity if I asked him. And I would do the same for him.

When enough time had passed that I wasn't as jittery as before, I released him from his physical obligation albeit reluctantly. Then it was time for me to get something else off my mind. "So what's this that I'm hearing about you?" I brought up, eliciting a puzzled look. "Have you been doing anything strange as of late?"

"What are you talking about?" he wondered.

"Michael said you were acting strange. Is everything okay?" I studied his expression as he appeared to retreat into his mind. "Luci… talk to me."

"He said that?" his eyes narrowed, lost in thought. "No, it's just… we had a little… disagreement."

"About what?" I pressed.

"About Father," he rubbed his chin, as he always did when he was thinking of how to phrase a sentence. "Mike said that He was going on a long hiatus to perfect His creation on earth and I… I challenged the necessity of such a thing. I mean, Father's spending so much time there as it is. I never get to see Him anymore, and now He wants to spend an extended vacation there? Just… why?"

"This… troubles you a lot," I noticed, running my fingers through his amber curls.

"I don't know if it means anything but I just miss my Father and it's like He's never around anymore," he admitted, shrugging.

"Of course it means something," I reassured him. "Your feelings are valid. You love your father and you are right to worry about what it is He's doing. Perhaps you should bring it up with Him and let Him know how you feel."

"I'm trying. Actually, it's why I was late," he stated. He reached into his pocket and brought out a folded piece of parchment. I took a look at it. There were calculations and drawings written on it. "It's what He's been working on."

"Where did you get this?" I asked, growing alarmed. The handwriting was unfamiliar and the drawings appeared to depict different versions of bipedal locomotion, similar to what we had.

"I… borrowed it…" he stammered, running a hand through his hair. "From Father."

"You broke into His office?" I whispered sharply.

"I didn't break into anywhere. I simply entered when no one was around. Big difference, Sophie," he defended himself.

"Were lockpicks involved?" I put my hands on my hips.

"Please, like Father's door could be breached by a couple of twisted metal sticks," Lucifer scoffed. "You should give me more credit than that."

"Lucifer!" I exclaimed. "This isn't something to be proud of."

"Speak for yourself," he smirked. Seeing that I wasn't amused, his smile faded.

"So what did you find?" I couldn't help but ask. My curiosity was getting the better of me.

"A bunch of glorified apes. That's what's gotten him so star-struck," he droned monotonously. "He thinks He can make them resemble us. Seriously?"

"I could have told you that," I said, evoking a surprised head-tilt from him. "This was His intention all along. He told me back in the early Paleozoic era."

"Wait, you knew? That He wanted these terrestrial microbes to be like us?" he probed.

"It seemed like such a distant goal back then. I wasn't even sure anything would come of it. But He's… He's God. He does as He wishes," I recalled. "So what? He wants to decorate a small planet with life, so be it. What He's doing there doesn't matter much, anyway."

"Then why is He neglecting us to work on them?" Lucifer persisted. "I don't have a good feeling about this. With all the time He's spending on one little planet, and making plans to shape them like us… do you think He's replacing us with these creatures?"

"Honey, you're reading too much into this," I concerned. "There's no way a bunch of mortal, savage creatures will ever come to resemble us. Even if they do in appearance, they'll never come close to being what we are – powerful, sophisticated and civilised."

His lips curved and his dimples made an appearance. "I suppose you're right. That would be a ridiculous thought," he chuckled. "Just another reason I am blessed to have you here."

"Oh, stop that," I blushed.

"I would be so lost without your insight," he continued despite my protests. "You are the dawn that brings the morning. You are the summer after my winter…"

"Shut up," I laughed, pulling his face closer so that I could seal his lips with mine. His kisses felt like a tickle, lulling me closer to him as I craved more and more with every second. "I need to go," I remembered between kisses. We'd both been out here for too long. If one of us didn't show back at the Feast, it'd be suspicious. Still, we didn't let go of each other, both of us dreading the coldness of returning to the formal setting. I pulled away only to find myself returning to him once again. "Come over later," I invited, this time pulling away from good. He let go reluctantly, planting another kiss on my lips. As I turned to leave, he tugged on my arms again for one more.

"I will," he promised. I walked away feeling so hot and bothered, which was what Lucifer often did to me.

I was the first to return to the hall. Michael spotted me and dragged me to the fountain, around which we engaged in a dance with other pairs of angels. So far, so good. No suspicious gazes were thrown our way. "Where were you? You were gone for some time," Michael whispered as we stepped in rhythm.

"Sorry, I just went out to look at the moons. They were so beautiful and I lost track of time," I lied. "Is everything alright?"

Michael's eyes softened. "It's difficult to say. But I just talked to Father and… He might have an idea," he explained. "This whole friction with Amara doesn't have to be violent. Father thinks there is another solution."

"That's a relief," I smiled, feeling the tension dissipate from my chest. "What is it?"

"He says that maybe… Amara can be appeased. Perhaps with a peace offering," Michael began. It sounded good. I was beginning to feel confident that this whole event could be put behind us. But something about the way Michael's eyes darted about suggested something else. Were his lips… quivering?

"Out with it, then," I urged.

"He says we should get married," he blurted out. I almost froze where I was and I would have, were it not for Michael leading my movements in the dance. "You, being the first daughter from the sister universe and me, being the first son of this universe – He says the alliance could be just what we need."

"I… I don't understand," I stammered. I could feel my nerves trembling from under my skin. "What is this supposed to achieve?"

"He said something about keeping the peace between our worlds and that… if you were to cross the Veil again, this was insurance that you'd be back. That you'd be… unharmed," Michael elaborated. Our eyes strayed, never meeting each other though we were connected in the moment by music. So I would have to go back to that awful place to appease my Mother? Even if it was temporary and this marriage was supposed to ascertain my safety… something just didn't sit right with me. An uncomfortable feeling stirred in the pit of my abdomen. "If this is what it takes to stop Amara and live in peace… I cannot refuse my Father's request."

What could I say to that? He was being totally reasonable. "I need to think about it," I told him.

"Please do. Father also said that consent is really important. No one is going to force you to do anything you don't want to, alright?" Michael lifted my chin up with a finger. It must have been the forlorn look on my face. He looked almost… disappointed. If only my heart was mine alone to give you, Michael…

All I could think about on the way home was how Michael deserved nothing more than the best, and how I couldn't give that to him. Not while I belonged, heart and mind, to Lucifer. But this… this proposal meant the world. It was the only decision of significance I would probably ever make in my whole life. Now the burden of saving everyone in this universe fell on my shoulders.

A single lantern was lit on the front porch. It was the only light for miles, the only exception being the distant stars. The gold from my wings reflected in odd angles on the dark wood as I stepped foot on the front steps. Taking a deep inhale, my wings retreated into my back. As I entered, I noticed a familiar white glow at the far balcony. A sight for sore eyes. Lucifer had his back to the front door as he stared out at the horizon. Dawn was soon coming. He'd shed his tunic in favour of feeling the chilly breeze against his torso, a welcome change that painted me a portrait of his bare muscular back. Holding my breath, my feet made no sound as I approached. When I was close enough, I wrapped my hands around his waist, resting my face against his back. He tensed up at first, and then realising it was me, he eased up and pulled my arms tighter around him. I wanted to talk to him and spill my heart out. But the moment was too perfect by itself, without words.

"I talked to Father," he finally said, breaking the silence. He didn't sound too happy. I kissed his back before pulling away, giving him space to face me.

"What happened?" I inquired, partly anxious of the answer.

"Let's not… talk about this right now," he requested, shaking his head in disappointment. I was somewhat relieved. My shoulders felt heavy and I wasn't sure I could handle listening to his concerns and then further disappointing him with what Michael told me.

"The dawn is approaching," I pointed at the horizon with my eyes.

That seemed to help. His eyes lit up, even if the excitement didn't make it to his lips. He reached out a hand and I took it. "Then let's bring the morning."