Sophia's Chronicles

Chapter 8: The Seeds of Revolution

I observed the demeanour of the archangels. Michael and Raphael were engaged in a discussion about promoting certain lower angels and Gabriel appeared bored, popping a mango in an out of existence. He does love his sweet fruits. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. I loosened my shoulders and relaxed into my seat. Finally, God showed up. I stared at Him cautiously, looking for some kind of acknowledgement of how we'd tried to communicate with Him and how He'd ignored us. Instead, He simply inquired as to Lucifer's whereabouts, and I said, "I don't know". It was the truth.

God eyed me with suspicion. "This news can't wait. I will find him later myself," God said. Uh oh. Should I be worried? Of course I should. Who knows what God would find? Not the son He'd left me with, that's for sure. "Now to the matter of business. I have good news. The Garden of Eden is no longer vacant. With some fine-tuning of the evolutionary process, the Homo Sapiens have succeeded." That was what you were doing this whole time? "As an infant terrestrial species, they have shown remarkable potential to be great. They are, as I'd wished, in our image." Without the fruit of Knowledge, I somehow doubt that, but whatever. My own bitterness began to surprise me.

The other archangels rejoiced at this news and congratulated Him. I feigned concern for the news. All of this simple speak was driving me up the wall, considering that worry for Lucifer continued to gnaw at me. God snapped me out of my thoughts by bringing up the ultimatum He had designed in my presence.

"These humans will need to kept safe in the Garden of Eden, and they must be subject to a test of faith. They may be allowed to do whatever they wish, except eat from the Tree of Knowledge. It is your job, and the angels' job to protect them from temptation and other evils. They are ours to take care of." The archangels nodded in acceptance. Okay, that's a bit too much fanfare for primitive creatures.

When the meeting adjourned, the other archangels left while I remained seated. God didn't react to this and I suppose He must have expected it. Surprisingly, He began the conversation. "Sophia, I have reason to believe that you and Lucifer are committing sin." I think it was quite telling that I was asking myself which of the activities He was talking about. Was it the courtship, the angel murders or the 'feeding' sessions? But how could He have known? We went through so much pains to keep them all secret. I decided that the best response was to feign ignorance and find out what He knew.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I responded, crossing my arms.

His gaze bore into mine and it began to frighten me. There was a tension to his demeanour that I hadn't noticed before and it only became more evident. "Sophia, I have received word that some angels are missing. This following the disappearance of a lone angel many days ago. A witness tells me that they saw someone imploding an angel in the forest. They identified you. Tell me what I should make of this." I looked at Him with shock. Who could it have been? "If this is true, and I have reason to believe it is, the both of you are committing treason. Do you know how serious that is?" I was frozen in my place. What was I to say to that? I had imagined this conversation a lot differently, with me spilling my troubles and Him listening, but now it just seemed like He was taking jabs at me. "Don't think I didn't notice your little private sessions with Lucifer either. First you kill my angels, then you poison my son. You really take after your mother." Was that bitterness I sensed? But this could all be some kind of test. Work me up, see if I snap. See if I'm loyal or something like that. But it really hurt me to think that God would talk to me this way, regardless of whatever crime I had committed.

"You can't be saying that this is my fault? I did my best to help Lucifer. I really did!" I defended myself.

"Your best? I didn't say anything because I thought your… arrangement would be temporary but it only seems to have gotten out of hand." There was disappointment in his voice, on top of his anger. His eyes roved down to my neck, which I'd covered with a shawl. I adjusted the cloth, pulling it higher over the wound from last night.

Now I was getting impatient. How dare He suggest that I wasn't doing enough? The spirit of Lucifer's past boldness seemed to possess me as I replied, "I don't see why you're complaining. I've done nothing but help Lucifer. I may have failed along the way but at least I was there. Where were you when I prayed for guidance? When Lucifer and I begged you to come to us in our time of need? Unlike you, Uncle, I've actually been concerned about your son." I held my breath. What I said was very disrespectful, but it was the ugly truth and I wouldn't have any more of his talk about my role in all of this.

By now, He was seething. I really pushed His buttons on that one. "I can't come every time someone prays, Sophia. That's not how it works. You're supposed to find solutions to your own problems. That's why I gave you this duty. I trusted you to be able to find a solution because you've always been good at finding solutions."

"All this speak of finding solutions is at the expense of your son's sanity. The least you could have done is left us with a cure," I shot back.

"There is no cure! Don't you get it? It's a curse. If Lucifer can't control the Mark…" God paused. "I will have to take more drastic measures. It seems my trust in him was gravely misplaced." My heart sank. He frowned, as though this was the biggest let-down of His life. "So tell me, what am I going to find him doing right now?"

"Maybe you should ask him yourself." It seemed clear to me now that some things were inevitable. Foremost among them was Lucifer's fading grip on morality. If some rules had to be given up for his hold on the Mark to remain, I found it to be a fair trade-off. I'd felt pushed to the point of not caring anymore. I know what mattered to me and what mattered to God. It was at this moment that the lines became clear to me. The game was rigged against us and we were being punished for something we could not avoid. With these heavy thoughts, I found myself being teleported with God to Lucifer's location.


We came upon a rocky plain surrounded by mountain peaks. There we found Lucifer, blade in his arm and the Mark glowing. Surrounding him were eight dead angels. I was afraid it would come to this. Lucifer turned to us slowly, his face expressionless. It was almost… tranquil, like he'd finally achieved peace. "What have you done?" God yelled. With a swipe of the hand, God put together the angels. The eight of them looked terrified and confused. God told them to return to the citadel and wait in His office. They obliged. Now it was just the three of us. "What is the meaning of all this, son?" He asked.

Lucifer looked at his father with a serene smile, and calmly replied, "I finally realised what I needed to do. And it wasn't just to keep this Mark from somehow imploding me or making me insane. I just needed to feed it."

God let out a heavy breath. "You were supposed to be strong. You were supposed to control the Mark, not let it control you," He proclaimed. "And now, look at what you've done. You've slain your own brothers and sisters in cold blood."

"A small price… for the peace I must keep," Lucifer shrugged. "Wouldn't you agree, Father?" I saw his strange confidence and it made me understand the true solution, which he'd come to figure out all by himself. Under the naked sun, he seemed as strong as I'd always known him to be. Not lacking it, as what Uncle suggested. I felt our connection grow stronger.

"You've lost your mind," God stated plainly.

"And you? Am I supposed to think your obsession with hominids isn't some symptom of madness as well?" he nonchalantly mocked.

"Careful, boy," God warned.

"Isn't that why you're here? They must have done something to please you. Why else would you show your face again…" he grumbled. "Let me guess… they've figured out that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line," he sneered. "Bravo, how brilliant of them."

God simply watched as Lucifer went on. It must have been His incredible patience. But even I knew that Lucifer was pushing it. He always did. "If you do something like this again, I will keep you under lockup. Think about what you've done," God ordered.

"Uncle," I interjected. "You can't punish him for what the Mark is doing to him. This isn't right," I pleaded.

God narrowed His eyes at me. "The Mark only reveals who you really are. And who Lucifer really is… is a danger to everyone around him," He declared. "Today, it will be the angels. Tomorrow, it will be you and his brothers. I can't let that happen. I want to give the both of you another chance but only he can be accountable for his actions."

Lucifer remained quiet, obviously disappointed at his Father's tirade.

I thought about what God said. What if He was right? There could be no cure, or alternate way of dealing with something so important as the Mark other than destruction of Light, which seemed to manifest in violence and aggression. If He was right, I saw no other way of getting around the Mark other than such actions as killing a few angels every now and then. It was a small sacrifice for a greater good, to balance the forces of Light and Darkness.

With that, God left. I rushed over and Lucifer sheathed his blade to receive me in his arms. "Are you alright?" I breathed a question.

"Better than ever," he smiled in relief as we gazed longingly at each other. "Except for… that, of course."

I kissed his lips wholeheartedly. Never had I felt so safe in his arms. "God questioned my loyalty," I told him, tears stinging my eyes. I related to him an account of the way He questioned me so accusatively, as if convinced I was evil. "I think I messed up. I shouldn't have been so forthright."

"No, no. You did the right thing," Lucifer asserted. "No one has the right to speak about you that way, you hear me? You're the best thing that's ever happened to this universe."

"Be serious," I sniffled and wiped away a tear.

"I am," he huffed, amused. Then he exhaled, returning to seriousness. "I need to know something, alright?" I glanced at him. That piqued my curiosity. "Are you… are you sure you still want to… be with me?"

I gaped at him. "What would lead you to ask such a thing?" I smacked his forearm.

"Okay! Okay…" he defensively seized my hands. I calmed down and he released them. "It's just that… I understand if all of this…" he gestured to the shed angel grace on the ground. "… appals you. I just don't want you to get hurt or do anything you don't want to." I smacked his forearm again. "Ow!"

"Oh, you think you're protecting me like I'm some damsel in distress," I mocked with narrowed eyes. "Let me make something clear, Morningstar. I have as little choice in loving you as you have in controlling the Mark. There won't be enough dead angels to make me leave you!"

He shrunk back from my raised voice. I huffed angrily and turned away. My arms were folded as I wondered how my lover could be so daft sometimes. Soon enough, I felt his arms encircle me and pull me closer. There was an attempt at an apology with nothing but kisses.


God had declared a state of emergency in Heaven and ordered the angels to be wary of Lucifer's presence. The angels were clearly alarmed by this. What could have turned God against His most beloved son? I heard them discuss. Lucifer was not allowed to go to areas of importance like the armoury, the garrisons and most importantly, the Garden of Eden. God didn't want Lucifer messing with His imperfect apes. Normally, I wouldn't care about the humans and the Garden, but what forced my concern was the fact that God was putting in so much effort and love into elevating the humans, yet they were supposed to resist Knowledge, the highest of all pleasures and privileges. Now all my suppressed feelings about the Tree surfaced. Call it my opinion, but knowledge is the one thing that makes consciousness worthwhile. A wolf or a fish could never experience true pleasure or even know that such distinctions in quality of experience exist, so its life is not "worthwhile" in the sense of its own subjective experience.

Of course, I did value such creatures for other reasons, mainly because they are the product of a brilliantly-engineered natural system and were so pure in their drives. But I'm getting distracted. Humans were different. They had just developed a more complex level of awareness. Compounded with intelligence, the next logical step would be the capacity to know. I just found it contradictory of God to pose such an ultimatum to these humans contrary to what their natural instincts would drive them to do, unless he was making some sort of statement that these humans are pure and would be tainted by the effects of knowledge. He did tell me once that Knowledge was a dangerous tool. Did that make Knowledge evil? I couldn't tell. I just couldn't accept this whole Humans-are-our-family-too with them being in such ignorance. I felt that it insulted our image to say that they are one of us without any real Knowledge.

And were they really so important that Lucifer should not be allowed in their vicinity? That could only mean that He cared more about these primates than us. I felt a sick feeling brew in my abdomen at the mere thought of that.

The angels heard the news of the incident and grew wary in Lucifer's presence. The angels were no longer simply afraid of Lucifer, but they also saw him as an abomination for violating God's world. The tide of angel opinion turned on Lucifer and it was getting on my nerves. None of them knew what was going on yet they harboured such animosity towards Lucifer. Even the archangels had given up on him. They ceased asking me how Lucifer was, and avoided the topic of their miscreant brother completely in conversations, like they were ashamed of him. All it took was news of this one incident for them to look at their own brother in a different way. Did no one care about giving him the benefit of the doubt? I hated being the one who had to hear all these vile things about someone I loved and feeling like I was the only one who saw what was wrong.

Needless to say, Lucifer was hurt by his Father's words and actions. For many days Lucifer remained distant. I didn't bother him because I could sense that he needed some time to reflect and so did I.

It was at a time like this when we found our interests to be perfectly aligned.

"I can't stand it anymore, Sophie," he said one day, while I was in my study. "I can't stand how much everyone is just gushing over these… mud monkeys. It's driving me up the wall."

I looked at him from where I was seated, plant specimen in my hands. Laying my things on the table, I went over to where he was standing by the door. "I don't like it either, but it's not like our opinions mean anything," I lamented.

His gaze hardened. "Then we'll make them matter," he vowed. I sensed something in his voice, like he'd been harbouring a thought and now was the time to say it out loud.

"What do you mean?" I probed.

"I mean… we have to get His attention," he spoke with a low voice as if he was worried someone might be listening. "Make Him hear us."

I worried for him. "Lucifer, you heard what He said. If you did anything He deemed wrong, He's going to lock you up."

"Right," he remained sceptical. "Like He would do that to me. I'm His son. Besides, I carry the sacred Mark that protects all of us. You think people would be silent if He did that?"

"Are you really going to take the chance?" I whispered pointedly.

He raised his eyebrows suggestively. "Yes," he smiled.

I stared at him blankly. "Don't do anything stupid," I warned. "Without me."

I was tired of coming home to his deeds and reeling from the emotional backlash. No, this time I would be there with him. Think of it as damage control. One would think that challenging the Almighty Creator was a foolish thing to do. But I had been here, with Lucifer, as he slowly lost a grip on his reality – on his character – whereas God hadn't. God chose to be blissfully ignorant. If Lucifer was convinced that this was the right way to go, I couldn't let him face Uncle's judgment alone. He needed someone's support and if it wasn't going to be God, it would have to be me. I had spent so much of my time, my effort and my love to take care of him and make sure he was okay when he wasn't. I loved him unconditionally, undeniably, unceasingly. If this meant that God would finally get His act together and help me save His favourite son, I would do it.

Lucifer seemed surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I replied firmly, staring into his eyes. There is no truer truth than the one you see in my eyes now.

He released a breath, looking away briefly like this was the most fascinating thing he'd ever heard before meeting my gaze again. A soft smile appeared on his face. "I knew I could count on you." Lucifer pulled me towards him, planting a kiss on my forehead.

"What do you want to achieve, Lucifer?" I began our discussion. We sat on the rooftop, under the stars, where our conversations had always been the most meaningful.

"I want everyone to know how misdirected Father's efforts are," he answered. "If everyone else can see it, so can He."

I thought about this carefully. I needed to minimise the risks yet maximise the results. It would be a challenge but as God said, I was good at overcoming those. "If it's the angels who'll need to see reason, we can't do this alone. We'll need help," I realised.

"Who's going to help us?" Lucifer asked.

My mind brought to surface a distinct memory. "I have a rough idea."


As the first golden rays of the sun graced the landscape of Heaven, I went to the armoury. A pile of damaged weapons lay on the table as Hassiel stood at his station, pounding and refining a glowing hot piece of metal. Once done, he set the hot metal in a bucket of heavy water. When he noticed my presence at the threshold of the entrance, he smiled and beckoned me to enter. It was the time of the millennium when angels got to try different jobs to get exposure to other fields of duty, so there were other angels practising the craft of weapon-making. "Archangel Sophia, what a pleasant surprise. What brings you here?" he said, removing his apron.

"I come to speak of an important matter. Shall we bring this conversation somewhere more private?" I requested.

We both moved to Hassiel's office. The sunlight streamed in through the open window and I could see angels training in the yards outside the building with their weapons. Shelves containing small metal figurines, weapons and books lined the walls. I picked up a figurine, admiring the detail put into it. It was in the shape of a hawk with its wings spread open. Its eyes were emeralds and the feathers were supplemented with bronze to detail the shades of light on a flying bird. I looked at Hassiel.

"Did you make this?" I asked, captivated by its detail.

He nodded and looked away shyly. "It isn't much, I know," he said.

"Not much? It's beautiful, Hass. I didn't know you were into such things. The detail in this… it must have taken a lot of focus and careful shaping to make this," I observed.

"Thank you. I do what I can in my spare time. Actually, you should have that one. It matches your personality." I looked at him in curiosity and he clarified. "The hawk – it perseveres and flies above everything else. It rises above the ordinary and it pursues with force, grace and determination its will. Its green eyes and bronze finish show its ethereal connection to nature and its surroundings, which allow it dominate and rule those below it. It is also the most beautiful bird, in my opinion, like yourself among angels and archangels." I couldn't suppress my smile.

"Thank you for your kind words. It will look beautiful in my study." We both sat opposite each other. "Back to the business at hand, I remember you telling me that you and certain angels were… supportive of me. Is this still the case?"

"I guess so. With the humans reaching the Garden of Eden and word about Lucifer's Mark, the angels are becoming more and more polarised. There are mixed messages being spread around. No one knows what exactly to believe anymore, which is the greatest tragedy some angels have ever seen," he remarked wryly.

"That's encouraging," I blurted out without thinking. "I mean, that angels are thinking. So what are they saying about Lucifer?"

"They say that he is a traitor. Others say that he has been betrayed. Some simply… do not know what to think," he reported. "Your… opinions on the matter as Keeper of Knowledge would be considered valuable to most."

"I was hoping you'd say that," I smiled. "Here is the truth…"

I spoke my mind to him. I told him about the humans, how they were to be in our image yet severely lacked our most pertinent qualities. I told him about God's betrayal of His own son. I told him about the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Hassiel listened intently, nodding at some points in acknowledgement. He was the only person I knew who would be so composed, but according to him, there were others.

"If this is the true situation, the angels deserve to know it," he said.

"Will you spread the word?" I inquired.

"If I value the truth as much as you, I am duty-bound to do so," he reassured me. His eyes darted around the table as he spent a moment in contemplation. "But forgive my asking, Sophia. You've been spending a lot of time with Lucifer. Are you sure his words are not simply the ravings of a madman?"

I let out a measured exhale. "That is a good question. Lucifer isn't this… out-of-control maniac like what God and your superiors would have you believe. He is actually controlled, more resolved, and much stronger than he was before. It was God that told him to control the influence of the Mark which made him become worse! And this is only the beginning of the list of things that God has done that is questionable," I answered. "It only makes our cause that much more important. Besides, am I not rational enough to trust?"

"I definitely trust you," Hassiel claimed with the sincerest gaze. "I am simply concerned that we are entering uncharted territory. Who knows what the backlash to this will be?"

"You've every right to be cautious," I agreed. "I just want people to know that the truth has become expensive. A luxury that only a few are allowed to have. This cannot stand."

"Fair enough," he nodded. "I'll do as you ask."

My business here was done. Almost. "Before I leave, I have another favour to ask. I know this may be a bit much to ask of you, but do you have the Grigori guard schedule for the Garden of Eden?" The Grigori were the appointed watchers of the human race. They were to take care of them and ensure that nothing bad befell them.

"No, but I know someone who does. I'll be right back." He returned after a while with what I'd requested, handing the schedule over without so much as a question. That was how loyal he was to me. It gave me hope.

"Tell your little friends to keep their ears peeled," I advised before taking leave.

I met Lucifer in a mountain range in Elysium. Clouds swirled around the other snow-covered peaks within view, and the sky appeared pink from the setting sun. Lucifer sat at the edge of a cliff with his legs hanging off the edge. He appeared serene for the first time in years. I took a seat next to him.

"Did your ridiculous bid have any sway with Hassiel?" Lucifer asked.

"As a matter of fact, it did," I replied, feeling proud of myself. Lucifer was amused and surprised. "It so happens that angels are not as simple-minded as we would have thought. Some of them would support us," I told him, beaming outwardly.

"And our other idea?" he posited with a serious look that extended to the horizon. In the waning sunlight, he appeared so perfect to me, regardless of the fact that we were planning actual treason. Here we were, billions of years after first realising what we felt for each other, putting everything on the line to fight for what we believed in. It was strange to think that this was the turn our lives would take. But it was the turn we needed, if our beliefs meant anything.

I leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek. Amused, he turned to me. I simply took his hand and said, "Follow me."