We were called back to Heaven after Lucifer's fall, assembling into our old Garrisons. Only one angel had died from mine, so we were luckier than most. The war had taken entire Garrisons, and many more had been tossed from Heaven along with Lucifer.
Michael and Raphael, upon Father's instructions, wasted no time to seek out a guard for the Garden, now that Lucifer stalked about, and begin reconstruction of Heaven. An angel named Gadreel was chosen as Eden's sentry. It was the first time I saw him- beaming with joy from the position God Himself had given him. Gadreel had been one of Michael's trusted soldiers during the war, so it was reasonable enough that he received such a reward. If only he - if only any of us - knew what was to become of him... That moment, Gadreel's fate had been sealed as tight as the prison cell that would soon contain him.
The majority of us were assigned to rebuild what had been destroyed and to tend to our injured brethren. Other angels were sent out to keep watch over the fallen angels that had scattered far and wide across the earth. Balthazar and Samandriel were among those in my Garrison who were sent, and they often brought me information when they could. From them I learned that Lilith not only lost her Grace, but also lost something else very important. She now had the mind of a small child, and wandered for years in a trance before stumbling upon and entering Eden. Also there was the story of Abaddon, who day and night roamed the desert with the mind of a wild animal, filled a hunger so profound that nothing could satiate her. Those were God's punishments for them.
Meanwhile, there was still no news of Lucifer's whereabouts. When he fell to earth it seemed as if he had sunk into the ground. Vanished without a trace. Archangels are very strong - if they choose to disappear, like Gabriel did, no other angel can find them. So I watched and waited, a growing sense of dread slowly creeping through me. I didn't believe that this was over. Deep down, I don't think any of us did.
Lucifer's war was only just beginning.
But, when the day came that he made his move, we were all caught by surprise. He was outside the Garden- no, now he was in the Garden- no, now he was in the Garden, tempting Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. How had he gotten past brave, loyal Gadreel? How had he gotten past the warding? There was great confusion in Heaven. Michael and Raphael rushed down to face Lucifer before the armies of Heaven had even fully organized…But Father's warding spell proved to be its own downfall. The two Archangels couldn't get in. By that time, it was too late. Eve had bitten into the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, bringing Man's doom upon Eden.
We felt like a cat, watching a fishbowl. We could do nothing but watch on. From what I gathered, in bits and pieces, this is how Lucifer accomplished it. This was how he got into the Garden of Eden and corrupted mankind.
After being banished from God's presence, Lucifer knew that he had lost this battle. But he didn't give up. There's never rest for the wicked. Masking himself from the eyes of all, Lucifer hid and schemed and waited. Then, the first thing he did was visit Lilith, who was sharing in the child-like bliss of Eden as Adam's wife, in her dreams. He took her already shattered mind and reformed it into something truly twisted beyond recognition.
He turned her into the first Demon.
None of the humans, not even Adam himself, sensed anything amiss. Lilith, through her sweet, innocent smile, completely cloaked the evil that was eating her from the inside out. When Lucifer fully gained hold of her soul, he then went on to Abbadon. She was, basically, already a demon, so wild and vicious was she. All Lucifer really had to do was uncover her eyes and breathe a few words of foul corruption into her ear, and she was his.
With those accomplished, Lucifer transformed himself into a serpent. For all intents and purposes, he looked and acted like a common snake. The dark depths of his eyes only occasionally gave away the malice hidden within them. He slithered his way to Eden, passing right through the angel warding and Gadreel's watchful eyes, and waited until Eve was alone. Eve was a perfect prey- though she was the first woman and Adam's first wife, she was never the most loved. Since Lilith entered Eden, Eve had been shunned. The isolation grew all the more when Lilith was corrupted into a demon, and given instructions to cast Eve as far as possible from the rest of mankind.
One day, Lucifer found his chance. As Eve was walking alone through the Garden, he slyly hissed to her from the branch of a nearby tree,
"Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
"You will not certainly die," the serpent said to the woman, "For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it.
And when Eve ate, her eyes were indeed opened. She ran to Adam, who also partook in the terrible sin. They all ate, every single human, and their eyes were likewise opened.
Meanwhile, Lilith stood quietly to the side, smiling gently, with a serpent by her side.
When Father found out that Michael and Raphael couldn't stop Lucifer, He Himself went down to Earth to end Lucifer once and for all. He passed through the Garden, seeing that his beloved humans had crudely clothed themselves because of their newfound shame of nudity. It devastated Him to see his creations so…like Him.
"Man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
Thus, Man was cast out from the Garden. Gadreel was charged and sentenced with the highest form of punishment, and all of the Holy Host was assembled to watch as his trial was carried out. His name was erased from our minds and from the face of history. Meanwhile, Lucifer, that coward, had fled with Lilith. But they didn't get far when Michael caught up to them, backed by the hand of God, and hurled them into the deepest pit that Father could make. Lucifer's Cage. It seemed truly impregnable, shut tight with 600 powerful seals.
If the story ended here, and Lucifer was trapped in his cage for good, then I probably wouldn't be here telling you all of this.
But of course, there's no such thing as a happily ever after.
However, there are such things as prophecies, and one in particular: the prophecy that Lucifer will escape and bring about the end of the Earth. The Apocalypse.