Previously: Camael has been in solitary confinement for centuries awaiting his punishment, Balthazar has joined the Garrison permanently, Lucifer was put in a cage at the end of the Apocalypse, and the Flood drowned the Earth to exterminate the Mother of Monsters and her creations. Siosp, who objected to this, was sent to rehabilitation.

oOo

Sodom and Gomorrah

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Brothers, you have to come and see this. It's worth the ride. The plain in the land of Shinar. Hurry up, you don't want to miss it.

Well, that's intriguing. Miz is not the talking type, there must be a very good reason for him to call us all.

I spread my wings to propel myself high into the sky until I fly through the layer of clouds shading the Earth. An ocean of white cotton blossoms as far as the eye can see, wrapping the curve of the planet in a serene silence. The sun shines on my feathers as I slice through the air in the direction of the East. Miz might have spotted some of Eve's creatures. Or maybe demons.

When I finally get to the site and land on the earth, the entire Garrison is already there. My brothers are standing in a circle with their heads down, staring at the ground in silent consternation.

"Are they serious now?" I can hear Zedekiel muttering in disbelief.

I carefully fold my wings behind my back and step closer to try to peer over their shoulders or through their bodies.

"They couldn't be more serious. That's what's so fascinating about Humans," Balthazar says. "They are not doing it on purpose. They are sincerely stupid."

What are they talking about? Uriel steps out of the circle and turns his back on us, shaking with hysterical but silent laughter. I hurry to take his place.

At our feet, nestled in the middle of the green plain, lies a city that could be considered imposing from a human point of view, although it is far from being as large as the cities that existed before the Apocalypse and the Flood. Everything is built with bricks made of clay and hay. And from what I can see, they are welded together with dried dung. As I have observed in the last centuries, the great advances in architecture that Humans had made were lost in the Flood. It is even more striking here, in these lands that once were Levanael's sector, where Humans used to build beautiful, white and solid houses.

In the center of the city there is a gathering of hundreds of overexcited Humans carrying bricks. I look up at Miz in confusion. What's so funny?

He holds my gaze enigmatically and winks at me.

"You missed the funniest part, Castiel," Htmorda chuckles. "The Humans have decided to build a tower that will reach the heavens. They have just declared that it will be called the Tower of Babel. Yes, you heard correctly: Babel - Gate of Heaven, or Gate of God!"

A hand rests on my shoulder and I turn my head to look into Uriel's mirthful eyes.

"Can you believe it, Cas! They're going to reach God with their tiny pile of dung! How come we didn't think of this first? Salvation has been waiting for us all this time in the arse of cows! Hallelujah!"

"Praised be the Lord who knows how to be found in the darkest and most unexpected places!"

"Amen."

"How come you keep running into the most entertaining things, Miz?"

Miz merely shrugs in all modesty.

"This is ridiculous," Ephra says, and he's the only one who doesn't seem to enjoy the irony. "If all it took to meet our Father was to build a tower, we would know."

I squint and lower my eyes back to the city, watching more closely.

"Where do you see a tower?"

"Right here, even if it's giving them way too much credit to call it a tower.…"

I focus my gaze to the direction Rachel's pointing at. Indeed, the Humans are piling their bricks and fussing over an ongoing construction. But it doesn't seem to be any higher than thirty-seven feet, and I notice that not only are the bases too fragile, but that the dried dung is already cracking in some places. The mocking sneers my brothers are letting out make suddenly a lot of sense.

"They're expecting to reach the sky with… this?"

"Are they not adorable?" Balthazar says in a drawling voice. "A brick already fell just before you arrived. The whole thing will collapse any minute now, I don't want to miss it. Should we take bets? I would say it's going to fall down in the next five minutes."

"Deal. I'm betting on half an hour," Zedekiel chimes in.

I barely restrain myself from adding my own prediction as their voices bounce back and forth and they're all sharing their opinion. This is not very serious. Still, I can't help but experience the same excitement as my brothers, and keep my eyes riveted on the tower as well.

Only Miz remains impassive – he's watching us with his arms crossed, a jolly glint in his light brown eyes. Anna isn't here, though. Where is she? Maybe in a meeting with the hierarchy?

We all grow silent when a cracking sound is heard. A brick is splitting.

"I knew it!" Balthazar gloats in a victorious tone.

"It's not quite collapsing yet," Zedekiel protests, bending down to have a better look.

Totally unaware, the Humans keep stacking bricks by gluing them with dung. And suddenly, an entire segment crumbles down into a cloud of dust. Then, screams rise up to us as they start running around in a frenzy to dig those stuck under the rumbles.

"What were you saying again?" Balthazar mocks him.

"Well, only a quarter is down, it hardly counts."

Uriel's thundering laughter bursts over my shoulder when the rest of the tower collapses in a matter of seconds. Zedekiel's dejected air sparks a flurry of giggles.

Down on the ground, Humans fling their arms up to the sky, shouting themselves hoarse about the wrath of God.

"The least we can say is that they have a flair for drama," Balthazar comments.

Rachel's wings are twitching in exasperation.

"Humans are so annoying when they interpret everything they don't understand by invoking God's name... As if Father would be concerned about their pathetic piles of dung!"

"I would gladly show them what divine wrath really looks like," Uriel snorts with a fiery glow in his purple eyes.

A double rustling sound of feathers behind me makes all of us turn around to see Anna and Siosp landing.

Siosp.

Has he completed his rehabilitation?

Silence falls, except for collective human hysteria on the ground. Both of them fold their wings back, and Anna stares at us with a slightly irritated look.

"Soldiers. I thought I had banned this type of gathering that distracts you from your mission. I need you to be on your guard at all times, ready to obey orders within a second. And once again, Miz, you're the one to blame."

Miz merely blinks without losing his usual impassibility. Anna glowers at him one more second before relaxing.

"I will let it slide for now. Brothers, I have two excellent news to tell you. First, Siosp has successfully completed his rehabilitation and is back with us. His impulsive behavior bordering on rebellion has been suppressed and will no longer hinder the Mission."

The calm way Siosp's navy blue eyes are gazing at us isn't like him. He has always been of a restless and nervous nature, and I have never seen him stand so still and expressionless.

"Secondly," Anna continues, ignoring our silence, "Camael's fate is still uncertain, but I know from a reliable source that the possibility of an execution has been definitively ruled out!"

Surprised whispers arise from our group and Htmorda's Grace is swirling with delight, but Levanael keeps staring at Siosp with concern.

"I bet Camael's punishment will be to be transferred to the plankton division," Zedekiel whispers to me in a gossipy tone. "I've been told their work is so dull you could die of boredom."

I give no reply and turn my attention to Siosp, watching him more attentively. His four arms are properly at his sides and his Grace is flowing fluidly, pure and bright, but the empty look in his eyes is terrifying.

"And what is that?"

Anna's irritated voice draws me out of it – she's squinting down at the Humans who keep screaming and crying, begging the Lord to forgive them for their arrogance.

"Oh. Rest assured that we have nothing to do with this, Anna," Htmorda replies immediately. "The Humans were building a tower to reach God, and thought it was a divine punishment when it collapsed."

Anna blinks in bewilderment.

"Oh Lord, give me the strength… Do not, under any circumstances, discuss it with the other divisions. Humans are already the favorite topic of every single joke in Heaven since the goat incident, this is the last thing we need right now."

"If the Humans in Siosp's sector were to decide to build a tower, I'm willing to bet they would reach three hundred feet easily. Don't you think, Siosp?"

Ephra shots him a warning look, but Levanael just keeps his eyes on Siosp, watching for his reaction.

Siosp takes his eyes off the collapsed pile of bricks, and looks up with an expressionless gaze.

"There are no sectors anymore."

Siosp has not missed a single opportunity throughout tens of millions of years to gloat about the achievements and superiority of the beings in his sector. Although annoying, his dedication and competitive spirit were a part of his temperament, and he now seems to have been stripped of it.

Never have I feared rehabilitation as much as I do now.

oOo

The last sunrays paint coral shades on the clouds huddling up at the skyline, like a final splash of color before the darkness washes everything away. The sky is already darkening, fiery tones of purple and gold giving way to a deep blue sprinkled with stars.

It is a moonless night.

The wind is blowing ripples on the surface of the wide saline lake, here, in Siosp's former sector. The water is dark, sliced from side to side by a flaming trail as the sun is melting into the ground.

Blade in hand, I keep my eyes set on the city that is slowly sliding into slumber. It is currently the largest and most densely populated human city in the world, and it takes over the entire area south of the lake. And soon it will be gone.

My brothers stand in line beside me, quiet and focused. We cannot proceed until we receive the signal, and the same applies to the other group assigned to Gomorrah, at the other end of the lake. I look up and catch a glimpse of my brothers' distant figures.

This is a mission of the utmost importance that has been entrusted to the Garrison, and I feel my Grace rippling with dread. The fate of Humanity is at stake. And not just Humanity.

It has become clear in the last few centuries that the Flood failed its purpose. I can't explain how the Mother of All survived, but it would appear that she definitely is alive and committed to turn every last human into a monster. The very creatures we believed we had wiped off the face of the earth, the blood drinkers, the wolves... they've all come back. All of them. And once again, Humans are in great danger of becoming extinct.

Our sources reveal that Eve has been appearing frequently in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to spawn new creatures.

This mission is crucial, because it is our last chance. Should we fail to find Eve and eliminate her by destroying these two cities, a new Apocalypse will be scheduled in the upcoming days. All beings on Earth will perish by fire and we won't be saving anyone this time.

Heaven as a whole has been in turmoil since this decision was announced, which means Anna and the Garrison are under pressure. We cannot afford to fail. The destruction of these two cities is unavoidable, but I've been told they are almost entirely populated by abominations.

I just need to stop thinking about the innocent people who will be killed in this operation.

We found Lot and he agreed to leave Sodom with us, but the future husbands of his two daughters refuse to believe us and are mocking us.

That was the voices of Rachel and Ephra, echoing in chorus through our heads.

We all look up on alert. At last some news of the undercover mission that started hours ago. Anna glances at Michael and gets a nod from the Archangel. The look in our General's eyes hardens with cold determination as her voice rings like a bell.

Don't bother convincing them, they are expandable. They do not carry the blood of Cain in their veins. Only Lot and his daughters matter, and incidentally, Lot's wife. The girls will find other husbands, so let them perish. Now hurry up and get out discreetly. We do not want to alert the monsters.

Rachel and Ephra invested two vessels – female bodies, at their express request – and received a holy weapon to accomplish their undercover mission. They were ordered to evacuate the direct descendants of Cain from the city before we burn it to the ground, undetected by the Mother of All and her children.

The Sisters of Fate were very specific. Cain's lineage will not die for several millennia. It is written. And what is written cannot be undone.

I watch my brothers out of the corner of my eye. The Garrison was divided into two groups so that we could attack Sodom and Gomorrah at the same time. Michael is in charge of the mission and will give the signal, while Raphael and Gabriel supervise the other group that will destroy Gomorrah.

"They're taking too much time…" Hester whispers.

"Rachel and Ephra have no other choice," Levanael says. "They have to walk all the way out and be careful not to be noticed."

"The Mother of All has eyes and ears everywhere," Uriel adds. "Which won't save her once we rat her out."

He is eagerly staring at the city. Almost ecstatic. Siosp glances at him, and for a split second I could swear I saw anger flashing through his dark eyes.

I must have seen it wrong. Ever since he came back from rehabilitation, Siosp has become as quiet as Miz, and never mentioned his sector again. He didn't even react when Michael described his battle strategy, involving the destruction of the two main cities in his former sector.

Squinting, I point to the outskirts of the city.

"Look."

Loaded with cloth bundles, Lot, his daughters and his wife are leaving the city like shadows in the twilight, followed by Rachel and Ephra. Balthazar picked the vessels himself – slender and graceful twin sisters, with long blond hair flowing in the night breeze. As it had happened for Michael and Anna, their true faces is floating, translucent, over the faces of their hosts, and their white wings have no material consistency in this dimension. Rachel is holding the holy weapon tight in her hand, walking right behind Lot's family.

Mission achieved. Wait a few more minutes until we get them far enough, and then you can begin.

They're sending these thoughts in chorus again, in perfect celestial harmony.

Anna stiffens and glances at Michael before sending the order to the entire Garrison.

Be prepared to rain fire on the entire region. No life form must survive. We have to get the Mother of Monsters out, whatever it takes.

Uriel leans forward, his hands already starting to glimmer, radiating raw power as he unfurls his wings. I tighten my grip on my blade and wait for the signal. Lot is walking wearily, leaning on a stick, and his two daughters keep their eyes on the ground, silent tears running down their cheeks. When they finally reach the mountains and begin to climb, Lot's wife hesitates for a second and turns her head to look back at Sodom. In retaliation, Rachel frowns and holds up her weapon, a piece of crystal which fits in the palm of her hand. Lot's wife freezes immediately - her eyes crumble and her entire body, including her clothes, turns into salt. Rachel just keeps on moving forward without a second thought, she shatters the statue with a flick and steps over the salt pile.

"Rachel…" Anna says in a reproachful tone.

In her borrowed body, Rachel lifts a defensive face.

What? I warned her! I told her not to look back. It's not my fault if she can't follow instructions. Not a great loss anyway, she was worthless.

Ephra doesn't even spare the salt pile a glance as she walks behind Lot and his daughters, her gaze sweeping around, on the lookout.

"This weapon is not a toy!"

"Let it go, Anna."

Michael's quiet voice silences her. The Archangel is pensively scanning the horizon.

"It was meant to happen."

We observe a reverent silence. No one ignores that what is written must come to pass, and that Destiny is one of the rules that God has set to rule His Creation.

The Archangel gazes down at the sleeping city where only a few monsters and Humans are still wandering through the streets.

Begin destruction.

That's the signal. Uriel immediately soars off and propels a mighty burst of energy that destroys half of Sodom with a resounding blast. When the blinding light fades, it is replaced by a blaze of fire that swallows up the rest of the city. In his eagerness, he's already done half the work for us. I am positive that he could have single-handedly wiped out the two cities. He is undoubtedly the most powerful Angel in the Garrison.

I dig my claws into the ground and slash the earth with my blade, drawing a precipice to make it impossible for anyone to flee. The citizens of Sodom are now wide awake, running around and trying to get away from death by all means. I try to ignore their cries of sheer terror as I unveil myself to them like all of my brothers. Instantly their eyes burst into flames and their screams become agonizing. I tear off a part of the city with my blade, cutting in half houses and people alike, searching every corner for Eve. The sooner we find her, the sooner we can stop this bloodshed, and spare the Humans that have survived. Perhaps Michael will let us resurrect the people who were killed in the operation. I can see Uriel shooting down fireballs all over the area, and Hester stomping on the people who are trying to retreat into the salt water of the lake, smashing them down into a bloody pulp.

"STOP IT!"

I look up sharply and stare in shock at Siosp who, flying high in the sky, just stopped Uriel's arm.

"Get out of my way, Siosp," Uriel hisses, narrowing his eyes into three purple slits.

"Look at you all!" Siosp yells at us. "Look at what you've become! You're destroying the Creation, you're destroying everything!"

"Siosp," Anna snaps in a panicked tone. "Shut up immediately or I'll have to send you back to…"

"No, Anna. Let him speak his mind."

Michael spreads his wings, rises up to Siosp's height, and lays his eyes on him. All I can hear is the fire roaring and people screaming down on the ground. Our Graces are shaded with fiery colors.

"We are listening, Siosp," Michael says in a soft, benevolent voice.

My brother's gaze is shifting, scanning each of us and lingering for a while on Levanael. His Grace is bright with fear and determination when he finally looks back at the Archangel.

"Eve never killed anything, all she ever did was to make humans into something new. She made abominations of them, sure, but she never tried to ruin the entire Creation. But we have come close to destroying the Earth on several occasions just to prevent her from creating more monsters! If you think about it, she's only modeling Humans into her own creations! Is this really worth all the killing and destruction?"

"These are our orders, Siosp. What better purpose could you ever need?"

Siosp barks out a bitter laugh.

"Ah, yes. Orders. It always comes back to orders in the end, right? But where do orders come from? Who gives them? God?"

"Yes."

Michael's voice is calm and confident.

"You don't fool me!" Siosp bursts out with rage, gesturing wildly at the fire all around. "No Creator would allow His work to be destroyed! If God existed, He would never tolerate this!"

A ripple of dark, icy fear creeps into me as I tighten my grip on my blade.

Blasphemy.

"Siosp…"

I hardly recognize my own voice. Stunned, barely above a whisper.

"If?" Levanael opens his eyes wide in horror. "Siosp, I'm begging you, stop talking!"

Michael blinks, tilting his head with an undecipherable look in his eyes.

Once again, I am powerless when another of my brothers wanders off the right path. I couldn't find the right words to bring Camael to reason, and I'm none the wiser today. Surely Michael will handle the situation better than I ever could.

The Archangel does seem serene, almost compassionate.

"Go on. Finish your thought."

"God isn't real! I have never seen Him, and if He does exist, then He should manifest Himself at once to prove me wrong!"

The look in Michael's eyes shifts into something truly terrifying. He slams an open hand on Siosp's forehead, and the skull he's clutching between his fingers lights up like the sun, radiating pure, blinding white. My Grace freezes in horror when a long, high-pitched, agonizing shriek drowns out every other sound as Siosp's Grace starts boiling, filled with the destructive light slowly invading his body. Michael is staring at him unblinkingly, coldly monitoring his agony.

Siosp's wings burst into flames and his screech never stops, increasing with each second, ever more harrowing and overloaded with unfathomable pain.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, my brother's body disintegrates and his Grace ignites as his wings crumble. And the next second, there is nothing left of Siosp except a slow rain of ashes falling into the fire.

This, brothers, was the divine punishment for doubting God.

Michael's voice echoes loudly inside my head, and when the familiar whispering of my thousands of brothers trails off, giving way to a fearful silence, I realize that he is addressing all the Angels in Heaven, every single one of them.

Flying high in the sky, he's staring us down, and his Grace is so bright it chases darkness away and makes the starry night fade.

God is real and gives His orders to His eldest sons. To obey and have Faith is your duty, soldiers, that's the only reason He created you. Siosp forgot his place, don't make the same mistake he did or you will face the same fate. Any doubt or blasphemy will be punished by death. There will be no rehabilitation or redemption for such a despicable crime.

The silence is deafening. At the other side of the salt lake, Raphael is looking up at Michael with his eyes wide open, while Gabriel keeps his head down and his fists clenched.

"Resume the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah immediately. Should we not find the Mother of Monsters before dawn, we will make lava and fire rain down on Earth. I don't care how many Apocalypses it takes, a thousand, a million if it comes to it, but we will destroy her."

He is now talking only to us and I snap back to my senses when a thunderous explosion strikes the city, startling me. Uriel has reacted first, resuming his mission where he left it off. His eagerness to destroy is gone though, there is no delight in his work now. I fly up, Hester at my side, and together we start throwing waves of pure energy at the Humans and creatures swarming on the ground.

I feel empty. I can still hear Siosp screaming in agony, the sound carved into my head. Everything seems to be happening slower now, as though time itself thickened.

Uriel's Grace, radiating wrath.

Our General shouting the order to surround the city.

The haunted look in Levanael's eyes as he obeys.

And the fear that has overtaken me.

I have never doubted the existence of God. It would never have even occurred to me not to believe in Him. Faith is a part of me just like the Mission, that is what I was created for, that is my purpose, and I can' t even imagine how it would be possible to exist without obeying or believing.

However, to think that death sentence awaits each and every one of us at the slightest hint of doubt is terrifying to me. For I was tempted to disobey, once, for a second, but I came back to my senses. What if I lost myself again? To the point of doubting God?

No, that's impossible. It won't happen. I won't allow it to happen. I will never let myself doubt ever again. I'm a good soldier, and I won't fail the Lord like Camael or Siosp did.

I am at God's command, and orders are orders.

I need to focus on the Mission.

No sign of Eve has been detected yet, even though Sodom and Gomorrah are in flames and the skyline is growing paler with the upcoming dawn. Where is she? We have to find her before the sun rises. If we fail, the Creation will be destroyed again along with Humanity.

And suddenly, as I'm about to smite a few last survivors, the energy refuses to flow from my palm. My wings grow stiff, I lose my balance and fall, crashing on the ground.

I'm not the only one. All around, my brothers are falling too, hard – Uriel and Hester nearly hit me as they smash into the ground.

Could it be the effect of a banishing sigil? No, it can't be. I've experienced its effects twice now in my life, and I know a banishing sigil would have sent us far away from here, we wouldn't still be stepping on the burning embers and ashes of the dying city.

"The Mother of All…" Anna whispers in a tense voice.

I follow her gaze and stare in shock. A tiny figure has pierced the shimmering surface of the lake and is slowly rising above it. It's Eve, I recognize her clear eyes and faded golden hair. Eve, Cain and Abel's mother. God's chosen one, who ran naked and innocent in the Garden of Eden with Adam, at a time when there was no Heaven, no Hell, no demons, no monsters… Eve, whose eyes, vibrant with hatred and despair, had struck me when she was standing in tears in front of her son's grave… The one I could have saved with just a few words, or if only I had been faster than Azazel…

Her hair sways like a liquid halo around her head and there is a glowing-red and ancient sheen in her eyes. She's wearing a white dress thrashing as though a strong wind were blowing, whereas the air is static, only weighed down by the fire's heat.

"Attack!" Michael's powerful voice rings out.

Even though he's grounded too with limp wings, he grabs his blade and races towards the Mother of Monsters. We hurriedly follow suit, ready to capture or kill the enemy. Uriel and Hester at my side, I wield my blade and am about to strike it down on Eve, when I am suddenly shoved back. It is only by digging my claws into the ground that I manage to keep my balance.

The Mother of Monsters, her hand outstretched, is unharmed. She smiles at us, her gaze lingering on Michael and Raphael who, with their legs immersed in the salt lake, are glowering at her. Raphael attempts to step forward and growls angrily when he fails to reach her. As for Gabriel, he just stands aside.

"Don't bother, Angels. None of you can kill me."

She floats down, laying her feet on the burning ground, surrounded by fire.

"Covering the Earth with lava is a good idea, but even if all life would be destroyed in water, fire or oblivion, I will always stay." Her smile widens, and she looks up at us. "For I am the Mother, and have had a part in creating everything you know, in my own way."

Michael has regained his composure and glares at the Mother of All with cold eyes.

"If we can't kill you, we'll lock you up and then destroy every last one of your children."

The red glow in Eve's eyes intensifies and the fire gradually fades over the entire area, like a nightmare dissipating.

"How could you lock me up when you can't even get close to me?"

Several monsters around her are coming back to life, their charred bodies rebuilding themselves effortlessly. She reaches out to one of them and strokes his hair before kissing his forehead as Eve used to do with Abel and Cain when they were children. Her smile turns sad as she shifts away to look back at us.

"And still, you plan to destroy the Earth to get to me. All of you foolish soldiers would destroy my work and God's work out of a misguided sense of duty. You should have listened to Siosp. It's so rare that an Angel says something wise."

She lets out a sigh while a few other monsters come back to life.

"I have nothing to fear from you, Angels. But I won't let you slaughter my beloved children any longer. I have no desire to see Creation destroyed. All I want is to see my children live there in harmony. Therefore, I propose an arrangement."

By my side, Uriel narrows his purple eyes.

"We won't negotiate with abominations like you!"

Michael lifts a hand to shut him up.

"Quiet, Uriel. There are things you don't know about."

Raphael averts his eyes, clenching his fists, his Grace filling with sorrow. Uriel grows silent and glances at me as if I understood a thing about what's happening. I don't.

"Since my very presence on Earth is obviously offensive to you," says Eve, her voice as soft as a summer breeze, "I offer to lock myself in Purgatory where my children's souls are resting. In exchange for which, you will promise that Heaven and its Angels will never again attempt to exterminate my creations. I want a solemn promise that binds all of Heaven."

Michael gazes at Eve with a strangely wistful gleam in his eyes for a moment.

"Your creatures have been turning Humans at an alarming rate. We cannot let them live, otherwise Humanity will go extinct."

"I will moderate their appetite, have no fear. Like you, I am honor-bound to keep my word. Each of my children has a weak point. Humans only have to find it out and learn to protect themselves."

Michael and Raphael share a brief look before nodding.

"Then we have an agreement, Mother of All. We will take an oath, and so will you."

Shouldn't they be consulting Father before making such a decision?

Smiling, Eve is caressing her children's faces so gently, and when she starts speaking, her voice echoes through all of our heads.

"I, the Mother of All Things, swear to let myself be locked up and to control my children's hunger as long as the Angels hold their end of the bargain."

Michael closes his eyes and spreads his bright white wings, followed by Raphael and Gabriel.

"In the name of the Almighty Lord, all Angels solemnly pledge to never raise a hand against the Mother of All's children. I, Michael..."

"I, Raphael…"

"I, Gabriel…"

"I, Castiel," I say solemnly, closing my eyes as well.

"I, Hester…"

All my brothers add their names to the sacred and inviolable oath we're making. Our voices rise by hundreds of thousands into a powerful and solemn song that rings throughout all Creation.

"… swear in the name of God and all that is sacred…"

Every single of us Angels is taking the oath. I hear them all submitting to the Archangels' will. God's will.

"… never to break this oath that binds us all. May he who betrays it be forever damned."

Our voices fade into whispering echoes as sunrise grazes the skyline with pale light. Eve spreads her arms wide – a crack in reality slashes through the air behind her, shattering space and time, sucking her in before collapsing and disappearing as if it were never here in the first place. The Mother of Monsters as been swallowed up into Purgatory.

Silence falls. No one dares to speak or ask questions.

And I realize that once more, the Apocalypse was prevented because the enemy preferred to surrender rather than see the Creation destroyed.

oOo

In the next chapter (next sunday, april 5th)

"Don't tell me you still haven't figured out where your eye color comes from?"