The Hall of Virtues was calm and serene as always, the air thick with the energy of divine wisdom and guidance. But that serenity was shattered when Sera burst through the grand doors, her wings trembling, her face etched with desperation. The virtues, scattered throughout the hall, immediately turned their attention to her intrusion, their expressions a mix of confusion, irritation, and suspicion.

Azazil was the first to speak, his voice dripping with disdain. "What is she doing here?"

"I need your help," Sera said, her voice trembling. Her eyes darted to each virtue, her composure slipping further with every passing second. "Lilith has left Eden, and the Earth isn't ready to sustain her. If we don't find her, she might—" She choked on the words. "She might die."

Veritas scoffed, folding her arms. "And you think we're going to help you now? After everything?"

"You have some nerve," Belfagel added, her voice icy. "Barging in here, demanding our time, after you dismissed us like we were nothing."

Plutus snorted, his usual warmth replaced by bitter amusement. "This is rich. Now you're begging us to clean up your mess? Pathetic."

Azazil leaned against a pillar, his expression dark. "We warned you, Sera. We told you. But you and your precious seraphim thought you knew better. You turned us away, and now you come crawling back, expecting us to fix what you broke?"

Sera flinched at their words, but she refused to back down. "Please," she begged, her voice breaking. "Lilith doesn't deserve to die because of the seraphim's actions—because of my actions. I know I was wrong. I know I failed. But I can't do this alone."

Veritas laughed bitterly. "No, you can't. That's the only thing you've gotten right."

Sera turned to Levia, her voice trembling. "Levia, please. You've always been kind. You understand compassion. Help me save her."

Levia's gaze softened for a moment, but she shook her head sadly. "I can't, Sera. You've pushed us away too many times. I'm sorry." She turned her back, unable to meet Sera's pleading eyes.

Sera's desperation grew as she turned to Asmodel. "You're the Virtue of Chastity. You understand love, purity, and balance. Please—Lilith deserves a chance to find her place in the world."

Asmodel's expression was stern, his golden eyes full of disapproval. "Sera, you've done nothing but trample over the very virtues we uphold. Why should we help you now?" He shook his head. "You're not the leader we thought you were."

Finally, Sera turned to Triel, her voice cracking. "Triel, you care about balance. About harmony. You've always been nurturing, protective. Please, don't let Lilith die because of my mistakes."

Triel's expression twisted with anger, her wings flaring behind her. "Because of your mistakes?" she repeated, her voice rising. "This isn't just about Lilith. This is about how you've treated all of us. You've dismissed us, disrespected us, belittled us—and now you have the gall to ask for our help?"

Triel stepped closer, her voice trembling with fury. "You and your seraphim insisted this was your project. Your responsibility. You got to do whatever you wanted with it, no matter what we said. And now you want us to clean up after you? No, Sera. This is your mess. Fix it yourself."

Sera's knees buckled, and she fell to the floor, tears streaming down her face. She turned to her last hope—Samael.

"Samael," she whispered, her voice raw. "Please. You've always believed in me. You've always been the one to understand. I can't do this without you. I've been wrong about so much, but I'm trying to make it right. Please, help me."

Samael stood frozen, staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and anger. Finally, he spoke, his voice low and trembling. "Why should I understand?" he asked. "You said I was immature. That I didn't know better than you. That I was just a young seraphim who always made a mess of things. So why should I even bother?"

Sera's tears fell harder as Samael's words cut deep. "Samael, I—"

"No," he interrupted. "You don't get to apologize now. You don't get to use me now. I'm done." He turned and walked away, his steps heavy with frustration and pain. As he passed Triel, Asmodel, and Levia, they watched him in silence, their own disappointment in Sera clear on their faces.

Azazil stepped forward, crouching down to Sera's level. For a moment, it looked like he was going to comfort her. But then his hand shot out, gripping her chin firmly and forcing her to meet his piercing gaze.

"You are pathetic," he hissed, his voice dripping with disdain. "And you are not welcome here. Get out."

He released her roughly, standing and turning his back on her. Sera sat frozen for a moment, her tears falling freely as the weight of their rejection settled over her.

Slowly, she rose to her feet, her wings dragging behind her as she stumbled toward the door. As she left the Hall of Virtues, the echoes of her own failures rang in her ears.

———————————————————————

Samael sat on the edge of his bed in the guest room at the Hall of Virtues. Over time, it had transformed into more of a personal refuge than a temporary stay. The soft glow of the celestial lamps illuminated the room, casting gentle light across the simple but comforting furnishings. Samael stared at his hands, the weight of recent events pressing on his chest like a stone.

Sera's desperate plea echoed in his mind, her voice trembling with guilt and fear. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to push the thought away. "She's only desperate because she has no other options," he muttered to himself. "She made this mess. Why should I have to clean it up?"

But no matter how hard he tried to ignore it, her words lingered. Lilith doesn't deserve to die because of the seraphim's actions. Because of my own.

Samael let out a long sigh, leaning back against the headboard and staring at the ceiling. He didn't feel bad for Sera or the seraphim—they had brought this upon themselves with their arrogance and stubbornness. But Lilith... Lilith was different.

He thought about the first time he had seen her through the globe in the Celestial Hall. Her fiery spirit, her unshakable resolve, her refusal to bend to the will of the seraphim. She was so unlike anyone else he had ever met. He admired her courage and conviction, her willingness to stand her ground even in the face of overwhelming pressure. She had been brave enough to speak her truth, no matter the consequences. And now, she was out there somewhere—alone, vulnerable, and in danger.

Samael's thoughts shifted to Adam. He pictured the man pacing anxiously in the Garden of Eden, worried about his wife. Samael frowned, unsure of what to think about him. Adam had seemed so timid, so quick to fall in line with the seraphim's demands. But maybe that was just his way of coping with the pressure. Maybe he was scared too.

Samael sat up, running a hand through his hair. "I shouldn't care," he said softly, as if trying to convince himself. "This isn't my problem. It's their mess. They're the ones who should fix it."

But even as he said the words, he felt a pang of guilt in his chest. Lilith's defiant face flashed in his mind, followed by the image of her walking away from the Garden, her back straight and her head held high. She hadn't deserved to be treated the way she was. None of this was her fault.

Samael sighed again, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. For now, he decided to stay in his room and think. He wasn't ready to make any decisions yet. But deep down, he knew that no matter how much he wanted to wash his hands of the situation, he couldn't ignore the part of him that cared.

The room was quiet, save for the soft hum of the celestial lamps. Samael rested his head on his knees, his thoughts a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

———————————————————————

As the virtues continued their mocking and debates, Samael sat quietly in his guest room, contemplating everything he had overheard. The laughter and bitterness that echoed from the central chamber grated on him. He had always admired the virtues for their unwavering commitment to Heaven's ideals, but now, they seemed to be losing themselves. It felt wrong. All of it.

Samael's thoughts wandered to Lilith. Brave, defiant Lilith, who stood her ground in the face of immense pressure. She didn't deserve to be abandoned, no matter what mistakes had been made. If there was even a sliver of a chance to help her, he had to take it.

Veritas stood at the center of the gathering, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she recounted Sera's desperate pleas. "And then she begged. Oh, the great High Seraphim on her knees, groveling for our help. It was almost poetic, wasn't it?"

Levia chuckled softly, shaking her head. "If you ask me, letting her face the consequences is the kindest thing we could do. She'll learn far more this way than if we held her hand."

Plutus nodded, crossing his arms. "Exactly. She created this mess. She and her precious seraphim can clean it up. No need for us to get involved."

Belfagel leaned back in her chair, her tone lazy but biting. "Maybe next time, she'll think twice before looking down her nose at us. Doubtful, though."

Triel stood abruptly, her hands clenching into fists. "Enough!" she snapped, glaring at Veritas and the others. "This isn't right. I understand being angry, but this? Mocking her? Laughing at her desperation? That's not who we're supposed to be!"

Veritas raised an eyebrow, her expression unfazed. "Oh, spare me the sermon, Triel. Do you honestly think helping her would've made any difference? She's been ignoring us from the start."

"That doesn't mean we should sink to her level!" Triel shot back. "And you, Veritas—you haven't even observed humanity with Samael. How can you be so sure about any of this?"

Veritas shrugged, her voice cold. "I didn't need to. Everyone else's experiences told me all I needed to know. And let's not forget—I never supported this humanity project to begin with. It was doomed from the start."

Asmodel stepped forward, his expression weary. "This whole situation... it's changing us. All of us. And not for the better. I feel guilty about not helping Sera, about not doing the right thing. But I don't even know what the right thing is anymore."

Levia scoffed, her voice unusually sharp. "I don't feel guilty. Not one bit. We are helping her by letting her face this alone. If anything, we're teaching her a lesson she desperately needs to learn."

Azazil crossed his arms, his tone harsher than usual. "And you think we should've stepped in, Asmodel? After everything she's done to us? To Samael? Tell me, would you really have helped her?"

Triel and Asmodel exchanged a look, their faces conflicted. They couldn't bring themselves to answer. The truth was, they weren't sure. Forgiving Sera, let alone helping her, felt impossible. And yet, they couldn't shake the feeling that abandoning her entirely was wrong, too.

Azazil smirked bitterly at their silence. "That's what I thought."

In his room, Samael overheard every word. His heart ached as he listened to the virtues argue and mock and turn against everything they were supposed to stand for. Even Triel and Asmodel, who still tried to hold onto their principles, seemed lost.

He couldn't take it anymore.

With quiet determination, Samael slipped out of his room and made his way to the Hall's exit. He didn't need their approval or their help. This wasn't about Sera, the seraphim, or even God. This was about Lilith. She deserved better than to be abandoned, and Samael wasn't going to let her die because of everyone else's mistakes.

As he took to the skies, the voices of the virtues faded behind him. He flew faster than he had in years, his resolve hardening with every beat of his wings.

"I'll find her," he muttered to himself. "I'll find her and make this right."