Silence held the Hall of Virtues in an iron grip. All eyes remained locked onto Samael, who stood in the center, unwavering despite the weight of his own revelation.

Triel was the first to break the silence, stepping forward cautiously. "Samael... what do you mean?" Her voice was calm, measured, but there was urgency behind it.

Samael exhaled slowly, steeling himself. "Exactly what I said. Lilith isn't dead."

Plutus furrowed his brows, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Okay, I don't know if this is you trying to lighten the mood or something, but this really isn't the time for jokes."

Levia blinked at him, crossing her arms. "Oh? And what about your joke earlier, Plutus?" She tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes.

Plutus groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. "That was different! I was just trying to, you know, lift everyone's spirits."

Samael clapped his hands together loudly, drawing attention back to himself. "Can we focus here?" His voice was firm, more commanding than usual, but also pleading for them to listen. "I mean it. Lilith is alive."

The weight of his words settled over them, confusion and disbelief swirling in the air.

"How?" Belfagel asked bluntly, arms crossed.

Samael took a deep breath and explained everything.

He told them about how he couldn't sit by while Sera begged for help, how he had decided to sneak onto Earth himself to find Lilith, to make sure she survived. He described their conversations—the pain in Lilith's voice, the reasons she left Eden, her refusal to be controlled, and her determination to forge her own path.

He recounted how she was struggling outside of Eden, how he saw firsthand what she was going through, how alone she was. How they had both come up with the idea to stage her death, not just to escape the seraphim's control but to make sure no one would ever come looking for her again.

Samael stood firm. "Lilith didn't deserve to die because of their mistakes. And if I had to lie to everyone to make sure she could live freely, then so be it."

Reactions among the virtues were... mixed.

Levia stepped forward first, placing a hand over her heart. "Oh, Samael..." Her eyes softened, shimmering with unshed tears, but this time they were not out of grief but admiration. "I—I can't even imagine how scared she must've been, how lost. I'm so glad you were there for her."

Plutus grinned, placing a hand on Samael's shoulder. "Wow, mate. You really pulled this off, huh?" He chuckled, but there was genuine warmth in his voice. "I'm proud of you, for real."

Samael gave a small, grateful smile.

But not everyone was happy.

Belfagel's fists clenched at her sides. "You lied to us, Samael."

Asmodel let out a sharp breath. "You lied to everyone. To us, to Sera, to God himself."

Triel's lips pressed into a thin line. "Do you realize the kind of heartache that caused? The way Sera broke down, the way everyone—"

Samael lowered his head slightly. "I know."

There was a beat of silence before he added, "I know I hurt you all, and I hurt Sera. And I won't pretend I don't feel guilty about that." He lifted his gaze again, stronger. "But I don't regret what I did. Because in the end, this was the best choice for Lilith."

There was another long pause.

Then, with a deep sigh, Triel closed the distance between them and pulled Samael into a tight embrace.

"You have a good heart," she murmured. "You were the only one who stepped up. None of us did. We all just talked about it, argued about it—but you actually did something."

Samael blinked in surprise but eventually melted into the hug.

Asmodel sighed, rubbing his temples. "It doesn't make it right, but..." He exhaled sharply. "I get why you did it. And honestly? I'm relieved she's alive."

Belfagel crossed her arms but nodded in reluctant agreement. "I hate that you lied, but I also hate that you had to lie."

For the first time in what felt like forever, the room felt a little lighter.

That is... until Veritas spoke.

"Hah."

The sound was quiet at first. But then it grew into a small, amused chuckle.

Then a laugh.

Then a full-bodied cackle.

Everyone turned to stare at her, confused.

Samael looked at her warily. "What's so funny?"

Veritas wiped a tear from her eye, grinning ear to ear. "Oh, nothing—just that you of all people managed to pull off a deception so perfect that you fooled Sera, the seraphim, and God himself."

Samael blinked. "...Okay?"

But Veritas wasn't finished. She leaned forward, resting her chin in her hand. "And now that I think about it... this could work in my, I mean, our favor."

That made everyone tense.

Triel's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"

Veritas folded her hands together, her golden eyes glinting as she carefully chose her words. Her usual sharp demeanor softened, her voice smooth like honey.

"I think we're all missing something very important here."

The room remained silent, all eyes on her. Veritas took a slow step forward, looking directly at Samael with an almost sympathetic expression.

"Samael, you have proven beyond a doubt that you have the ability to influence Heaven itself. You fooled the seraphim, Sera, even God himself. You did what none of us thought possible—and you did it to protect someone who was cast aside. You fought for what was right."

Samael stiffened at her words, feeling a strange mix of pride and unease.

Veritas smiled, placing a hand over her chest as she continued.

"Now, imagine if we took that same strength, that same willpower, and applied it to Eden itself."

Triel's eyes narrowed. "What are you getting at?"

Veritas barely glanced at her, keeping her attention on Samael.

"Think about it. The humanity project is failing. It has been since the beginning. The seraphim have run it into the ground with their arrogance, and Sera—" she scoffed, "—she refused to change until it was too late. And even then, she still failed to protect Lilith."

A cold silence fell over the room.

Samael frowned. "I already know that, but—"

"But," Veritas interjected smoothly, "if we took control of the project instead, we could fix it. We could make it into what it was meant to be."

She stepped closer to Samael, her voice lowering, coaxing.

"Imagine it, Samael. If you had more say, if we had more say, we could ensure humanity is nurtured properly. We could take Eden back and create something better than what the seraphim ever could."

Samael hesitated. "But God already gave the project to Sera."

Veritas's smile widened slightly. "And God also put faith in her, believing she would make the right choices. That didn't happen. But now that she's failed, now that she's weak, perhaps we could gently suggest to God that we would be a better choice to oversee humanity."

Plutus scratched his chin. "And, uh, how exactly do we convince God of that?"

Veritas's eyes gleamed. "Oh, that's the easiest part. Lilith."

Samael's breath hitched. "What about her?"

Veritas leaned in just slightly, her words slipping out with careful precision.

"Lilith is alive, but no one else knows that. If we were to reveal her return at the right time, imagine how much we'd be praised. We could make it seem as though we—not Sera, not the seraphim—were the ones who brought her back. We'd be seen as Heaven's saviors, the ones who truly understood how to handle humanity."

Samael's stomach twisted.

"We wouldn't lie exactly," Veritas added, her tone deceptively light. "We'd simply... reframe the narrative."

There was a long pause.

Then Azazil let out an impressed hum. "That's... actually a really good idea."

Triel whipped around to face him. "Are you serious?"

Azazil shrugged. "I mean, think about it. The humanity project needs better leadership, we would be that leadership. And if we bring the archangels in too, we'd have even more backing. We could make sure this entire thing is done right for once."

Asmodel stepped forward, his expression dark with anger. "Don't be stupid, Azazil."

Azazil raised a brow. "Oh, so you want Sera and the seraphim to keep running things?"

"That's not the point!" Asmodel snapped. He turned back to Samael, his tone urgent. "Don't listen to her, Samael. She's twisting this into something it's not."

Samael's head was spinning.

Veritas's words made sense. It was true that the seraphim were failing. It was true that if he and the virtues were in charge, things could be better. And yet, something about the way she spoke made his skin crawl.

Triel had had enough. She stormed forward and grabbed Veritas by the wrist, dragging her off to the side.

"We're going to have a little talk."

Veritas smirked but didn't resist. "Oh, darling, I love our little chats."

Triel shot her a glare and pulled her further away from the group.

Asmodel, meanwhile, turned back to Samael, his voice still laced with frustration. "I mean it, Samael. Don't listen to her. I don't know what's gotten into Veritas, but whatever this is—it's wrong."

Samael swallowed thickly. He wanted to believe that what Veritas was saying wasn't entirely selfish. He wanted to believe that this wasn't about power, but about doing what was right.

But Asmodel's words rang in his ears.

Was it really about fixing things?

Or was it about winning?

His thoughts were interrupted as Azazil scoffed. "Why are you so against this, Asmodel? This is a real chance to make a difference."

Asmodel turned on him sharply. "Because this isn't about fixing the humanity project for her! She doesn't care about making things right—she just wants to get back at Sera!"

Azazil crossed his arms. "And? What if that's a bonus? You of all people should want to put Sera in her place."

Asmodel bristled, his wings twitching with restrained anger. "This is bigger than our personal issues with Sera, and you know it."

The tension between them spiked, the air thick with the promise of a fight.

Plutus, noticing where things were headed, quickly stepped in between them. "Alright, alright, that's enough. Fighting about this isn't gonna help."

Levia followed suit, placing a gentle hand on Asmodel's arm. "Please," she murmured. "Let's not do this."

The heat between Asmodel and Azazil slowly simmered down, but the hostility didn't fade entirely.

Samael clenched his fists, overwhelmed by everything happening around him.

He had done what he thought was right.

But now, he wasn't sure if he had just opened a door that should've stayed shut.

———————————————————————

Triel led Veritas away from the group, her grip on the other virtue's wrist firm but not harsh. She didn't stop until they were far enough that their conversation wouldn't be overheard.

"Alright, Veritas," Triel said sharply, crossing her arms. "What the hell is going on with you?"

Veritas smirked, tilting her head. "Oh? And what exactly do you mean by that, dear?"

Triel narrowed her eyes. "Don't play dumb with me. You're acting like a completely different person. Manipulating Samael, twisting things to get the other virtues on your side, spreading your bitterness like it's some grand revelation. You're supposed to be the Virtue of Truth, but all you do now is distort it."

Veritas's smirk faltered for a brief moment before her expression cooled into something more calculating. "Distort it? No, Triel, I'm finally telling it."

Triel's wings bristled as she took a step forward. "No, you're twisting it to fit whatever agenda you have now. And for what? Some petty grudge against Sera? Against God? Against everyone who didn't cater to your sense of superiority?"

Veritas scoffed, folding her arms. "Superiority? Oh, Triel, don't reduce this to something so childish. You know as well as I do that this isn't about ego."

"Then what is it about, Veritas? Because it sure as hell isn't about what's right."

Veritas finally sighed, her frustration visible as she ran a hand through her silver hair. "It's about justice. It's about what's fair."

Triel frowned, watching as Veritas's composed mask finally cracked, her words spilling out like she had been holding them in for far too long.

"Do you know what it's like to carry the weight of Truth, Triel? To never be allowed to falter, to never change, because the moment you do, you've suddenly lost your virtue?" Veritas's golden eyes burned with something raw. "Do you know what it's like to be bound by a standard that no one else is held to? The seraphim don't follow Heaven's values, but they get to sit on their thrones, dictating everything. Sera? She was gifted the humanity project, despite her inability to lead, despite her refusal to change."

Her lip curled. "And God? He sat there, knowing what was happening, knowing how flawed the seraphim were, and he still chose to let it happen. I told him what would happen, but what did he do? Nothing."

Triel hesitated. She didn't disagree. She knew the seraphim had been awful, knew Sera had failed, knew that God had been too passive. But something about Veritas's intensity unsettled her.

"We've all suffered under a system that refuses to change," Veritas continued, her voice lowering. "Not just me. All of us. The virtues have been mocked, dismissed, and cast aside for far too long. Especially Samael."

That struck a nerve in Triel. Samael had been treated unfairly. He had tried so hard, only to be ignored, dismissed, and humiliated.

Veritas noticed the shift in Triel's face and pressed on. "And I'm supposed to sit back and accept it? We're supposed to accept it? No. I refuse. Because unlike the others, I see it for what it is. The truth is ugly, but it's still the truth. The seraphim are undeserving. Sera is incompetent. And God was wrong for trusting them."

She met Triel's gaze, her expression dark with conviction. "And I wasn't wrong. Not a single time."

Triel exhaled slowly, rubbing her temples. "Okay, maybe not. But that doesn't mean we should go this far. Manipulating Samael, trying to use Lilith as some kind of bargaining chip—it's wrong, Veritas. You know it is."

Veritas let out a small, bitter laugh. "Do I? Because the way I see it, we're finally in a position to change things for the better. We can take control of Eden, nurture humanity properly, and earn the respect we've always deserved. And if it means playing a little dirty, then so be it."

Triel took a step back, eyes wide. "You're actually serious."

Veritas tilted her head, watching her carefully. "Triel, tell me honestly—don't you want things to be better? Don't you want us to be respected, for once?"

Triel hesitated, feeling the weight of the question.

Of course she did.

She wanted Heaven to be fair. She wanted Samael to be valued. She wanted the virtues to be treated as equals.

But not like this.

Veritas took her silence as consideration and leaned in. "We have an opportunity here. We can finally do something. All I need to know is if you're with me, or against me."

Triel clenched her jaw. "I want things to change, Veritas. But I won't let you turn this into some personal vendetta."

Veritas gave a small smile, though there was no warmth behind it. "Then I suppose that's where we differ."

She turned away, her silver hair catching the light as she walked past Triel, her posture poised and unwavering.

"You'll come around," Veritas said over her shoulder. "You always do."

Triel stood still, watching as Veritas disappeared back toward the others, her mind a storm of unease.

She had no doubt now—Veritas was walking a dangerous path. And worse, she was pulling the others with her.

Veritas strode back into the room with effortless poise, her golden eyes sweeping over the gathered virtues like a queen addressing her court. The flickering lanterns in the hall cast elongated shadows against the walls, adding a strange weight to her presence.

"I understand some of you have your doubts," she began smoothly, her voice carrying an air of patient confidence. "And that's fine. I wouldn't expect anything less. But in time, you'll see that I'm right. What I'm offering isn't some selfish ambition—it's a way for all of us to finally be heard. To finally matter."

She took a few slow steps forward, pausing as her gaze flickered between each of them. "Think about it. We all know Sera has failed. The seraphim have failed. Even God—"our" God—sat back and let it all unfold."

Her words carried a dangerous allure, striking at the core of their grievances. "If we do this, we can ensure no more mistakes. No more losses. No more being treated like afterthoughts in Heaven's grand design. This is our opportunity to take charge and make Eden flourish the way it was meant to."

Silence followed her proclamation, the virtues exchanging unreadable glances. Some looked uneasy, others contemplative. Even Azazil, who had initially backed her, remained quiet, his expression difficult to read.

Veritas offered them one last confident smile. "You don't have to decide now. Just... think about it."

With that, she turned on her heel and left the hall, her silver hair catching the dim glow of the lanterns as she disappeared into the corridors leading to her quarters.

The door had barely shut behind Veritas before Triel entered the room again, rubbing her temples as if trying to physically push away a headache. She let out a long sigh, shaking her head in exhaustion.

"Well?" Asmodel asked, his arms crossed. "What did she say?"

Triel exhaled sharply, running a hand through her vibrant hair before looking up. "She's fully convinced that she's in the right. And she's pulling all of us into her madness."

Azazil leaned against the wall, arms still folded. "Madness or not, she's not entirely wrong."

"Oh, give me a break," Asmodel snapped. "She's barely even hiding the fact that she wants to rub this in Sera's face. You know that's part of what's driving her."

Plutus, ever the peacemaker, raised a hesitant hand. "Okay, okay. Maybe Veritas is a bit... intense, but she's got a point about some things."

Levia frowned but nodded slightly. "She does want change. And I can't lie... I want things to be different too."

Belfagel, who had been silent for most of the conversation, finally spoke. "But at what cost?"

The question hung heavy in the air.

None of them had an answer.

Samael sat apart from the others, perched on the edge of a marble bench, his wings slightly slouched behind him. He hadn't spoken much since the conversation began, his mind lost in a tangled mess of thoughts.

Lilith.

He couldn't stop thinking about her—how she had spoken to him, how she had trusted him. How she had confided in him, seeing him not as some lesser seraphim, but as a person, as someone worth listening to.

Then there was Veritas.

Her words felt both enticing and unsettling. He wanted to believe that she truly cared about making things better. That she truly believed in him, in all of them. But there was a hunger in her eyes, a sharpness to her words that reminded him too much of the seraphim—the ones who saw themselves as untouchable, undeniable, above reproach.

Samael clenched his fists.

He wanted to trust Veritas. But something inside him warned him to tread carefully.

Then, a voice.

Soft. Gentle. Familiar.

"Samael."

He flinched, straightening instantly. The voice had echoed not in the room, but directly in his mind—like a whisper carried on the wind, curling around his thoughts with delicate insistence.

"Samael, I need you."

Lilith.

His eyes widened, heart leaping into his throat.

He shot to his feet, wings shifting instinctively.

"Lilith needs me."

The virtues turned to him, their discussions momentarily forgotten.

"What?" Triel asked, concern flashing in her eyes.

"I don't know," Samael admitted. "But she's calling me."

Levia frowned, stepping forward. "Are you sure? You just—"

"I'm sure." Samael's voice was firm. He had felt it, as clearly as if she had been standing beside him.

No more hesitation.

He turned, heading toward the entrance.

"Samael—" Asmodel started, but Samael didn't stop.

Whatever it was, whatever had prompted Lilith to call for him, he had to go.

And he wasn't going to let her down.