บท 13: Chapter 13

Roxanne sat quietly, her fingers still on the game controller, as her mother's words hung in the air, heavy with revelations. It was a lot to take in, to hear the story of her father's creation, his rebellion, and the complex relationships between the divine and the fallen. She had grown up believing one narrative, only to find that the truth was far more nuanced, layered with love, guilt, and deep cosmic balance.

Azrael's voice was calm, yet there was an underlying emotion as she continued the story.

"When your father, Lucifer, was created, he was made in God's image—His first and most perfect creation. Lucifer was a reflection of your grandfather in nearly every way. Over time, he changed, of course, but his foundation remained the same. That's why Lucifer was always God's right hand. He understood your grandfather better than anyone else. They had a bond deeper than words could explain, even though Lucifer's pride and communication issues often got in the way of showing that to others."

Roxanne nodded silently, her mind still processing the enormity of her mother's words. She knew her father had been God's favored archangel, but the idea that Lucifer was so deeply connected to God, almost a copy of Him, added a new depth to her understanding of the celestial hierarchy.

"Father had the same issue," Azrael continued after a brief pause. "He struggled with expressing himself, but he had millennia of knowledge to guide him. His angels never questioned his decisions, so he rarely had to give orders. But when Lucifer rebelled, Father had no choice. He had to banish Lucifer, not because he wanted to, but to protect him. If he hadn't, Lucifer would have been executed by the other angels who saw only the rebellion, not the reasoning behind it."

Roxanne's eyes widened in realization. It hadn't been a simple act of punishment. Her grandfather had exiled Lucifer to save him. The banishment was an act of love, not anger.

"Even after the fall," Azrael said softly, "they stayed in contact. Father even gifted Lucifer the 'Book of Lucifer,' so he could create his own race, a race that would represent sin, the opposite of angels. Father entrusted him with the task of ruling over sinners, ensuring the balance of the universe."

That made sense to Roxanne. She knew about the importance of balance, having seen it firsthand in her own experiences. Her father wasn't just banished; he was given a new role, a new purpose. It was starting to become clear to her that everything that had happened was about maintaining the cosmic equilibrium.

Yet, one lingering question gnawed at Roxanne, something she had always wondered. "Mom, when did you and Dad start dating? From what I've heard, Dad was only in love with Lilith."

Azrael blushed, a soft pink tint coloring her usually composed face. "We were dating even before he fell. Back then, it was a secret because Lucifer couldn't openly show affection without ruining his image. Even your grandfather knew but never said anything."

She paused, her expression clouding over slightly as she continued. "Things changed when Lilith was banished. At first, Lucifer stayed with her out of guilt. But over time, he truly fell in love with her and married her. That's when I… fell. I couldn't handle the jealousy and loneliness when he married her instead of me."

Roxanne's heart clenched at her mother's words. She couldn't imagine the pain of watching someone you loved marry someone else. "So that's why you fell from Heaven?"

Azrael nodded, a sad smile playing on her lips. "Yes. I was consumed by those feelings, and I left Heaven. Your grandfather was furious, but he never blamed Lucifer. Instead, when Lucifer found out I had fallen, he searched for me. He even bowed his head—something he had never done for anyone—just to ask for my forgiveness."

Roxanne's eyes widened again. She knew her father was proud, so the thought of him bowing to anyone was almost unthinkable. And yet, he had done it for her mother.

Azrael's voice softened as she recalled the moment they reconciled. "Over the centuries, I realized that Lucifer never truly had anyone else but Lilith. He agreed to marry me on the spot, and we began to rebuild our relationship. I even met Lilith, and she apologized for everything. She explained that when she turned into a succubus, she lost control and accidentally bound Lucifer to her in a marriage ceremony."

Roxanne's worldview continued to crumble with each passing revelation. The people she had been raised to think of as dark and sinister were, in fact, incredibly complicated and good in their own ways. They weren't the villains the world had painted them to be.

Azrael wasn't finished, though. "Lucifer was always caring with his family. He never forced his son to take the throne of Hell. He let him find his own path in life. After we were reunited, we married, but the tensions between the three factions were growing, so we kept it a secret. Only a few people knew—Lilith, your grandfather, Gabriel, and some close friends."

Azrael's voice quivered slightly as she shared the next part of the story, one that struck even closer to home. "A few months later, I began showing signs of pregnancy. Lucifer was overjoyed. He didn't leave my side for a month. He even went to the human world to pick out clothes for you."

Roxanne's chest tightened as her mother's emotions seeped through her words. "But we were too careless. Just before you were born, the Asmodeus family attacked the church, and the Great War began. When you were born, it had already been raging for a year."

Azrael sighed deeply, the pain of those memories still fresh. "I thought we were safe, but our home in the underworld was attacked. I managed to fend them off, but I was gravely injured protecting you. A sneak attack aimed at you poisoned me with soul poison."

Roxanne felt a chill run through her. She knew how dangerous soul poison was—deadly enough to kill gods. Her mother had survived, but at a great cost.

"In my weakened state, I couldn't remove the poison. So, I made the hardest decision of my life. I split my soul in half, leaving part of it in my weapon, tying it to your soul, and sealed away your fallen angel bloodline. I took you to Lilith, who placed you in a capsule to protect you. That's why you were hidden for so long."

Azrael's voice cracked slightly as she remembered the final moments. "Afterward, I went to Heaven to see your grandfather and secure your future. But when I arrived, his expression was one I had only seen once before—when Lucifer rebelled."

Roxanne's heart raced, knowing that whatever her grandfather had said next had changed everything.