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Darkness.
That’s all she saw upon first opening her eyes. It wasn’t exactly surprising; after all, such a place didn’t exist.
The dichotomy wasn’t lost on her, and the crumpled woman scoffed. Pain radiated throughout her chest, stabbing shockwaves searing every synapse. The pierced organ squeezed, blood pouring directly from the puncture. A coughing fit ensued, the familiar taste of copper coating her pallet before spewing past her cracked lips. Breathing was a chore; the fact she could even do so was a miracle. Of course, she knew such fantastical things didn’t exist. Besides, it would take more than a mere stab to the heat to take a seraph down. If anything, the meaning behind the infraction ached more than the wound itself.
Narrowed eyes bore into her, an amalgamation of anger and sorrow. Hot tears welled in icy depths before spilling down the assailant’s cheeks. Even amidst the torrent, gritted teeth and primal rage seeped through. Blooming scarlet and freezing blue – the last colors she’d witnessed, a stark contrast to the penetrating darkness currently filling her vision. Then again, black was a shade itself. Another self-deprecating laugh threated to bubble up, staunched by sheer willpower alone.
What had they called her? A rebel? It was an apt description, though stubborn was also a befitting term. If she was feeling prideful, determined was the preferable option.
In the end, the wording didn’t matter. Envy, pride, lust – a sin was a sin, and she’d committed the biggest of all.
Ruby irises mimicking her own flashed through her mind, her beating heart once more throbbing, though pain wasn’t the only sensation.
A sin was a sin, yet she’d done the right thing.
She did what was best for her.
God’s love only meant so much. Comradery and sisterly bonds were a mere balm. For centuries, the seraph named Reficul lived in such a state. Granted, it wasn’t all bad. There were many memorable moments embedded in her very being. Nevertheless, monotony bred familiarity, and thus contempt was born. The lavish life and perpetual paradise had grown rotten – stale. In many ways, perhaps it had always been that way. She’d simply been too blind to see.
Of all things, to think a serpent would lead her down such a glorious path.
“Sin….”
Her name rang like a whispered prayer. The one woman she’d come to truly love, the spark to her mundane existence. Their initial meeting had been mere happenstance, a romp outside the garden invigorating in all the right ways. Of course, it was forbidden, yet it was an exercise the emboldened angel undertook against god’s discretion. Past the gilded gates, Reficul’s heart opened to a world of possibilities upon laying eyes on the chartreuse beauty. A snake she may be, yet she was far from sinister. In fact, Sin was kind, gentle, soft spoken, and oh so cute. It was dangerous – consorting with an outsider. After all, there was a reason they lived safely behind the walls. Anything outside was dirty – evil. Eden was paradise; Eden was safe.
Eden was a prison, and Sin was the key to freedom.
Traitor. Liar. Filthy. A blight against heaven.
Such titles barely stung. Reficul’s entire world had been upended, and her broken, battered body was proof of her supposed betrayal.
Down, down, down – darkness enveloped her in a suffocating thicket. Cast from heaven, the seraph could no longer be called such. Tattered, blood-matted feathers fell from their structure, sinew visibly stretched and morphed. Melted gold ran down her thick ivory locks as her signature halo lost both its luster and shape. Splintering pain radiated throughout her head, her skull splitting. Hard structures similar to bone broke through the barrier, curved horns sprouting on either side of her head. Pulsating silver specks danced across the ebony backdrop, the agonizing reconstruction inevitably culminating into a muted lull. Consciousness beckoned, yet Reficul ignored the call. Her entire life had been devoted to orders, but not more. No longer was she an obedient servant.
No longer would she betray herself.
Minutes or hours passed, time a meaningless construct. Emerging from the bloodied cocoon she’d created, the demon queen rose. Stitched muscles stretched, repaired tissues whined, and fleshy wings creaked from the sudden movement. Matted strands clung to her equally sanguine-stained face, her expression reminiscent of a passive warrior. Pushing herself into an upright positon, Reficul’s gaze rose towards the inky sky. Needless to say, that bond was forever severed, yet there was no denying her origins. Like an invisible string, her innate nature attached her to the unseen world above.
The world above, huh….
Noting her barren surroundings, Reficul realized exactly what she was sitting on. Solid ground; barren land.
A world without form, yet a world all the same.
A wry, sardonic smile spread across the devil’s lips. Mustering her strength, she braced herself as she rose to her feet. Everything was stiff, awkward, yet she here she was – still standing.
A shapeless yet unintimidating void, a blank canvas brimming with potential, and her the artist with full creative command.
Gingerly, Reficul raised her arm. Bit by bit, renewed energy crackled, and wispy tendrils circulated in her open palm.
No, life wasn’t over.
In fact, it was just beginning.