Uriel flew to earth and as soon as his eyes fell upon the world, he was greatly disgusted and annoyed. The world had changed, technology had improved, a new world order was at hand and earth was now simply a twisted more advanced version of what it used to be. Humans had developed a lot of ways to utilize their talent in making their lives easier, and the works of their hands could be seen throughout the earth.
As the angel flew around the world, familiarizing himself with all he had missed. His trip to heaven felt like less than a day. But on earth, years had passed. The small kingdoms once ruled by rogue independent kings had turned to empires as men used their immense powers to serve their insatiable ambitions.
The world was divided into three empires, Vilon, Machon, and Araboth. Each empire was divided into numerous kingdoms with great kings all paying homage to their emperors. This was the state of the world, the current equilibrium in which man lived. Uriel looked upon the earth to see chaos dying as order began to take a firm hold of the world. The initial flames of chaos caused by the unleashing of powers within humans had died into embers. Humans had found a way to live in peace and carry on with a semblance of normalcy.
Now this development wasn't what annoyed Uriel. What annoyed Uriel was time. For the laws of time were rather wonky when a being traveled from heaven to earth and vice versa. Uriel had only been in heaven for a day and on earth, a few years had passed by. He hated the unnecessary irregularity. Many eons ago, Gad had thought it would be funny if the passing of time within the realms was irregular and funky. It was a joke that Uriel never appreciated for he believed it was absolutely unnecessary.
Uriel went to Vade's home and his anger grew for the boy wasn't there. The building that used to be Vade's home had been converted to a store for selling female trinkets and jewelry.
'Humans, volatile beasts of chaos,' Uriel muttered angrily as he flew into the air and scanned the earth, searching for his weapon to the very ends of the planet.
Eventually, he saw the shining star of the boy. The star that made him notice him at the very beginning, for the boy still shined. Uriel found Vade in the same region he had left him, a reasonable distance from where he used to live. However, the region was now the kingdom of Salvono in the empire of Araboth.
A smile curved along Uriel's face as he flew down swiftly. He flew to the front of the boy's new home and slowed down before landing quietly with grace. The archangel found himself standing before the gate of a heavily guarded and mighty mansion.
Uriel found himself quite interested in what had brought his boy to live in a mansion. Had he found a new guardian or was he doing something radical? Uriel considered the possibility that Vade had risen to the height of a king while he was away, and his heart leaped with joy as he considered the idea that his weapon had grown in strength, might, and power of its own accord
Unwilling to introduce himself to the guards or explain his business at the mansion, Uriel opened a portal and stepped into it, appearing right in Vade's room. Rather than a king seated on a throne in a large throne room, Uriel found a fourteen-year-old boy hunched over a desk reading a peculiar book called Beyond good and evil by a genius that Uriel recognized. A genius who attacked God with the vehemence of a titan gone wild until he finally became a titan gone wild.
Vade's room looked elegant and mature. It was nothing like the bright and simple room that he used to live in when he was just a child and Uriel was with him. The floor of his room was covered in a thick blood red rug that matched the drapes. The rest of the room also matched the somber and mature look of the carpet and drapes. A king-sized bed was set in front of the wall at the other end of the room with white sheets and a red duvet. On the side of the room was a heavy oak desk and a black swivel chair. Overall the room had the ambiance of melancholy and gloom, and Uriel was compelled to conclude that this was the boy's mood.
Seated on the chair was Vade with his nose buried in the heavy book and a glass of wine next to it. He was reading by the light of a candle and the light that sipped in through the window that his chair was facing.
Vade noticed the light of the angel's appearance but decided not to acknowledge it. Uriel, expected Vade to have missed him and to jump with joy, arms spread for an embrace or at least a snarky remark of feigned disinterest trying to mask joy. But instead, he was met with burning coldness.
'Vade my boy,' Uriel said in a warm fatherly voice as he folded his wings in and took on the appearance of a man. His angelic garments transformed into a white three-piece suit as he walked toward Vade who still refused to face him.
'I am not your boy. My father is in a room upstairs and even he doesn't dare to call me his like I am mere property.'
'I didn't mean to call you property. I was simply calling you mine.'
'I am not yours.'
'Yes, you are. But that is a debate for another day. What you, however, cant refute is that you are your father's. You are his son, aren't you? Except if your mother says different.'
'She is dead,' Vade replied coldly.
Uriel's eyes widened in surprise.
'I had no idea.'
'Sure you didn't. You were gone.'
'I'm sorry.'
'Don't be. She was going to die anyway. The frail thing couldn't live forever now could she? Do you care for wine?' Vade asked as he slashed down with two fingers on his right hand and sliced open the space before him. He slipped his hand into the oval portal and pulled out a bottle of wine and a golden chalice before spinning to face the angel.
Uriel stared at the boy for a few minutes and he saw the changes, how much the boy had morphed into a higher being? He had basically evolved into a different creature from the young child who was filled with questions and life. The boy's eyes were cold and dull. He looked like a man who was extremely bored and cared little for the world. And this wasn't just from the eye bags that surrounded his eyes from burning the midnight candle. There was a certain graveness to his face that made him look like a man who had grown bored with existence.
Uriel had seen this in many geniuses. The sickness of Nihilism that affects the soul of a man and extinguishes his will to live. A terrible side effect of intelligence, one that can't easily be cured with logic. Uriel had seen many geniuses waste away because they couldn't see the point of it all, and his heartbeat with immeasurable fear as he considered that the sickness would take the boy.
The boy who called himself king of kings and took pride in destruction was gone and in his place was a melancholic bookworm who was devoted to knowledge and wisdom, but nothing more. Uriel knew the sickness quite well and he feared that he was too late. He dreaded the possibility of losing the boy to the abyss and he cursed himself for leaving the boy for so long. It had felt like a day in heaven but years had passed on earth and in those years the boy had changed.
A porter doesn't abandon his work when the clay is wet, for when the clay hardens, morphing and molding becomes absolutely impossible.
'It would be wasted on me,' Uriel replied.
''Then let it waste. There is more than enough of it anyways,' Vade replied as he refilled his cup and poured some into the chalice he had gotten for Uriel. He stretched the chalice forward, offering the angel the bloody liquid. Uriel walked towards Vade and took the goblet that he offered. He willed a golden chair to appear a small distance across from Vade and gracefully sat down. Trying but failing to savor the liquid, Uriel got comfortable. Taking the cup away from his lips, he spoke.
'Tell me Vade, how long have I really been gone. I fancy that I have been gone for close to three years.'
'A bit over three years,' Vade replied. 'What brings you here?'
'I told you I was only leaving for a while.'
'There was a messiah that said that and never returned. I would be a fool to hold you by your word.'
'I am no messiah,' Vade.
'I never said you were. Why are you here?'
'Do you not care for my presence?' Uriel asked.
'No. I also do not care for your absence. Do as you wish. It matters not to me.'
'Fine. I wish to stay. But while I am here, do you mind telling me the highlights of the things that occurred in your life. I take it that the book in your hand has to do with your academics. Tell me, how is school.'
'I don't go,' Vade said as he swirled his seat so he could stare at the view of the window.
'Why?' Uriel asked, insulted by the fact that the boy was now turning his back on him but refusing to take offense.
'Because the system is created for imbeciles and operated by fools. They put me, Vade, in a class with children. Yes, there was a time when they were my mates and we learned at the same pace. But I learned how to fly and they still crawled. Surely the classroom of a high school was no place for me.'
'And they forced you to stay?'
'For a while. But eventually, my dad compelled them to do what was right. I got into the university.'
'That is good news. So I take it that, that is where you study now?'
'No. The system there is pitiful. For a while, it was challenging and my mind was stimulated. But eventually, even that became quite retarded. The curriculum was old and the theories were oversimplified. There is no knowledge in the universities of this world. Not anymore. All that is left is ideological indoctrination, the training of round pegs to fit round holes, and the building of an army of minions who believe in the same ideas and the same truths. I tell them that God is a useless fool and they frown but manage to stand me. But then I call a fool a fool and they expel me.'
'Who did you call a fool?'
'The Dean of the Faculty of Magical Science.'
Uriel chuckled. 'Why?'
'The imbecile created a foolish theory of Magic that could only explain the magical experience of twenty percent of the world's population. He then twisted the facts and variables to explain away the statistical evidence that disproved his theory. And to give his theory more credence he said that God gave powers according to how people lived in their previous lives.'
'Reincarnation,' Uriel said.
'A retarded form compared to the original idea. A bogus theory by all accounts. And he was using his power to shove it down our throats. To add insult to injury, the idiotic lecturers agreed with him. Even the few who had enough sense to see through the absurd dubiousness of the theory kept quiet for fear of losing their jobs. They couldn't stand up and tell the fool that he was in fact a fool. I would be dammed if I stay in an institution like that. An institution of learning that is politicized, religious, and filled with agendas. Gone are the days when universities were home to scientists and intellectuals. The place is now rife with priests. Priests preaching dogma and calling it science and theories. Simply because they can't admit that they do not understand magic. '
'So you were expelled.'
'I left.'
'You said you were expelled,' Uriel challenged.
'I was expelled, but I left. I could have burnt it all down, destroy the institution and kill them all for their insolence. I could have done this and you know it.'
'I doubt it. Surely there is a magician there who can best you.'
'Don't insult me.'
'Fine. But why didn't you? Why didn't you force your burning rage down their throats and destroy them from their roots.'
''Because, Uriel, it doesn't matter,' Vade replied, springing up to his feet and draining his cup. 'He threw the goblet to a corner of the room and a tiny portal appeared in midair and sucked it up. Uriel was impressed at the boy's efficacy in the casual utilization of spatial magic. 'None of it matters.' Vade continued, stretching his arms wide in an egoistic gesture. 'It is all pointless. Why should I bother with the destruction of fools when their very lives are pointless? All that matters is wisdom and knowledge for that and only that is of consequence. I shall find the answer to the secret of the universe and share it with those who deserve it. I wouldn't waste it on fools, like those that parade the university, I shall invest my time and passion into my ideals.'
'So you want to change the world, own it?'
'Change the world, yes. Own it, no. It is pointless to own this world. But tell me, Uriel,' Vade said turning back to face the angel. 'What do you mean by owning the world?'
'I can give the world to you. Everything, you have ever hoped and wished for. Riches beyond your wildest dream, fame, and worship from all shall you receive. And as a bonus, I will teach you the secrets of magic.'
Vade let out a soft chuckle and went back to his seat. He turned his chair to face his table and picked up his book. 'And why would I care for that?' Vade asked?
'What do you mean by that? Don't you want power? Don't you want everyone to tremble at your might? Don't you want to change the world not just with your thoughts and ideas but with your actions?'
'And why would I want to do that? What is the use of wealth and power? The futility of human existence is so glaring that ignoring it is absolute folly. Here today, gone tomorrow, like they were never here to begin with. So what if I own all the riches in the world, what then? What if everyone bows before me, what then? In the end irrespective of how much wealth and power I accumulate, I would still, eat, sleep and die like a man. As big as this mansion is, I can only sleep on a few inches of my bed and utilize a room at a time. I am only somewhat better than the man down the street who has a tiny apartment. We both eat, we both sleep, and we both shall die. The details might be different but the story is still the same. So, tell me, Uriel, what is the purpose of it all. Why do we endure this torture? Why do we live on? Why were we born at all? Why were we created? Why do we suffer? Why are we always hungry and why is evil so rife? Why do we die? Why don't we live on forever? Sleep is good, death is better, but of course, it is best to never have been born at all.'
'Heinrich,' Uriel commented.
'The entire idea of existence sounds like a sick joke, and death is the punchline,' Vade continued. 'Unfortunately, the comedian is out of touch with reality. He thinks his jokes are funny but they are sad. For that is what we truly are, jokes. And we are sad.'
'I agree. But what are you going to do? Hide here drinking wine and enjoying your books while the world burns?'
'And what is wrong with that? Let the world burn. That is what it deserves. For accommodating a population of imbeciles, the world should suffer and humans deserve to suffer with it. My theories and solutions might save the world, but they would be too stupid to accept or understand them. And they shall perish. But first I must develop said theories. The universe has changed. The laws of reality are in a state of flux. I must understand how or why and that is my work?'
'And you believe you can do this here?'
'I don't see why not.'
'I do. You can only understand the world by interacting with it. If you want to understand the world and change it, I can help you. In fact, I can do you one better. I can give you everything.'
'Do you have everything?'
'No.'
'Then tell me how can you give it?'
'I can lead you to it and show you how to take it.'
'You sound like a preacher, promising things he doesn't have. I have heard fools say things like this many times. Not once did I expect it from a being of your kind. I have heard poor men promise women the very world we live in and heard preachers promise their followers a whole new world in another realm. In all cases when everything is promised, nothing or very little is offered.'
'I am not speaking in parables or metaphors. I can lead you to riches and power beyond your wildest dreams.'
'I don't care for riches and power. Life is too short to excessively bother with such things. Just take a look at my father. He has it all and yet happiness eludes him. His wife is dead and with her, his soul'
'Your father doesn't have it all. In fact, he has nothing. I am not just offering you the world, Vade. I am offering you the universe. I am offering you everything.'
'You keep talking about everything. Fine, humor me. What is this everything and how are you going to lead me to it.'
'I can make you Gad, owner of the universe and everything within it.'
'You truly believe this absurdity that you speak of. Well, I have started this foolish dance with you, it's only right that I see it to the end. How do you plan to make me Gad?' Vade asked skeptically.
'I would train you to gain intense power, far beyond anything the world has ever seen.'
'Training, that's your big idea,' Vade said with scorn. 'I had rather not. You want me to spend my life chasing an unattainable dream.'
"Unattainable?" Uriel said slightly insulted.
"Yes unattainable. And for lesser men chasing an unattainable dream is a good aspiration, an excuse to carry on, a purpose to live, and a reason for them to persist on this plane of existence. However, I have found that no dream, and I repeat, no dream, is worth living for. Life is pointless. And we humans try to find a purpose in a bid to give it a point, trying to hide away from the fact that our very existence is a futile endeavor. We will all die and after death, it would be over. What does it matter to a dead man that he was rich, that he had kids, or that he changed the world. Great men like Newton, Einstein, Nietzsche, Plato, Socrates, Adam Smith, Oscar Wilde, William Shakespeare, and a host of others, created works that still impact their world today. And for a while, I coveted this dream. I felt that if I can't live forever at least my work must. At least that way my life wouldn't be pointless like the passing of the wind. But then I realized that while this vision is great it is still extremely futile. Of what use is a work that lives forever to a man that is dead. Does Plato care that people still say his name today? Or does Shakespeare give a flying fuck that millions of people can still recite his verse? Irrespective of what happens after death, no man cares about what occurs on earth after he is dead. If there is nothing and consciousness ends, then it's all over and there is nothing to remember anything. If there is heaven and hell, as my mother believed, then they would be too busy with their afterlife to care about their past lives. I can imagine that a sinner burning in hell would have more to worry about and struggle with than to care about his novel and how popular it has become, or even give a flying fuck about the coffin he is buried in. The same goes for heaven. Heaven is said to be a beautiful place. And if I remember correctly, in heaven the believers would praise Gad endlessly. I don't think there would be time for looking down on earth under the tight schedule of kissing Gad's ass."
"It is a tight schedule," Uriel commented with a chuckle.
"I would take your word for it. Point is, there is nothing we do in this world that truly matters. The life of man is a wretched movie. And while the plots of our lives may differ greatly, in the end, we still share the same pitiful ending, the ending that makes the entire movie absolutely pointless."
"But what if the movie doesn't end," Uriel said, crossing his legs, clearly comfortable in the discussion at hand.
"What do you mean by what if the movie doesn't end? All men must die."
"Why?"
"I don't know. It just is. It's like asking me why everything that is thrown up must fall to the ground. I can tell you that it's gravity. And as for death, I can tell you that the body fails. But beyond explaining the details of how these phenomena work, I can't tell you why they exist."
"Yes, they are phenomena and they rule over existence like laws. However, these laws can be broken and don't have to bind you."
"Are you hinting at immortality?"
"Yes, at the very least."
"This is pathetic," Vade said, surprising Uriel. "You are grasping for straws at this point. First, you tell me you can make me Gad. Now you offer me immortality. What do you want, Uriel? What is your goal?"
"My goal isn't something you can be privy to for now. I, however, need you to trust me. Trusting me is the only way I can forge you into a perfect weapon and give you all the things I have promised. Immortality, omnipotence. Those are the two gifts that I shall give you. That is my mission."
"I reckon that you are immortal."
"I don't age and it would take an incredible lot to kill me."
"Fine. Then perhaps you can lead me to immortality. But as for omnipotence, I would take that as a joke and I would prefer if you don't mention it ever again. I can't take you seriously if you keep saying ridiculous things."
"Both gifts are intertwined and the path to achieving them is the same. "
"Whatever. How do we begin?"
"I brought a gift for you," Uriel said.
'Really?' Vade replied with excitement, his eyes widened with the spark of childish curiosity that Uriel was used to seeing in the boy. 'What is it?'
'It is something that will awaken the warrior within you, raising him to unprecedented levels of power.'
'Interesting. Tell me, what is it? A sword?'
'No. It's an angel, a special entity that would guide you in your pursuit of extreme power.'
'Another angel. I have you Uriel and this is not a compliment but you are more than enough. One crazy angel is more than enough for me.'
'One of these days I shall teach you manners but today I shall give you power. The name of the angel I shall give to you is Metatron. And he shall be yours. I must tell you, he is very different from me. He is more of a system than a conscious being.'
'What do you mean?'
'He would help you keep track of your growth.'
'That explains nothing.'
'Perhaps it doesn't. But worry not, you will understand after you have bonded with it. However, I can't hand the system over to you in this building. It is too dangerous,' Uriel said as he got to his feet and willed a portal open.
'Where does that portal go to?' Vade asked.
'Another planet, a few light-years from here?'
'Does it support human life?'
'No, it doesn't. But if you are as powerful as you believe you are I am sure you would find a way around it.'
'Are you crazy? You want me to find a way to survive on an uninhabitable planet?'
'Yes. I know you can. If I'm wrong then I would bring you back to your room and end my business with you. If you can't complete a task as simple as surviving in space then I was wrong about you and you don't have the potential to fulfill the plans I have for you. I would not waste my time with you any longer. So here is the deal. Come with me and grow. If you stay back or fail then you would be dead to me. For any tree that bears no fruit would be cut down. In your case, you would be cut off from my grace and patronage.'
'Is that threat supposed to scare me into doing as you wish?'
'Yes, it is.'
'You can't threaten me. I am not scared of losing you. The one person I worried about losing is gone. The rest of you can go to hell. However, I would go in. The challenge seems promising. And the fact that I can always retreat if this proves beyond my ability ensures that I can work and learn in a safe environment.'
'You are dealing with an archangel mortal, safe isn't a word that should proceed out of your mouth.' Uriel said.
Vade walked to his closet and slipped a wool robe over the pajamas he had on.
'What makes you think you would need a coat?' he asked.
'Nothing. But I had rather have it than miss it. Let's go,' Vade said.
'You first, Uriel ordered.'
'Scared I might chicken out.'
'Humans are volatile. You are no exception.'
'I am an exception,' Vade replied walking towards Uriel and the portal. He was about to step into the new world when he suddenly heard his father's voice behind him.