The Spire of the Supreme Seraph. Sera's Office. Five Months Later.
… And a signature! Another request from some Department that absolutely requires a written response, and I can't cut corners because it's from some Afanimov's Division, damn it. The Division of Friendship, whatever that may be… Honestly, I'm starting to believe that one could just pull another word from thin air, and there would definitely be such a Division in Heaven. I wonder, is there a "Division of Mysteries"?
… Okay, jokes aside, but there is such a Division that studies the Cosmos and the Universe. If I hadn't ended up in the Division of Sin, I would have asked to transfer there; it's an interesting direction. Maybe in a couple of centuries, while combining it with my position as Sera's assistant, I'll check it out.
Alright. What's next…
This is how the daily life of an ordinary secretary in the Third Circle goes, except that some requests and tasks come from angels, with their… "strange" requests. Take the penultimate document, "Request for Cherub's assistance in writing children's religious tales"—that's still a pretty adequate and normal variation of what might come to the First Circle's mind. But the Second Circle… "Request for censorship of a strange male cult on Earth that preaches naked wrestling"—another example that doesn't break my head too much, at least. And there are even more interesting variations…
The only thing that calms me down is the progress in studying Weaving and our projects with Dante.
The lessons from Theodore and the material from Philip have paid off, allowing me to master a new way of using the Ether. Music. Instead of formulas, threads, and symbols, all you need to do is transform the Ether into sound, creating notes that are much easier for the consciousness to perceive! In words, it sounds more complicated than it is in practice, as I just had to change the way of "accepting" the Ether; instead of the mind, it's the soul.
This Song… Essentially, I still call this direction Weaving, though it can easily be called a separate methodology. The concentration required is minimal; if I had to literally solve the formula in my head or "write" with energy, the Song is simpler. Just "listen" to the melody in the background, like a stuck, familiar tune, and you can even ease the use of Weaving; the formulas come more easily, creating a sort of trance!
Elated by this discovery, I started coming up with more ways to make my work easier and tools for creativity. The same flow of paper now came not from Sera's powers, but from mine, where instead of the rustling of parchment, there was just a light breeze…
Nothing invigorates quite like work that does itself. Reports, simple statements, requests—everything is checked and signed by itself, leaving only part of the work for Sera and me, which usually ended by seven or eight in the evening, unlike the ten to two at night when Sera worked alone.
After the third workday, when Sera was surprised to find that everything—work was done and we could go home, she, in her emotions, even hugged me, lifting me off the floor and enveloping me in her wings. Naturally, the pleasure didn't last long; she quickly set me down and imposed a punishment: "Never" and "to no one" speak of this, especially to Adam. She was, however, quite pleased with my further innovations to simplify our work… She managed to keep herself in check, not allowing anything excessive, but she did allow herself to give me a couple of free and quite useful tips about the Ether.
There were particularly tough days that Sera and I shared equally, leaving us both exhausted, but we finished our work quickly, not leaving any part for the next day. Sera even generously offered to carry me to my home on her own wings, using some sort of teleportation… When I asked, "Will you teach me?" Sera didn't answer, so it's not all lost yet.
As for my research… It is steadily progressing, allowing me to speak more confidently about my successes. The "Ascension" project, aimed at creating a weaving-ritual that transforms an Angel into an Archangel, is beginning to yield results, in the form of tests already conducted on converting particles of light emitted by Angel-me into particles of the Archangel, which can then be compared to Dante's image. Even more, as the assistant of the Supreme Seraph, Dante will have to ask me to document the Enkindling he will conduct in the coming month on an Angel from my former Department, so I needed to "slightly" adjust some papers to ensure that the process is conducted personally by Dante, who will invite me to observe and document the changes.
Why not just observe someone else? First of all, the documentation of the Enkindling usually takes place verbally, with a colleague of the potential Archangel, and secondly, no other Leader would allow me to conduct the records and measurements that I will be making.
The next month promises to be eventful, which is why such annoyances from the Second Circle in the form of their numerous papers are being ignored. Bliss.
… And this is the last paper for today! "Permission to create a Junior Cherub." The document does not specify how they decided to create the future junior employee, and honestly, I'm not interested in that…
Suddenly, the office door, where I was still alone, swung open with a loud bang against the wall.
"Didn't expect it, did you, bastard?!" Adam's shout echoed throughout the office, yet it didn't disturb the Song. "Thought you were done with your little writings today, but here's a surprise for you!" Adam was carrying a huge stack of papers, about the size of himself, and he's somewhere around two and a half meters tall…
"Adam…" Sera's voice heralded exactly what I thought. More damned bureaucracy…
"Hey! You ordered me to carry this crap by hand instead of just moving it myself, so I have the right to a dramatic entrance!" Adam strode over to Sera's desk, where I was now, and with a loud crash, he dropped the paper tower from his hands. "Here's your thorn in the ass, don't mention it."
"We won't." Adam ignored my words, turning to leave.
"Happy filling out, damn it," Adam said, allowing Sera, who followed him in, to pass. "Have a good day and no sex at the workplace!" I just sighed, and Sera looked at Adam.
"Well, I'm off, take care!" Adam saluted us with two fingers and disappeared through the door, slamming it shut behind him. Sera turned to me.
"Is the rest done?" She sat down on the couch by the coffee table, which had been placed there when Sera first realized that work was over, but the end of the workday had not yet arrived.
I simply nodded, beginning a new weaving to create a new composition. Sera closed her eyes and nodded.
"Leave those papers to me, and you rest." I raised my gaze to the sitting figure of the Seraph. "Or better yet, just sleep." I received another nod in response.
"Thank you, Virgil…"
Another batch of documentation, eager for review and to be sent to its places…
I thought I wanted to study the secrets of Creation and understand God's design. So why am I writing these papers now?
"Department of Research and Development. Division for the Study of Stars and Creation. Request for the Enkindling of Angel Araquil." Ho-ho… Dante doesn't keep me waiting.
Exactly, that's what it's for…
***
The Spire of the Supreme Seraph. Sera's Office. Two Months Later.
"Are you really going to take all this home with you?" I raised an eyebrow questioningly, gesturing to five small stacks of papers, each about half a meter tall. It was indeed a small amount of paperwork, which you wouldn't understand until you worked with the Supreme Seraph of the City. "Do you even have a home?"
At my question, Sera, who was currently closing the windows and turning off the last light in the office, turned to me, looking slightly annoyed.
"I, like any Celestial Being, have my own apartments. What's so surprising about that?" Oh, that sweet irritation in her tone… Nothing distracts Sera from her future monotonous and boring work like these little banters. "Or did you think that since I'm a Supreme Seraph, I could just hang from the ceiling, wrapped in my wings?" That's exactly what I had thought before.
"...Rather, I imagined that Perfect Beings of Light are above all human needs, like the need for shelter." To this, Sera merely snorted in amusement.
"The comfort of a cozy home and a warm bed is much better than just hanging in the sky, feeding on the rays of the Lord." Sera rolled her eyes and enveloped the papers in a white light, disappearing with them. "By the way, Virgil."
Having thrown her coat back on, I turned to the awkwardly frozen Sera, raising my right eyebrow questioningly.
"Would you care to help me with all this work at my place?" Sera said somewhat nervously, "Of course, if we manage to finish it earlier, you'll have tomorrow off…" She continued to speak quickly until she caught my keen gaze and a slight smile. "...Emily wanted to meet you." Sera sighed, dropping her shoulders.
"She's really been bothering you with this, hasn't she?" I stepped closer, placing my hand on her forearm since I couldn't reach higher. "I didn't think the Great and Mighty Sera would give in to the pressure from little Emily." She lightly swatted my hand away, breaking free from my grasp, which made me laugh.
"I'd like to see you if you were constantly bombarded with the same questions…" She tiredly rubbed her face with her palm.
"I can understand that, Sera…" A light smile appeared on my face, and Sera nodded knowingly. "Especially since you can't leave Emily with Adam again." Sera groaned.
"Don't remind me. Sometimes I worry that Adam has spoiled little Emily too much." Sera clapped her hands, extinguishing the remaining light in the room, putting everything in its place and closing any remaining doors.
"Children need diverse interactions, with their peers and with other intelligent beings." Sera's tired gaze fell on me. "Sera, the little one needs to interact with others; she needs to gain her own experiences and make her own mistakes." A weary sigh escaped the Seraph.
"That's what I'm afraid of…" I stepped closer to Sera and placed my hand on her forearm; this time she didn't pull away.
"Sooner or later, she will grow up, and it's better that she makes all her silly mistakes now, while she has someone who can help her correct them and make things better." Sera placed her hand over mine.
"You sound just like Adam." A slight, forced smile appeared. "I'll try." She wrapped her wings around me, radiating white light. The teleportation began.
It turned out that Sera had this "ancient trigger" in relation to her loved ones or souls in Heaven. When those souls are threatened, whether it's a real danger or just their own, in her opinion, foolishness, Sera can become extremely irrational, going to extremes. Take Emily, for example. By earthly standards, she's about 10-11 years old, the age when a child should be out playing, making friends, and socializing. Sera doesn't forbid Emily from interacting with outsiders, but she reacts very sharply to it.
As Adam had told me, this is a common phenomenon in the relationship between Sera and Emily. They both genuinely love each other, like sisters or mother and daughter, but neither… knows how to show it well. Emily constantly tries to attract the attention of the perpetually busy Sera, getting on her nerves. Sera, on the other hand, tries to show her care in various ways, whether through walks or simply creating toys, which Adam described as "not particularly healthy dynamics if viewed from the outside."
I'm even glad that Sera only loses control in these cases; otherwise… it would complicate everything. The thought flashed through my mind as the burst of light faded, revealing Sera's apartment.
The apartment was just an apartment. White, minimalist, with decorations done in a familiar "angelic" style: various abstract images of wings, feathers, clouds, and eyes. The color palette of the home predominantly consisted of white, gray, and black, with occasional blue for the eyes. And there were unicorns—those horses with horns. I don't know why Sera has them in her home; I guess Emily likes them.
We appeared in the hallway, next to the entrance door, judging by the decor. Before Sera could let go of my hand, a light lavender hurricane flew at us. A little girl, under a meter tall, wearing a small dress. She had three pairs of wings and a lavender halo with five tiny sticks that resembled… a princess's crown? Her skin was slightly lighter than Sera's, with light blue sclera and dark blue eyes without pupils.
"Emily, how was your day?" She threw herself into the arms of the Seraphim, wrapping herself around her with all her limbs, including her wings. "I've missed you!" Emily looked up with a joyful smile.
"Emily," Sera awkwardly shifted her gaze to me. "We have a guest." The little one noticed me at that moment.
"Hi! I'm Emily! I'm a Seraph!" She waved her hand, and I nodded in return.
"Virgil, assistant-secretary to Sera." I released Sera's forearm, taking off my shoes. Sera, surprisingly, loved order and cleanliness. I had no problems with that, but it's better not to annoy the tired Seraph unnecessarily.
"I've heard so much about you! Sera talks all the time…" Sera picked up Emily, covering her mouth with her hand. Emily pouted cutely, looking displeased.
"Emily, that's impolite…"
"It's okay, Sera." With a kind smile, Emily forgot her little grievance. "I'm happy to meet you, Seraphim Emily, but Sera and I are tired from today." I shrugged off my coat, which vanished into the weave. "We still have work to do, so please forgive us." Emily looked a bit lost, while Sera looked questioningly at me.
"U-um… It's nothing!" She detached from Sera, flying on her tiny wings. "I mean, of course, I forgive you…" Emily looked at Sera for confirmation, who sighed.
"Virgil means that we need to rest for a bit before finishing our tasks for the day." Sera smiled softly, stroking little Emily's head, to which she responded with a smile of her own.
Rest, indeed. Sera initially wanted us to sort through the paperwork as quickly as possible, and when the workday was over, she decided to bring it home. So…
"How about Sera brings all the papers to the kitchen while I prepare dinner? You haven't eaten yet, have you?" Sera nodded, while Emily quickly shook her head.
"A little! Adam came by with that scary lady, and he brought delicious meat." She licked her lips, practically drooling. "But I wouldn't mind eating again! Isn't it bad to eat after six?" Ah, Adam is teaching her the right things.
"Maybe for humans, but angels can eat whenever they want." I started slowly walking to the kitchen, leading Sera and flying Emily behind me.
"But I'm a Seraph?" She flew ahead, looking questioningly into my eyes.
"Even more so." I nodded, pointing Emily to the table. She quickly sat down.
Now, let's see what we have in terms of ingredients…
"Virgil." Sera distracted me. "Are you sure you can keep an eye on Emily?" Trusting documents with the secrets of the Departments is one thing, but leaving her with Emily makes us a bit more cautious…
"…Sera." At my heavy sigh, the Seraph nodded quickly.
"Don't give her too many sweets or coffee; she gets a stomachache from them." Emily rolled her eyes, sinking onto the table. "And make sure she doesn't…"
"Sera." Hearing my quiet voice, she fell silent. "It's just a couple of minutes."
"…I first need to deal with the most important papers," she sighed, looking back at me as I rummaged through the cupboard, a kind of refrigerator. "Yes, about ten to twenty minutes, then I'll come back with the papers." She glanced at Emily. "Emily…"
"Yes, yes, I'll behave like a proper Seraph." She frowned and sunk further into her arms. "I remember." Sera nodded, heading upstairs to her office.
So, we have greens, practically all the vegetables I know… In fact, everything is here. This "refrigerator" inside was bigger than it looked outside; I don't think the food will ever spoil… Holding the fridge door, I turned to Emily.
"Looks like you have plenty here," she shifted her gaze to me, still lying on her elbows. "What would you like, Emily? I dare say I'm quite a good cook, so…"
"Pancakes!" Emily suddenly jumped onto her hands, standing on the chair with her feet. "Sera always promises to make pancakes, but…" She hesitated for a moment, "She tries, I guess…"
"Heh… I get it." So, we're making the batter…
As I cooked, a bit of awkward silence fell between us. Emily clearly wasn't used to talking to unfamiliar angels, as she was now fidgeting, throwing nervous glances my way. Meanwhile, I needed to finish the batter and start frying the pancakes. Plus, I wanted to add some variety, so let's make a simple salad…
With a weave of energy, the ingredients began their transformation: they were peeled, washed in the sink, and the knife floated up to chop them. The salad was ready in a couple of minutes, spices included, of which there were plenty. There seemed to be too much food, as if Sera didn't know what she might want to cook. Emily watched in awe as the ingredients floated around, though Adam or Sera—wait. The batter was ready; time to heat the pan.
"You know," Emily looked into my eyes, "I pictured a 'Junior' Seraphim a bit differently. I thought you would be more…" She didn't interrupt, gazing at me with childlike curiosity. "More angelic."
"…" She lowered her gaze. "Adam taught me this. He's the First Man." Apparently, she thought I didn't know him. "He showed me that ordinary souls don't react well to things that cause them 'strange confusion.'" Emphasizing the last phrase, Emily lifted her gaze to me. "Adam always says I remind him of a little human girl…" She looked at me expectantly.
"A little princess who just turned ten." The first pancake sizzled in the pan. "You've done an excellent job transforming, Emily." A light smile from the "Junior" Seraphim. "Sera and Adam constantly praise your progress."
"Sera talks about me?!" Her eyes lit up. Thank the Stars that it was figuratively. "She told them about my dreams, my plans for universal happiness…" Emily, Emily— I shook my head, flipping the pancake. Her eyes widened in excitement. "Sera said you're quite the handful," her shoulders slumped, and her smile faded, "and that you always help her after a long day and make sure she doesn't stay up too late." She perked up again, shoulders back, smiling.
"What else did she say?!" She tried to float closer to me, but my weave held the restless Seraphim in place. "Hey!"
"Hasn't Sera taught you table manners?" I smiled gently, pouring more batter into the pan and setting aside the first finished pancake.
"That's boring…" Emily averted her gaze. "…She did." She finally confessed.
"Then you know it's rude to fly around while someone's cooking." I flipped another pancake.
"Sera didn't say I couldn't…" She replied, looking puzzled.
"So, if it's not forbidden, it's allowed?" Emily nodded confidently. "I see; I stick to that principle myself." And not just that… Another pancake went in.
We started chatting. Emily spoke almost without stopping about everything that interested her, asking me about myself, my opinions on her, Sera, Adam… Everyone she could think of, even about God:
"What does an angel working on God's creation think of Him?" A mischievous smile made Emily lower her gaze, but I still answered. "I don't know."
"How is that possible?" She eagerly perched on the table. "Aren't you supposed to love and believe in the one who created you?" She tilted her head questioningly. Now I understood why Adam liked to spend time with her; she was such a cutie… Literally a living plush toy.
"I've never seen God. I feel what might be Him, yes, but I haven't seen or heard Him." I turned to Emily, who had started eating the salad. "God didn't create me; He only created Adam and Eve, from whom humanity descended, so…"
We kept talking. The first ten minutes passed, then the second… Emily had already eaten pancakes, devoured a second serving of salad, and even I had a snack by the time half an hour went by.
"Is Sera always like this?" Emily sighed and nodded.
"She always stays late at work, either in her office or here…" she whispered, lowering her gaze. "She doesn't even let me go out alone, and I'm already ninety-eight! I'm older than you!" She poked me with her finger. "I mean…" She hesitated. "I didn't mean to offend you, just…"
"You feel you're old enough to walk alone." Emily nodded eagerly. "You know what?" She looked at me with wide eyes when I sat next to her.
"I'll talk to Sera so she allows you to go out by yourself." Emily lit up like a light bulb; her halo turned into little eyes, and the star on her chest became another. "And if I can't, I'll ask if I can join you."
"Really?!" She stood up, hovering close to my face.
"I have a bit more free time than Sera, and when I'm not busy with my own things, I can take you around the City…" Before I could finish, she hugged me tightly, wrapping her arms and wings around me.
"Thank you!" She was soft, like a cloud.
"But!" She looked at me with a mix of curiosity and slight offense. "Only if you behave yourself." Emily nodded enthusiastically.
"I promise I will…"
We sat for a couple more minutes, chatting about nothing in particular until I sighed heavily and stood up.
"Alright, little one, let's go find our Sera." Emily settled in my arms, where she had been for the last five minutes. "I fear she might end up working until morning…"
"That's happened before." Emily nodded in agreement. "Let's go save Sera from the burden of bureaucracy!" She raised a little fist, pointing to the stairs.
The girl has potential…
Sera was indeed in her office. Honestly, I felt like I had been transported back to her office for the first time; the scene was the same as before when Sera, too engrossed in her work, missed the initial impression… For the sake of sanity…
A flick of my fingers sent the paperwork flying to the kitchen.
"Virgil!" Ignoring the protest of that liar, I simply caught Sera with a new weave as Emily laughed.
"What are you doing?!"
"If you don't want to take a break, then Rest will find you." Emily's laughter grew louder.
"That's not what anyone says! Put me down!" Sera exclaimed, but she didn't even attempt to free herself.
"You're always flying, so now, for once, you can relax." Emily was giggling even more.
"Virgil!" For a few more seconds, she tried to call out to me, but seeing my indifference and Emily's quiet laughter, she just sighed heavily.
It was quite a surreal sight: a man a meter eighty tall holding a child of about nine or ten years old in one arm while using his other to levitate a two- or three-meter-tall woman. If Adam saw us, he'd probably burst out laughing.
Reaching the kitchen and seating Sera at the table, I presented her with fresh pancakes, still warm from the spell. Emily settled next to her, maintaining a cheerful smile.
"You do realize you've broken numerous rules regarding handling a Seraphim?" There was no threat in her voice.
"Is there really a rule in Heaven that says an Angel can't look after the well-being of their Seraphim?" I raised an eyebrow as I dished up a serving of salad for Sera. "Did I make a mistake? Enjoy your meal."
"…" Instead of answering, Sera began eating pancakes amid Emily's quiet giggles. "Thank you…" Sera mumbled softly.
Those papers… Strengthening my gaze with a weave, making them completely blue, I quickly skimmed through the text… There were indeed a couple of important points, as some texts simply didn't appear. Extracting each of those documents, I set them aside, with Emily watching with keen interest.
I cast a new weave on Sera, to which she didn't react, and began working on the remaining paperwork.
"Can this miracle," Sera emphasized the word, clearly still unsure about sharing such information with Emily, "actually handle this paperwork?" I poured her another serving of pancakes since she had finished the first. It turned out these two Seraphims had a sweet tooth.
"A small improvement, though," I glanced at a slightly flustered Sera. "I could have tried earlier; it's just that someone didn't want to check." Sera looked away, while Emily shifted her gaze between us, curiously.
While Sera relaxed and the room filled with the familiar melody of the wind, I decided to clarify about Emily. Winking at the girl, I began.
"By the way, Sera." She looked at me. "Do you mind if I sometimes take Emily with me on walks?" Emily immediately hugged Sera around the waist.
"Please, Sera, please..." Sera gave me a disapproving look, meeting only the innocent gaze of a lamb.
"...Only if you keep an eye on her." Sighing, Sera replied. "But if anything happens to Emily..." She didn't finish, but I understood the implication. As I thought, when it comes to Emily, Sera really can go to great lengths. I nodded seriously.
"Just don't take her to Adam." Emily huffed in indignation.
"I won't deliberately take her to Adam." Unless Adam finds us himself. Sera nodded, and Emily hugged Sera's side even tighter, rubbing her face against her.
"Thank you, Sera!" Such a simple and sincere acknowledgment, full of the feelings of a young Seraphim. Considering all the emotions she radiates… I'm beginning to understand why Sera is so attached to her. Sera gently stroked Emily's head, smiling slightly.
"By the way, Emily, do you have ears?" Sera's smile vanished, and she looked at me with indignation.
"Vergil!"
"What are ears?" Emily tilted her head questioningly, not breaking away from Sera.
Oh-ho-ho! This is going to be a wonderful experience.
There's so much to learn by observing a young Seraphim… I can't wait to get started!
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