"Emily?!" - Concerned Sera shouted, along with the other 'Senior' Seraphim feeling Adam's power surge that....
"What's going on here?" - came the stern voice of Michael, who had come out right behind her. Camael and Raphael followed in silence. Camael was lazily watching Adam's next prank, for which he was going to get a beating from all the Seraphim here, while Raphael went straight to Lute, politely waving away the Life Aspect.
"Adam..." - stretched out Emily looking doubtfully into the hole, a diameter slightly larger than the width of Adam's wings. - "...Protected us from the explosion by immediately flying off to deal with the killer?" - Emily smiled awkwardly, to which Sera could only sigh, and Michael immediately lost his 'fighting' attitude, grinning.
"Uh-oh... If there's a certain 'assassin' here, doesn't that mean our..." - Mikhail smiled softly, bringing his hands behind his back. His eyes looked toward Adam's flight, surely immediately finding his figure in the air.
- No, Mikhail, we will not cancel our meeting because of another of Adam's jokes, not for the third time in a row.
" No Mikhail, we will not be canceling our meeting because of another Adam joke, not for the third time in a row." - Rafael sighed tiredly, picking up the scattered papers with a flick of his fingers, which flew straight through the open door of Sera's office.
Camael, meanwhile, was just staring thoughtfully in the direction Adam had gone, muttering something to himself.
Sera approached Emily, wanting to find out more about Adam's behavior and scheme, but everything was interrupted by a startled gasp from the calmest Seraphim.
"WHAT?" - Exclaimed Mikhail, which actually recoiled from the hole. - "What is that...?" - Mikhail turned to Adam's Valkyries, but those had already flown off after their Commander, Lute right behind Adam, and Astrid somewhere off to the side.
...
Eve was angry.
She was sick of this "Paradise" where every idiot could afford anything, anytime. Every little faggot just took and drowned innocent souls like it was the fucking norm!
"Just let me get my hands on those two 'octopuses' and I'll cut them up and roast them!", Eve literally screamed in her mind, which was no longer foggy, just a small haze that timidly tried to calm her down.
She wasn't listening to the fucking smoke in her head.
She headed towards New Eden with quick strides, naturally scattering these animals that dare to call themselves humans. They'd given up the guises she and Adam had given them, how dare they?!
Not listening to the outraged shouts, not even trying to look at the falling figures of the subhumans, she was no longer willing to show leniency to those who were unwilling to do so to her.
A multitude of shifting images. Men desiring her body, women wanting to learn the secrets of her beauty, passionately trying to freshen her up, kill her, or just humiliate her in any way. All of them wanted to hurt her without responding to her love in any way.
She walked like an ice maker through the crowds of beasts towards her goal. She just wanted to be alone, she just wanted silence, she just wanted... to calm down.
The soft voice of an angel with snow-white hair, strange long ears and a gaze full of broken blue mirrors, assuring her of her salvation, that she was still...
Eve's breathing gradually calmed down. She covered her eyes, letting her feet lead her toward the park on their own.
Her mind was blank. She tried to gather the remnants of the "fog" that was still persistently calming her down, giving her control over her thoughts and... Eve accepted it like an old friend. Right now she just wanted to calm down a bit and not think about other ides... other souls.
She was in herself, not noticing the rest of the path. Not noticing the other souls that had changed beasts, not noticing the strange looks of those souls. She was simply walking towards New Eden, hoping to find in it at least a fraction of what she and Adam's Eden had been.
She was in herself and didn't notice how long ago she had reached her goal. She just kept walking, but this time opening her eyes.
There was not a soul in sight, only the silence of the dark forest that hid the sun in its crowns and the golden moths that lit up this magical place.
Only here, in the silence, did Eva allow herself to relax and breathe a sigh of relief.
She opened her eyes and saw her husband returning from a hunt. His loincloth hid his dignity, the wooden mask of the ogre-beast he used to scare children from going into the forest alone was on him, as were the strange golden wings that somehow allowed him to leap higher and stronger, on which he could even hover.
Adam's kind smile as he proudly showed her a large catch of rabbits, a bear, and the odd horse. All to them and the children. Adam removed the horned mask with the golden face, the quiver of arrows and put the spear away, kissing Eve softly on the lips.
Eve wandered around New Eden, amazed at its similarity to her long ago memories. Almost the same flowers, almost the same grass, almost the same trees and... many more "almosts"....
Lots of things that were only 'almost' similar to what she remembered, to what used to be her and Adam's home, to what was to be the cradle of humanity.
She laughed as she listened to Adam cheerfully tell the children, Cain and Abel, some story he'd made up, dancing vigorously around the campfire to the children's laughter. The walls of hides, rocks surrounding them, kept them safely away from the predators that had turned on them. She still wasn't used to them having to kill their friends to survive.
She still wasn' tused to the hunger, to the pain, to the strange sensation of her body burning... She wasn't used to, in fact, she didn't expect their children to be exposed to the same things she was. Her husband had prayed for help, but Heaven could only heal their children, but not forever deprive them of this...
A curse. Her curse that their children received because of HER fault.
Adam pleaded with Heaven, but Heaven was adamant. Eve blamed herself, but Adam comforted her, assuring her of her innocence.
She believed her husband, but the serpent of doubt was firmly embedded in her soul.
A new corner of New Eden, and Eve still couldn't find the place. It stubbornly slipped from her memory, though she tried to gently wade through the "fog" of her mind that stubbornly refused to give up that piece of her past.
Neither did Adam when he tried to boss her around.
Eve shook off the silly thoughts, diligently searching the nooks and crannies of her mind for that one place. The place where she and Adam liked to spend time in Eden.
That morning, Adam had dumbfounded her by bringing the dead body of her youngest son, dragging their oldest by the arm, nearly tearing that one off.
There were tears in Adam's eyes and fury on his face, directed at their Cain, who stared dumbfounded at his younger brother's body.
Not a few tears were shed that night, every single one of their family, as much as Adam didn't want to count. Cain had mourned for her beloved brother, albeit in her own way.
She spoke to Adam, spoke to Cain, assuring him that she, his loving mother, still loved him, for Abel had simply gone to Heaven, to the place where all their souls would go when their shellsdied!
He didn't believe her, waving her off, but still listening to his mother's caring words. Eve had spoken to Adam as well, begging him to forgive their son, but they hadn't had time to talk to him together.
He was banished, and Eve became even more convinced that it was all her fault.
Eve's mind was filled with old memories. Things that had been forgotten by her for some reason were being rediscovered, allowing her to look at them again. She was in sorrow, she rejoiced as if she was holding her first children in her arms again, the ones that carried hope. She wanted to know ... She wanted to know...
She wanted to remember the faces of her children, wanted to remember all her sins...
To make them right.
They had a new son. Followed by another daughter, followed by more children, and then their children's children. Eve didn't know what Adam asked for, but their children were always different. Different skin colors, different looks, but the common details were kept! She was happy! So many memories, so many funny moments, so many stories! Oh what a lot of things she and her husband did during that time, raising their children!
But as time went on, she and Adam began to fight.
It started out small. Just a couple of remarks, nothing big.
To after, only to escalate into yelling and cursing that was so unpleasant to the children.
Arguing, fighting, and just constant remarks only made it worse. It wasn't immediate, they still loved each other, they probably just....
They were tired of each other.
She couldn't explain why such strange thoughts arose in her head, strange feelings that constantly arose when her husband did something that didn't please or bother Eve in any way. What had previously elicited only a soft and understanding smile now began to rekindle the thread of their rift.
She felt less and less of their connection.
They touched each other less and less. She saw his incomprehension and enjoyed it, enjoyed the fact that she was beating him at something. Shewas better than him! She was proving to him that she could be stronger, smarter than him!
That serpent... Morning Star, who wanted to help her... He had tried many ways, until he just lay with her, which....
brought her back to sobriety.
She begged Adam, that with a blank expression, found her naked, in the place of her bed with the Serpent. She pounded the ground, begging him to give her all his punishments, but not to abandon her.
Adam wasn't subject to disease or hunger, so he could just enjoy the food and always bring their family a catch.
Until she made the mistake of hitting her feelings for the umpteenth time.
Adam...just took her body and...dumped it in the river they were washing up in. Without listening to her cries, he whispered some words and the wind brought warm water while Adam, still looking at her....
Her, the disgraced traitor, more unworthy....
He washed her. Gently, with care and pain...
Pain that she had caused.
He washed every corner of her body, every part of her, and then... Carried her to their bed, just holding her, giving her his warmth... Their bond had not yet broken, giving her echoes of his feelings.
That night, she fell asleep in tears.
Time passed, their children grew up, grew strong and had children of their own. Men followed in Adam's footsteps, adopting his wonders and skills, while women listened to her, who tried with all her might not to listen to her dark thoughts anymore.
...But nothing could last forever, not for Cursed Eve.
They were getting old. They were dying.
What had happened to Abel haunted them. Even her, even ...
Adam.
His strength was waning, his former beauty fading, but Eve still loved him, even though she herself had long since lost the blackness of her hair. With her wrinkled hands, neither natural nor natural, she embraced him, a stronger and purer shell, giving the last sparks of their fading love, their thread almost broken.
And then she died, and everyone knows the rest.
Eve found the place.
The same thick tree trunk, next to which flew strange glowing butterflies that had not been in Eden, but that fit this clearing perfectly, on a small hill.
She sat down under the tree, tucking her legs under her, hugging those trembling arms, wiping away her tears.
Tears of resentment.
She remembered Adam's words. He had promised her Heaven, promised her and their children.
But when she died, much earlier than Adam, she didn't go to Heaven.
Adam lied to her. To her and their children that they didn't end up in Heaven at all.
No matter how hard Eve pushed the thoughts away, they haunted her for centuries.
Eve buried her head in her knees, painfully clenching her palms in her fists and biting her lips to the golden blood.
Her pink halo illuminated this dim clearing.
She still remembered the day the White Snake had crawled up to her, followed by a figure so much like herself.
I wish to bestow upon you the most precious gift a Servant of God can receive... I wish to bestow upon you Freedom of Will, Freedom of Thought, Freedom to Choose...! The freedom to surpass your creator!
Said the Serpent then, and that woman looked at her.
Eve squeezed her eyes shut, her whole body trembling, and the coldness of this place overtook her... though maybe it was the coldness of her soul?
She was so scared and lonely.
"Why won't anyone help me? I just wanted to...!"
Eve was changing body after body. She was taking the lives of her daughters, their souls dissolving into her Curse. She was in agony.
She remembered Adam's words to the one on the threshold of her death.
- Heaven, Hyena, even the Almighty Creator himself, I will find you, Eve! I will find you and bring you where we deserve to go! - he said then.
Eve didn't believe him, but she wanted so much for it to be true.
She waited.
She waited.
The bodies changed.
She waited.
She survived the Great Flood, looking at the bodies of her children, which were not even bodies, weeping and shedding tears. Praying to Heaven, to God, to Adam, to Lucifer, to anyone for answers, for help, for the salvation of her children's souls.
...Eve's own salvation.
But no one answered her pleas.
Tears fell from Eva's eyes and her breathing became ragged. She whimpered, huddled together as if trying to hide from the world itself.
Adam had lied to her.
A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye, and Eve continued to suffer simply for her foolishness in taking that Apple.
Adam never came for her.
She cursed him. Pleaded with him. Screamed. Scolded him.
Nothing worked.
But she didn't want to give up hope.
She waited.
But no one came and no one wanted to hear her pleas.
Adam... The arrogant liar. An asshole who hates women. He busts his ass for his kids, his sons, but he wouldn't lift a finger if a girl was hurt.
He didn't care about her, he probably slept with their kids that were prettier than her when she was finally out of his life.
Eve was afraid. She was just afraid.
She was alone. In a big forest, in an empty Heaven, where no one cared about her. None of those "children", none of the Seraphim, had ever come for her.
Only him...
Eve wanted warmth.
She just wanted the warmth of his soul. The one that had been with her since she was born, that gave her comfort and coziness.
She just...
Eve abruptly lifted her crying face from her lap.
One heartbeat and she turns her head in some direction that ... something is.
A second heartbeat and she... feels a warmth that pleasantly fills her naked body, warming and as if embracing her.
Eve's eyes moisten again, but no longer with grief.
A third heartbeat. The "fog" that seemed to ... transformed, became like an embrace ... such a familiar embrace, and in her chest grew that very warmth....
Her breath hitched, and she opened her mouth.
Excitement, joy, elation, fear, resentment, anticipation....
A fourth heartbeat. She no longer felt all those thoughts that haunted her. It was as if that "golden wind" in her soul had whipped those away. It was as if it had burned them away. It was like everything was normal, everything... would be fine.....
No longer did she have those thoughts, no longer did she want to burrow in a dark corner of the forest.
She felt safe again, her former fears vanished and only one word escaped her lips.
- ...Adam? - came hoarsely from that very clearing in Eden.
...
Adam flew through the skies of the Golden City with all the speed he could develop without harming the souls around him.
Though he tried not to hit the Righteous flying near him, pushing them away with his power, he did not stray from his path.
Spires got in his way and he crashed into them with a heavy thud, causing a little shake, thrills, and other bullshit he didn't care about.
She was here, in Paradise. Closer than ever.
He didn't give a shit how much paperwork he had to fill out afterward. He'd put his huge dick on whatever headache Sera or the other Seraphim would unleash on him.
Fuck it, nothing was worth meeting her.
She was close by. He could practically touch her.
He flew, occasionally crashing into those tall monoliths, creating more jolts, but he immediately kept flying. He could feel Lute, and the rest of the Shield Sisters that would join her a little later, flying far off in the distance. Not because they couldn't, it was just that Adam was flying fucking fast.
He was flying and as he went he tried to remember everything he could about their bond. The thread that bound their souls together, the thing that connected the two halves of one whole.
Eve was a part of Adam, but Adam was also dependent on his part. There was simply no more perfect half than a part of himself.
He sent all his emotions through their bond, encouraged, did everything he could to let HER know that he was near, that he would find her soon.
He felt the light of her soul, felt her like a fire for a moth. He flew into that fire, knowing he wouldn't burn in it.
He landed with a thud in New Eden, leaving a small crater. A place he'd created after those fucking six-winged fuckers refused to let his children into the Eden they'd moved from Earth to Paradise.
Yeah he wasn't perfect, but this way his kids could experience what their mom and dad had experienced... and she was... 'the one'....
Adam shook his head as he heard the panting Shield Sisters, led by Lute, land nearby.
Adam literally tore off his helmet, wiping away tears as he went. He tossed the helmet to the ground, where Eina picked it up and wrapped her arms around it.
He didn't give a shit. He just kept walking on, following the light of her soul.
There was a white flash and a couple others.
"Adam, what's this all about...?!" - he just waved Sera away, shoving her roughly away, along with a gasping Raphael, Michael and Kamael, who seemed not to even notice, continuing to stare off in the direction Adam was headed.
"ADAM!"
But the First Man didn't give a shit.
He...
Sorrow, grief, loss, BIGGER...a timid hope....
Adam sped up, sweeping away some bench on the way, which immediately melted into the fire.
By the edge of his consciousness, he caught sight of Lute and the Sisters holding off the Seraphim as best they could.
Adam walked on, ignoring the other fucks, knowing full well that they wouldn't be able to find him in the place he'd created.
...
Eve, breathing heavily, ran through the unfamiliar forest. It was nothing like the one she had long known, more like a mixture of everything they had seen on Earth and in Eden.
She could feel him.
She was afraid of him. Afraid of his reaction to her thoughts and emotions.
She had long forgotten that their bond didn't require them to exchange words or other nonsense. Why would a man's hands need to exchange words with each other?
She had forgotten that. She was ashamed of her thoughts, ashamed that she had doubted her husband, that he never stopped looking for her.
She saw it. She had seen all his attempts, all his arguments... She had seen him shouting and trying to take her to Heaven, how he had been helped by the Demiurge, descending with him into Hyena....
How he had talked every dead child down, literally on his knees, asking them to join him in Paradise.
He took everyone he could. All those who agreed and didn't believe Lucifer's lies.
She had seen the pain of Adam killing his own children in the First Rebellion when they turned against their father.
She was wrong. Wrong for the fucking umpteenth time. And she was glad of it.
Forgotten and failed to keep his promise?
Adam searched all over the Earth, all over Heaven. He never stopped looking and he always remembered.
And she, such a fool, just a stupid cunt, an ungrateful bitch, cursed him without even thinking of his pain. Not even thinking about what he went through when he didn't let a single person on Earth or in Paradise go to any Hell Rising.
Eve didn't mind the branches that roofed her face and skin, it immediately healed and the golden ichor immediately dug right back in.
Adam hates women and likes to boss around?
After her death, Adam tried his best to replace her warmth. He wasn't good at it, he made mistakes, he was rude, but he tried.
There were no books back then, and the family had just been invented.
Adam didn't care about family?
He loves all his children, anyone who recognizes him. He tries to give them everything he can, but it's just... He's Adam.
Adam didn't care about her, he didn't love her?
He's a part of her. She could and can feel all of his emotions, all of his feelings, see anything he wants to show her...
She's a part of him. He gives her protection, comfort, coziness, and she ....
...
...Gives him all her love, tenderness and care.
She completes him. While he protected the family and provided stability, Eve taught and loved the children.
Adam dashed through the forest. Seeing the goal, seeing no obstacles.
Had to go through a rock? The problem was the rock that got in his way. The stone was gone and crumbs were flying around.
Trees were creating intricate branches? Those trees were no longer members of his political party, and thus unabashedly broken, burned, and pinched.
A hill or a small hill? Why the fuck is it standing there? What was he drinking when he created this? Now there's flat ground where a hurrying husband could pass.
Adam machine-grabbed through the obstructions in his path, elated and horrified at the same time.
Yes, he had tried to give his children his love, but he realized immediately that he could never replace Eve. That's just not what he was made for. He's human, he could have tried, but... He was in too much pain, and the children didn't want to replace Eve, their mother. They understood their father, that he was just... terribly afraid, afraid of losing the memory of Eve, afraid that they would forget her....
Afraid of what Eva would say when she saw him. Afraid that this was another lie, that this was another test of God trying to teach him something, taking it away... He was so fucking sick of these fucking tests from the best fucking Toastmaster in the history of the fucking world.
Now, he, ignoring the screams, ignoring the souls of his children that had come out to find out the cause of the noise...
...
...She crept closer and closer to him.
With each step, with each tree passed, their shared breathing grew stronger. Their resonance, their soul-cry, their dance... It all grew stronger.
She paid no attention to the scratches, to the wounds or the ringing of blows against the halo.
No...
He was close, literally across the neighboring clearing...
With each step, her heart pounded harder, with each passing meter, the distance shortened and fearintensified...
That ugly emotion that haunted her, preventing her from enjoying the moment.
She chased it away with all her might, but her mind still drifted off into the distance, worrying about....
...
...how Eve would react. To him, how he had changed, how... Would she love him as he had become? Would she walk away, curse him, hit him?
He would endure anything just to have her with him again, or at least safe, where he would know and see her....
" ADAM!!!" - several Seraphim voices shouted at his back at once, but he didn't turn around, his mind barely picking it up.
"Your Majesty, you should wait..." - Eina's voice.
" How dare you!" - Raphael's voice.
"Is Adam alright?" - Emily's voice.
" Let Adam do what he needs to do." - Lut's voice.
"Y'all...!" - Sera's voice, but Adam wasn't listening.
He was walking closer and closer, literally sweeping away everything in his path, which was immediately picked up by some force. Maybe Sera, maybe Camael, he didn't give a fuck.
"Adam, come on stop...!" - Sera again.
Adam just kept walking, hearing his heart, whose pounding was louder than any sound from outside.
He walked on, coming out into one clearing and .
"...Eve?" - Adam wheezed, looking....
...
"Adam."
...Eve looked up at him.
Their gazes met.
"He's changed," was the fleeting thought.
She still couldn't believe it.
The white robe with the letter of his name, the golden sleeves, the same height, the golden halo ...
The same face that had been...
Tired.
Those bags under his eyes didn't look healthy. Like the one hadn't slept in the last two thousand years.
"Adam..."
...
"Eve..." - came out of Adam's mouth in a huff.
Silence. No one dared move.
She was exactly as he remembered her.
The same black hair, the same beautiful skin, the lovely and perfectly shaped breasts... Gorgeous blue eyes and....
That face that was...
So tired.
He could see all the scratches that were on her naked body. Saw all the pain she'd been through...
He-she...
...
Almost unchanged- changed.
They stood at the opposite end of the clearing from each other.
And God gave him a woman, one who would be his extension, his complement. His wife.
The heavy breathing of both of them carried across the clearing.
Then she saw him for the first time, the beautiful man who would protect, defend and help her. The second Woman named Eve.
Each of them could not believe what was happening until the end.
A dream- Deception - Delusion- Anothertest of God...
They were both sick of it. They both just...
Wanted to believe that after all this time...
Then he was recovering from the painful loss, from the very first prick of pain that went away as soon as he saw and... accepted her... His part, created from his rib. The most beautiful creature in Eden. Eve, who became his wife. Adam's wife.
...They are together again.
Adam's eyes moistened, he clenched his fist.
Eve's hand twitched, tears streaming from her eyes and shock frozen on her face.
They just couldn't quite believe it...
That after all these years.
Eve took a timid step. Adam's face twisted in disbelief.
She-He...
After so much suffering-hardship...
After years of ONEHONOR...
She-He
will finally meet again.
ADAM-EVE!
Eve was running at full speed to meet him. He just opened his arms.
"ADAM!" - The voice he hadn't heard in so long shouted his name, and the same arms hugged him tightly as the black head burrowed into his chest.
"...I'm here... Eve." - Adam answered in a trembling voice, hugging her back tightly, as if afraid she might disappear, letting tears fall for the first time in thousands of years onto the top of the head of the one he'd been searching for so long.
...And he had found her.
The silence was broken only by their sobs.
The Seraphim stared dumbfounded at his back while the Sisters of the Shield watched the scene unbelievingly.
Adam clenched his hands tighter, burrowing into the so familiar top of her head, remembering long forgotten memories. Her scent, the softness of her hair that enveloped his face so pleasantly.
" ...Is-this-is-this-really-you?" - Eve asked in a trembling voice, raising her tearful eyes to his. Adam knew what needed to be said.
All his worries whipped away. He'd forgotten that they didn't need this kind of nonsense.
" In all her flesh...Eve." - he ran his hands over her naked back, feeling her palms on his robe with all his might.
"Was it hard for you?" - Adam asked softly, covering Eve with his golden wings.
"...Very. It was very, very hard..." - Eve sobbed, looking up at Adam's soft smile with pleading eyes, completely oblivious to the tears falling down her face.
"I'm here. It's okay." - Adam whispered, wiping away Eve's tears. A stupid thing to do, but he just didn't know what to do with himself. He was...just being Adam.
The First Man and the Second Woman grinned amicably.
" A-adam... I-I-I... I... I...!" - Eve couldn't speak because of the flood of tears, the wave of emotions that swept over her at once, she wanted to say everything at once, to share everything...!
Adam stroked her head. Eve's eyes widened.
" Nothing..." - he hugged her even tighter, pulling her against his chest. - "Just let out everything that's built up... Anything you just want to say out..." - Adam's shaky voice that even now was trying to hold on, allowing himself to be leaned on, even though just like that he wanted to burst into tears.
Eve snuggled into Adam's chest and cried loudly. They weren't tears of grief or sorrow.
They were the tears of a woman who had taken years of loneliness, years of deprivation, to one being who could understand her.
They were the tears of a woman who, after an eternity, had returned to the arms of the man she loved.
Those were the tears of 10,000 years of separation.
That was ... the cry of Eve's soul that could finally be heard.
...
"...This Eve? The mother of Humanity and Adam's wife?" - Emily asked quietly, attracting the attention of all the Elder Seraphim, causing her head to slump into her shoulders in embarrassment. -" ...I mean, I know who she is, it's just..."
"Yes. That's Eva, the young Seraphim." - Mikhail whispered, looking at the embracing first people. The Lord Commander watched the unexpected reunion with mixed emotions. On the one hand, he was glad that Adam had finally seen his wife after so many years of separation... On the other hand, he didn't fully understand how Eva had managed to get here in the first place.
He didn't mind, no. He'd be the last one to be outraged about it. He'd be the first to throw a comet at anyone who said otherwise, but... he remembered what Archangel Virgil had told him, but...
How could he do what the Seraphim themselves couldn't? He had personally assisted Adam in the search, he had had Metatron and Uriel look all over the Universe for Eve, but nothing had worked.
He would have continued the search, helping Adam, but then the Rebellions of Hell happened and he was given many new responsibilities as Lord Commander of the Army of Heaven.
"Did you know?" - Mikhail asked his former subordinates gently but firmly, who had proven their loyalty to Adam today, not to him. Mikhail could commend Adam for raising such loyal followers.
The Valkyries, the former Watchers, flinched, including Lute, second to Adam in the chain of command, who stepped forward, extending her wings as if to hide the others.
" Your Holiness, we will accept any punishment..." - Lut bowed slightly, followed by the rest of the Valkyries. Mikhail grinned and, to the surprise of Adam's subordinates, simply waved his hand.
" Empty..." - Mikhail turned back to the still hugging people again. - "You were in your right, besides..." - Mikhail smiled softly. - "It was worth it."
"God's ways are inscrutable." - Camael nodded, looking at the couple with interest.
Sera only looked at her husband and wife with open eyes.
"...Therefore, I suggest we give Adam a vacation." - Mikhail grinned merrily, gathering the other stares. - "What, let the man spend time with his long lost wife, he deserves it." - Mikhail shrugged, hearing the chuckles of Raphael, Kamael, and the Valkyries. Sera only nodded absentmindedly, looking somewhere else.
" ...What about...?" - Sera asked, clenching her palms together slightly. The Valkyries listened with interest as well, gathering into an even tighter bunch.
Astrid and Eina even hugged each other, watching the scene unfold with a cute squeak, humming loudly. The rest of the Valkyries were trying to keep their cool, but even Lute had small tears slipping out, which she immediately wiped away.
"The drill can wait a year, nothing wrong with that." - Mikhail just shrugged, trying not to look at Emily, who was listening intently, as if inadvertently moving closer. Sera was just as wary of Emily, shifting her wary gaze from him to her Youngest.
Camael frowned, looking at Adam, maybe even Eve, but said nothing more.
Raphael was just enjoying the emotions of two lovers who had finally found each other, even covering his eyes as he smiled at them.
Emily walked over to Sera and put her arm around her, tearfully looking at the first human family still standing in the clearing, holding each other tightly.
" ...Also, we should celebrate these cases..." - Mikhail began, whispering to their group in a cocky voice, but Raphael's irritated voice interrupted him.
"Oh, you're for..."
...
Adam had forgotten the sensation by now.
When there was no need for words, no unnecessary sounds... When it was possible to communicate on a level that no one else could, unavailable to the souls of the New World, who had abandoned it, forgetting the Miracle of God.
Adam clenched his palms tighter, gathering Eve's hair, which had fallen silent in his arms, now only quietly humming, sniffing peacefully into his chest, enjoying the light of his soul, his song, the melody dedicated to her alone.
He would have much to explain to her, much to tell her, much ...
But Adam was sure she would accept it, he would be with her. That's all they both needed.
Adam only sobbed, wiping the tears away with a small wave of energy, opening his eyes again to look at his...
Light filtering through the tree crowns, falling on a small tree. Adam's eyes involuntarily followed it, just by chance.....
Finding William sitting on the branch.
Adam's eyes widened in amazement and a kind grin appeared on his face.
"You son of a bitch, William... Taki brought her here.", Adam thought with a silent chuckle, examining the image that had previously helped Eve.
William had told him that he had applied a couple of his Weaves, supplementing them with the knowledge he had received from Lucifer, to cleanse Eve for sure, bringing her to her senses. This reminded Adam that William had strongly advised that he take Eve straight to Raphael to fix and apply new 'bandages' to Eve's mind, helping her not to return to the 'past', helping her to overcome it by living a new life.
Adam looked at William swinging his leg, who had put his foot on his leg, looking straight at him.
The asshole's appearance was exactly the same as the last time he'd seen Virgil. Just without the halo and wings.
A dark blue cloak, with gold inserts at the ends of the sleeves, white patterns all over the texture of the cloak, a vest to match the cloak, hiding a snow-white shirt, dark blue, almost black pants and shoes. Snow-white hair that Adam hadn't seen in a long time, snow-white skin without a single scratch or scar, long ears, normal whites, white eyes, a wide grin, and....
It was the asshole tossing the red Apple, looking at him mockingly, winking with one eye. Adam laughed silently again.
A snow-white snake was wrapped around his neck, staring at Adam with red eyes as William played with the Apple, swinging his dangling leg in an amusing way.
Eve hissed, Adam's eyes lowered sharply to her, checking her condition. Now he would have to get used to his new life... Not that he minded.
Adam looked up at the branch again, but there was no one there anymore.
Adam chuckled quietly.
...
It had all gone away. As much as Eve didn't want to let Adam out of her embrace, there was no longer an Eden around them, not that Eden, not the time when it was just the two of them.
Adam needed to explain himself to the other Seraphim, to listen to the admiration of the 'little' Seraphim that looked at Adam and her with rapt attention, making Eve a little nervous, much to Adam's amusement.
She didn't look at the other women that were close to Adam, they would talk later, when she would be begging for a place near Adam again...
But now Eve blinked, immediately finding herself... On the water.
Eve was amazed at the beautiful scenery. Green trees on large rocks could be seen from where she stood. Large and beautiful clouds parted the sky where a thin white and blue trail of something could be seen.
She turned to the side, following the falling stars, as she saw... him.
He stood with his back to her, supporting his cylinder with his hand. His snow-white hair billowed in the wind, and his boots made waves that distorted his reflection. He played with his cane, tapping it briefly against the water, leaving small light blue particles.
Dark blue cloak, dark pants, high shoes....
The figure turned around, and the face so familiar to her was occupied by a wide smile. She responded in kind as the figure put her hands behind her back, leaning in slightly.
Eve blinked, and the figure was immediately at her side, though it had been a decent distance away before.
Eve didn't flinch, only her smile grew a little bigger as the eyes of snow examined her figure. A fastidious gaze swept over her naked figure that ended at her halo.
He tapped his cane playfully against it, causing them both to chuckle softly, though his voice fell into hers, making it impossible for her to accurately hear that one.
The tall figure, gently ruffled her hair, winking, turned around on one small heel, tilting back slightly as if to fall backwards amused.
The figure raised an index finger, catching her attention, and then pointed to her back, from where two large wings emerged in a flash of light, a dark blue one filled with strange white and blue runes that blazed with their own energy.
The figure bowed deeply, almost to the floor, taking off his cylinder while Eve looked at his wings thoughtfully, figuring something out in her head.
With a small playful leap, turning his back to her again, he flew away, silently promising to meet again.
Eve blinked again, finding herself in the clearing once more.
"Eve?" - Adam's husky voice, calling to her again, was so pleasant. She had long since weaned herself off her husband's restlessness.
Instead of an answer, she just wanted to...
To feel the wind that flowed through her soul. Wanted... to fly.
A flash of pink-gold energy and...
To surprised gasps and...
"Fucking great." - Adam's wide grin as he appraised her new rose-gold wings, so similar to her husband's, just a little smaller. - "I'll be sure to teach you to fly." - Adam nodded, to the laughter of his women and that "little" Seraphima.
The other Seraphim looked her over thoughtfully, some with a kind smirk, some with bewilderment, some with understanding and joy. Eve didn't want to think about it yet, the emotions were too strong.
She simply folded her wings in the manner of her husband, taking his hand.
...
Sif, Adam's third son, was concerned.
Earlier in the day, something loud had happened in New Eden, and his grandchildren had noticed their father walking somewhere with a fury and a burning gaze, scattering everything in his path.
They, the first and second "generation" of Adam's children were in their home, waiting for word from their Father, who would come to their home sooner or later, explaining everything.
He always did, hiding almost nothing from them.
Abel, the eldest in the house, paced around excitedly, eliciting only chuckles from Aquila, understanding looks from his wife Azura, and laughter from Enos, causing the two of them to interject words from time to time. No swearing, just both of them taking out their stress.
Sif himself, as the "Heir to Adam", controlled and monitored the whole situation.
In fact, and by birthright, that title should go to Abel, who had been treacherously murdered... by the first murderer, without giving their "Third Patriarch" a chance to take over their father's legacy.
Sif was a peaceful man in his own right. A soul that did not seek out conflict, trying to avoid unnecessary violence and constantly advocating for peace...
As long as it didn't involve those who harmed their family, especially Father and Mother.
Sif was a simple guy. If everything could be solved with words, he did, if it was necessary to beat up the scum that let Violence and Wrath into their world, smash his face in blood, rip out his spine and feed it to the scum....
Well, Sifu had not yet succeeded in doing so. Their Father, God bless his great soul, had never allowed them to go to war.
"This is my war, not yours," he said then. Seth, Abel, and the rest of his worthy children, were grateful.
Many may not recognize this, but he and Abel know it all. They are not warriors. Protectors, hunters, thinkers...
Leaders, as in the case of Seth himself, and Spiritual Guides, as in the case of Abel.
Seth, as Heir and Patriarch after Adam himself, always protected his family. On Earth, after the death of their Mother.....
And in Hyena, gathering, inspiring and supporting everyone, never giving them a chance to try and be deceived by the words of the Morning Star that welcomed them with open arms.
He didn't believe this Serpent one bit. Sooner would God descend in his full majesty than Sif would believe a single word of the Tempter who had caused their kind to lose everything.
He didn't want to enjoy that "paradise" then, didn't want to savor anything, in the place where they first knew no cold, hunger or pain.
No... Sif only wanted to find the First Woman and say a few kind words to her. On behalf of his Father, on behalf of his Mother, and on behalf of Abel, whom they found there.
But she, as if hiding, had never once appeared to them, and Sif and Abel ...
They were their father's children. Seth and Abel, by dignity, bore the name of his children and direct heirs. Sif wasn't sure, but maybe if he and Abel had set their sights on defeating their father... With years of his experience, or at least training in combat, they would have won.
...Maybe Sif could even surpass their Father. He was human, as their Mother had said....
"If you want to, you can become anything you want, for you are human... This is how God made you, this is the Blessing you were given with my blood..." - Mother told him then.
He honorably and responsibly passed on the knowledge and memory of their Mother to all those who could not receive the fullness of their Mother's love, diligently...
"HEY FAGGOTS AND FAGGOTS!" - came the thunderous voice of their Father, kicking the door with his foot. Sif sighed, already figuring out the right prayers and Miracles to create a new door, getting up from his couch, where his wife was still on it, hugging him.
He had long since gotten used to his father's jokes, the joke about his 'insignificance', that his name wasn't so much enshrined in history, unlike Abel's... Which the latter had repeatedly tried to refute in front of Seth himself, though he had always refused.
And that his name is confused or forgotten. He had given the legacy, he had given the beginning of Noah's lineage, he had done his Duty and could rest, and what the Unworthy Souls of the New World said, he cared little.
"COME HERE, BERKS!" - Seth sighed again, but Abel had already fled to their Father. That one had always been close to their Father, always.....
"MAMA?!" - Abel's cry shattered Seth's thoughts, and those of the other children of Adam, who immediately rushed to the front door.
They gathered in the doorway with a heavy thump, staring with stunned open eyes as Abel, Adam's second son....
embracing Eve, their mother.
The mother that long ago disappeared. The Mother that forever their Father has been searching for, his children have been searching for.....
Was in the flesh, before them, joyfully and with merry laughter embracing her son.
" Sif." - A soft smile, that same look... Sif would recognize him anywhere.
"...Mom?" - Sif said in the "Primary" language, to which Adam only laughed loudly as he let his seven women into the house, beckoning his children closer. He wasn't wearing a helmet, just genuine joy in his eyes and a grin that didn't seem to have slipped from his face for the last few hours.
"Go and hug your Mother, assholes! Nothing to stand in the aisle." - Adam laughed again.
Sif, as well as his little sister...his wife...all wanted to rush over to Eve.
To finally embrace their long-lost mother.