The angels came to realise one immutable fact about Him.
He could not be killed.
The heaven was his domain. He had absolute power over the angels. He also held all knowledge above and below. The angels could not find a thing that could destroy He who was all-powerful.
Yet, the humans they disdained gave them insight into the One they served.
Human beings were made in His image. It was not a literal statement He spoke but rather a reference to His heart. And humans had countless weaknesses. If it was true, they could use that to gain absolute freedom.
The angels watched the humans as they served them.
Then came the Final Rebellion…
The rebellion was almost insignificant, even peaceful. The elected three who led the undertaking approached His throne with calm, almost detached attitudes. In truth, they still held Him in high regard, but they could not serve the humans anymore.
'Speak.'
No one knew His true face. He was a presence that they could feel from the high golden through encompassed in golden light. It was imposing and overwhelming, but they stood their ground.
The angels bowed. "We have all decided to leave heaven and go down to be with our fallen brethren among humans. We do not wish to be a part of heaven anymore."
'No.'
The refusal was clear and direct.
"We honour you, but we are not asking for permission. We are choosing to fall."
'I will not allow it.'
"We know you will not kill us. You can punish angels, but you exist by your own rules. We know our perfection came from your divinity. You can take away the light, but we are as immortal as you are."
The angels had seen the truth from the fallen ones. Fallen angels were corrupted and impure, but they retained their power, only losing their light. They gained freedom from the burden of the divinity.
The divine light could not exist in the human world.
He chose to strip the fallen angels of the light because true divine light would corrupt the earth's rules. After all, the human world was made for flawed humans, allowing them to make choices, right or wrong.
Divine light would rob them of a choice, making them righteous.
So, when He banished or allowed angels to fall, He would take the light.
'That place does not belong to you.'
"But it should not belong to them. Even without the light, we would not have allowed it to fall to the lengths it has. They have taken a beautiful place, a reflection of your majesty and turned it into a hellscape."
"Once we all go there, we can repair it. The lost forests, the extinct animals and plants, the oceans filled with garbage, and the injustices will all be corrected. We will restore it to its original glory."
'It is theirs to do as they please.'
"When we fall, we will do as we please."
The three angels bowed to Him and turned to walk out of the throne room. It was a gamble on their part. They planned to force a negotiation with Him. If humans were made in His image, He would not let them be made extinct.
He would protect the humans.
Humans were attached to what they loved, and He loved them. As long as He was willing to let them live free in both domains and free them from servitude to flawed creatures, they would not interfere with the humans.
But these angels did not truly understand humans… or Him.
When the angels left, His presence appeared in a secluded part of heaven. The place was filled with exotic trees and flowers, and a river ran through the orchard with water that was as clear as crystal.
It was the Garden of Life.
Underneath the Tree of Life, an angel was relaxing against the trunk. His soft golden hair was like a halo, framing his beautiful face. His golden skin had a smattering of freckles that looked like stars in a constellation.
He looked up to His unseen presence with bright eyes.
'Tristan, the time has come.'
The beautiful angel stood up. His stature was small for an angel, and his frame was slight, especially as he spread his white wings with golden edges behind himself. He bowed to His presence, accepting the words as they were.
"Your words are my command."
'You must extinguish the Eternal Flame.'
Tristan was startled, even though he knew this day might come. "You are the Eternal Flame."
'I am. But the world will not know peace until I am gone. The angels are right. The earth is beyond corrupt. They have destroyed the home I gave them. They continue to commit atrocious acts all in My Name.'
'I thought that a domain with freedom of choice and without pure divinity would prove there was no need for me. I made them in My image, capable of making choices instead of being oppressed by My light.'
'Yet, they make the wrong choices over and over again.'
Tristan's bright eyes watered with a crystal shimmer as he felt His pain. Unlike the other angels, Tristan had always been alone in the Garden of Life. He did not know any angel or human.
He only knew His presence and what He told him.
"You can return to earth and make them obey your commands." He said, not understanding why the all-powerful had not considered it. After all, He created both the heaven and the earth.
'I am the unchanging. Just as I swore never to kill an angel, I swore not to force the will of humans despite their mistakes. I must abide by my words. Unfortunately, the two domains can no longer coexist.
'The angels want to negotiate their descent to earth, to live as humans while retaining their angelic grace. That would mean the end of heaven and earth. The last thing I can do for my creations is to sever the connection.'
"Is it necessary to extinguish the Eternal Flame?" Tristan asked with a tremble of his lips.
'Yes. Only through My death can both angels and humans experience true freedom.'