Chapter 18 — It will begin
Lucifer:
I look at Lana and can’t help but feel that something is off. Though we made love and held each other, I feel that I made a misstep when we spoke. I don’t know why, but I think my answer when she asked me if I cared for her was not the response she was expecting.
As my eyes run caressingly across her beautiful face, I think about everything she makes me feel. For so long, I was alone until I discovered Fallon’s existence. At first, I was in disbelief because I never thought I could have children. But when I saw him, I knew he was mine, and I felt our bond. I never in a million years thought I’d find myself facing my soul mate or that she’s chip away at the walls I put around my once dead heart.
Love was not something that I ever thought would be bloody likely for a bloke like me. I was resigned to only loving my son until this beautiful woman showed me that even a creature like me could find happiness.
Thinking about it now, I should have confessed my feelings to Lana. However, though not many things frighten me, the thought of her rejection makes pain burn into the pit of my stomach.
But as I look at her solemn form, I realize that perhaps that’s what she wanted me to say, and like a stupid git, I bungled it all.
“I think I found something,” Lana calls out, snapping me out of my reverie.
“What did you find, chérie?” Michael asks as we come closer.
Lana points to a page on the journal, “Le destructeur de tous et de ses proches, la mort, la guerre et la Pestilence, récolteront la destruction de tous. Le sacrifice de l'humanité sera son champion. Si l'amour et la bonté prévalent, le monde sera sauvé. Si la mort et l'avidité réussissent, la fin sera un nouveau commencement rempli de mort, d'assujettissement et de destruction.”
I interpret it out loud, “The destroyer of all and her kin, death, war, and Pestilence, shall reap the destruction of all. Humanity's sacrifice shall be its champion. Should love and goodness prevail, the world will be saved. Should death and greed succeed, the end shall be a new beginning filled with death, subjugation, and destruction.”
Lana’s brow furrows, “What I don’t understand is that the other prophecies state that only humanity shall be a sacrifice, if it were not in the blood of humanity, to turn the tide. How can humanity's sacrifice save humanity if they’re the sacrifice to end the world? I’m so confused.”
Rafael looks at the passage and lays another book across from it, “Avant l'humanité, il y avait des anges. L'un doit être l'un et non l'autre. Sauvez pour le destructeur de tous et de vos proches. La mort et la destruction prévaudront, avec le sacrifice de l'humanité si ce n'était à l'humanité de renverser la vapeur.” Before humanity, there were angels. One shall be one and not the other. Save for the Destroyer of all and kin. Death and Destruction shall prevail, with humanity's sacrifice if it were not for humanity to turn the tide.
“This one is similar,” I gesture to another scripture, “Un faux dieu fera tomber les royaumes, éradiquant ceux qui s'opposent à une règle. Une arme doit être créée pour détruire ou sauver. Car la destruction de tout sera une renaissance de la mort, de l'assujettissement et de l'avidité. Bien que l'humanité tombe, le sacrifice de l'humanité inversera la tendance. Pour un seul, peut être l'un et l'autre, l'autre à l'exception des Gémeaux et des parents qui mettront le pendule sur sa trajectoire.” A false god shall make kingdoms fall, eradicating those who oppose one rule. A weapon shall be created to destroy or to save. For the destruction of all will be a rebirth of death, subjugation, and greed. Though humanity shall fall, humanity's sacrifice shall turn the tide. For only one can be one, and the other, the other, with the exception of the Gemini and kin who shall set the pendulum on its course.
“This is obviously speaking of Le créateur,” Michael states.
I nod, “Yes, it has to be. Clotho said that the Creator was eliminating other pantheons.”
Rafael puffs out a breath, “Yes, as I said, he was executing those who dared defy his rule, which matches what the scripture says. However, what does it mean the one can only be one, and the other be other?”
Lana looks back at her discovery, “One thing that confuses me is these symbols that I keep seeing here. Have any of you ever seen them?”
Everyone blinks as they look over the symbol.
“I don’t know. Have any of you?” I ask my brothers.
Michael narrows his eyes. “I…I think it’s in Aramaic.”
I look at it again and turn the book over. “It looks like each word is turned in to face different directions. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read Aramaic, but I think this one says, Aphel.”
Rafael looks at the other words and reads them aloud, “Qal Bar 'ěnoš P’al.”
As soon as he says the words, the room begins to shudder, and the lights begin to flicker.
I look at Lana and gasp when I see that she’s swaying in place, and her eyes are turning black.
“Lana!” I call out.
Her eyes blink from white to their natural color as she struggles to contain Apolliana. Lana opens her lips as if to say something, but as if she’s being pulled by strings, her body stiffens, and her eyes go completely black.
The hair on my neck rises as Apolliana’s lips curl into a sneer, and she rips the now useless siphon necklace from her neck, “I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and she was given a crown, and she rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.
When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, "Come and see!" Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make men slay each other. To her was given a large sword.
When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in her hand. Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day’s wages, and three quarts of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"
When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come and see!" I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind her. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, Pestilence, and plague, and by the earth’s wild beasts.”
As she quotes scriptures, she throws her head back and laughs maniacally.
“You don’t want to do this, Lana. Please, fight this,” I grit out.
Apolliana tilts her head and grins, “Oh, but I do. I want them all dead!”
My hand slides down her arm and wraps around her waist as she looks into my eyes, “I can’t let you do that, luv.”
Michael moves behind her and grips her neck before he pushes her off me.
Before she can strike, Rafael rushes forward and tries to restrain her, but she manages to slink out of their holds.
We stop in front of her, our eyes cautiously trained on her agitated form.
Apolliana smiles as she stretches her shoulders and produces large white wings and a sword covered in white fire. The sword is unlike any I’ve ever seen. Most sacred swords are metallic with red or blue fire. Apolliana’s look like it's made of glass with white fire.
My brothers also take out their flaming swords; Michael and Rafael’s swords are surrounded by blue fire, and mine is also rare with a black blade and handle and black fire. However, none of us are ready to attack. The thought of hurting Apolliana’s makes us all ill.
“Put your sword down Apolliana, none of us want to hurt you.”
Apolliana’s expression becomes fiercer as she stalks forward.
Rafael and Gabriel take a stiff step back, but I remain where I am.
Her eyes disdainfully brush over each man before they return to mine.
I look into Apolliana’s glowing white eyes as she prowls in front of us.
“Lana,” I call out, hoping Lana is still there. But as her pale, white eyes home in on mine, I know that it’s a futile effort.
Apolliana’s head tilts sideways. “My sisters are coming. They’re coming, and they’re going to make you pay!” her words make the hair on my arms stand on end.
The walls tremble, and the windows shatter. The lightbulbs begin to pop, and the ceiling rumbles as it falls apart. The ground shakes, making the house groan as the walls crack and the floors quake beneath our feet.
I stand before her and wrap her in my arms. “Don’t do this, Apolliana.”
Apolliana’s hollow eyes look at mine as the rafters groan above us. I stand unsteadily as the ground continues to quake. “It’s time for it all to end, Lucifer.”
Leaning my face close, I kiss her gently as debris rains down on us, “Please, Lana…please, come back to me.”
Apolliana lifts her weapon, ready to strike as she comes closer. I look at the Siphon necklace, but it looks dull.
Her weapon whooshes toward my head, but I manage to block it with my own. Sparks fly between the weapons as their power clashes.
I try to disarm her, but before I can get close, the floor opens up, making large sinkholes open beneath us. Wings extended, the others and I rise from the crumbling floor and face Apolliana.
“Stop, Lana!” I call out.
Apolliana laughs again, “Make me,”
Michael reaches her first, but Apolliana swats him off like a fly.
Flying forward, I manage to pull her into my arms, but before I can do anything, my body becomes icy cold and my vision hazes. As darkness overwhelms me, I try to maintain my grip. Then everything bursts around us, and I lose consciousness.