He had let anger consume him; Lucifer had once again succumbed to this dark part of himself. Had he learned nothing in all those millenium? Was it him, or the Heavens ? He wondered as he observed the broken body of the angel, nestled in an impact crater. Maybe Good and Evil were still haunted by the same destructive patterns. Considering the possibility of breaking free from this relentless cycle for once, he deliberately announced his arrival by forcefully beating his wings to disperse the dust, descended slowly and steadily while keeping his gaze fixed on the angel, his trident prominently displayed. Maybe by intimidating Caliel enough, Lucifer could compel him to return to Paradise without having to resort to finishing him off.

"Kill me," pleaded the wounded angel. "Take the life of the angel Caliel as you took the lives of his friends."

"I have done no such thing," he countered, confused.

"Stop your lies!" spat Caliel at the same time blood trickled from his lips. "They are alive only because of me, only because I resolved to use forbidden knowledge! And I condemned them because of you!"

"Caliel, is it?" Lucifer confirmed. "Look into my eyes: I did not kill them. I left your comrades alive, albeit injured, but without their lives being threatened."

"Liar!"

There was no point in arguing; Lucifer could tell from the angel's hateful gaze that he would hunt him down once healed. What to do then? Caliel would not stop until his mission was completed. Should he resign himself to killing him and thus reignite hostilities between Hell and Heaven? None of it was worth the risk, but the burning gaze of his enemy seemed to leave him no other choice. Lucifer had to force himself to silence his concerns, resigning himself as he tightened his grip on his trident. Solemn in front of the angel, he raised his weapon and struck.

Suddenly, a creaking noise disturbed the religious silence, and Lucifer managed to stop his blow before it pierced the flesh of the angel. What could it be? Was it the wind, or had a human been drawn by the noise caused by the fall of part of the roof? The voice that echoed in the vaults surprised both the Devil and caused him to drop his weapon and freeze. A hand on her collar, Abigail repeated her question, asking if anyone was there as she walked into the central nave. In a second, Lucifer regained his human appearance and went to meet the young woman. Surprised to find him there, she did not doubt him when he claimed to have only entered to see what had happened. Reason she shared, she explained to him, except she had been sent by the crowd of bystanders gathered at the main door. Some claimed to have seen a "human form with wings" pierce the framework, she quoted with air quotation marks. Lucifer then tried to convince her that at first glance, it was only a part of the roof that had come loose, very probably due to poor maintenance. Stubborn, Abigail insisted on checking for herself and passed him before he could stop her. The human then froze in front of the crater, discovering with astonishment the angel who occupied it, a pair of broken but very real wings on his back. Lucifer joined her and was about to provide her with an explanation when he noticed the celestial being grab his trident and project it at them.

Doubt froze him: seizing his weapon would directly restore his infernal form and thus reveal his nature to the human; his inaction would cost him his life. Deprived once again of a real choice, he seized the weapon when it came within reach. Alas, at the last moment, he noticed the celestial sword hidden behind his trident but unable to move, he watched, powerless, as it plunged into Abigail's chest. The force of the blow lifted her off the ground and impaled her against a wall, thirty meters away. A layer of dust fell from the stones, and a ray of moonlight piercing through the roof transformed her fall into a veil of light that settled on the young woman.

Out of vengeance rather than reflex, Lucifer impaled the angel in return, the spikes piercing his shoulder and pinning him to the rock. His scream echoed in the building as the Devil flew towards Abigail, whom he took great care to detach from the door. She was in bad shape: the sword had cut her heart, the impact had broken several ribs, and internal bleeding seemed to add to the already critical toll. Hundreds of scenarios flashed through his mind in search of a solution to save her, but none succeeded.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"They are alive only because of me, only because I resolved to use forbidden knowledge!" Caliel's words suddenly illuminated his mind. As delicately as possible, he carried the human to the edge of the crater. If the angel had been able to save his friends, he would do the same with Abigail. Willingly or not.

Unsurprisingly, the Heaven-sent envoy categorically refused, even when Lucifer moved the trident in the wound. While the being's will was commendable, he had no time to lose. With a gesture, the Devil ripped the weapon from the ground and elicited a cry from Caliel before replanting it in his other shoulder. His scream as a guarantee and under the threat that the Devil would repeat with each of his limbs, Caliel agreed to reveal his secret.

"Just let me die once she is saved," he finished, breathing slowly. "So that I do not have to live in a world where I collaborated with the Evil One."

"Who gave you this knowledge?" Lucifer asked, stunned by the angel's revelations. "I had never heard of it."

"Does it matter now?" his enemy refocused him. "So? Do you promise me that you will keep your word and kill the angel I am?"

The pact concluded, Lucifer methodically followed the instructions and placed Abigail by his side, then materialized tiny scalpels made of pure light at his fingertips. Pushing aside the collar and cutting the woman's clothes, he would have willingly apologized as the dress had obviously been carefully chosen but preferred to see her survive rather than her garment. Still, the woman was bleeding out, something he needed to remedy as soon as possible. Suddenly remembering something and quicly sliding his fingers inside the inner pocket of his jacket, Lucifer retrieved his wallet and opened it to find a tiny parchment scroll tucked away inside

"Keep it, and only use it if Heaven breaks loose," he had been instructed. Given Abigail's injuries, the situation could hardly get worse, he thought; if he ever had to use it, there would be no better opportunity. Breaking the wax seal, Lucifer unrolled the spell and applied it directly to the woman's soft skin. While the length of the scroll surprised him, the thousands of spores that emanated from it and cauterized the wound at the same time fascinated him even more. He reluctantly left the spectacle, resuming the operation under Caliel's guidance, finally freeing the human's heart cut by the sword of light. Suddenly, the angel seized his arm and locked eyes with Lucifer: he would have very little time to implant the new heart, any doubt would kill the human and waste the heart he offered her.

A nod of agreement, a deep breath, and Lucifer continued: with a confident gesture, he cut out the contours of Caliel's heart and seized it to replace Abigail's. The angel then fainted, leaving Lucifer alone, meticulously following his final instructions. Despite the warnings, he couldn't help but hesitate as he stepped back from the scene: he was following the directions of an angel with a suicidal will, to save a human to whom he was connected only by the sister and recent events.

Time constraints caught up with him, and Lucifer cut out the human organ, which he exchanged with its celestial namesake, then, roughly reconnecting the vessels, left the active healing spell to take care of the rest. He turned around and implanted the glowing muscle into the angel's chest. More effective as he faded, the spell closed the gaping wound in Abigail's torso so quickly that soon, only a long scar remained. Using the last traces of magic, Lucifer ripped the parchment from the human and violently glued it onto the angel, jolting him awake and beginning his healing process. Observing the woman attentively, he waited; several seconds passed, feeling like hours, stretching into infinity. Finally, the silence was broken by a deep breath and coughing.

Her groan relieved the Devil. With a gesture, he made his trident disappear, took the woman in his arms, and positioned himself under the tear in the roof, then spread his wings. Strangely weak, he nearly stumbled and secured his grip before taking off.

A voice suddenly called out to him and ordered him to fulfill his promise before leaving. Without a glance at Caliel, the Devil retorted.

"I've fulfilled my part of the bargain. With the human heart in your chest, you're no longer an angel. Consider yourself dead in the eyes of Heaven."

As he flew away, Lucifer heard a cry pierced by the opening in the framework. A scream of hatred, anger, and infinite despair.