Book 10

Meanwhile, the seriously messed-up act of Satan - what he did in Paradise - and how he tricked Eve, convincing her to get her husband to eat that forbidden fruit, was known in Heaven. Seriously, nothing escapes God’s all-seeing eye or deceives his all-knowing heart.

He, being totally wise and fair, didn’t stop Satan from trying to mess with humanity.

He gave them full power and free will, ready to fight off any tricks, whether from a real enemy or someone pretending to be a friend. They knew, and should have remembered, the strict rule: don't eat that fruit, no matter who tries to tempt you. They didn’t listen, and the consequences?

Seriously devastating. They deserved to fall.

Angel guards rushed from Paradise in a flash, silent and bummed about what happened to humans. They were like, "How did that sneaky fiend sneak in unnoticed?"

As soon as the bad news arrived from Earth to Heaven’s gate, everyone was shook. Sadness clouded even the angels’ faces, but it was mixed with pity - it didn’t ruin their joy.

Crowds of angels gathered around the newcomers, eager to hear the whole story. They hurried toward the throne, ready to explain and prove they did everything they could.

Then, the Most High, Eternal Father, spoke from his hidden cloud, his voice booming like thunder.

"Angels and powers," he said, "you returned from an unsuccessful mission. Don’t be discouraged or upset by the news from Earth, something your best efforts couldn’t prevent. I foretold this just recently, when the tempter first crossed from Hell."

I told you he would succeed, that humanity would be tricked, flattered into believing lies against their Creator. No decree of mine caused this fall, nor did I nudge them toward it - they had free will. But now they’re fallen.

What’s left but to pronounce the mortal sentence for their sin - death, announced today? They think it’s pointless, just because it hasn’t happened yet, as they feared. But they’ll soon learn that forbearance isn’t forgiveness. Justice won’t return as rejected kindness.

"But who should I send to judge them? Who but you, my Vicegerent Son? I’ve transferred all judgment to you - in Heaven, Earth, or Hell. It’s obvious I’m sending you as humanity’s friend, their Mediator, their intended Ransom and Redeemer, voluntarily destined to judge fallen humanity himself."

"So spoke the Father, unfolding his glory toward the right hand. The Son blazed forth, a full expression of his Father’s divine nature. He answered gently, "Father Eternal, your decree is absolute; mine is to carry out your will, supreme in both Heaven and Earth.

May you always find pleasure in me, your beloved Son. I go to judge humanity on Earth, but you know that the worst consequences will fall on me, when the time comes. That was the deal I made with you, and I stand by it.

"I’m asking that you let me soften their punishment, which they’ll receive from me. But I’ll blend justice with mercy, so that they’ll be fully satisfied, and you will be appeased."

Attendance? Nah, nobody needed to be there to witness the judgment. Just the judged - Adam and Eve. The third best was toast, exiled, rebelling against every rule. The serpent? No conviction there.

Saying this, he rose from his epic throne. Thrones, powers, princedoms, and dominions bowed as he journeyed to Heaven's gate. Eden and the whole coastline stretched out below. He descended, a God moving faster than anyone can comprehend.

It was late afternoon, the sun sinking low, and a gentle breeze stirred. He arrived, not in anger, but as a calm judge and intercessor, to sentence humanity. They heard God’s voice now, walking in the garden, carried on the soft wind as the day faded.

They hid among the thickest trees, Adam and Eve, both terrified.

Then God called out to Adam. "Adam? Where are you? Don’t you usually run to greet me? I don’t like this solitude. You could have just... shown up. Did I not make myself obvious enough? Why are you hiding?"

He came forward, and Eve followed, reluctant, looking defeated. Love was gone from their faces - no love for God, no love for each other. Only guilt, shame, panic, and despair. Anger, stubbornness, hatred, and deceit.

Adam stammered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was scared. I was naked, so I hid."

The gracious Judge responded gently, "You’re usually not afraid of my voice. Why are you now? Who told you you were naked? Did you eat from the tree I told you not to?"

Adam, feeling trapped, replied, "Oh, Heaven! I’m in a bad spot right now. Do I take the blame entirely, or do I throw my partner under the bus? Her faith is still with me, so I should protect her. But I’m forced to confess. If I don’t, you’ll find out anyway, and I’ll get all the punishment."

"This woman," Adam continued, "the one you made to be my help, the perfect gift you gave me - so good, so right, so divine that I could suspect nothing bad from her. Whatever she did, it seemed justified. She gave me the fruit, and I ate it."

The Sovran Presence responded, "Was she your God that you obeyed her before my voice? Or was she made your guide, superior, or even just equal, that you gave up your manhood, the place where I put you above her?"

"She was beautiful, I admit, and lovely enough to attract my love. But it wasn’t meant to be a power dynamic. You made her gifts seem appropriate for a well-managed society. It wasn't her place to rule - that was your job, your responsibility. You should have known yourself better."

Okay, so he turned to Eve, all serious.

"Seriously, Woman, what did you do?"

Eve, totally mortified, practically drowned in shame, confessed. But not before facing God - this Judge, super blunt and not one to beat around the bush. She mumbled, "The Serpent tricked me, and I ate it."

God heard this and immediately went into Judge mode. He turned to the Serpent, even though it was just an animal, and couldn't really be held responsible for what God had created. But, like, someone had to take the blame. So the Serpent was cursed - its nature totally messed up.

God was like, "Man doesn’t need to know more about this, and it doesn’t change what you did." But then God dropped a cryptic judgment on Satan - the first to sin - even though it was kinda vague.

Then God laid a curse on the Serpent: "Because you did this, you’re cursed above all animals. You’re gonna crawl on your belly, eating dirt for the rest of your life. I’m putting a major beef between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers."

"But her offspring will crush your head, even though you’ll bruise his heel."

That prophecy? It played out when Jesus - basically the second Eve - saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven, the Prince of the Air.

Jesus rose from the grave, totally clapped the Principalities and Powers, and triumphed, dragging Satan’s captives through the air, taking back Satan’s stolen kingdom. Eventually, we’re gonna stomp Satan under our feet - the one who foretold his own defeat.

Then God turned to the Woman: "I’m gonna seriously multiply your pain. Bringing kids into the world is gonna be a struggle. You’re gonna be submitting to your husband’s will, and he’s gonna rule over you."

Finally, God judged Adam: "Because you listened to your wife and ate from that tree, the ground is cursed. You’re gonna work it hard for the rest of your life, battling thorns and thistles. You’re gonna eat weeds from the field, sweating to earn your bread. Remember where you came from - dust."

"You’re dust, and you’re gonna return to it."

God, the Judge and the Savior, passed judgment. The instant death sentence? Postponed. But seeing them naked and vulnerable, God felt pity. He decided to step in and help - like when he washed his servants’ feet, or like a dad taking care of his family.

He covered their nakedness with animal skins, basically trading with the snake. He didn't care about covering their outward appearance, but their inner shame was way more important.

He draped them in a robe of righteousness, hiding them from His Father’s sight. Then, He ascended back into glory, into His blissful embrace. He recounted everything that happened with Man, mixing in a sweet intercession.

Meanwhile, before all this went down on Earth, Sin and Death were chilling at the gates of Hell, glaring at each other. The gates were wide open, spewing out crazy flames into Chaos, ever since the Fiend passed through. Sin looked at Death and started talking.

Son, why are we just sitting here, staring at each other? Meanwhile, Satan, our creator, is thriving in other worlds, finding better places for us, his offspring. It’s gotta be that he’s succeeding. If he’s failing, he’s already returned, furious, driven back by his avengers.

No place here is good enough for his punishment, or their revenge. I feel a new strength rising within me, wings sprouting, and I'll have dominion over this deep. Whatever pulls me on - sympathy or a force that connects things of like kind, even from far away - I’ll unite them.

You, my inseparable shade, must come with me. Death can’t separate us from Sin. But, what if the journey back is too hard, and that stops him? Let’s try something daring, something within our power, to build a path over this gulf, from Hell to that new world where Satan reigns.

It’s a monument of merit for all the infernal host, easing their passage, their transmigration, as their fate leads them. I won't miss the way, drawn so strongly by this new feeling, this instinct.

The meager Shadow answered quickly, "Go, where Fate and strong desire lead you. I won’t lag behind, I won’t get lost - you’re leading. I smell carnage, endless prey, and taste the flavor of death from everything that lives there. I’ll help you with this mission."

Saying this, he inhaled the scent of mortal change on Earth, like a flock of hungry birds, leagues away, flying towards a battlefield where armies camp, lured by the smell of carcasses meant for death in a bloody fight. The grim figure sniffed the murky air, sensing his quarry from afar.

Then, both flew from Hell’s gates into Chaos’s desolate waste, damp and dark. They had incredible power.

Hovering over the waters, they gathered whatever they encountered - solid or slimy - driving it together towards the mouth of Hell, like two polar winds blowing against the Cronian sea, driving mountains of ice that block the way beyond Petsora to the rich Cathayan coast.

Death smote the accumulated soil with his mace, cold and dry, like a trident, fixing it firm as Delos, once floating. His gaze bound the rest, preventing them from moving.

With asphaltic slime, broad as the gate, deep to the roots of Hell, they fastened the gathered beach, creating an immense mole over the foaming deep, a bridge of prodigious length joining to the wall of this now fenceless world, forfeit to Death.

From here, a passage broad, smooth, easy, and harmless led down to Hell.

Just as great things can be compared to small ones, Xerxes, to yoke the liberty of Greece, came from Susa, his Memnonian palace high, to the sea. He bridged the Hellespont, joining Europe with Asia, and lashed the indignant waves.

Now they's finally gotten the job done - a total miracle, honestly. They built this crazy ridge of rock, hanging over this deep, messed-up chasm, following Satan’s trail to the exact spot where he landed. Safe from Chaos, out on the edge of the world.

They used adamant - basically, super-strong pins and chains - and made sure it was really secure, like, durable AF.

And then, suddenly, Heaven and this world were practically touching. And on the left? Hell, stretching out, like, super far. Three different paths, leading to each place. They could see Earth now, heading toward Paradise, when - bam! -

Satan showed up, disguised as a bright angel, steering between a Centaur and a Scorpion as the sun rose in Aries.

He was totally undercover, but his kids recognized him immediately. After he tricked Eve, he just slipped into the woods nearby, changing shape to watch what happened. He saw his plan working - Eve, totally clueless, talked her husband into it. He saw their shame, trying to hide.

But when the Son of God showed up to judge them, Satan totally freaked out. He didn’t think he could escape, but he just wanted to avoid the immediate wrath.

He ran, then came back at night, listening to the poor couple’s sad talk and complaints. He figured out his own fate - it wouldn't be immediate, but it was coming in the future. He was psyched, and rushed back to Hell with the news.

He met his offspring at the edge of Chaos, near this new, unbelievable bridge. It was a total reunion, and seeing that bridge made him even more hyped. He just stared at it for a while, until Sin, his gorgeous daughter, broke the silence.

OMG, Dad, these are your legendary feats! Your trophies! she said.

You’re acting like you didn’t even build them. You're the creator, the master architect. I knew, deep down, through this secret connection we share - our hearts always moving together - that you were killing it on Earth. I could see it in your face! Even though we’re worlds apart, I felt it.

"I knew I had to follow you, and this son of yours."

"This whole thing connects us three of us," she continued.

"Hell couldn’t hold us back anymore, and this impossible gulf couldnn't stop us from following your amazing trail. You gave us our freedom, locked away in Hell-gates until now. You gave us the power to build this crazy bridge across the dark abyss. This world is yours now!"

"Your skill won what war couldn't. Your wisdom gained what battle lost. You’re fully avenging us."

"You’ll be the monarch here, where you didn't reign before," she added. " Let him still win there, as battle decided. From this new world, he's retreating, banished by his own fate. And from now on, we’ll divide all things, separated by the heavenly boundary."

"His square shape will be separate from your round world. Or try to threaten his throne again."

The Prince of Darkness replied, totally stoked.

"Beautiful daughter, and son, and grandson! You’ve proven yourselves to be the family of Satan - and I’m proud of that name, the enemy of Heaven’s Almighty King! You've totally earned it. You’ve merited it, for all of us in the infernal empire."

"You’ve met here, so close to Heaven’s door, with a triumphant act, and you've joined Hell and this world - one realm, one continent, with easy access."

I'm dropping down through the darkness, making your journey easy, to tell my associates about my wins - we’ll celebrate together. You two, go down through all these stars, yours all the way to Paradise. Live there, rule in bliss.

Then take over the earth, and the air, especially over humans - they’re the ultimate rulers. First, make them your slaves, and finally, destroy them.

I’m sending you my replacements, giving them all the power on Earth - unmatched might flowing from me. My hold on this new kingdom depends on your combined strength, exposed to Sin and Death because of what I did. If you’re strong together, Hell doesn’t need to worry about anything. Go! Be strong!

He dismissed them, and they shot off through the thickest constellations, spreading their destruction. The blasted stars went pale, and the planets suffered a real eclipse.

Meanwhile, Satan headed down the road to Hell-gate. On either side, Chaos was overbuilt and booming, attacking the bars that just laughed at his anger. Through the gate - wide open and unguarded - Satan passed, finding everything deserted.

Those who were supposed to be there had flown to the upper world. The rest had retreated far inland, around the walls of Pandemonium - Lucifer's city and proud seat, named after that bright star, making him the ultimate.

There, the legions kept watch, while the Grand Council worried about what might intercept their emperor.

He gave his orders, and they obeyed. It was like when the Tartar retreats from his Russian foe over the snowy plains near Astracan, or when the Bactrian Sophie flees the horns of the Turkish crescent, leaving waste beyond the realm of Aladule, heading to Tauris or Casbeen.

So, this Heaven-banished host left the outer reaches of Hell - many dark leagues - reduced to careful watch around their metropolis, now expecting their great adventurer to return from exploring foreign worlds.

He passed through unnoticed, looking like a regular angel - lowest order, totally unremarkable. From the door of that Plutonian hall, he rose, invisible, to his high throne, which was placed at the upper end, spread with the richest textures, shining with regal glory.

He sat there for a while, unseen, looking around. Then, like a burst of light from a cloud, his head and shape appeared - brighter than ever. It was the last bit of glory he had left after his fall, or maybe just a false glitter.

The Stygian throng was amazed at the sudden blaze and wished to see their mighty Chief return.

A loud cheer erupted! The great consulting peers rushed forward, raised from their dark Divan, congratulating him. He raised his hand for silence and won their attention with these words:

"Thrones, Dominations, Princedoms, Virtues, Powers! I call you, and declare you now - returned successful beyond hope to lead you forth triumphant out of this infernal pit, abominable, accursed, the house of woe, and dungeon of our tyrant."

"Now possess, as Lords, a spacious world - little inferior to our native Heaven - achieved with peril great."

It’s gonna take forever to tell you everything I'm responsible for. What I’s been through. The pain of traveling through that endless, dark, chaotic void. It was a mess - a highway paved with Sin and Death, designed to make your victory easy.

But I had to fight my way through it, forced to ride the untamed abyss, plunged into the wild womb of Night and Chaos. They were so protective of their secrets, they fought me every step of the way, yelling at Fate itself.

Then, I found it - the new world. Heaven had been talking about it for ages, a place of perfect beauty! There was Man, living happily in Paradise, thanks to our exile. But I tricked him. Seriously, I got him to eat an apple. You’re gonna laugh at this, but he actually got offended!

He gave up his beloved Man and the entire world to Sin and Death. Now, it's ours - no risk, no work, no sweat. We get to rule over Man, just like we should have.

Okay, yeah, he judged me too. Or, at least, that’s what he thinks. It wasn't really me; it was the snake I used to deceive him. What I get is this eternal beef between me and humankind. I’m supposed to bruise his heel, but his descendants will eventually crush my head.

Who wouldn’t trade a little pain for a whole new world?

So, that’s my report. What’s left for you, Gods, but to rise and enter your bliss? He stood there for a second, expecting cheers, a thunderous applause to fill his ears. Instead, he heard a horrible, universal hiss - the sound of public scorn. He was stunned, but not for long.

He realized he was the joke now. His face grew gaunt, his arms clung to his ribs, and his legs tangled, sending him crashing to the ground.

He was a monster - a giant serpent, slithering on his belly, fighting it, but to no avail. A greater power now controlled him, punishing him in the form he’s sinned. He tried to speak, but only a forked hiss came out, matching his own. They were all changing - all accessories to his rebellion.

The hall echoed with the din of hissing, swarming with monstrous creatures, head and tail intertwined. Scorpions, asps, amphisbaenas - a horrifying menagerie. Even Gorgon’s blood-soaked soil or Ophiusa’s island didn’t have this many.

He was still the biggest, though, a dragon now, bigger than anything the sun ever spawned in the Pythian vale or slime. Huge Python, and his power seemed even greater. They all followed him, slithering out into the open field.

There, they found the rest of the rebel crew, heaven-fallen, standing in perfect formation, waiting to see their glorious leader in triumph. But instead, they saw a crowd of ugly serpents. Horror washed over them, followed by a wave of sympathy. What they saw, they felt - they were changing too.

Their arms dropped, their spears and shields clattered to the ground. The hissing renewed, and the monstrous form spread like a plague, a punishment as terrible as their crime.

The applause died. It exploded into hisses, triumph twisting into shame - all reflecting back at them.

Suddenly, a grove appeared nearby, springing up with their downfall. It was the will of the one who reigns above, meant to make their punishment worse. The trees were loaded with beautiful fruit, like the kind in Paradise, the tempting bait Eve used.

They stared, imagining a whole forest of forbidden trees rising up to cause more suffering.

But they were burning with thirst and a fierce hunger. Even though the fruit was a trick, they couldn’t resist. They rolled towards the trees, climbing up, clinging to the branches like a tangle of snakes, thicker than Megaera’s hair.

They grabbed the fruit, gorgeous to look at, similar to what grew near the fiery lake of Sodom.

This was worse, though. It wasn’t the touch that deceived them; it was the taste. They eagerly bit into the fruit, hoping to quench their thirst, but instead, they chewed bitter ashes. The offended taste rejected it with a sputtering sound. They tried again and again, driven by hunger and thirst.

Each time, they were drugged with a horrible taste, their jaws twisting with disgust as soot and cinders filled their mouths. They fell for the illusion, again and again, unlike the humans they’t once defeated.

This is how they were punished - plagued by endless hunger, a constant, hissing torment. Eventually, they were allowed to return to their original forms.

Some say they’d be forced to endure this annual humiliation for a set number of days, to crush their pride and joy for the sake of the man who’d been seduced.

However, they spread a story among the Heathen, claiming they’d bought their way out. They told tales of Ophion, the serpent they worshipped, and Eurynome, perhaps a wide-reaching Eve, who first ruled Olympus. They said they were driven out by Saturn and Ops, before Dictaean Jove was even born.

Meanwhile, in Paradise, the hellish pair arrived too soon. Sin, once real, now a body, was a permanent resident. Behind her walked Death, keeping pace, not yet mounted on his pale horse.

Sin spoke first. "Second of Satan, all-conquering Death! What do you think of our empire now, even though we earned it with such a difficult journey? Isn’t it better than sitting at Hell’s dark threshold, nameless and undreaded, half-starved?"

Death, the Sin-born monster, answered quickly.

"To me, who eternally suffer from famine, Hell, Paradise, or Heaven are all the same. I thrive where I can gorge myself the most. But even here, with all this abundance, it’s not enough to fill this endless maw, this vast, unhidden body."

Sin, the incestuous mother, replied. " Then feed first on these herbs, fruits, and flowers. Next, devour every beast, fish, and fowl. No ordinary scraps! And devour anything the scythe of Time mows down, sparing nothing."

"Keep feeding until I, residing within Man, infect his thoughts, his looks, his words, his actions - everything. And season him as your final, sweetest prey."

With that, they went their separate ways, both determined to destroy or make mortal everything they could. Eventually, the Almighty, seeing this from his transcendent throne among the Saints, spoke to those bright Orders:

Look, these hellhounds are charging in, like, with so much heat. They’re totally trashing the world I made - the one that was beautiful and good. I kept it that way, seriously, until people messed it up with their dumb choices. Now, these chaotic forces are blaming me!

And the Prince of Hell and his crew act like I just handed everything over, like I was having a meltdown. They’re laughing, thinking I just gave up. They don’t know I called them, summoned them, to clean up the mess - the draff and filth that people’s sins spread all over what was pure.

They’re gorging themselves, nearly bursting, until you, my victorious Son, fling them out with one blast. Sin, Death, and the yawning Grave - all hurled through Chaos, blocking the mouth of Hell forever, sealing those ravenous jaws.

Then, a brand-new Heaven and Earth will be made pure, spotless. Until then, the curse on both stays in place.

He finished, and the heavenly crowd erupted in song - like the roar of the ocean. " Just are your ways, righteous are your decrees! Who can question you?"

Next, they sang about the Son - the one destined to restore humanity, who will raise a new Heaven and Earth for all time. Or, you know, descend from Heaven. That was their jam.

The Creator then called his mighty Angels by name, giving them specific tasks. The sun was told to move and shine in a way that would bring freezing cold and scorching heat to the earth. Call forth the decrepit winter from the north, and bring the blistering heat of summer from the south.

They gave instructions to the moon, too - and the other five planets. Their movements, the angles they formed - sextiles, squares, trines, oppositions - all had a nasty effect.

They taught the fixed stars when to shower down their malevolent influence, which ones rising with the sun, or falling, would bring storms.

They set the corners of the winds, telling them when to whip up bluster and chaos on the sea, the air, and the shore. And when the thunder should roll through the dark, aerial hall.

Some say he ordered his Angels to shift the poles of the earth, ten degrees or more, away from the sun's path. They pushed the central globe, straining with the effort.

Others say the sun was told to veer off the equinoctial road, like, way out to Taurus, with the seven Atlantean Sisters and the Spartan Twins. Then up to the Tropic of Cancer. Down through Leo, Virgo, Libra, all the way to Capricorn. To bring about the change of seasons in every land.

Otherwise, spring would have smiled eternally on Earth, with flowers blooming equally in days and nights. Except for those beyond the polar circles, where the sun would have shone unceasingly. The low sun, to compensate for its distance, would have circled the horizon, never knowing east or west.

That would have prevented snow from falling in cold Estotiland, and all the way down below Magellan.

The sun, tasting that change, twisted its course - like a banquet from Thyestes. Otherwise, how would the world, even without sin, have avoided the pinching cold and scorching heat?

These shifts in the heavens, though slow, were changing everything - land and sea. A cosmic blast, vapor, mist, and scorching heat corrupted the air, making it poisonous.

Now, from the north of Norumbega and the Samoed shore, Boreas, Caecias, and Argestes - fierce winds - burst forth, armed with ice, snow, and hail. They tore through the woods and churned the seas.

Notus and Afer, black with thunderous clouds from Serraliona, fought against them. Then, the Levant and Ponent winds - Eurus and Zephyr - rushed in, creating a deafening roar. Sirocco and Libecchio joined the chaos. It was total mayhem.

But that was just the start. Discord, daughter of Sin, introduced death through fierce hatred. Beasts warred with beasts, birds with birds, and fish with fish. They stopped grazing and started devouring each other. Even humans, they ignored or glared at with menacing eyes.

Adam saw these growing miseries, though shrouded in shadow. He felt abandoned and overwhelmed, tossed around in a sea of despair. He had to vent.

"Oh, the irony!" he cried. "Is this the end of this amazing new world? And me, who was once its glory, now cursed? Hide me from God’s face, the very sight of whom was my greatest joy!"

"But if this is all there is, I’ll take it. I deserve it, and I'll bear the consequences. But it's not enough. Everything I eat, drink, or create is just spreading a curse. Who will come after me, feeling the evil I brought, and cursing my head?"

"It’s all our ancestor’s fault - Adam! But he’s the one who’s going to get the hate. Besides my own suffering, everything from me will rebound and crash back on me, like a magnet - heavy even though it's just air."

"Oh, fleeting joys of Paradise, bought with endless pain! Did I ask you, Creator, to mold me from clay? Did I beg you to pull me from darkness and place me in this perfect garden? Since my will didn't align with my existence, it would be fair to reduce me to dust. I want to give it all back."

"I can't follow your rules, which are way too strict. Why add this sense of endless suffering to the loss of what I didn’t even seek?"

"Your justice seems impossible to understand, but it’s too late for me to argue. Then I should have refused those terms, whatever they were, when they were first offered. You accepted them; now you’re enjoying the good while complaining about the conditions?"

"Even though God made you without your permission, what if your son proves disobedient and retorts, ‘Why did you bring me into the world? I didn't ask for it! Would you accept that excuse for his defiance? But he wasn't your choice - he was a natural consequence."

"God made you willingly, of his own accord, to serve him. Your reward was a gift of grace. So, your punishment is justly at his will."

Okay, here’s the deal. My fate is sealed, I get it. I’m just dust, and I’ll return to it. Seriously, when is He gonna do it? Why is His hand dragging? Why am I stuck here, being tortured with the promise of death, but just endless pain? I’m begging for it. I’m ready to just... disappear.

I wish I could just go back to my mom’s lap. Rest. Sleep soundly. No more booming voices in my head. No more dread about what’s waiting for me - or my kids. But there's this one thought that’s totally stressing me out: what if I can’t die?

What if my soul, the part of me God breathed into me, is stuck forever? Trapped in a grave, or somewhere even worse? A living death? Ugh, the thought is terrifying.

But wait, why would that even happen? It was my breath, my life, that messed up. What dies except what had life and sin? My body had neither. So, everything should die. That's gotta be it. Humans can’t even grasp infinity, so how can God’s wrath be infinite? How can He make deathless death?

That’s a contradiction - a weakness, not a power. Would He stretch out a finite punishment - my punishment - to an infinite length just to satisfy His anger? That’s beyond even nature's laws.

But what if death isn't just one quick ending? What if it's endless misery? I already feel it starting, inside and out. Forever and ever. Seriously, this fear is hitting me like a ton of bricks. Death and I are stuck together, eternally linked. And I'm dragging all my descendants down with me.

My kids... I wish I could just erase everything I’d leave you. Then you wouldn't have to curse me. Seriously, why should all of humanity be condemned for one person’s mistake? But what can come from me except corruption? My mind and will are twisted.

How can anyone stand before God and be found innocent? After all my excuses, my convoluted logic, I’m still convinced of the truth: the blame is on me. It's always been on me.

I wish I could just take all that weight myself. It’s heavier than the earth. Heavier than the entire world, even if you split it with that awful woman. I want what I fear - and what I desire - to destroy all hope of escape. To leave me miserable beyond anything ever seen or ever to be.

Like Satan, both the crime and the doom.

Oh, Conscience! You’ve plunged me into an abyss of fear and horror. There’s no way out. Deeper and deeper I fall!

Adam groaned, his voice echoing through the silent night. It wasnn't the peaceful, refreshing night he remembered before humanity's fall. Now, a heavy, dark air clung to everything, thick with dampness and a creeping dread. His own guilty conscience twisted everything, making it feel ten times worse.

He lay on the cold ground, and cursed his very existence.

"Death, why haven’t you shown up yet?" he raged.

"Didn’t Justice promise swift punishment? Why the delay?"

But Death didn’t answer. Justice moved at its own pace, deaf to his prayers, indifferent to his cries. He looked around at the woods, the springs, the hills, the hidden groves.

"Just yesterday," he lamented, "I taught your shadows to echo, to sing a different song."

Then, Eve saw him, desolate and broken, and approached cautiously. She tried to soothe his anger with gentle words, but he turned on her, his expression harsh.

"Get out of my sight, Serpent!" he snarled.

"That’s the only name that fits you - and the one you’re allied with."

"You’d be even more hideous if you looked like him - all scales and slithering - a warning to every creature." He paused.

"If it weren’t for you, I might have been happy. But your pride, your endless need to be seen, led you to ignore my warnings. You craved attention, even from the Devil himself, trying to outsmart him. And now, we’re both fools, tricked by the serpent. asterisk"

"Iasterisk trusted you, thought you were wise, steady, strong. I was wrong."

"I thought you were solid, genuine. Now, I see you’re just a flawed creation, a curve in my side, bent toward darkness. Why did God, the wise Creator, populate Heaven with powerful spirits, but then create this - this beautiful imperfection on Earth?"

"Why not just fill the world with men, like angels, without women? Then, we wouldn’t have all this trouble."

"This disaster - and the countless others to come - are all because of women. Either men will never find a truly suitable partner, or they'll be stuck with someone brought on by misfortune or mistake. The woman they desire will be snatched away by someone far worse."

"Or, if they do find love, their parents will stand in the way. Or, their perfect choice will be already married, a constant source of hate and shame."

He stopped, unable to say more, and turned away. But Eve, though deeply hurt, didn't retreat. Tears streamed down her face, her hair a tangled mess as she fell to her knees before him. She clasped his legs and begged for his forgiveness.

"Don't abandon me like this, Adam! Witness Heaven itself, and know the sincere love and reverence I hold for you. I’m truly sorry; I didn’t know what I was doing."

"I'm your humble servant, begging for your peace," she pleaded.

"Don't take away your gentle gaze, your help, your guidance - my only source of strength in this terrible situation."

Lost without you, where do I even go? Where will I survive? While we’re still breathing, maybe just one hour left? Let’s find some peace between us. We're both tangled up in this mess, bonded by the hurt, fighting one enemy - the doom we’ve been assigned. That cruel Serpent.

Don’t take your anger out on me for this disaster. I’m already lost, way more miserable than you! We both messed up, yeah. But you, against God alone. Me? Against God and against you. I’m heading back to the place of judgment.

I’ll scream and plead with Heaven until that sentence, lifted from your head, lands squarely on me. I'm the only one to blame for all this pain. Me, me only, the target of his rage!

She ended, weeping. Her low posture didn't move until peace came from admitting fault. Adam felt genuine sorrow. His heart softened toward her, his only joy now kneeling at his feet in distress. That beautiful creature, seeking reconciliation, his counsel, his aid - the man she’s displeased.

Disarmed, he lost all his anger. And with gentle words, he lifted her up.

Unaware, and too eager as always, you’re still reaching for what you don’t know, wanting to take the punishment yourself. Seriously, you can’t handle it. You barely feel a fraction of his wrath. And you bear my displeasure so badly.

If prayers could change the big decisions, I’d race to Heaven and be the loudest voice, begging for everything to land on me. Your weakness and gentleness, your womanhood, would be forgiven. It’s my responsibility, I exposed you.

But get up. Let’s not argue or blame each other - we’re blamed enough already. Let’s focus on love, on how we can lighten each other’s burden in this shared misery. Because what I see for today's death is not a quick end, but a slow, agonizing decline. A long, painful day of dying.

And it's going to affect our kids - our poor, unfortunate kids!

To this, Eve replied, regaining some strength.

"Adam, I know from bitter experience how little my words mean to you, so wrong they are. And because of that, so unlucky. Still, you’ve restored me, vile as I am, to a place of acceptance."

Hopeful to regain your love - the only thing that brings me comfort, living or dying - I won’t hide what’s risen in my troubled heart. Thoughts about easing our extremes, or ending it all. Sharp and sad, but still... tolerable. Easier than what we’re facing.

If our descendants trouble us most - doomed to sorrow, devoured by Death eventually -

and it’s a terrible thing to be the cause of misery to others, bringing our own children into this cursed world, a woeful race destined for a wretched life, and finally food for that monstrous thing.. . then it’s in your power.

Before conception, prevent the race from being born. Childless you could remain. Then Death would be tricked, forced to be satisfied with just us two.

But if you find that hard, difficult - to abstain from loving, looking, and embracing, to languish without hope before the person you desire - a less painful torture than what we dread... then let’s free ourselves and our future children from what we fear. Let's end it.

"If we can't find Death, let's take matters into our own hands."

Why are we still standing here, frozen with fear? It feels endless, just death after death, so many ways to die. The quickest seems best, just destroy everything - ourselves included. She stopped there, overcome by despair.

"So much death had filled her thoughts, it had drained the color from her cheeks. But Adam wasn’t swayed by her words. He’s lifted his mind to better hopes, and replied, "Eve, your rejection of life and joy seems to point to something deeper, something truly excellent within you.

"But choosing death to escape our punishment actually disproves that excellence. It shows not contempt, but anguish and regret for the life and happiness we loved too much."

"Or, if you’re craving death as the ultimate escape from misery, don’t doubt that God is far wiser than to let us cheat him like that. I’m more afraid that snatching death won’t save us from the pain we’re destined to endure."

Instead, it’s more likely to provoke the Almighty and make death live within us. Let’s find a safer solution, and I think I have one in mind. Remember part of our sentence: your descendants will crush the Serpent’s head - what pitiful amends!

Unless, of course, 'descendants' refers to our grand enemy, Satan, who, through the serpent, has tricked us. Crushing his head would be true revenge, but we’d lose that chance if we kill ourselves or live childless, as you propose. Our foe would escape his punishment, and we’d double ours.

No more talk of hurting ourselves! And no more wilful barrenness - that cuts us off from hope and reeks of bitterness, impatience, and spite, a reluctance against God’s just rule. Remember how mildly and graciously he heard us, and judged, without anger or blame.

We expected immediate destruction, thinking that’s what "death" meant that day. Instead, pain in childbirth was foretold for you, and joy would follow - the fruit of your womb. The curse glanced off me, and I must earn my bread through labor. Is that so bad? Idleness would have been worse.

My labor will sustain me, and his timely care has already provided shelter, even before we asked. He clothed us, showing pity while he judged. How much more will he listen if we pray, and open his heart to pity, and teach us how to avoid the harsh seasons - rain, ice, hail, and snow!

The sky is already showing us all of this here in the mountains, and the winds blow cold and sharp, shattering the beautiful trees. We need a better shelter, a way to warm our chilled limbs, before the sun disappears and night brings cold.

We can reflect his light with dry leaves, or create fire by rubbing two things together. Just like the clouds clash and the winds push, creating lightning that ignites the fir and pine trees, sending warmth from afar.

"We can use that fire, and whatever else might cure the evils we’s caused by our own mistakes, if we pray and beseech him for grace. Then we won’t have to fear passing through this life comfortably, sustained by his many comforts, until we return to dust, our final rest and native home."

What else could we do? We have to go back to the place where he judged us. We should fall to our knees, show him respect. And confess. Seriously, just spill it all - admit our mistakes and ask for forgiveness.

We should cry, soak the ground with our tears, and fill the air with sighs from our broken hearts. It’s gotta be real, you know? Show him we’re truly sorry and humbled.

He has to forgive us. When he was mad, even at his angriest, he still looked... kind of amazing, right? Like, favor and grace and mercy were practically glowing from him.

That's what our father said. And Eve felt it too. They went straight to where he’s been judging them and dropped to their knees, showing him total respect. They both confessed their mistakes and begged for forgiveness. Tears streamed down their faces, watering the ground.

Their sighs filled the air - a sign of genuine sorrow and complete humility. Like, full-on, no-cap regret.