All I saw were bright flashes of red and what felt like everything slowly melting around me. All I heard were cries for help and I couldn’t feel anything, I couldn’t see anything, I couldn’t hear anything. It’s like I died to the red, it’s like I wasn’t an Angel anymore but something far, far worse.

Everything went back to normal quicker than I could blink, it didn’t take me long to realize that I was in the void of my own mind. My real body is probably drifting somewhere in the heavens. I heard something crack, something close to me but not supported by anything solid, I looked behind me and saw a white figure that was trying to climb out of the narrow crack it had created. It was my father, it was completely white with barely any purple undertones, it had long legs, far longer than its torso and its arms looked about the same. The head, while also white, had bright purple eyes, big bright purple eyes, the type of eyes where if you stare at them too long you’d go blind. Practically burrowing in its head were these horns, also white with purple undertones, its horns grew often once it got emotional, mostly anger and frustration but those rare times where I saw them grow from sadness or happiness, those rare times gave me love for my father. It always felt wrong that neither did I or any of the angels in heaven look similar to him, it kept saying that we were its children, that they were children of the light and children of life itself. I often found it hard to believe it because it always felt like I was like an outline, I always felt transparent and simple. All the angels have to hide everything but their head under a cloak, most angels keep their cloak tidy and clean, they treat it like it’s something extraordinary, like it can solve every problem to ever exist but I always saw it as just a piece of cloth, God given piece of cloth but that doesn’t make it something else it’s still just a boring piece of cloth. 

Once my father had climbed out of the crack, he said “Gabriel, what are you doing here?”

“Father” I bowed my head “I apologize, but there was something that took me away from the people!” I raised my head and I saw looks of worry from my father “What took you?” I could feel in its voice that it tried to stay calm and composed but I knew that he was worried, it simply had to be worried for me. “I don’t know, it did not feel like an angel or a human, it was a demon, i’m sure it was a demon” I was practically stuttering at this point “I don’t know what it was, I’m sorry I did not deliver the message father.” I quickly bowed my head again. I’ve always tried to love my father, like I’ve seen children love their fathers on earth, but knowing what my father could do, what my father has done, I can’t stop fearing It. I kept stumbling over my words and repeating everything again and again until my father interrupted me “Gabriel, you understand how important this message is?” It asked with a terrible chill in its voice, a slight raspy chuckle under his cold breath. I tried to stand my ground and stay confident “Yes, father”. It looked at me like I was silently chuckling. “Look, Gabriel '' It started to stutter like it was trying to find the right words like it was on a time limit, I saw its eyes, they were shaking like its mind is moving around faster than it can think. “I don’t think words would mean anything to you, of course I could just explain why the message is important but I know you won’t listen'' It raised it’s voice slowly, becoming less raspy and shrill with each word “I know that you won’t understand the real meaning of the message!”. It calmed down and took a deep breath “I have to show you, I have to show you what’s at stake here.”. I was confused, looking at him like some crazy person, I have never seen it so energetic about anything. Usually it mumbles something under its breath or yells out of anger but this time it was yelling in excitement, all my fear of it practically fell off like broken armor. Before I could even grasp what it said, it opened a portal, a white circle with a light purple spiral that extended beyond the circle, the same colors as its skin and eyes. It quickly grabbed my arm a little bit too tight and threw me through the portal.

The people looked tiny from above, but they didn’t look happy from above. The world looked red, practically burning. It didn’t take long for my father to jump through the portal too, he looked at me and with proud undertones in his voice said “Look, Gabriel, this is the world without their savior and they won’t get a savior if you don’t deliver my message to the people.” I knew it was telling the truth but there was something, it’s strange gloomy voice or its unusual movements. I knew I had to trust my father, it was my obligation, but there was a part of me that rose like a zombie from a grave, I couldn’t trust my father, not this time. “Gabriel” It looked at me strange like I’ve just seen a ghost, “are you okay? I know it’s a huge task but I trust you my son.” There was no time to worry about the truth of my father’s words, all I could say was “I’ll do it, I’ll try again, this time I won’t let anything stop me, I promise.” I couldn’t see it but I felt that it smiled, a warm welcoming smile, it trusted me. I watched the people from above, an angel in the sky, they didn’t seem to notice me at all. I saw these humans living their lives in pure ignorance, hoping that someday, something will work out, something will go their way. Most of them just hope and pray without doing a lot else to solidify their hopes and prayers. Those who try end up engulfed in their work, engulfed in trying to make life better for so long that eventually they stop caring for their lives overall. They keep scratching and clawing their way through time, but they don't bother living their time, they care more about what could happen in the future rather than look at the present and live, truly live. They were misguided and let down by God, by my father. It couldn’t control the people on its own, it needed to birth a new human, pure of sin. What I can’t understand is, why would it need a whole new, pure of sin, human on earth if he has hundreds of already born, already alive, already pure angels. Sure, it’s an honor enough to be the messenger of this “lord and savior”, but why does it not see something greater in me, why does it see me as the middle-man, the messenger. Why does it not see me as the savior? We went back through the portal, back into the void. My father gave me a pat on my shoulder and said “I believe in you son. Don’t let me down again”. I hastily responded “Yes, father!”. It opened another portal, again, headed for earth, but this time the people will be able to hear me and see me. 

Something felt off, like everything around me was slowly melting and turning red, slowly. I floated down slowly, the wind felt sharp, like grains of sand practically shooting into my body. Once I landed my vision went blurry, the ground was rough and painful. The wind grew stronger and stronger and everything hurt, there was no one around, yet I could sense, I could hear people cry, cry for help, yell out nonsensical words, names, and tears. I couldn’t hold myself. I started crying and yelling too. I felt like one of them, one of the thousand sounds and voices echoing endlessly in my head like needles crashing into my soul. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t think anymore, I lost all sight of myself and everything around me. I crumbled on the uneven floor; everything looked red and blurry. I was lost between the voices only getting louder and louder, the sand and needles became sharper with each second. I tried to call for help but I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t yell, I couldn’t breathe. I wished that everything would go back to normal again, I blinked as hard as I could hoping that I could escape but the red kept creeping on me, and I couldn’t run away, I couldn’t even think about running away. I didn’t feel like an angel anymore, I felt my wings burn up and fade away, I felt my halo rotting and breaking. My head felt like it was about to burst open and I felt horns crawl out of my skin. I didn’t feel like myself anymore, I saw a glowing red creature walking peacefully through the storm. It saw me and looked me dead in the eyes as I struggled to even feel a muscle. I whimpered out “Please, Please help me!”. It thankfully heard me, again, peacefully walking over to me. I tried to reach out my hand so the creature could help me, possibly please help me. It leaned over and whispered “Don’t trust it.”. Once I heard those words, once they clicked in my head everything went black.

I woke up. Gasping and thrashing for air I saw my father again. “Back so soon? You didn’t betray me, did you?”. Still blinded by the pain I felt and saw just seconds ago I stuttered “No, no father, father no, you have to believe I- I couldn’t see I couldn’t feel-” I stopped to breathe but my father interrupted me and said “Why? I gave you a simple task Gabriel, I believed in you, I believed that you could say a couple words to one person”. It practically started yelling, the excitement and pride I saw before, all whisked away only to reveal pure rage. “What happened?” It asked, still angry but slowly regaining its calm. “It was all wrong, it was all painful, I didn’t see anything. I swear everything just became one, everything became rough and demonic!” My memory was shooting back to me, “I saw a demon, a demon with huge horns and a pentagram for a face”. I felt my fathers anger quickly disappear, and it was scared. I’ve never seen it scared. “Lucifer.” it muttered under its mouth. “Who?” I asked. “Lucifer!” It raised its voice but not in anger, it raised its voice in fear, true fear. “I- I- An angel, he was an angel I didn’t know he’d come back!”. Slowly backing away I saw its scared eyes and trembling hands. “Gabriel, listen to me, he has to die. You have to kill him!” It yelled with a shakiness in its voice and rapid, almost aggressive, movements. Like it was trying to fight something. I became scared too and yelled “Me? Why do I have to kill him? I'm not a warrior angel.” It stared into my eyes, silently growled and looked away. “He knows where you are, he knows who you are. He knows you can be corrupted and misled.”. I scoffed in disbelief  “He only targeted me because he knew I was about to deliver the message, he tried to stop me.”. “Gabriel, you have to understand that if you don’t deliver the message humanity will go to waste. If  humanity goes to waste everything I have been building for my entire life will go to waste”. I began to question its decisions, clearly it wasn’t thinking logically, it was scared and trying to find the easiest, simplest way to get rid of  Lucifer. “Why can’t you kill him yourself?”. It again stared into my eyes but this time it didn’t look away. “I can’t go down there. Not like this, not in this skin.”. It started whimpering and begging “Please help me Gabriel, please help us all Gabriel.”. I didn’t know how to react, I was scared too, I knew that Lucifer was far more powerful than me. Almost makes me think my father is just throwing me into the ring so I would die. “Yes, father.” I said, now in a tired, empty voice. “Good!” All its fears and doubts left, like the past couple of minutes didn’t even happen. “I will send you down, hell down, Sloth.”. My fears unfortunately didn’t fade away, I was still scared of what might come. “I need you to find Lucifer and kill him, whatever it takes.”. “Yes, father”. It opened another portal and put its hand on my back. “I trust you!” It said, but something in its voice felt like a lie, I didn’t trust it. I walked through the portal without looking back.

END OF VOID/PROLOGUE