Samael opened the door leading into his room and narrowed his eyes at Beelzebub, who was marching before the rooms, interrupting his free time. "What is it?"

"Oh, my lord, I hope that I'm not disturbing you."

"With your stomping, of course, you are."

"Oh." Beelzebub lowered his head, his eyes fixed on the ground.

"Next time, just knock. Now, what is it?"

"Oh, yes." Beelzebub lifted his head. "About the Watchers"

"Yes?" Samael lifted his eyebrows.

Beelzebub cleared his throat. "About their lessons"

"Yes."

"We know that the Shadows who are to learn have already been selected."

Why was it that every time Beelzebub had a request, he had to drag it out of him as if he were trying to dig up the root of a dandelion? "I don't have all day. Just say it already."

"If we could join too?"

"Who is we?" Samael asked.

"Can I gather them in the Throne Hall?"

"Go ahead."

"Thank you, my lord." Beelzebub bowed before he disappeared from Samael's view.

"I guess that means I'm expected in the Throne Hall." Samael sighed and walked across the hallway and down the stairs towards the cave, with his hands folded behind his back, and the long sleeves of his grey robe fluttering with his movement.

When he arrived at the Throne Hall, a group of Shadows were already gathered there. Samael inspected them when he strolled to his throne. He sat on it.

"My lord," Beelzebub said. "These are the Shadows that want to request permission to enter the Fifth Heaven and attend the Watchers' lessons."

"They look human-like," Samael commented. "Why haven't they been chosen in the primary selection?"

"They were afraid they didn't look human enough."

Samael was about to ask why when one of them exposed another face that he had hidden under the fur that he had on his head. "If you can maintain your current appearance, I have no objection."

"Thank you, my lord," the creatures before him chorused.

"Anything else?"

"No, my lord," the Shadows said.

"Actually" Beelzebub lifted his hand.

"You're dismissed," Samael looked at the Shadows before turning his attention to Beelzebub. "What is it? And say it clearly the first time."

"Can I join them?"

Samael narrowed his eyes at Beelzebub, taking in the redness of his skin, the wings, and the horns. He pointed at them, with his finger making a circle motion at them. "Can you camouflage those?"

Beelzebub nodded.

"Show me."

After a moment in which Beelzebub had tightly squeezed eyes and a tensed face, his red skin got lighter and his horns and wings disappeared.

"You can manipulate your energy." Samael clapped. "Well done, Beel. Well done." And he needed only a couple of thousand demonstrations. "I'm so proud."

A smug-looking smile flashed on Beelzebub's face.

A bird-like creature peeked from behind Beelzebub. "He has been practising daily."

Samael had assumed that when he dismissed the creatures, everyone but Beelzebub would leave, but apparently, that wasn't the case. He chose to ignore the bird and instead asked. "What would you like to learn?"

"The art of forging, the art of cosmetics, and the art of writing."

"We teach writing in the education hall, and as for the cosmetic..." Samael gave the Shadow a glance over. "Do you think the angel teaching it would accept you in his group?"

"It's different. They are using a black liquid to write and a thin, light, fabric-like object as a surface," Beelzebub explained, then frowned.

"Yes?"

"Why would an angel refuse to accept me?"

"Well," How can he say that politely, without hurting Beelzebub's feelings, since the big boy was sensitive, and took everything Samael said too seriously? "I assume you're not the average pupil of this kind of lesson."

"Oh, no, no," the bird said. "Majority looks as buff and rough as Beel, if not even more."

"Really?"

Beelzebub and the bird nodded.

"Oh, well then... Go ahead." Samael waved his hand.

"Thank you, my lord." With a big smile on his face, Beelzebub left, the bird following him closely behind.

Samael rubbed his chin. "As buff and rough as Beel, if not even more," he repeated the bird's words. "I need to see this."

A few moments later, he went to the Fifth Heaven. He cloaked himself as soon as he passed the portal so that not even Lucifer could sense his presence. The cloaking wasted a large amount of his energy, but he had a feeling that without the cloaking, as soon as he was near the angels' towers, he would meet Lucifer who was just by chance passing by.

Based on what he had learned from the Shadows, the angel who was teaching about cosmetics was located at one of the five towers, so he flew there. He found the spot, the tent, where the lesson about beautifying was held, and the bird was correct. Most pupils were quite rough-looking. Which made sense. Women who were already beautiful didn't need help in that area.

He observed them for a while, but since it was just them applying colours on their face, it became boring quickly. So, he decided to stroll around the towers. Not much has changed since the last time he was here, except at the tower by the human dwelling.

The previous time he saw it, it was in the daytime and right now; the twilight darkened the sky. At this time, torches lit the platform, and the throne was occupied. An angel sat on it and at its front were barely clad humans. One of them had a head on the angel's lap and the angel's fingers in her hand, while a few humans clung to the angel's legs. Before the platform, a small group formed a circle around two men fighting.

So this is Samyaza, the leader of the Watchers. He didn't see anything special, long brown hair, brown eyes, the glow of the lower-level angel.

Samyaza's gaze, fixed on the fighters, shifted beyond them, and a scowl creased his forehead.

Samael followed the gaze, and he saw the female angel who complained about Samyaza's desire for the throne.

She snorted, spun on her heel, and lifted into the air, leaving behind a trail of dust.

Interesting, Samael thought. He decided to follow her.

The angel didn't fly towards the towers, but sailed beyond them, heading for the looming shadows of the mountain range. When she reached her destination, an abode discreetly nestled just below the mountain top, partially concealed by a stone shelf, Samael learned the Watchers divided into two fractions. One that followed Samyaza, and the one that rejected his leadership.

As Samael hovered above the mountain abode, observing the angels and humans greeting the female angels, he stroked his chin. "What an interesting turn of events. I wonder what Lucifer will do about it?"

#

Samael tenderly stroked the leaves on the small tree set by the platform in his cave. Silver energy flowed from his fingertips into the tree. He took a moment to admire the small apple, one of three adoring the branches. They glowed, their radiance mirroring the tree's bark. "You're thriving beautifully. You're such a wonderful tree. Really wonderful."

A knock echoed against the wood covering the entrance to his cave.

"Yes, such a wonderful tree." Samael straightened and gave a last caressing glance to the tree before he walked to the door. He moved it aside.

Beelzebub made a small bow. "My lord."

"Yes."

"An angel requested your presence."

"Yes." Samael lifted his eyebrows.

Beelzebub scratched behind his ear. "What should I do?"

"Did he introduce himself?"

"Yes."

"What is his name?" Samael asked.

"Oh." A blush spread over the bridge of Beelzebub's nose. "Ummm... Ummm... Something on A."

"You forgot?"

"I'm sorry, my lord, but it's really long. It's the angel we met at the Fifth Heaven, the one who made stone blades."

"Ayinel." It had been a while since he had visited the part of the Fifth Heaven where the Watchers were and even though he had heard some interesting rumours about the power-hungry leader of the Watcher, he hadn't paid them much heed. He was too occupied with his little tree, improving the Seventh Heaven, his regular visits to the lush greenery around the portals, Beelzebub's stalking, and the Shadows' antics. Now that he thought about it and remembered the drama, he witnessed the times he visited that place, he should take time to go there again. It's bound to be exciting.

"No, my lord, the name is longer."

"Just call him Ayinel, the way I do."

"Yes, my lord." Beelzebub made another small bow. "What should I... Should we tell him you refused his entrance or take him to the Throne Hall?"

"Hmm." Samael thought for a moment. "Bring him to the stairway of the bridge. I have something to show him."

Beelzebub bowed again and rushed out of the cave.

Samael followed him, slowly strolling across the hallway and down the stairs, across the hallway again, and then across the bridge.

Ayinel had already waited for him at the foot of the stairs leading to the bridge

"Ayinel, so glad to meet you again. What brings you here?" Samael greeted him, a small smile on his lips.

"Please spare me the pretense of your enthusiasm," the angel said.

"But I am glad to see you. Life can be so boring down here, so guests are quite welcome."

"That's why they had to wait by the portal, seeking permission for entry, right?"

"That's right." Samael nodded. "I'm so glad you understand."

Ayinel rolled his eyes.

"What brings you here?"

Ayinel furrowed his brow. "There are some events happening in the Fifth Heaven."

"Yes, I heard something about it. It's not going that well, is it?"

"Instead of watching over them, they engaged in social interactions with humans, going as far as giving them the knowledge humans were not meant to possess."

"Yes, I heard about it," Samael commented, withholding the information he had seen both with his own eyes.

"No one dares to bring this matter to Lucifer's attention."

"She doesn't know? Are you certain?"

"Yes." Ayinel nodded. "For the last few years, she had devoted herself to crafting a new hymn to celebrate God's love."

"That's not possible. A new hymn or not, she should be aware of it."

"It is possible. I do not know how, though," Ayinel said.

"She doesn't want to know. That's the only explanation. What are you going to do about it?"

"Zelel is thinking about addressing God about it."

"But since the Watchers are Lucifer's little project, you don't know how?" Samael said.

"We don't want to look like we're doing things behind Lucifer's back. Since you've always been good with words, and since Zelel got an impression we're friends—I'm not sure why—she asked if I could visit you and get your advice."

"Is that so?" Samael lifted his eyebrows. "I'm considering demanding a tribute from the Thrones. Any suggestions on what it should be?" He pushed aside the blond curls that hung over his temple.

"Finance matters were never my strong suit. I'm afraid I can't offer any help in that regard," Ayinel replied, crossing his arms.

"Is that so?"

Ayinel narrowed his eyes.

"Walk with me?" Samael gestured for him to follow him as he started walking towards the entrance to the Seventh Heaven. Just a month ago, the black energy over the lake has thickened. It was not that worrying, but... He thought about asking God about it the next time he saw her, but since Ayinel was here, he could use him as a go-in-between.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see." Samael guided him to the darkness at the end of the Sixth Heaven and then through the portal into the greyness of the Seventh Heaven.

"Is this the Seventh Heaven, the prison for the sinful souls?" Ayinel stopped before the bridge that led over the lava river that drew an eight across the space and ended and began at the lava lake with spots of ice. Samael was still gathering the name suggestions for it and the river. And also for the Seventh and Sixth Heaven itself. But those Shadows had no imagination, and all the suggestions Samael received were rubbish like the Lava River, the Lake of Ice and Lava, and the Dark Place.

"Yes. Come on, I want to show you something." Samael gestured for him to follow him as he walked over the arched stone bridge towards the lake. In the decades they had built all seven bridges over the river, replacing all the plank ones, and a small tower by the entrance, half-built by stones and half chipped out from the rock wall surrounding the plain of the Seventh Heaven. The tower served as a break room for the Shadows in charge of the souls.

"What is it?"

Samael remained silent until they reached the lake. He was breathing through his mouth and he kept his breathing shallow, to avoid the unpleasant odour coming from the river and the lake. He pointed at the small dark cloud gathered over the lake. "This."

"What is it?"

"Dark energy. It has been there since I arrived here, but it was just the size of a fist and now, just a few months ago, it doubled and thickened." Samael glanced at him, absently noticing how in the greyness of the Seventh Heaven even Ayinel's white tunic looked light grey. He glanced at the light beige robe that he wore, seeing that it looked grey too.

"Dark energy," Ayinel repeated, frowning. "Ah, yes, the energy from the souls beyond redemption."

"Yes. But divinity doesn't tell me how to disperse it." And except for God, who was the source of divinity, even though he was expelled from the Second Heaven, he, because of his senior status, still had the highest level of access to divinity. "I don't think it knows."

A long moment of silence in which Ayinel's forehead was wrinkled as if he was thinking before he said, "Seven Nephilim died a month ago."

Samael stared at him. He connected with divinity and thus learned about the Nephilim. They were the Watcher's children, hybrids between the angels and humans, the creatures he really must take a closer look at. It seemed that quite a few big things happened in the Fifth Heaven this past year and he wasn't even aware of them. Well, he heard some things, mostly Beelzebub's monologues about the knowledge he learned, which he mostly tuned out, but nothing about the angels' children., just about the wars that humans started to engage in with the weapons that they learned to forge. He had always thought the gift of creation was only given to humans and wasn't even aware angels could procreate. "When Lucifer finds out about this, she will be furious. Well, since he very much doubted she wasn't aware of it, she must already be seething. "What's that got to do with anything?"

"They are not pure creatures."

"So?"

"Their souls, if they had any, could join the dark energy directly." Ayinel glanced at the river and then at the lake before his gaze was back on Samael. "Did you receive any strange souls?"

"We get many strange souls. Wrongdoers aren't exactly what one would consider normal."

"Did any of them look like it could have belonged to a Nephilim?"

"Let's ask." Samael glanced around until his eyes landed on a serpent-like creature who had just brought new souls to the fiery lake. "Hey, you!" When the Shadow's eyes landed on him, Samael told him, "After you take care of the souls, join us, please."

Ayinel glanced around. "This is not a pleasant place."

The souls have been submerged into the lake, some of them willingly, some of them with a shove or a kick before the Shadow walked to them.

"It's a reformatory, a realm where souls get to experience the harm of their own deeds. It is not supposed to be nice." Reformatory... huh... Maybe that's not a bad name for the Seventh Heaven. He would have Beel organising a meeting with the Shadows and seek their opinions. He'd present it as if it were a Shadow's idea, since if they knew it was his idea, they'd readily agree to please him; they were eager to please him, sometimes a bit too much. They were such good Shadows.

While he was thinking, the Shadow must have joined them, since when Samael came out of his musing, the serpent-like creature was already there, and Ayinel was questioning him.

"No, there were no souls who were bigger than the rest," the Shadow said. He turned to Samael. "Is there anything else, my lord?"

"If any such souls do appear, notify Beel about it. Tell the rest."

The Shadow nodded and slithered away.

Ayinel studied the cloud before wings appeared on his back. With shallow flaps of his wings, he lifted and touched it. An expression of pain appeared on his face. He lowered back to the spot beside Samael. "This..."

"Yeah." From his personal experience, Samael knew what Ayinel felt. It was a searing, unrelenting agony that pierced to the very core, akin to a jagged, blunt knife slicing repeatedly. It left you breathless, with a metallic taste on your tongue. It was the anguish and torment inflicted by the souls as they disintegrated into the dark energy.

"I never felt something like that."

"Neither did I." Samael folded his hands behind his back as he turned. He strolled towards the entrance. His step was slow until Ayinel caught out with him. "The creation is resisting integration, and I have no idea of its potential evolution or how to manage it, let alone how the weaker creatures will respond to it."

"Why can't I find any information about it?"

"Divinity is rubbish with important matters." Actually, whenever the knowledge about something wasn't available to him, it meant God herself didn't know, or she wasn't willing to share the information about it.

"Don't let Lucifer hear you."

"It's only a direct link to God, a part of God." With which God was connected with all the living creatures. "Not God herself."

They crossed the portal and walked into the Sixth Heaven. Samael stooped and faced Ayinel. "About the Watchers... God is all-knowing." Samael and the Shadows had been aware of the knowledge of the dark energy through divinity, and so was she. The same applied to the Watchers. Despite being aware of the consequences that the formation of the Watchers would bring, she refrained from taking action and chose to wait, seemingly leaving the resolution of the issue to others, most likely to Lucifer and the angels. She wanted to teach them a lesson. But what kind of lesson Samael had no idea. While Lucifer... Who knows why Lucifer was playing being ignorant. "Let's draw Lucifer out."