Hazbin Hotel: Singed Wings

(Cool cover of Lilith and Lut's conversation. https://youtu.be/7UE44M1u4Ok?si=ArdbhE1pTGiuE3Kq)

Earth, London. 1903.

 October. 18th inst.

"Mrs. Apple." – the same gestures to greet with my halo. "Pleasure to see you again." – I nod, and Mrs. Apple, who still hasn't told me her name, lets me into her empty cottage with the same gestures as before, in the same provocative attire, and probably with the same apple wine.

In some parts of this house, spiders have long settled. These are the servants' rooms or the children's... The main part of the house that is actively used – the kitchen, library, the owners' bedroom, and... the living room.

"Haven't you become the Prince of Hell yet, William?" – another strange question...

This is our fifth meeting, considering our first during the walk with Emily and the second. But this question has already been asked for the second time.

"Not yet, Mrs. Apple, as you can see." – I spread my wings, to which she only offers a forced smirk. "But I would like to know how you are doing..." – I lean closer, settling into the chair with practiced movements next to the coffee table that Mrs. Apple skillfully attends to.

Her movements are polished down to the smallest details. Nothing superfluous, only grace and efficiency.

"Oh, you know, today, before your arrival, those people from the mafia came again..." – she begins another tale from her strange life. "...They were so eager to take some documents on my land, but now I need to find a place to bury several bodies and talk to the police..."

Mrs. Apple is definitely not possessed, neither by a demon nor by Sin. She is not a fallen angel, the only one currently managing Hell. She is not some form of an "Evil" angel.

Mrs. Apple is Eve, the Mother of Humanity.

It took two more meetings to prove this, but now...

I don't even know what to do with this information.

"...And that's why, Mr. Capone, that immigrant from Italy, along with his 'gang,' started to respect my kindness and learned which line is best not to cross." – Mrs. Apple quietly recounted while my head nodded in agreement.

We were both not listening to each other, lost in our thoughts; we engaged in dialogue simply out of politeness toward one another.

...Now, I need to decide what to do with this. Technically, I've found Eve, but even Adam doesn't know what to do with her.

Eve couldn't just be overlooked, or found but managed to hide successfully. If I try to arrange a meeting between husband and wife, I risk losing contact with Eve altogether.

I have one chance, so I must checkmate in this small game in one move.

***

December. The 18th.

"Mr. William! How nice to see you alive again." – everything repeats, down to the smallest of our movements.

We met again, entered her living room again, and once more Mrs. Apple sets the table and starts the dialogue. We are once again discussing unusual topics. Now, I'm not even sure about my decision to continue attending these meetings.

"...Did you see that remarkable event, the Wright Brothers' performance? Simply a wonderful milestone for aerodynamics..." – she casually touches on a truly fascinating event.

"Certainly, I was most impressed by the concept and method for combining bird anatomy and mechanics..." – I nod in agreement, diligently maintaining this meaningless dialogue.

If I were alive, I would surely be delighted, but...

The Wright Brothers tested their prototype aircraft in North Carolina. That's the USA. We are in England, London. Yet, Eve-Apple describes the event as if she witnessed it firsthand, and I believe her, knowing she's capable of even more.

Her abilities are a mystery. I don't know if they're akin to Adam's powers or if the Fruit endowed her with various strengths.

Damn it, even the story of Cain, which I'm starting to believe more readily, could have been real, and Eve changed because of her firstborn.

I need to come up with a solution regarding this strange woman as soon as possible. Ideally, I want to retain access to her knowledge and meetings, which, while mad and strange, are a different source of information.

***

Earth, planetary orbit. 1905.

Space.

No matter what priests or others say, the Earth is a sphere. Rather, it's a flattened sphere, to put it simply.

After my fifteenth meeting with Eve last year, we both decided to take a break from each other. I don't know about her—though she probably doesn't care—but I need to restore my sanity from her stories that somehow slip through my mental defenses.

What a strange woman, yet Adam describes her as the sweetest and kindest person...

Shaking my head, I turn my gaze back to the slowly rotating sphere. Now, hovering above the planet, still within its atmosphere, I could fully see the surface of the Cradle of Humanity.

Peacefully gliding through space, adjusting my course with the flaps of my released wings, remaining in place.

"Life is truly beautiful, and humanity, despite its sins and flaws, is remarkable." – a thought that prompted me to take a little break from all my acquaintances and loved ones, just to be alone for a while.

People have long wallowed in sin. There is no other opinion on this matter. All data points to an increasing trend of negative growth. In a hundred years, of all the dying people, more than half will be cast into Hell.

A dreadful picture for Heaven.

"And this is not the limit; what will happen in another hundred years… What will it be like in a couple of centuries?" – a new grim thought made me shake my head.

Can Seraphim really just decide to wipe out humanity? "The Last Judgment," "Ragnarök," or some other name denoting the time when the Supreme Council finally resolves to take active measures.

According to the Bible, Christ will simply take all people out of Hell, at least those who follow him, and just... leave with God.

The main punishment, harsher than what souls usually contemplate. People will not suffer; they will not be judged for eternal torment or bliss; it's much simpler.

One day, they will simply be abandoned to their fate. And people will know that they cannot enter Heaven. God, along with Heaven and the angels, will simply leave them, and they will know it. The worst of possible punishments.

The sun was on the other side of the planet, hovering over the ocean and part of the USA.

"Unfair."

God will even leave Lucifer, for Hell will remain as it is.

I may have died long ago, but I still consider myself human.

"I want to help."

My main project. The most important one of this millennium. I want to help humanity guarantee its passage to Heaven. To make it so that God forgives them, so that no one else falls into this trap called Hell. No one deserves such punishments.

"If you end up in Hell, you have no chance to redeem yourself; you are doomed to death." – the general conclusion from most studies of the Heavens. If someone wants to change this fact, dramatic actions are needed; one must ask the simplest questions and seek answers to them.

So how can humanity be saved from itself?

Change human nature.

But how? This question occupied my stream of consciousness.

A wonderful relationship with Sera, who calmly accepted the fact that Emily wants to experiment. Maybe she doesn't know the details, but she gave her blessing for Emily to express her feelings, which made the little one cling more actively, purring and nuzzling like a cat...

Even Adam's jokes no longer irritate me as they once did.

I've found myself a problem again that keeps me awake at night. Now I simply can't stop thinking about the inevitable Judgment.

Sera spoke of some Seraphim from the Supreme Council, whose names were never mentioned, who hold a bias against humans. They are the ones who will initiate the Judgment.

I don't know if God exists; he might simply not be real, and all of this could be Metatron, but...

I just want to know.

It's time to be honest. At least with myself. I just want to realize a project that could touch all of humanity. Let it be true that I want to help people.

Who, if not me?

Right. I managed to create the Weaving, I could use the Ether in ways not every Seraphim can, so I can try to actually do something.

Neither Adam, nor Eve, nor Lucifer. They are guardians of ancient knowledge, and it's not certain that Lucifer has developed as a mage. Though he is a Seraphim, he is not omniscient or omnipotent. He certainly has his flaws, and his level can be reached not only by sheer power.

I must do something.

But right now, I have no idea what.

Earth, Moon. Christmas 1914.

"Wow... People can indeed surprise you. Pleasantly surprise, for the sake of diversity." – a quick thought in my mind shattered the absolute silence of the Moon's vacuum. "Though some, as always..."

The desert of white stone stretched across the visible horizon. Craters, solar winds, lunar dust—requiring a separate weaving, lest it rub the skin into ichor.

No sounds, no wind, nothing but absolute silence, which helped me detach from what was happening on Earth.

Soldiers of the Great War. A war to end all wars. The first grand war that will besiege humanity in this century. It is destined to be brutal and bloody; only after this will people, through their blood, create new rules for warfare and a better morality. The war must be cruel and relentless, but...

But Christmas... Some soldiers in the trenches decided to lay down their rifles and hold a joint celebration to bury the dead and commemorate this sacred holiday.

Across the front line, soldiers are trying to do this, one side then the other. Some succeed, others don't. If we forget about all the instances where those wishing for a truce were simply shot, this sight... makes one believe in humanity again, that it still has a chance for redemption...

The war, the bloodiest in human history, has already claimed countless lives and takes souls daily, which is why Sera even sent me to assist the First Circle, assigning me the task of coordination and automation.

Helping souls, their purification, a more adequate "sorting" of souls... An excellent experience for my future Project. No.

A plan.

A plan that will help people, a plan where they won't be abandoned, where they will become something greater.

I lack precision; I need more information from Eve and Sera. Perhaps I'll even ask Emily to gather something from the other Seraphim, whom Sera keeps in their apartments, justifiably wishing to spare Emily's soft heart from the horrifying images of the mental health of souls arriving in Heaven... The departments of Raphael will be processing this for the next five years, that's for sure.

Sera is busy, only small affections and no sex, which... is disappointing. Emily is concerned about the souls and... wants to sneak out and talk, to gather statistics, so that I can... teach her to my own detriment.

Now I'll have to arrange for her to pass, as well as filter the souls and their traumas, so Emily can manage them without...

Ah, the Cosmos... Just Silence and Peace. No wars or processing, even considering my weavings for documents; without them, everything would be much worse. Thoughts flowed through my mind as usual.

...I managed to get my family abroad, to neutral Sweden, where they "conveniently" found a villa by the shore of a small village, where everyone knows each other and stands by one another, not revealing their... And "what a coincidence," it turns out our grandparents lived here, and the locals remember them fondly...

My family, including my sister's family, who didn't know about me, didn't ask unnecessary questions. After all... I don't know if they will definitely make it to Heaven.

Maybe the very attempt to "cheat" the system to enter Heaven is doomed to fail, and the one wishing may just be cast into Hell...

Until I learn how to securely send a soul to Heaven, I won't risk the souls of my loved ones.

And anyway, if it's such a...

The Cosmos and vacuum. Tranquility and observing the souls. Assisting the First Circle. Silence.

I read that in a vacuum, a person hears only their organs and the movement of blood, while an angel... hears nothing physical, but the Weaving... the music of the Moon, the music of the Earth, and the Song of War...

Either I've completely lost my mind from the Ether, or I somehow managed to hear a pattern in the vibrations of the tiniest energies... This is strange even by angelic standards, even Adam's, even Eve's.

By the way, about Eve... I've had an idea for a good attempt at an honest conversation, especially if my observations during organized attacks and "accidents," when she needed to use her powers, are true...

Earth, London. 1917.

The silence of the dungeon was only broken by the clinking of chains on the arms of a woman, excessively tall even by the standards of recent fashion, with her more liberal views on female appearance. Her beautiful black hair, the beauty of which was not marred even by a lack of proper care, and her flawless skin, a shade slightly darker than that of a corpse, perfectly suited this lovely maiden.

Tattered rags, which once were a beautiful dress, now merely covered her naked body, still just as lovely as if she had not been beaten or suppressed by the energy of the Ether. All injuries had healed, and the woman seemed not to even notice these trifles, though she certainly felt the process of regeneration.

Eva, the First Mother, the Second Woman, was now shackled in chains that were secured to the walls. Her eyes were closed, but she was not sleeping. Rather, she seemed to have frozen in some sort of meditation…?

"Eva, Mother of Humanity." The soft yet simultaneously rough voice was like an explosion in the quiet night. "Mother of Defiance and bearer of Original Sin." The figure was hidden in the shadows, behind the bars of the cell, the rods glowing with an unnatural blue light.

Eva grimaced, lazily opening one eye.

"Are you really going to list all my achievements during this time?" Eva tilted her head mockingly. "Because if so, I would advise you to prepare a chair, as this will take a Long Time, angel." Her voice was empty, and only at the last word did a shadow of emotion appear in it—irritation.

"Besides." Eva glanced at the chains binding her wrists and fastening them to the wall, which also glowed with strange light and symbols. "If you wanted to start Such games, you could have just asked." Eva smiled a parody of a smile. "My safe word is 'Moses,' and I prefer wax and rope, not chains…"

Bdum!

A strike from the frying pan, the very one she had used to cook food for this ungrateful angel. That bastard had decided to completely disgrace her. Eva valued little in this period of her life. That frying pan had been forged in ancient Rome, where she had been Venus or Vesta… Eva had already forgotten those silly names.

"We're not playing these games, definitely not with someone who hasn't been tested for STDs in thousands of years," the figure, which she couldn't make out in the darkness behind the bars, lazily remarked.

But how did he hit her on the head with her own frying pan if he was behind bars?

"I really wanted to try something new in bed…" Eva whined. She couldn't see it, but she definitely felt Angel's eyelid twitch.

"If you insist on these games, you'll eat my special Omelet with Ratatouille…" Angel drawled sweetly, and Eva…

"I DON'T WANT OMELET WITH RATATOUILLE!" Eva screamed, jumping in place. For the first time in their dialogue, pure panic resonated in her voice.

"If the prisoner refuses to cooperate, then she will have Omelet…" the voice became sharper as Angel stepped closer to the bars.

"Fool! I will never cooperate with an angel!" Eva's voice was empty again.

"Then you will eat Omelet!" the figure insisted, but she was quite something herself.

"No! Anything but Omelet!" Eva tried to inject some urgency and fear into her voice. Apparently, she failed.

"Will you cooperate?" the voice became soft again, and two glowing blue points emerged from the darkness, likely Angel's eyes.

"Fool! I will never cooperate with an angel!" Eva enjoyed repeating the same thing. William disliked these repetitions, and his reactions were so amusing… At least something.

"…" Vergilius rubbed his nose, and the basement echoed with a heavy sigh. "Damn, does it really give you pleasure to provoke someone who can hurt you very badly?" The voice seemed filled with genuine concern for his interlocutor's mental state. Or so it seemed.

Eva smirked.

"Is such a big boy unable to handle a tall and sexy woman?" Now Eva's tone was genuinely playful. She was starting to enjoy their game. "You know the rules: I provoke – you punish~" Her seductive voice was unnaturally full of emotion. Eva's eyes turned red, as Vergilius noticed.

The frying pan hit.

"Oh! Just like that, huh!" The quiet laughter didn't match the sound of breaking bones. A blow that could kill an ordinary person only amused the captive. They both sighed, starting a new round.

"We can continue this clowning for a couple of days until you get tired of it and it becomes a new torture." Seeing the chained woman's lack of reaction, Vergilius approached from another angle. "And for all these days, you will eat my Omelet…" he casually remarked, leaning against the bars.

"You piece of trash." The woman hissed. Eva sighed. "At least feed Mrs. Harris…" Eva wearily lowered her head.

"Mrs. Harris?" Vergilius tilted his head in surprise. "That's…" The angel seemed to listen to something that wasn't in the room but was… "One of your three cats?"

"Damn." Eva replied tiredly. "Yes, well done, you uncovered one of my dark secrets – I love cats, what's next?" For the first time in their dialogue, Eva sounded genuinely irritated.

"I'm surprised that the Mother of Humanity, after so many years of exile and shame, has opened her heart to such trivialities…" Vergilius smirked as he saw Eva's eye twitch.

"So you really skipped history class on your little clouds, didn't you?" Eva hissed venomously, anger hidden behind her already rehearsed monotone. "Don't you know the fable about the Foolish Eva, who fell for the lies of the two biggest idiots of Creation?" Now, nothing could conceal the hatred in her voice.

"I'm just surprised that despite such blows of fate, Eva the First Mother continues to care for her descendants and creations," Vergilius softly replied. Eva sighed. "Tell me, who invented cats? Were the females or males first?" His genuine curiosity needed no feigned expression. Vergilius always kept a few sheets ready with questions on "What to ask an ancient being."

For instance, if Vergilius ever met Lilith, and if their dialogue unfolded, he would want to verify Adam's words about her… preferences in bed. Just to see the face of the First Woman.

"…It was Adam's gift," Eva quietly replied, her voice drifting far into the past. "He saw how much I liked lions and tigers, so he, along with Uriel, created these cuties." A small, almost imperceptible smile illuminated Eva's face. The bags under her eyes seemed to smooth out, her pupils turned blue, and her skin gained a healthier hue.

"I love cats," Vergilius nodded in agreement. "I've always preferred them over dogs, no matter how useful those four-legged creatures might be; cats are simply cuter and more interesting." Eva nodded.

"Adam invented dogs, developing the idea of wolves," Eva said quietly.

"Weren't dogs bred from wolves, from the friendliest ones to humans?" Eva looked at the angel with confusion as he tilted his head, trying to make out the shapes in the darkness.

"…Honestly, I never really cared about that," Eva said as if discovering something new for herself. The melancholy receded for a moment, leaving only pure curiosity. "I always thought dogs were the same, just bred for different purposes." Eva nodded her head as if confirming her thoughts. "Enos never said otherwise…"

"I think you were just played," Vergilius gently noted, to which Eva nodded in agreement.

"How dare those scoundrels fool their loving mother?!" Eva exclaimed indignantly, tugging at her chains as she rose from her seat. "Would you joke like that with your poor loving mother?" She turned to the angel, who shook his head.

"I would never dare." Eva nodded in agreement, not noticing the amused tone of her companion.

"But those scoundrels had the audacity to lie to their Mother!" She slammed her hands against the wall, leaving small cracks. "You, my distant—distant—distant—distant…"

"I understand," Vergilius nodded.

"…Distant descendant, you're a good son for telling your great-great-great-great-great-great…"

"That little brat is enjoying this," Vergilius thought as he patiently awaited the end of the lengthy generational list. He counted around ten centuries. Eva picked up speed toward the end.

"…Great-grandmother!" Eva nodded her head. "Well, you know what to call me for that, so I allow you to use my name!" As if sitting on a throne, Eva majestically closed her eyes, straightening her back sharply. A small piece of clothing shifted, exposing part of her chest, which neither of them noticed.

"…" Vergilius remained silent.

"…" Eva continued to maintain her posture, a bead of sweat appearing on her forehead.

In one swift motion, Vergilius pulled a small stack of documents from under his coat, and Eva's eyes widened in horror. "Catherine Albero Greenwood—" Vergilius extended the name, savoring it.

"AAAAAAAH!" Eva screamed, her voice echoing through the basement and making the walls tremble. Vergilius had to weave a spell to protect his ears.

"You're only fifteen, and you're the heir to the ancient and noble house of Greenwood?" Vergilius asked mockingly, flipping through the documents.

"It was just a whim and a joke, and this body had serious hereditary issues!" Eva replied, her voice strained.

"What about this work record showing ten years of experience at the 'Peppé' bakery in West London?" A note of interest crept into his voice.

"It's a great pizzeria, the best in town, thanks to my services!" Eva struck her fists against the wall, causing a small tremor. With a wave of his hand, light blue symbols appeared on the walls.

"I'm not disputing that; I've been there myself, but I didn't know the Second Woman cooked those wonderful Italian dishes." Eva sighed heavily.

"Just the First Mother, please." Eva's face twisted. "'Second Woman' doesn't sound as cool or grand." Now her voice resembled that of a child.

"Especially when there are other books here with records of labor." At Vergilius's words, Eva groaned.

"Damn it, fine, just kill me already and let's end this." Eva's voice became empty again, her posture slumping.

"So eager to meet your death? Do you really rush to Hell?" The documents vanished in blue threads, and Vergilius leaned back against the bars.

" If only..." Eva sighed. - "To meet Lily and punch her in the fuckin' face," Eva spread her fingers out, counting. - "Find that faggot Luci and rip his wings off. It won't help, but it'll make me feel good." - Two fingers rose from her fist. - "If they have kids, kill them in front of those scumbags." - Third finger, pinky. - "Make a pogrom in the Circles, preferably killing all the Sinners that will live there." - the ring finger rises. - "Dissolve in the Flames of Hyena, preferably without being reborn as a demon or otherwise continuing my existence." - Eve sighed heavily.

"But it's just...," she shook her head. "Just a to-do list, in case I ever end up in Hell instead of taking another soul's fate..." Her voice was full of regret. Eva perked up, listening to the silence... Was that bastard writing something?!

"Whatever," Eva shrugged.

"So, after the death of a human body, you just reincarnate into a new one? With some interval or immediately?" Eva didn't quite understand, but this angel somehow pushed aside two bars of her cage as if they were mere curtains. The metal was fine, just glowing blue at the ends.

"I stopped counting after the thousandth reincarnation." Eva shrugged. "Could be immediate, could take a couple of years. No idea."

"In recent centuries, transitions happen almost immediately?" At Virgil's new question, Eva sighed.

"I'm not a perfect being with a perfect memory; I don't keep track of this crap." Eva burned the angel with her gaze. "I'm not interested in such nonsense. Especially since it's always very painful." Eva finished quietly, and Virgil sighed.

"I apologize, Eva." The woman shrugged.

"No problem." Eva replied.

"Thank you." Virgil smiled gently.

"Thanks." Eva smiled tightly.

Silence.

"...What were you working as when you bought those books from me...?" Eva started uncertainly. She tried to recall more about it, but nothing came to mind except for the sale that led to tragedy—the explosion of the house a couple of years later.

Eva had laughed heartily back then, but now she was curious about something else.

"Meh." Eva's eyelid twitched; she recognized that characteristic tone. "My sister's family sent money while I helped them with magic." The angel shrugged, her white hair becoming noticeable as Eva's eyes adjusted to the darkness.

"Is that really enough for housing and maintaining a good plot?" Eva was interested in the topic of household management and housing issues. She was tired of people constantly changing laws in this area lately.

"I had savings from work; that should have lasted at least until fifty-five..." Virgil tapped his finger against his cheek. "Plus, some people in the city, usually the most important and wealthy, knew about my research, which is why I had 'magically,'" Virgil smirked, and Eva sighed painfully. "Some funds would appear." He closed his eyes. "And what about you?"

"Meh." Eva exactly repeated Virgil's earlier intonation. His eyes widened. "It's enough, plus I occasionally help people in the city. With advice, cooking, shelter." Eva tilted her head back.

"Wasn't it after eating the Fruit...?" Eva flinched as if struck. "Did you not become more... emotional?" Eva grimaced.

"That was just an apple; what mattered was that it was a Symbol." Eva sighed. "I don't know what they say about 'The Knowledge of Good and Evil,' but in the end, that damned apple became my brand that replaced my heart." Virgil's eyes widened. "Blood doesn't flow through my veins; instead, there are just roots that torment me and my soul every time I leave an old shell."

"...It's terrible. How do you endure that pain?" Virgil asked, somehow not losing his tone.

"After the hundredth or thousandth time, you get used to it. The pain doesn't change; it just moves to the edge of consciousness. The main thing is not to focus on it." Eva closed her eyes, leaning against the wall. "Any more questions?" She tilted her head.

"...Tell me what you want?" The bars of the cage shifted even further apart. "Having gone through all this, without the ability to end it, do you wish for..."

"Damn." Eva took a deep breath, moaning painfully.

"...Release, peace?" Ignoring the woman's whimpering, Virgil continued.

"... Eva lowered her head, pretending to snore. Loudly.

"Eva." She didn't respond.

"Eva." No effect on the woman.

The sound of a clap and...

"No, I'm not going to..." Eva looked at Virgil. "Damn, already." She dropped her shoulders. "You want to help me like the best and kindest little angels, bring me to God, and set me on the right path?" Eva asked irritably.

"...Yes?" Virgil extended, leaning closer to the woman. Eva sighed, her voice becoming tired.

"Listen, you're not the first one trying." Eva's eyes turned red. "Seraphim, one of them for sure, tried; he genuinely tried, even sacrificed part of his powers and one pair of wings, but nothing." Another heavy sigh.

"Was this Seraphim by any chance named Demiurge?" The sounds of feathers writing on paper intensified, and Eva shivered irritably.

"Demi, Duarg, or something like that; I have no idea. I forgot about him when he just waved his hand, not even trying to deliver my messages to God!" Eva exhaled angrily, releasing a small puff of smoke.

"How do you know he didn't deliver?" Virgil asked with a strange intonation. Eva irritably jerked her hand.

"William. Your name is William, Angel?" Eva's tone suddenly became more friendly.

"Virgil. William is an earthly name." Virgil replied softly.

"I don't care, Vitalik."

"Virgil."

"Vitalik." Eva insisted, smirking as she looked at the angel's twisted face. "You could be a great angel; maybe you even sleep with the whole Heaven; I don't care." Eva shrugged.

"With two Seraphim and a couple of Archangels." In response to this, Eva whistled in surprise.

"Alright. That's respectable." Eva nodded, quickly changing her tone. "Are they young, or is there someone among the First?"

"One is young, and one is from those who tended to Earth during the time of Eden." Virgil shrugged.

"Oh?!" The malice faded, leaving only genuine interest. "What's it like to love and sleep with a Seraphim?" Eva's eyes turned blue again, and a light playful smile appeared on her face.

"They don't know our customs and intimate games; you have to constantly explain the details and take the first step." Virgil shrugged as Eva listened attentively. "Of course, once you show them, they will try to mimic and act, because Seraphim weren't born for this; it's literally beyond their Duty and Responsibilities. It's even kind of cute." Virgil smiled gently, to which Eva approvingly hummed.

"Very interesting... So, what was I saying?" Eva asked, looking into her captor's eyes.

"You didn't care." Virgil suggested, and Eva nodded.

"True... I don't care about your moralizing and other nonsense." Eva frowned at Virgil. "I've long accepted my fate, accepted the loss of my children, accepted that my beloved husband..." Eva grimaced painfully, tears welling in her eyes. "My most precious thing in this damn Universe—he abandoned me, stopped searching."

Virgil couldn't see, but he could feel Eva's emotions. She wasn't expressing them outwardly, but inside... a whole hurricane of feelings, fear, and resentment, all mixed together...

"...Your children, for sure up to the fifth generation, are in Heaven." Virgil said quietly, but that was enough for Eva.

"What?" Eva whispered in shock.

"I don't know if all of them are your children; Adam doesn't speak of it." Virgil looked away while Eva watched every movement of his lips intently. "But I definitely saw about five generations of your children and their children. I don't know exactly how many you had... But they're in Heaven, safe. As Adam said, a Seraphim named Demiurge helped him, and then he disappeared." Eva's eyes widened in astonishment.

"... Eva lowered her head, lost in thought.

"Adam is searching for you." Eva slightly lifted her head, glancing at the angel through her fallen hair. "He's still looking, but he thinks you don't want to be found. He almost gave up and just wants you to find peace." Virgil raised his hand, which ignited with golden flame. "It's thanks to the power he gave me to find you that I was able to get so close and stun you."

"You deceived my feelings..." Eva whispered quietly, closing her eyes.

"Eva." The woman did not react. "I don't wish you harm; none of the Seraphim likely do. Damn, maybe Heaven has truly given up, considering you a failure long ago, but I want something different." Eva's eye slightly opened, locking onto Virgil. He shrugged.

"I want to help people, help you." Virgil pointed a finger at her. "Heaven may have chosen stagnation; their approach may not be ideal, but I want to change that, at least partially." Eva smirked sarcastically.

"You?" Eva tilted her head back, her hair nearly hiding her face. "A simple Angel-Archangel who wants to change the gears of the Universe? You alone can never do what the Second Seraphim couldn't, and he was stronger and better than you." Eva retorted venomously.

"Alone—no, but if I have help, then I might have a chance." Eva fixed her gaze on Virgil. "If the One Bearing the Mark of God helps me, whatever she may be, then I can come up with something."

They both fell silent. The quiet was broken by the crackling of the plaster on the walls, which occasionally crumbled where Eva had struck, and the bars that had been pushed aside returned to their place. Eva could see the halo of the Archangel; a simple Angel couldn't have such a form, and she... felt something was off. There was definitely something wrong with this Archangel.

"Who the hell are you to violate God's Law and Design?" For the first time in their acquaintance, Eva's voice was filled with anger. "What right do you have to pity me, the Accursed Woman, the Original Sin, and desire the salvation of my soul when God Himself has cursed me to this fate?" Eva hissed venomously.

"Right?" Virgil replied in the same angry tone. "What right should an Angel have to save souls, to offer Forgiveness to lost sheep, to help a poor woman?" Eva was equally surprised by the genuine anger in Virgil's voice, not directed at her but at... Heaven? "To help correct all those mistakes, all those 'anomalies' in Creation that arose after the Fall of Man, to help a woman who does not deserve all the punishment that has been placed upon her!" Virgil almost shouted, astonishing Eva even more.

"A simple woman who was as innocent as a child, who knew neither deceit nor malice, who loved her loving husband, and when she was deceived, when she was used for someone else's purposes, she was simply thrown to the side, left to suffer in silence, forced to witness all the horrors of humanity for a simple, childish mistake?!" Virgil struck the bars of the cage, causing the room to shake and cracks to appear afterward. Eva flinched warily.

"Such a mistake would deserve punishment, yes, but not like this!" Virgil exhaled loudly, calming down, and then continued more calmly. "I want to help; I have unconventional thinking for an ancient angel, I possess unconventional knowledge. I am a Human. A creation of God that has yet to reveal its potential in the Design." His white-blue eyes, with cracked glass in them, looked into her tired blue ones. "I want to help you and correct this injustice. I want to at least do that. I want you to be reunited with your husband and children so that you do not suffer for the mistakes of others while being simply used."

Eva sighed heavily, falling silent. Virgil did not look away from her until finally...

"...Let me tell you a tale." Eva began quietly. "About Eva, the Second Woman." Virgil turned to listen, the sounds of writing intensified.

"Eva was born from the rib of the First Man, as his complement, as his closest part." The story was accompanied by the soft sound of chains as Eva moved her hands. "They loved each other; they built a World, their Kingdom; they prepared to fulfill their Duties in God's Design!" Eva spoke with strained joy. "They achieved nothing." She finished bleakly.

"One day, one evening, a beautiful Seraphim came to her with the First Woman behind him. He offered her a gift—'Free Will.'" She spoke the last phrase as if parodying someone's words. "She, naive and foolish, kind Eva, decided to accept this offer from a Creation of God, for He cannot lie or withhold the truth!" Eva said mockingly. "The fool even wanted to offer it to her husband, who protected her from the wrath of the Seraphim, God, and Those Two." Eva smiled gently, but the smile disappeared instantly. "And then they Fell." She added darkly.

Virgil did not interrupt, listening intently, his eyes and thoughts memorizing every detail, even the tone of the tale.

"Eva and Adam did not give up." Eva began with strained joy. "They thought that if Adam did not eat the Fruit, with his help they could fix everything, that their children, maybe even Eva herself, could return to Eden, perhaps even to Heaven. They told this to their children, they taught them this, they spread this knowledge among their descendants." Eva smiled tightly. "And then, Adam died." She said in a heavy voice. "Eva was much younger than Adam, but she too experienced Death and Sickness. She sat and witnessed the death of her children; she weakened and could no longer say that they would definitely go to Paradise. She didn't want to deceive her children." Eva continued with a frown.

"And then, Eva died," Eva said monotonously. "And you know the rest." Eva's eyes turned red as she looked into the mirror of blue energy of Vergilius.

"...Maybe I only know part of it, but none of us know the end of this story," Vergilius gently suggested, but he was interrupted by a sharp exclamation.

"Go to hell with your optimism!" Eva screamed bitterly, taking a heavy breath and adjusting her shoulders. Each of her movements was accompanied by the clanking of chains.

"You don't know what it's like – to watch your children die, knowing they could have been immortal. You don't know what it's like – to look at the bodies of children after the Flood, when all your prayers bring nothing but even greater Wrath. You don't know the pain of a mother who can never know the fate of her children!" Eva cried hoarsely, a few tears streaming down her face.

"Where there used to be stability and love – I deprived myself of that, succumbing to the temptations of Evil and Lucifer," Eva continued tiredly. "Where I could once find peace in my children – there are only corpses and nightmares, where every voice asks 'why?!' and I can't answer, I can't help my children." Eva struck the chains against the wall again. "My story has no happy ending, no open finale or 'happily ever after.'" Eva whispered softly. "I can't help the children of my children; I don't know how." She shook her head. "I have to cling to the remnants of my humanity to remain myself." She lowered her head more firmly.

"I... I can't be that loving woman anymore, the one who helped Adam forget his pain and move on," Eva sighed heavily. "I can't be human anymore." Small tears dripped from her eyes onto the floor; Eva sniffled but quickly composed herself.

"My only hope, the one that remains – is to surrender to the void of madness and hope that I won't have to feel all the pain I feel now," Eva whispered gloomily. "And hope that in madness, I can find my peace and stop my consciousness."

"Peace is never found in madness and in refusing to understand yourself, not when you give up," Vergilius said firmly, straightening up.

"Maybe," Eva shrugged indifferently, the sound of chains accompanying her. "But that's all I have left." She said with emptiness in her voice.

"...If you truly believe that, then that loving woman is indeed dead," Vergilius said in a calm, gentle voice. Eva tiredly lifted her gaze to him. "The roots will poison your soul, nourished by it, and turn you into a monster, which is how you will die." Vergilius said firmly, looking into Eva's red, weary eyes.

"But if you choose differently..." Eva's eyes widened, and she took a sharp breath. "If you decide to look within yourself again and find the remnants of that Woman who could forgive the First Murderer..." Vergilius smiled softly. "If you open your heart again and try to find another way, then..." With a wave of his hand, the symbols on the shackles, walls, and bars began to shimmer. Eva's blue eyes looked on in astonishment, caught between them and the Archangel's face.

"You may have a chance to escape." The symbols disappeared, and with another gesture, the door of the cell began to open. "A chance to end this nightmare that has lasted ten thousand years." Vergilius stepped into the cell, the heavy echo of his footsteps like thunder in the silence of the dungeon. "A chance to finally find peace, a chance to meet your children and husband again." Vergilius's soft smile and calm voice... soothed her, strangely soothed her.

"You just need to stand up again and make perhaps your very first choice in life." Vergilius quietly chuckled. "Your choice."

Eva looked into Vergilius's eyes. She blinked, lowered her gaze, and then smirked.

"...You're not the first one who wants to use me in your machinations, calling it 'Free Will,'" Eva shook her head, and Vergilius's smile faltered. "But you are the first to offer a worthy alternative to my miserable existence." Eva smirked, to which Vergilius simply snapped his fingers.

The chains fell to the floor with a clank as Eva rubbed her wrists. She stood up, being slightly shorter than Vergilius.

"So what now, Son?" A soft smile appeared on her face, the first genuine one Vergilius had seen during their acquaintance, perhaps the first real smile from this woman in several hundred years.

Vergilius laughed quietly.