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marshmallowprotection · 2 years

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Gardenia, et tu Polaris

Pairing: Choi Saeran/Reader, 707 | Choi Luciel/Reader

Description: Would you risk your soul to save someone you love? Would you give your eternal life if it meant that they could survive? For Saeran and Luciel, that isn’t a hypothetical question, and these twins torn apart by Heaven and Hell have no one to blame but themselves. Will the stars guide them back to life’s bountiful garden, or will they taste hellfire before they know what it means to have faith in something real?

Saeran x Reader 1 & Seven x Reader 2 [There are two Separate Readers. Choose your path.]

Word Count: 8180

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[Read On AO3]

Chapter Thirteen

“Saeyoung…”

You were at a loss for words.

What were you supposed to say when you realized that the person that you were falling in love with was a supernatural being? What were you supposed to do when they whispered the truth in your ears? What were you supposed to think when he admitted that he had been watching over you for a long time because he worried for your safety.

After all, your kindness made you susceptible to the worst in the world because you trusted so easily?

Trembling, shaking, quaking, and unable to think straight. The only thing that you could do was hold onto Saeran as the glass shattered around your feet and brace yourself for the impact that he protected you from. You thought that you were going to die all over again, but it never came. The only pain that you could feel was the shock of almost losing your life. You looked up to see if he was okay but you were taken back by the sight of his true form. Saeran was glowing like the sun in front of you. His red curls were bathed with the glow of a halo that seemed to quiver just as he was.

You could feel the tickle of soft feathers against your body, too. Your eyes trailed from the look on his face to the rest of him. Saeran had blanketed you in a sea of feathers to protect you from any harm that could’ve come to you. Those were wings that he owned. They were an extension of his body. Saeran wasn’t human. It took seconds to make sense of that thought, but it was right in front of you. The truth that explained everything that you had felt conflicted about since you’d met him. The explanation that had been on the tip of your tongue but still so far away from your reach.

Saeran was an Angel.

He was the one that had been looking out for you since the day that your miracle happened. It was why you were so drawn to him from the start. You knew in your heart that he was the one who made you feel safe. He felt so familiar to you because you knew it was him. It wasn’t that he reminded you of those times, it was because he was a part of those memories. He was the one you thought of dearly during the worst days of your recovery.

He was the one that spoke to you in the garden. He was the one that brought you the flowers and let you smile for the first time in forever. It had been him all along. His compassion for you came from the fact that he was the greatest good that you could find in this universe. He was a shining and perfect example of humanity because he had been etched in the image of God. It didn’t make sense but at the same time, you couldn’t deny what was in front of your very eyes. He was as real as you were.

Just as he admitted the truth to you of the man he was, it felt as if the world was trying to rip him away from you again. You missed him. You missed him after all this time and you wanted to grip him so tightly that he would disappear again. You never even got to properly thank him for being there for you all the time. You’d always suspected that it was the person who brought you all the flowers was the one who sent them in the first place, but you’d been far too shy to ask if that was the case. Then, one day, just as you started to get better—

He was gone from your grasp and nobody knew who you were talking about when you asked to see where he was when you checked out of the hospital.

It was almost as if he never existed. Nobody remembered the face you’d described as someone who worked at the hospital and insisted that you had dreamed of the meeting, but you knew that wasn’t the case. It couldn’t have been a dream because you’d met him over and over throughout your final weeks at the hospital. You’d been out to the garden time and time again with someone pushing your wheelchair for you to help you conserve what little strength you had. That was not a dream.

And yet, now you had the answer why nobody remembered. Nobody remembered it because he was meant to be looking over things without being seen. You didn't need to hear an explanation because you had already put two and two together. There were cracks but your brain was moving too far to comprehend them fully as the sound returned to your ringing ears and the realization of what was happening hit you like a ton of bricks.

Despite that, you couldn’t bring yourself to look away from him. A hundred things were going wrong but the way that you looked at him was something akin to amazement. It was hard to look away from him. There was so much going on. Did he feel like the world was starting to cave in? Did he know that sensation you were feeling? He clearly remembered you because he came back into your life. Why now? Why was he trying to help you again? Was it because he’d wanted to protect you as close as he could be?

Why had he decided to show his face to you, anyway? Your heart clattered against your chest with heavy, frantic beats the longer that you looked at him. It was almost as if you weren’t meant to see him like this… as if your body wasn’t made to withstand the sight of his glowing form in all its glory. It didn't make any sense. But, neither did the conflicting thoughts running in and out of your head with haste. You weren’t sure what you needed to do, only that the world had come to a standstill as you looked at your savior.

Saeran was captivating. He was the very idea of beauty and you were awed by him. You were struck by him well before this moment, but now that you saw him as he was, it was hard to pull away from him and realize that his magnetic personality was because he was built to be good. It was his design to be perfect. Yet, he looked weary and defeated at that moment. It didn’t make a lot of sense to you. He had saved your life from an abrupt death once again, and there wasn’t any problem with that. Wasn’t it his job?

You followed his gaze across the room and realized that the world had stopped. Nobody was moving or speaking. The sounds of screams had disappeared almost as quickly as they’d started. There were things frozen in mid-air and people unable to move, and it wasn’t just a reaction from the shock. You didn’t see anyone breathing. There was nothing that showed anyone in that room was aware of what was happening. You were aware of the world and so was Saeran, but for some strange reason, it didn’t seem like anyone else was.

You couldn't hear anything. It was like everybody had fallen into a stupor. That didn't make any sense to you but neither did the fact that an angel had protected you. Was this a part of the power that he had? Or was it something else? Were you going to figure it out by standing there and trying to guess without any foresight? No. You weren't going to figure it out just by standing there and letting yourself panic with every passing second.

You were dizzy.

What was happening?

The blanket of feathers that was wrapped around your body made it impossible to see the full scope of what was happening. Something wasn't right but you weren't at liberty to see what was happening. You needed to know what was happening. He was barely holding himself together and the name that he kept repeating wasn't one that you knew. Did he know what caused this in the first place? What happened to make this happen?

“Saeran?” your voice was surprisingly small. It didn’t even sound like you anymore. You weren’t sure what was happening anymore but the further you looked across the room, the more shocked you became. Saeran wasn’t holding up much better, because whatever it was had made him have a thousand-yard stare that couldn’t be broken..“What’s going on?”

You wanted to know if he was okay but he wouldn’t stop looking in that direction. Whatever was over there had to be the reason why this happened. You didn't think it was because of him. There was no way that an Angel could cause destruction. You twisted your body as much as you could but regretted it instantly. You didn’t have the strength to manage it. Your joints ached and every part of your body screamed in refusal.

Your body was in shock. Your knees buckled and you could only grasp at his coat to stop your body from hitting the hard floor. The room had begun to spend. You didn't think that you were going to pass out but you knew that you wouldn't be able to hold yourself together. This was too much for one person to handle. Saeran was an Angel, you nearly had your head knocked off of your shoulders, and the room was petrified in stone.

Saeran snapped at attention when you did and lowered himself to your level. His hand delicately brushed the hair from your face and came back with thick blood caking his palms. It hadn’t even occurred to you that you had been injured by the crash. With concern burning on his features, he lifted his hand back to the wound, and warmth radiated from his palms. You wanted to ask what he was doing but you could tell that he probably couldn’t manage that. Whatever was getting to him was something that was beyond your understanding.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered. There was genuine concern in his eyes as he let go of the warmth that pulsed through your veins. The pain had stopped somewhat but there was a dull throb. “I cannot heal you more than this. My magic isn’t strong enough to take it away, but I closed the wound for you. That should help somewhat but don’t do anything rash, [Y/N]. You still lost some blood and I don’t want you to faint.”

You lifted your left hand to grasp at his. He was still hesitant and shaking, but you were, too. It felt safer when you were close to him. “You saved me, Saeran. It’s okay. I’m okay. You didn’t need to do that.”

“I had to save you,” his thumb caressed the apple of your cheek. Tears burned at the corners of his eyes as his wings began to droop. You could see the room appearing as he held you. “I can’t let you die here and that’s my selfish wish. I love you so much. I just can’t bear the thought of you losing your life. I don’t care what happens to me. As long as you’re okay… then I’ve done my job as your Guardian.”

His emotions bleed into yours. You knew that you were barely holding on but the sight of him in tears was pushing you to cry, too. “It was you the last time,” you murmured. “You’re the one… I know it was you. I don’t know why or how, but you’re the reason I didn’t die back then, right? I know you did something. I don’t know what. But, that’s the only logical explanation for why the doctors couldn’t explain my recovery, right?”

“No. Saeran has nothing to do with that. That’s my doing, not his.”

Saeran opened his mouth but something cut him off before he could tell you one way or the other. It was a voice from the other side of the room that didn't sound like one that you knew very well. You turned your head to see who’d said something, and you found yourself looking over at someone who looked like Saeran but wasn’t Saeran. Somebody with red eyes and black eyes, horns drilled around his head, thick wings with sharp tips, and a tail that was hovering in the air around—

Polaris.

Polaris was bathed in light much like Saeran was. They looked nothing like the demon who had Saeran’s face but was not Saeran. They were blanketed in light and they had more wings on their back than Saeran did. Their white outfit was illuminating in shimmering gold, and the freckles on their face and shoulders seemed to glow against the grain of darkness that burned next to their body from the demon in question. They were a vision of Heaven.

You could say that without a doubt because the light that illuminated them was brighter than anything that you had ever seen. It was even brighter than Saeran. All this time you had been around Angels who wanted to watch over you. It was perplexing. But you were too caught up in their appearance to think about anything else. Everything that you thought you knew was gone, and that thought just kept rattling around in your head. It was going to bring about an existential crisis.

You didn’t have to guess about it, you knew that the man was a demon and Polaris was an Angel. It was a shock. Things that you thought you knew were being thrown out the window. The very idea of the universe that you existed in was being ripped to shreds. You didn't understand what you were supposed to believe anymore. It was overwhelming and confusing, to say the least. It was like you were being dismantled at the very core.

It made you feel more confused than ever. There were over a hundred secrets that nobody had bothered to tell you. This was about a lot more than you, wasn't it? What did he mean when he said it was his fault? What did he mean that he was the one that caused your life to be saved at the last second and it wasn’t Saeran’s doing? Everything you knew about the world was being turned on its head. It felt like you were going to crash. You thought that you’d pulled yourself together but now it was just too much.

You asked, “Who’re you?”

Saeran provided the answer this time. He stood up and offered you his hand so that you could see properly. It still felt like you were a little wobbly on your feet. It was better than nothing, though. You couldn't stay on the ground for very long. The situation was too serious. You leaned against him but you weren’t sure who was helping who to stay afloat at that point. “He’s… he’s my twin brother, Saeyoung.”

“How is your brother… a demon?” you asked. It wasn't like anybody was rushing to tell you the answer. It seemed to be a rather touchy subject. But, this wasn't exactly the time for people to be avoiding the obvious. You knew that somebody had to say something because taking an attempt at somebody's life wasn't something to laugh about. For that matter, you were very surprised that Angels could have familial bonds.

Weren't they created, not born?

Were they created at the same time, maybe?

It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was that you were okay and something had caused this thing to happen. Was Polaris involved with the demon? Were they planning to do this from the start? Was it a freak accident? Were they not connected at all? What was the answer to all of this? You didn't know and it was obvious that Saeran didn’t know, either. Something was going on and the two of you were left in the dark. Maybe you much more than he was. After all, you didn't have any idea that there was a chance that people like this existed.

Saeran shook his head, incredulous. “I don’t… I don’t know, I thought he… I thought you died when you fell… Saeyoung, how are you here right now? What’s happened to you? Have you… Have you been in Hell all this time? No, wait. That’s not… not now. Was that you? Did you do this? Did you try to kill Gardenia just now? Why? Why would you do that? I don't understand! You know how much they mean to me. Why would you try to…?”

—

“I… I touched you and you didn’t burn, Luciel,” you were staring down at your hands with shock and amazement. A lot was happening but the only thing that you could focus on was the realization that you were holding on to his wrist and nothing had happened. This was always something that had eaten away at the back of your head because you were afraid of hurting him. It felt like he was afraid of hurting you, too. Everything that you heard told you that if you ever got into close contact, something bad would happen. “I touched you and didn’t burn!”

You didn't know if it was because he said that you were more powerful than you thought you were, nor did you know if it was possible that you always had the power to touch him but the fear-mongering had stopped you. You knew that you always hesitated to get close to him because you were afraid of burning him. He seemed to be afraid of burning you. It was hard to deny that something wasn’t going to happen because there was a constant burning against his throat thanks to the cross he wore.

You had been lied to.

What else was new? You had been lied to from the start and it was something that burned you to your core. How were you supposed to trust anyone when they were hiding everything from you? It was almost enough to shatter your belief in goodness. But, you could truly believe that there was something good in the world. Even if it wasn't found in Heaven. You were starting to believe that it could be found in places that were far from the so-called paradise. It was found in people's hearts.

God couldn’t believe in hearts anymore because He didn’t allow himself to. He lived in His tall tower and remained cut off from the world. It felt like he was more of a tyrant than anything else. You didn't want to think about it that way but there was no doubt in your mind that that was the way that it was. The fact that you had to make a lifetime deal to even get this far for somebody that should have never been punished should have been proof enough. The Devil seemed to be none better since Luciel was trembling at your touch.

You weren’t sure how you did it but the luster of darkness surrounding his body had started to slowly collapse. You can still feel the dark energy, but it was back to the way that he always felt instead of the way that he had moments prior. There was a difference between what you felt when he arrived and what he was now. What you felt before he snapped was something made completely of terror and malice. Now, he felt warm like a summer shower that nipped at your ankles. Hot, but not uncomfortable.

Luciel was still in shock, though. You whispered his voice but he didn’t hear you. It was like he was lost in his memories and the fear that he’d almost killed the two people that he’d been trying to protect with his life all these years. You couldn’t imagine his fear because he had been forced to do this. You took in a breath and paused, your eyes caught the reflection of yourself in the mirror on the other side of the room.

You were stunned because your appearance had changed to something different. You had another set of white wings on your back that fluttered in the breeze and the gold tresses that hinged at the edge of your clothes burned brightly. You already had a hard time trying to recognize yourself in the mirror. But, you knew that this was you as you truly were and that it was something beyond your understanding.

He wasn’t lying. This wasn’t the form that you had taken when you were in Heaven. This was something that had been locked away from your touch. It explains why everyone had let you get away with what you had. Nobody tried to stop you because they could sense what you couldn't about yourself. They could feel the power burning against your soul and you weren’t the wiser to what it was. You didn’t think anything of it because you’d been human only moments before you arrived in Heaven.

As your vision glimmered around you, you realized, in horror, that the room was frozen and nobody could move. You wondered if you had been the one that caused it, but you had no way of knowing if that was the case. You look down at your hands but there was no indication that you did it. Yet, humans were frozen in terror and fear, and nothing was stirring. There was nothing you could do about it. It was beyond your control. That's how you knew that it was something that you didn't do.

You needed to figure out what was going on. Luciel was still in shock but you needed to check on the others. You frantically looked around the room and breathed in relief. Okay, they weren’t affected by the crisis. You didn’t know where Jumin was but Gardenia and Saeran were in this room and alive. That took away a part of the fear that you were feeling but it didn't completely remove it.

Gardenia was okay. That had been the one concern on your mind the entire time because if they lost their life it meant that everything that you had done was for naught. Saeran saved them from harm at the last second, but you could tell he was hurt. His magic had made a dome of protection but it was clear to you that some glass had clipped parts of his wings. They were already fragile enough. He had a hard time flying on his own and it was very likely that he was going to have a worse time until it healed. Angels could subtly heal minor injuries if need be, but not their own.

It was something that you weren't supposed to use. it was another one of those things that should have only been used with discretion. They usually wouldn't say a word if it was a child with a cut or scrape. When it came to little things, nobody batted an eyelash. It was hypocritical in that way. It was why you got so frustrated when you saw that Jumin could control things on the ground and someone like Luciel was punished for merely doing what he needed to do to protect the human in his care.

It was the big things that became a problem. A couple of bumps and bruises were okay, but not saving someone from death. It was seen as getting in the way of what was supposed to happen from the beginning. It was interfering with the natural order of things, and that’s why the punishment was given to Angels who fought it. No situation was looked at with discretion, either. It was all punished no matter what it was. Everybody would receive the same punishment and that would be that.

It wasn't fair to anyone. It was why you were fighting it in the first place. It couldn't be okay for small interferences if they were going to punish everything that they consider to be a big hassle. The line didn't matter because they changed it every day. There was no looking at things from a different angle. That didn't matter for anyone. It was all a part of keeping things right underneath God’s control, and His idea of control changed every day if someone got too close to what was his preferred option.

If something was okay one day, it wouldn't be the same the next. There was no real way to know what was okay and what wasn’t. There was no rule. Everybody acted like there was a set of rules but in reality, there was nothing there. It could change at any minute and it just depended on what He wanted.

“It was you the last time,” Gardenia’s voice carried across the room as they looked over and met your eyes. “You’re the one… I know it was you. I don’t know why or how, but you’re the reason I didn’t die back then, right? I know you did something. I don’t know what. But, that’s the only logical explanation for why the doctors couldn’t explain my recovery, right?”

That was the moment when Luciel came out of his stupor. He looked at them, “No. Saeran has nothing to do with that. That’s my doing, not his.”

Gardenia asked, “Who’re you?”

Saeran stood from where he was cradling Gardenia, helping them back onto their feet so that they could stand together amid glass and blood that had pooled on the ground. He’d looked at you with the same shock he held as he saw his brother. You couldn’t blame him for thinking that way. You lied to him and withheld the truth about what you were doing. “He’s… he’s my twin brother, Saeyoung.”

“How is your brother… a demon, then?” Gardenia asked once more. They were confused about the situation. They weren't ever supposed to find out about all of this. You didn't know this was going to make things worse. It was making things more complicated. It was beyond something that you could control now. It felt like you were waiting for a hammer to fall on top of your head and destroy all of the progress that you had made to make things right from the beginning.

Luciel didn’t have an explanation. You knew that this was difficult for him and you knew there was no way that he could stomach explaining what happened. You knew that he had been afraid of his brother finding out the truth from the start. He never wanted Saeran to see him like this at all, and he never wanted to put him at risk. The Devil forced his hand. There was nothing that he could do to stop it. It was something that he couldn't fight. He had been forced to do something against his will.

You felt sick to your stomach because it felt like you put him in this situation. You didn't know how somebody had found out about this. He swore up and down that he was never going to tell anyone about the situation. Was it possible that somebody had gone behind his back after seeing him? Was it possible that he had been forced to say something against his will? It was hard to say because you did not know his role in Hell.

You didn't know what he had to experience down there to such a degree. As much as you thought that you knew who Luciel was, you didn't know him at all. It was painful to watch him and try to navigate to thoughts. You knew that he was looking for an excuse or something that he could use to lie about this but he had nothing. There was nothing that he could say to make it right here and there was nothing that he could do to hide what was happening.

It was a disaster and calamity waiting to blow up in his face.

You didn't think that you could let him sit there and try to figure out how to lie his way out of this. You were tired of everybody lying and playing games. The truth needed to come out, and there was no doubt about that. There was no more need to keep hiding. You were tired of it and it wasn't helping anybody. If you were going to make a change then people needed to know what was going on. Even if it put you at risk, there was no going back at this point.

You had committed yourself and you weren't going to turn back.

“The Devil ordered him to do it,” you quickly said before Luciel could say anything or hold you back from the truth. “I was afraid that something like this was going to happen after I made my deal with God. I didn't realize that it would come to fruition, because I thought that there was no chance that someone would see Luciel around here. I felt the magic controlling when he arrived. Someone used compulsive magic on him and it was stronger than anything I’ve ever felt in Heaven. He didn't come here because he wanted to destroy everything. Somebody told him that he had to do it.”

Luciel cursed underneath his breath. He was angry. You knew that he wasn't going to be happy with you for saying something but enough was enough. He couldn't keep running away from this all the time. It was wrong in the first place. Saeran needed to know what was going on in the life that he was living. He deserved to know the full impact of everything that’d been going on since the very beginning.

Saeran’s eyes shifted between you and Luciel. “You told me your deal with God was barter to show him that our intervention with humans should be allowed to exist. You didn't tell me that it had anything to do with my brother. You implied it was hypocritical for Jumin to get away with things that Saeyoung and I couldn’t.”

You slowly nodded, “And, that's not entirely wrong. I am angry about that and I don't think it's right that there is a hypocritical role in place to punish everyone. But there was another reason why I was fighting so hard. I met your brother weeks ago and he saved me from a demon that wanted to kidnap me and drag me to Hell. We’ve been talking for a while and he told me what happened. I pieced together the truth after a while and I realized why his punishment was ugly and disgusting in the first place.”

“Polaris,” Luciel hissed at your side and pulled at your wrist to get you to stop talking about the truth. But, you weren’t going to stop. You were tired of people trying to ruin what was supposed to be a beautiful thing. You were tired of all of this. You were tired. You were so fucking tired. You were fighting to be a good person and Angel all the time, and everybody else was running around with the attitude that they were holier than you’d ever be doing nothing but wrongs. “Don’t.”

“I made a deal with God that if Gardenia could prove that their life was content and meanwhile through this party, He would allow Luciel to return to Heaven. His entire reasoning behind what happened was that you both sinned to protect a human life from death. So, I reasoned that if we could prove that Gardenia was worth it, which they are worth the fight, then Luciel deserved to be allowed back in Heaven with you,” you confessed the truth.

The punishment if it went wrong with something that would make you sick to admit.

Saeran stared, agape. It seemed that he understood without you having to say it. People didn't make deals with God and get away with it. At least, not without some kind of karma involved. That was how He operated. You could make a deal but there was no telling what was going to happen if it didn't work out in your favor. You didn't want to have to say it, but it was something that would have to be said.

This party was a failure.

That meant that Luciel was doomed.

Gardenia was confused. You could see the look on their face. They blinked a few times and tried to understand what you were implying but didn’t get it. You couldn't blame them because they weren't supposed to know about the truth. It was already too late to take everything back and you knew that there was no point of return at that moment. If it was going to come out, it all needed to come out.

They shook their head. “I don't understand what you mean, Polaris. I don’t get it. What did they do? What are you talking about the sins they committed? What do you mean by their sins? What do you mean Saeran and his brother sinned?”

“...”

That was the subject of the hour, wasn't it?

It was something that nobody was supposed to know the truth about. It was something that everybody was supposed to take to their graves if they died.

Neither Saeran nor Luciel wanted to answer that question. You could sense the tension in the air brewing all around you. That was the truth that nobody wanted to contend with. It was something that nobody was supposed to know. You knew that Luciel lied to save his brother, you knew that he didn’t deserve to burn in Hell for it. You knew that God wanted badly to know if that was the truth. You knew that God wanted to know if Saeran was truly the one who stole the Apple or not. You knew these things and you knew the threat.

Luciel let go of you as the silence brewed and began to walk across the room, Saeran did the same and let go of Gardenia. Something felt wrong. Something felt like it was going to blow up in your face. They met in the middle with emotions that you couldn’t process as quickly as they appeared. Saeran raised his hand and Luciel did the same. They pressed the palms of their hands together. They were a vision of light and dark. Even though they once were the same, now they were very different. Even though there was a difference, you could still tell they were the same.

They were mirror images.

“I’m sorry,” Saeran croaked. His eyes had begun to fill with tears. These for the emotions that he had been holding back. “I thought that you died because of me. Why did you do it? Why did you say you did it? I was willing to accept that they were going to erase me from existence for those choices. I was ready to be punished. I just wanted Gardenia to live. Why didn’t you let them take me?”

Luciel was just as torn. “I know you love Gardenia, Saeran. I knew that you would do anything to protect them from death. You've always loved humans. You've always tried to do what's right for them when you were given the chance. I knew that you wanted to save them. I knew that you were going to do something rash. So, I decided that I would take the fires of Hell if it meant that you could save the human you loved. I thought that I would die for you. I thought that I was dying when I hit the ground. But, I woke up in Hell and I was bound to the Devil when the shock wore off.”

“Saeyoung, please…”

“I’m sorry, Saeran. But, I’m your big brother. I could never let you suffer or die when I could just as easily take your place. I never meant for you to see what happened to me. I never wanted you to know the truth. I didn’t want to shatter your faith in your brother. Look at me, I’m a demon. I have done horrible things and I choose to do them. There was nobody that forced me to do those bad things. Up until tonight, anyway. I love you, baby brother. It’s my job to protect you, even in Hell. I did what I had to do as your brother.”

Frustration was written all over Saeran’s features as he stepped back from Luciel, crying, “You didn’t have to Fall for me! You never wanted that! We were supposed to be Guardians together and— look after Gardenia and—make sure—and—”

Luciel shook his head. This was something that you understood about him from the moment that you met him. He might have been damned but he was the most selfless person that you had ever met. He did things not because he wanted them, he did them because he wanted to protect the ones that meant something to him.

He said, “I did, Saeran. I had to. I would Fall and let go of Heaven every time if it meant that you could be happy with Gardenia. Heaven is worthless to me. It always was. I was never as strong in my faith as you were. The only thing that matters to me is if you’re happy, Saeran. I don’t care about the rest of it. They can destroy me as many times as they want, but I will not allow them to hurt you.”

“You never even asked me what I wanted, Saeyoung! I didn’t want to lose my brother to protect Gardenia! I wanted you to stay with me in Heaven and I wanted to be close to my human, too!”

Just as Saeran shouted his anguish, the room was illuminated in light. It was so bright that you had to shield your eyes from it. You knew that light because it was the very same light that had infected the tower that you once walked in. There was a pit in your stomach. Something bad was about to happen. Something bad was about to happen!

You knew that you had to move and you had to move fast. You didn’t stop to think about it. It had to be done. You raced across the room so you could shield Gardenia from the rays of light since neither Saeran nor Luciel were close enough to do it. You didn't know what was going to happen but you had to make sure that they didn't get hurt. It was your job. It was your duty. It was something that you weren't going to take lightly.

It was God.

“I believe I can answer young Gardenia’s question now,” his voice echoed through the room as his light continued to purge everything around you. It was uncomfortable because you could feel his excitement. It was almost disgustingly pleased with itself. “I knew that this party would give me what I needed to know. Thank you, Polaris. You’re a useful pawn, after all. Now, Gardenia, I believe you wanted to know why Saeran and Saeyoung committed a sin, correct?”

Even standing behind you, Gardenia was trembling. The intensity that was in that room was too much for them. They were just a human and this was too much for their body. They couldn’t see the man in his physical form but they could feel it. It didn’t take that much effort to guess that the man that’d arrived was from Heaven. If they knew this was God, you weren’t sure, though. That was questionable.

“God,” you whispered. You couldn't believe it but it made sense that everything had come to a standstill because of Him. You hadn't been able to connect the dots about who was working behind the scenes but now you knew. God was the one who stopped the chaos to surge his place at the party. He made eye contact with you upon hearing your voice. He seemed to be pleased with Himself at the reality of the situation. He knew that He won. It seemed like He wanted to rub it in your face.

Gardenia hesitated, “...Why?”

“Oh, it’s quite simple. Saeran decided that he was going to save your life by giving you a fruit that is forbidden to humans. It can heal and keep people from dying, but it can do much more than that. He broke the rules by giving you this apple. You were meant to die that day he came to you and he went against the natural order of life and death. For that, his punishment was damnation. But, I see now the truth is different than the story we were told,” he chuckled as the twins glowered at him.

You could see the hurt and pain in their faces. Saeran was upset and Saeyoung looked like he wanted to fight. But, there was no chance that you could stand against Him. None of you were strong enough to make a difference here. You were at His mercy, and His Mercy was long gone. If that had ever been a thing in the first place, it was something that He hadn't experienced in millions of years.

“Saeyoung came to me and said that he stole the apple and gave it to Saeran to save your life without informing him of the crime he’d be committing. So, I cast him from Heaven and sent him to Hell. As is the price for someone that goes against the natural order. I'm sure you must understand. You've known all along that you weren't supposed to be here today. You've been living on borrowed time. I see now that I should’ve punished Saeran as well, his sin was the crime Saeyoung took, and Saeyoung’s crime was covering it up.”

You grit your teeth. The anger had been burning inside of you for a long time and you just couldn't stop yourself anymore. “It’s not a sin to save the ones you love!”

His sharp eyes burned into your core, “I decide what is a sin, Polaris. I decide what is a blessing. We had a deal, and when I make a deal I make good on my promises. You have failed to uphold your end of the bargain. This is a failure. Humanity itself has become a failure. I see now that my creations are failures. It was only a matter of time. This always happens. It's better that I realize it now. I don't want to waste my time anymore. Perhaps, this will help the next time I decide that I want to create new playthings.”

Was that all Humanity was to Him?

Disgusting.

Magic began to swirl all around him. This was what you had feared from the start but there was nothing that you could do to stop it. You were trying to think about anything that you can do but every time you reached an ending though, you knew that there was nowhere to go from there at that point. You were trapped in a labyrinth. But, it was a labyrinth that had dead-ends and there was no exit in sight. He was going to make good on the promise.

“No… no… no…!”

“Polaris, what does he mean?!”

God chuckled. It seemed as though this was the end. He raised his hands and the magic that burned inside of them was hotter than anything you’d ever felt. “We had a deal, children,” he repeated himself. “If Polaris failed to prove that Gardenia was worth saving, then Luciel would be erased out of existence. Now, I see that I should’ve done this from the start. I’ll save myself future trouble. Saeran and Saeyoung, my sons, it’s time to return from where you came and I’ll be nice enough to let you go together. You’ve both defied me time and time again, and you both know the price. I will scrub the universe clean of your existence once and for all.”

Saeran and Luciel were petrified. You knew that they wanted to fight back but no amount of magic was going to help. Even if they worked together, it wasn't going to save them from the hammer of God. Still, they held each other’s hand and burned their magic together as they’d stood in front of their Father. You realized they were going to go down swinging. It wouldn’t stop them.

Luciel looked back at you and Saeran looked at Gardenia. It was the absolution in their eyes that told you the truth. God’s magic burned hotter, hotter, and hotter. The room was so dry and tight that it made your lungs struggle against the tension. They were willing to die if it meant that they had a chance to fight back against him. They wanted you to get Gardenia out of that room. You knew that they wanted you to run and never look back. But, that wasn’t a life worth living, not for a human and not for an Angel.

“I’m not letting them die alone,” your voice was shallow but Gardenia could hear it against the uncomfortable hissing noise in the room.

They gripped the back of your coat and seemed to agree with what you were saying, “I still don't know how to comprehend all of this. I don’t get it. But, they're the reason I'm alive right now, if it wasn't for them I would be dead. I think a life for a life is a fair price.”

Despite the terror and dread burning in that room, you and Gardenia ran ahead without fear in your hearts. You didn’t stop or look back. You both slid in front of the twins with arms wide to protect them from God’s harm. It didn't matter if they weren't happy, it didn't matter if they were upset, it didn’t matter if they wanted something else, and it didn't matter if they wanted you to do something different. If this was going to be it then this was it. It wasn't like you expected to live past the time that you had. Neither had Gardenia.

You both had made this decision to go down with them.

It wasn't a life worth living if they weren't in it.

However, just as you thought that everything was going to go dark, something happened. The room that was once illuminated in light was bathed in darkness. God sent his attack just as the light began to struggle, however, and there was nothing that could stop the blast that was meant to destroy anything that it touched. You’d closed your eyes for only a second and that was all it took. It happened in a matter of seconds. You opened your eyes and realized that there were two people standing in front of you.

One was an Angel with dilapidated wings and shaggy mint hair and the other was a demon with thick black feathers draped across their back and golden curls. In front of them was a wall made of thick magic that was emanating from the woman’s hands. It was as dark as a night without the moon. The energy that you felt coming off of her was the same that had once been controlling a demon you loved.

God’s attack crashed into her dark magic and repelled from it instantaneously. It didn’t crash into people, though. It went back at Him. His magic hit Him and with shock and horror written across your features, you realized that His attack was erasing Him from existence. He had destroyed His body and being. The last thing you saw of the man known as God were His angry features fading into nothingness. God destroyed Himself.

Gardenia shrieked in horror and you felt Saeran move behind you to grab them and pull them back into his embrace where they’d be safe. Your body was numb and you didn't know how to react. You didn't know if you were supposed to scream or panic. The man that had created all of this was erased. His hubris had destroyed Him. What were you supposed to do at that moment? Your body wouldn't react.

You stumbled back into Luciel and he was just as shocked as you were. You didn’t know what to say but his words echoed throughout your head as the truth hit you, “That’s the Devil… and she just killed God.”

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