Succession Game

Lucifer walked slowly through the cabin, the creaking of his steps resonating on the floor. His gaze swept over every corner, as if searching for something. Finally, he stopped in front of an old wooden chair, covered in dust. He ran his hand over the seat, trying to clean it.

Once satisfied, he sat down, his posture upright, majestic. It seemed his presence filled the room. He leaned forward, intertwined his fingers, and looked at me directly.

—I hope you're ready, Orion —he said, his voice deep and tense—. Because what I'm about to tell you is not something you can ignore. But not only will you hear it… —He paused, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling glint—. I will also show you.

—Show me? —I asked, more bewildered than ever.

—Words are not enough, I'll show you the memories of that day. The day I discovered the truth about God—. It was the first time he spoke so seriously. No longer with the arrogant or mocking tone he usually used. There was something in his voice and his gaze that made my skin crawl.

Suddenly, something in the room began to change. The air became dense, as if collapsing upon itself. The edges of the walls and ceiling started to fade into dark shadows. It was so sudden, so surreal, that I froze.

It was just like when he visited me in my dream, that indescribable feeling of being trapped in a foreign dimension where time and space no longer made sense. But this time, it wasn't a dream.

The room plunged into absolute darkness. In the midst of that blackness, an image began to take form, slowly outlining itself. The visibility was blurry, as if I were looking through the eyes of another person.

Then, a voice slipped into my mind, interrupting my thoughts. It wasn't my voice. It was his voice.

("Now you will see what I saw that day.") Lucifer's voice echoed in my head. It was strange to hear it there. But what I was seeing left me even more shocked.

Through Lucifer's eyes, I saw God. I had never seen Him before, but there was no doubt it was Him. His presence was so immense it seemed to fill the entire space, an overwhelming sense of power that distorted everything.

("This is just hours before I discovered the truth.") He said it slowly as if reliving the moment. ("I remember He sent me to find a book.")

And suddenly, I heard His voice, the voice of the first God, it was completely different from the current God. It sounded more powerful, not arrogant, but with a tone of superiority, each word seeming to impose itself over the will of others.

—Lucifer, go to the library and bring me the Grimmoire of Eternity —. God's voice was calm, but something in his tone made the words sound more like an order than a simple request.

Lucifer stood still for a moment, as if God's words had left him paralyzed. He knew what that request meant, what it implied. He thought to himself, surprised: "This is the first time He's asked for a book from the forbidden section."

Lucifer hesitated but finally spoke, unease evident in his tone:

—Master, but that book is in the forbidden section. No one but you has access to it… —His voice trailed off slightly, as if afraid his words would be misinterpreted.

There was a brief pause where Lucifer felt his heart beating heavily. He knew he shouldn't question God's orders.

—Don't make me repeat myself. Just bring it quickly. It's an order —. This time, God's voice was firmer, like an order that allowed no discussion. Lucifer felt an increasing pressure on his chest, as if an invisible weight was pressing down on him.

Lucifer nodded silently and set off in search of the book.

("Hey Lucifer, why do you call God 'Master'?") I asked, a little angry.

("Ah, that's because back then I admired Him deeply… and besides, I was the Angel closest to Him.") He sounded a bit upset. ("Just keep watching and don't ask such stupid questions.") He was annoyed, with a hint of bitterness.

Nothing interesting happened on the way to the library, except for one question Lucifer asked aloud:

—Why does the Master need the Grimmoire of Eternity? —. Concern and curiosity could be heard in his voice.

When he reached the library, an Angel was guarding the entrance. For someone on guard duty, he didn't seem very intimidating.

—Hey, open the door quickly. The Master sent me to find a book—. He said it with arrogance and superiority, just like the Lucifer I knew, but perhaps a little softer.

—Right away… Sir—. The guard sounded as if he were intimidated by Lucifer.

—Whatever, now close it and don't let anyone in until I leave—. He said it with such seriousness that the guard couldn't say anything.

The door closed, leaving Lucifer alone in a library so vast it seemed endless.

—Where was the door to the forbidden section? —. He didn't clearly remember where it was.

It didn't take him long to find the door. A giant black door with red insignias all over its surface. When he entered, the atmosphere felt dense, maybe just Lucifer's nerves.

—Everything here seems… to call me. It's like the books are asking me to read them—. He sounded uneasy.

Lucifer took almost an hour to find the book, which was practically hidden on one of the last shelves of the section.

—Finally, I was starting to give up, I thought they didn't find it—. He sounded relieved.

—Why does the Master need this book? It's so far back it doesn't seem really important—. He didn't pay much attention to it.

Lucifer was on his way to deliver the book to God when curiosity struck him.

—Maybe I'll take a quick look, after all, I don't think He'll notice. What's the worst that could happen? If He finds out, maybe He'll just punish me—. He said between laughs.

Lucifer opened the book and realized he was wrong. If God found out he had read from the book, He wouldn't punish him… He would kill him.

—It can't be true, what's in this book can't be real. I have to tell someone about this, but who? If I tell anyone, I'll be in trouble—. He was worried and scared about what could happen.

—What if I tell Semyazza, Azazel, and Abaddon? They could understand. This can't stay like this, I have to do something—. His worry and fear turned into anger, even hatred.

("Hey Lucifer, what's in the book? I can't read it.") I was shocked by Lucifer's reaction in his memories.

("It's normal that you can't read it, it's a language only God and the Angels use.") He said indifferently, as if it wasn't a big deal. ("The book spoke about God's experiments, everything He did throughout eternity.") He sounded upset, as if it really affected him.

("Experiments? What do you mean by that?") I was confused, not understanding what he meant.

("The book contained the truth about God. Worlds created and destroyed, over and over again, just because He got bored. What we thought was His 'great design' was nothing more than another experiment.") His voice became tense and full of anger.

("Creation and destruction? All because of whim?") I was bewildered by what I had just heard.

("Not only that. The book also talked about us, the Angels. Each of us was created with a specific purpose. I was His sword, the executor of His will. Azazel was the guardian of knowledge. Semyazza led the Watchers, every high-ranking Angel had a specific role in the world.") His voice took on a deeper tone, filled with anger.

("Supposedly, we were the guardians and protectors of this world.") Still angrier.

("Protectors?") I reflected, speaking with indignation.

("We were never protectors. We were tools. Pawns in His eternal game. We just removed a burden so He could keep creating more plans to experiment.") He said with bitterness and sadness.

("I've seen enough. Now just tell me what you did after reading the book.") I was impatient to know what happened next.

("I did what I had to do. I went to God and delivered the Grimmoire. I couldn't raise suspicion.")

("And that's it? Is that all? You just left it there like nothing happened?") I was disappointed by what he said.

("Of course not. As soon as I left His presence, I went straight to find those I could trust: Semjaza, Azazel, and Abaddon. They were strong enough and loyal enough to understand what I had discovered.") His voice became firm and angry.

The scene in my mind shifted, showing Lucifer meeting with the three angels.