The Silver City glowed like a dream in the sky. Its towers shimmered in the soft divine light, casting long shadows that moved with the clouds. Angels flew between the arches and spires, their wings catching the sunlight in flashes of white and gold. There was laughter in the air, quiet talk, the kind of peace that only comes when you think the world will never change.
But far above it all, on a quiet hill that overlooked the whole city, Sariel sat alone.
He watched the sparring match down below. Amenadiel stood firm, focused, his strikes precise. But Michael… Michael moved like water. Like fire. Like something born for war. His every step was clean, every hit silent but deadly. His eyes didn't blink. His expression didn't change. He was calm. Too calm.
Ramiel stood nearby, her stance mirroring Michael's, eyes locked onto him, studying every move like her life depended on it.
Sariel's face was still. But inside, thoughts swirled like a storm.
Light footsteps crunched the grass behind him. He didn't have to look to know who it was.
Uriel sat down beside him, not saying anything for a moment. His eyes locked onto Michael, then narrowed. "He's something else, huh?"
Sariel didn't answer right away. He followed Michael's movement with a slow blink.
Uriel leaned forward, arms resting on his knees. "Even Amenadiel can't keep up. And that's Amenadiel. The perfect warrior."
Sariel finally spoke, voice low. "Michael's not like us."
Uriel nodded slowly, but kept watching. "He doesn't even fight like he wants to win. It's like he already knows he has."
They sat in silence again, only the distant clash of blades filling the air.
Uriel turned his head slightly. "Samael's gathering more of them," he said, nodding toward a group near the city gates. "He's getting louder. Bolder. And angry."
Sariel's gaze flicked to Samael. His brother was standing on a high ledge, preaching with fire in his eyes. Angels surrounded him, listening. Some confused. Some excited. Some afraid.
"It won't work," Sariel said, almost too quiet to hear. "His rebellion. It'll fall apart."
Uriel raised a brow. "You saw it?"
"I didn't need to."
Uriel looked at him for a long moment, then chuckled softly. "I see the patterns in things. You… you just know them. It's creepy. Kind of impressive, though."
Sariel gave a slight shrug.
Uriel tilted his head. "So which side are you taking? Father's? Or Samael's?"
Sariel stood slowly, brushing off his robes like he was waking from a dream. His eyes, dark and unreadable, stayed locked on the horizon.
"Neither," he said simply. "I'm not playing their game."
And just like that, he walked away.
Uriel stayed sitting, watching his brother disappear into the light. His brows pulled together in quiet frustration.
For the first time in a long time, he couldn't predict Sariel.
---
The light of the Silver City faded behind Sariel as he passed through the threshold. His wings folded close to his back, trailing softly through the fading divine wind. The clouds beneath him parted as he descended toward the mortal realm.
The Garden of Eden lay ahead—its once glorious gates now cracked, vines crawling over the stone, the symbols of creation weathered and dim. Time hadn't touched this place, but neglect had. It still held beauty, but not the kind that comforted. The kind that reminded you what was lost.
And there, at the edge of it all, stood Lilith.
She didn't turn when he landed. Her arms were crossed, her silhouette sharp against the trees and fading sky. Raven hair spilled down her back like ink. Her skin glowed in the half-light, warm and golden, untouched by heaven or hell.
"You're late," she said, her voice cool and smooth. "If you're here to throw another curse at me, get in line."
Sariel stepped forward slowly. "I'm not here to curse you."
Her eyes flicked to him, sharp and unreadable. "Judgment, then?"
"No."
"Orders?"
"No."
She turned to face him now, brow raised, lips curled in a faint smirk. "So what is it, angel? Curiosity? Guilt? Boredom?"
Sariel stopped a few paces away. His expression was calm, but something in his eyes flickered—an emotion he hadn't named yet.
"I wanted to see you," he said. "To talk. That's all."
Lilith blinked, caught off guard. "Talk?" Her tone was dry. "After all this time?"
"I don't follow time like you do."
"Well, maybe you should. Out here, every second counts."
She turned away again, walking slowly through the dying grass. "I haven't had a visitor in a long time, Sariel. Not since I walked out those gates and no one followed."
He walked beside her now, not too close. Just enough to show he wasn't going anywhere.
"I'm not like the others," he said.
"No," she agreed, glancing sideways at him. "You're quieter. Smarter. Sadder."
A small, almost broken laugh escaped his lips. "I'll take that."
They walked in silence. The trees around them whispered in the wind. The stars were starting to peek through the clouds.
"Do you hate us?" Sariel asked suddenly.
Lilith stopped. "What?"
"Us. Angels. Me."
She looked at him, long and hard. Then, slowly, shook her head.
"No. I don't hate you. But I stopped expecting anything from you a long time ago."
Sariel looked down at his hands. "I don't blame you."
"You said you had a theory," Lilith said after a moment. "What is it?"
Sariel looked up. "That maybe… not everything needs to end in fire and war. That maybe two people who were cast aside could find something else. Something real."
Lilith stared at him. Her walls didn't drop, but something in her eyes softened—just a little.
"You sound lonely."
He didn't answer.
She stepped closer, slowly, testing him. "You're not here to save me, are you?"
"No."
"Or redeem me?"
"No."
Her voice dropped. "Then what are you here for, Sariel?"
His eyes met hers. "To understand you. And maybe… let you understand me."
Lilith studied him in silence, searching for lies. She found none.
She exhaled. "You're strange for an angel."
"You're strange for a demon."
"I'm not a demon."
"I know."
Silence again. But this time, it wasn't tense. It was quiet. Comfortable. Like the air before rain.
Finally, she smiled—not wide, but real. "Alright, angel. You want to walk with me? Then walk."
Sariel gave a faint smile of his own and followed her deeper into the garden.
They didn't talk much after that.
They didn't need to.