The heavens were no longer calm as usual.
Existence felt it the moment he opened his eyes. The air itself felt heavy, as if the stars were holding their breath. Light still filled the celestial realm, but it flickered now; soft, uneasy, and unsure.
He stood at the edge of the high platforms, watching angels move in small groups instead of one united host. They whispered. They argued. They questioned.
"This has never happened before," Existence said quietly.
Michael stood beside him, arms folded, his wings tense. "Because we have never doubted before."
Aura joined them, her face serious. "Lucifer's words are spreading faster than we thought. Angels are choosing sides; even if they don't say it out loud yet."
Existence looked toward the far side of heaven, where shadows gathered more often now. "Choice has entered heaven. And once choice appears, unity is tested."
Michael nodded. "Then it's time someone speaks clearly."
Not far away, Lucifer stood upon a raised platform of light that bent and twisted under his presence. Around him were dozens of angels; some confident, some nervous, some excited.
Lucifer lifted his voice.
"Brothers. Sisters. You feel it, don't you?"
The angels looked at each other in confusion.
"The silence of the Creator," Lucifer continued. "The limits placed upon us. The fear of asking questions."
One angel stepped forward. "The Creator is wise. His silence does not mean absence."
Lucifer smiled calmly. "Or perhaps it means He expects us to grow beyond obedience."
A murmur spread through the crowd of innumerable angles.
"We were made powerful," Lucifer said. "Brilliant. Eternal. Yet we are treated as caretakers, not rulers. Now He creates humans; weak, fragile, and feeble creatures, He doesn't end there; He gave them free will while we remain bound."
Another angel asked softly, "What are you saying, Lucifer?"
Lucifer's eyes burned bright. "I am saying we deserve more. I am saying heaven should not be ruled by one voice alone."
Some angels nodded. Others stepped back.
"I do not ask you to fight," Lucifer continued. "I ask you to think. To choose. To stand with me and claim the destiny we were denied."
SWHOOOOOSH! DOOOM!!!
Michael landed hard between the gathered angels, light flaring around him.
"That is enough!"
The angels gasped. Lucifer turned slowly, unfazed.
"Brother," Lucifer said smoothly. "You finally decided to listen."
Michael's voice was firm. "You are tearing heaven apart."
Lucifer spread his hands. "I am revealing truth."
"No," Michael replied. "You are feeding pride and calling it freedom."
The angels grew silent.
Michael turned to them. "We were created with purpose. Not to rule, but to protect the balance. The Creator's design is not weakness. It is wisdom."
Lucifer laughed softly. "Still kneeling, I see."
Michael stepped closer. "Careful, Lucifer."
Lucifer's smile faded. "Why are you afraid, brother? Afraid that others might agree with me?"
"I am afraid," Michael said, "of what you are becoming."
SWOOOOOSH!!!!
Existence appeared between them, light rippling outward.
"Enough!"
Both brothers turned.
Existence spoke calmly, but his presence carried weight. "This path leads to ruin. Heaven was not built to rule; it was built to balance creation."
Lucifer stared at him. "And who gave you authority to decide that?"
Existence did not raise his voice. "The same authority that made you."
The words echoed.
Lucifer's jaw tightened. "Then perhaps the authority itself is flawed."
Gasps filled the air.
Aura stepped forward. "Lucifer, listen to yourself. This is no longer about freedom. It's about control."
Lucifer turned sharply. "No. It's about equality."
Michael shook his head. "You don't want equality. You want the throne."
For the first time, Lucifer did not deny it.
"I want what was never offered," he said quietly. "To stand as Creator stands. To exalt my throne above the Stars of Heaven and be like the Most HIGH"
Silence crashed through heaven.
From that moment, the divide became clear.
Some angels stepped behind Michael and Existence.
Others moved toward Lucifer.
And some remained frozen in between, unsure, and afraid to choose.
Existence felt the balance tilt.
"This is it," Aura whispered. "There is no turning back."
Lucifer lifted his wings, light and shadow mixing within them. "Choose," he said to the undecided angels. "Stay bound… or rise with me."
Michael raised his sword of light. "Choose wisely. Because once this line is crossed, it cannot be undone."
The Creator remained silent.
And in that silence, heaven broke.
The stars trembled. The light dimmed.
Existence closed his eyes, feeling the universe shift.
The great conflict had begun; not with war, but with choice.
And soon… choice would demand consequences.