The Ballad of Chaos

Book 1: The Son of Night and Chaos

Chapter 6: Ragnarok [The Present]

You do not comprehend the consequences. I have seen it!

Lucifer’s words ringed in Michael’s ears.

For the first time in his life he was thinking clearly, the world unfurling before his eyes, he was beginning to be able to judge things on his own, he was beginning to be able to segregate right from wrong, to understand everything on their own accord, rather than being told what was what .

He did not really understand it, but perhaps it was the effect of a new power scintillating inside him. He knew from his new found memories that this was free will. The ultimate gift of the humans, which now all of his brethren shared. Somehow, in the shuffling of soul fragments, traits had been tossed around.

While all his brothers remained true to their essence for the most part, they were now beginning to show signs of understanding, and even being able to use each other’s powers and essence; with perhaps the exception of Azrael, for he had no essence. He just was; endless and evermore, like the ultimate truth.

No one had heard from the All-Father, or from Gabriel; or Uriel for that matter, the bumbling fool who followed his master after two days of silence. It had been days since they had left in search of Lucifer. There was no sign of Lucifer or the horde of Cain, not that Michael could detect with his decreased powers anyway.

What he could detect, however, was the waning of his Father’s presence by each passing minute. There was something else too, almost as if trying to break free, rise out of nothingness. It was a strange force, primal, unheard of. But there were no signs of anything happening.

But these were just feelings. Feelings which could no longer be counted upon since the angels had lost major parts of their souls. He felt humbled by this experience. He had gained the ultimate gift ever, free will, but lost everything that made him who he was.

He was left at the beginning of his life again; only this time around he could choose his own path and create his own destiny.

He gasped as he realized that so could everyone else in the realm. What chaos! And yet amongst this chaos, was some sort of order that kept life afloat.

He thought of Lucifer, of what became of him, and of what he knew. He desperately wanted to find out what had made the firstborn rebel against the All-Father.

The very fact that Lucifer had been able to do it meant that All-Father had already passed on free will to them. Lucifer was too late.

Michael wanted to understand why Father had forsaken him, and His Creation. But there were no answers, only consequences. Was this what Lucifer meant in his last words, the fall of all angels? Or was this their ascent? He did not understand. For good or for worse, reality had shifted and he was just going to have to deal with it.

***

In the absence of the All-Father, the charge of the Palace fell upon Michael’s shoulders. He found himself directing his brothers towards maintaining order and balance throughout the realm. He found himself sitting upon the Throne of Ages. A feat such as this would have been impossible before the banishment of Lucifer and the acquisition of free will.

Maybe the All-Father did not actually punish Lucifer. Maybe he was rewarded for being the most beloved, to be sent away from this responsibility.

‘I’m paraphrasing my own thoughts!’ he mumbled to himself, ‘And speaking to myself. I am growing delirious. I wish I was never granted free will. It is more a curse than a gift. The essence, the natural order, the purpose of creation, nothing matters any more. Everything is now controlled by the petty whims of lesser souls. We ourselves have become part of that group! And as if that wasn’t enough…’

Something exploded, down in the Gardens below his chambers. A moment later, his home rang with shrieks and cries of his dying brethren.