Heaven, the Golden City. April 2nd, 1949.No matter what anyone might say, Heaven — Paradise — is not only a place of eternal bliss and peace, but also…
– …Alright, kid, today's your turn to watch over your mother, so…! – shouted the First Man, Adam, from the far corridor of their large home. It was a secluded and peaceful mansion with tall stained-glass windows, even higher ceilings, and glass domes above the offices. Those were meant for flying, for every member of their family had wings proportionate to their form — wings each had, in some way, "worn out," having flown more than any human could live on Earth.
Abel, the Second Man, son of Adam, Firstborn and Heir — though the latter was more of an encouraging title, for Abel had yet to absorb even half, let alone the first part, of what his "younger" brother Seth knew. Seth, who had truly replaced Adam as the leader of humanity after the First Man's earthly journey had ended.
– Alright, Dad! – Abel exhaled, knowing perfectly well that his Father would hear the reply, while slowly getting ready and dressing in his "work" uniform. It was almost identical to his Father's, but "more golden," in a "softer" and "more modern" style compared to the First Man's, which, in Abel's opinion, was far stricter and "martial." – Just give me a…
Abel straightened his blond hair, taking a little longer than usual to manage it after his last cut, adjusted his tunic with its golden "epaulettes," as they called them, and put on a peaked cap marked with the initial "A." Honestly, Abel could understand his Father's irritation and reluctance to follow certain rules of Heaven — even he found it unpleasant to change work uniforms so often.
– Yeah, yeah, we don't have time for that, Shorty! – Adam burst into the room at once, making Abel's shoulders twitch. The First Man seemed to have crossed part of the house in an instant, straight to Abel… and Abel wouldn't have been surprised. – You know that if we deal with it quickly…! – Adam immediately wrapped an arm around his son's shoulder, grinning. Luckily, he wasn't wearing the mask-helmet he had grown so accustomed to, allowing Abel to once again enjoy the "real" face of his Father.
– …Then we can "goof off" afterward. – Abel finished with a sigh, still smiling at his Father, who smirked in response, nodding and pulling his son closer.
– You're damn right, kid. – Adam ruffled Abel's golden hair, then, a moment later, grew slightly more serious. – And don't forget that… – he exhaled, losing some of his earlier energy and spark, to which Abel gave an understanding nod.
– Take Mother to Lord Raphael, give her her medicine. – Abel continued for his Father, stepping away from Adam and giving his work uniform one last adjustment as he looked into the large, always spotless mirror. – I remember, Father.
Adam nodded, also glancing at his son's reflection, his gaze lingering over Abel's figure with a slight pause, making the so-called Second Man shiver a little. To Abel, it seemed Adam, too, wasn't quite used to seeing his son… as he was now. Both men allowed themselves a moment of silence while Abel finished — perhaps deliberately — fussing with the buttons of his tunic, adjusting the collar with its red trim.
– Yeah, kid… Anyway, don't get bored and enjoy yourself at your… – Adam quickly returned to his usual grin and smirk. – Workplace. – he drew out the last word, openly savoring Abel's weary sigh. Abel simply nodded in reply, and Adam, as if the conversation had never happened, waved his son goodbye before leaving Abel's room to the sound of his son's long exhale.
Father truly did have a certain liberty in making fun of Abel's "job," which… had almost officially become looking after their Mother, and "truly officially" was the role of assistant in the First Man's Department, serving as "Adam's deputy." After all, Abel was the First Son, the First Heir…
Abel sighed again, letting himself sink into the nearest chair in the room, decorated in the "usual" Heaven style — violet-blue tones, strict geometric shapes and lines. Adam would sometimes "scold" or joke about Abel's choice, but the so-called Second Man had no intention of changing his personal quarters.
Just to remember that he was in Heaven.Just to know for sure he wasn't somewhere else.
In the meantime, Abel finally descended the stairs of their wood-and-marble mansion, squinting at the strangely familiar silence of their home. It was practically empty, aside from Abel himself and the recently departed Adam.
Seth was away at his "officially unofficial" job in the Third Sphere — one of which was supposedly working as a librarian or something similar for some Cherub, while in truth he was on another, "secret" one, where Seth, acting as a "grown-up Adam," handled numerous matters concerning their "generation," the antediluvian one, which, as it turned out, required much time for… what was the word? Oklimatization? Acclimatization? In short, their "old generation" had to be constantly "adjusted" to live alongside the "new one," the descendants of little Noah.
His wife, Azura, had also gone somewhere in the Third Sphere — she told no one where, except her husband. Abel was understanding enough as an Elder Brother not to "dig" where he wasn't asked to.
Aklima was off somewhere in the Second Sphere, working either with Cherubim, someone from the Department of Earth, or perhaps even the Department of Research and Development. She was always a little tired and a bit more irritable, so Abel found it… not frightening, but rather uncomfortable to question his sister.
Enos and his wife were busy in the First Sphere, or perhaps in the Second. In recent centuries, Abel had spoken little with his younger adoptive brother and his wife, so beyond which Sphere they were in, he didn't know their exact work.
"Although… wasn't it Enos with Mother this time?" Abel froze mid-preparation of a snack for himself and Mother — simple "sandwiches," as Aklima and Azura called them.
…And yes, Abel remembered that this week it was supposed to be Enos and his wife "looking after" their Mother, keeping her company and "entertaining" her, while their Father worked hard to "free himself" from duties so he could return to his wife as soon as possible…
Because of that, his Superior, High Seraph Sera, and her "assistant" Emily often brought various documents directly to Seth and, for some reason, to Abel. The Third often discussed something with Father, so in their home it had become normal to hear the two trading sharp remarks. Abel, meanwhile, simply set those papers aside on the "insistent advice" of Father's true right hand, Senior Valkyrie Lute.
Abel had already accumulated a third stack of these documents, each half a meter high — and that was only since the start of this year.
As for their Mother…
Abel exhaled, placing the packed food into a small basket, immediately covering it with a gold-and-white cloth, carefully tucking it in tight so that the warmth of the freshly prepared meal would stay inside as long as possible. Just the way Mama liked it…
…Mama, the First Mother, Mother of Mothers — or simply Eve. Abel still couldn't fully believe that she… was home. That after all this time, their Mother had truly made it to Heaven, despite the Elohim always speaking of the difficulty, if not impossibility, of such a thing.
Abel, like his brother Seth, like his Father, could not fully calm down and… accept that this Mother was real — that she was not some woman who perfectly replicated their Mother's appearance, something that had happened more than once over the centuries, that this was not some test from the Elohim, that this was simply… simply.
Abel spread his wings the moment fresh air touched his pale skin, just as he stepped through the door of their home. A practiced beat of his wings, a push of his legs — and Abel soared into the heavens like some bird imagined by their Mother or Father.
On this day, the residents of Heaven had wished for rain, as many souls had grown tired of the constant sunny, clear skies. They had somehow managed to sway enough others to carry their petition through to the Session of the High Seraph of the Golden City, and so the clouds were heavy and gray, filled with thunder and water, making the other angels fly lower if they didn't wish to get wet.
Abel, however, flew above the gray skies blanketing the firmament of the Golden City — just as some other souls had, too. A few even descended onto the storm clouds, either to dance or to… do something with the unstable clouds.
Honestly, after Father had taught Abel "trust" and "courage" by making him jump from a cloud into his arms without wings — arms which he suddenly pulled away at the last moment — an experience that was quite frightening and nerve-wracking for Abel, the so-called Second Man had grown… less than fond of sitting on clouds. At least in this century.
Abel flew slowly, enjoying the cooler, fresher air of the districts in the Second or First Sphere, watching as clouds literally cut through the tall spires of buildings, creating what felt like a new Circle of Heaven — separate from all others, much higher and far quieter. Peaceful.
Quiet. Peaceful. Detached — in a good way… These spires, these clouds… And also, he needed to…
"…I'll have to remember to ask Lord Raphael about Mother's latest test, and Azor also mentioned that she's been visiting the Department of Research and Development far too often lately…" Abel couldn't hold back the thought, once again mulling over the upcoming… work?
No, Abel wasn't against caring for his mother, giving back the care she had shown him in his first days on Earth. No. Those familiar, almost forgotten embraces were worth all the time spent without them — and that gentle voice, that laughter Abel hadn't heard since Father had left them on Earth…
It was just… Abel wasn't used to — or had grown unused to — Mother's "quirks," as the new souls in Heaven called them.
Especially when Mother insisted that Abel return to his former appearance — the hair, skin tone, and eyes he'd once had — the one he hadn't exactly rejected, no, just…
Abel didn't like to show it, but "back then," in their earthly time, when Abel had been… the first in something — for, as he later learned, the impossible had happened, and Abel had been born with hair of gold and eyes that "looked at the world through Heaven."
His Mother often told him that the "golden" color was a distinctive trait of the Elohim, that the Lord Himself had blessed the First Son. His Father had brown hair, his Mother black… and Abel's was golden. It had been especially painful for Abel to look at it after the final loss of his Mother.
Even the true First Son, his elder brother, had black hair.
Now, after so much time, Abel understood that his Father and Mother had simply wanted to cheer and encourage their second son, who might have felt a certain… detachment. When your father is the First Man of Creation, and your mother is the First Woman — who had been decei— Who had become the Mother of Mothers — and your elder brother truly was the Second Man, the First Heir, and the First Son…
Abel understood and accepted that he might have felt… different from the rest of his family, which was why he was grateful to his parents, and also to God, who had given him so much care and blessed him.
Abel had become the First Altered — the one who brought novelty into Creation and the human race by adding gold… or so he had been told, though later Abel learned that the true First Woman had also had golden strands when the Third Man turned out to be…
Honestly, the only real "achievement" Abel had managed to accomplish on Earth was becoming the victim of the First Murder.
Just an ordinary offering to God, just a lamb he had lovingly raised, while his brother gathered his best harvest. A moment, a second — and a dull sensation from behind; Abel lost his balance, the world before his eyes began to blur and redden, and only after long moments did Abel realize he was staring at Earth's sky in his final breaths.
No — but who in their right mind could have imagined or understood that his elder brother Cain's piercing gaze, when God — though thinking about it now, it might have been one of the Elohim — accepted their gifts, could have meant anything other than thought?!
Abel could never have imagined that Cain — the true First Heir, the true First Son, the Elder, the true Second Man — could… could do what made Abel the Second no longer. And whatever the Heavens might say, whatever Father might tell him, Abel kept this memory of his elder brother, always correcting others, calling himself "the Third," refusing to take on the titles of his brother.
Cain, no matter how he had treated Abel himself, deserved at least that much. Though Abel had fallen by the hand of his beloved elder, he… had long since forgiven Cain. Abel had heard, and seen, what Cain went through afterward.
He had seen Cain's descendants, seen Cain himself, his life after he had, it turned out, allowed Cruelty and Violence into Creation. The Third Man bore no grudge, no hatred — he…
As Azura would say, Abel had always been a sensitive and "open" soul. Abel did not tolerate violence or cruelty, always trying to avoid them. Abel, like his younger brother Seth, was not a confrontational person. Even back in the Garden, Abel had been the one to hold back the Father's and Seth's descendants — alongside Seth himself — from rash action, fearing the Serpent's reaction.
And especially then, the Serpent…
…No, did you hear? Eve herself recently… - Abel caught the Righteous' whispers with the corner of his ear as he stepped onto the marble tiles of the Golden City, shrouded in a light rain. The Third Man immediately disliked those words.
Wait, Eve? The very First Mother? I thought she was in Hell? - replied another Righteous, a black-and-white wolf with eyes set into his fur, to which Abel only rolled his eyes, politely unwilling to correct the ignorant soul.
Yes, that one, don't interrupt me. So, she's been in Heaven for a long time; the First just didn't want… - said the third Righteous, a humanoid bird-wolf… speaking in either a woman's voice or a very high one. Abel sometimes didn't understand the Righteous.
I'm telling you, she decided to cause such a ruckus again that the city's High Seraphim got involved! - spoke the first Righteous in the group, a purple-pink octopus, naked in tentacles and eyes.
Abel held back a heavy sigh, heading toward Enos's workplace. Enos was supposed to be with his wife "keeping" their Mother busy so she wouldn't pull something like this…
I heard she went to the Department of Earth to mess up their documents, scare the secretary, and then go to…! - the street whispers continued where Abel walked. Maybe it was because he was right next to the "scene of the crime," but the frequency of such conversations began to worry the Third Man.
He was just walking through the puddles of the Golden City, the border between the Second and First Circles. His golden, spotless boots stepped into the small puddles — deliberately made by angels, since the City's marble was too perfect for natural dents or cracks — splashing tiny drops of water with each step.
Falling leaves from just-blooming trees, in all kinds of shades and shapes never before seen by Abel, told him that this was the work of the "Beautification" Department, a new part of the Second Circle founded exclusively by the Righteous, not any of the Seraphim.
The smell of fresh pastries came from the basket on Abel's forearm, brushing against his grown belly. The scent spread on the wet breeze, making some Righteous and celestials — always traveling between the Second and First Circles — glance back at the passing Old Soul.
Soon, the strict streets of the Second Circle shifted into the softer, more "relaxed" tones of the First Circle's houses. The soaring spires gave way to simpler buildings, the kind one could find on Earth or in some book… Not that Abel read much, but he recognized a couple of oddly "fairy-tale" places…
Here there were overly white and strangely perfect domed buildings where angels were humanoid, though with long hair and ears. Abel also saw cathedrals and stone spires directly opposite them, with a yellow-orange eye floating above — not the Eye of Afanim, but some kind of imitation…
"Alright, don't look at them, and they won't look at you. Don't look at them, and they won't start a conversation. Don't look…" thought Abel, passing by the whispering Righteous and celestials who occasionally threw sidelong glances at him. There was recognition in their eyes, confusion, and a bit of surprise — but Abel didn't want to be rude if they chose to speak, unlike what his Father would do. He had nearly reached Enos's workplace, and so…
The tall door of dark wood, framed in shadow and set with silver buttons, swung open with ease before the Second Son, releasing the scent of parchment, ink, and slightly dried quills. The aroma struck Abel's face, making him wince slightly.
Stepping onto crimson velvet, Abel reluctantly glanced at the Department's workers — members of various Divisions — moving like bees, walking or flying in their own directions. It gave an illusion of chaos, which, upon closer look, became a beautifully ordered schedule for every member of the Department.
Angels of the First Circle, a few Archangels, and even a handful of Cherubim… as well as several souls of the "Old World"…
– Good morning, Lord Second! – smiled a she-wolf with a blue halo, carrying some papers. Abel nodded, keeping his smile.– My respects, Señor, – exhaled a stately minotaur — a large bipedal bull with a shining halo. Abel nodded gratefully, returning the quick handshake.– Good evening, this is truly…! – rejoiced some angel whose wings formed the shape of a head instead of having a human face. Abel's smile twitched, for behind that angel stood several others eager to speak with him.
Abel recalled what his Father had taught him for just such occasions.A deep breath, smile gone, a serious look, "as if you're about to smite Creation," a quicker pace, and…
They were still watching him, still greeting him, forcing at least a nod… Where is that damn office of En…
The moment the right door came into sight, Abel almost shoved his way through the ever-busy Righteous and angels. It took effort not to push aside those nearby, all while keeping the basket balanced, but after a brief struggle, Abel opened the door and—
– Abel! – rang a male voice the instant Abel's figure entered the office, before his eyes had time to take in the surroundings. His Younger, Enos son of Seth, sprang up in his chair, nodding and gesturing energetically.– Enos… – Abel forced out, suppressing a smile as he looked at the somewhat… unkempt office, piled high with either papers or random clutter. – Good afternoon, brother, I…– Came to take Mother, of course, – Enos replied a little too quickly and clearly, nodding as he picked up a quill, signing several papers in the space of a breath.
The second "golden-haired" after Abel, the one who led mankind after Seth, taking on the role of head of the communities — the Third Heir, Enos, had sharply defined cheekbones, slightly pointed, flowing smoothly into a straight nose beneath which rested thick, lush, pale-white mustaches that were part of a strict, well-groomed beard. His short, slightly disheveled hair was crowned by an uneven halo shaped like a twisted golden vine with thorns, while his piercing golden eyes looked at Abel with a mix of fatigue, determination, and… relief.
The man was slightly taller than Abel himself, almost on par with Adam, though he never once tried to point that fact out.Dressed in rather "earthly" clothes — a white shirt, formal dark trousers, and shoes, complemented by an almost undone tie — Enos held a golden quill in his strong hand, stained with ink blots, dark, gray, and… beige?
…Is something wrong? – Abel added quietly, glancing around the standard Second Circle office, carefully stepping over scattered papers, pencils, sharpeners, erasers, and empty inkwells.
Enos simply lifted his heavy gaze to Abel. Slowly, intently, looking with eyes that almost radiated energy. Abel exhaled.
What has Mother done again…
Three angels have filed complaints. – Enos didn't even let the Third finish, his deep, even voice practically nailing Abel to the floor. – Five Righteous are cleaning their wings, one went to the Apothecary Wing. – With every word from Enos, the smile on Abel's face faded, and his expression grew more tense. – I don't know what Father is teaching her, or what you allow her to do, but all this happened in just two days — almost a single day if we don't count her trip to the Department of Development, which adds another half-folder of similar reports.
Abel looked away, exhaling — not so much for himself, but for his Mother, Eve. Enos kept watching him, as if searching for an answer, for another second before silently returning to his papers, working the quill so fast it looked like a fan.
You know Mother still has… problems. – Abel finally let out some sort of answer, his gaze returning to his leaning nephew's figure, to which the stately soul only snorted.