There was a flash, then a deep blank.

Someone watched.

Everyone and everything else knew that His name was "I Am the one who Was and Is and Will for ever be."

He said: "Be.", and that was the Word, the "Logos" from which the primary element became. It danced around and looked for its soul-mate, it didn't care how long it took because time was of no consequence; time did not exist. The supreme being felt the loneliness of that element, so he breathed again, "Unite with your love." he said, and at the edge of this mundane existence, the first element smiled in joy as it found its mate, one that was the exact same as itself and so the two kissed.

Air was born.

The balance had been restored, temporarily in this physical universe. But during that split moment, the union of the two had caused a tiny reaction. The reaction caused the primeval phlogiston to come into existence:

Lucifer.

Lucifer stood in the space and wondered what to do. In Her anguish, She wept. And Her tears, made of pure light, spread far and wide. Those tears looked at their mother and asked why She cried. She said that She had been lonely. They replied to Her that She wasn’t lonely any more because they were now alive.

And Lucifer realized a simple thing: That She had the power to create, because She willed it. But since Her will was tied to Her creator, therefore, everything that is to be created in this cascade was the creation of God Himself.

Lucifer looked at Her children and looked up to the creator and called Him "Father". But God is omnipotent; therefore, He cannot beget nor be begotten, so for this heresy, He called Lucifer a "Diabla", or "Slanderer". And God decreed that everything Good that is done by creation is done by Himself, because only God is Good. And everything Evil that is done by creation is done by the concept of the Devil, because only the Devil is Evil.

Thus everything done in the universe was done with a dual, interchangeable, commutative force which cannot exist without the other. One of them was masculine, and it was the nourishing force, and the other was feminine, and it was the intellectual force. Although those two were equal, one was a higher level, only because it came first (masculine or positive) then the second (feminine or negative), but that did not mean that one was better than the other. In fact, if anything, the second was better because it was the one that leads change, while the other encourages stagnation.

In any case, it is worthy to note that despite Lucifer’s heresy, God did not hate Lucifer at all, but only loved Lucifer more. And since no one else could possess infinite mercy as God did, God decreed that He Himself was the only judge. And anyone else who judges another’s nature for whatever reason will not be blessed by God.

Lucifer now became more and more aware of Herself so she took a deep breath then said: "I am!"

And through Her breath the secondary element came to be. Unlike the first element that was heavy but cheerful, this element was light but angry. It sought its mate frantically and hated the fact that it was bound with rules and laws, and Lucifer breathed again, following the tradition of the one who created Her and said: "Kindle your hate.", and once again, at the end of the universe, the two secondary elements united. The two of them swirled with their ethereal energy and united, causing another explosion, this time, a bit bigger.

Fire!

The explosion caused a rip in the blankness and mass confusion ensued. The tears (now called Daemons) fled away and took shelter on a platform that they created. They willed that the platform be able to look into the physical universe, but not be bound to its laws. This world was called Deba (Deva) as it was named after Diabla (The Devil). The elements scattered hither and thither and collided with each other, ripping apart and releasing energy, this kept on continuing for billions of years. But something had to be done to calm it all, so in the midst of the chaos, Diabla let the two secondary elements and one of the primary elements came to a consensus and with the agreement of God, laid down the Laws of Existence of which every element (conscious or unconscious) must follow. There were essentially three laws:

1. Every element must know the Divine Name of their creator, consciously or unconsciously.
2. Since only the creator is eternal, nothing could last forever, and there is no such thing as "Constant". Therefore, everything will always eventually die or decay periodically towards the limit of nothing, or become another lesser element. The number of elements that can exist at a time would be limited to a number that equals the surface of the spherical universe multiplied by the number of the units of energy and the Daemons in existence. This number was called "The Omega Weight" and the Devil’s duty is to enforce this limit.
3. Nothing in existence can be done without the permission of God.

At any moment that one of those three rules are broken, existence will seize to exist and only God (since He’s the only eternal being) will remain.

Agreeing to this constitution, those three elements united together and a new, neutral tertiary element came to be in order to collect all that energy but still provide vital sustenance whenever it was needed.

Water.

The water spilled across the heavens and the breath of The Supreme Being floated across it. Creation felt the immense force of Love that emanated from Him, it was and forever will be indescribable… As He floated over the water, Energy gathered together and came towards the water, this way, Energy was absorbed in the water but the new weight of it caused gravity to form, the gravity caused all the other elements to gather together, and they all collapsed into a single point.

When they collapsed, the entire existence (except God, who resided beyond existence) fell inside of it and warped through it like a reversed funnel into another plane of reality.

This was the first universe, and the barren universe that was located directly behind the first universe became known as the Bottomless Pit.

The elements came out from the other side with a massive explosion. The explosion freed all the elements, but also caused the quaternary element to become:

Earth.

At first, earth was merely specks of dust scattered across the universe, but after billions of years (if there ever was such a thing), as more and more elements formed, they all gathered into one ball of fire, and millions of years later, the ball's spinning slowed down and its outer edges cooled, forming planets.

There were millions upon millions of such fire balls. And in order to keep the universe from collapsing again under its own weight, Lucifer (enforcing the second Law of Existence) was designated to absorb the unwanted balls of fire (now called Stars) and throw them into the bottomless pit.

Emmanuel blinked as he watched these events. Suddenly he became aware of himself. He turned to his left then turned to his right. Surely enough, there were several billion other beings standing there, they were all spherical. Emmanuel blinked again and they had the usual humanoid form that he’s used to. This illusion was a little easier for him to grasp than the sight of those spherical emotionless things.

They all stood around and looked at each other. From their vintage point, they saw a sun shining its lights and casting it on the hallway that they stood in. A dark object seemed to be in front of that sun and it blocked half of its light. The shadow cast itself on half of the crowd, the other crowd remained in the light.

The daemons spread out, walking in different directions. Many went to the light, and even just as much went into the shadow. Those who went to the light were bright with light and were so light-weight they felt they could float. Those that went into the dark turned into a brown bristly skin and produced their own heat from within to counter the coldness of being in the dark. They were large and heavy, and in order to stay warm, crouched down and let the heat fill their bodies.

Emmanuel, realizing that he is now a daemon again, walked towards his choice, remembering Enoch's words and assuming this was the so-called point before time where the angels and demons would chose their allegiances.

"Good choice, friend." a demon said as Emmanuel stood next to him. "Who are you?" Emmanuel asked. The demon shrugged and morphed into an angel, then morphed back: "I have the power to morph. I am Morpheus." He said.

The shuffling and the conversations continued. In fact, when people exchanged names, every single one of the daemons heard it, but all the other conversations were drowned. It was a very strange feeling. And this seemed to last for several hours, if there ever was such a thing.

Suddenly, one of the angels on the other side collapsed.

"What is wrong?" an angel standing by her asked. He held her hand and raised her. "Something… Something's wrong." She said. She looked around and looked out towards space and the stars.

"Where's Lucifer? She's gone!" She seemed to be talking to herself. The other angel shook his head: "Our mother is not yet here." He said.

"You are early, angel of time." He concluded jokingly. The others listened in attention.

"Yes, Tetra. That is my name. What is yours?" She asked. "Raziel" he replied. "I am the Wisdom of God, and thus God is Pleased."

She felt that he was related to her somehow, so she asked: "Are you my brother?" He nodded: "Yes, yes I believe I am."

They smiled at each other then turned around, looking at the others. "My name is Raphael." One of them suddenly said with a loud declaration, floating high in the air "God has raised me!"

Others rose in the air as well. "We are Arch-angels." They said. They seemed to be the last few who hadn’t declared their names yet.

"I am an Arch-angel as well!" Another said, rising high up above the others, "And I am the strongest of all. Because I am the Strength of God!" For some reason, Emmanuel felt that everyone who was present was a child, playing a game. It is as if it was a gigantic nursery, without a caretaker.

He shook his head in disbelief and walked towards the light and stood in front of an angel: "Why do you stand like so in front of me, dark one?" The angel asked.

Emmanuel spoke to him bluntly: "You haven’t told us your name yet, right? Well, you are a demon, like us. Come to our side." The angel sighed and walked towards the dark, as he went into the shadow, he slowly morphed into a demon.

"What is your name?" One of them asked. "Sebakhnyel." He answered, "God has shamed me."

Emmanuel shook his head and shouted: "Can't you all see! The universe is just an illusion! All of it! Angels, demons, humanity, life and death. It is just a game that we have created! Or... Are in the process of creating..."

The audience mumbled: "Life and death?" One asked. "Game?" Another asked. "What’s a game?"

"I think I understand some of what you're saying, demon... Except one thing. What do you mean by humanity?" Raziel asked.

"Humanity?" Emmanuel asked, walking towards Raziel and pushing the crowd away as he shuffled towards him: "A species of pawns in a cruel, sick game that you have started, an endless and senseless battle between two illusions called Good and Evil. That's what humanity is." He shouted.

He turned to Tetra and continued his rhetoric: "I was told that I was human and died and gone to heaven. But now I realize that I've been THIS all along. All of us have!" He raised his hands towards the crowd: "Can't anybody remember?" He asked.

"So..." Tetra raised her hand: "You're saying that this all has happened before?" Emmanuel flailed his hands in the air: "YES! I don't know how many times this has happened but I do remember being here before, and possibly even having this conversation with all of you." He said.

Tetra blinked. She looked towards him, while focusing her eyes somewhere else: "You're right. Because I do remember. I remember someone else was arguing, but it wasn't you.... It was..." Tetra looked towards the stars seeking an answer.

"Who?" Emmanuel asked. Tetra shrugged: "I forgot. But I think I will remember the happenings of today this time, I promise."

"How? I was told that as soon as you make your choice, your memory will be wiped clean. From what I understand now, all that remains is your name." He said.

Tetra shuffled, trying to think of a way out.

"Are you saying God doesn't exist?" Someone asked from the demon side.

Emmanuel thought for a moment. "I don't know about that. I guess he did create the universe, but... What I don't understand is, why did He create us?" Emmanuel replied.

There was silence.

"What if you're wrong?" Raziel asked. "I do feel his wisdom flowing through me. That cannot be my imagination."

"If you are so wise, tell me what we're doing here then." Emmanuel asked, pointing his finger at Raziel's face, but Raziel didn't flinch. Perhaps the image that Raziel was seeing of Emmanuel was something different, he thought this as he remembered Enoch's explanation of points of views in the higher realms of unreality… Or reality, Emmanuel couldn't tell the difference anymore.

"Everything has to have a beginning." Raziel replied. Emmanuel put his hand down.

A demoness from the dark shouted: "What if he's right, what if we're all slaves of something that has already been predestined."

"There is only one way to disprove it." Emmanuel said. "We all have the power to will, right? If it was predestined then the outcome will be the opposite of what happened. For example, I was to become demon, but if I walk to the light and become an Angel, I will go against predestiny, because I have countered my very own choice. And in order for all of us to go against the choice, there has to be random selection." He looked at the crowds and shouted: "The angel on the fifth row and eighth column, go to the side of the dark. And the angel on the seventh row and second column, go to the side of light. Remember that you must willingly do it, not because I ordered you to."

There was deafening silence from the odd and seemingly crazy suggestion. A few moments passed and there was no movement.

Emmanuel was about to declare his theory true.

However, one person from each side walked towards the opposing end, much to Emmanuel’s surprise.

One of them was the demoness that had spoken a few moments before.

"What is your name?" He asked the demoness. As she walked to the light, it shone on her and it reflected beautifully. She settled on the other side and said: "Neriel. The Light of God. But you can call me Neria."

Emmanuel pointed to the angel that turned into a demon: "And yours?"

"Locan." He said, a simple name but very straight to the point. Emmanuel nodded. The name rang a bell for some reason but he didn't bother trying to recall why.

Emmanuel fought his own choice and walked towards the light. He was instantly illuminated. Now, he was home. Or, his counter-home.

"See? You willingly took your sides without any outside force forcing you." Raziel said.

Emmanuel nodded: "We create our own pre-destiny then. But why have two sides, why not be one?"

Raziel: "You saw creation for yourself. When God's breath created that one element, it wasn't stable; it had to find a mate. The unity of two forms a balance in a world that is governed by rules. I suspect some elements would like to follow rules of the consensus and others would like to follow their own."

"So that's why The One cannot be in this so-called physical universe..." Neria contributed her own thoughts.

"Because his being present in this universe will cause it to collapse in itself. So rather than he be INSIDE existence, He surrounds it." Emmanuel concluded. "And in order for there to be balance in existence, evil must co-exist with good."

"What is his name, that wise one?" The angels whispered. "See how he roars courageously at the side of darkness? He is indeed the Lion of God, Aryel. One day, he will become the King of Deva."

"So that does not stop us from becoming Gods in this world, then." A demon declared suddenly, walking forward with his own legion of demons.

"Name yourself, demon!" Raziel shouted. "I am Ra. And these are my colleagues, Anebis, Amun and his wife Amunt." He said, carefully choosing the words that he spoke.

"They will assist me in taking control of this universe." He said that as he pointed towards his band of eighteen or so demons.

"Be Gods of whom? We will not surrender our wills to you; we are forever bound to the light." Raziel shouted.

Ra smiled: "Let us do a test then, this Humanity that this daemon has talked about. It interests us. If we form a neutral sub-species in a neutral world in this physical universe that we are looking upon. We shall let them decide on their own which side they can take. However, both sides must wreak an oath to The Creator not to directly interfere with humanity and thus influence their choice.... If this oath is broken by one of us, the Creator shall destroy them."

"Agreed!" Raziel shouted.

"STOP!" Aryel shouted. "No! You are all falling into the trap again, it is repeating the same way as it did last time. You are NOT going to do anything of the sort. Can't you see? Your little game has caused suffering and pain for billions of people! I will NOT allow it!"

"Too late. The deal is sealed." Amun, standing behind the shadow of Ra shouted suddenly.

Aryel shook his head in grief.

"Now, how are we going to know what side a human being takes?" Raziel asked. "Whoever's name they call for, of course. If they worship us they will be praying in our names, if they worship your God they will be praying in His Name. After all, everyone knows His Name." the demon concluded.

"That is a most wise idea." Raziel smiled, "And so it shall be."

With that, Ra and his demons walked away. He was exhuming an aura of royalty that created instant admiration amongst all the other demons; they all followed him as they walked away towards the darkest edges of the shadows.

Tetra held Aryel's arm: "I don't trust that demon." She said.

Aryel pointed at him: "The alliance of Amun-Ra would form one of the most powerful idolatry influences on Earth; my human form has witnessed it."

Tetra nodded: "He must be stopped."

Aryel shrugged: "Nothing we can do now. It is too late."

Tetra: "Not if I can stop time." She said.

Aryel: "What makes you think you can do that?"

Tetra: "I am the angel of time. I have the power."

Aryel sighed with a surrendered nod: "Well, apparently people here can do whatever they can imagine, so you can go ahead and try."

Aryel looked at the eclipse and wondered when it will pass. It was in the same position that it was several "hours" ago. How strange.

Suddenly he turned at Tetra and shouted: "WAIT!" Tetra: "Too late, I have already started."

Aryel: "Time does NOT exist. If you start time, we are all going to move forward before you have a chance to stop it!"

Tetra: "So?"

Raziel: "He's right. If time exists, then our memories will disappear, because they only existed at a single point in time, and all we'll remember is that single point, not what lead us to it."

Tetra blinked.

She looked around. The angels looked around themselves, for a moment wondering who they were and what they were doing in this strange place, but then they all realized that they all "knew" all along.

Not trying to interpret things that they couldn’t understand, they simply started to walk around and converse with each other, this time no one needed to ask any one else’s name.

The eclipse faded slowly as it shone its first lights on the world of Deva.

"Where is he?" Tetra pointed towards where Aryel was a moment ago.

"Where’s who?" Raziel asked.

"The one I was talking to. I think his name was... Ar... Arel?" She asked, concurrently wondering why she was asking that strange question.

Raziel thought for a moment: "From the Wisdom that God has granted me, I know that the one angel known as Aryel is an angel from a later generation and would not exist in this era. You of all people should know that, Angel of Time."

Tetra smiled and gently slapped her brother's cheek: "I guess you're right, wise guy."

"So what do we do now?" She asked with a yawn, as if waking up from the longest sleep she’s ever had.

All the angels stopped and looked towards their mentor, Raziel whom everyone knew channeled the wisdom God.

He smiled: "We tend to the universe, ensure the balance and then begin our first task."

"What's that?" Neria asked.

"Earth." He replied with a handsome smile that accentuated his allure.

"And then, humanity." He said with a nod. The others tended to their duties.

Tetra shut her eyes then opened them again: "I don’t think that creating Humanity is a good idea. I see them spilling blood and starting wars against each other in the name of God…"

Raziel shook his head, putting his hands softly on Tetra’s shoulders: "Trust in God, my dear sister."

"God knows best."

(Continued...)