A Father's Wrath

The Shade sat in silence, his brow furrowed as he pondered how to continue his story. Adam sat across from him, looking calm with his hands resting on his lap, waiting patiently. The tense mood from earlier had eased a bit, though the Shade still felt the weight of what he needed to share. Despite this, he seemed more relaxed now, his breathing slowing down.

Lost in thought, the Shade considered how best to recount the events. Adam, sensing the Shade's contemplation, remained attentive. The air around them was less heavy than before, but the gravity of the Shade's tale still hung in the room.

As the Shade gathered his thoughts, Adam's awareness expanded beyond the two of them, beyond the Shade's troubled mind, beyond the cursed tree, and past the echoes of countless haunted souls. His senses encompassed the entirety of his being, reflecting on its state.

"Just as I suspected," Adam murmured to himself.

The Shade's sigh brought Adam out of his musing. He turned his gaze back, meeting the Shade's eyes with a steady look. With a sigh, the Shade leaned forward slightly, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

"Heaven was caught off guard by the whole shitshow," the Shade began. "The angels wasted no time scrambling around creation to try and gauge the damage. Cassiel and Seraph stayed behind to protect Seth and me. Michael and Uriel descended into Hell to ensure the seal remained intact and to confront those responsible—though surprisingly, they had nothing to do with it."

"And the rest?" Adam asked.

"The rest ventured to Earth to assess the situation there," the Shade continued, his voice tinged with bitterness. "It was bad, Blondie. Real fucking bad."

Adam leaned forward slightly. "How bad are we talking?"

"The only ones left standing were Seth's family and descendants," the Shade said, his tone reflecting the somber reality. "Barely ten thousand souls. Less than ten thousand out of the original eighty-three thousand."

Adam's eyes widened a fraction. "That's... a devastating loss."

"Yeah," the Shade replied, his voice heavy with grief. "It was a massacre. And to think we were up there, in Heaven, completely oblivious."

Adam remained silent for a moment, letting the weight of the Shade's words settle between them. Over seventy thousand souls were taken out of the world while humanity was barely out of the cradle. That Creature wanted them gone. "That Thing... why did it do it?"

The Shade's eyes darkened, a shadow passing over his features as he considered Adam's question. He took a deep breath before answering. "That Bitch," he began slowly, "has always had a twisted sense of purpose. It thrives on chaos, and feeds on suffering. Ruining shit gets it off like a damn vibrator. But this... this was different. It was methodical, almost calculated."

Adam furrowed his brow. "Calculated? How so?"

"The destruction and targets were too precise," the Shade explained. "It wasn't just random violence or chaos. It never went after any other form of life, neither of sea nor land. According to Haniel, aside from our home where it started its rampage, the Thing made sure to target areas with small populations first. That's why it left Seth's family for last."

"She wasn't confident she could take him at the time," Adam stated, seeing what the Shade was hinting.

"You have to remember that Thing was just a tiny fragment of Roo, while the main body was made into Hell. Just like with every child I sired, I've lost a bit of divinity. With each kid Eve conceived, another splinter was gone, chipping at the fragment in her chest. Then, those kids had their own kids and so on."

"It was trying to restore its strength," Adam concluded, his eyes narrowing. It seemed that in both realms, that aspect was the same. It was why his modern descendants were weaker than their ancient ancestors. It was also the reason why, despite humanity persisting for seven million years, all the human fighters in Ragnarok had been from the first 6,000 years.

It seemed that joining in Eve's body, the abomination was forced to go through the same shedding process.

Still, there was something bothering him. "But why go through the effort? From what you've said, the takeover began shortly after Abel's death. The Thing should have been able to take control long before you sired your last child. Why go through the trouble of having so many children and weaken itself further?"

"Because that thing fucking hates my guts!" the Shade spat, his voice seething with anger. "Whatever Eve left probably kept her in check from attacking me when I was weak. Before that, she was too damn scared that I'd obliterate it if it tried anything. So it settled for the next best thing. It went after my children while I was stuck in Heaven, defenseless, because it wanted to hurt me where it counted the most."

Adam leaned back, taken aback by the ferocity in the Shade's words. "Targeting your children out of pure spite?"

"Yes!" the Shade snarled, his fists clenching tightly. "Every child, every innocent life, slaughtered because that fucking abomination wanted to twist the knife in deeper. It knew it couldn't take me on directly, so it chose to torment me by erasing my bloodline, one by one. It wanted me to feel every loss, every agonizing second of it. And it nearly succeeded."

"How cruel." Adam stated with a frown.

"Damn right it is. And it didn't stop there. It fucking used my children as a fucking battery to go after the rest! But guess what?" The Shade's voice grew rough with anger as he straightened back, spreading his arms and puffing out his chest defiantly. "We fucking survived. My bloodline endured, despite its damned best efforts to wipe us out."

Adam's fury rose alongside the Shade's, but he kept his emotions tightly in check. That thing... its actions spoke of a being that relished inflicting pain on the Shade. It must have nursed a deep-seated vendetta ever since the Shade thwarted its full assimilation with Eve back in the Garden, consigning it to eternal damnation.

Or perhaps its resentment had brewed even earlier, sparked by envy over the favoritism the Almighty bestowed upon humans.

Alternatively, maybe it simply harbored an intense dislike for the Shade.

These were all logical deductions, the only conclusions that seemed plausible. In fact, they were the conclusions any rational mind would reach. Yet...

Adam's instincts gnawed at him, insisting that it wasn't that straightforward. His gut churned with unease, a nagging sense that there was something he was missing.

Back then, when he was within its grasp —No, calling it a grasp would be a disservice. it was an embrace.

As chaotic as his emotions were, at the time, it shouldn't have snuck on him. His instincts were able to react to Zeus' attack that didn't even exist on the same plane of reality, yet his danger sense never once triggered by the Abomination's presence.

Adam felt no hostility from the Creature

You are my eternal companion, my other half. We are bound together, now and forever."

Could it really have been a trick? He pondered deeply, recalling the moment vividly. The Creature's embrace had felt strangely comforting, almost familiar. There was no malice in its touch, no sense of deceit in its voice.

Then she attacked him.

It tried to kill him.

Yet he felt no hatred from it.

Adam's doubts lingered, fueled by his instincts and the unsettling notion that perhaps the Creature's emotions were genuine—but to what end?

Adam's brow furrowed.

He was missing too much context.

"You okay there, Blondie?" The Shade's voice startled him. "Looking kinda constipated there."

Adam snapped out of his deep contemplation, blinking rapidly as he refocused on the present. He looked at the Shade, who was observing him with a mix of curiosity and mild amusement. Adam's mind was still reeling from the conflicting emotions and unanswered questions about the Creature, but he forced himself to push those thoughts aside for now. There were more immediate matters at hand.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Adam replied, his voice steadier than he felt. He wasn't ready to share the whirlwind of thoughts and doubts swirling inside him. Not yet. Not when he himself wasn't sure what to make of them. That was discounting the fact that the idea of the Creature as anything other than Evil incarnate would certainly rightfully- anger the shade.

The Shade raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Sure you are," he said, leaning back and crossing his arms. "You looked like you were about to pop a blood vessel."

Adam managed a faint smile, shaking his head. "Just...thinking. There's a lot to process. You were talking about your daughters finally joining you in heaven, right?"

The Shade's grin widened, his tone a mix of pride and nostalgia. "Yeah, after that whole shitshow, Heaven started filling up real quick. My eldest daughters were ancient as fuck by then, so a decade after that massacre, Aclima kicked the bucket, and Azura followed suit a couple of years later. First time I saw those girls in over five hundred years, and it was like they never skipped a beat. Tried to give 'em and Seth some space, since..... y'know, "

Adam raised an eyebrow, catching the implication. "Because they were also Seth's wives?"

The Shade nodded, chuckling gruffly. "Yeah, that too. Didn't wanna fourth-wheel my own son in Heaven, and 'cause of all the shit. But they weren't having any of it—those three, they made it clear from the start: family sticks together, no matter what."

He leaned back, a fond glint in his eyes. "They were tough as nails, those two. Always had been. Even after all the crap we'd been through, they were there, ready to pick up where we left off. It meant the world to me, Blondie. Finally felt like I had a piece of home back."

"Must have been quite a reunion." Adam smiled knowingly.

"Damn right, it was," the Shade replied, his voice tinged with warmth. "We laughed, we cried, we argued—just like old times. The Shade continued, his grin softening into a proud smile. "From there, Aclima, Azura, and Seth, they were the foundation. Then came the rest—grandkids, great-grandkids, all of 'em. We made sure they felt welcomed, like they belonged. I had everything ready for 'em, didn't spend those hundred years alone kicking rocks, you know."

His eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he reminisced. "We built a real home up there. A place where the family could come together again, despite everything the rest of Seth's descendants started showing up in Heaven over the centuries."

The Shade's expression grew even more solemn as he continued. "For those who came after, it was like they passed through a veil, leaving behind the struggles of Earth for the peace of Heaven. Death didn't seem that damn scary anymore. Just a temporary farewell."

He paused, the gravity of his next words hanging heavy in the air. "Until it suddenly wasn't."

Adam furrowed his brow, sensing the shift in the Shade's demeanor. "What happened?"

The Shade's eyes darkened slightly. "The numbers of the dead and those entering Heaven began to differ."

"They weren't worthy of Heaven," Adam stated bluntly, realizing the implication. Adam furrowed his brow. "So, was it because of Roo?"

The Shade let out a rough sigh, shaking his head with a somber expression. "Nah, Blondie, as much as it'd be fuckin' easy to pin it all on Roo and move on, Roo was just a part of the bloody mess. Sin was kickin' around long before Eve bit that damn apple. Only the Almighty up there is perfect. As humans, even though we're made in His image, we are far from it. He made sure of that."

The Shade's voice carried a mix of reflection and bitterness, punctuated by a rough gesture. "Back in the Garden, when the angels kept praising me for being so pure and perfect, I wasn't. I had doubts, desires, and when that bitch Lilith started gettin' all uppity, she fucking pissed me off. Wanted to fucking...." The shade wrangled his hands before he sighed. "I was already capable of screwing up."

"I asked the Lord about it," the Shade continued, his gaze distant as he recalled the past, gesturing with his hands for emphasis. "And He fuckin' told me it was by design. Imperfectly perfect, He said. He wanted me to grow, to be different from the rest of His creation. Said he gave me something better than perfection: potential. Perfection meant there is no room for growth."

Adam nodded, absorbing the Shade's words. "So you knew, you just didn't act on it."

The Shade nodded back, his tone gruff. "Yeah, I fuckin' humbled myself," he said, repeating the word the Lord granted him. "So, when Roo got out, it just amplified what was already there. That apple didn't create sin; it made temptation real. Eve took a bite, and it left a fuckin' mark on her soul. And when I tried to help, it did the same to me, though less. So, with every new generation, that temptation spreads. Add in the fact that every human carries a piece of the original Roo..."

Adam cut in, connecting the dots. "All those bad ideas you wanted to do suddenly seemed a lot more convincing."

The Shade grunted in agreement, he let out a heavy sigh. "I always knew it was a matter of time before someone fucks up and gets denied Heaven. With Cain, it was easy to blame myself. But when it happened the second time...It was like a gate opened after the first schmuck. In barely four generations, the number of those going to hell was double that of those who entered Heaven. It was only then that it actually sunk in how badly Raggedy Ann and her bitch boy fucked creation up."

"Lilith and the Serpent."

The Shade nodded, a bitter edge to his voice. "Yeah. They set off a goddamn chain reaction. Tribalism took over, and my descendants were no longer 'Children of Adam.' Humanity lost its fucking meaning. They waged war against one another and enslaved each other. Families turned against each other, cities tore themselves apart over petty shit. Greed, envy, violence—humanity turned into a fucking mess."

Adam remained calm, processing the Shade's words. "So, every generation carried a fragment of that original sin, amplified by Roo."

The Shade stopped, looking at Adam with a mixture of frustration and sorrow. "Exactly. Suddenly, shit kept escalating way too fucking fast. People would lose their shit at the drop of a hat. Murder became the first option in an argument. Fuck's sake, you'd poke a man in his sleep, and he'd burn your house down, kill you, and eat your children in retaliation."

Adam paused, his thoughts drifting back to his own experiences. "When I ventured into Hell," he said, rubbing his temples, "the city I dropped into was full of demons. They felt different from the creatures in the rings below. They felt distinctly human, but corrupted—a crude mockery of the children I met in Heaven. At first, I thought it was a ploy by the serpent to enrage me." He spoke softly, remembering the disgust he felt. "But the longer I looked at them, the angrier I got. It wasn't the same anger I felt towards the other creatures below." He stopped, looking at the Shade. "It all makes sense now. Those weren't demons. They were humans. They were your children."

"They're not my children." The shade spat.

Adam's eyes narrowed.

The shade crossed his arms.

The tension between them hung thick in the air, but Adam's gaze softened first. He sighed, understanding the depth of the Shade's pain and frustration.

"Maybe not," Adam said quietly, "but they were once. We can't just give up on them."

The Shade grunted, his own anger ebbing slightly. "Those were Hellborn...the soulless shitters in the lower rings are demons born in Hell. Don't give two shits about them."

"Soulless?" Adam's brows rose in surprise.

"Got no souls. When Roo consumes Sinners, the soul is absorbed, and the rest of the package, regrets, and all that shit gets spat out into Hell. Do it enough times and suddenly, hell is full of those freaks."

"Doesn't matter. Anyhow..." The Shade shrugged it off, bringing their talk back to his tale. "Shit got bad. Heaven had to interfere. The Lord sent some angels down to Earth, known as the Grigori or the Watchers, to watch over them, teach them, and stop them from going ape shit at every little thing. Those angels were supposed to guide humanity, keep 'em in check, ya know?"

Adam nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the weight of the Shade's words. "So, the Watchers were meant to be guardians, intervening when humanity strayed too far."

"Yeah," the Shade grumbled. "But they ended up doin' more than watchin'. Got themselves mixed up with humans, and taught 'em all sorts of shit. Brought on a whole new mess."

The Shade leaned back, crossing his arms as he continued. "By that point, humans hadn't seen an angel in over two thousand years. They started making up all kinds of shit about how they came to be. Even the dickmaster in front of you became forgotten, and these fuckers came out of my ballsack."

Adam listened intently, his brow furrowing at the crude description but understanding the Shade's frustration. "So when humans saw these winged chucklefucks coming out of the sky, they thought of them as gods."

The Shade nodded vehemently. "Damn straight. Started worshipin' 'em, makin' sacrifices, buildin' temples. They didn't realize these angels were just tryna do their damn job, keepin' order in a world... at least at first."

"The Watchers stopped correcting them," Adam said, frowning, a deep sadness settling in his eyes. "And that led to even more corruption."

"Damn right. Just when you think shit can't get worse, it always does." The Shade nodded grimly."They started having children with humans. The result was the ugliest fucking shit you've ever seen. Nephilim."

"Nephilim?"

"Yeah, those Nephilim were the offspring of angels and humans. Ugly mix, let me tell ya. They were big, powerful bastards, causing all sorts of trouble. They weren't like your regular humans or angels—they had their own agendas, their own freaky powers. Some were giants, others just freaks of nature with magic and shit."

Adam's expression turned somber as he listened, piecing together the implications. "And I suppose their existence didn't sit well with Heaven or Earth."

The Shade scoffed. "Nope, it sure as hell didn't. Heaven was pissed—angels weren't supposed to be gettin' it on with humans. It messed up the whole damn order. So, the Lord had to step in again, and clean up the mess. Sent a Flood to wipe 'em all out, start fresh."

He leaned forward, his head shaking in exasperation. "Shit was like a pressure cooker about to blow. Hell's population was surging, filled to the brim with souls. Humans were going fuckin' ballistic with sin—murder, theft, rape, you name it. And those Nephilim... they were like a plague across the Earth, causing chaos and fear wherever they went. The Watchers, supposed to be keepin' order, were falling themselves, mixing it up with humans, teaching 'em things they shouldn't have known."

"So, it was a total breakdown of everything." Adam's eyes widened in realization.

"Yeah," the Shade growled. "Heaven couldn't ignore it anymore. The Almighty had to step in and hit the reset button. Sent that Flood to wipe 'em all out—Nephilim corrupted humans, and started fresh with Noah and his family. The Watchers were cast down to Hell, but not before fucking things up further."

"What happened?" Adam asked.

"Before their fall, the Watchers and some angels in Heaven saw how humans behaved and started getting ideas. Some saw the humans worshiping them and got a big head. Others saw the humans sinning and thought of them as a plague. Some saw them as playthings. Others saw them as servants to be ruled over. Flash-forward a couple of hundred years, and suddenly you got angels thinking they know better than God."

Adam summarized."A rebellion."

"To make things worse, the fallen angels weren't about to take it lying down. They teamed up the first fuckups. And that bitch Lilith, with her knack for empowering shit with just her voice. Heaven was outnumbered and up against the Hellborn, Fallen Watchers, Sinners, and a fucking rebellion at home."

The Shade laughed darkly. "Heaven fucking demolished them. You could have multiplied their numbers tenfold, and those sorry bastards wouldn't have stood a chance against the Archangels. That piece of shit Lucifer and his damn whore Lilith didn't even have the balls to show their faces."

"I'm sensing a but..."

"While the battle was a massacre, the location was the problem. Hell. Imagine it, blondie—hundreds of thousands of angels, hundreds of thousands of Nephilim, and Coked-Up Sinners, all lying on the floor of Hell, their blood seeping into the ground of hell. Seeping into Roo."

"It consumed them." Adam's eyes widened.

The Shade nodded, raising his index finger. "All those corpses and souls were reduced to pure energy, allowing it to bypass the seal for just one second."

Adam's mind raced, trying to grasp the implications. "Wait, so you're saying... Hell itself became the conduit?"

The Shade leaned back, a grim smile playing on his lips. "Exactly. Hell, in all its damned glory, served as the vessel. It was like a damn crack in the wall, just big enough to slip through."

"Roo was stuck in Hell, bound to it," the Shade explained with his characteristic bluntness. "Couldn't wiggle out of that shitshow. So, it did the next best thing. Its roots ripped through the firmament, screwing up Earth, Heaven, and even the damn Aether, and pulled."

"So what happened next?"

"Luckily, nothing. The Almighty intervened, but let me tell you, He was fucking pissed."

The Shade leaned forward, his voice dripping with relief and awe. "Imagine it, blondie. The Almighty, in all his fury, standing at the edge of creation. His voice thundered through the heavens, rattling everything from the highest realms to the deepest pits of Hell. Fucking rebellion squashed in a millisecond."

Adam remained composed, his demeanor unchanged as he absorbed the Shade's words.

"He spoke," the Shade continued, "and the whole damn universe shook. Roo's slimy tendrils pulled back, and its grip faltered. It was like a tornado slamming against a reinforced wall, pushing hard but held back by sheer power."

"Did it... stop?" Adam asked quietly, his curiosity growing.

"For a while," the Shade nodded. "The Almighty's rage calmed the immediate mess, but Roo's stink lingered. Its roots still dug deep into the realms."

"I'm confused" Adam spoke, this had been nagging him for a while. "why doesn't your God just kill it and be done with it?"

The Shade leaned back, scratching his chin thoughtfully. "Ah, well, blondie, it ain't that simple. See, Roo ain't just some rando demon you can stab and call it a day. It's woven into the very fabric of creation, like a damn parasite. If the Almighty went full nuclear on it, he'd risk tearing down the whole damn universe with it. We're talkin' chaos of biblical proportions, and trust me, you don't wanna mess with that. And besides, Roo is God or at least His counterpart. God can't just kill God. If he could, He wouldn't be God."

Adam frowned, processing the implications. "So, what then? You just sat back and hoped it behaved?"

The Shade shook his head vigorously, his expression turning grim and his voice tinged with a raw edge of bitterness. "Nah, Blondie. God couldn't kill it, but He sure as hell made it regret crossing Him. He unleashed his wrath like a cosmic sledgehammer, sending that abomination careening through the fabric of creation. The impact was catastrophic, ripping Hell itself into seven distinct rings. And then, just to contain it, He forged a seven-fold seal, each key bound to the essence of an archangel: Haniel, Raguel, Raphael, Zadkiel, Chamuel, and Seraphiel."

"You said seven keys, but those are just six," Adam pointed out.

The Shade grimaced, a mix of disgust and frustration evident on his face. "Yeah, they never told me who the first one was. Always kept that shit under wraps."

"Why the secrecy?" Adam asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Fuck if I know," the Shade replied with a dismissive shrug.

Adam nodded thoughtfully, absorbing the information. Then, a realization dawned on him. "Wait, if none of the keys were broken, why did Roo wake up?"

The Shade leaned back, crossing his arms as he recounted the grim truth. "That's probably because I bit the dust."

"What do you mean?" Adam pressed further, his curiosity piqued.

"When I got stabbed, my blood spilled into the earth," the Shade explained, his tone sober. "It wasn't enough to shatter the seal outright, but it was like a wake-up call for Roo. My death... it's kind of a big deal.

Adam nodded solemnly, realizing the gravity of the situation. "So, your death was what stirred it from its slumber."

The Shade nodded back, his expression hardened with resignation. "Yeah. My untimely demise, as shitty as it was, ended up stirring up a whole mess of trouble. My death was caused by that fucking snake and his bitch daughter who are very much not dead. please correct that as soon as possible."

"Why were you in Hell anyway? I thought you were worthy of Heaven," Adam queried, his voice steady and curious.

"I wasn't cast down. I was conducting the Yearly Exterminations." he Shade replied, his tone matter-of-fact.

"What is that?" Adam leaned forward, intrigued by the cryptic term.

"To make sure that the whole shitshow of Roo spreading doesn't repeat itself," the Shade explained, his tone tinged with disdain. "Every year, the Exorcists, led by me, descend into that shithole and cull the number of sinners."

"Exterminate. Like bugs?" Adam's voice carried a hint of disdain, his gaze piercing as he sought clarification.

The Shade met Adam's glare with a grin, a glint of dark amusement dancing in his eyes. "Exactly. Like fucking bugs," he confirmed, his tone gravelly and laced with the weight of years spent enforcing this grim duty. "It's the only way to keep that shitshow from spiraling out of control again. Every year, we descend into that hellhole and purge the damned souls. And let me tell you, it's the best goddamn time of my life!"

Adam's brow furrowed slightly, his mind grappling with the Shade's callous enjoyment of such a morbid task. "You find joy in exterminating the souls of your own children?" he asked, his voice steady but tinged with disbelief.

The Shade's face drew closer to Adam's, a sneer adorning his expression as he leaned in, his breath tinged with the stench of smoke. "Those abominations are not my children," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "But just to satisfy your ego, let's say they are. What would you have done in my place?"

Adam's eye twitched, his fist clenching involuntarily as he struggled to maintain his composure.

"What do you think would happen if we left 'em be, even aside from Roo? What'll happen when one of those fuckers amasses enough souls to become an Archdemon and bust through the firmament? This ain't your idyllic land, Blondie. This ain't Ragnarok where the whole of humanity pats you on the back." the Shade continued, his voice now dripping with foreboding malice. "There's no big bad god to fend off who's coming after your children. This is simply a matter of choosing to save the victims or their killers."

Adam remained silent.

"I'll make simple it enough for your empty brain. Knowing what would happen.." the Shade spoke with an even tone. "Would you kill Cain to save Abel? or would you cling to your ideals and cradle your innocent child once again?"

Adam closed his eyes briefly, a torrent of conflicting emotions swirling within him. The Shade's words struck a raw nerve.

But the answer was simple.

Adam opened his eyes and met the Shade's gaze. "Neither, I will save both."

The Shade shook his head slowly, a grim smile playing on his lips. "The world doesn't work like that," he murmured, his voice tinged with resignation and a hint of dark amusement.

The Shade leaned back, his demeanor shifting to a more contemplative stance. "You're idealistic, Blondie. Admirable, even. But in this hellhole we live in, choices ain't always so clear-cut. Sometimes, you're forced to make decisions that fuck up your soul, no matter which path you choose."

"You're wrong," Adam replied, raising his fingers. "About three things."

The Shade raised an eyebrow, surprised by Adam's confident response. "Oh? Care to enlighten me, old man?" he asked, his tone skeptical yet curious.

"The first is that you thought I would be content with those two choices." Adam declared, his voice resolute. "I will save both of them, and I will accept nothing else, I will talk to Cain to make him see reason. If that doesn't work, I will plead with him to appeal to his love for his brother. And if that still doesn't work, then I will simply break his limbs and spend the rest of my days caring for him."

The Shade's expression darkened, a scowl replacing his earlier amusement. "You really think you can talk sense into someone who's gone that far off the deep end? And if not, you're just going to babysit a crippled murderer for eternity? That's your grand plan?"

"Eternity is a long time. Sooner or later, he might see reason." Adam's gaze didn't waver. "I believe in the power of redemption, even in the darkest of souls, and. But if reason and love fail, then I'll do whatever it takes to prevent more harm. Even if it means confining him for the rest of his life."

The Shade snorted, his disdain was evident. "You're a stubborn old bastard, aren't you? Do you think this is some fairy tale where everyone gets a happy ending? Well, it fucking ain't!"

"Determined," Adam corrected. "I've seen too much to give up on anyone, no matter how lost they seem."

The Shade leaned forward, his eyes narrowing. "You don't get it, do you? This ain't about happy endings. It's about fuckin' survival. It's about making the hard-ass choices so the innocent doesn't suffer. You think you can just brute-force your way out of everything, you dumbass?"

Adam remained calm. "Isn't that the crux of the matter? Whether you have the power to bend the world to your desires or not. It's not about thinking I can fix everything, it's about never giving up on trying."

The Shade shook his head, frustration boiling over. "You think you're the first to try that shit? Do you think you're the only one who's ever believed in redemption? That place... Hell... people don't get sent there by mistake. They fuckin' deserve to be there! If others have proved they can get to Heaven, what's their goddamn excuse!?"

"They don't have one. Nor am I interested in excusing them. I am not a judge. I am a father. It is my duty to love my children and protect them, no matter how ruthless or far gone they might be," Adam replied firmly. "Every soul, no matter how lost, deserves my compassion. It's not about excusing their actions."

The Shade's expression hardened, a sneer curling his lips. "That's some fucked-up logic, blondie. Protecting monsters? Keeping those fuckers alive when they've done nothing but wreak havoc? You call that love?"

Adam's gaze remained steady. "Yes. Love isn't about condoning their actions; it's about believing in their potential to change. It's about giving them a chance, no matter how slim."

The Shade scoffed, his voice dripping with disbelief. "You really think they can change? After all, they've fucking done? You're deluded."

Adam met the Shade's gaze, unwavering. "When the alternative is putting them down like dogs? Yes. With all my heart," he stated, his tone resolute and filled with conviction.

Despite the Shade's belief that Adam was nothing more than an idealistic fool, Adam didn't oppose the concept of Hell itself. Punishment was necessary. That was the first lesson he learned after Cain. Love without firm discipline was a weakness. It was why he banished Cain after what he had done. There was no deity to hide behind or shift blame to.

That decision was his own, and he stood by it without regret.

What he did regret was failing so profoundly as a father that his son was condemned to such a fate.

If his children deserved Hell, then so be it. But Adam would never abandon them. He would not stand idle while they were slaughtered. If they posed a threat, he would ensure they were no longer a danger.

Disciplining a child was a father's duty.

Killing a child was a father's worst nightmare.

The Shade leaned in closer, his eyes blazing with intensity. "And what about the innocent ones they hurt along the way? What about their victims? Don't they deserve justice?"

"Justice and redemption aren't mutually exclusive," Adam replied calmly, his voice steady despite the charged atmosphere. "I can protect the innocent and still believe in the potential for change in the guilty."

The Shade threw his hands up in exasperation. "You're living in a fuckin' dream world, old man! Hell isn't a place for second chances. It's a pit where the damned rot because they deserve it!" He leaned in, his voice dripping with contempt. "Those bastards had their chances. They chose evil, and now they gotta pay for it."

"Then why are they slaughtered for a crime they're already being punished for?!" Adam countered, his voice rising with passion. "If they're already suffering, why do they need to be exterminated like pests?"

The Shade's eyes narrowed, his frustration boiling over. "Because if we don't, they'll find a way to break out and cause more fucking chaos! This ain't about punishment; it's about containment. We're not talking about people who just made a few fucking mistakes. We're talking about monsters who'd tear apart creation if given half a chance."

"Then it is also my responsibility to make sure that they don't!" Adam snapped back, his voice rising with passion. "If they try to harm another, I'll break their arms! If they try to kick someone to death, I'll shatter their legs. If they want to bite another to shreds, then I'll crack their jaws! And if they want to curse someone, let them curse me!"

The Shade's sneer returned. "You really think you can handle all of them? Alone? Well, you must think the sun shines out of your ass!"

Adam's eyes blazed with unwavering conviction as he met the Shade's gaze squarely. "If that's what it takes," he began, his voice steady despite the intensity of his emotions, "I'll willingly bear their hatred, their anger. It'll become their target if it means shielding others from their wrath. But I will not kill my own blood."

He paused, raising a second finger and letting his words hang in the air before continuing with a resolute tone. "And here's where your second mistake lies," Adam asserted, his voice carrying a weight of certainty. "It's not about lacking options; it's about having the power to forge new paths, to create opportunities where others see only despair."

He leaned forward slightly, emphasizing each word. "I'll talk, reason, and plead. And if all else fails, I'll intervene with force, not out of vengeance, but out of a duty to protect. Because in the end, it's not just about punishment or redemption—it's about guiding even the most lost of my children."

The Shade leaned forward, his expression hardening into a stern glare. " How many lives will you put at risk before you realize that some souls are irredeemable? This isn't about your strength of will; it's about the reality of what we face. The Shade scoffed, his voice laced with cynicism. "You can't reason with monsters; you can only contain them!"

Adam squared his shoulders, meeting the Shade's gaze with unwavering determination. "Then I'll be the containment. I'll be the shield that stands between them and the innocent. Even if it costs me everything."

"It's already cost me fucking everything! Why should I be the one who has to sacrifice more?!" The Shade's voice echoed with bitterness, his frustration palpable as he pounded his fist into the ground. Dust and debris scattered around him, mirroring the turmoil within. "Why is it always on my fucking shoulders, my burden to bear, cleaning up after their goddamn mess."

He paced back and forth, his movements tense with pent-up anger. "I've seen what they're capable of. They're not just mistakes; they're fucking abominations. They'll rip this world apart if we let them roam free. And yet, every time we try to contain them, it's me who gets blamed for being too harsh, too cruel. They rejected their humanity, so I fucking reject them back! Why am I the one who has to keep making sacrifices for those cunts?"

"Adam stood firm, but his expression softened, torn between empathy and steadfast conviction. He knew the Shade's pain ran deep ""Because that is the duty of a father," he echoed bitterly. "To clean up the messes, to bear the burdens, to sacrifice for the sake of our children."

The Shade gestured sharply, his voice tinged with both sorrow and resentment. "How is that fucking fair?"

"It's not."Adam's gaze softened, touched by the Shade's weariness." Perhaps it never ends," he replied softly. "But that doesn't mean we stop trying. We keep striving, keep hoping, because that's what makes us human."

"I didn't sign up to be the scapegoat."

The silence hung heavy between Adam and the Shade, each grappling with their own thoughts. Adam remained standing, his gaze fixed on the Shade who had slumped onto the ground, curled inward as if burdened by invisible weight.

"What's the third?" The Shade, still kneeling, took a deep breath, the lines of tension in his back clenching slightly.

"Hmm?" Adam made a sound of confusion, urging the Shade to continue.

"You said I was fucking wrong about three things," the Shade muttered, his voice shaking with a mix of frustration and resignation. "Tell me what it is so you can fuck off already."

Adam hesitated for a moment, his gaze fixed on the Shade's weary posture. "The third...," he began slowly, speaking with a soft voice, choosing his words carefully. "You said, 'There's no big bad god to fend off who's coming after your children.' But there is. Roo."

The Shade looked up at Adam, his expression a mix of defiance and resignation. He seemed to absorb Adam's words, processing them in the quiet of the dimly lit room. After a long pause, the Shade nodded slowly, his voice quieter now, tinged with a hint of acceptance. "You're a fucking moron," he said, straightening up. "I'm arguing with a fucking moron."

"'There is Roo,'" The Shade mocked Adam's words with a high-pitched voice, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You can't fucking beat Roo, you stupid motherfucker! Not even God can kill Roo."

Adam maintained his composure, meeting the Shade's gaze steadily. "You said, 'God can't beat Roo,' not 'Humans can't beat Roo,' so I can."

The Shade scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Oh, you're a special kind of idiot, aren't you?" he retorted, his voice laced with derision. "Thinking you're some sort of divine savior in this shithole." The Shade continued, his voice now laced with bitterness. "

"And tell me, how are you gonna do that?" The Shade's voice dripped with skepticism.

"I have a couple of ideas," Adam replied calmly.

The Shade continued, his voice now laced with bitterness. "So what's your grand plan, huh? You think you can waltz into Hell and take care of Roo all by yourself?"

Adam sniffed."That's a part of it, yes."

The Shade looked close to coughing blood at Adam's audacity.

Adam's expression hardened slightly, but his voice remained measured. "I don't have all the answers, but I can't just stand by and do nothing. If there's even a chance..."

The Shade interrupted, his frustration palpable. "A chance? You're delusional if you think you can do anything against Roo. It's been there since the beginning, woven into the fabric of creation itself."

Adam's gaze flickered with determination. "Maybe. But we won't know until we try."

The Shade dropped his head into his hands in despair, feeling the weight of frustration and annoyance settle heavily upon him. His fingers gripped his hair tightly as he struggled to contain his exasperation. "You're actually serious. This must be my Hell. I'm in Hell and my tormentor is a dumbass."

After a long moment, he slowly raised his head, his eyes narrowing with incredulity as he regarded Adam. "Wait…what do you mean 'we'?" His voice cracked with a mix of disbelief and distress.

"Well, you and me," Adam smiled, his finger pointing between the two of them.

The Shade raised an eyebrow incredulously, his frustration giving way to disbelief. "You and me? I'm fucking dead, you dipshit! There is no 'me'!"

Adam approached closer, kneeling to look the Shade directly in the eye. "That has been bothering me for a while. Once I leave this inner place in my soul, what will happen to you?"

The Shade sighed heavily, the weight of his existence apparent in every word. "I don't know. Probably just disappeared. I've already told you my last regret. Without it, my soul will finally move on."

Adam's brow furrowed with concern. "Will you still be you?"

The Shade shrugged bitterly, a humorless laugh escaping him. "Probably not. Become part of the universe or some cosmic shit."

"So, you'll die," Adam concluded quietly, his gaze unwavering.

The Shade met Adam's eyes, a mix of resignation and defiance in his expression. "I'm already dead, but yeah."

Adam paused, nodding to himself. "Well, I can't have that."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean," The Shade scoffed a hint of bitterness in his voice. "And what are you going to do about it? I'm beyond saving."

Adam's resolve hardened. "Maybe not. There's always a way."

The Shade regarded Adam with a mix of skepticism and curiosity. "What do you mean?"

"Stay with me," Adam said with a grin. "I've checked earlier, but it seems that my soul is missing a part. You can fill it in."

Adam's suggestion hung in the air, and The Shade's initial scoff erupted into a full-blown outburst of frustration. He threw his hands up in exasperation, his voice rising with incredulity.

"You think I can just waltz into your soul and patch shit up!? That's not how any of this works, old man!" The Shade's words thundered through the dimly lit chamber, reverberating with anger and disbelief.

"Why not? I've done it before," Adam replied calmly, his tone unwavering. "I merged with Reginleif's soul once. Although she didn't come with me, the connection remains. You could fill that void."

"I'm not your fucking fixer-upper," he growled, his voice dripping with bitterness and frustration. "I'm what's left of a life cut short, a fucking cascade of regrets and unfinished business. You think I want to be fucking trapped in your soul?"

The Shade's words thundered through the dimly lit chamber, each syllable laced with anger and resentment. "I'm not some fucking puzzle piece you can slot into place. I'm a damned soul, Adam, not your fucking salvation."

"You think I would willingly become a goddamn prisoner inside your fucking soul?" The Shade seethed, his eyes blazing with fury. "I'm not some pawn for you to fucking manipulate! I'm not some puzzle piece you can slot into place! This is fucking insane—utterly fucking insane!

Adam remained composed, though the intensity of The Shade's rage was palpable. "I'm not asking you to be a prisoner," Adam countered calmly, his voice a stark contrast to The Shade's outburst. "I'm offering you a chance to make a difference, to find peace."

The Shade paced back and forth, his hands clenched into fists. "Peace? You think this is about peace?" He spat the words out with venom. "I've had enough of your idealistic nonsense! You have no idea what you're asking."

What are your regrets?" Adam asked calmly, his gaze steady on The Shade.

The Shade's response was immediate, filled with raw bitterness. "That short bitch and his cursed whore are still breathing," he spat out with venom, his voice thick with resentment.

Adam's expression remained composed, unfazed by The Shade's hostility. "What are your regrets?" he repeated, his tone gentle but insistent.

The Shade's anger flared hotter, his voice growing more aggressive. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you? Are you fucking deaf or just stupid?" he sneered, his eyes narrowing in disdain. "That short bitch and the whore are alive. Go fucking kill them!"

Adam maintained his calm demeanor. "What are your regrets?" he asked again, his voice steady and patient.

The Shade's fury intensified, his insults cutting deeper. "Why is that out of all the Adams, I'm stuck with the retard one! growled, his voice laced with contempt. "Bitch one. Bitch two. Alive. No fucking bueno. Understando?!"

"Stop lying," Adam stated with a frown, his voice steady but firm, piercing through The Shade's defensive growl. The air around them seemed to shake with power.

The Shade hesitated, his sneer faltering as he locked eyes with Adam. Those eyes—piercing, luminous, carrying a weight of authority that transcended mortal comprehension—held him in place, silencing his protestations.

The Lord's Eyes.

"What are your regrets?" Adam's voice cut through the silence, soft.

The Shade glared at him, a mix of defiance and begrudging fear in his eyes. "Fine," he muttered grudgingly, his voice quieter now. "That I couldn't protect Eve."

Adam's expression softened, sensing the weight behind The Shade's admission. "Tell me," he urged gently, his tone compassionate yet firm.

The Shade hesitated, the hardness in his gaze softening slightly. "She trusted me," he began, his voice tinged with regret. "I was supposed to keep her safe, but I failed. Roo...she took her, twisted her..." His voice trailed off, a haunted look crossing his face.

Adam listened quietly, his eyes reflecting understanding. "You blame yourself for what happened to her," he concluded softly.

The Shade nodded tersely, unable to meet Adam's gaze. "She didn't deserve... what happened," he admitted bitterly, his fists clenched in frustration.

Adam's voice remained gentle. "You cared deeply for her," he observed.

The Shade's jaw tightened, a mixture of sorrow and anger flashing in his eyes. "She was everything to me," he confessed gruffly. "And I let her down."

"And what is that you want now?" Adam asked softly.

"Closure," The Shade replied, raising his head to look at Adam as he knelt next to him. "I want to talk to that... thing. So that I can have closure."

Adam nodded solemnly, his expression compassionate. "I can help you find that closure," he assured, placing a reassuring hand on The Shade's shoulder. "I meant what I said. I will not make you my prisoner. You will have as much say in it as I do. What I had with Reginlief was temporary, but you and I are the same being. It will be a full merge."

The Shade looked at Adam with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. "A full merge?" he echoed, processing the weight of Adam's words.

Adam nodded, his gaze steady. "Yes," he affirmed. "We will become one. Your experiences, your pain, your regrets—they will become a part of me, just as mine will become a part of you. Together, we can confront this... thing, and find the closure you seek."

The Shade asked why. "Why...why would you go through with it when you could just ignore me and leave me to dissipate?" His voice was laced with disbelief, his eyes searching Adam's face for an answer.

Adam's expression softened, understanding The Shade's uncertainty. He knelt again, meeting The Shade's gaze with sincerity. "Because you deserve closure," he began gently. "Ignoring you would be denying a part of myself, a part that needs resolution. Your pain is mine now, just as your hope can be. We are bound by our shared existence, and together, we can face this 'thing' and find peace."

The Shade regarded Adam with a mix of surprise and guarded hope. "And if I fail?" he asked, his voice tinged with doubt.

Adam's voice remained steady, unwavering in its conviction. "Then we will face that together, too," he answered firmly. "But I believe in you, in us. Trust me, as I trust you."

"Doing this? You may not be able to return to your Eve," The Shade muttered darkly. "If that happens, it will break her heart."

"Knowing that I left a person in need will hurt her a million times more," Adam replied with a sad smile. "And stop being so gloomy. Being Adam is all about making the impossible possible."

The Shade looked at Adam, a mix of disbelief and grudging respect in his eyes. "You really believe that, don't you?" he asked quietly.

Adam nodded, determination etched on his face. "I do," he affirmed. "I believe in hope, in second chances. And I believe that we can find a way to make things right, for both of us. I will save you, and you'll save your family."

The Shade remained silent for a moment, contemplating Adam's words. Finally, he nodded slightly, relaxing and letting his body flop backward to lay on his back. "Alright," he conceded reluctantly. "Guess no need to finish the story. You gonna get a 4k P.O.V soon enough."

Adam made a noise of agreement.

The Shade asked, raising himself to lean on his elbows. "How's it going to happen?"

Adam grinned mischievously and raised his arms slightly. He lazily pointed his index finger towards The Shade, who instinctively mirrored the gesture, raising his own finger to point back at Adam before he blinked, recognizing their postures —on the left side was the shade lying on the ground, and seemed to be rising up, while Adam on the right side bathed in golden light.

The Shade laughed. "You really are one blasphemous bastard."

Adam returned a cheeky grin.

Their index fingers touched.

And there was light.