MORNINGSTAR.

"You are far from your realm, Dream. Here, I am sovereign, the creator of all suffering and the keeper of the damned. Did you truly think you could walk through my gates and leave untouched?"

"I came to retrieve what is mine, Lucifer. Nothing more."

"What is yours… or what you lost? Power in Hell is no fleeting thing, Morpheus. To walk unguarded in my domain is to gamble with eternity itself. I could keep you here. Imagine what Hell could fashion from a being like you."

"You could try, Morningstar. But remember, I am also a lord in my own right. And even in Hell, dreams have their power."

"A fair warning, then. Cross me here, and you may never see the stars again."

-- Lucifer to Morpheus in the throne room of Hell, surrounded by millions of Hell Lords and Principalities...

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"Uriel, power is a tool, not a force that dictates your actions. Strength can be used as a means to dominate, but true mastery lies in restraint, in knowing when to act and when to stay your hand. This strength you feel is not meant to consume you, but to be tempered by your wisdom. Think not of controlling it, but of aligning it with your purpose. Your light guides others, and now, this strength will shield them. Wield it with intention, and it will serve you faithfully."

I answered him dutifully, the condescending tone I normally carried for everyone else, even Michael, dimmed reasonably, after all, this was the only being in the cosmos whom I felt a connection with, yet the frown on his face was rather communicative to me- Uriel did not understand.

*

I couldn't help but shake my head a bit. Uriel, in angelic ages, could be considered a youth, a rather inquisitive one, unlike Michael, Gabriel and I who had almost spent an eternity carving and shaping the multiverse.

Unlike Uriel who had yet to scratch the tip of his angelic dominions, I possessed far more control over cosmic concepts, and even with all that mastery, even I had yet to reach my full potential.

"Come with me.."

With a flick of my hand, I tore a rift in space-time and pulled Uriel along with me, as we fell into the spiralling devouring void and disappeared from sight.

We reappeared on a barren planet within a rather large solar system, surrounded and lit up by millions of stars and swirling nebulae that shone brightly, illumating the void.

"What in Father's name are we doing here, Samael?"

Uriel asked, squinting his eyes at the barrenness that surrounded us.

"Our lesson would include a bit of demonstration.." I spoke calmly and Uriel nodded in realization..

"This is probably the only galaxy within this universe that has yet to manifest evolutionary life. It should be the perfect place to use a bit of power without upsetting the balance..."

Divine radiance exploded from within my figure, illuminating the darkness and bathing my form in a golden resplendence as I began to float slowly, even without my wings..

In the vast, silent expanse of the cosmos, I raised my hand before him, my fingers slowly curling inward as if grasping something unseen.

Uriel stood beside me, eyes widened with awe, watching his elder with reverence and wonder. My calm gaze softened, sensing Uriel's anticipation.

"Watch closely," I said, my voice deep and serene, echoing in the stillness of space.

With a subtle motion, I summoned fragments of raw cosmic dust, invisible to the untrained eye, drawing them together with the grace of a conductor leading an orchestra. The dust coiled and swirled around my hand, gradually brightening as energy began to flow through it. What was once an empty space between my fingers now shimmered with the beginnings of a luminous form.

Uriel gasped as the glow intensified. "But… how?" he whispered

Contrary to popular belief, Sentience was not limited to what we recognizedn in ourselves. Stars, like all things in creation, had an awareness of sorts—a purpose, a rhythm. Each one was unique, a life in its own way, and though they did not think or speak ordinarily, they held a wisdom beyond mortal understanding..

I should know because I created them myself. They were indeed one of my finest creations.

"Real power, Uriel," I looked towards him and replied, "Is not a show of force—it's the gentle shaping of potential. To create something from nothing, to give form to the formless… that is the essence of true power."

The swirling matter at my fingertips ignited, blossoming into a sphere of light and heat. The star pulsed and throbbed as if breathing, each flare casting a warm glow across Uriel's face. I held it delicately, then with a flick of my wrist, released it, sending the newborn star into the night sky. It took its place among the constellations, shimmering proudly.

Uriel looked up at me, eyes brimming with newfound understanding and respect. "So, creation… not destruction?"

I nodded. "Creation, Uriel. Power lies in what you can bring forth, what you can nurture. Not in what you take away."

My words struck Uriel's heart like chords and he closed his eyes for a moment, entering into a trance like state. His entire perspective on power had been changed in a moment by Samuel, and even he, a newly initiated Archangel needed time to ponder over the words of wisdom..

After god knows how long, he finally reopened his eyes, and within them, the profound light of understanding shone. His body glowed with divinity for a moment, and reality itself shut down. Like the apocalypse, time slowed down into a crawl, the motion of stars and celestial bodies ceased.

Space shattered, and the void itself began to churn and twist as multiple singularities manifested, black holes massive enough to devour galaxies, all summoned at the whim of an archangel.

With a small smile, Uriel took a deep breath and then a blazing radiance swept out from his body. Like flames, it swept out into the destruction occuring before his eyes and in a single moment, the black holes spun into oblivion. Light was restored to the galaxy, stars, planets and other celestial bodies that had been destroyed, recreated with almost no effort, reality seemed to break out of its trance like state, time fast forwarded and space mended itself.

"Not bad at all, Uriel. Destruction and Rebirth..The true essence of power might not be realized in oblivion, but even, the real purpose of life is revealed in death.."

I was seated on a small rock, watching Uriel's handiwork, while I enjoyed a holy wine from a transparent glass and mana, created from Jophiel's own essence- mana, the food of angels.

"I have no words to express my gratitude, Samael. You have broadened my horizons, allowing me to reach a stage where I would've taken at least millenia to get to..."

Uriel summoned another glass for himself and took a sip with a smile, and I nodded calmly.

"How long are you going to keep watching us...Michael."

We both stared into the deep dark void, enjoying the beauty of creation, but after a while, I turned my head to the side and whispered with a raised brow.

Then and there, golden light coalesced into the glowing yet mundane figure of a tall handsome young man dressed in a white tunic. His golden hair reached his neck, his face as if it was carved by the finest craftsman, his skin like ivory...

"I am hurt, Samael." His deep voice resounded, as his wings folded in his back.

"To think only Uriel is the only one worthy enough to see and enjoy this side of you..I thought we were closer than that.."

Michael had a small smirk on his face, as he took a seat beside me, and waved his hand, summoning a goblet of angelic wine for himself and a glass cup filled with mana.

"You answered yourself... brother. None is worthy."I sipped from my goblet uncaringly, and turned my gaze back into the endless array of constellations.

"Samael, you have always been fierce and powerful, and no one can deny your strength. But remember, it is not strength alone that makes one truly wise or whole."

After about a few minutes of silence, Michael clapped back with a sigh as he sipped his wine..

"I know my worth, Michael. What harm is there in pride when it is well-deserved?"

I retorted, not giving him face at all. Amongst all of our siblings, if the dearest to me was Uriel, then the one I respected the most was Michael, but that only meant I could tolerate his existence. Nothing more.

" Pride, Samael, is a double-edged sword. It can inspire confidence, but it can also blind us. It whispers of superiority, isolates us from others, and clouds our judgment. When pride takes root, it creates a wall between oneself and true wisdom."

Michael's words were wise and to this point, even Uriel who decided to remain silent nodded in agreement..

"You speak as if pride alone could bring ruin. I know my place and my strength. What harm could that do?"

My response came with a wry smile and I tilted my head to look towards him. While Michael was the pure apocalyptic demiurgic power of the Almighty given form, I was the unchanging Will of our Father given sentience. Pride was me and I was pride. Asking me to throw that away was basically asking me to kill myself.

Of course, nobody understood this much, save myself and my Father.

"Think of the light you wield. Your brilliance does not exist for your own sake, but to serve the whole." Michael's tone was no longer reserved..

Perhaps the complaints from other angels concerning my harsh and uncaring character had finally reached him, but I could care less.

"When we let pride grow unchecked, we become consumed by our own reflection, forgetting that we are part of something far greater. Even the brightest star loses its place when it stands alone."

He continued his statement which only earned a shrug and a condescending smirk from me.

" So you would have me abandon pride altogether? To think of myself as nothing?"

"Not nothing, but not more than what we were created to be. Humility does not diminish your greatness, Samael; it reveals the source of that greatness. The strongest are those who know they are not beyond error. Only in humility can we find balance, a true reflection of our purpose."

His words struck a chord in my heart.