The skies over Heaven darkened for the first time.
There were no clouds, no thunder, no rain—but every angel could feel it. A silence deeper than creation itself, pulling tight around their hearts.
The edict hadn't been spoken yet.
But they all knew it was coming.
So did Gabriel.
And he ran.
---
He burst into the High Hall, wings glowing gold and crimson with speed. He didn't wait to be announced. He didn't kneel. He didn't smile.
He just stormed in.
Yahweh sat as always—silent, immeasurable, radiating presence so vast it barely fit the room.
But Gabriel didn't waver.
He walked straight to the center, to the foot of the throne, and shouted:
"Don't do it."
His voice echoed.
Yahweh didn't move. "You already know what must be done."
Gabriel's fists clenched at his sides. "No. I know what you're choosing to do. There's a difference."
"You speak of mercy."
"I speak of family."
Still Yahweh did not look at him.
Gabriel's voice cracked. "He's not just a problem to remove. He's your son. My brother."
"He defied the law."
"He questioned the law," Gabriel snapped. "He loved you. And you chose silence. You let the crack form and grow and now you're acting like it's his fault for falling through."
A long pause.
Then Yahweh said, "He has declared that he will not bow to Man."
Gabriel flinched. "Because you made us first. Because you didn't explain. Because you created them and handed them your favor without asking us why."
"I owe you no explanation," Yahweh said.
"No," Gabriel whispered. "But you owe him one."
The throne room flickered.
A warning.
The command was being written in the divine ledger even now—one final judgment being shaped by the will of the Creator.
Gabriel stepped forward, standing just beneath the throne's light.
"Don't do this," he said again, softer this time. "Please."
Yahweh finally looked down.
And for a heartbeat—just one—Gabriel saw it.
Regret.
Buried deep beneath the law and order, beyond the divine mind and timeless vision.
There was grief.
But it wasn't enough.
Yahweh's voice fell like a final stone:
"Samael has made his choice. Now I must make mine."
---
Gabriel left the hall in silence.
He didn't fly.
He didn't blink.
He just walked.
Every step heavier than the last.
He reached the edge of Heaven, looked out into the void, and whispered:
"I tried."
He didn't expect an answer.
But for a moment, the wind shifted.
And somewhere, far below the light…
A voice like thunder whispered back:
"So did I."