“You disappeared for two hundred and thirty-six years,” Stanislas calmly reminded her. “You can't just go there like that. You need a counselor, someone who hasn't left the Sphere and who’ll know how to reintroduce you to the Decision-Makers.”
“Who?” exclaimed Tara in despair. “Enkaz, maybe?!”
“Lawskey,” replied Emily with faith. “That great seraph has always supported you, remember? He’ll be there for you, I’m sure. We’ve thought a lot about it: he’s the only one who has enough influence with the Congregation. What’s more, Lawskey has blind faith in you, we have no doubt that he’ll help you save Nina.”
Tara was silent. Dozens of memories started to come back to her. Lawskey was the obvious choice. Emily and Stanislas were right. She would ask him to help her approach the Decision-Makers and convince Them to save Nina.
She jumped out of bed without wasting another second, her injured ankle almost giving way under her weight.
“Nina is very important to you,” Emily warned, supporting her as she limped. “Nonetheless, if the Congregation refuses to grant her her life, Diane mustn’t make any false moves. She’ll have to accept it.”
“Until now,” replied Tara, looking straight ahead as she staggered towards the meditation room, “it’s always been Diane who’s had the upper hand and not the other way around.”
After a few painful steps, they finally arrived in the small living room. Clutching Emily’s arm, Tara threw herself down on the white sofa. Resolute, she tore Hagen off her neck and brandished it upwards to transform it into a sword. The next moment, a powerful light emanated from the tip of the weapon, as the entire room became bathed in a blinding light of immaculate whiteness. A few seconds later, holding her pendant tightly in her hand, her body collapsed on to the sofa.
Back to square one. Diane now found herself in the void between the two dimensions, walking blindly in the light, where no form nor presence could be found. She wandered around for what seemed like an eternity, looking for the breach that would lead her to the Sphere. She had no notion of time and was unable to estimate how many seconds or minutes had passed. She was totally alone. The silence soon became overwhelming. She thought about Nina, and the time she was wasting wandering around in what seemed like an empty space. A terrible anguish took hold of her. What if she was unable to return to the Sphere?
Suddenly, Hagen woke up, making its presence known. Unlike her, her weapon hadn’t forgotten how to enter the Sphere. Realizing she had no other choice but to trust in its intelligence, the seraph pointed Hagen upward with her powerful arm. The crystal sword instantly turned blue, then pink, then orange… until a myriad of colors all came together, and the sword became as white as the celestial light in which they both bathed.
The power released by Hagen was exceptional. All around them, the Universe seemed to move in a slow rotation, attracted by the magnetism of the sword. The energy around them grew stronger as the Universe accelerated its spin. Suddenly, a channel of condensed gold and orange energy was released by Hagen. Then, at the very tip of the blade, a light blue crack appeared. As the energy between the dimensions increased, the crack became larger and larger, until finally, it turned into a gigantic opening that led directly to the Sphere.
Diane beamed with the triumphant smile of an angel: she had finally succeeded in creating a passage to the Sphere, she had regained the precious power that only the Seraphim possess! After centuries of absence, she was on the brink of reuniting with her family. For the first time since she had incarnated as Tara, she opened her wings wide, and with a powerful flap, she flew in the direction of her kingdom. This great angel, whose golden hair danced to the rhythm of her beating wings, and whose generous bosom were molded into the precious fabric of her immaculate toga, was finally returning home. The image was sublime. She solemnly approached the breach, savoring this long-awaited moment. Once there, she passed from one dimension to the next, as though she was passing through a simple door: her fingers first, followed by the rest of her body.
Once she was on the other side, the rift closed immediately behind her. Hovering under the cloudless blue sky, the seraph admired the breathtaking surroundings that she hadn’t seen for centuries: several hundred yards below and stretching out as far as the eye could see, lay a Greco-Roman city, perfectly geometric in its layout and design, and built to accommodate angels of exceptional size. It was the district reserved for the Missionaries. Through it ran a bottomless river of crystal-clear water, and on either side, gigantic temples made of white limestone were scattered out within the district, each one more beautiful than the next. There were twelve of them. Each temple belonged to one of the seraph missionaries.
Further to the east and to the south, on the borders of the Missionary district, stood other cities with more rounded forms, characteristic of Russian and Oriental palaces. These were the districts of the Messengers and the Light Angels. Everywhere the eye could see, the City of the Angels glistened with the most spectacular architectural creations invented by humans, from all parts of the world and from all eras. The originality of their forms was highlighted by an explosion of noble materials and colors. In the Sphere, all earthly creations seemed to have found their perfect counterpart, only here, the colors were brighter, the gold purer and more sparkling, and the plants flourished with even greater vitality. All matter, whether it was the water that flowed in the rivers or the stones that made up each edifice, was of a purity never before achieved on Earth.
Moved by the splendors before her eyes, Diane contemplated her kingdom with admiration. She had almost forgotten how beautiful it was. To the north of the different districts, a gigantic estate exceeded the other structures in both size and energy. Seen from the sky, it was made up of several monuments that formed a gigantic star, made up of two inverted triangles contained within a perfect circle. Between the branches of the star were beams of living, multicolored light that rose towards the infinite horizon.
Diane approached hesitantly while her heart beat wildly in her chest. In the center of the domain, a temple with an extraordinary formation and vibration attracted her attention. It was the holy place of the Congregation, the Capitol, the place where the Decision-Makers met. It was there that she would go to plead Nina's cause and face the judgment of Those whom she had abandoned without explanation.
Knowing that her time was short, she looked out over the Greco-Roman city, scanning the districts of the different legions in search of the stronghold of the Sixth Legion. Quickly, her heart recognized a residence more remarkable than the others, owing to its geometry: a mix of arabesques and rectilinear lines characteristic of ancient architecture. This was the temple of the seraph Lawskey.
At the sight of it, she was overcome with an immense joy. She had found him. Her memories resurfaced in her mind: ever since she had first met Lawskey, he had been like a brother to her. She had no doubt that he would help her.
With one mighty flap of her wings, she plunged at full speed towards the temple of the seraph of the Sixth Legion. The closer she got, the clearer and more pleasant her memories of him became: his tall, muscular, god-like figure, his curly chestnut hair, his beautiful, bright green eyes... She had always been proud to be the friend of such a perfect being.
She couldn’t help but smile as she approached his temple like an arrow approaching its target. She could feel the air rushing through her wings as she reconnected with the Sphere. It was a sensation she hadn’t had the luxury of feeling for centuries. Her body was like that of a great goddess, playing with the elements as she raced with strength and rapidity through the air.
As she arrived at full speed in front of the entrance of the temple, she straightened up at the last moment and landed softly on her feet.
As she closed her glowing red wings, she contemplated the door that welcomed her with its powerful positive energy. Next to her, two legionaries looked at her in amazement. Their hazelnut wings, smaller in size than hers because of their military rank, were folded behind th
eir backs. They looked at her as if Athena herself had just appeared in front of them.
Smiling, she spoke in a majestic voice:
“Legionaries, where is your seraph?”
“He’s in his quarters,” replied one of the missionaries with obvious admiration. “He’s reflecting.”
Diane nodded, thanking the two legionaries who immediately fled, not daring to face her any longer. Their behavior reminded Diane of the importance of her rank as she solemnly entered Lawskey’s temple.
The interior lighting was very subtle, with only a few flames placed along the corridor walls. The latter were made of ochre colored marble and were inlaid with a multitude of luminous crystals that shone like a thousand stars. The atmosphere was warm and intimate, celestial even. To Diane, this place had always been synonymous with reverie and fantasy. Whenever she had gone to see Lawskey in the past, she had always stayed for hours, basking in the warm, dark rooms where a plethora of crystals shimmered in rhythm with the dance of the flames. It was her second home, she felt almost better here than in her own temple.
Then, she remembered the legionary’s words as she had arrived: he was reflecting. That meant that Lawskey must be in the turret at the very top of the temple. He was accustomed to spending his days there when he wasn’t incarnated. She smiled as she wondered what existential problem this great angel could be torturing himself with this time. The intelligent silence and pragmatic strength of this divine being had never ceased to impress her. He could stand at the top of his tower and think for hours, without speaking a word to anyone but her. However, between them, there was no real need for words: he could remain silent contemplating the Sphere, while she wandered through his temple or sat quietly beside him, observing him. Silence was their preferred means of communication, for it alone allowed the energies to flow freely between their two beings.
These memories reassured Diane, who felt her joy come alive once again. Her chest puffed up with optimism, she raised her long white toga and began to run through the rooms of the temple to find Lawskey. She climbed the stairs four by four, still immersed in the warm, starry atmosphere. She hadn’t forgotten a single detail about her surroundings: the smell, the energy, the substance... Nothing had changed.
Seconds later, she climbed the last flight of stairs, the longest one, the one that led up to the turret in which the seraph was most probably sitting. At the top, only a golden veil separated the terrace of the turret from the rest of the temple. Her heart filled with happiness, she delicately pushed the veil aside to discover, immersed in the light of the Sphere, a great angel with red wings, looking out from the balcony with a preoccupied air.
She couldn’t wait any longer. Her joy was too great to be contained. She radiated with love. Running at full speed towards him, she cried out, “Lawskey!” before throwing herself into his arms. Surprised, he turned around and mechanically opened his arms to greet her, without really understanding what was happening.
Without realizing it, Diane hugged him tightly, as if to make up for the centuries she had spent away from him. The seraph seemed completely lost as she caressed his torso with her eyes. Her happiness was boundless as she told him how much she had missed him and how delighted she was to see him again.
Then, noticing that Lawskey wasn’t responding, she stopped and gently raised her head to question him with her eyes. The seraph was tetanized as he looked at her unbelievingly, his green eyes filled with tears. His complexion became pale as he held his breath:
“Diane…” he finally said.
Diane looked at him with the same emotion. They had finally found each other. Lawskey seemed to suddenly become aware of what was happening and grabbed Diane violently by the waist, as if he was afraid of losing her again. Trembling, he plunged his head into his friend’s neck, squeezing her tighter and tighter. Holding back his tears of pain, he clenched his teeth in an effort not to sob.
Diane took him in her arms and held him tight to reassure him.
“Where have you been all this time?” asked Lawskey, his voice broken by the tears he was holding back.
“I was lost,” replied Diane softly.
She didn’t know what else to say.
“You’re alive...”
“Yes.”
“I never stopped looking for you... They said you were dead...!”
Lawskey held his breath and contracted his facial muscles, trying not to cry. They hugged for several minutes, until the anxiety and pain finally subsided.
Then, unexpectedly, the seraph gently lifted his head and took a step back, his eyes never leaving hers. Diane noticed that his expression had changed from pain and sorrow to bitterness and anger. In an accusing voice, he asked:
“Why did you do this to me?”
Caught off guard, Diane didn't know how to respond. As she still hadn’t recovered her memory of the last two centuries, she herself was unable to answer the question. She hadn’t done anything knowingly, and certainly not with the intention of hurting Lawskey.
“Why did you do this to me?” repeated Lawskey, raising his voice.
His anger intensified with every passing second.
“I don't know what happened!” replied Diane, attempting to defend herself.
She didn’t know how to make him understand that she had nothing to do with it.
“You knew how much you meant to me!”
“I...”
“You knew I would have moved Heaven and Earth to find you!” cried Lawskey, who couldn’t hold back his tears any longer.
“Lawskey, you must...”
“I did move Heaven and Earth to find you!” cried the seraph, whose black and yellow eyes had replaced his beautiful angelic eyes. “You didn’t want to see me again! You ran away from us! You ran away from your family! You ran away from your mission! You ran away from your army! You ran away from me...” he exclaimed in a trembling voice.
Then, as he pulled himself together, he added:
“I would have given anything for you, Diane…”
Diane remained paralyzed, unable to respond: she was just beginning to realize the extent of Lawskey’s feelings for her. She now understood why he was so angry, and why her unjustified absence had caused him so much pain. She wished she had never disappeared, that she had never fled the Sphere, but she herself was unable to remember any detail of the last two hundred and thirty-six years. She had no explanation to give.
After a short silence, the seraph resumed in a deep, unsteady voice:
“To me, you were the most precious being in the whole Universe. More important than the Decision-Makers, more important than myself, even more important than my army...”
“Lawskey,” said Diane, crying with remorse. “I’m so sorry...”
With tears streaming down her face, she went and nestled against him. The missionary didn’t dare push her away. The truth was that when she touched him, his heart felt so much love that he thought it would melt. There was nothing he could do about it. The love he felt for her was so great that all his past attempts to replace it with hatred had now been forgotten. He felt her sincerity as she snuggled up against him, heartbroken.
Unable to hate her, he did the only logical thing, he forgave her. He would have cried all the tears in his body, both in joy and in sadness, if his desire to appear strong in her eyes wasn’t so great. Instead, he held her close in his arms, consoling her, his red wings surrounding her completely.
“Tell me what happened to you,” he said in a soft voice, still holding her close to him.
“I don't know,” replied Diane, desperate to recover her memory. “I don't remember anything that happened to me after I disappeared.”
Lawskey was shocked by her confession, but dared to ask nonetheless:
“What about Lou?”
“Who?” Diane asked, raising her head to look him in the eyes.
Lawskey froze as he looked at her gravely.
“You couldn’t have forgotten Lou.”
�
��No, I’m serious,” Diane replied, standing up, intrigued by this person whose name she had never heard before. “I have no idea who you’re talking about.”
Lawskey grabbed her by the arms and held her tight: Diane understood that he was trying to read her mind, but she had nothing to hide from him. On the contrary, if he could tell her something that she didn’t know herself, he was welcome to it. Thus, she allowed him to connect with her and read her mind like a book. He looked so intensely into her eyes that she felt like he was inside her. The next moment, he let go of her. All the tension he had felt over the centuries faded away in an instant.
“You’re telling the truth,” he concluded, as if he was talking to himself. “You have absolutely no memory.”
Breathing heavily once again, he walked over to the balcony. A twenty-ton load had just been taken off of his shoulders. Diane followed him, intrigued by this person whose identity she had forgotten:
“Who’s Lou?” she asked, in a tone that demanded an answer.
“No one,” replied Lawskey, categorically.
“Tell me.”
Lawskey didn’t answer, staring out over the city so as not to look at her.
“Lawskey!” Diane cried, feeling a growing anguish in her gut.
The seraph remained silent, refusing to face her. She approached him with a threatening look on her face: she wasn’t going to back down now. Although he turned his back on her, she knew he felt the pressure of her gaze. She would wait for him to talk, she needed to know.
After a short silence, Lawskey finally turned around, slowly and reluctantly. He sighed. What he was about to say was obviously difficult for him. He leaned against the balcony, grasping the stone railing tightly, as though he needed its support:
“It’s part of your past, and it’s not my place to reveal it to you...”
“Lawskey,” threatened Diane, who despised being resisted. “Don’t play that game with me. Tell me who Lou is!”
“I’m sorry Diane,” replied Lawskey bluntly, although he was sincerely sorry, “but I can’t have this discussion with you.”
HAGEN: 1. Revelations Page 36