The Gate of Limbo

by Donovan Neal

  “In this day I shall take my rest,” said El.

  “In this day you will have great tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have placed my faith in you. Rest your faith in me, and you shall come forth as pure gold,” said El.

  Michael and the rest of the council knelt before their God and listened to their Lord. El smiled and looked down upon them.

  “My children, I leave you but for one day that all should be accomplished in accordance with my will.” El then closed his eyes.

  Immediately, the Shekinah Glory grew dim, lifted from off El, and rocketed out the palace flying over the city and towards the edge of Heaven, then dissipated to parts unknown. The light of Heaven retreated as the setting of the sun. The mountain of God grew dim and darkness crept over all the land. As the host of Heaven looked upon the dimming sky, a fog rose from the ground. The temperature dropped and all of Heaven felt El’s immediate presence no more.

  Janus then felt his body adjust to the chill in the air. His awareness of El was distant almost non-existent. It was a sensation of blindness that left him dizzy and he collapsed to his knees. A sound of a hammer hitting metal then came from the side of the chamber of the Kiln and as the Lumazi scurried to investigate; Raphael saw movement from the corner of his eye and saw his friend collapse to the floor.

  “Excuse me for a moment. I must attend to another matter.”

  Michael nodded as the rest of those assembled went to investigate a protruding bulge they noted in the Kiln’s door.

  Raphael caught Janus by his shoulders as the struggling angel looked at him smiling. Raphael tilted his head as he paused to examine the angel that he held aloft.

  “You are not my Janus. Who are you?”

  Janus mouthed but one word… “Danger...” then collapsed into his friend’s arms.

  * * *

  Lilith had explored the realm of Beta, one of the known dimensions of existence. His moving forward in time within the realm showed him that a fourth race was indeed coming. So the angel continued his travel through multiple dimensions until he settled upon the realm of Theta. His observations noted that in each realm there were two personalities upon which all divergent paths branched: Lucifer and Michael. Lilith thus devised a plan to influence the Chief Prince Michael to stop the downfall of Lucifer before the angel’s actions could bring about the collapse of a third of Heaven; a demise that he had foreseen was assured to occur in his own realm.

  Perhaps in this realm my dissolution could be prevented, he thought.

  Therefore, the angel committed to spy upon Michael of the Kortai and followed him to the angelic meeting of assembly and kept himself unseen from the eyes of his invisible brethren. Hidden from the Grigori Lilith waited whilst the heads of angelic houses discussed matters of state. And after a time when Lucifer departed to go planet-side and Raphael was attending to the task given to him by El. Lilith found a moment after the Lumazi dismissed where he could be alone with the head of the Kortai.

  Lilith waited until all the other angels had left and then inconspicuously entered the council chambers. Michael still stood at the head of the table and re-rolled scrolls from his meeting and began to deposit them back on the shelves that lined the room.

  Lilith appeared but an arm’s length from the angel and spoke. “Hail Prince of the Kortai, may I have a word?”

  Michael turned startled for the voice the invisible voice for he did not see the angel enter the chamber and replied. “You are a Grigori. Why doth a Watcher seek my attention when not even my own appears?”

  Lilith was able to see Athamas the Grigori assigned to Michael and nodded. The angel invisible to Michael returned Lilith’s salute and spoke. “My duke, I did not expect your arrival. Do you wish to relieve me of my post at this time?”

  “Nay, replied Lilith. Stay, hear and record as is our way. What I say is for not just the Prince but for thee as well. You may reveal thyself so as not to make the prince uncomfortable.”

  Athamas then uncloaked and Michael saw that both Grigori floated in the room, and Athamas was floating only feet away from him his stylus journaling the encounter.

  Lilith spoke, “I trust that you are satisfied Michael. This is Athamas of my caste. What I have to say is for his ears as well.”

  Michael sat and looked at the two angels curiously. “Why do I not receive report from thy liege?”

  Lilith floated towards Michael closer and replied, “Because I fear that the corruption that my master looks for has infected the Lumazi, and I have come for the sake of Heaven to one outside my house. And I fear that my own house has fallen to the mystery of iniquity.”

  Michael’s eyes lit up curiously. “Say on.”

  “I am Lilith of House Grigori. This one here is Athamas, but I am not Lilith of this realm. For I have crossed the gates of Limbus to deliver a message to thee. A message of impending doom that if not stopped will encompass the whole of heaven and nay creation itself. A doom my prince, of the soon coming clouds of war.”

  Michael’s neck drew back in disbelief. “War… what is this war you speak of? And why are you in this realm and not thine own?”

  “Because my prince, for my realm, it is too late. For by the time you hear the entirety of my words; my dimension will have taken the path of conflict; a conflict to unseat El.”

  Athamas couldn't help but gasp, and Michael himself was wide eyed and his jaw was open. “I hold your words suspect. How do I know that what thou say to me is true?”

  “Because my prince this one here knows that only a few of my kind are given the God-sight; sight to see the future and to know those things that shall be. I am one of those in my house. Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in this day: for yet the vision is even upon us now. But know that even whilst you are here. There are some in this land that seethe with pride to obtain a station that can never be. Your land will see war at the hands of Lucifer. He will march upon the temple and yea even bleed God. But know that God has ordained that this should be. To give space for the flowering of all his children's desires that he might know the heart of them. And even now Raphael knows that this knowledge must separate thee from he. For the vision is even nigh thee and it shall speak and not lie: it will not tarry. So behold prince of Kortai and see what I have crossed dimensions to show thee.”

  Lilith then reached into his chest and withdrew his tome. The beating heart of every Grigori and lifted it for Michael to see. He then ripped a page from it and threw it into the air. Immediately images filled the room and ceiling and Michael and Athamas watched as Lilith played for them the imaginings from his Trance. Each angel watched as Lucifer entered Hell, rescued Abaddon. They watched as Talus and Gabriel fought one another and Michael entered the Kiln to create the sword of Ophanim; watched as Lucifer and he battled for supremacy to keep the chief prince from entering the temple. Michael watched only to see himself fail as Lucifer raised his sword to smite God’s heel and draw blood.

  The vision then stopped and Lilith spoke. “Know that after God is bled, the great one will arise and Heaven will be torn asunder and the kiln destroyed; a destruction that you will cause in your battle with Lucifer. Know my prince that Lucifer will with a third of heaven rend the earth and bring El’s newborn children, the humans to heel, and they will be subject to death and one day even rise to destroy Yeshua. Know this my prince that the vision is sure, and I have seen it. I come to stop the corruption that now spreads throughout the realm. A standard allowed by El to roam the dimensions and to raise alarm that ye might not perish in His wrath. I come my prince, because only you can stop Lucifer; of this I have also seen. And the Raphael from my realm will rage over my revealing the secrets of the Sephiroth, and will surely follow me and will lift up his hand against me. Thus I seek asylum under the banner of house Kortai and leave myself to your judgment.”

  Michael and Athamas both looked at Lilith with incredulous stares and were both in shock.

  Athamas in particular shook his head and
voiced denial. “How can this be possible?” He spoke.

  Michael was quiet then stood to his feet and walked towards this courier of incredible news. “Athamas, do you believe him?” Michael asked as he eyed Lilith up and down weighing what he had heard.

  Athamas replied, “He is head of my caste, one selected to lead the house of Grigori. He has torn the thing from his journal. How can it not be otherwise?”

  Michael nodded, “So be it. You will have my protection. But you did not just come this way to give warning. What would you have me do?”

  Lilith frowned, “There is but one thing that can withstand the power that will soon be wielded by thy brother if he is not stopped. You must forge the Sword of Ophanim and you must stop your brother before it is too late.”

  Michael scrunched his face in uncertainty. “Sword… stop him how?”

  Lilith frowned and replied, “Dissolution my prince. Lucifer must be killed before he can ascend to power and destroy us all.”

  * * *

  Lilith after his discussion with Michael set upon himself to speak privately with Argoth and Janus of Theta realm. Argoth paced back and forth as both he and Janus weighed the words of Lilith Prime.

  “What you are asking us to do is to commit betrayal to our house; to hide your intentions from our High Prince. You realize this do you not?”

  Lilith looked squarely are Argoth and replied. “You have seen the vision cast. It does not lie. There is war coming upon you whether you desire it to be so or not. You must choose if the honor of Heaven is more to be obliged than the honor of our house. For what is greater, the house, or he that builds the house? And are not all our houses but the work of El’s hands?”

  Janus then spoke, “But should we not give Raphael the opportunity to answer and give decision?”

  Lilith shook his head. “Raphael is going to die Janus; destroyed by a rain of fire due to the Kiln’s destruction. He knows this already and has yet to speak of it. He has already decided to allow the events he has seen to play out. Otherwise he would intervene. But is the law of non-interference not made to service us? Or we made to service the law?” Lilith raised his hands in frustration. “Raphael has made his choice. Lucifer is going to come for him. We can stop him now before it rages to the point where billions will be lost… billions cast from Heaven. Will you not lift a finger to save a third of our kind? For if not, what is the use of mere documentary as we watch our brethren, nay Creation itself pass into oblivion?” Lilith then walked towards the two angels and placed his hands on their shoulders. “Do what you think you must. But I will protect Raphael with my life, even from himself…” He paused and looked each angel deep within his eyes and continued. “…even if it means the death of the Chief Prince.”

  Lilith then turned to walk away and said. “My peer even now knows the change taking place within the Chief Prince’s heart. But he is bound to keep what he knows to himself. Soon Lucifer will go planet-side and assist in the organization of the globe’s angelic hierarchy. He will watch as El makes a garden for the fourth race; our soon coming siblings. We must preemptively smite him before he arrives back to Heaven from this task. For once he does the vision will begin to come to pass. So are you with me? Or will you stand and let Raphael and billions of Heaven’s people die?”

  Janus sighed and followed Lilith looking at Argoth as he did.

  Argoth inhaled then echoed Janus in his groan and wondered within himself if Heaven was already torn asunder.

  “I am coming,” he said.

  Chapter Twelve

  Argoth Prime walked through the looking glass and immediately darkness was all about him. He could hear whispers in the dark but only for a moment, for as fast as his eyes were surrounded by black he squinted for the brightness of the light that now beamed over him. He raised his hands to shield his eyes and stepped into the gleaming brilliance of the shining door before him; a door that deposited him into the realm of Theta.

  His eyes adjusted to the view, his pupils slowly came into focus and what he saw astonished him.

  Raphael was fending off Michael the High Prince with a dagger flying around his person. Sparks of light from metal impacting against metal lit the atmosphere and Raphael was backpedaling in a desperate attempt to keep his distance from Michael. Raphael opened portal after portal to delay Michael’s aggresive march towards him. He then opened a portal into the realm of space, and stars and galaxies suddenly appeared behind Michael. He turned when Raphael opened a portal once more and Michael was sucked away and in the blink of an eye was gone.

  Raphael breathed heavily, and he nervously looked behind him. Argoth followed his eyes to see what he protected and unconscious on the ground mere feet away was Lucifer coughing up blood. Raphael ran to him and looked at a wound the angel had sustained to his chest. Blood oozed from it and Lucifer's body was bruised and battered as if he had been in a physical confrontation and had lost.

  “I cannot hold him off forever, my prince.” Raphael said as he knelt down towards him. “He is momentarily beset by the power of a galaxy’s gravity well. But it is only a matter of time before he returns. I can only forestall him but not stop him.”

  Lucifer nodded in understanding and replied, “I do not have the power to summon a ladder. Michael will not be the only one to seek my life.”

  Argoth immediately ran to their side and revealed himself. “What has happened? Why are you fighting with Prince Michael?”

  Lucifer then looked up startled as he eyed the uncovered angel that now stood near them.

  Raphael looked at Argoth and his dagger flashed into view and it flew towards him until it straightway was poised at Argoth's throat.

  “You are not Argoth… at least not our Argoth. Are you the reason for the carnage Michael has unleashed upon Heaven? Lilith, protect the Chief Prince!”

  Immediately Lilith-theta, Lucifer’s Grigori in this realm materialized, and he too stood over the Light-bringer and his pen turned into a dagger and both Grigori stood ready to defend Lucifer at all costs.

  “I asked you a question impostor! I will not ask again. Why are you here and are you for us or for our adversaries?”

  Argoth weighed his words carefully and knew that the Lilith in front of him was not the angel he was searching for. He lifted his hands up and his palms outward in a gesture of surrender and spoke. “You are right my prince I am not of this realm, but from what I call the Prime realm or Alpha. I have come to apprehend the renegade Lilith who hath defied our order and has breached Limbo. I know this one here is not whom I seek. Be still and know that within my breast beats a new tome that has been bolstered by the Raphael of my time. Allow me to show thee, that I may grant help if at all possible to your cause.”

  Raphael replied, “Show me, and be quick about it.”

  Argoth nodded and reached gingerly within his breast to reveal the tome. Its pages were gilded and Raphael noted that on its edge were pages that matched those from his own tome. The blade at Argoth's throat lowered, and it returned to the form of a stylus.

  “I see my fingerprints within your volume. You have been entrusted indeed Redactor. I will grant you the courtesy as one that I have appointed to such a task should have. You have shown thyself to be honor bound to me in your realm. Correct?”

  Argoth nodded, “The thing is as you say.”

  “Then you will take the Chief Prince and Lilith to the place I shall send you and there you will protect Lucifer from all foes. Are you clear in your purpose?”

  Argoth bowed, “I am clear my prince.”

  Raphael-theta then began to open a portal and Argoth lifted the prince of angels and took Lucifer into his arms.

  Lightning suddenly materialized behind Raphael and the ground shook and an explosion of light filled the area.

  Thunder immediately followed and Michael was ablaze in white light; holding the Sword of Ophanim facing Raphael. The angel’s face was grim, determined,… and angry.

  He then ran its blade through Raphael an
d catching the prince of Grigori off guard.

  Raphael let out a scream, and he grabbed the handle of the sword which pierced his body and looked at Michael.

  “Brother…” he said. Raphael then turned his head and spoke with his dying breath to Argoth and Lilith, “Quickly! Off with you now!”

  Lilith flew into the portal as Michael’s face grimaced in rage and anger and the sword that held Raphael then split into seven swords exploding Raphael’s body into chunks of angelic flesh.

  “Raphael!” Lucifer screamed in horror, attempting with all his might to be released from Argoth's grip and strike at Michael. But Argoth's hold was sure and Lucifer was in a weakened state and Argoth ran with the struggling angel and jumped through the portal as it began to collapse.

  Michael, stymied by his inability to follow, and his killing of his brother; fell to his knees and rocked back and forth over what he had done. He stared at the blood of his brother upon his palms and released a guttural roar of anguish; his hands clenched into fists as he pounded the ground and wept.

  * * *

  Raphael watched as his comrades jumped into the doorway to Limbus. He noted the jade hue that unexpectedly shimmered over the mirrored door and the ensuing fracture that materialized and clawed across the seeing-glass of mist. But it was too late to recall his friends. Too late to know if they were lost in the eddies of Limbo or if they had been transported to their appropriate destination. He could only wait… and pray.

  Raphael examined the fissure. It was much larger and wider now. And it was only a matter of time until it spread, and unleashed the pent up Mists of decisions that multiplied within all dimensions and coalesced within the realm of choices. For now there were three denizens who were outside of their domains roaming within Limbo: each one’s presence now exerting a pressure on the misty gate; causing it to expand and fracture the runes and seals that El had built to contain alternate realities.