#how thou art fallen from heaven o son of the morning

[aureentuluva70]

I like to make fun of Melkor but at one point in the Lost Road Melkor's true name is given as Alkar the Radiant, which I can't help but find just. incredibly tragic. He really started out as one of the best, brightest and most beloved of them, eldest and greatest of the Ainur...but then he fell, becoming Morgoth the Dark One. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer son of the morning indeed...

[dailydemonspotlight]

The God you cravenly revere is dead...

DAY 100

Race: Tyrant

Arcana: Devil

Alignment: Dark-CHAOS

The prince of darkness needs no introduction. The Morning Star, the Devil, the Fallen Angel who brought about so much to our demon-focused blog. Sure, I may be jumping the gun a bit by covering him only on day 100, but given that his closest compatriot, Beelzebub, was covered on day 50, I feel it's warranted. Lucifer is iconic to the SMT series, a legendary figure who serves a major role in many games in the series, being the perfect representative of one of the three major alignments: Chaos. In most games throughout the series, Lucifer plays a part, even in ones disconnected from mainline- if there is chaos, there will be the dying light of the morning star. Even in Persona, a series mostly concerned with Jungian psychology, Lucifer commonly appears as a late-game persona, and even a form of him in Satanael is the final form of Joker's persona in Persona 5, being a representation of freedom and rebellion- after all, what else is more rebellious and free than rebelling against God himself?

I digress, however. Lucifer is as important to SMT as he is to Biblical history itself, after all, and this is a blog about the stories of demons, right? Lucifer himself is a major character in the Bible, appearing for certain first in the Book of Isaiah, though his overall relevance spreads beyond that. Even in the Book of Genesis, the very first story in the Bible, it's believed that the serpent that tricked Eve into eating the apple of knowledge was Lucifer, cast down from heaven. This interpretation is supported by Paradise Lost, a story I'll likely be referencing a lot here, but its importance to Lucifer and his interpretations throughout not just SMT, but history itself, cannot go understated.

The Devil's conniving ways are depicted throughout the bible in several verses, especially in the New Testament, wherein he's seen as a figure analogous to the Buddhist demon Mara, a being tempting humanity away from their rightful path of sin/good karma to partake in their desire. However, this isn't to spell a connection between the two, as Lucifer himself is given a far different story than Mara, as he is with many other tempters in religion, even including some other biblical figures such as Mastema. Instead, what we should be focusing on is Lucifer's existence as a fallen angel.

Lucifer's existence in the Bible is strange, as the name Lucifer is a translation from the original Latin Helel, meaning 'Light-bearer.' His first reference in one of the most prevalent translations of the Bible, the King James Bible, goes as follows:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

This immediately points to Lucifer being an angel who fell for his own hype, so to speak- one who believed himself to be as strong, if not stronger than God, which led to him being cut down by the forces of Heaven. However, in Paradise Lost, it's shown that Lucifer was more than just vain- he held a rebellion, and when it fell, and he fell with it, he became Satan. I know, that's strange, but it's not really canon to the SMT interpretations of both characters- it just helps to shape Lucifer's characterization in the series as a rebellious figure who stood even against God himself. Strangely, adding on to this odd maze of interpretation, Lucifer was also commonly interpreted as the king of Babylon, the famously sinful city of evil described in the Bible. What I think all of this adds to is less a solid character of his and rather a general interpretation and idea that surrounds Lucifer- that of him being the embodiment of rebellion, chaos, and standing against the mold of society in order to partake in sin. There's a reason that his deadly sin, after all, is one of the most dangerous- that being Pride.

Lucifer's role in the Bible is strange, however, and many interpretations differ completely, whether they be him as Satan, him as the Devil, or even him as a tragic hero. However, as for SMT's purposes, it takes a very unique take, combining several aspects from several interpretations to make the Morning Star into a perfect prince of darkness. For one, it pulls a lot from Paradise Lost, giving Lucifer the role of a rebellious figure who rules over scores of demons, though it separates him from Satan in opposition to the poem. His sin of pride is intact, as he's shown to be a very individualistic figure throughout, valuing freedom and one's own strength above all else, tying very well into the purveying themes of individualism and might-makes-right that are constant in the Chaos ideology.

In terms of design, what is there really to say? Lucifer's design is utterly iconic- the six split wings, the gorgeous plays on the angelic aspects of his character, the great horns reaching sky-high, there's a reason so many were disappointed with his weird redesign in IV. Like, what were they doing? I get that he was meant to look offputting, but turning him into a skinhead was not the right way to go about it- well, whatever. Every design of Lucifer throughout the series has its merits, and I love how several games even have different human disguises for him- my personal favorite has to be Louis Cyphre, but I adore how each human disguise including Louis plays on the traditionally angelic traits of pale skin and blonde hair, though twists that on its head due to him commonly wearing all black.

Thank you all for tagging along with this series, and it is so ridiculously lucky that day 100 was placed perfectly on my birthday. There's gonna be more, for sure, coming soon, don't worry- but for now, I love you all, and goodnight. Or good morning. Whichever works.

You didn't even mention his role in Gnosticism!

Jack, I'm not touching on Gnosticism with a ten foot pole for the time being. I don't even know what's going with that half the time. Wait for the Demiurge analysis.

Coward.

[tajcox]

“How art thou fallen from heauen (o Lucifer) thou faire mornige childe? hast thou gotten a fall euen to the grounde, thou that (notwithstondinge) dyddest subdue the people?”

-The Coverdale Bible 1535

“How art thou fallen from heauen (O Lucifer) thou faire mornynge childe? how hast thou gotten a fall euen to the grounde, and art become weaker then the people?”

- The Great Bible 1539

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning? and cut down to the ground, which didst cast lots upon the nations?”

-Geneva Bible 1560

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

- King James Version 1611

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low”

-English Revised Version 1885

“How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations!”

-American Standard Version 1971

“How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!”

-New International Version 1973

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations!”

- New King James 1982

“How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!”

- English Standard Version 2002

Be careful!! God had made the Bible to be understood plainly. Overtime men had changed words and or phrases thinking that it’s a necessity to be more plain, while in reality their mystifying that which is plain due to traditions. Gods word as a whole, is a perfect chain, one portion linking into and explaining another. True seekers for truth need not err, for not only is the Word of God plain and simple in declaring the way of life, but the Holy Spirit is given as a guide in understanding the way to life therein revealed.

[impatient14]

Anthony J. Crowley as Lucifer: A Meta of Facts, Fiction, and Everything in Between

The theory that Crowley is Lucifer is hotly defended and contested, with naysayers typically casting the archangel Raphael as Crowley's identity in heaven (@vroomvroomwee's Crowley is Lucifer is particularly good-read the replies and reblogs too!) However, despite Raphael's notably absence in Heaven and the matchmaking plot of S2 (Raphael is traditionally associated with love and marriage), I think there is far more evidence that suggests he was Lucifer, instead. Yes, I know Crowley refers to Lucifer as someone other than himself in S1, but I'll get to that and everything else below the cut.

Full disclosure, I stumbled into this analysis from a different angle. Originally, I was just posting a quick little thought I had about Crowley's role on Earth. TLDR version, Crowley could have been acting not only as an agent of Hell on Earth to tempt humans but specifically ordered to tempt Aziraphale to Fall, an order he almost immediately succeeds in doing but chooses not to report. Since S2 made it clear that Crowley did not reserve his mercy for Aziraphale alone (i.e., his sense of fairness is intrinsic and not a characteristic obtained through his love for Aziraphale), it would be reasonable to think Crowley maneuvered himself into being assigned Hell's agent on Earth specifically to protect Aziraphale from Hell. This would not only mean Crowley remembered him from the beginning, it would mean he had the kind of power to assign himself that role. (It would also mean Crowley has been lying to both Hell and Aziraphale this whole time- a detail that would support Agnes Nutter's prophecy that "He is not who he says he is.")

This idea, that Crowley not only refused to send Aziraphale to Hell but actively protected him from it, screams rebellion--a characteristic Lucifer is most known for. Sure, you could argue all the angels who fell were rebellious (note here that Raphael never fell), but Crowley is the only demon in Hell who continued to rebel after he fell, making his association with the characteristic as notable as Lucifer's. This will be important in a moment.

Let's start with some history/translation issues.

The difference between Lucifer, Satan, and the Devil.

The conflation of these three names is a Christian phenomenon thought to have occurred in the process of organizing a conglomeration of "lost gospels" from numerous Christian sects, each one with their own translations and traditions. In the original Hebrew, "Satan" is actually ha-satan ("the satan"), defined as a role rather than a name (specifically the role of testing one's faith). At some point in the translation process, "the" is dropped and the tempter is simply, "Satan." Satan, before being completely subsumed by Lucifer, was considered Lucifer's vessel on earth-a separate entity.

Now, "Lucifer" is Latin for Venus' morning appearance. The word was taken from the Greek words Φωσφόρος (Phosphorus), "light-bringer", and Ἑωσφόρος (Eosphorus ), "dawn-bringer." So how did Lucifer become synonymous with a fallen angel? Folklore and metaphor. I could go really deep here, but instead I'll just say the Sumerian myth about the goddess Inanna's ability to descend into other realms including the underworld and then rise again to heaven. This myth is based in the synodic cycle of the planet--you guessed it--Venus (more specifically Venus in retrograde). Jump to the Book of Isaiah when the king of Babylon is condemned, Isaiah refers to the king as "Lucifer:"

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! [how] art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! {14:13} For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: {14:14} I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. {14:15} Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. {14:16}

Thus, the "morning star" falling from heaven is a motif born out of a long list of myths and translations that get thrown in a pot together, stirred up, and then served according to disparate cultures and traditions. Some of those traditions combined "the satan" and "Lucifer" into Satan/Lucifer, some others kept "Satan" and "Lucifer" as two separate beings, with Lucifer ruling over Satan who acts as an agent of temptation on earth. (Sound familiar? Hold that thought!)

In contrast to "Satan" and "Lucifer," "The Devil" can be deterritorialized more simply. The title comes from a series of translations of Greek's  διάβολος (diábolos), or "slanderer." Thus, how the Devil became synonymous with all things Satan, Lucifer, and Hell can be inferred via its etymology.

So, if in some traditions Satan's role is to tempt people's faith, that would mean Crowley is Satan, right? Under my thinking, yes and no.

In the Bible, "tempting" Eve simply meant asking why she hadn't eaten from the Tree of Knowledge and then telling her the truth about what would happen if did (i.e., she would not die as God claimed but would instead be granted the wisdom to know the difference between good and evil). This is important if you recall that "the satan" may act as an agent of hell, but it isn't inherently good or evil, it's there by God's design to test people. So in this way, sure. Crowley plays the role of "the satan." But in the Good Omen's universe, Satan is given definition as the King of Hell (aka Benedict Cumberbatch and a team of CGI wizards), while Lucifer is only mentioned once (I'm getting there, promise!). Given all the amalgamations we've just gone over, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that Gaimon and Pratchett switched their roles. If anything, it makes far more sense that "Lucifer" would become "Crowley" over "Satan." Lucifer was an angel not a deity, so he would become a demon, while the Satan of Good Omens is set up as a direct opponent to God.

But why does Crowley have to have been Lucifer? Couldn't he have been another fallen angel?

Sure. But it isn't a coincidence that Lucifer and Raphael aren't mentioned by name (except once, I know!). Crowley's physical characteristics are more inline with Lucifer's than Raphael's (according to literary tradition, i.e., Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno); he was the first one to say "let there be light;" rebellion is intrinsic to him (continuously rebelling against hell); he's androgynous (Lucifer as the masculine fallen angel and the feminine Venus); and he has many faces (which he shows off more in S1). Plus, Lucifer is said to have committed the sin of Pride, something Crowley demonstrated a lot of after he cranked the cosmos.

Also, S2 has made perfectly clear that Crowley is insanely powerful for a demon. (I'm convinced the huge power surge they investigate is not the miracle that hides Gabriel but is in fact the burst of energy Crowley produces when he's angry. It occurs at roughly the same time and in the same place. Narratively, it'd be just as easy to have the blackout occur another way, so Crowley's power surge must have another purpose.) In the book, the Narrator of Good Omens (God) says, "Crowley has something no other demons have, especially not Hastur--an imagination." Crowley is repeatedly singled out as being different than the other demons. He is able to read the report that is locked to everyone but the highest of authorities in Heaven.

So, now let's talk about that quote from S1: "I never asked to be a demon. I was just minding my own business one day and then... oh, lookie here, it's Lucifer and the guys!"

It's reasonable to assume Crowley is referring to himself saying "lookie here" after he was the subject of the first part of that sentence. But in actuality, the suggestion that Crowley was "minding his own business" would contradict him then going up to a group of people and initiating a conversation. Therefore, the ellipses (as they are designed to do) represent an absent thought. In this situation, the transition of the subject. In this moment, Crowley is recalling the moments before he fell, when he was minding his own business (while in the company of others) when someone singled out him the other rebels/questioners.

Taken another way, it's also entirely possible that Crowley is referring to himself in the third person as an outside viewer of the situation because, in point of fact, even if Crowley was Lucifer, Lucifer no longer exists according to Neil:

What does all this mean?

It means that even if Crowley was Lucifer, Lucifer doesn't exist because Good Omens takes place after the Fall. Now, this may put a little hiccup in the idea that Crowley can read the top secret files because he was an archangel, but I think it can be explained away via the ineffable plan. It is obvious that God still loves Crowley and shows him preferential treatment. It isn't outside the realm of possibility that she allowed him to keep certain parts of Lucifer as he Fell--especially if he was going to play the role as tempter on Earth. Clearly Crowley retained some of his angelic "goodness," which includes a unique moral code on Earth. Otherwise he'd be just like all the other demons. Crowley has to have enough good in him to appreciate humans, to be able to differentiate who should be tempted and how. He has to understand them in order to tempt them. This, I would argue, is the perfect punishment for an angel that questioned God's creation of man (but we know now he was just questioning the subsequent destruction of the universe he created). For daring to challenge her plan, God sends Lucifer (aka Crowley) to Earth to live among the humans he didn't value in Heaven. But, as we've seen, Crowley can still go up to heaven even when he's not in Aziraphale's body. Just like "morning star" Venus, Crowley can rise to the heavens, idle at the horizon, or fall into darkness. Even as "Crowley," Lucifer is still God's favorite.

So to go back up to where we started, it's possible that Hell ordered Crowley to tempt Aziraphale into falling, but God allowed Crowley to retain a sense of justice, and, perhaps more notability, his ability to love. I think Beelzebub and Gabriel's coupling is a sign that Heaven and Hell's hold on angels and demons weakens when they are confronted with human experiences, which would explain Crowley's very loose allegiance and Aziraphale's increasing discontent with Heaven. The difference between them is that Crowley--on some level--remembers what it's like to be an authority but not THE authority in Heaven, and he knows how fruitless Aziraphale's mission is. As the serpent, he has all this knowledge but Aziraphale is still very naïve, still devoted to the idea of "good" vs. "evil." He needs to see for himself that this dichotomy doesn't exist, even with him in charge. Once he's able to see this and understand what it means for his identity, I think we'll see the most elaborate "I Was Wrong" dance in history.

(Note: I didn't proofread this before posting, because I don't wanna. Now I'm going to devote a stupid amount of time trying to see if I can figure out what the damn J stands for.)

[elizabeth-halime]

Lucifer and Michael

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!”

"And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought with his angels:

And they prevailed not, neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And that great dragon, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who seduces the whole world, was cast out; and he was cast down to the earth, and his angels were cast down with him."

[jscariot]

SAINTS & SINNERS, YOU DECIDE kwon hyunsik is LUCIFER BEFORE THE FALL

ISAIAH 14:12 how art thou fallen from heaven, o lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! / @rpxoxo

[findingjoythroughsuffering]

Why do good people suffer?

Well this might not make sense to most, but I believe I have the answer. See in the beginning of time God knew that in order to give people and even angels free will, evil and good must coexist. Everyone including angels must have the option to choose to love God or hate him, choose good or choose evil.

Lucifer chose evil. He wanted to be Him instead of be with Him.

Isaiah 14: 12-15

12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

This choice began the many choices we have today to choose evil. Every time we sin we choose evil. When Eve ate the apple she disobeyed God and then Adam followed in her footsteps.

Genesis 3 : 1-6

1 Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

3 But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Now am I saying that bad things happen to good people strictly because of their sin? No. However, I do believe it is because of the inherent evil in this world, the fall of man that caused all of the calamities that exist today. So blame Eve if you want to, but don’t blame God. This was not what he wanted for any of us. He wanted the beautiful garden of Eden. Paradise.

God loves us so much that he sent His only son to make things right and prove how much he loves us. Think about it would you endure torture or have your child do so for the rest of humanity to be saved from death? I don’t think so.

For there has to be consequence for choosing evil. The consequence is eternal death. God doesn’t see our evil choices if we simply believe in Jesus death and resurrection on the cross and accept his gift of eternal life in your heart. That is all it takes. You don’t have to believe Jesus loves you, but once you are given that gift, you will feel it and you will experience the joy that only the Holy Spirit can give you.

In my own life, I have suffered greatly. I have gone through 11 years of a war on my mind in a mental illness brought on by opening the door to demons by doing a past life regression. I asked God to reveal to me who I was in a past life. After that, I immediately was confused between the voice of God and the voices of demons. I became so emotional that I was diagnosed with bipolar I with psychotic features. Jesus has now set me free, but it has been severely traumatic throughout my journey. I have a lot of healing yet to do. Watch more about my mental illness journey on YouTube @findingjoythroughsuffering

Dear Lord,

Please help those who are reading this today. Help those who are suffering come to feel your love through it, be able to endure it as long as it is going on, and have patience with it. Lord, we know your plans are good for us even if we can’t see it and it makes no sense to us. Let us rely on you and help others come to know you. Amen.

[bills-bible-basics]

SPIRITUAL WICKEDNESS IN HIGH PLACES -- KJV (King James Version) Bible Verse List #Scriptures #BibleStudy #BibleVerses Visit https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/ to see more. "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force." Matthew 11:12, KJV "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Ephesians 2:2, KJV "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12, KJV "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit." Isaiah 14:12-15, KJV "And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven." Luke 10:18, KJV "And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth . . . And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." Revelation 12:3-4a, 7-9, KJV If you would like more info regarding the origin of these KJV Bible verse lists, go to https://www.billkochman.com/VerseLists/. Thank-you! https://www.billkochman.com/Blog/index.php/spiritual-wickedness-in-high-places-kjv-king-james-version-bible-verse-list/?feed_id=207103&SPIRITUAL%20WICKEDNESS%20IN%20HIGH%20PLACES%20--%20KJV%20%28King%20James%20Version%29%20Bible%20Verse%20List

[gospelhotspot]

Seeds Of Destiny Devotional - Dethronement By Negative Character

Dunamis Seeds Of Destiny 11 September 2024 Devotional By Dr. Paul Enenche: Dethronement By Negative Character TOPIC: Dethronement By Negative Character (Seeds Of Destiny 11 September 2024) SCRIPTURE: 12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into…

[amelianeek]

LUCIFER'S MISTAKEN IDENTITY Amelia the Neek | Prose/Art: Informative Article

Let me start with a simple fact. Many stories told in Christian mythology are based on major elements of the ancient Greeks, consisting of stories written over 700 years before the birth of Christ, consisting of people and events that were said to have originated many thousands of years prior. As someone who has studied stories from both sources, I have been able to connect the incredibly fascinating similarities.

“Helel” is a Hebrew word that means “the shining one” or “the bright one”. This was translated to Latin as “lucem” (light) and “ferre” (to carry), before being merged into “lucefer” and changed to “lucifer”, which corresponds with the Greek name for the planet Venus, personified by the mythological figure known as both, Eosphoros (dawn-bringer) and Phosphoros (light-bringer), the avatars of the planet Venus as it appears in the morning sky, which is the true origin of “Morningstar”.

The word “Lucifer” was only ever mentioned once in the Bible and it was referring to the planet Venus at dawn, not any particular being. This singular mention was part of a verse in Isaiah 14:12, which was a taunt aimed at a reigning King of Babylon, an enemy nation of Israel and other nations they were in violent conflict with. Calling him “Lucifer” was an insult meant to point out the king’s fall from the light:

“Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us? Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee. How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit”.

Confusing, yes? Flowery? Very much. And who is to say this has been translated properly with so many words with double meanings and others borrowed from far older cultures?

Furthermore, “satan” was also never suggested to be another name for any particular being; Certainly not a fallen angel. It is a Latin word meaning “adversary”, which was used to describe anyone who would challenge one’s faith in God or tempt one to sin.

Many claim that Lucifer was mentioned in Genesis 3, but he was not. The villain in the story was simply referred to “the serpent”. This likely a metaphor, the most popular theory and likely truth being Adam’s penis and the sexual temptation he shared with Eve.

Many also claim that Lucifer tried to tempt Jesus Christ in Matthew 4:1–11, but in this verse, the tempter was only referred to as “the devil”. The Greek word “diabolos” from which “devil” is derived, means “slanderer”, which, in this context, can easily refer to someone who made false claims against God in order to convince Jesus to turn away from his path. You could say that by trying to tempt Jesus, this devil was slandering God by suggesting that he is not the way and he, she or it could have been anyone, including a person, a spirit, an angel, or even God himself.

Another interesting fact is that “Hades” was translated into “Hell” as was the Greek word, “Tartarus”. The problem is, Hell and Tartarus are not the same place. When mentioned separately, they were described quite differently. Hell is where human souls go after living a life of sin while Tartarus was where evil beings of great power were sent as punishment. In Greek myth, it’s where the Titans were imprisoned and in Christian myth, it was the place where fallen angels were condemned to dwell.

So much has been lost in translation due to the poor quality of surviving scrolls and books, assumptions based on ancient words with double meanings, minds clouded by political agendas and drink, and so many of these stories have been tainted by (other?) popular works of fiction.

You also must take into consideration that stories and “facts” change from one moment to the next. We can’t even begin to imagine how many such tellings have changed over this vast amount of time. The first Bible stories were written over 3,220 years ago. Many of us can’t recall what we ate last week or how to spell certain words. How are we to base our lives on stories containing less continuity than a modern comic book?

[pharaoh-khan]

Apep lied

Isaiah 14:12-17

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God:

I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying,

Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms;

That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof;

that opened not the house of his prisoners?like plankton exactly be awakened third 𓂀 opened and indigoed and lucid opiumed like your life being lesser on the scale than infinite and lesser lit thru you trusting sin and the tbn man

[hellbnd]

* HELLBND : // An independent / Private blog for Lucifer Morningstar from Vivziepop's Hazbin Hotel / Multiverse Friendly / Rules under cut // Affiliated with @havnsnt// PINNED DO NOT RB

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

╰┈➤ General roleplay rules and etiquette. Be respectful and considerate. I have been roleplaying for over 10 years and expect everyone to know these things. ╰┈➤ Mun is of age, 29 as of 2024 - Smut may not happen her though, but other topics will ╰┈➤ Please reblog memes & pictures from the source. Personals please do not reblog threads or headcanons. ╰┈➤ Blog is low activity & mutuals only ╰┈➤ Do not involve me in any drama at all. I have zero tolerance for it and callout culture. Treat me like a decent human being and I'll treat you the same. ╰┈➤ Mature content warning. I am of age and Hazbin in general is full of this sort of dark content. ╰┈➤ Please know I will not police you on what you write and I will not tolerate anyone who may do so to me or my friends. If anon is turned on, treat it as a privilege. I will not hesitate to block if needed.

[mataniya]

#Isaiah 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! #DailyBread #BibleVisuals #Bible #Scriptures #IUIC #Israelites

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[ooluwole]

His-Story....

Many Christians believe the Devil was once a beautiful angel named Lucifer who defied God and fell from grace. This assumption that he is a fallen angel is often based the book of Isaiah in the Bible, which says, “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! Lucifer, another spirit son of God, rebelled against the plan’s reliance on agency and proposed an altered plan that…

[xisadorapurlowx]

Bloodstained Lilium: Chapter 1

Leonard: England, Brockenhurst, 9:26am

Leo raised his bag over his head as he stomped down the pavement. Rain crashed down upon him as Charity’s house appeared. He pushed the rusty old gate and entered the front garden and weaved his way through the overgrown plants and weeds. Leo reached the front door under the porch and shivered as he rang the doorbell. His clothes where cold and stuck to him like a wet shower curtain.

The dark moss coloured door had chunks missing from it like someone had jabbed a knife through it over and over again. The handle and lock hung off as if further evidence of a frenzied attack.

The door opened and Charity smiled at him, moving out of the way as Leo rushed inside to the safe and dry house. They had been friends since they first met at Catholic school. She was the only friend Leo had.

“So, what’s this about?” He asked her, as she shut the door.

Charity turned around and her smile grew wider, her long brown hair flying behind her as she finished twirling, “You’re never going to believe who I’ve met!” She whispered, excitedly.

“Who?” Leo looked over his shoulder, peering into the front room and up the stairs he asked, “Who have you met? That K-pop star you’re obsessed with ah!” Leo flinched as a bright dash of light danced across his vision, making his eyes water painfully. Once the light had faded from Leo’s sight, he shook his head, rubbing his eyes.

“Did you do that? Why would you do that to me?” Leo pulled his hands away from his face and looked at Charity.

Charity shook her head and pointed a delicate finger behind him, “Look behind you!” she said.

Leo rolled his eyes and turned around. His jaw fell open as Leo stared at one of the most beautiful men he’d ever seen.

Golden blonde curls fell around this man’s face, bright clear almost translucent skin, bright blue eyes and a face that had been carved by God himself. The man was decorated in thick gold bangles, one around his neck, two around his wrists and two around his ankles. All that clothed his body was a sheer white robe, reaching to just a few inches off the floor. Two enormous wings were grown out of his back, the feathers the whitest things Leo had ever seen.

“My God.” Leo stepped back to get a better look at the man, to take him all in. There were no words to describe him, he was just so… Gorgeous.

The man spoke, “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Leo.”

“You know my name.” Leo stated, stupidly.

He heard Charity’s laughter from behind him and she pushed Leo upright, he must have been nearly falling over.

“Surprise! This is Lucifer!” Charity giggled, gazing at the man.

Leo’s eyes darted to her and back at the being, “Lucifer?” He deadpanned.

“Hmhm!”

“Doesn’t that mean you’re a demon?” Leo asked, narrowing his eyes at Lucifer and then quoted, “’How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of morning’?”

Lucifer shook his head, his blonde curls moving effortlessly along with his head. “No, down here that’s how I have been portrayed unfortunately. And it was a rather unfortunate mistranslation. When someone used my name during the writing of the first English version of the Bible they messed up. How can a King make such a silly mistake?” He sighed, shutting his eyes as if the depictions had been blasphemous to him, “I had been lying in slumber in the Earth until I was discovered by Charity who was planting flowers in the back garden.”

“Right, sure.” Leo said, sarcastically, “Why should I believe you?” Although the name is only used once in the Bible, it still refers to the Fall of Satan and Leo was not risking anything here.

“Well, I wasn’t here and then I was, right?” Lucifer said.

Leo didn’t have an answer back for him. Lucifer did kind of just… appear and Leo didn’t hear any thunderous steps behind him.

Leo pointed at him, “What about your parents, Charity? Can they see him?”

“Nope! They have no clue he’s here.” Charity said, “Didn’t you see the flash of light in front of you? He was removing the Holy Seal that stopped you from seeing him.”

“Everyone has one,” The Angel explained, “It’s to make sure they aren’t seeing things like us unless we grant them the ability to. Or, you abuse illicit substances that break it.”

Leo traced the Angel’s form up and down.

“Okay, so, you are an angel. Why tell me?” He asked, furrowing my eyebrows.

There was a short pause as Charity moved from behind Leo and stood next to Lucifer, “Well, that’s the real reason why I brought you here.” Her eyes flitted to Lucifer before they went back to Leo, “Since Lucifer has appeared, he has been following me around and talking to me. And we were spotted. When I was talking to him.”

“‘Spotted’.” Leo echoed, “What do you mean?”

“There are these cultists or followers of some sort and the other day they tried to break into the house.” Lucifer explained.

Leo stared at the both of them, “No, you’re joking, really?”

Charity shook her head and pointed to the door, “Did you see the door knob?”

“That was them?!”

Charity nodded gravely, “It was.”

Leo shook his head, “Well, what do you want me for then? Can’t you do something?” He looked to Lucifer, “All Powerful Mighty Angel, Messenger of God?”

“That’s the other problem. If I were to use that power, it would shock the world. Literally,” Lucifer said, “I would much rather have it so that Charity will be safe, than have her be put in danger by me.”

“So, I was going to ask you about some of your dad’s men. Y’know those men.” Charity suggested. She jerked her head to the door.

Leo shook his head, heavy stones settling in his stomach, “No. I’m not letting you have any of those people around. They are not people you want around, Charity.” Leo said through gritted teeth. His eyes briefly darted to the side of the front room and then to the door, afraid that someone might be listening to their conversation.

“Well, what if these people come after me!?” Charity shrieked, suddenly. Tears welled up in her eyes as her voice filled with panic and anxiety, “Please, Leo I don’t know what that group will do to me, you have to protect me!”

Leo jumped at her words as they spilled from her mouth with her tears rolling down her cheeks.

He didn’t know what to do.

The men who worked with Leo’s dad ‘took care’ of people who are perceived as a threat to Leo’s family, but mainly his father as he was the boss. And those people who worked for him, have done some of the worst things imaginable, who would time after time escape the law because of his father.

But Leo looked at Charity and Lucifer who was powerless overall in this situation as well. Charity was the victim. It’s not like she asked to find an Angel in her back garden. Some Angel Lucifer is.

Leo sucked in a deep breath and sighed, “Fine, I will see if two guys are up for it.”

Charity’s dismal look fell away as quickly as it had appeared and her wide grin returned, “Thank you so much Leo. I’ll have to find a way to thank you somehow.”

Leo paused looking at Lucifer who stared back at him, “What is it?” Lucifer asked.

An Angel, a real one. No one else had access to the afterlife as Leo did in that moment. He made his decision right then and there, “If you want to pay me back, I’d like to pick Lucifer’s brains anytime I like.” Leo said.

Lucifer raised his eyebrows and tilted his head in surprise, “What makes you want that?”

“Well, it’s a rare opportunity, isn’t it? No one else would usually get this chance and I am Catholic.” Leo explained.

“That seems fair enough, I’d like to hear too, you never tell me anything about that even when I pick your brain.” Charity agreed thoughtfully. She raised an eyebrow at him, “How does that sound?”

Lucifer pursed his lips, thinking it over before he spoke, “I suppose if it’s all for your safety, Charity then I guess it would be alright.”

***

Over the past few weeks, Leo had gotten the heavies Charity had asked him for and he’d been mulling over questions for Lucifer. He reminded Leo of something at the school his dad sent him to.

Leo had been over every day since their agreement was made. He wanted to give extra protection so that everything was safe. There was no way anyone would do any harm while Leo was around. It was also so he could get to know Lucifer or ‘Lucy.’ It turned out that Lucifer was quite fond of the nickname. It had slipped out on accident a few days into the surveillance from Leo, they all laughed about it and the name just stuck.

Another day, while Leo was around, he watched Lucifer float past a bouquet of dead lilies and they came back to life as if they’d been freshly picked. He’d never been so astounded by anything in his life.

The day came once Leo had decided on his questions. He knocked on the door to Charity’s house, giving the two guys at the gate a curt nod while he waited for the door to open. Charity opened it and grinned at him, “Hey! Back again?” She chuckled as Leo stepped inside, “Lucifer’s in the front room.”

“Thanks, come in and join us. I’m going to pick his brains today.” Leo smiled back at her.

“Leo, you’re finally here!” Lucifer hovered over and grinned at Leo, exposing blindingly white teeth, “I was just about to go and grab you myself.”

Leo rolled his eyes and smiled as he sat down on the sofa in Charity’s front room, “I’m gonna ask my questions today.”

“Are you now?” Lucifer asked, raising an eyebrow as he drifted next to Leo. Charity sat on the separate sofa chair, watching the two both converse.

“Yes, I am, Lucy.” Leo responded, “So, this is the only question I have really.” Leo said, “And I hope I don’t offend you with this question.”

“Go on, just ask.” Lucifer rolled his eyes.

“Okay, so,” Leo started, “A while ago, I read the Book of Enoch, the one with the story of The Observers. They were these angels who were sent by God to observe over humanity, to not interfere but they did and took human women for wives and had giants for children. And those Angels were encased in the earth until the day of the Rapture and where they will be taken down to Hell as God’s punishment to them. Along with the flood that Noah made the Arc for.” Leo paused before he asked, “Were you one of those Angels?”

Lucifer fell silent. His eyes glazed over and he suddenly seemed off in his own head. It was uncomfortable and an unbearable silence, the playful joking in the air had gone.

Leo regretted asking him the question.

Lucifer finally spoke, “And if I was, would you be scared of me?”

Leo bit his lip, “Probably not. I know you now, not as you were thousands of years ago.”

Lucifer sighed, leaning back into the sofa, “I had narrowly escaped God’s grasp as Samyaza and the others were chained to the core of the Earth. It wasn’t my idea to begin with and I hated the thought of it. Sure, there were some very lovely women back then, don’t get me wrong but, it didn’t sit right with me and then when the Nephilim had been born, it was as if Beelzebub had made those children and not us.” Lucifer sighed, “Enoch that poor mortal man, God sending him to us with the prophecy of our demise was the worst thing that He could have done.” He shivered, “I live in fear that if I get too loud, God may find me here and I have no idea what he will do to me if he does find me. If I use my powers, He will hear me and see me. God is omniscient and omnipotent. But I can stay invisible as long as I don’t use my powers.”

“Is that why you can’t protect Charity?” Leo asked him, “You’ll be seen and heard? But then the flowers, I’ve seen you revive from you walking just past them.”

“I don’t do that consciously. It’s a curse, wherever I walk, there is life reborn.” Lucifer sighed, “Occupational hazard really. And those won’t make God come for me.”

Leo stared at Lucifer, mulling over Lucifer’s words. He was sat in the same room as an Observer, one from a religious text that had been deemed fanfiction compared to canonical Bible stories.

A chill went down Leo’s spine.

It was awful what they did, but Lucifer’s different now, seemingly. He’s hiding away from God and he hasn’t done anything weird to Charity so it must be okay.

Charity leaned forwards in her chair, “So, what are you really?” She asked.

Lucifer looked at Charity and then at Leo, “I suppose, the correct name would be a demon. But I’m nothing like the ones that come up from down there.” Lucifer pointed at his bangled feet, “They are much worse than me. Anything you can imagine, honestly.” He looked at Charity, “I am so grateful you found me in the dirt, I don’t know how else I would remain undercover for so long before being thrown to suffer with the others.”

Charity’s face was pale, tinted slightly green as she nodded in response.

“I’m also glad you asked Leo. I knew I had to bring it up at some point, it’s important to know how I got here.” Lucifer said, “I’m sorry it took a long time to come out about this.”

“No, it’s okay.” Charity shook her head, “It’s a lot to talk about. It’s a very difficult subject from the sounds of it.”

“Yeah, it is very complicated. Lucy, we get it.” Leo said, putting a hand on his shoulder, “God has a very complicated plan for all of us and unfortunately, maybe for you too.”

The robes on his shoulder were soft as if they’d been freshly cleaned that day, once again, amazing Leo.

“How were you able to keep your robes clean under that dirt?” Leo asked, absentmindedly.

“Charity washed them when I came out of the dirt and they’ve stayed clean ever since.” Lucifer explained.

“During which you didn’t wear anything else, it was agony.” Charity said, narrowing her eyes at the Fallen Angel.

“It’s not as if I didn’t try to find something! Your dad’s clothes made me break out in hives!” Lucifer retorted, “Mixed fabrics remember?!”

Leo teased, “Is the Fallen Messenger of Gods’ skin too delicate for all we can offer him or is he really just a fancy posh twat?”

“You know that is not the case!” Lucifer snapped, crossing his arms, floating up and away, “This is bullying, I might as well go and bury myself in the dirt again.”

“No!” Charity got up and ran after him, “I’ll have to wash your robes again and I am not having your arse crack hanging out again!”

*

Leo’s breath formed clouds of steam as he made his way up to Charity’s house. It was around 10 o’clock at night as he found the gate to the house flung aside on its side.

He hadn’t heard from Charity in a while. They’d normally text every now and again during the day and more often at night. But there were no tonight messages. Everything was too quiet.

Leo furrowed his eyebrows as he stared down the path up to the front of the house where the two guards’ legs were hanging out of the threshold.

His blood ran cold as he walked up the path, hardly daring to believe what he was seeing. Leo stopped at the lackies’ feet and looked down at their bodies. Two knives were firmly jabbed into their white shirts, blood seeping through them and staining them. The door had been broken down and split in half as if the abductors had used a battering ram.

Leo peered over the bodies and into the house. The wallpaper had been ripped and torn as if there had been a fight, large deep knife gashes in the wallpaper, exposing the drywall and insulation.

His heart pounded in his chest, a beeping broke him out of the trance and he moved the first victims out of the way to reveal a portable GPS.

Leo shakily picked it up, examining it. He found a way to reverse the GPS so he could follow them. It looked like they’d gone into a forest area. Perfect for a sacrifice Leo supposed, no one would be around for miles.

He ripped the knives from the chests of the lackeys and stuffed them into his coat pocket, quickly turning around and storming up the path to find Charity.

***

The cold night air burned in Leo’s lungs as he ran through the forest, glancing down at the GPS as he went.

Leo tripped over his feet, sending himself flying and landing flat on his stomach, knocking the breath out of him. His heart was in his throat as he yelled in agony and got up and continued to run in the direction of the church. Leo couldn’t allow the wind being knocked out of him to stop him from preventing whatever was going to happen.

Leo pushed himself up again and went on until he found the church, he tossed aside the GPS and found the entrance to the crypt, where there were blood curdling screams, echoing up into the night.

Shooting down into the crypt, Leo pulled out the blood-soaked knives and ran inside and found the first robed person, plunging the knife into their back. There was another loud scream as he took it out again and rammed it back in, “Out of my way.” Leo growled.

Blood splattered on his face, some landing in his mouth as Leo wrenched the dagger back out again and turned his attention onto the others, “Where’s Charity?!” Leo spat at them.

When he got no response back from the remaining two, Leo ran at one of them and slammed the dagger into the man’s hooded face. The man went down and Leo straddled him, the sound of his cracking skull rang out through the room. The man shrieked at Leo as he pulled the knife to the side and split his skull, his brain spilling out in a gooey blob into his hood.

Leo stood up and looked over his shoulder at the final person here in the crypt with him.

He was just watching Leo, whether the other person was paralyzed with horror or not Leo didn’t care. The person got his arms spread, his back to Charity who lay unconscious on a concrete slab, almost as if he was protecting her from Leo. Like Leo would hurt her.

Leo raised the knife again, “Walk away, I’m serious. Otherwise, you’re next.” he hissed.

The man didn’t move or make a sound, he still just stood there. Why is he just standing there? It didn’t matter, he’s not a moving target.

“So be it.” Leo charged at him and raised the knife at him, ready to plunge into his face, for his skull to break, for his blood and other bodily fluids to splatter all over himself.

Leo swung the knife down, aiming for his head before he jumped out of the way, and the knife went straight through Charity’s chest and into her rib cage, right above her heart.

Her eyes flew open and she gasped before she locked eyes with Leo. The madness in her orbs, the blood pouring from her chest, running down her front.

Charity’s hands shakily reached for the knife lodged in her chest and held onto it, tears rolling down her cheeks, “Leo…?” She asked weakly.

Leo stared at her as she writhed in agony, falling off the slab, blood pooling at her feet before she stopped moving, crumpling on the floor. Charity didn’t take her eyes off him throughout the whole time she suffered, her eyes filled with a whirlwind of emotions; Anger, fear, the agonizing pain, and above all else betrayal and confusion.

Leo couldn’t move the entire time, but seeing her lifeless form made something snap.

“Charity!” Leo tried to hold her up, pulling the dagger out of her chest and putting pressure on the wound he gave her.

His blood pumped loudly through his ears, his breath ragged and shaking as he stared down at Charity’s body.

He looked down at his hands, still clutching the other knife in his left hand. Leo let the knife slip from his hand as he raised his hand to his face. Tears obscured Leo’s vision as he stood there shaking. I killed her, he thought, I killed them.

I killed them.

I’m a killer.

I’m a murderer.

I’m no better than dad.

Where is Lucy? Where is he?!

***

The next few days were grueling and hellish. The police had found Leo, Charity and the bodies in the basement, Lucifer was nowhere in sight, the other cultist man had been excused by the police as Leo screamed for Lucifer to come and help him. To bring back Charity and reverse all this. Turned out that those three people were Paranormal enthusiasts turned cultists after witnessing a tree re-bloom in a park where Lucifer and Charity had taken a walk in and had thought that Charity was possessed by the Devil or was talking to demons which had to be purged by killing her.

Leo had cried silently as his father had ripped into him about his irresponsibility and recklessness, about how it would ruin his father’s image to several other families and the eyes of the public.

A few days later, Lucifer had appeared in Leo’s room in the dead hours of the night, hidden in shadow as if he was a wild cat preparing for an attack, his now yellow eyes gleaming from the darkness.

Leo was not sleeping. He couldn’t sleep with all that was going on. His father was cleaning up what Leo had done to the robed figures, paying off police men. Leo seemed unable to dispose of the memories of what he had done, so monstrous to himself and even so, he wouldn’t sleep soundly for long. He would be panicked, waking up in the early hours of the morning, screaming his head off and seeing the robed men surrounding him. Becoming paranoid of blood on his hands, dirtying the very expensive bed sheets and walls his father had paid for with his own dirty money.

“Lucy?” Leo whispered to the figure that sat on his desk.

He stood up from his bed and went to make his way over to the Angel before he spoke, “Don’t Lucy me.” Lucifer hissed.

“Lucifer, please I didn’t mean to kill her.” Leo begged, “I’m serious, I was so angry I couldn’t stop myself…”

“As if that’s an excuse!” Lucifer shouted. The walls shook angrily. A cross above Leo’s bed fell down and hit his pillow as Lucifer continued, “Those thugs you had at the door were bloody useless! I had to use my powers!”

Leo’s blood started to boil as he bellowed back his defense, “Well it’s not like they were any help! You vanished while I went off to get her back from those maniacs! If it weren’t for you vanishing, I wouldn’t have had to go after them!”

“I don’t think you heard me correctly, asshole! I used my powers to try and stop them!” Lucifer put emphasis on the last words as he emerged from the shadows, “Look at me!”

Leo shrieked, falling back onto his bed as Lucifer jumped out of the shadows.

Lucifer’s wings had gone. He no longer hovered above the ground, but he walked like a man. Angry, red, irritated sores had appeared on his head, parting his now dank and greasy hair that hung limply at the sides of his head. His sheer white robes had been replaced with a black hoodie, black jeans and scuffed black and white laced sneakers, “He heard me.” Lucifer hissed, “Do you have any idea how painful it is to get wings ripped out of your back?!”

Leo shook his head in fear, as he jumped over his bed and ran for the door, Lucifer screamed out to him, “Look at what He did to me!”

Leo opened the door, and crashed into his father’s front, “Dad!”

His father looked down at him in confusion, “Are you alright? I felt the whole house shake, there was shouting and I thought I would check to see if you were okay.”

He’s putting on his ‘caring father’ act again, Leo thought.

Leo looked over his shoulder at where Lucifer would have been but he was gone, the cross put back up on his wall.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just fell over.” Leo lied. He gripped his hand into a fist, diverting all his anxiety to that one point as his father continued, “Well, if you’re sure.” His dad straightened his jacket before continuing on, “So, I’ve also come up here to tell you about what we’re going to do with you regarding the… incident.” His father said, “You’re a good boy Leo. You always have been, you stay in school, generally stay away from my business��� Kept quiet about what happened between your mother and I.”

Leo looked at the ground, trying to push away the unwanted memory.

“My lawyers have swayed the Jury; you’re going to a mental hospital.” His father put a hand on Leo’s shoulder, attempting to be reassuring, “Everything will be alright my son.”

His father’s fingers were cold and his words icy rather than comforting, piercing Leo’s heart with a steely cold dagger. How Leo longed to be away from this man that was his birth father.

Leo would do anything. Absolutely anything, to be away from his father.

Jai: U.S.A, San Francisco, 0:01

His sister opened his bedroom door, “I know what you’re doing.” His sister glared. She was only a couple of years younger than him and although she didn’t hold Jai’s intelligence, she was very observant and could probably tell if something was off within seconds of meeting you.

Jai swore she was psychic sometimes.

“And what am I doing?” Jai raised an eyebrow and smiled at her, pretending to not know what she was talking about.

“You and your group of computer geeks steal shit from the Government. I heard you talking about it to one of your friends on Discord.” She narrowed her eyes at him, “You know what happened to the Jenkins kids the other day right? Cops stopped them for no reason and then when they tried to be calm and proper, the police drew their guns on them and shot one of them.” 

“Shit, really?” Jai frowned, “But they’re good kids, what are they twelve? Thirteen?” 

“Yeah, but pigs don’t give a shit. And because of that, we should be on more high alert. I don’t want you getting shot in the street, even if you’re stealing shit from different governments.” His sister continued, “Particularly ‘cos of…”

“Okay, okay,” Jai got up from his chair. He understood his sister’s concerns. The news and social media were rife with talk about that incident. It had been a shock wake up call to an ignorant nation that had brought up all sorts of reactions all around the world. Mostly outrage and fury at the police force who had been doing this for years and had been getting away with it. But that wasn’t going to happen to Jai or his family. And it wouldn’t happen because he had put precautions in place to make sure it didn’t.

“I know you’re concerned, Abby, but there is no way they’re going to catch me. Me and the boys all have security we need to make sure we’re okay. Ozzy lives in the UK and the police broke down his door to search his place but he’s still on the job!” Jai explained, “We’ve got VPNs and other sorts of stuff to scramble signals like that.” 

Abby frowned, unconvinced.

Jai sighed, “I’m only going to be doing this until mom and dad get back on their feet. The money I’m making is keeping the house over our head and the food on the table. After they get sorted, I promise you, I will stop.” Jai gave her a reassuring smile, “Besides, I’m sure that the police will understand our situation if I told them why I was doing this.”

Abby bit her lip, “Yeah, maybe.”

The doorbell rang and the two looked down the stairs, confused, “I’ll answer it… but who is calling at this hour?” Jai muttered the last part under his breath as he opened the door.

His blood turned cold as saw who was on the other side of the door, “Hello, Officers, is there a problem?”

Adairia: Scotland, Edinburgh, 22:20pm

Adairia sucked in a deep breath as she stirred awake.

Ah, she’s still alive.

Her head pounded painfully as she sat up. A strong metallic smell wafted through the air as Adairia wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Her mother and father probably tried to make breakfast and melted the pans again from leaving them on the hob for too long.

Adairia pulled her bed covers off of herself. Her vision span as she stabilized herself, she had no idea how doing drugs is enjoyable for her mother or father. It was the worst feeling ever.

This is her… She stopped counting a while ago how many blackouts she was having after the third or fourth time they drugged her.

Adairia got up, walking to the bathroom and looking in the mirror and she gasped at the sight.

Her whole front, drenched in red. Adairia’s arms, hands, face, torso, Hell even her hair was covered in…

She shakily held up her hand and sniffed, gagging at the smell. This was the metallic smell:

Blood.

Adairia rushed to the sink, trying to wash away the fluid. She scratched at her arms and scrubbed her hair clean; Her parents would kill her if they saw her like this, causing more problems for them than they already had which was most likely, choosing which way to do cocaine next: smoke it or inject it.

Once her arms and torso had been scrubbed clean, her hair drenched in water, she squeezed out the remaining water and went to rush back to her room to change. She’d burn the clothes later.

Once Adairia had changed, she went into the kitchen to prepare for the day.

She had no idea where any of it came from, she had no time to think about it. It’s not her blood and therefore, shouldn’t be concerned about it.

Adairia went into the front room and found both her parents on the sofa, gazing at the TV, which was blaring static, while a high-pitched tone rang from the speakers.

Adairia mustered up her courage, “Hello!?” She called to them.

They didn’t even look at her, their heads still turned to the TV.

“You’re not even watching anything!” She rolled her eyes, storming over to them.

She went to hit the back of her father’s head before she caught a whiff of iron emanating from the both of them.

Adairia gagged, stumbling back and dry heaving, before pulling her shirt up and over her nose, making her way around the sofa and to stand in front of her parents.

Adairias’ eyes widened to the size of dinner plates; Both her parents had their jaws, hanging off by a ligament, their tongues lolling out of their mouths, blood dripping from their faces. Their arms and legs had been restrained with duct tape, the same duct tape they’d make her use to tie together batches of cocaine and weed.

Adairia’s legs had become weak and she collapsed to the floor, staring at them both, blood staining the fronts as she let out a loud whimper.

Adairia’s going to prison… She was going to be put in prison for the rest of her life and it wasn’t even her fault! Leaving out the drugs she’d been forced to make! She leaned over at their feet and balled.

Her blood turned to ice as someone knocked at her door, “This is the police! Open up!”

Kyung-Mo: South Korea, Seoul, 23:33pm

The beep of the heart monitor next to Kyung-Mo was like a metronome steadying his breath that was the song of his sorrow and the source of his pain. His lungs still burned from being in the river for so long and from swallowing so much water, his throat was sore from screaming.

There was a soft knock at the door and it opened to reveal Mr Kim and the Manager.

“Mr Kim…” His voice broke, his eyes filling with tears, “Sir, I’m so sorry, I…”

“Kyung-Mo, you were an idiot to do something like that.” The manager said, angrily, “In front of all those people, your fans above all else. You should be ashamed.”

Kyung-Mo lowered his head again. The manager was right, it was stupid of him to do that, so insane of him to do it.

“Hey, calm down. It’s not like he’s destroyed the whole world.” Mr Kim shushed him, “I’ve known him for a very long time, something pushed him to do this.”

Mr Kim and the manager walked over to the chairs next to his bed and sat next to him, “What happened?”

“I found out Grandpa died, then I cut myself and someone saw. He told you.” Kyung-Mo darted his eyes to the manager, who would know who he was referring to, “I freaked out, ran out and to a random bridge and I accidentally gathered a crowd and threw myself off there.” Kyung-Mo’s eyes welled with tears.

“Bullshit.” The manager spat, “You ran out because you’re lazy! You’ve never been serious about your music and this is where you end up! Bringing the rest of the group down with your carelessness! You were being an attention seeker by drawing that crowd!”

“Stop that, ridiculing Kyung-Mo isn’t going to help him.” Mr Kim hissed, “Be quiet for the moment.”

The manager grumbled something inaudible and crossed his arms, sinking in his chair.

“I was the one who brought you into this. Are you really happy doing this?” Mr Kim asked him.

“I was doing it for Grandpa. I didn’t want him to die in that shitty slum, so I wanted to get the money. You know that.” Kyung-Mo admitted.

The producer sighed, “I’m sorry to hear that. I know you liked music, but if this was all really for your Grandfather…”

“I grew up in that shit hole! And they tossed him back there as soon as he retired and that’s how they treat him! And then he had to raise me on his own!” Kyung-Mo lied, “Grandpa deserved better, more than that! All I wanted was to let him live out his last few years as a happier man rather than the grumpy one I knew!” This last part was not a lie.

Mr Kim sighed, “After that whole fiasco and with what you’re telling me now. I think you need some help, Kyung-Mo.” Mr Kim said, “I know of a mental health hospital in the UK that could probably help. Its main use is to treat the criminally insane but…”

“But I’m not criminally insane.” Kyung-Mo said, “I’m depressed.”

“You’re a burden on the group. And unfortunately, we have to go by the contract you agreed to which was three years. We’re putting the band on a hiatus for now.” The manager glared at him, “And it’s all your fault.”

Kyung-Mo gritted his teeth. He’d take that.

As soon as he could, he’d find a way out of the contract, regardless of however he had to do it, Kyung-Mo would find a way.

The manager’s face suddenly faltered, “Maybe, this is a good thing.” He said, his whole tone changing, “This would be great for marketing.”

“What?” Mr Kim asked flatly.

“Yeah! Maybe we can turn this around. The band will still go on hiatus, sure but during this time, maybe we could partner up with a mental health organization or something.” The manager continued.

Kyung-Mo rubbed his face in frustration, “No, for the love of God no.” He murmured.

“But this’ll be good! We could make you the new face for mental health problems!” The manager said, “I’m so stupid, why didn’t I think of this before?!”

Mr Kim rolled his eyes and sighed, “No, we’re not doing that.”

“But why?!” The manager almost whined, “Think about the money!”

“And look at him!” Mr Kim snapped, pointing at Kyung-Mo, “He cannot do that! Look at what made him do this in the first place! Putting more pressure on him isn’t going to do any good! If he was a different man, he could sue us!”

Kyung-Mo covered his ears in annoyance, “I don’t understand why I should air out my problems to the world when I nearly ended my own life. Stop trying to exploit me more than you already have.”

The manager opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it quickly.

Mr Kim sighed, “It’s written in his contract that we legally have to help him. I’ll go and get the plane tickets to the mental hospital in the UK.”