I, Devil (a love story)

Chapter 36: Meresin

The loss of all those human souls was astounding. I could feel it reverberate inside of me. I felt it vibrated into my ribs. I felt it into my core. It was human consciousness that creates physical reality. Without it, we are more bare. It is a feeling of loss I could not explain. I was even at more of a loss knowing Azazel himself likely felt it the deepest.

The moment Azazel decided to break the universe, he stopped taking souls to their final destination. This led to a brief backup of souls in Purgatory. Then, he snapped Purgatory and Fairyland off and threw those dimensions and all those people into the Void. So much was gone all at once.

I knew what he was doing. I knew it before I could bring it to words. I didn't feel he was trying to blend Hell and Earth. Somehow, that didn't feel right. It wasn't his intent. He wanted to reach God. He wanted to talk. He wanted the Creator to come to us and say something. Give us answers, something direct. However, not even bringing Hell on Earth shook the Creator down.

Whether it was his motivation or not, Azazel did something that could not be undone. We were only beginning to understand the consequences. There were now countless 'zombies' on Earth, humans without fully formed identities. They were ripe for the taking for stronger, more determined incorporeal entities. Possessions would be on the rise. It was not something I could help. I decided to keep my focus only on the things I could.

I wanted a plan. It seemed clear to me that Azazel needed to be stopped. I did not normally exert myself over another, especially over one of my brothers. Especially Azazel, who I knew to be larger and more powerful. There was no contest. Not even the largest among us has been able to overtake him, and they have tried countless times. It was his source of energy. Azazel was most closely connected to the Creator. Besides, Azazel was at his largest and most powerful currently. I knew I could not outright defeat him.

I watched in dismay as Noah and Wendy had another argument. We all felt the waves of destruction over and over from the Earthquake. It was the fallout of the stress and struggles. Thousands of people were missing in California. A tidal wave blasted several populated islands in the Pacific ocean. There had to be a 'new normal,' but nobody could grasp what that meant.

Although Noah and Wendy were not physically or directly affected by the Great North American Earthquake, the aftershocks were rattling them. The echos of anxiety were gnawing at their heels. Wendy's relatives were still unaccounted for. No one had heard from them. Wendy assumed the worst. More people were dead than first assumed.

But I could not and cannot do anything about the loss of physical bodies. They weren't really lost. Not until they arrived in what is known as Purgatory. The in-between. The liminal dimension between 'life' and 'death.' This place is considered the most dangerous place in the universe because of the lack of boundaries.

Humans take their body for granted. However, it is their body that defines where their consciousness and personality are located. It is inside your body. If you are in a time and space where you do not have this boundary very, very defined, you are vulnerable and easily consumed. That is a huge reason God has created life-- it is where you are meant to temper and create yourself as a sovereign entity. It is defined by pain and experience much like the way a sword is honed through fire and hammering.

Since Azazel cut their life unnaturally short by triggering an apocalyptic earthquake, these humans are left lost and confused. Thousands, maybe millions of them. Purgatory was in disarray even before this happened. It was a dimension that had no leadership or rules. Now it is pure pandemonium. I couldn't help everyone. Azazel had the majority of 'keys' to help these people cross over to their ultimate destinies. I did not have the resources, skills, and abilities needed. That was Azazel's job. This was Azazel's mess.