Broken Souls (Book 1 of Seasons of the Cycle)

Chapter 64 - Lura Syllana

I must start by saying the hard truth that was told to me by the Angel Akrasiel himself. The Guardian of the Light pulled me aside and told me this truth of reality and existence. Most of the gods of the other religions exist and are real. There is not just one god, but many. Some are benevolent and peaceful. They seek to protect and nourish. While others are malevolent and violent. They seek to corrupt, conquer, enslave, destroy and consume. They are the agents of chaos, destruction, and death. We must be wary of these gods, both benevolent and malevolent. Some pretend to be kind and compassionate but only seek to lie and deceive so they can cause more chaos. Others may destroy for the sake of the greater good, or at least what they perceive it to be. Some hope to bring peace through war while others speak of peace, but truly desire war. Sometimes it is hard to tell the difference between gods and monsters.

Akrasiel himself speaks of his own experiences dealing with gods of other religions and how he knows them to be of different cosmic energy from other universes. He speaks of his own alliances with the gods of Celestial and Arcane origins. He speaks of himself meeting gods of pure love and compassion who only seek to spread it. Gods unleash hope like a rain, watering the mortals of the worlds with renewed strength. Gods that inspire and ignite the hearts of mortals. He mentions relations between gods of the different religions and even offspring between gods of different religions.

But he also speaks of gods who seek only to conquer. Demons that desire all that exists. They rampage from world to world, enslaving mortals and destroying what is in order to form the lands in their image. They are greedy and desire only for more. Then there are those who only seek to snuff out the Light and leave existence in eternal darkness. They are the darkness and hate the Light. They feed on fear and extinguish love and all that shines under the Light. Some are gluttonous, with hunger and desire only to consume all that is. They will devour everything they see. And others burn with hate and anger. They only want to destroy and leave the universe with nothing but ruin. Others still seek utter chaos. They delight in anarchy and see mortals as instruments to incite violence, fear, paranoia, and hysteria, Corrupting the minds of mortals and causing them to go mad with delirium. They flood their minds with delusions and lies. They cause brothers to turn against brothers, mothers to turn against children, and husbands to turn on their wives. These gods are the enemy of the Light.

However, things are not so apparent. The face of dark may disguise itself with Light. Fear can look a lot like hope. Wrath can be seen as righteousness. Corruption and greed are presented as purity and generosity. Violence and war are used as excuses to bring peace. These are all lies. Lies only seek to keep the truth hidden in the dark. We can't allow these lies to keep our eyes blinded by darkness. We must shine the Light down and see the truth hidden in the lies of the dark. Do not let yourself be deceived by the lies of the corrupted. Seek the Light of truth within the darkness of lies. Be the Light of the truth that shines through the darkness of lies.

If that wasn't bad enough, even Angels of the Light are not immune to corruption. There have been many angels who fell into darkness when their hearts became corrupted. To make matters more complicated, not all demons are evil either. Some are trapped in the dark and wish to live in the Light. Things aren't always as they appear on the surface. Akrasiel himself has befriended demons before. Even speaks of one who walks the thin line between good and evil, rarely ever stepping into either.

If your leaders preach about peace, prosperity, and justice and then proceed to bring war, hoard the wealth, and allow wrongs to go unpunished, then they speak lies and are agents of chaos. Do not trust words when actions don't align. Never trust a person who makes empty promises without deliverance.

We must always be vigilant of the lies that seek to cover the truth in darkness. Let your Light shine, and speak the truths of your heart that you know to be right. Do not let the lies of the corrupted defile the innocent who seek the Light. Be a shield of truth and lead the innocent into the Light. Allow the truth to shine.