God's Reign

It'll Last Longer

Lucifer was in his library searching for a particular book. Among the many tomes were artifacts stolen during his days in Heaven. Some of the relics were mere cash grabs. That he had never cashed in on. Others were worth a second look. As Lucifer roamed through the many shelves, something caught his eye. The door to a storage room stood ajar. And it was usually kept shut. He had completely forgotten about it. Hesitating, Lucifer stepped inside. There was a single old, dusty bookshelf and an equally aged desk. On the shelf sat an album. A cracked layer of dust covered everything. It was hard to breathe. The king gazed at the album. It was clear that it had once been beautiful. But whatever was inside was the real sight.

As Lucifer sat, the chair creaked and groaned in protest. Talk about rude. He wasn't that fat. The damned king blew the dust away, which was a mistake. He coughed and gagged for ten minutes before wiping the water from his eyes and collecting himself. It made him sick. But now he could see the album. By the looks, it had been pearl white with a golden spine and writing. And his name was on it. Lucifer stared. He didn't have any memories of an album dedicated to him. But each page showcased his life as an angel. A life he had proudly abandoned with his head held high. There had been no regrets. Some pictures were from childhood. Others were during his many years of training to become a Seraph.

Lucifer spent hours gazing at the faded photos. As he finally closed the album, something fell out of the back cover. It was an envelope. And it was addressed to him. Even though the ink was barely legible anymore, Lucifer recognized the handwriting. It belonged to Michael. Fighting the instinct to burn it, he opened the letter within. Minutes passed as he read the contents in deathly silence. When he was done, he burned it. Some things were better left forgotten. After all, it was best to let sleeping demons lie dead and buried.