Maximus - The Key to Heaven

Chapter 10 - The Fall part 2

As Cecelia slept, she dreamed again, a vivid and haunting tale of her fallen angel.

Cerulius was cast from heaven, his wings ripped from him in a blaze of agony. He plummeted through the celestial realms, descending into the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Athens. The ocean swallowed him whole, its dark waters embracing his broken form.

In her dream, Cecelia saw Cerulius entangled in a thick mass of seaweed, the green tendrils wrapping around his body as if to claim him for the depths. He lay there, helpless and alone, until a young Greek woman named Violette discovered him. With sun-kissed skin and dark, questioning eyes, she approached him cautiously, thinking she had stumbled upon a sea beast.

"Are you alive, little sea beast?" Violette's voice echoed in Cecelia's dream, filled with a mix of curiosity and caution.

Cerulius, struggling to form words in this new, earthly realm, managed to rasp, "I am no beast, and I will not eat you."

Violette's eyes widened in surprise. Carefully, she began to untangle him, her fingers deftly working through the knots of seaweed. When she finally uncovered his face, her breath caught in her throat. The man before her, with his dark ebony curls and striking features, resembled her lost son, Christos.

"By the gods," she whispered. "You look just like my son."

With great effort, Violette helped Cerulius to his feet and guided him to her humble home. There, she tended to his wounds with a mother's gentle touch, her heart aching at the sight of him. She nursed him back to health, spoon-feeding him broth and wrapping him in warm blankets.

Days turned into weeks, and Cerulius regained his strength. The townsfolk, however, did not look kindly upon Violette. A widowed woman, alone with her son off to war, was an easy target. They threatened her, demanding her crops and what little she had.

One day, a group of men came to her home, their faces twisted with greed. "You owe us, Violette," one of them sneered. "Your husband's debts are now yours to pay."

"I have nothing to give you," Violette pleaded, standing her ground. "Please, leave me be."

The men laughed and pushed her aside, beginning to take what they wanted. Violette fought back, but they overpowered her, shoving her to the ground.

In that moment, Cerulius emerged from the house, his presence a beacon of righteous fury. He moved with a speed and strength that was beyond human, dispatching the men with a terrifying efficiency. One fell dead at his feet, while the others fled in terror, convinced they had seen a god in human form.

"You... you're not human," Violette gasped, her eyes wide with fear and awe. "Are you Apollo?"

Cerulius knelt beside her, his eyes softening. "I am not Apollo, but I am not human either. I am Cerulius, a fallen angel."

Instead of fear, Violette's face softened with understanding. "Stay with me," she implored. "Live as my son returned. Go by the name Christos. I know my son is gone. A mother knows."

Cerulius nodded, touched by her kindness. "And if your son returns?"

She shook her head sadly. "He will not return. I have felt his absence in my soul. You are here now, and you can help me."

With that, Cerulius took on the mantle of Christos, becoming the son she had lost. He stayed by Violette's side, protecting her and working the land. They found solace in each other, a fallen angel and a grieving mother, bound by a love that transcended their earthly sufferings.

Cecelia watched, entranced by the dream. She felt the bond between Violette and Cerulius, a connection born out of loss and need. Cerulius had found a new purpose, not as a celestial being, but as a protector and son to a woman who had lost everything. And in that small corner of Greece, amidst the fields and the sea, he began to heal, not just his wounds, but his soul as well.

As the dream faded, Cecelia felt a deep sense of peace. The story of her fallen angel resonated within her, a tale of redemption and love that stayed with her long after she awoke.