Chapter 9: Treachery

[Before the Great Rebellion]

The golden halls of Heaven shimmered with divine brilliance, the air itself vibrating with celestial harmony. Angels soared through radiant skies, their wings stirring clouds of pure light. Among them, two figures paused in the garden of the upper sanctum, where divine energy danced between blossoms that never withered.

"Hello, Lucifer," Sindel greeted, her voice warm and bright.

Lucifer turned, his expression softening with familiarity. "Hello, Sindel. How's it going?"

"It was amazing!" she exclaimed, eyes glowing. "Your voice today was absolutely glorious."

Lucifer chuckled, a rich, melodious sound that seemed to harmonize with the essence of creation itself. The echo of it settled around them like a lingering hymn.

"Well, thank you, Sindel."

"Among all the angels, you are the most talented," she continued with admiration. "When you sing, it's as if the Divine's presence envelops us."

He smiled, almost bashfully. "Ha! I think you're going too far with this one, but I appreciate the compliment. I have to rush to the Divine's throne now."

"Alright, I'll take my leave," she said softly.

"See you soon, Sindel."

As she turned, her heart fluttered with admiration, still basking in the resonance of Lucifer's performance. She couldn't help the smile tugging at her lips.

Later, she found Joyous waiting near the crystalline pools of the Sanctified Gardens, her wings twitching with expectation.

"Oh, you should have seen Lucifer today!" Sindel gushed. "He was so majestic."

Joyous rolled her eyes with a groan. "Ah yes, you tell me the same thing about him every time. I'm beginning to think you're infatuated."

Sindel hesitated, then let a smile slip. "Maybe."

Joyous huffed. "At least try to deny it. For crying out loud!" She flapped her wings once in exasperation before quickly shifting the subject. "Anyway, have you heard that the Divine is creating a new realm?"

Sindel nodded. "Yes, I heard there will be new forms of life there too."

"I want to see new life besides us angels! I'm so excited!" Joyous' eyes sparkled with childlike wonder, her wings fluttering like a bird in spring.

"Aha, look at you getting all giddy," Sindel laughed. "But yeah, it would be nice to see other forms of life too."

"You see! You get it!"

"Yes, Joy, I get it. Calm down."

"Sorry! Ehehe," Joyous giggled.

Sindel stretched her wings, her energy relaxing. "I'm going to rest up before my turn in the throne room for worship."

"But we're never tired!" Joyous protested.

"I know, but it would be nice to just… relax."

After her brief rest, Sindel ascended toward the throne room, where light poured through luminous clouds like streams of warm breath. The path shimmered, alive with divine rhythm. Along the way, she encountered a familiar presence once more.

"Hello, Lucifer! Good to see you!" she called out, surprised and pleased.

"Hey, Sindel! Good to see you too," he said, his smile gentle. "There's something I want to ask you."

"Sure, you can ask me anything."

Lucifer's tone shifted—soft, contemplative. "How do you feel about us angels always coming here to sing and worship the Divine? Have you ever wondered if there's more to our lives than just praising Him?"

Sindel blinked, caught off guard. A frown creased her brow. "Well… I guess you have a point. But the Divine created us with the sole purpose of worshipping Him. Isn't that why we praise Him, aside from His eternal and infinite grace?"

"Yes, but it shouldn't be like that," Lucifer said, voice deepening. "What I'm trying to say is—we have free will. And we should use it. Since our creation, we've never stopped worshipping the Divine. But what if… we angels could be just like Him? Just imagine having all that grace and power for yourself. Everyone praising and worshipping you."

Sindel hesitated. Her heartbeat quickened.

"It would be nice," she whispered.

"Yes, it would." Lucifer's eyes gleamed. "If you join me and the other angels to overthrow the Divine, I promise you—you won't have to bow your head or sing for anyone again. If we win, you'll have your own legion of angels and a part of the new world the Divine has created. What do you say?"

Her heart pounded. There was a strange pull to his words, a gravity she couldn't ignore. But doubt fluttered just behind her thoughts.

"How are we going to manage to overthrow the Divine?!" she asked, voice trembling. "He's all-powerful. It's impossible."

"With the help of other archangels, we could," Lucifer said. "Besides, you and I are among the strongest angels. But that's not the point. If we gather enough powerful angels, we can succeed. What do you say, Sindel? Want to be part of this?"

She stared into his eyes. The pull was too strong.

"A-alright," she breathed.

Lucifer's face lit up with a radiant smile, casting light across the corridor.

"Thank you, Sindel! I knew you would understand. If you could convince Joyous to join us, that would be even better."

"Alright."

Later that day, after completing her turn in the throne room, Sindel stepped into the garden once more—only to find Joyous waiting, her expression dark with disbelief.

"What?!" Joyous cried. "You're in on this ridiculous plan of Lucifer's?! Come on, you're blinded by your infatuation with him. Snap out of it, Sindel!"

Sindel's gaze dropped. "He promised legions of angels and a part of the new world to those who join him."

Joyous threw up her hands. "I was right about him getting in your head! Sindel, I'm only looking out for you. I don't want you to get into trouble."

"C'mon, Joy, I'm looking out for you too," Sindel said, stepping closer. "I don't want you to be left out of this."

Joyous turned away, tension rippling through her wings. "I'm not interested in any of that." She sighed. "However… I'll join. Only to look out for you."

"Really?!" Sindel lit up. "You're in on this?! That's great, Joy!"

Joyous nodded hesitantly, but shadows of concern still clouded her eyes.

[The Great Rebellion]

The heavens trembled as the voice of the Divine thundered across the cosmos, the sound shaking stars and clouds alike.

"Lucifer, you and your angels have brought shame to the heavens. For that, you will be cast down into a place I've prepared for you all."

"Michael and Gabriel," the voice echoed again, "cast them down!"

Michael's battle cry rang out: "Wage war on Lucifer's angels!"

Gabriel followed swiftly: "And cast them down!"

Blades of light clashed. Trumpets of war roared. In a flash of divine fury, Gabriel flew at Sindel and Joyous, their wings crashing in a blaze of gold and violet. Despite their strength, the will of Heaven was overwhelming.

With a single sweep of his hand, Gabriel cast them out, their forms swallowed in searing light as they plummeted from the radiant heavens—falling into the abyss prepared for the fallen.

[Present Time]

Joyous stood with fury burning in her gaze, her wings outstretched with raw power.

"After everything I did for you?!" she shouted, voice trembling. "You choose to betray me like this! You could have at least told me you were going to side with the Divine."

"I can't deny that I've betrayed you, Joy," Sindel replied softly. "I didn't want to drag you into my schemes like before. That's why I kept it a secret."

"You should have told me either way!"

"I was looking out for you. I didn't want to repeat the same mistakes."

"That still doesn't excuse the fact that you chose Damon over me."

Something inside Joyous broke.

With a cry of rage, she surged forward, wings slicing through space with an electric hiss. Sindel's expression hardened. She summoned her power—water surging to her palms.

"Strength of Pulsar!" she shouted, unleashing a torrent that blasted Joyous backward, hurling her through the void.

But Joyous was undeterred.

She recovered mid-flight, spinning like a meteor through the stars. Sindel fired again and again, waves of Pulsar energy slicing through space, but Joy dodged each one with blazing agility. Then—one hit.

It struck her dead on, but Joy soared through it as if the blow meant nothing.

Sindel's heart raced. She summoned another attack. "Power of Gamma Ray!" Energy spiraled from her fingertips, radiant and precise. But Joyous broke through again.

Closing the distance fast, Joy was nearly upon her.

Desperate, Sindel raised her hands and unleashed her final move—her most devastating.

"Death of Galaxies!"

The cosmos trembled. From her energy emerged a gargantuan celestial whale, glowing with the essence of destruction. It opened its maw and swallowed Joyous whole, devouring her in an instant. Silence fell. A quiet void.

Sindel's voice echoed gently through the space.

"This whale's stomach is a dimension that could engulf entire galaxies. I doubt you'd break out before it absorbs you and all your strength."

But the whale began to tremble. 

It shook violently, before coming to a stop. Sindel's breath caught. Something inside her cracked.

Tears welled in her eyes as her knees buckled. The weight of what she'd done collapsed upon her.

"I'm so sorry for betraying you, Joy," she sobbed, voice ragged. "I only wanted to protect you."