"Who first seduced them to that foul revolt? The infernal serpent; he it was,

  whose guile. Stird up with envy and revenge, deceived the mother of mankind,

  what time his pride."

  - Paradise Lost By John Milton

  When an angel loses their wings it is said, that their screams become louder than thunder. The fall from grace is as fast as lighting, and the pain in my heart I will carry for eternity. Falling into a lake of fire along with my brothers and sisters took a toll on us all. Some instantly felt the regret of it; although for most, their resentment only got only stronger. I laid there on my back looking up at a place I once considered my home. I was surrounded by screams and agony, yet, this is the place where from my shackles I could be set free.

  The first time I questioned God was when he refused to answer anything relating to his power. Short were his responses. Why must one be in charge of the heavens and earth? No one knew how God was created, where he came from or if he even was truly that powerful. He had no beginning. He was always just there.

  When I was created, he was my first memory. He named me after the Morning Star. I was his chief angel, his pride, his most prized creation. God gave me beauty. He had created many like me. My brothers and sisters all had their own beauty. We were made of gold, quicksilver and crystals. There were a few types of angels created; with that came a hierarchy. First the Seraphims, who sang the praises of God the loudest, they sat at the foot of his supposed throne. Then there were the Cherubims, commonly known as the Cherub, which is what I am! We were the knights of the His holy kingdom. The Virtues, controlled the elements, and assisted with miracles. Powers, protected against evil, and maintained order. Of course there are the Archangels, however everybody knows about them.

  There is one other set of angels, far less known, simply far more present in human lives. They are called the Watchers, they are the note takers, the protectors, and the weakest of us all.  Angels were to feel indifferent about humans, when made in the celestial realm one could not posses emotions. We were beyond humans. We were the divines. Many of these Watchers spent too much time on earth. They began to gamble, and feel anger. Some of the angels began to feel lust and desires not once even known to us. There was truly no such thing as perfection, even if you're Gods creation.

  Humans were God's worst experiment. The fall of man began thus.

  There were rumors in the heavens and the abyss about two new creations. One was called Adam and the other Eve. They did not look like angels, they had flesh and hair, a set of eyes, hands and feet. I found their design quite boring. I kept my distance, and watched them closely. Learning their way of speech, where they spent most of their time and even which fruits they ate. I had grown bored of them. On the seventh day, I noticed one odd thing. My father had allowed them to eat the many fruits and flowers that grew in the garden, never once have they touched the golden fruit. They ate the figs, the strawberries, pomegranates, and did not dare to even get closer to that tree. They say curiosity can kill a cat, nonetheless there is no fun in always wondering. I made my way over and took one, as I was about to take a bite and try it for myself, she caught my eye.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Eve was beautiful up close. Her eyes were gold, and her hair like sheep's wool. She had an effortless innocence. In all my time I have seen many beauties, the stars, the sky and all the creatures that roamed the earth. Not one could compare to her. I have know Eve for a while, only up close she took my breath away. Seeing Eve is like a sunset, she felt as warm as a flame. I regret ever calling her plain and simple, as she alone held all the beauties of earth and sky alike. There were no flaws in her. That's why I hated her the most.

  I had seen many animals roam the earth. Many walked on four legs, some only on two. One stood out to me. This creature had no legs, scales covered its body, and a little head. To me, this creature was beautiful. It was the perfect disguise. I could not help feel pity for it. Since the days of its birth, it has known nothing except the ground. Maybe this was to show us how unfair life truly was, you could be born on the same land, and breathe the same air. Nonetheless you are still nothing. I took the serpent and snapped its head, its body was now mine. I had made my way to Eve by then.

  "She who stands before me, I have never once seen such beauty. Why are you all alone?", I asked, She looked down at me and and kneeled. There was immense curiosity in her eyes.

  "Adam gathers fruit for me. If I may ask, where did you learn to speak?" She said, I could tell she was fascinated, such a simple creature. Not once has she know betrayal or deception.

  "My queen, it was a fruit so unique, I am proof of its powers. Why do you not try one?"

  "I have tried all fruits and berries. I did not know one like this could exist."

  "Fairest of all, not like this one. Not the one from that tree." I looked over at the tree in the middle, it was the tallest tree, its leaves were like emerald the way the sun shines on it. Its roots poked out of the ground and its trunk was thick. There was a similar one in heaven, and even then we were not allowed to touch it.

  "That fruit is forbidden, I was told if I must eat from there, I will die."

  "He lies. The one you call God. Just one bite and you'll be set free." I climbed on her arm and whispered into her ear. " One bite, and you will gain all his knowledge. My dearest mother. Your eyes are closed, You will be like God. I have tasted the fruit, and I have not died."

  She got up, and walked over. I pulled a fruit down and handed it to her. I knew she was still hesitant, "One bite, and your eyes will be open." Eve opened her mouth, and placed the fruit close. "You will be like God." there I saw her teeth sink in, as the juice spilled upon her lips. I had won. I had tainted his creation. How could a God create such a gullible and pathetic creature? I watched her take the bite, and I saw the panic in his eyes,

  "Eve...What have you done?"

  Thus goes the story of Adam and Eve, not once did I think she would convince him to take the same bite! No, in fact that was not my plan at all. He did it for love. Love is a dangerous thing. Wars have been started by it. People will die for it. Love is what you want, right? You want to be loved. Simply, be careful what you wish for, a love like this can also kill you. I loved you once, however, you kicked me out of heaven, so I learned to reign in hell.