"By allying with witches?" Azrael's white wings spread wide. "The balance between realms exists for a reason, brother."
The temperature in the chamber dropped twenty degrees as Camael's power leaked out. "The balance is already shifting. Or would you prefer we cling to tradition while Lucifer rewrites the rules of existence?"
"We understand your position," Arianna interjected. She was the peacemaker when shit went down. "But this goes beyond traditional boundaries."
"Maybe it needs to." Camael's wings manifested andspread wide to match Azrael's display. "Because from where I'm sitting - and yes, that's at this table with all of you - we're facing threats our traditions never prepared us for."
"He's right." All eyes turned to Metatron. Their eldest rarely spoke unless the situation truly warranted it. When he did, even Michael paid attention.
“The signs are clear,” Metatron continued. His ancient eyes swept the table. "The old barriers between realms are shifting. This witch's bloodline is mentioned in prophecies that predate our Council."
“Prophecies can be interpreted many ways,” Chamuel argued, but there was less certainty in his tone.
"True." Metatron's gaze fixed on Camael. "But some things are written in stone. Or should I say... starlight?"
Understanding hit Camael like a thunderbolt. "The Archives. You've found something in the First Records."
The ancient archangel nodded. "Walk with me, brother."
Jeremiel started to protest, but Michael raised a hand for silence. "We should all go. If Metatron believes this important enough to access the First Records, we should all pay attention."
The Council rose as one. Wings of pristine white rustled with barely contained power as they fell into formation behind Metatron. Divine energy rippled through each set of feathers differently. Michael's crackled with warrior's might. Azrael's shimmered with death's touch. Gabriel's pulsed with heaven's authority. And Arianna's glowed with celestial grace. Camael took his place between Michael and Azrael. The raw power radiating from the gathered archangels made the eternal flames in the braziers dance and the marble floors vibrate beneath their feet.
"It's been an age since we've all entered the Archives together," Jophiel observed.
"The last time was during the First War," Raphaelreminded them. His healing energy left traces of ozone in the air. "When Lucifer's betrayal was fresh."
Jeremiel's wings twitched. "Perhaps not the most encouraging precedent."
"Or exactly the precedent we need," Chamuel countered.
Metatron led them down a corridor of pure white marble. Its walls were inscribed with flowing script that shifted and changed as they passed. His ancient robes whispered across the floor as he approached a section of wall that seemed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Unlike the rest of Heaven's pristine surfaces, this wall bore no decoration or markings. Its perfection lay in its absolute simplicity.
The eldest archangel raised his hand, revealing sigils etched into his skin that glowed like captured starlight. His fingers traced an intricate pattern across the marble. Each touch left trails of divine fire that burned so bright they made Camael’s immortal eyes water. The symbols he drew were older than human speech. It was the first language and spoken when the universe was young.
A doorway melted into view with a sound like distant thunder. Golden scrollwork framed the massive opening. Each curve and line told stories of creation in a script so ancient it predated human existence. The entrance to the Archives promised knowledge that could shake everything up.
"The Archives have changed," Michael observed. His warrior's instincts were as sharp as his sword. "The power feels different."
"Everything changes, brother," Metatron responded. "Even that which we believed eternal. Few venture here. Even fewer return with their sanity intact."
"Good thing sanity's never been our strong suit," Camael drawled. "Otherwise, we might've noticed how batshit this job was centuries ago."
Gabriel's response was pure old-school archangel. He was all proper posture and narrowed eyes that promised celestial lectures about protocol. But Azrael? That male's smirk could've cut glass. His amusement leaked into the air like smoke, which earned him a side-eye from Michael that could've stripped paint.
The Celestial Archives stretched endlessly in all directions. Knowledge literally floated through the air in streams of pure light. They formed rivers of information that flowed into infinity. "Well," Arianna observed as she gestured to the phenomenon. "This is new."
The Archives had evolved since their last visit. Shelves that had to be miles high twisted up into a ceiling that might not have existed at all. Books lined them, their spines marked with titles many wouldn’t be able to read. Some volumes were chained down with links forged from starlight. Others hovered and were surrounded by warning sigils that pulsed like heartbeats. One shelf appeared to be on fire with flames that cast no light. Another rippled like water but remained perfectly dry.
"The First Records lie deeper," Metatron said as he moved through the impossible space like he was taking a stroll through the park. The archangels moved as one. Their powers interwove in a dance as old as Creation.
"The knowledge here," Jophiel murmured, her scholar's heart evident in her tone. "It's alive." Her eyes were wide with surprise.
"Knowledge always is," Metatron responded as he led them toward a circular chamber that seemed to be crafted from pure light. "That's what makes it so dangerous." He opened the door and entered the small room.
"The Lightbringer's Mirror," Metatron gestured to an item on a pedestal in the far corner. "It shows truth that even we can't hide."
The artifact looked like mercury and starlight had a baby. Its surface rippled with images that changed too fast for Camael to make out. He wondered how the thing worked. Did you have to focus on the questions you needed answered? Before he could open his mouth to ask, he saw threads of power connecting Earth to Hell in its depths. They had Lucifer's signature all over them.
