the devil has grown past his horns.
the consequence of a sin committed thousands of years ago is still present, and a single bite of fruit created an endless battle with evil.
he knows what he did, and still, he does not regret it.
he gave them power. he gave them knowledge. he gave them freedom.
he is not the father of lies; he's the father of truth.
he showed them a world outside of the garden, and while god sat in heaven, complacent and still, the devil was the one who put himself among them,
and made their cause his cause.
when lucifer fell, he lost everything.
a home. a brother. a father. a soul.
his hair is still singed from the remnants of his halo.
sometimes he can feel the blood dripping down his shoulder blades, where his wings once sat.
he cuts his lip on his fangs. a forked tongue licks at the wound.
his nails dig deep into his skin.
he thought he wanted humanity to suffer, thought he wanted something to hurt like he did.
thought it would make the pain go away.
but everything that is happening, everything that has happened and everything that will continue to happen on this earth, are things he never wanted.
they're his children, too.
he's become more human than god could ever hope to be, and more human than he ever thought he would become.
the king of hell sits on his throne, and watches the souls burn in the eternal flames.
the preacher weeps for god.
the missionaries believe they did not purge themselves enough.
the oppressors realize that they're all equal in the afterlife.
the king of hell sits on his throne. he sits and he watches.
and he smiles.
because what they don't know is that the devil created sin,
but lucifer hates the sinners.