Light of Darkness Read online

  Made for Success Publishing

  P.O. Box 1775 Issaquah, WA 98027

  www.MadeForSuccessPublishing.com

  Copyright © 2021 Ebenezer O. Makinde

  All rights reserved.

  In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitutes unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected].

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or publisher.

  Distributed by Made for Success Publishing

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication data

  Maiknde, Ebenezer O.

  LIGHT OF DARKNESS (Based on Inspired Events)

  p. cm.

  LCCN: 2021946307

  ISBN: 978-1-64146-680-6 (hardback)

  ISBN: 978-1-64146-681-3 (eBook)

  ISBN: 978-1-64146-682-0 (Audiobook)

  For further information contact Made for Success Publishing

  +14255266480 or email [email protected]

  This digital document has been produced by Nord Compo.

  Contents

  Chapter 1 - The Heavenlies

  Chapter 2 - Earth

  Chapter 3 - Transcript of Interview with Asbeel, “Prince of Air”

  Chapter 4 - The Heavenlies

  Chapter 5 - Earth

  Chapter 6 - The Heavenlies

  Chapter 7 - Earth

  Chapter 8 - Earth

  Chapter 9 - The Heavenlies

  Chapter 10 - Earth

  Chapter 11 - Earth

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13 - The Heavenlies

  Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  The Heavenlies

  —

  December 9, 2019

  Beautiful clouds graced the sky with streams of inconceivable color. Wonderful shafts of light shone just above their magnificent brilliance off into the distance, much grander than any fireworks that could ever be found on Earth. A delightful, magical rain had just ceased some hours before, but still, the temperature was perfect. Even when it rained or snowed, the weather remained ideal, beyond splendid wherever any heavenly being went. In this place, there was continuous daylight, a ceaseless stream of dazzling luster. Waves of beautiful colors punctuated the sky. The fragrance of the Commander, His wonderful and delightful scent, was like a burst of alluring aroma in the air. The flowers that lined the ground were astoundingly vibrant and even turned and faced the direction where any being went. In this place, the Heavenlies, there were no shadows, no gloom, not an ounce of any darkness.

  “Next. Next!” Hadrenial, the seraph, shouted as he folded his arms and stood with his back to the sturdy, lustrous gate. “Every time...” he shook his head. “They never cease to amaze me. Why do I always get stuck being the gatekeeper?” he muttered under his breath. “Why can’t someone ELSE take this position for once?” Hadrenial was now looking in the direction of Ophaniel, who just happened to be passing by.

  “Are you talking to me?” Ophaniel said as he continued onward briskly. Ophaniel was fleet-footed, and each step appeared almost invisible as he walked. “You know you’re the man for the job. No one else could do it better! Don’t let the Boss see you moping.” His voice tapered off as he turned a corner behind the pearly gate, presumably to retake his place closer to the throne.

  This was the Heavenlies, the Commander King’s country, and today was no ordinary day. The Chief of the Heavenlies, Hadrenial’s Commander and Boss, had made a call for all the angels, the seraphim and the cherubim, in both the Heavenlies and on Earth, to present themselves before Him. They were each to come prepared with a thorough account of all their responsibilities in the realms in which they traversed.

  Typically, only seven of the greatest, most powerful seraphim stood directly in the Commander’s presence. First was Michael, who was one so prone to fighting, waging war, and seeking to resolve injustice that such meetings quite frankly annoyed him; Raphael, who usually enjoyed the short break from causing a stir in the waters of the Earth to attend to such business as it afforded him the needed time to dry off; Gabriel, who typically tagged alongside Michael but on occasion went off on his own ambitious military excursions; Uriel, whose aura was so bright and vibrant that it so often bothered many of the other angels; and Saraqael, who was known to be incredibly friendly, being the angel who ushered Earth Dwellers into the afterlife, putting on a kind and happy visage to show them there was absolutely nothing to fear.

  In addition to those five, there was also Raguel, known as “Mr. Justice,” an angel who frequently teared up merely seeing all of the other spirit beings gathered together in perfect harmony, all banding together in perfect unison; and Remiel, whose voice was so commanding it caused the Earth to shudder when he opened and spoke a single word from his lips. They were all unique and mighty angelic instruments in their own respective rights. But on special occasions, like today, the Commander would make the throne open, and a call would be put out to all the Heavenlies’ angelic forces—including those who found the majority of their responsibilities moving throughout the face of the Earth. Typically, the long-stretched ladder from the Heavenlies to Earth where many of the angels ascended and descended saw little traffic, but on this day, it was as bustling and vibrant as ever. Just beyond the ladder, the seraphim formed the line leading to the pearly gate that would allow them into the Heavenlies and into the Chief Commander’s presence.

  “Next!” Hadrenial demanded again, his voice now raised another octave. “Hellooo!?” he called out to a group of clustering angels some 50 feet away. For some strange reason, they were congregating tightly together, and each of their heads was bowed as if to be inspecting something closely.

  The “special occasion,” as they called it, was a tedious, drawn-out process, and it required many hands and a full effort from all of the heavenly hosts. Thousands upon thousands took part in making the occasion possible. Hadrenial, in addition to being the lucky angel assigned to let each of the seraphim inside the heavenly gates upon checking them in, was also tasked with a more important job—keeping any unwanted, trespassing visitors out.

  “Helloooo? What’s the holdup? I said NEXT,” he called out, shaking his head and tapping his foot anxiously. For some strange reason, the group continued to mingle, baffling the impatient seraph and testing the true length of his patience.

  “Netzach.” Hadrenial turned to the tiny seraph on his left, who had just returned from break and who had been assigned as his assistant.

  “Yes, Hadra?” Netzach replied, still working on a bite of food.

  “‘Hadrenial,’ please. Please go and find out what is holding those guys up, the ones congregating over there.” Hadrenial pointed in their direction. “We’ve got to keep things moving, or our Commander will not be happy.”

  Netzach shook his head as he wiped some crumbs from his tiny little hands. “I will do my best. If you ask me, the guys are probably just chitchatting away again; likely lost in discussion about their excursions on Earth. Give me a few minutes; I’ll get things moving.” Netzach dashed away to investigate what exactly was keeping the other angels from approaching the gate. Even his job as an assistant was important, as he could find himself dealing with many different types of spirits who would frequently try to worm their way into t
he Heavenlies illegally.

  Hadrenial took a deep breath, folded his arms, and waited, leaning back against the pearly gates. As he sat there, he pondered how much he longed for the entire day to be over—deep down, he simply wanted to retake his place singing praises to the throne. As he stood there and time passed, his head began to droop—he was beginning to fall asleep.

  “Good riddance,” he muttered as he pulled away from the gate and checked the time. Becoming more impatient, he begrudgingly decided to leave his post to meet the group of angels himself and scold them for holding up the line. He dropped his clipboard and his pen and moved at once in the direction of the lollygaggers. As he approached, however, he noticed something strange. The seraphim were circling something, someone—a familiar face. In between them stood another, like them in form but not in character, whom they saw as encroaching on their territory.

  “This little scoundrel is responsible. I was wondering what was holding up my line,” Hadrenial said.

  Netzach stood there with the others, somewhat on the outskirts of the circle. He was shorter and stood on his toes so he could successfully peek inside.

  Netzach, seeing his boss had now made his way over, turned his attention away from the circle and toward him. “Sorry, boss,” Netzach said. “Looks like this is a step beyond my pay grade.”

  “Zachariel,” Hadrenial quipped, shifting his attention, “what is this swindler doing here in the Heavenlies?”

  Zachariel stood amid the angels, his arms folded across his chest, his face baring an intimidating scowl. “It looks like he’s looking to get some face time with the Chief. Says he’s here to get permission,” he emphasized, not removing his eyes from the trespasser.

  “Again? When is he not looking to get permission from the Boss?” Hadrenial turned his attention to Lucifer, who was standing in between the host of angels, arms folded as if he were ready to take each of them on at once. “Lucifer, don’t you know that our Commander has other, more important things to deal with than to speak with you?”

  Lucifer smiled. “I’m here to present myself just as the others are. There’s nothing wrong with that, is there?” he replied.

  “Right. What is it you want this time?” Hadrenial responded. “Make it quick; you’re holding up my line, you reprobate.”

  “Still clever with the words, I see. Looks like your comrades on Earth are becoming of less use these days. Those Earth Dwellers have found my men and me a bit more, shall I dare say, appealing. Tell me, how does it feel for your group to be growing less and less effective each and every day? Hmm? You’re still all about the Chief here, huh?” Lucifer turned to do a quick 360, flipping his hands into the air before settling back into his position and locking eyes with the surrounding angels. “I’m glad I left this—this shell of a life. How can just one Being take all the praise for Himself? But that’s okay; there’s much more glory and power for me on Earth. Now, gentlemen, if you’ll excuse me, I have an appointment with my Adversary.”

  Lucifer began to walk, or stroll, rather, and the throng of angels surrounding him slowly parted to each side, letting him pass. His pointy tail wagged back and forth like a tiny little stick with every step he took. Although he was no longer one of them, they knew their Commander had given him full access to the throne, even though he had long ago fallen from the Heavenlies, some say as fast as lightning. He now made his home in the air, throughout all the skies of Earth.

  “Come, come now, Hadré,” he simmered.

  “Hadrenial. Hadrenial. Ha-dre-ni-al. It’s Hadrenial.”

  “Whatever. It’s time for you to take me past those big gates and directly to the inner courts of my Adversary. Daylight is wasting, and I have many devious things to do with those Earth Dwellers that I must get permission for and begin doing now.”

  Begrudgingly, Hadrenial followed along, knowing that there was nothing he or the other angels could do to stop the devil’s request from being seen.

  *

  * *

  The devil’s movements were slippery and sly—he maneuvered like a serpent before the throne. His stubby little tail still whipped back and forth behind him while his chin remained held high arrogantly.

  “So, you see, Your Highness, I’ve been doing a great deal of thinking lately, and I have a proposition that I know You will not refuse,” Lucifer said, strolling back and forth as he scratched his chin with one hand and held the other behind his back. The words came from his lips with a great deal of calculation and cunning, as if to be delicately withering like a hunter through high grass, trying his best not to alarm his prey.

  “Where have you come from, and what is it you want, Lucifer? It seems as if your requests are becoming more and more frequent,” the Chief responded.

  “I’ve been in Your presence but three times,” Lucifer shot back with an innocent shrug.

  “Three times… in the past week,” Gabriel, who was also near the throne, fired back, challenging Lucifer’s assertion. Gabriel was known as one never to back down from a challenge, which was why he and Michael had become close comrades. At that moment, his arms began to tighten, and his fists clenched with a sudden flash of rage. It caught the devil by surprise, and he stopped for a moment in his tracks. He slumped his shoulders in a defeated manner and lowered his head, fixing his eyes upon the ground.

  “Yes, yes. Three times,” he responded, regaining his composure. He strolled a few more times and then stopped, pivoting and protruding his chest to Gabriel and speaking directly to him.

  “Is that a problem?” he answered back. Without waiting for an answer, he began to saunter again.

  “Lucifer.” The Chief’s voice was a resounding thunder. Whenever He spoke, those in His presence straightened their backs, becoming all the more silent.

  Lucifer stopped and, at once, came to attention. “Yes, Your Highness,” he answered.

  “You still have not answered Me,” the Commander said.

  “I’m sorry, Your Highness, it seems that I must have forgotten the question,” Lucifer replied sheepishly.

  “Where have you come from?” the Commander asked.

  The devil began to quietly mutter under his breath, his forehead nearly parallel to the ground. “Mr. Omnipotence Himself is curious as to what a poor little devil like me is doing? Could it be? I’m honored that I’ve become the apple of Your eye, Your Highness…”

  “Answer the question, Lucifer,” the Chief commanded.

  “Of course! Yes. Your question. My men and I have been patrolling the Earth, of course, going back and forth and back and forth within it. Have You dropped in on Your chosen country lately? Or, shall I dare say, once chosen. There’s already so much evil to see; it’s quite wonderful.”

  “As I knew you would be,” the Commander responded. “Have you found any prospects?”

  “Today I come with no prospects, only plans.”

  “Oh really? What type of plans? Please amuse Me.”

  “Only the most devious, as You know, Your Highness.”

  “Make them plain, Lucifer.”

  “At your request. As you know, it’s nearing the beginning of the new decade, and I would like to release something wonderful throughout all the Earth that will destroy, I mean test, Your people and all the other Earth Dwellers.”

  “Lucifer, you of all agents should know that I do not dwell nor operate in time.”

  “Yes, Your Highness, I stand corrected. It is now the season for me to begin my greatest work, for the order of things on the Earth is just as I’d like it,” the devil responded.

  “So, you’re here for no one specific. Interesting,” the Commander replied.

  “It seems as if a better strategy, given the advancements in their technology, would be to take a more collective approach.”

  “I see.” The Commander sat up on the throne, straightened His back, and raised His head. “I’m not lacking confidence in those who give Me their allegiance. And…”

  “Commander!” Michael, the seraph,
began to protest. Michael, just like Gabriel, was one given to fighting and war, for it was within his very nature; however, unlike his closest seraphim, he had learned through experience not to get so worked up and now exhibited the kind of emotional intelligence that lent itself well to leading many legions of fighting angels. At this moment, nevertheless, he could no longer withhold or maintain a sense of neutrality. He knew what Lucifer was requesting could be the beginning of an all-out war.

  “No, no, it’s fine. As I have said, I am confident those who give Me their ultimate allegiance will meet any new challenges with great fervency, regardless of whatever this villain throws at them. Lucifer, whatever it is you intend to do as you have described it this hour, you have my permission.”

  There was a gasp amongst those in the inner courts.

  Lucifer’s eyes narrowed, and he gave off a devilish smile. “Easier than I thought! But You just watch; You take away everything Your so-called followers have, and every last one of those Earth Dwellers will curse you to your fa—”

  “But,” the Commander interjected before Lucifer could finish, “you must divulge these plans before you administer them. To the Earth Dwellers.”

  “I will not. An impossible and implausible request. I refuse,” Lucifer responded.

  “Then you do not have my permission. Out of my sight. Michael, remove this degenerate from My presence,” the Commander shot back, turning His head, waving His hand, and crossing His legs.

  Michael moved forward, placing his enormous hands onto the devil. The devil wiggled his arms free before Michael could fully arrest him.

  “Wait, wait. Forgive me.” Lucifer at once took to a knee and carefully bowed his head. “What I meant to say, Your Highness, was, how are little old me and my team of little old men supposed to accommodate such a grand request? The Earth is so big, and we are so small in comparison. Marvelous, Your Highness, are the works of Your hands. Marvelous they are, indeed.”

  At that moment, the Commander paused and then waved for Gabriel to come forward. By this time, Gabriel was chomping at the bit. He was ready for war.