The entire realm was a sweltering landscape of volcanic rock and lava, but it wasn’t the heat that bothered him. It was the silence. The loneliness. An entire world devoid of mental stimulation, one he could not escape from. He knew he would grow mad from it, though he tried to stay busy etching everything he’d ever learned into the mountainside with a jagged piece of stone. Soon the surrounding rocks were all covered in hieroglyphics, depicting the story of how he arrived at the cursed place to begin with, the characters mocking him from where he sat miserably on the ground.
Eventually, he built himself a home out of the very mountains that encircled him. It took time to finish, for he had no tools, but all he had was time, and he was desperate for any distraction. He could not bear it when his mind drifted to memories of her, visions of building their home while she looked on, designing and perfecting alongside him. A painful longing would follow, as if something physically pulled at his insides, only to be quickly replaced by rage. Ire was useless to him now—there was nothing to unleash it upon, only miles of monotonous rock and rivers of fire.
It was during one of these occasions, when she cruelly popped in his head, that he remembered his dog.
In the early days, while the young gods concerned themselves with humans, he found solace in beasts. He created his own, designing companions to pass the time while she was away. He put birds in the gardens, snakes in the forests, and wolves in the woods. Of course they weren’t perfect mirror images of those that roamed the Earth, but they were uniquely his. Crawling, inverted beasts of the Underworld.
A part of him hoped she’d enjoy them, perhaps even coaxing her to stay. But when he introduced her to his new three-headed companion, she merely smiled, running her fingers through his black fur briefly before darting off to another one of her appointments, engagements…affairs.
Despite not receiving the reaction he hoped for, he grew quite fond of Cerberus, appreciating his glowing red eyes and trio of curious heads that never seemed to look the same way at the same time. The beast quickly became his faithful companion, guarding the Underworld while he was away.
“If I could create the Underworld and my own creatures,” he thought aloud as he paced his new volcanic home, “then what prevents me from doing it here? Manifestation is simply the result of mind control, and I have the same mind in this realm as any other.” It sounded logical enough, though he would be a liar to deny he was beginning to feel quite mad.
Nevertheless, he began.
He sat on the throne he’d fashioned out of cool, hardened lava, remaining motionless as he imagined Cerberus—his wiry fur, the curved claws that ended each muscular paw, the narrow slope of his teeth. He focused until he could see a clear picture of him in his mind’s eye, as if he stood patiently before him. He sat for so long in concentration that he lost all track of time, and it wasn’t until he heard a loud and sudden pop that his eyes burst open.
To his dismay, what stood before him was not a furry canine creature, or anything like he’d ever seen. Instead, it looked like the skeleton of an overgrown rodent with bulbous, gelatinous eyes and bat wings. Leathery scales attempted to wrap its frame like skin, but they barely covered bones that appeared to be scorched by flames. It peered at him curiously, ejecting a loud and high-pitched chirp.
Set sighed. “Well, it’s a start.”
From that moment forward, he manifested each day, filling the entire realm with beasts wonderfully grotesque and obscene. He took great pleasure in naming them, the process sating his need for mental exertion. His favorites were dragons, gigantic scaled lizards that breathed fire, so large they brought shame to the tallest volcanoes. They soared around the sulfuric skies, kicking up tornados of ash as they flew. He grinned when he imagined them rising to Earth, setting their destructive fires on the humans who turned against him. He pictured Osiris standing amongst their burnt remains, agonized by their loss. Such joy the image brought him.
All in all, he was content ruling the frightening new realm he’d unintentionally birthed. It was better than nothing, and at least now, he had loyal company and creatures to serve him.
Until one day, an angel appeared.
It took him immediately by surprise, for he knew there was no way he’d created such a being. It gave every indication of being human, save for the feathered wings that stretched behind it, with wavy brown hair that swept a brilliant white toga. The creature carried both sword and shield, a smug look of self-righteousness plastered across a face neither handsome nor homely. His eyes shone a muted shade of hazel as it stared.
“Can I help you?” Set deadpanned.
The being observed his surroundings, eyeing the agitated volcanos and clouds of ash as a few spidery demons twittered past. “This is an interesting realm,” he remarked.
“I was banished here and I made do.” It felt strange to speak words aloud, as communication with beasts was conducted solely through the mind. “Now please tell me why you are disturbing me or I will unleash upon you one of the creatures you currently gape at.”
“My name is Michael,” the being replied quickly. “I am a Holy Watcher, an angel who lives in the Upperrealms. I serve the God of Light.”
Set snorted. “My brother?”
Michael shook his head. “A different God, one who cares for His people.”
The information took Set aback. “So the humans are creating new gods?”
“God always was and always is,” Michael deflected.
Set sighed. After all this time, his solitude had been broken by a blinded subordinate. He briefly wondered if the angel’s sudden appearance was just another means to torture him. “You still have not told me why you are here.”
“The Holy One has caught wind of what you created down here, and would like to adopt this realm for His own purposes.”
Set struggled to contain derisive laughter. “You cannot be serious.”
“Human beings grow more corrupt as time passes,” the creature continued, unfazed. “We need a place to house wicked souls so they cannot return to Earth. This is the perfect place—a horrific inferno with an endless supply of monsters.”
Set frowned. “And what about me?”
“We have a proposition. Years past, the Holy One gathered an army of angels to cast out wicked souls on Earth in order to save His people. As a creature who once waged many successful battles alongside the humans, we thought perhaps you would consider joining our cause.”
Set snorted. “I do not join causes, nor do I wish to serve some god I have never met. Especially one who has to send one of his sycophants to recruit me.”
“If you do join us and allow us to take over this realm, then I will personally reveal to you the whereabouts of both your brother and your wife.”
Set stiffened, his old resentment instantly rekindled. “So she succeeded in bringing him back to life.”
“In a way, yes,” the angel replied. “I know exactly where they are. You can do with them whatever you wish, as long as you help us first.”
Set felt his jaw tighten. After all this time, they were still together. He allowed his mind to pull up her image, fantasizing about the look in her celestial blue eyes when he finally murdered his brother—her lover—right before her. He would make her see what she had done to him, make her feel his pain. His revenge would be sated at last, a perfect end to his torment. He glanced back at the being, who patiently awaited his decision.
“Alright,” Set agreed, rising from his throne. “I will join you. But how will you pull me from this place? I was banished here.”
The angel did not respond and in an instant, they were somewhere else. Set cried out despite himself, shrinking back and shielding his eyes from a blinding light. “Where are we?” he demanded.
“This is Heaven, where the Holy One and his angels live. This is your new home.”
“Why is it so terribly bright here?” Set complained, forced to squint at the creature from underneath the shadow of his arm.
Michael laughed. “Come, I will introduce you to my brothers. I think I shall call you Lucifer. The name means ‘bright, shining one.’”
Set scowled. “If living here means I have to withstand your horrible jokes, I’d much rather rot in my realm.”
