Chapter Text
Within the depths of a deep forest, life thrived through its lush green leaves, and there was no shortage of either of them.
The tiger hunts the deer and brings it back to it's makeshift home, ready to eat its meal. The birds chirped through the trees, attracting its mates to have eggs with. A fly narrowly avoids a spider web made in-between two trees, leaving the spider to wait for its next potential meal. And so on and so forth.
Gaia and its natural inhabitants play by their own rules, some could be tamed, while others are better off left in the wild in fear of being ripped apart.
And yet, living in these woods is a woman who, along with her husband, subjugated and tamed the various wild beasts the permeated throughout the history of Gaia.
She threw nuts for the squirrels to stock and eat, she watered plants with but a wave of her hand, and she petted the wild bear that most humans couldn't.
She is Eve, The Mother of All Humans.
And today, she's expecting a visitor to come by.
Not just any visitor, a special one. Not many humans know it, but just a few days ahead, is Adam and Eves….thousands of years anniversary of entering earth and making it their home.
One would find it weird to make an anniversary around a time where there was many hardship, but Eve thinks that's what makes it so special. Besides, they've both gotten over that aspect already and are just looking for something to look back on fondly.
After all, it is one of the many reasons why she decided to make her home on earth rather than Heaven. Someone needed to be Gaia's caretaker.
She gave a sigh of relief as she finishes feeding the local animals near her house, although Adam didn't visit as much as he used to before becoming the Lord Exorcist, the times he did visit were extravagant. She couldn't wait for the day to come.
Walking back into her house that was made by both her and Adam in hand, she would take a seat on one of her many comfortable chairs, before reaching over to a nearby small shelf and picking out one of its books.
Though she had already read this book before, she made a mental note to consistently read books so as to not let it collect dust. After all, they books were made out of the very environment she lived in, might as well put it to use.
As she read the book, she thought back to the times of the Antediluvian era, where monsters, wild beasts and giants roamed the earth and where Adam had to play guardian to protect his family.
She thought back to the time when she first found out what Cain did to Abel, her smile would frown a little from that memory alone, but she had faced worse. It gets easier to bear knowing Abel is in Heaven and Cain is on good terms with the First Family.
Regardless, she would eventually finish the book in one sitting in around 2 hours, closing it with a loud thud as she gently placed it back on the shelf.
As she got up from her chair, she began to wonder what to bring for Adam on their anniversary. She could always go the usual route and buy a shit ton of Ribs for Adam to gobble down in a matter of minutes, but she wanted this to be special.
Not just regular ribs, but special ones from the most tender and well kept cows. And not just ribs, but also perhaps a gift….but what gift would be perfect for this occasion…?
Before she could think on it any further however, a loud knock would emerge from her door.
She momentarily jolted at the sound and force behind it as she wasn't expecting any visitors coming by at this hour. But that moment of shock had then shifted into excitement.
Was it Adam? Did he come by early to give a warm welcome? Or was it one of their children from Heaven who came by?
Nonetheless, Eve would usher to the door before opening it with a smile on her face.
But her excitement immediately shifted to that of confusion.
In front of her wasn't Adam, or her children, or an Angel of Heaven…
It was a demon.
And not just any demon. This was King Paimon of the Ars Goetia, who still wore regal outfits and charms despite being in a dense forest and towered over her by a little.
She also couldn't pick up any emotion on his face. Eve had learned the skill of reading people's inner emotions just by looking at their face and body language alone, even if they were just standing still. But Paimon's expression was stone cold, and that already gave Eve a bad feeling.
“Greetings, you must be Miss Eve, Mistress of Adam. Am I correct?” Paimon questioned with elegance.
Gathering her vocal chords, she responded. “Yes, that's me. And you are Paimon of the Goetia, right?”
“Indeed I am, miss.” Paimon confirmed. The avian king would peek through the door from the outside for a few seconds before turning his head to look at Eve once more.
“I know you might be busy this week, but perhaps you would be kind to welcome me into your house for a few minutes?” He questioned.
At first, Eve wanted to politely reject the request and close the door behind her, because despite how many years had passed, demons and especially the Goetia are always up to no good.
But considering this was the same exact Goetia that helped assemble and sign the treaty between Heaven and Hell with Adam, Adam held a lot of trust towards King Paimon and him only. If Adam could get along with him, then so can she.
Clearing her throat, she gave a soft smile. “Of course, make yourself at home!”
“Thank you, Miss Eve. I certainly will.” He gave a nod of acknowledgement before he would step inside, crouching underneath the door frame a bit in order to do so.
Closing the door behind them, Eve watched as Paimon carefully inspected the room he was in. He inspected every nook and cranny including the corners, the shelves, the books, etcetera.
“Would you like some tea, Paimon?” The Mother of Humanity offered, Paimon's head would turn to look at her for a brief moment before he would answer.
“I'd love some, Miss Eve. Make sure to add two cubes of sugar if you can.” The King requested.
With his, Eve would step into her kitchen and begin preparing a fresh and hot batch of tea, pouring it into two cups before she reached into the pantry and placed in two cubes of sugar as he requested.
Placing the tray of the two teacups on a small table, the two would sit on opposite ends of the chairs, as they both reached over and grabbed their cup of tea.
“Ya know, I wasn't expecting visitors so soon. You are aware what's coming in a few days, right?” Eve asked in curiosity.
“Of course I do, I again apologize for the intrusion. But I figured it's long overdue to meet up with the rest of the First Family.” Paimon responded in kind.
“Ah, I see.” She says as she sips her cup of tea.
In truth, Eve almost never believed the whole thing. She found it rather sketchy that the King of the Goetia would suddenly show up at the Mother of Humanity’s house just to “meet up” with them.
There is certainly something more at play here, but she didn't want her suspicion to be known, at least not right now.
“So, how are things back at the Goetia family, Paimon? I assume you have many heirs to the throne?” Eve said with curiosity.
Paimon would let out a small chuckle after sipping his cup of tea. “Well I would say it's going swell! And yes, I indeed have many heirs that shall be seated on the throne when the time comes.”
“Although, there's this one son of mine that has severely disappointed me in the past decade…” The avian king said with a mix of hate and contempt.
“Really? Who is it?” Eve questioned further.
“Prince Stolas of the Ars Goetia, “former” husband of Stella Goetia and Father of my Granddaughter Octavia Goetia. Truth be told, he was a capable prince on his own during and after the marriage.”
“But that all goes down the drain when I find out he's been mingling with lousy imps that know nothing of our status. He's brought disgrace to this family!” Paimon shouted in frustration as Eve simply sipped her cup of tea.
“Oh dear, that sounds bad. Has he gotten any better lately?” Eve inquired, to which Paimon could only sigh in disappointment.
“I don't have any faith they will live past a few years at most. Regardless, I must inquire on what you are doing for yourself, Eve.”
“Oh I'm doing quite fine myself! As you know, me and Adam's anniversary are nearing this week, but I'm still planning on what to get for him when the time arrives…” She said with a hint of concern.
“Ah, don't worry Miss Eve. I'm sure The First Man will be grateful for anything you give him, your existence itself proves it.”
Eve raised an eyebrow at that statement. “You mind elaborating on what you mean by that?”
Paimon chuckled. “Well, considering you are made from Adam's rib, I'd figured you would've known that better. My apologies if that came out wrong.”
“Oh….it's no problem, just got confused is all.” Eve said with a smile.
The two would converse regarding various topics on their life and the state of both of mortal worlds and the afterlife, such as Paimon finding the Princess of Hell’s attempts of rehabilitation through a hotel not worth his time, and Eve talking about the many kinds of animals that lived in this forest, which Paimon noted were a bit hostile but she apologised regardless.
Nonetheless, at some point during the conversation, Eve would ask the following question:
“So uh, if you don't mind me asking King Paimon. Why exactly are you here anyways?”
Paimon raises an eyebrow for a second. “What do you mean? I am here simply to visit my acquaintance wife-”
“No I mean like, the real reason you visited. Because no offence, but no king of the Goetia would take the time out of their day to visit this secluded area.”
….
“Very well, I'll tell you.”
Paimon would sit up from his chair, his cloak flowing through the wind as he looked out the window of Eves house.
“...Things aren't going great for Hell, that includes the rest of the Goetia line. Asmodeus is doing whatever, and Lucifer has grown complacent and absent.”
Eve felt a drop of sweat trickle down her head, she doesn't like where this is going already.
“You husband is a great and honourable man, but he's….how do I say this without being offensive….gotten lousy in his job.”
Paimon turned to look at Eve with a serious face. “And because Adam is starting become lousy, so is his superiors and in turn….so is the laws of the treaty that Lucifer, Satan and I signed.”
“You know what that means? It means Heavens laws that were enforced are slowly no longer being upheld by Hell. Which means war is inevitable once either side screws up majorly.”
Eve still remained confused however and decided to press further. “I’d be angry when you called my husband lousy and all, but…what does this have to do with me?”
Paimon sucked in his breath as he walked closer to the mother of humanity. “You see, you have something that almost no one else in the universe has, a blind spot.”
“You live in a very dense forest, and despite the many years that have passed and 8 billion people roaming the planet, no one has found your house…”
Eve instinctively took a step back, despite showing how uncomfortable it was, Paimon didn't stop his advancement.
“No one in Hell knows where you are, and very few in Heaven even know where your house is located in this forest. So I propose a deal for you, Mother of Humanity.”
With a snap of his fingers, Paimon would materialize what seems to be a large paper that looked incredibly old alongside a white feather with a small cup of ink next to it.
“If you sign this paper, you will allow the Goetia nobility to step foot onto this soil so that we could prepare for the worst. In turn, I will ensure that no Goetia nobility would be able to step into your house, how does that sound?” Paimon said with a sinister smile.
Eve stared at the paper in front of her, reading all of its terms and services in a matter of seconds, before looking down at the sign out placement at the bottom of the paper.
…..
Eve spelled a shady deal from a mile away, even if Paimon helped signed the treaty centuries ago.
“If you think I'm gonna sign this paper to let demons like you into my turf, then you've gonna crazy.” Eve said defiantly.
Paimon furrowed his brow. “You are mistaken, Eve. You don't know how much value living in this forest brings to us, you may have been living here for a while, but times are changing.”
“And your gonna what? Cut down the trees with your magic? Displace the animals that haven't had a home in years? Whatever your business you have with Heaven and Hell, I don't want it near here.”
Paimon's stance shifted, it seems he didn't take that lightly.
“Eve, I urge you to reconsider. I have been Adams acquaintance for years, I hold no I'll intent against you or the First Family.”
“Then I suggest taking your leave and finding someone else, because I reject this deal.” Eve said in a frustrated tone.
The two would stare at each other for a while, they're eyes unblinking in case one tries to one up the other.
After a few seconds, Paimon would let out a sigh as he turned to face the door.
“You don't know what you have done, Eve. But alas, I just have one question for you…”
Before Eve could ask what he meant by that, Paimon's head would suddenly snap to stare at Eve with a threatning gaze.
“Since when you were in charge?”
With a suddenly burst of speed, Paimon charged forward and tackled Eve with brute force, pinning her against the wall of her house as his hand tightened around her neck.
“ACK! L-LET ME GO!” Eve tried to shout out, but her vocal chords were being crushed alongside being unable to breath.
“Listen here Eve, I have looked everywhere for a suitable placement for the Goetia in case things go awry. And I'm not gonna let that happen just because some wife didn't accept my proposal.” Paimon said in a low tone, his face despite being stern, his eyes on the otherhand held the anger of a thousand stars.
“So, here's what's gonna happen.” The paper and pen would float over via his magic.
“Your gonna sign this paper, and the Goetia nobility will make room for this land and prepare for the incoming war. And if you don't…”
He would bring one of his claws up to her cheek, before sliding it down and drawing her blood. “We'll see what happens. Now make your choice.”
“F-FUCK YOU!” With a kick of her legs, she would knock the Goetia King off of her and fell to the ground.
Before she could even attempt to flee, Paimon was upon her once more, summoning a dozen shoulders to hold her down while some begin beating her face.
“Stop resisting, Eve!”
“Id rather not!” With a sudden burst of energy, Eve would dispel the shadows in a single instant before charging forward and delivering a punch to the King.
“Grah!” Paimon yelled, who promptly returned the favour by blasting her away with his magic, causing her to crash into multiple shelves and making them tumble onto her.
“I hold the advantage, Eve. Your only choice now is to sign the paper, and then I would leave you alo-”
*SMASH!*
“AGHHH!”
Paimon screamed as he fell to the ground. Looking down, he saw an angelic knife stabbed into his abdomen held by Eves hand.
“You….YOU BITCH!”
With his fury reaching high as ever, he unleashed his magical lasers from his eyes which impacted the Mother Of Humanity, knocking her away and creating a crater from where she stood. He then pulled the knife out of his abdomen.
Eve groaned as she tried to fight through the 2nd to 3rd degree burns she received, before she was punched back into the earth by Paimon once more.
“I can do this all day, lady! This won't stop until you agree!” Paimon said before he would deliver another punch, and then another….
And then another.
The whole forest shook from the battle alone, with countless animals scattering away from the source as to not die.
The house was in complete ruins, it's foundation having collapsed from the shockwave emitted from Paimon's punches.
“DO”
*SLAM!*
“YOU”
*SMASH!*
“YIELD?!”
His arm raised up high, amassinlarhe amounts of his power before he would bring it down and…
*KABOOM!!!!!*
Trees toppled, animals crushed under the magic pressure, and terrain flew in many directions. The fight was over not long after it started.
Paimon stared at the bloodied Eve below him, she was still breathing barely, her eyes rolled back into her head, 3rd degree burns all over her body, and one of her forearms having snapped in half in an attempt to block his punches.
The Goetia King clutched the side of his abdomen, the angelic energy still lingering and eating away at his magic.
Paimon had come out victorious, but that was when realisation hit him like a truck….
….He had just beaten down the First Man's wife.
“Oh…shit.” The Goetia King said under his breath, there is no way Adam is gonna let him live after this.
He needs to get out of here before anyone arrives to see the mess he mad-
“Eve, Honey! What just happened?! You okay?!” A recognizable male voice cried out from the trees.
Adam is here, and he doesn't sound happy at all.
If he was uninjured, Paimon could definitely stand up to Adam if given enough time, but given the condition of his body right now, there is no way he could fight for Adam one on one, so he decides to do the next best thing.
With swift precision, Paimon would fly out of the crater Eve was in before using his magic to summon a portal large enough for him to fit inside.
Adam had no idea what the hell was happening.
A few minutes ago, he talking to his superior Sera regarding his anniversary and whatnot. Bitch thought I shouldn't abandon my duties while visiting which he found amusing considering this is supposed to be a day off for him.
But he guessed Sera assumed him staying in Heaven is like doing 9 to 5.
Regardless of her poor social decisions, she was willing to give him his deserved rest and wished him and his wife the best of worlds. Which Adam accepted.
Emily attempted to tag along but was quickly shut down by him as this is their anniversary, which means private time. Plus he didn't want Emily doing something dumb that would ruin the whole thing.
It wasn't long when he arrived at the forest Eve lived in, and already he could tell something was incredibly off.
The wind was blowing much harsher than usual today, he saw some trees toppled over each other, the animals were unusually quiet today, and the animals he encountered were killed in ways not a normal predator would do against a prey.
Immediately, he began to panic. Someone was here in Eves Forest and they've already caused destruction. So without wasting much time, he bolted to where her house was.
His panic and terror only grew as he saw smoke rising and chunks of rocks laying everywhere. Whoever the hell had trespassed on his wife's turf isn't coming out of here alive.
Just as he arrived at the scene, he saw someone escape through a portal they had constructed. Although Adam want able to get a good look on who it was, judging by the footprints left behind he was absolutely certain it was a Goetia.
God dammit, of course the bird fuckers would trespass!
Immediately, his jaw would drop as he notices all of the destruction around him. His wife's house had collapsed, multiple trees had been flattened and countless animals had seemingly died at the area.
Adam felt his anger spike, trying to calm himself down by clenching his fists.
As Adam looked around the destruction, he noticed something near the collapsed house. A massive crater that was still fresh judging by the smoke emerging from it.
It was clear that judging from this field, a battle had happened and everything was destroyed because of it.
But he still can't help but wonder...
What was a Goetia doing out here? What could they possibly want his his wife...?
As he flew closer to the crater, he would peak into it and look around.
His attention would then shift his attention to the injured Eve at the bottom of the crater. His eyes widened in fear and terror as he saw her unconscious and mutilated body at the center of the crater.
“EVE!!!!! NO!”
Adam flew down into the crater and held onto Eve's shoulders, he wasn't ashamed to let tears slowly form from his eyes.
“EVE! D-Dont worry i-ill get you help! J-just stay with me!” Adam shook his wife a bit in order to snap her awake, but the severity of the injuries could only render her unconscious.
With not much else to do, Adam would pick up Eve into a cradle position, before he would use his angelic powers to summon a portal directly towards Raphael's Hospital and wasted no time entering it.
In his panic, he accidentally collapsed to the ground and dropping his wife on the pristine floor. Fortunately, Emily and some of the hospital nurses noticed the commotion immediately and begin administering aid to Eve.
Winners and Heavenborn who were present watch in confusion and terror as they watched the First Man on the ground heaving all the while watching the Mother of Humanity in critical condition.
"Get her to the emergency room! Now!" One of the angelic nurses screamed out as some brought a stretcher over and carefully assemble her on it.
Emily meanwhile would fly over and help Adam up, panic and worry spread across her face.
"A-Adam, what happened?! What happened to Eve?? Adam?!" Emily attempted to call out to him.
But all could Adam think about was the thought of Eve not making it, if she died...then...
No, she's gonna live, she has too. They are literally at one of the best hospitals Heaven, she'll live. Please oh Lord.
But just as grief struck him, anger would then took over.
"Whoever's responsible...." Adam whispered under his breath, Emily would Instinctively back up as a result.
"W-what?"
Adam would stand up to his full height, towering over everybody present. "Whoever is responsible for this..."
"I'm gonna kill them."