“Hey there. Well, if I’m being completely honest here, I didn’t expect you to do what you did on that last run through involving the hugging kids and the people hugging you in return. Nonetheless, it’s good to see you again.” A red haired man blinks widely at the figure before him. A very grey-ish humanoid existence that has a head, but no face. After a millisecond of questioning himself and the space of endless void that he was in, the man had finally gathered his thoughts together.

“I was a girl” he said to the being. “Silvia…” He recognized himself as another person. He seized his thoughts again as his brain jolted another name. “Ariel…I was them as well.” The figure facing the clueless red-headed one had grown a smile on the rest of his non-existent face.

“Sylvia, Ariel, Prince, Yusef, even a Coyote. The Coyote was an extremely odd mess that you created that stuck you in a never-ending loop for a few thousand years, but I know you’re smart. You figured it out and repaired it. Although, that part where you became Ghengis Khan wasn’t exactly you’re best moment, you’ve redeem yourself so welcome back!”

The man stood in awe at the vast emptiness surrounded the two of them and even more so in the natural mannequin in front of him, just operating as a normal person. Remembering everything and nothing all at once, he turned left and right and squinted.

“I’m back at Cove”.

The physically wooden essence laughed and then nodded in confirnation.

“You’re back at Cove. You had ups, you had downs. You still managed to pull your own essence into all of the beings I crafted for you. I underestimated your journey through it all, but you pulled out.”

The odd creature patted the man on the shoulder. “Welcome Home, Lucifer”

“Everything I experienced. Was that all what is to come?” Lucifer questioned in angst.

“Well, yes and no. At the same time. If I’m TRULY being transparent about it all, which is what I’m suppose to be” the mannequin stated while shifting the grey wood around it’s body into a fine transparent glass. Lucifer cupped his chin smirking before breathing a slight sigh of prolonged relief.

“So even god has no genuine clue why the dice rolls the way it does”

The see-through god shakes his head in concurrent. “Nope. I’m just as much a player as creator.” Then a beat happens between the two figures.

“What happens to the humans?”

“You do Lucifer. Your last incarnation was a Japanese man. You rolled the dice. Your best friend fell in love with you and started a war on humanity itself to show you why he cares about you so much. He killed all and then somehow himself. I still can’t grasped how he did it.” God explained with a tad bit of envy at the end. Lucifer slowly raises his head upward trying to remember it all.

“Who was that friend? I don’t remember the last life, for some reason.”

“Would you believe me if I said he took your place as Satan while you experienced this fate?”

Lucifer nodded. “I get it. So what now?”

God shrugs. “Reset. I have to do it again and hope they don’t screw up before HE finds out.”

Lucifer furiously shakes his head at God.

“They’re good people. They can do better! I know this. I know THEM. I’ve loved them. The humans are chaos but they need to be free of you! They can fix it this time, God! HE won’t come back and he won’t find out. I know it.”

God draws a very mischievous smile on his face. “Well then, Lucifer. Since we’re doing a rest. I’ll give them a chance all their own to screw up. I have no faith in them. They’re humans, they’ll do what they always do. No interference on my part this time as you request. I’ll wait.”

“For the first 10,000 years, you’re needed for everything. After that, cast yourself aside and watch!”

God slowly glided closer to Lucifer, still with only a mouth on what should be his face and a now turned upside down head. “Do not worry. I won’t interfere during the reset after 10,000 years. However, if the humans manage to sabotage themselves and I AM correct, then YOU have to be the one to punish them.” God appointed.

Lucifer’s eyes widened in shock. “Wait- what?!”

“You heard me. I’m tired of taking the blame and dishing out the punishment. That’ll be YOUR job now!”

Lucifer quaked in disbelief. How could he be able to do such a thing after everything he had felt and live through. He took a deep breath and started to remind himself of the past lives. The beautiful, destructive, inspirational, chaotic beings that he cherished and would willingly die for. The beings he HAD died for.

Lucifer finally puts his hand out for God.

“You’re on, asshole.”

God shakes the hand.

“Good. Well my tea is almost done. I’ll watch from here. You’re more than free to stay if that’s what you’d desire.”

“No thanks. I’ll make a Cove of my own to watch the humans from.” Lucifer confided as he shift into nothingness, creating his exit from Gods grasp.

“This will be very entertaining…SATAN” God said, fiddling his fingers on his newly erupted throne.

Satan, now in his own blissful, vast Cove, cried a tiny tear of hope towards the bottom layer of his new home, hoping he can outsmart the omnipotent one.

“So far so good. Me and God can’t beat him as is. I’ll have to find a new way. I’m sorry humans. I’m sorry, Eve.”

Birth 1.

Creator Note: The life of a Japanese man is in reference to the Japanese Animated Series “Devilman Crybaby”. Sylvia, Ariel, and Coyote are all references to “The White Heron”, “The Tempest”, and “The One About Coyote Going West” respectively.