Prologue

A sincere warning: Please do not read this novel if you are under 21, have deeply held religious beliefs, or expect characters to meet any moral standards. Everyone’s flawed, they make awful choices, and nobody is pure. Except Jesus.

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One night, nearly indistinguishable from every other night over the past three thousand years—a sudden shift in the atmospheres startled the Heavens. Thunder cracked, strained as a gryphon’s cries, followed by dark clouds clamping over the skies above Jerusalem. Pale rain descended in tight succession, long, winding, tear streaks over ancient streets.

The night reeled in memories of other rains:

Heavy rain when the War first erupted; me, as a child, crouching by the city gates, waiting for Father, and the Vice Regent who came instead, leading his army. The betrayal of a friend in my youth, the calamity after, rain the scent of white roses. And rain the night I stood over the balcony in Pandemonium, finding the Sovereign of Demons drenched beneath.

The memories meld themselves together, keys each inextricably bound to the next, struggling yet never breaking free of a singular lock, one engraved with that era’s most beautiful, radiant, angelic name.

That night, Babylor was little more than a sodden ruin, a small bird soaked by the storm. When I saw her panic, caught in the collapse of her own lie, I suddenly understood: I had known all along, I simply kept on turning away.

As she clutched my leg, crying, pleading for me to stay, I felt no anger, only the quiet urge to look at her, warm and tender.

I wanted to say, Babylor, it’s not your fault. It’s just as you say: the moment someone speaks his name, I cease to be myself. No matter what others insist, my thoughts are of him. Not for lack of wanting to change, or to forget, but because after so many gatherings, crossings, partings, I am so, so tired.

Yet I held back for a very long time. In the end, all I left her was my quiet and unremarkable silhouette.

Outside, the rain poured, cluttered with noise. Inside, here, all was still; a long corridor, silver-lit through the windows. I walked its length in silence, toward the end of this life.

Lucifer.

Even if you’re there when the day breaks, I won’t sleep tonight. Each morning we’re written anew, and it’s tonight’s me who misses you the most.

Even knowing, I’ll wake tomorrow to a world that still holds you.

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Translator’s clarifications:

1. “Babylor”: 芭碧萝 (ba-bi-luo) – the hardest name to translate in this entire novel, period (cries). The translator ended up lading on “Babylor” because at least there’s the word Babylon (巴比伦) in English, which may be the closest one can get in terms of pronunciation.
2. Slight spoiler but Babylor is not the protagonist’s lover or side fling! They’re not like that xD
3. “Unremarkable silhouette”: He called his silhouette “mundane / not interesting” 无趣的背影. And this is a personal reaction after coming back from having read the entire novel, but, oh my goodness, MC, which part of you, inside and out, is “unremarkable”?????? We love you so much and your hubby loves you even more.
4. If you can make it to ch 8, it gets real good. If not, thank you for your time and attention even reading this far, that’s already encouraging enough for this human!

Author: A fan of TLZY & JZYZ

Translating