LUCIFER

Soldiers kept after them. Lucifer’s pain kept growing, from her nape, her back, and her arms, wanting to release her strength.

Her eyes could not leave the dagger. The scream was still inside her head, waiting for it to get free. But did she have to let the girl stay inside it? She could still see her pleading eyes. How many years was she inside?

I DID NOTHING WRONG. The girl cried.

And all the running stopped when Mara froze. Mara froze. In terror with her hand squeezing Lucifer's tight.

There was a soldier, right in front of them, aiming at them with his carbine. Lucifer found a golden lighter in his left pocket that drew her interest in. There was none around, except for him and them. Mara had the knife. Slower than a bullet. Lucifer still could not attack. Not again. Fighting with a rapier against the bullet was not the sharpest idea.

But the man lowered his carbine and took out his mask, showing his blue lake eyes, keeping them at Mara, shocked. Impressed. Proud. And yet scared.

Lucifer noticed that the girl was too with water getting around her eyelids. She could attack him but she just..stayed, looking at him in disbelief. She did not speak. Just like the man did not. There was just a line. A line that Lucifer could not see or understand And that made her curiosity grow. About the girl, About everything.

''We need to go.''Mara finally snapped, pulling Lucifer left and right. Her voice had a crack. Enough to make Lucifer even more curious.

''Mara what is going on?''

In the end, the man rushed to the girls’ side. Lucifer waited for him to attack them so she lent her hand to her blade. But instead, he just passed, ignoring now both of them completely, letting out a whisper.

The words might have been muffled, broken by his calm soothing voice but Lucifer could imagine what he said.

Grilith Monas.

Monas was an ancient world to refer to the fall. And the first three letters from the first word. Gri was referring back to the snakes. The fall of the snakes.

She tried to ignore her curiosity as she was keeping her steps one step closer to Mara who was now rushing far from the bridge, guiding themselves inside the open room.

When they searched the empty place, Lucifer moved her gaze over Mara.

‘’Would you like to tell me what happened earlier?’’She said and then tried to be more specific. ‘’That soldier.’’

‘’I will talk about it when it needs to be spoken about’’She said dryly. Harsh. Cold.

Lucifer felt distant again. And a thread of mistrust was wrapped around her neck.

She still was not sure to believe anything her mouth was letting on. Where were the others? Ukko? Her friend, where was he? Is he dead? Or was it one more game of hers? But The girl was right. It is her own story, not something that she needs to say on that matter. Not now at least. Then, why did she feel that they were both playing a play that she was never in?

Lucifer touched her nape again and let out another painful groan. Mara locked the door and stayed inside the empty room, watching the girl from Elysium sitting down slowly with her back against the wall.

‘’Mordred will fix it’’ Mara comforted her.

‘’Was it part of..’’Lucifer mumbled, taking her words back. It did not matter. What mattered was that she had to stay alive. And if it was the time…Again. It did not matter. They all had to escape. Alive. Find her guard, her friend. He is alive. Lucifer kept reminding herself with hope. He is alive.

Mara bit her lips with a slight frown and tried to wear her hairpin around her raven locks.

‘’He gave it to me’’Mara explained, showing it to her the bright jewel. ‘’When I was done with the explosives he just…’’

‘’I had it first,’’Lucifer admitted breathlessly. ‘’I lost it down the catacombs’’

‘’I know’’ Mara reassured. ‘’he..told me’’She rolled her eyes. sitting down closer to her side.

‘’But you did not do anything for…’’

‘’He thought giving this to you meant that I could not trust you.’’

‘’Because I had it?’’

‘’Because you kept it’’The girl corrected her. ‘’Because you were afraid of me.’’

Lucifer held her thoughts and tried to look away, ashamed.

‘’Princess I had done so many cruel things that I had lost count. I do not blame you for not trusting me.’’

But that is not…Lucifer avoided this part of the conversation.‘’What is this?’’ Lucifer asked her, confused, pointing at her jewel.

Mara sighed. ‘’Bloodstones. Amplifiers and illusion’’She explained as she touched it shakily.

‘’Keeps the truth from being found. ’’

‘’Why do you …have it?’’Her voice was breathless, lifeless, and painful.

‘’A gift from a friend’’ She explained with a murmur. Lucifer could see that it had a connection with the man they found before. Lucifer focused her mind back on the memory. He had dark hair like hers, thick and long. Same complexion and lips. He was older than both of them but not old enough to be her father. He wasn’t a warlock either. His skin was perfect, not wounded from the iron dust.

Mara could see that her mind was wandering around and she tried to speak once more.

‘’I always had to wear it so none would find that I am..’’She played with her now normal ears.

‘’A beautiful lie to hide the hideous truth’’

Lucifer now understood clearly. A thing that was the reason she survived. An object that kept her alive…Making her attached to it. Her eyes were now drawn to her finger where her old green ring was once. The tight marks of it haven't vanished as much as she thought they would. Then, her fingers traced back on her green earing, feeling the cold weight of it.

‘’I am sorry’’ Lucifer whispered. ‘’For everything’’

Mara raised her eyebrows surprised and scoffed, leaning her face low to her coat. Lucifer’s face became bright red from the shame.

‘’I was rarely honest with you either'' She said, empathizing.

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''Should I ever find out any of your secrets?'' Lucifer's mind rushed to the soldier that they found earlier.

The girl shook her head and laughed harshly as she finally broke the lies. Lucifer knew that every word from her lips was now the truth.

''Demons and mortals are made different from each other. When both of the blood mix together.''She mouthed dry as if she was saying a lecture she heard over and over again."It's a mystery of what it will come out"

Lucifer's heart begun to shink.

''Yes, sometimes they come out deformed or even dead. Sometimes both and others...,'' She didn't finish her sentence as she looked down at her hands. ''I was born wrong, even for a hybrid''She scoffed without any humor.''I cannot do what I was supposed to be doing.''

A disgrace.

''My mother was a blood demon, a Hecca. My father was the portrayed weakest link.''

Was.

''How did they die?'' Lucifer felt a sudden understanding of the girl's pain.

But she did not answer. She grinned deviously...And she was not willing to speak as she seemed to enjoy letting Lucifer's imagination run wild.

''How did you find yourself in Mammon? ‘’

‘’Another story for another time ‘’ She grinned. Lucifer could imagine how her scar would curl around it, the now clear smile of hers. It was not the same with the wounds.

She wished that dared to tell her that she was not hideous and that there was nothing wrong with her. She wanted courage to say that she was one of the smartest, most cunning people she had ever met. That she dared to do everything necessary for her survival. To tell her that her mistrust doesn’t mean that she despises her or hates her. She was not a disgrace.

Another story for another time.

‘’Will you remain with us then?’’ Lucifer let out a heavy breath.’’After tonight’’She rubbed her palms nervously.

The girl’s eyes snapped like she had listened to every part of Lucifer’s thoughts. Her lips twitched, letting out one more smile.

Her eyes drew around. ‘’If I have to do something that will bring chaos and entertainment’’ She leaned her hands close to her hair, playing with her light wet locks. Lucifer’s heartbeat became faster, feeling the harsh fingertips against her skin.

But that did not stop her from not finding the answer to her question‘’Does that mean you will betray...’’Lucifer groaned and sat on the floor, back leaning against the wall. Mara followed her, sitting next to her.

‘’For now,‘’ Her cold fingers caressed Lucifer’s nape, making her shake. She flinched, pulling her body away, and escaping from Mara’s fingers.

The girl frowned and returned her hand, close to her chest, looking away from Lucifer.

Trying to trust her, Lucifer gulped dry and turned her back to her, placing her hair to the right, showing her nape.

‘’Maybe when the sun rises …’’ She said with a skeptical hum. ‘’You will be either impressed or disappointed in all the changes’’

She wanted to ask Mara more questions but she knew she would not get any answers.

‘’You are the worst’’Lucifer groaned with pain and scratched her nape with her nails, finally getting the last piece of the stone out of her skin. An electric wave of power rushed far from her body, leaving Lucifer disappointed. Wondering how much more stones could she actually use? How much power could she hold?

Lucifer noticed that the stone now had the shape of an almond, smaller than before. How much energy did she use?

I am going insane.

I want to be free, please, free me. The blade was shaking around her fingers, whispering a cry.

Lucifer gasped and moved away from Mara.

‘’Can’t you hear it?’’ Lucifer asked Mara, showing the blade to her.

‘’Hear what?’’ Mara replied with a frown.

‘’The girl that..’’

A flash of images, scenes that she thought she had never seen in her life but kept her thinking that happened with her looking, hit her mind.

There was the girl again, inside a dark room, begging on her knees, fat tears falling from her face, to the floor, and with her hands, clenching on a woman’s dark face. Lucifer could not find anything around her features except for her red crimson eyes which were concerned with darkness.

‘’Sedna please’’ The girl screamed the woman’s name. ''I am begging you.''

Lucifer found the woman grinned and with her palm which looked like it belonged to a beast, she wrapped her fingers around the girl’s broken face making her scream. Blood dripped from the holes for eyes and her fingers curled to the ground.

‘’For a change’’ Sedna whispered.

‘’Princess’’ Mara said, succeeding to snap her from her memories. From her dreams

Her breaths became quicker. Her fingers could not stop shaking like leaves as her body was slowly shrinking together from the terror she had just seen.

‘’The girl, the Mother of the Deep, Sedna’’She said without any breath, shaking.

‘’What do you mean?’’ Mara asked even more confused.

Lucifer did not have the words to explain it as the door started making loud hitting noises. Both of them stood up and moved away from the door that was opening.

She thought of Leviathan, walking inside with a wave of water, drowning them both. Her fingers gathered every bit of her strength, ready to attack. What if they attack faster? What if it wasn't enough?

The door was locked. Mara had locked it. Why was it opening? Her hands were ready to attack, till she saw a pair of hazel eyes looking at both of them with relief. Ukko.

‘’You're alive’’ Lucifer’s mouth kept trembling, this time her lips curved into a big smile of joy, and rushed to him to embrace him with her ill arms.

‘’You Are alive’’She repeated, feeling his broad arms replying with a bold embrace. Heartbeat steady as he let out breaths of relief. ‘’How?’’ She muffled around his clothes.

Ukko pushed himself back and jerked his head to Mara‘’I was careful of my steps''

The girl of the forsaken.

She had warned him from the beginning. With that, he used his ring to find Lucifer. She played a dangerous game and won. He explained to Lucifer clearly, with the others coming by.

Hephaestus was walking slower than before with their hand clenching tighter upon the walls. Their body leaned lower as Mordred was walking right behind them.

He was also walking slowly, with his ill-looking expression and eyes losing their light slowly. Orion and Talus were wearing the same guard uniforms as Ukko.

They had to cover themselves so no one would find them. Ukko explained to her.

A small curve slid around her face, breathing with relief. She looked back at Mara with her hand, stretching her nape.

‘’We have to go’’She said shakily, eyes dilating, and kept moving away.

As they were a floor higher, Lucifer’s head was back in the dark room, looking into the eyes of the little crying girl. And then back at Sedna. The one who created the veil of Naraka and Diyu. The one who created Babel…

How could she trap the girl for thousands of years? Was it because she did an actual crime against her? Or was it about entertainment? Of boredom.

One certain thing was that Lucifer wanted to free her.

With her feet running to the cold bridge, her hands were helping Hephaestus follow the rest of them while they were ahead.

‘’I am sorry about’’Hephaestus whispered, playing with their fingertips, nervously around their vest.

Lucifer ignored them. There was no time to think about it. If it worked, it worked. Even if she felt tricked into playing the part without her knowing, she was glad that it worked. Nothing else mattered.

‘’Leviathan is out.’’Lucifer faced the ground. ‘’Is free and somewhere inside the machine.’’

Hephaestus stared at her, waiting for something more. In the end, they forced themselves to smile. To pretend that they could handle it. So something happened. Leviathan did something to them.

‘’Here’’Lucifer stopped and looked at the dagger and then Hephaestus, waiting for them to take it. If she had to trust them, they had to know that they could trust her. Giving the dagger that they both saw in their dreams, The girl who was trapped inside of it.

She wanted them to let the girl free.

They took the dagger and they whispered. ‘’Thank you’’ Before they walked away.

Hephaestus’ eyes lit up like they laid their gaze on something beautiful. Lucifer looked back, feeling Mordred’s gaze spying on both of them.

The one who created Babel. Lucifer reminded herself. And she told them everything. leaving them in horror.

‘’You have to tell him’’ Lucifer faced Hephaestus once more.

‘’What?’’ They asked.

‘’He needs to know the truth’’Lucifer admitted.’’He will understand.’’

There was a sudden hesitance inside Hephaestus’ eyes that Lucifer could understand every reason they were afraid to. But she also knew that they did not have a choice on that matter. Loyal to Babel or not, Mordred was human. Was someone who had a soul a reason to know the truth and not follow someone blinded?

‘’How can you be so sure?’’ Hephaestus laughed at her.

Because unlike you, I am not blind or stupid to not see that he cares about you.

Lucifer wanted to scream at them.

‘’Just trust me’’She let her hand rest on theirs, touching the dagger slowly. Once more, there were whispers. Whispers of pain. Of fighting.

A cranked metallic noise from behind them snapped Lucifer’s ears. Looking back, she found the scientist, panting tired, his body leaning down with his naked hand touching the wall to stand.

Dark locks were now revealed from his mask and every part of his coat was shredded from the ice, showing his naked skin which was either parts of metal or burned flesh. Her eyes looked back at Hephaestus who was baring their teeth inside their clenched jaw.

Mordred shoots three bullets, aiming for his head. He caught them all and let them fall to the ground.

Lucifer shrieked inside her mouth with her head becoming lighter every second. She had stabbed him. Mara had frozen him. And yet he was still standing alive, wounded and yet alive with Leviathan standing right behind him with a hideous smile, eyes looking both her and Hephaestus, scheming what they would do next to them.

‘’Enough of this game’’He growled with a hiss, moving his hand close to Lucifer. She could see that he was less than ten meters away from all of them.