LUCIFER

The place that was supposed to be forbidden was now full of soldiers. Lucifer flexed her fingers. When he noticed that, he moved the dagger closer and closer to her throat, caressing the cold metal against her skin as he moved it closer to her throat.

‘’Shall I cut your throat to understand my words?’’ The soldier asked.

‘’No’’ Lucifer disagreed and tried to look back, only to see the pale mask covering the twisted warlock’s face.

‘’They told us to kill you both but’’ The warlock sighed, resting his chin on Lucifer's shoulder.

''But if you're pleasant, I might spare you'' The knife shifted near her cheekbone, scratching it. She narrowed her gaze, letting her head rest to the opposite of the dagger.

‘’Really?’’ The girl frowned disappointedly. ‘’Is this how you threaten us? Daggers and empty words?’’

Her captor pushed the dagger closer to her and sighed from boredom.

Lucifer looked around and noticed every masked soldier was holding knives or guns. You can aim the bullets where you want and you can control the strength you wish to put into the blade. If they wanted to kill them, they would have done it. Lucifer hated admitting that the girl was right.

Taking the dagger from her hand, she pulls him away from her, piercing deeply into her flesh as her hand gets closer to the warlock's face.

‘’You damn bitch’’ The mask fell from the warlock’s face.

The girl snatched her captor’s hand with ice forming on his skin, making him drop the dagger.

‘’You-'' He shouted.

‘’Shoot them’’ The other one ordered.

‘’Princess?’’ The girl asked.

Lucifer extended her hand, aiming at the soldiers with light emerging from it.

Her body drowned her energy as the soldiers fell unconscious as a wave of pressure pushed her head down.

‘’Are you alright?’’ The girl asked.

Lucifer rested her hands on her knees before turning her head to the soldier’s shocked face.

‘’Who sent you?’’ She asked and panted.

‘’Why should I tell you?’’ He licked his thin lips with a snarl.

Lucifer bit her lower lip and clenched her fingers into a tight fist and she shifted her gaze to the girl whose hand was still on the soldier’s skin.

‘’The hybrid is going to kill your comrade’’

''What?'' The girl shouted, furious at Lucifer's words.

The man’s eyes snapped wide open and he moved the dagger close to his face.

‘’She will drink his blood if you don’t answer our questions’’

Lucifer pleaded with her eyes at the girl whose fingers were slipping from the soldier’s wrist.

She narrowed her eyes before clenching her claw tight, making the ice grow stronger and his skin tense, making him groan in pain.

‘’A council member told us to’’ The soldier broke. ‘’I don’t know who’’

‘’How can you not know who?’’ Lucifer arched her brow.

He moved his head up, exposing a strange mark being printed on his skin. Lucifer could just say that it was the ugliest tattoo she had ever seen. Or that it was different from the ones the priests were painted with. White paint in the shape of a cracked porcelain. And it kept growing.

‘’He is cursed ‘’A voice shouted from behind.

As Lucifer looked back a rare smile shifted to her face, looking at Ukko with relief.

‘’Someone has forced him to keep silent and follow orders’’He explained, keeping his steps calm with a wide grin on his face. ‘’If he doesn't he will face consequences''

‘’You are alright’’ Lucifer panted and rushed to his side to hug him.

‘’Princess, STOP’’

A silver blade pierced the center of her stomach as if it had been a needle. The blood, crimson as it was and fresh, fell to the floor as if it were just water. When she looked into Ukko's eyes, his face shifted, changing into a person she had never met before. It was a woman, twice her age, sharp, with wide-open eyes and a white crystal hung in the center of the collarbone, hung by a golden chain, that looked like the last one she had ever seen.

''Now,'' she said, moving the white mask to her face and pulling the sword back.

Lucifer gasped as she fell to the floor. The woman kept moving with her rapier scratching the ground. Trying to look with her head down, she could see both of the remaining soldiers’ breath being snapped in two. As their souls were lost, they fell on their knees. The woman, was not with them as she kept standing with a satisfied grin.

SPIES.

She was one of them. And she was now pulling the Girl closer to the edge of the window.

‘’Poor girl’’ The woman pitied her. ‘’What happened? Can’t fight?''

Lucifer could see it too. She was standing still with her face painted in horror. Her breath became quicker and thinner.

‘’If you come with me, then I will spare your life’’

She did not speak as the woman’s hand cupped against the girl's face, close enough to her scar.

‘’Such a beautiful scar’’ She complimented her.

‘’Let her go’’ Lucifer exhaled with pain, looking at the girl’s frozen expression. There was no act, no mask, no trick.

The girl was petrified.

Snap out. Lucifer screamed inside her head.

Get up. A voice demanded.

‘’You want to live, don't you?'' The girl laughed. ‘’If you come with me’’

Finally, the girl snapped, hearing the words out of the woman’s tongue.

As she moved her hands up to the balcony, the girl kicked the woman in the stomach. ''I'll pass,'' she whispered to the woman, moving her hands to the balcony and forcing her legs up.

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She let out a big gasp, gripping her stomach tight.

Lucifer’s energy was drained after the wound was completely healed. She took a deep breath and stood up, turning her gaze to an iron-made rapier, hanging on the wall. As the woman was busy with her pain.

Grabbing the rapier from the twisted handle, she could feel the cold breeze coming out of it. She shut her eyes before she shouted at the woman to pay attention to her.

The woman laughed hysterically, and seemed, almost amused by Lucifer’s courage.

‘’You are a dead girl’’

Keep calm. Please keep calm.

Lucifer’s free hand was unable to be used, for now, she let it down and rested.

The sword was lighter than the ones she was used to Elysiym the blade was even thinner. It did not seem that it was capable of slashing someone’s skin but to poke. And her movements were perfectly synced with the weight of it and the blade.

Cutting the air in half, she moved closer to the woman. Her free hand flexed her fingers and a wave of wind pulled Lucifer away from her, hitting her head on the wall. She readied for a fight, releasing all the energy within her to make sure she was prepared for whatever the woman had in store.

One more breath and she stood up again. She managed to dodge both of her incantations. The woman swung her hand to her side, making swords and fallen pages come for Lucifer’s life. She got down on her knees and covered her ear with her free hand with the blades making ringing notes as they fell to the wall.

Up.

This time, Lucifer did not listen to the voice as the woman’s hand snapped. This sent a wave of air pushing her to the wall and keeping her feet far from the ground.

‘’You are strong, I will give you that’’ The woman complimented Lucifer with a laugh.

‘’Perhaps, you would be interested in coming with me’’

‘’Where?’’ Lucifer panted as the air started living in her lungs. ‘’What do you want?’’

‘’I want what he wants’’ she replied. ‘’I desire a change’’ Her voice was so soft and so sudden.

‘’Who is he?’’ Lucifer asked.

The woman shook her head and scoffed, moving her free hand to Lucifer’s side, offering her palm to her.

‘’Come with me and you will find the truth’’

Lucifer looked at her wounded hand. Swollen scars as if rocks were once her skin.

‘’Where?’’ Lucifer gasped now without a breath to spare.

The woman laughed once more, and twisted her hand, pulling more air far from Lucifer's Presence.

‘’To your home, Your Grace’’

Lungs shattered like glass, listening to those words. Her home. Elysium.

Her aunt wanted her back. She wanted the artifact back.

‘’Is this all?’’ Lucifer grunted.

The woman tilted her head to the left, confused. ‘’What do you mean?’

Lucifer frowned. ‘’Shall the hybrid kill you?’’

The woman moved her head back, confused. The right moment for the girl’s hands to move to her thin throat. Her sharp nails poked her skin with a cold wind formed around it like a necklace. There was ice once more, like a sudden kiss.

The incantation broke with Lucifer falling to her own feet and gasping for air.

As soon as her body returned to normal, she stood up straight, clenching her ring finger tight. She could see the ice growing inch by inch on the woman’s skin

The mask fell from her face, exposing her frightened blurted gaze.

‘’He will come after you’’ She screamed.

‘’Who?’’ Lucifer arched her brow.

The woman burst into laughter. ''You know nothing do you?’’ She licked her lips.

‘’You will die like all the others who tried before you.'' Her dark eyes shifted to the girl and laughed. ‘’Tell her to kill me.’’

Lucifer shook a no and faced the girl. She wanted to plead. To tell her not to kill her. ‘’Maybe she will talk if we’’

But she interrupted ‘'’Apologies miss’’ The girl sighed, letting her hands down on her neck. The woman gasped in relief at the ice being slowly removed from her skin. Her eyes rolled with her tongue licking her lips satisfied. ‘’Thank the Spirits’’She sighed before the girl shattered her peace.

‘’But I am not taking orders from anyone anymore’’ The girl’s hands now snapped to the woman’s head.

Her dark eyes, painted now with ice, like the rest of her head and body, fell to the floor.

Lucifer did not speak and moved her eyes away from the body. Instead, she looked at Mara’s pleased face.

‘’How did you know?’’ She asked panted with a brow. ‘’That I would attack?’’

I didn’t. Lucifer stretched her ring finger.

‘’Well, be happy with the Hybrid, ‘’The girl grunted with anger. ‘’Did not drink your blood too’’

‘’Are you offended?’’ Lucifer arched her brow curiously.

She groaned and looked away. ‘’Not at all Your Majesty’’ She said with a mock.

Steps snapped in front of the side of the door once. This time, both of them were ready to fight.

Ukko let out a breath of relief as he laughed while walking inside. ‘’Why does it have a window?’’ He said and then looked down at the dead bodies. ‘’What the fuck happened?’’

‘’Don’t move’’ Lucifer moved the rapier to his side. Ukko lifted his hands.

‘’What’s wrong?’’ Ukko raised his hands.

‘’Prove that you are Ukko’’ She looked away and then back at him. The girl shook her head and agreed with Lucifer. Ukko let out a long breath and frowned in his mouth in agreement.

‘’On your coming of age ceremony, there was a harvest festival so you begged me for..’’

‘’Alright,’’ She interrupted him and turned to the girl, moving her rapier down. ‘’It is you’’

Ukko laughed running to her side as his hands emerged to embrace her tight. She could feel his calm heartbeat, his insane eyes. It was him.

Ukko pulled away. He faced the girl who was looking down at the masked soldiers. Lucifer saw her face shift from fear to satisfaction once more. As all of the air was drained from their lungs, there was no energy for them to survive. She could see their naked rotten hands. They were dead.

And back at the woman’s body. Even on the ice, she could see her naked skin, being marked, wounded with stitches and needles. Countless injuries that Lucifer would not describe them.

''Are you okay?'' Ukko asked her.

''I think so'' She replied fast. Lucifer was aware that she was lying.

‘’They attacked us to the room'' He explained. ''Hephaestus...’’ He said breathlessly with lost hope. Lucifer's heart raced. She remembered their eyes. Kind ones. They laughed and talked all the way to Babel. And then they let out insane words that came true. They had no time.

''They will come for us,'' Ukko replied. ''I don't know about Mordred but ...'' He took a long deep breath‘’A voice told me to come here''

Lucifer shrugged and turned to the window. Another whisper called her. This time with her name. But looking back at the dead, it seemed that trying to after it, out of the window, would mean only bad omens.

‘’We are not safe here’’She said and faced the girl. ‘’And you are not safe alone either’’

She laughed mockingly. ‘’Do you want me to come with you?’’ She said with disbelief.

YES, Lucifer thought. Yes, come with me.

‘’It seems that they need one of us’’ She said at the end, clearing her throat. ‘’It would be better to stay close’’She explained calmly. The girl’s brow rose and her face almost softened, becoming friendlier towards Lucifer. Ukko covered his hand, letting out a few giggles.

‘’Alright,’’ the girl sighed.

‘’Let’s just take whatever we can and find the rest’’ She was finally breathless and with her cheeks flushed red.

Taking pistols, daggers, books, and even peculiar crystals was not enough. All three of them had to change.

Getting dressed behind a bookshelf, Lucifer looked at the outfit she chose from one of the chests. Silver pink it was, almost a dead color. In the center of the V was a green gem knitted with a white edge, making a thin line holding the fabric together. The lower part was a long skirt, covering her legs till the ankle as her sleeves were long and tight. The fabric belt around the waist and the end of the sleeves had the same dead purple shade too. But it almost felt right for Lucifer. Almost.

Remembering Hestia’s words, she was worried that she had made the wrong choice. Trust her friend. Trust the girl … The one who…

She was there. She was there and watched. Watching her ‘father’ hurting her and not even arguing.

She killed the woman like it was nothing. She took life like it was …

She stopped the woman before she finished her sentence.

Him.

Was she talking about the scientist? Why couldn’t she stop him?

We meet again.

The woman was right. She knew nothing. Nothing about her aunt, nothing about the artifact, nothing about the voice. She was in the dark. How could she trust the people she was ready to find?

Kind eyes. She thought again. Kind eyes belonged to people who would easily get hurt. Hestia had kind eyes. Her parents too. Even the girl in the forest with tears in her eyes still had kindness.

Mordred did not seem kind. But determined. Determined to follow orders to pledge his loyalty to someone who might hurt Lucifer and her friend. She could not trust him with her life.

Lucifer shook her head and got out of her hiding spot, only to find that at the same time, the girl got out too. She kept wearing the silver coat but underneath that, there was an azure tunic falling to her body until her hips with black leggings underneath. Her hair was back, away from her shoulders, exposing her neck. Surprisingly, she did not have enough colors around her body. And then, she took a red scarf from the box, wrapping it around her face.

With a smile on his face, Ukko jumped out and displayed his olive green new coat. ‘’How do I look?''

‘’You look fine’’ The girl shrugged and walked in front.

''That is your biggest compliment?'' Ukko whined and jerked his head to Lucifer.

She half shrugged and smiled. ''You could have been better''

''Wel it is no time for shopping so this is the best I could find’’. Lucifer smiled at him and returned to the iron rapier and a belt close to the rest of the weapon with a dark eggplant-colored leather scabbard.

It matches perfectly. Especially for her. If she had a color to choose, then it would have been pink or purple.

As she put the belt and then the rapier alongside her waist she looked once more at Ukko.

‘’We are going to be alright’’ She lied with a smile.

‘’We have to find the rest, don’t we?’’ The girl asked confused.

Ukko sighed and shook his head agreeing with her. As they all were ready to leave, there was one more whisper.

Looking back, Lucifer could see on the other side, outside the window, a girl with raven hair and crimson eyes watching her. Her lips parted with heavy breathing getting out slowly as she spoke the final words.

DO NOT.