The ruins were quiet now.
The oppressive darkness that once clung to the ancient site had lifted, leaving behind only smoldering stone, broken chains, and the scent of old magic. The resurrected child—Lucifer—had vanished as suddenly as he appeared, dispersing into shadows before anyone could stop him.
But the threat had only just begun.
---
They returned to Ravenshade Manor in silence.
Nyra quietly excused herself upon arrival, returning to the Moirel Estate without a word. She said nothing about the revelation that shook them all—that she was Lucille, the eighth child of Lucifer, reborn.
Carlos watched her leave but didn't stop her.
Back inside the manor's vast halls, Lysandra sat by the hearth, pale and shaken. Caveen didn't leave her side for hours, holding her hand, brushing her hair back gently, ensuring she was truly safe now.
But there were still questions burning in his heart.
Especially for the people who had been standing beside him the whole time.
---
Later that night, Caveen stood in the moonlit corridor of Ravenshade, arms crossed, his brows furrowed as he looked at Elias and Madelline, who had just emerged from one of the guest chambers.
> "We need to talk," Caveen said, his voice calm—but cold.
Madelline froze. Elias tensed.
> "You two knew," Caveen continued. "You're descendants of Lucille. That's why you were taken."
Elias shook his head. "I swear, Caveen, I didn't know anything. The Crimson Order said something about Duke Koa and Lucille, but I—I thought they were bluffing. We don't have any records, no family legends—nothing."
Caveen's sharp eyes narrowed. Then they slid to Madelline.
She wasn't looking at him.
Her head was bowed, fingers clutching the hem of her sleeve.
> "Madelline?" Caveen asked, more gently now. "You knew… didn't you?"
She nodded slowly.
A long, tense silence passed before she whispered, "Yes."
Elias looked at her, shocked. "You knew?!"
> "Not everything," she said quickly. "Just pieces. My father… he told me when I was younger that our bloodline came from powerful roots. He said we descended from a human duke who once had a forbidden union with a being of darkness. I didn't know it was Lucille. Not until I began looking into the Crimson Order after marrying Caveen."
Caveen's gaze darkened. "And you never told me?"
> "Because it wasn't your burden," she said, voice breaking. "Because I didn't want to be part of his scheme."
> "What scheme?"
She finally looked up at him, eyes filled with guilt. "My father arranged our marriage not for politics—but for legacy. He knew your bloodline. He wanted me to bear a child with you. A fusion of Carello and Koa blood… He believed it would be powerful enough to shift the balance of the Elite world. Maybe even control it."
Caveen's jaw clenched.
> "So I was… what? A breeding contract?"
> "No!" she cried, stepping forward. "Maybe for him—but not for me. I loved you, Caveen. Not because of your power or your lineage, but because… you were the first person who ever saw me as more than a pawn."
Her voice dropped lower, softer.
> "But when I realized what he planned… I couldn't go through with it. I couldn't chain you to a life like that. That's why I pulled away. That's why I agreed to the divorce."
Caveen remained quiet for a long while.
Elias looked torn between confusion and protectiveness, unsure whether to defend his sister or punch a hole in the wall.
> "I don't blame you for your blood," Caveen said finally. "But I wish you trusted me enough to tell me the truth."
Madelline wiped a tear from her cheek. "I was afraid. Of losing you. Of being like them."
There was no rage in Caveen's eyes—just quiet sadness.
> "I don't want a throne," he said. "I never did. I only ever wanted freedom. Family. A place to belong."
Madelline nodded slowly. "Then maybe… it's time we stop letting our ancestors write our stories."
He didn't respond. Not immediately.
Then he gave a single nod and walked past them, leaving Elias and Madelline standing under the pale moonlight.
---
Later that night, Caveen sat alone on the manor's rooftop, gazing into the stars. Lysandra joined him quietly, wrapping a blanket around them both.
> "You okay?" she asked.
> "I don't know," he murmured. "Everything's falling apart. Or maybe… it's just finally being revealed."
She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Whatever it is… we'll face it all together."
He took her hand and squeezed it gently.
> "Lucifer's back. Something inside… it terrifies me."
And under the night sky, as old bloodlines stirred and ancient destinies loomed, two souls made a silent vow—
To protect each other.
To resist the darkness.
And to forge a future no prophecy could predict.
----
The ancient cathedral stood half-buried in a mountain range veiled by enchanted mists—Lucifer's hidden sanctum. Dark spires clawed at the overcast sky, and unholy runes pulsed faintly across the broken walls, remnants of forgotten wars and forbidden pacts.
Inside, silence reigned.
Until he arrived.
A ripple of shadow cut through the center of the cracked altar, and from it stepped a child—Lucifer, reborn in flesh, a boy no older than ten, yet exuding the presence of something older than time.
The moment he appeared, the chamber erupted into motion.
Acolytes and elders dropped to their knees in reverence, heads bowed, hands over their hearts. Some wept. Others whispered prayers in long-dead tongues.
> "All hail the First Flame," murmured one.
"The Fallen Star has returned," said another.
Lucifer walked among them barefoot, his expression unreadable. Despite his youthful form, his aura burned like ice and ash. Wherever he passed, shadows stirred and bowed.
He raised a hand—small, delicate, pale.
Silence returned instantly.
He approached the inner dais where the Elders of the Crimson Order waited, cloaked in red and black, their faces marked by devotion and madness.
Lucifer's golden eyes fixed on the eldest among them—Elder Razeil, the keeper of their hidden archives.
> "Tell me," Lucifer said softly, his voice like velvet smoke, "about the Council."
Razeil stood slowly, spine creaking. "My Lord… much has changed since you fell."
> "Clearly," Lucifer replied, his tone faintly amused. "I was murdered in cold blood. Sealed and erased. And yet the Council thrives?"
Razeil's lips curled into a grimace. "The High Council sits in dominion still. They write laws over the Elites. They wear the illusion of peace, yet they are tyrants cloaked in gold. The ones who once hunted your children and erased the line of Lucille… now call themselves 'saviors.'"
Lucifer tilted his head, smiling slightly. "The same council that dared to raise a blade against their god… still breathes."
His tone was not angry—but amused. Coldly curious.
> "How arrogant they've grown."
The acolytes murmured in agreement.
Elder Razeil bowed deeply. "They've no idea of your return, my Lord. Not yet. But whispers are beginning to spread… Some sensed the dark awakening. And the Originals—Alaric and Victor—have been reborn as well."
Lucifer's smile widened.
> "And Selene... and Karena…"
He closed his eyes.
> "It seems Fate has gathered her pieces again."
Then, his expression turned serious.
> "But I am not yet whole."
The air grew still.
> "This form—" Lucifer looked down at his small, childlike hands, "—is merely the shell. A vessel reborn, but incomplete. My true essence is fragmented, my power... buried. If I rise too soon, I'll be weak. Mortal. Vulnerable."
He turned to face his gathered worshippers, voice rising like a melody of doom.
> "I will not make the same mistake twice."
Lucifer's eyes began to glow with a low amber light.
> "We will remain hidden. You will spread the Order, but quietly. Whisper my name into old places, awaken the buried altars, offer your blood in secret. I will draw in the shadows... and when the world sleeps, I will rise."
One of the younger acolytes looked up, trembling.
> "And… when you rise, my Lord?"
Lucifer's small lips curled into something not quite a smile.
> "Then I will burn the Council to ash. I will finish what we started. No more false kings. No more broken lines. The world will remember who ruled first—and who will rule last."
His voice echoed in the cathedral like prophecy.
He walked to the edge of the altar and placed a hand on the stone, ancient symbols flaring to life beneath his palm.
A tremor shook the sanctuary.
> "Until then," he said, eyes glowing brighter, "let the world sleep in its illusion of safety."
> "Let them believe their age of peace remains."
> "Let them think their Council stands unshaken."
He stepped back and began to vanish into shadow once more.
> "Because when I return in full… no light will remain."
And with that, Lucifer, the child of darkness and flame, faded from view—leaving behind only whispers, prayers, and the trembling hearts of those who awaited the end of the age.