30 Years Ago, ...
News Reporter, "We are now in our second stage of the war against humanity and the death toll is rising rapidly into the millions. We advise everyone to remain in designated safe areas until rescue teams can be deployed. May God have mercy on us all."
I was just a four-year-old boy when I watched the world built for growth and evolution fall into ruin around me. Demons and Angels were rising and falling from any crack or crevasse in an attempt to aid us but that only added to the war. Their existence made the revolt against humanity so much stronger. My father's new wife had just given birth to my half-sister Jane while the man I needed most was out most of the timekeeping alive the Lake family tradition of hunting. Of course with the superiors-now on the scene, it was like heaven to him. Living beside a woman that despised me because I wasn't her child and a father that was never there it wasn't tough for me to figure out I was different. I had a sensitive bond with other people's emotions, I could feel like just like my own and as much as I would like to forget some faces of my past, my photographic memory pretty much rips away that possibility.
That also meant my real mother was missing in action. My father once sat me down and told me about my birth mother and how a creature like me came to life. It was so frightening and tragic to know that the blood running through my very veins was almost death incarnate.
We are what superiors call Lachter, an apocalyptic life form created for destruction and death, we are passable by visible characteristics as superiors however due to our genes additional access is granted to our brains allowing catastrophic amounts of energy to be generated without destroying the body core itself. My mother was a Lachter just like me...Why my father who hated any kind of supernatural creature chose to procreate with much an organism I will never know, but what I do know is that we are very sought after. Being one of the rarest forms of beings on earth many people sought our power for evil, to gain an advantage over their enemies. Because of this, my father kept me very close when he did come back...
Countless hours of training, blood, sweat, and tears went into my upbringing. I wasn't a son to that man at all, I was a weapon. A wild animal held tightly on a silver leash ready to attack at any time. That was no childhood for a boy yet I followed every order without question constantly trying to live up to his expectations. I was told the Lake family were tradition hunters holding a bloodline from centuries of selective breeding. Only the best of the best led the family however with the incline of superiors the family was reduced to just me and my father.
That drive to prove myself to him ultimately led to my time here. I was a cocky young boy with a mind much older than my body so when a traveler informed me that the royal superior family was holding a meeting in the town I got exciting thinking it was finally my chance to be accepted. I'd only ever killed lower class superiors with little power so this would be difficult for me but I didn't care. Lachter's are natural enemies of other species because of how powerful they are so I wasn't afraid in the slightest.
That night I snuck out of my home leaving my mother and sister behind hellbent on killing every last one of them. While I waited until all of the members were seated and comfortable I used every ounce of energy stored inside of me to tear down the whole place sweeping the inside until it was clean of them. My power looks much like a black cloud, it's a darkness that destroys everything in its path. So when I heard the rampant screaming calm down I was prepared to walk in a collect a skull for my father's verification. That was when I met him...
Covered in ash and bone fragments was one person left standing but my confidence hadn't worn down out at all so I pulled out a dagger immediately and went to end him to but my body wouldn't move an inch almost like a snake was wrapped around my bones. In the settling darkness was two red eyes thicker than blood, staring at me so hatefully I thought my heart would stop. When he walked towards the vibration of his feet chilled me to the bone and all of that confidence drained from me in an instant.
I closed my eyes expecting him to kill me there and then but I was so disappointed in myself for going out of my to prove myself to my father just to die here. I wanted to know why my power didn't work on him, who was this man? Just as I felt the cold air of his breath a small tap on my head made everything stop, the air, sound and even the sound of my own heartbeat settled. Then he said something to me that would always stick with me...
'How pitiful to be used for such a painful reason, you have potential indeed but not in the hands of who you are with now. Join me and you can be free.'
Those were the words of your father, Lucifer the emperor. I refused him all of these years completely poisoned by those people. That was until...I tasted that freedom for the first time when a little mouse scuttled into my cell and showed me a light so bright it almost blinded me. But it was warm...kind and automatically I could hear my heart again.
Sam pulled himself back from his memories only to see Ria crying harshly. Immediately he panicked thinking he had done something wrong when her hand tightly grasped his. Those beautiful violet eyes were so filled with emotion he almost began tearing up himself.
Sam, "D-Did I say something to upset you, why are you crying?" Ria didn't quite know herself maybe it was the way he told such a painful tale without showing even a smudge of sadness. Emotions that have been shunted or cut off must only mean he couldn't cope with them.
Ria, "*Sniffle* No wonder you were so angry, I feel awful. You're really strong in more ways than none, it must have been really hard." Not knowing what else to say her voice cracked from sobbing, so she patted his cheek almost childishly yet gently. Sam froze and looked at her in awe, this young girl was crying 'for' him not because of him.
Sam, "I'm fine it was a long time ago." Ria scrunched up her face she suddenly looked angry at him.
Ria, "Old wounds take longer to heal, stop lying to me I'm not blind to pain. It's alright to resent someone that doesn't make you weak Sam." Hearing his name said so sternly made him feel like he was being scolded by his mother. Still, her wisdom always surprised him. Taking her hand from his cheek he smirked.
Sam, "Fine, I agree with you. Will you stop making that face now it clouds those pretty eyes." Ria huffed and snatched her hands away jumping down from the windowsill. Secretly she was hiding her blushing cheeks, not many people complimented on her eyes because they were so rare and unsightly.
Ria, "I-It's time for dinner are you joining us?" Sam silently chuckled, she changed the subject so quickly because she was embarrassed. Dinner with her sounded good but he wasn't sure Lucifer would allow it.
Sam, "I'll pass, just eat my share you might actually put some weight on. Your pretty scrawny." Instead of arguing like she usually did Ria gave a cheeky grin and waved goodbye. Sam sat looking at the spot where he'd sat next to him, whenever she left that light that brightened his life also left. Yearning was never a word in his vocabulary but since meeting her it was all he seemed to feel.
Lucifer's study----
Ria, "Father I'm here." As usual, her father was buried in paperwork. The life of an emperor looked so dull. However, hearing her voice automatically snapped him out of work mode.
Lucifer, "Your here, shall we eat?" Ria nodded but noticed a scarring worry in his eyes. It looked like her decision was bothering him. They walked over the table where the lab had made supplement infused food that didn't taste like ash, it was delicious. Lucifer ate staring at his daughter curiously, her eating habits had gotten better. Ria felt the tingling sensation on the top of her head and looked up.
Ria, "What is it?" Lucifer tapped his knife on the table as if considering something. This was starting to get obnoxious now she wished he would just spit it out. Sighing he decided to open a dorr full of either flowers or knives.
Lucifer, "Why is it that you never speak much of your brother to me? I'd like to know more about my s--" Suddenly slamming her plate onto the table shattering it to pieces Ria glared at him furiously. Lucifer froze in shock, was that touchy subject for Ria? The burning fire ran through her veins recalling the day of her birth. The day this man rejected Ethan.
Ria, "So now you want to know him, you make some pretty sick jokes you know that?" This wasn't sinking in for him.
Lucifer, "Ria, what are you talking about?" Clicking her tongue her mind exploded with rage.
Ria, "When Ethan was born he didn't hold the damned birthmark so you just tossed him aside and rejected him! Now you want to know about him, are you guilty or just that shallow! How dare you!" Lucifer began shaking his head, this was all wrong. It was true Nephilim had photographic memories but Ria even remembered her birth, he'd never asked thinking it was impossible.
Lucifer, "Ria, you remember that day?" She began tearing up as if she could forget such a painful memory. Lucifer could tell she wasn't lying.
Ria, "Of course I do. I remember those red eyes looking down on me with pride Your eyes!" Lucifer sighed and pushed back his hair, it was wrong. This was all wrong...
Lucifer, "Ria, it wasn't me."
Ria, "Liar, I don't forget!" Lucifer stood up with a sad yet bitter look on his face. So this is why she hated him so much inside.
Lucifer, "Your wrong, that wasn't me. Ria I wasn't there when you were born...because your mother was kidnapped before you were born. Whoever you saw with red eyes wasn't me but most likely my brother. Michael...I knew you were behind this." He began seething to himself while Ria soaked in that shocking revelation. A sudden bitter taste slipped through her saliva glands until she felt physically sick.
Ria, "What do you mean?" Lucifer gulped seeing the color drain from her face, this was too much for her. As he stood up to leave before those violet eyes sucked him in Ria jumped up grabbing his white shirt her tiny hands shaking with desperation.
Ria, "Please tell me, I'll die if you don't." It was rare she acted so childishly usually the thought of begging someone would never cross her mind being such an intelligent and proud child however it looked as if she'd shrunk under his vision. Sighing he kneeled down staring into that darkened expression.
Lucifer, "Sit down." Ria felt a jolt in her bones and obediently jumped back to her seat. Lucifer swore when she was older he would tell her but seeing those eyes had stirred up his conscience. Time was running out.
Lucifer, "Ria your birth was extremely rare, approximately four Nephilim have been born before yourself and Ethan. However, none of them had an Archangel counterpart which is why your body struggles to cope with your abilities." Ria nodded that made sense but where was he going with this story, she basically already knew that.
Lucifer, " Your uncle Michael found out that I had fallen in love with a demon, your mother Alice. For some reason, he was always jealous of the love I received whether from our father or others. I wanted to support Alice through her pregnancy, quite honestly I was excited to finally have a child of my own after all these years. So I brought her here, a place a knew would be safe for both you and her, then came the day of her delivery. I was informed her waters had broken so I rushed to the medical suite only to find the staff covered in blood and herself went leaving no trace of anything behind. I knew immediately Michael was the one who did this, he must have sensed my excitement of my children. Not only that but he made a comment once that shook me to my core." Ria leaned back seeing her father shudder and clench his fists. So even he could show contempt...
'You realize if this child is born with our birthmark she will always be the prey, until her last breath. You can't save it, brother, nobody can. You may as well kill it before it grows to know suffering.'
Ria clenched her teeth in anger, who was he to decide whether she suffered or lived. Lucifer looked really meek, almost holding something back...