Lucifer exhaled sharply, his frustration barely concealed as he sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor of his cell. His emerald eyes glared at the intricate metal bars before him, each etched with unfamiliar runes that pulsed faintly with mana.
'Immortal-rank,' he thought grimly. That was the strength he'd need to shatter this prison. Unfortunately, he was far from it. The cage was designed with maddening precision—his mana was dampened, not fully suppressed, leaving him tantalizingly close to his full strength but not enough to break free. His artifacts were gone, stripped from him when he'd arrived in this strange, archaic world.
The room smelled faintly of damp stone and something metallic, and Lucifer's jaw tightened as he tilted his head back, glaring at the man who stood just beyond the bars.
The figure was regal in appearance, wearing a flowing white tunic that shimmered faintly in the dim light. Gold bracelets encircled his wrists, their craftsmanship so fine they seemed more ceremonial than practical. Yet despite his appearance, Lucifer's keen senses honed in on the mana radiating from the man—a powerful, disciplined force.
'Peak Ascendant-rank,' Lucifer assessed silently, matching the man's strength to his own.
"Will you just stand there and stare at me all day," Lucifer snapped, his voice cold, "or do you intend to let me out at some point?"
The man's expression remained composed, his golden eyes betraying neither amusement nor irritation. He folded his arms, the subtle gleam of his bracelets catching the dim light, and regarded Lucifer as though he were a particularly curious puzzle.
"You expect me to simply release a mysterious stranger who appeared out of nowhere in the heart of my city?" the man said at last, his voice measured and calm. "As the City Lord, it is my duty to protect this place—and its people—from unknown threats."
Lucifer's lips curled into a wry smirk, though his eyes remained sharp. "I admire your commitment to duty," he said, his tone laced with sarcasm, "but I'd suggest finding a better target for your paranoia. I've no interest in your quaint little city."
The City Lord's gaze didn't waver. "No interest? And yet you arrived uninvited, your strength as apparent as the stars in the night sky. Forgive me if I find it hard to believe that your presence here is mere coincidence."
Lucifer leaned back slightly, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded the man with open disdain. "And what exactly do you think I'm here for? Your collection of shiny baubles? To overthrow your cozy little throne? If I wanted to harm your city, I wouldn't be sitting in this cage."
"Perhaps not," the City Lord allowed, inclining his head slightly. "But perhaps you're simply waiting for the right moment. Forgive me if I err on the side of caution."
The tension between them was palpable, and for a moment, neither spoke. Lucifer's mind raced, calculating the best way to handle this situation. He could attempt to overpower the cage's enchantments, but without his artifacts and with his mana suppressed, it would be a gamble—and Lucifer hated gambling with poor odds.
Finally, he let out a slow breath, forcing his temper to cool. "Look," he said, his voice dropping to a more even tone, "I don't know how I got here. One moment, I was somewhere else entirely; the next, I woke up in your little forest, surrounded by your guards. Whatever brought me here wasn't my doing."
The City Lord's eyes narrowed slightly, though his expression remained otherwise unreadable. "And why should I believe you?"
Lucifer's smirk returned, this time sharper and more dangerous. "Because if I were lying, I'd have already turned this place to ash."
The City Lord studied him for a long moment, his gaze as unyielding as the bars of the cage. Finally, he let out a soft sigh. "Perhaps you speak the truth," he said, though his tone suggested he remained unconvinced. "But until I am certain, you will remain here."
Lucifer's smirk faltered, and his patience began to fray. "Let me make something very clear," he said, his voice low and icy. "Keeping me locked up is not a long-term solution. You'll only regret it."
The City Lord raised an eyebrow, unfazed by Lucifer's veiled threat. "And releasing you might be a regret I cannot afford. So, for now, I'll err on the side of caution."
With that, he turned, his robes swaying as he began to walk away, his footsteps echoing in the chamber like the tolling of distant bells. Lucifer's emerald eyes followed him, cold and calculating, a predator assessing the bars of his cage. The City Lord was no fool, but Lucifer was far from an ordinary man.
'This is going to be a long day,' he thought, exhaling a sharp breath as he shifted back into his lotus position. The bars stood resolute, the enchantments woven into the steel thrumming faintly, a steady reminder of his current predicament.
The silence stretched thin in the dim chamber, but it didn't last.
A sudden, metallic screech sliced through the stillness, followed by the clang of another cage being thrown open. Lucifer's head snapped toward the noise, his instincts sharp. He watched as the City Lord returned, this time with a new prisoner in tow.
"And look at that," the City Lord said with a faint smirk, his golden eyes glinting with triumph. "It seems we've caught your friend."
With a casual shove, he sent the figure stumbling into the neighboring cage. The clang of the door echoed as it slammed shut, the runes along its surface flaring briefly.
The prisoner groaned as she fell to her knees, her silver hair tumbling forward to obscure her face. She clutched her side, her breaths shallow, but Lucifer recognized her instantly.
"Seol-ah?" His voice was sharp, disbelief flickering across his usually composed features as he rose to his feet, his hands gripping the bars of his cage.
Her violet eyes lifted, narrowing at the sound of her name. She brushed her hair aside, her gaze meeting his, and for a moment, the weight of their predicament hung heavily between them. "Lucifer?" she croaked, still catching her breath.
The City Lord, standing between the two cages, clasped his hands behind his back, the faintest trace of satisfaction on his face. "So, you do know each other," he observed, his voice laced with curiosity. "How convenient."
Lucifer's jaw tightened, his mind racing. This wasn't a coincidence.
"What do you want with us?" Lucifer demanded, his voice cold enough to cut through the stale air of the chamber.
The City Lord tilted his head slightly, as though pondering how much to divulge. "Want?" he echoed. "For now, I simply want answers. Who are you? How did you come to appear in my territory unbidden, wielding power that could topple a city? And more importantly…" His gaze swept to Seol-ah, his expression hardening. "Are there more of you?"
Seol-ah, now steadying herself against the bars of her cage, glared at the man with a mix of exhaustion and defiance. "Even if I knew, why would I tell you?"
Lucifer smirked faintly at her response, but his attention remained on the City Lord. "You're wasting your time," he said. "We're as much in the dark about this place as you are about us."
The City Lord's eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe that two beings of your caliber simply stumbled into my city by accident?"
"It wouldn't be the strangest thing that's happened to me this week," Lucifer retorted dryly.
Seol-ah managed a weak chuckle, though her eyes stayed sharp. "Trust me, if we were here on purpose, your city wouldn't be standing right now."
The City Lord studied them for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he turned on his heel, his voice calm but edged with steel. "You'll remain here until I'm satisfied with your answers. And trust me, you'll find my patience is far greater than yours."
As his footsteps faded into the distance, silence descended once more. Lucifer turned to Seol-ah, his gaze softening slightly as he took in her disheveled state.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
She nodded, brushing dirt off her tunic. "I'll live. But where the hell are we, and why does that guy think he can just throw me in a cage like I'm some petty criminal?"
"Welcome to the club," Lucifer muttered, leaning against the bars. "We're apparently mysterious threats to his precious city."
Seol-ah sighed, rubbing her temples. "Great. First I get teleported to god-knows-where, and now I'm stuck with you."
Lucifer smirked, his earlier frustration briefly forgotten. "Try not to sound too thrilled."