Lucifer slouched in his seat, eyeing the clock with the desperation of a condemned man awaiting a last-minute reprieve. History class had never seemed so endless. How was he supposed to care about the Meiji Restoration when he'd just faced down an elder god less than 48 hours ago?
A folded note landed on his desk. He glanced up to see Ezra giving him a pointed look from across the room. Unfolding it, he read:
*Stop fidgeting. You're drawing attention.*
Lucifer scribbled back: *Can't help it. Bored out of my skull. Also, pretty sure our teacher is a ghoul. Have you seen those teeth?*
He saw Ezra roll her eyes as she read his response, but there was a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. It made his heart do a little flip that had nothing to do with supernatural powers.
As the bell finally, mercifully rang, Lucifer practically bolted for the door. Ezra fell into step beside him as they made their way through the crowded hallway.
"We need to talk," she said in a low voice. "Margot wants to meet. Something's up."
Lucifer groaned. "When is something not up in this town? Can't we have one day of normal high school drama? You know, who's dating who, who posted what embarrassing thing on social media... that kind of stuff."
Ezra's lips twitched. "Sorry to disappoint. I'll try to schedule a teen angst emergency for next week."
They made their way to Margot's classroom, finding the gothic lolita teacher perched on her desk, a grim expression on her face.
"Ah, our dynamic duo arrives," she said. "Close the door, would you? What I'm about to tell you isn't for prying ears."
Once they were settled, Margot's expression grew even more serious. "The battle on the rooftop didn't go unnoticed. Malvoth's appearance has set things in motion that can't be undone. The balance of power in the demon world is shifting, and Paradise City is caught in the crossfire."
Lucifer felt a chill run down his spine. "What kind of things are we talking about here?"
Margot's eyes met his, and for a moment, he saw something ancient and terrible lurking behind her carefully constructed facade. "War," she said simply. "The kind that could tear the veil between worlds and plunge everything into chaos."
"Great," Lucifer muttered. "No pressure or anything."
Ezra leaned forward, her face set in determination. "What can we do? There must be a way to prevent this."
Margot smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Prevent? No. But we might be able to control the outcome. Lucifer, your display of power has made you a wild card in this conflict. Every faction will be vying for your allegiance... or seeking to eliminate you as a threat."
Lucifer ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "But I don't want to be part of their power games! I just want to... I don't know, graduate high school without causing an apocalypse. Is that too much to ask?"
Ezra's hand found his under the desk, squeezing gently. The simple gesture of support meant more to him than he could express.
Margot's expression softened slightly. "I know this isn't fair. But fair or not, you're at the center of this storm. The choices you make in the coming days will shape the future of not just this island, but potentially the entire supernatural world."
Before Lucifer could respond, the classroom door burst open. Sasha stumbled in, her silver hair disheveled and her eyes wild with panic.
"There you are!" she gasped. "You need to see this. Now."
Without waiting for a response, she pulled out her phone and pulled up a video. It showed grainy footage of what looked like a massive portal opening in the sky above Paradise City. Dark shapes poured out, too indistinct to make out clearly but undeniably menacing.
"This is happening right now," Sasha said, her voice shaking. "It's all over social media. People are panicking."
Lucifer exchanged a look with Ezra and Margot. This was it. The moment everything changed.
"Sasha," Margot said calmly, "I need you to listen very carefully. Go home. Lock your doors. Don't let anyone in, no matter what they say or how they look. Understand?"
Sasha's eyes widened. "But... what's going on? What are those things?"
Lucifer stood, feeling a jolt of his own power thrumming through his veins. It's been like that ever since his encounter with Malvoth. During training, it felt as if more and more of him wanted to burst out.
He placed a hand on Sasha's shoulder, trying to project a confidence he didn't entirely feel. "It's going to be okay," he said. "We're going to fix this. I promise."
As Sasha left, still looking shell-shocked, Lucifer turned to the others. "So," he said, forcing a grin, "I don't suppose any of this is going to be on the final exam?"
Ezra rolled her eyes. "Focus, Lucifer. We need a plan."
Margot was already moving, pulling weapons and strange artifacts from hidden compartments around the classroom. "We need to close that portal before too many entities get through. Lucifer, your power might be the key. Ezra, you'll need to guard him while he works. I'll try to contain the situation on the ground."
"Sounds like a plan." Ezra nodded.
They prepared to head out. Their nerves all over the place. Only Margot seemed to keep her cool facade, which was questionable. Lucifer still wondered who or what she was.
But this was no time to fret, this was the moment he'd been training for, whether he realized it or not. The fate of Paradise City – maybe the whole world – rested on his shoulders.
"Ready?" Ezra asked, her hand on the door.
Lucifer took a deep breath, feeling his power surge through him. Light danced at his fingertips, bright and pure. For now, all his body's limitations allowed him, was to unleash this energy in its purest and untampered form. Any attempt to make something else of it, led to its disintegration.
"Ready," he said. And he meant it. The Prince of Darkness, defender of humanity. Who would have thought?
***