As Lucifer stood poised at the elevator, his sharp, chiselled profile lit only by the soft lobby light, the air seemed to ripple slightly as though something potent simmered just beneath the surface. Just as he was about to step inside, a voice called out, hesitant yet eager.
"Please wait!"
Lucifer turned with a slight smirk, amusement flickering briefly in his cold, indifferent gaze as he took in the sight of Rong Qing hurriedly approaching.
Though his face held no expression, there was a spark of curiosity in the way he looked down, his intense eyes capturing every nuance of Rong Qing's flushed and hesitant demeanour.
Rong Qing swallowed, mouth parting as he struggled to find the right words. He'd never taken the initiative like this, and it made his chest tighten with nerves. Remembering how his fans often approached him, he steeled himself, meeting Lucifer's gaze with a slightly trembling voice.
"May I have your number?" he asked, his ears turned red with embarrassment. The bold request felt unnatural to him, but he held his ground, not looking away despite the intensity of Lucifer's gaze.
"Hmm," Lucifer responded, his cold voice smooth as glass, cutting through Rong Qing's hope with an edge that was both sharp and unwavering. "I don't know you."
The words sent a chill through Rong Qing's heart, and he felt a wave of regret at his own impulsiveness. He'd known it was an odd request, too forward for a first meeting, yet something about this stranger made him reckless.
But Lucifer only cast a final, dismissive glance in his direction before stepping into the elevator. Choa followed him closely, offering Rong Qing a sympathetic look that went unnoticed as the doors slid shut.
Inside the elevator, Choa glanced at Lucifer many times but he didn't say anything.
"What is it?" Lucifer asked. He knew sometimes his presence alone would overwhelm normal people, this always happened every time he travelled to other worlds and after some time he would adjust himself so the problem would resolve and he could act normal like any other person in the world.
He just needed some time to adjust, that's all.
"Hmm.." Chao glance at lucifer's thin lips and looked away in embarrassment. "Do you want to go somewhere for a lunch?"
Lucifer looked away, considering the suggestion. After a brief pause, he shook his head, "No, lets us get back." He lost interest in sightseeing after the all drama happened a while ago.
Choa nodded, disappointment creeping into his eyes. He looked away, resigning himself to the fact that patience would be necessary.
When the elevator doors opened at the hotel lobby, they were met by a gathering of onlookers who gasped at Lucifer's otherworldly appearance.
The crowd was mesmerised, some whispering in awe as he passed, his every step seeming to command attention without a word.
"Oh my goodness… he's like a fairy prince," someone murmured breathlessly.
"My old idol is nothing compared to him," another whispered.
Yet, despite their admiration, no one dared to approach. Something about him seemed to keep them at a distance, a barrier that felt invisible yet undeniable, so potent that even phones stayed in pockets, the crowd almost entranced, lost in his presence as he strode past, unhindered.
However, no one noticed any problem with it.
Soon Lucifer came back to the hotel, Choa stood near the entrance and watched his back, unable to say anything.
Once back in his suite, Lucifer tossed his round panda plush onto the bed before heading to the bathroom. As he stared into the mirror, his reflection stared back with eyes as deep as a winter sky, cold and unfathomable, yet undeniably captivating.
"Sigh... since I've decided to keep a low profile, I might as well do it properly," he murmured to himself, taking a deep breath.
He closed his eyes, letting his aura subside. The air around him softened, and when he opened his eyes again, he seemed less unearthly, almost human.
When Lucifer emerged from the bathroom, he noticed the round panda staring intensely at the iPad resting on the bed. Its small black eyes were fixed on the screen, wide and unblinking, as though it had uncovered some forbidden knowledge.
"Hmmm?" Lucifer raised an eyebrow as he took in the sight, moving toward the bed with a glint of curiosity. He sat down and grasped the panda by its neck, holding it up to meet his gaze. "What are you doing, hmm?" His voice was low, edged with amusement.
System 4858 looked up, clearly startled, though it remained obediently still, black eyes glistening as it tried to remain calm under Lucifer's scrutinising gaze. "Lord Host, I found something… interesting. Very interesting!"
The system's voice wavered with barely contained excitement, He had rarely seen the system this excited.
Letting go, Lucifer watched with faint intrigue as the panda practically bounced over to grab the iPad, eagerly thrusting it into his hands. "Lord Host, please take a look!" it chirped.
Lucifer accepted the iPad, his expression shifting as he scanned the content displayed on the screen. His eyes narrowed, his face an inscrutable mask, as he read the passage:
{Lucifer is depicted as an immensely powerful and beautiful angel who becomes prideful and rebellious. He grows envious of God's power and the obedience shown to Him by the other angels. In his pride, he rallies a group of other angels to rebel, claiming that they too deserve independence or equality with God.
As punishment for his disobedience, God casts Lucifer and his followers out of Heaven. This act of defiance transforms Lucifer into Satan, and he becomes the ruler of Hell, symbolising the ultimate adversary of God and the embodiment of sin and temptation.}
A profound silence settled over the room as Lucifer finished reading. His fingers lightly tapped against the screen, and he let out a quiet, humourless chuckle.
Finally, he turned to the system with an almost unnervingly gentle smile. "What are you trying to say?" he asked, his voice velvety smooth.
System 4858 felt an immediate chill at the sight of that smile, its normally bold disposition crumbling in an instant.
It hastily began to act cute, curling its round body and blinking up at him with wide, innocent eyes. "Lord Host, I was just… surprised. Surprised that there's someone with the same name as you. And he sounds so powerful! But," it added quickly, "this world doesn't have any supernatural elements, so it's probably just a myth people here made up." The system nodded emphatically, hoping to dispel any misunderstanding.
The system was well aware that the "Lucifer" in the ancient stories was vastly different from its tyrant host. And, perhaps most crucially, the system knew that the name "Lucifer" wasn't its host's true name.
When the system had first bonded to him, it had assumed Lucifer was his real name, but over time, it became apparent that the host was nothing like what it had initially believed.
In truth, even now, System 4858 had no idea of its host's true identity or past. All it knew was one irrefutable fact: anyone who dared to make the tyrant host unhappy rarely lived to tell the tale.