79 The Meaning Behind "Lucifer”

As Lucifer and her were sitting around while manning the fire, things got awkwardly silent. Lucifer didn't take out his needle and thread today and just levitated sticks and logs to throw into the fire to continue practicing his ability. Aida could tell there was something Lucifer wanted to say, so she quietly waited for him to begin.

After a while, he finally opened his mouth, "I wanted to thank you for taking me in."

Aida responded blandly, mildly disappointed that that was all he had to say, "I didn't take you in or take pity on you, you're joining our group because it's convenient. We have a common enemy so we are allies at the moment."

Hearing this, Lucifer paused and then nodded gratefully. He knew that despite her cold tone, she was just saying this to help alleviate some of his worries. "Do you know, since the first time I met you, I always felt a connection with you. Something about you reminded me of the one person who I truly admire in this world. You have the same charisma as that person did."

He pulled out a necklace that was hidden underneath his clothes. Taking it off, he handed it to Aida. "I've always been holding onto it as inspiration and also as an incentive to try and find her. Unfortunately, with this outbreak, I will no longer have a chance to find her."

Aida took the familiar looking knife and inspected it carefully. She saw the familiar scythe insignia etched into the knife and realized that the knife belonged to her.

Lucifer didn't notice and began reminiscing. His eyes became distant as he described his past, "When I was just starting out in the special forces, my first mission was to protect this corrupt government official in Romania from terrorists. I couldn't fathom why I would have to care for someone who clearly didn't care for his own people. Back then, I was extremely torn between my duty and my beliefs."

"We were ambushed by the terrorists who bombed a nearby site, diverting much of our resources. We were being fired at from all angles and there was no escape from the situation. The official was still alive, but he treated my brothers like human shields. At that time, we were forced to make a run for better cover but I was shot in the leg so there was no way I could escape. I thought I was going to die that day."

"Right when I had given up all hope of living, the firing suddenly stopped. Peeking out, I saw a lady with red eyes in a mask, killing all the terrorists with flying knives and a sword. It was the most beautiful and amazing scene I had ever seen. After she killed the terrorists, she then proceeded to hack down the awful official."

"Before she left the scene, I called out to thank her for sparing my brothers lives and ask her why she did. She left me with just one word 'karma'. After she left, I crawled my way to the nearest body and pulled out one of the hidden knives to keep with me as a momento. I also investigated her and found out her name was Lilith."

Aida maintained her old expression, but inwardly she felt a twinge of guilt. That year, the organization had sent her out to assassinate an official in Romania that had double crossed them. When she arrived, she saw the scene of the special forces defending against the terrorists. The official was her target, but it looked like it would take a while for these incompetent terrorists to actually get rid of the official. She had left Xiao Ai in the hotel just in case anything happened to her, so she wanted to finish this mission as quickly as possible to get back to Xiao Ai.

Aida was never comfortable with leaving Xiao Ai for any amount of time. Thinking this, she first got rid of all the terrorists first so she wouldn't have to deal with annoying stray bullets and then directly went to kill the official. The special forces looked so weak and pathetic, they weren't even worth her time. She never expected that in the eyes of the special force soldier that inadvertently saved back then was Lucifer. He had such a rose colored version of what actually happened. It would be fairly embarrassing if Aida told him that it was just for the sake of convenience and her laziness, so she struggled to decide whether to admit that the person he was referring to was her.

Lucifer confessed, "Actually the reason I changed my name to Lucifer was for two reasons. The first is because I am no longer someone who fights for justice and equality, but rather for my own survival. My government had betrayed me and I can no longer comply with their orders. The second is that I wanted to have a closer connection to Lilith."

Aida actually had her mouth open and was about to reveal to him that she was Lilith, but when she heard that last statement, she immediately closed her mouth. There was no way she would tell him that she was Lilith, then she would never be able to get rid of him. He was already fairly clingy as it was.

"The moment I saw you at the airport, I felt as though I was immediately transported back to that scene in Romania. It was the source of my inherent trust in you despite having only met you for the first time."

Lucifer didn't mind Aida's lack of response and they continued through the night in this comfortable silence.