A Tale as Old as Time

Lucifer caresses his baby in his hands, and soars through the sky, hidden in the night with his dark wings, with only a flicker of moonlight on his skin. The moon barely uttered a crescent that eve, just as Lucifer predicted. He arrives at the gate soon after, only to be stopped by two new guardian angels.

Lucifer burrows his wings beneath his cloak, and Without hesitation, he utters a cry. "Quickly! The law breaker has been found in the east village! Heaven's council has demanded for everybody to surround the traitor!"

The guards didn't give a second thought and immediately left their post, leaving the entrance to the underworld completely open. Lucifer enters the gate, and lets out an unworldly shriek, echoing down into the abyss. A few seconds later two imps fly up.

"Take the child to the bottom of the chasm. Make sure he is fed well, nourished, and protected. Don't let anyone else know about this." He hands over the baby to the imps, and they swiftly depart.

"By my hand, I will make it back alive with Aphione." Lucifer returns to the gate and to the overworld, and without a second thought, bolts towards the village where his love was. It was time to tell the truth before it was too late.

Suddenly, a bellowing roar could by heard from the skies.

"Where is the child??!!"

In the far distance, Lucifer could barely eye the refuge over the horizon, but black smoke and fire was arising, and thunderclouds were quickly forming in the vicinity. The voice from above spoke again.

"Sinner! Show yourself. We have what you want." Rising from the black smoke came a bright spectacle of light carrying a pale and dim woman.

"Aphione!" Just as Lucifer rushed towards the smoke, he was stopped by the same two guardian angels he tricked before.

"Halt, liar and sinner. We do not wish to have violence. If you attempt to pass us, she will be hurt painfully." One of the guards reached into his wings and brought out something resembling shackles, but shining exceptionally bright and painful to look at.

"Put these on and follow us. We assure you that no harm will be done to her if you comply."

Lucifer gritted his teeth. How did they know it was her? Shit, it must've been one of the other elders. They probably gave her away when the council came and threatened wreak havoc.

Without any other choice, Lucifer lowered his wings, put his head down, and raised his arms as the guards lowered to the ground. In the distance, a stranger could be seen carrying a screaming Aphione towards them.

"Lucifer Hellfire and Aphione Allbright, you are both hereby sentenced with heresy, treason, and betrayal to kin. These crimes, however, are incomparable to the ultimate sin thine have both done. The fusion of angel and demon. You will be interrogated and tortured and tell us where the child is."

One of the guards continued to the verdict as the other slowly walks toward Lucifer with the shackles. Aphione drew nearer and nearer, and could be seen crying.

"The final verdict has already been decided."

The two guardian angels look up and the stranger carrying Aphione, now silent, land behind them. It felt like an eternity before the angel finally spoke.

"The punishment for both parties is... death."

As the final word was uttered, Lucifer was distracted a glimpse of Aphione as she mouthed her final words.

S A V E T H E C H I L D

A tear streaked from her eye as she let out a smile.

In his heart of hearts, Lucifer knew what that meant. This was the last task as a demon, a traitor, and most importantly, a father. To not give up without a fight, or die trying.

Lucifer let out a bleak smile as he, too, felt a flow of tears streaming across his face. In the end, Aphione knew who he was, but still accepted him. The memories they made together, the immeasurable love for one another, and the child they both bore.

"Thank you, Aphione."

The night sky, only accompanying by the dim moonlight turns pitch black as a swirling dust emerged from Lucifer's wings. His skin turns into a smoky gray, hissing the air around him. Pressure begins emanating from his aura as the lush green grass surrounding him wilts instantly, and the ground underneath begin the slowly crack. Lucifer's eyes turn into a void of black, and black blood streams against his face.

"YOU. WILL. NOT. TOUCH. THE. CHILD."

A pool of black blood begins to flood quickly from his body, defying all forms of gravity as it shoots aimlessly in all directions.

"YOU. WILL. NOT. TOUCH... THE CHILD."

The two guardian angels begin the frantically fly away, but it was too late. The darkness enveloped their body, and engulfed their decaying body as their screaming cries of anger turned silent, dead as the night.

"YOU... WILL... NOT... TOUCH... THE... CHILD..."

The stranger holding Aphione shoot upwards into the sky, but Aphione relentlessly kicks and fights back, slowing the ascent.

The voice bellowed from above. "Leave the woman. We will find the child ourselves."

"YOU... WILL... NOT..."

The pool sputtering from Lucifer's body as his body begins to decay. The stranger drops Aphione, and she falls into the encompassing darkness but not before the two forbidden lovers lock eyes with each other one final time.

"..."

"..."

---SNAP!!!

Derek jolts up, sweating profusely. His breathing was erratic, and he felt like he was having a heart attack. The last thing he remembered was becoming engulfed in a endless pit of darkness.

"Aldin, you gave him too much information at once. He's overloading."

"Lyse, he can take it. Do you realize now, Vars? You are the culmination of years of ancestry, since the beginning of time. The first baby was named simply as Hellbright, the mix between light and dark. The child was always a male, and would give birth to one male, sacrificing his powers and passing it on to the next generation. You, Vars, are the next in line. The child of prophecy."