Chapter 143 The Father’s Claim
“Follow me,” Lucifer said.
With a flick of his fingers, the air in Hell tore open. Fire curled inward, folding on itself as a dark portal bloomed into existence. Beyond it lay Selena’s chamber.
They stepped through.
The temperature shifted instantly. Lucifer lifted his hand, weaving a veil so thin it barely whispered against the air. Shadows bent. Light dulled. To the world beyond, they vanished.
Selena stood alone at the center of the chamber.
Her boots were firm against the obsidian floor, shoulders squared, chin lifted. Crimson energy rolled off her in slow, pulsing waves, stirring the runes carved into the walls. Each breath she took was measured. Controlled. Her focus was locked inward, sharpening the power coiled beneath her skin.
She never sensed him.
“Hello, daughter.”
The voice sliced through the room.
Selena’s breath caught.
The power around her stuttered flaring once before snapping back into her body like a restrained flame. She didn’t turn immediately. Her fingers flexed at her sides, muscles tightening as if bracing for impact.
Then she faced him.
Her gaze met Luca’s.
The air between them thickened, heavy enough to press against her lungs. The chamber seemed to shrink, walls closing in as silence stretched, unbroken and suffocating.
“What right do you have to call me that, King Luca?” she said.
Her voice was calm. Too calm.
Luca didn’t respond.
A slow smile formed instead lazy, knowing as he began to walk. His boots echoed softly with each step, the sound deliberate, measured. He circled her like a predator with time to spare.
His eyes roamed freely.
Over the banners darkened by Hellfire. Over the ancient symbols etched deep into stone. Over the faint residue of demonic magic clinging to every surface responding to Selena, recognizing her as its own.
Something unreadable flickered across his face.
“I can’t believe Lucifer would do so much for you,” he said at last, his tone almost reflective.
Selena’s jaw tightened.
Luca’s gaze returned to her, lingering now. Assessing. Claiming.
“All this,” he continued, gesturing faintly around them, “for you… daughter.”
The word scraped.
“And what does that have to do with you?” Selena snapped.
Her fists clenched, nails biting into her palms as she turned fully toward him.
Luca stopped walking.
The distance between them vanished not in steps, but in presence. His eyes darkened as they locked onto hers.
“Everything,” he said.
He stepped closer, invading her space without touching her.
“You’re here because I allowed it,” he went on calmly. “Because I chose to give you away.” His lips curved, sharp with satisfaction. “You should be grateful.”
Selena’s chest rose and fell once, sharply.
Luca’s gaze drifted again, slow and deliberate, taking in the chamber as though weighing its worth.
“Look at the life you’re living now,” he said. “Power. Protection.” His eyes flicked back to her. “A throne beside the Devil himself.”
His smile widened.
“I bet Lucifer would sacrifice anything to save you.”
Selena’s lips pressed together, the corners of her mouth tightening until her jaw ached. Her hands trembled at her sides not with fear, but with the effort it took to hold herself still.
“If you’re done talking,” she said, each word forced past clenched teeth, “get out of my chamber.”
The air shifted.
A low hum vibrated through the room as crimson light bled into her eyes, her power rising instinctively, answering her anger before she could stop it. The runes carved into the walls flickered in response.
Luca threw his head back and laughed.
The sound was sharp. Mocking.
“Is that any way to speak to your father?”
She barely had time to inhale before he moved.
His hand shot out, fingers tangling in her hair, yanking her head back hard enough to draw a gasp from her throat. Pain flared across her scalp as her neck strained, her feet sliding against the obsidian floor.
Luca leaned close, his breath warm against her ear.
“You have the same face as your mother,” he said, every word dripping with disdain.
The room seemed to tilt.
Memories blurred, fractured, unwanted crashed through Selena’s mind, and something inside her splintered completely.
“If only she had allowed me to kill you that night,” Luca went on, his grip tightening as if savoring her pain, “maybe the prophecy wouldn’t have come to pass.”
Her pulse thundered in her ears.
“But every failure has its use,” he added coldly. “And it’s time I make use of you.”
Selena screamed.
The sound tore out of her raw, furious, unrestrained and the chamber answered.
Power detonated from her body in a violent surge. The floor cracked. The torches guttered. Luca was ripped from her grasp and hurled backward like a broken doll, his body slamming into the far wall with a brutal impact before collapsing to the ground.
Silence followed thick and ringing.
“Don’t you dare mention my mother,” Selena said, her voice shaking as she stood there trembling, crimson light blazing from her eyes. “And for your information I am not your daughter.”
A low groan broke the stillness.
Luca pushed himself up slowly, one hand braced against the wall. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he wiped it away with his thumb. When he straightened, shadows crept over his skin, curling around him like living smoke.
“You have some power,” he admitted, his tone dark and measured. “But don’t fool yourself.”
His eyes flared.
“No matter how strong you think you are, you will never be stronger than me.”
The shadows surged outward, filling the chamber, pressing in from every direction.
“I am King Luca,” he said. “King of Vampires. Your father. My blood runs inside you.”
He raised his hand.
“And I command you.”
Invisible force slammed into Selena.
She cried out as her body was ripped from the ground, limbs jerking as magic wrapped around her like chains. The pressure crushed her chest, stealing the air from her lungs as she struggled helplessly in the air.
“Give me what I want,” Luca said calmly.
Beside Lucifer, Morgana’s hands curled into fists.
“Master,” she whispered urgently, “we should do something. We can’t just stand here and watch him do this to her.”
Lucifer’s lips curved into a slow, unreadable smile.
“No,” he said quietly. “Don’t interfere.”
His eyes never left Selena.
“I want to see how she handles this,” he added, voice dark with interest, “when I am not there to save her.”
AUTHOR NOTE
My amazing readers,
This chapter was heavy, intense, and honestly one of the hardest to write. Selena’s strength isn’t just about power here it’s about standing her ground when everything is trying to break her. Luca showing up like this changes a lot, and things are only going to get more complicated from here.
What did you think about Selena facing him on her own? Do you think Lucifer is right to step back… or is he making a dangerous choice? 👀
Don’t forget to like, comment, and share your thoughts I really read and appreciate every single one. Your support means more to me than you know. Thank you for staying with me on this journey 🤍🔥