Chapter 55 The Seeds of War
Michael had always looked down on humans fragile, foolish creatures who existed only to serve their purpose. To him, they were tools, nothing more. Yet, as he watched Morgana from the shadows of the divine plane, something shifted. There was power in her pain, in the ruin of her heart. A human broken beyond repair exactly what he needed.
And then, there was the child.
Half human. Half vampire.
A creation so rare it could either save or destroy.
Michael’s cold eyes darkened. That bloodline the blood of Hemilune was his weapon. And for his war against Lucifer, he would use every drop of it.
That was why he placed Selena near Lucifer.
To him, she was a spark meant to ignite chaos.
Lucifer, however, had seen enough centuries to read his brother’s game. The moment he felt Michael’s touch clinging to the air, he understood war was no longer a matter of if, but when.
He stood over Monica’s lifeless body, her pale skin still faintly glowing with the scent of Heaven. That scent sickened him. He pressed his palm against her chest, his power burning through her veins, stripping away every trace of Michael’s grace until only the darkness remained.
When he finally drew back, his expression was unreadable.
“She doesn’t belong here,” he said, his voice calm but cold. “Return her to the human realm.”
Morgana bowed her head slightly, her long hair falling over her shoulders. “Where should I drop her, my lord?”
“Paris,” Lucifer replied without hesitation.
Morgana’s brow furrowed. “And her memories? Won’t she remember… her daughter?”
Lucifer’s lips curved into a slow, dangerous smile, the kind that could freeze the air around him.
“A mother’s heart remembers what her mind cannot,” he murmured, his voice low and edged with dark amusement. “But I’ve sealed her memories. She’ll live her life without ever recalling her child.”
The words lingered in the air like smoke, heavy and final.
Morgana’s fingers trembled slightly as she lifted her hand. A soft hum of power rippled through the throne room. The air shimmered, bending and twisting until Monica’s body rose from the ground, her golden hair cascading downward, swaying as if underwater. The faint scent of lilies and ash clung to her the last trace of Heaven’s grace slowly fading away.
For a fleeting second, Morgana looked at the woman’s peaceful face and wondered if mercy truly existed in either Heaven or Hell. But she said nothing.
“What of Michael?” she whispered, breaking the silence, her tone cautious as though even his name could summon wrath.
Lucifer turned toward her, every movement deliberate. The dim light from the burning sconces caught his crimson eyes, making them gleam like molten iron. Shadows stretched and recoiled at his feet as he walked to his throne. When he sat, his wings unfurled with a low rustle black and vast, swallowing the light around him.
“Humans started this,” he said quietly, almost to himself, but the echo in his voice made the room tremble. Then came the faint curve of a smirk. “Humans will end it.”
Morgana bowed her head. She understood. It wasn’t a threat. It was a promise carved in eternity. A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips before she dissolved into a swirl of silver smoke, leaving the throne room empty and humming with power.
Lucifer rose again, the ground cracking faintly beneath his steps. A portal of black fire unfurled before him, licking the air with violet sparks. He stepped through without hesitation.
The world shifted.
Now he stood in the Delusions Garden—where beauty and madness walked hand in hand. The sky was an endless swirl of violet and indigo, stars pulsing like living hearts. The air carried the sweet, haunting fragrance of night-blooming flowers. Wisps of light floated lazily through the trees, giggling in soft tones that didn’t belong to any human language.
At the heart of it all was Selena.
She sat barefoot among the grass, surrounded by tiny glowing creatures that danced in her palms and tangled in her hair. Her laughter was light, like chimes touched by the wind. For a moment, it softened the edges of this cursed world.
Lucifer watched her from a distance. His expression gave nothing away, but in his eyes flickered something between pride and calculation. She was adapting too well, her light refusing to dim even here. The way she knelt to stroke one of the creatures, how she tilted her head to listen to their chatteri t stirred something inside him he would never admit to feeling.
When he finally stepped closer, the creatures scattered, their glow dimming into the shadows. Selena turned, startled. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and she rose quickly, smoothing her dress with trembling hands.
“Master,” she greeted softly, her voice barely carrying through the quiet.
Lucifer’s gaze lingered on her face, calm yet unreadable. “What do you think,” he asked, his tone smooth and velvety, “of visiting the human world again?”
Selena’s lips parted, but no words came. Her heart hammered in her chest. “The… human world?” she breathed. The memory of it the laughter, the pain, the sunlight she once loved flashed like a wound reopening. She looked away, unable to meet his eyes.
Lucifer’s smile was faint, but it was not kind. The corners of his lips lifted while his eyes remained dark and hollow.
He already knew her answer. It didn’t matter anyway.
Because this was never about her.
It was about Michael.
And Lucifer Morningstar fallen, patient, and merciless was ready to draw his brother out, even if it meant setting the worlds on fire.