"Come in, Lucifer," the council leader's voice broke the silence in her office. I sensed you the moment you entered the complex. You are hardly discrete," she remarked before the door opened.
"Pardon me, Miss Tepes, for my apparent lack of tact," a velvet-like man's voice sounded. "I must have become rusty throughout these years spent in the tomb," he added, slipping into the room in one fluid motion.
Even though the lights remained off, Akali had no problem examining the newcomer. Lucifer was slightly above-average height, built like a martial artist, and obnoxiously handsome, something the white-haired woman would never admit aloud. His relatively short and raven dark hair was slicked back, undoubtedly styled with some gum. The man's eyes were intriguing, that is, if someone did not know the secret behind them. At one moment, these soul mirrors could be depthless like a pitch black, only to be wholly replaced with the purity of silver in the next. Akali saw a playful flicker behind them, which completely contradicted the professional and down-to-business attitude his current pose gave. She wondered how long he had been awakened; after all, his noble and defined cheeks were covered with neatly trimmed stubble. One glance at him was enough to prove he had more than an ounce of royal blood in him. Lucifer, even when relaxed, seemed imposing, radiating with a mixture of confidence, wisdom, and something much darker. It was a potent mix that could and, in theory, should frighten even the most idiotic creature on this planet. But … as we have experienced numerous times, the theory rarely matches up with reality.
The man stood proud and tall, awaiting the vampire's response. He was clad in an ashen suit matched with a dark grey vest. Underneath it, a snowy shirt could be seen with the top buttons undone.
"Are you trying to fool someone into believing that you are a lawyer, not a killing machine forged to wage wars?" the council's leader questioned after a long pause. "If so … please remember about a tie the next time," she added, placing her hands on the desk and preparing to stand up.
"Oh, I must have forgotten about it," the dark-haired man replied nonchalantly, closing the door behind him. "Can we drop this farce? How have you been, Akali?" he added, changing his tone from playful to serious in the blink of an eye.
"Could have been better," Akali retorted, sighing heavily. "I do not know how to deal with this situation," she added after a brief pause as if she needed to gather her thoughts. "With everything I have … it should have been a breeze. Yet … it is not. People around me die in various macabre ways, only fuelling someone's ego as they repeatedly throw the gauntlet at me," she confessed, discarding her usual mask of emotionlessness.
"I have heard some bits about it," Lucifer started quietly, slowly approaching the desk. "However, I think it would be best if I hear it right from the source."
"Practical as always," the white-haired woman scoffed, then chuckled. "I do not know. It simultaneously feels like we have a lot and no evidence. No matter what I do or plan, the mastermind behind all of this is at least one step ahead of me," she added, finally standing up and painfully slowly turning towards the windows.
"Sometimes … things do not go our way," the dark-haired man remarked, joining the council's leader by the rain-stained glass and stilling to her left. "Sometimes, we need to fight an uphill battle, but … if someone can pull it off, it would be you."
"It is appreciated," the vampire commented, extending her left arm and seeking the man's larger and firmer hand. "I wish I did not have to wake you," she whispered.
"It is completely fine," Lucifer said, squeezing the woman's hand. "On an entirely different matter, though … I am happy you finally let someone in," he added, whispering as well.
"What do you mean?" Akali questioned, genuinely surprised.
"Please, do not act all that surprised," the man retorted, chuckling. "This Asian assistant of yours, you seem to care about her deeply. Or … perhaps what happened between you was but a mistake on your side, and I read the signs poorly?" he asked, but from the start, it felt more like a statement than a question, rhetorical at best.
"No … you are right, she dear to me," the white-haired woman whispered after fully processing the last response. "And … it terrifies me. I have not allowed any women to get this close to me since Evelynn. Partially, I feel like I am betraying her … I feel like I am betraying Evelynn's love and trust put in me," she added, closing her eyes and looking downwards.
Author's notes section:
I have a small announcement for you. I will try my best to return to posting only the already completed pieces. Please be mindful that it will take longer, but you will not be left with many WIPs as I struggle to conclude them. That being said, I will post a small WIP and then a finished chapter for the next couple of weeks to adjust to the new workflow. I'm sorry in advance for any inconvenience.
As a side note, please be informed that I'm actively trying to rewrite `The Endless Night` story that I posted a few months ago. Once I have both chapters adjusted, I will repost them, most likely with one additional chapter as a bonus of sorts.
Please note that the dialogues written in italics are thoughts.
As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)
Changelog:
[2024-03-28]: A preview has been released.
References:
- Heroes of Our Time - Dragonforce (chapter's title inspiration)
- Gunslinger - Ax7 (my writing companion)
End of the author's notes section.