Lucifer couldn't take it anymore.
His curiosity had gotten too much.
He just had to see the surface world, to see what it was that his mother had seen, what scared her so much, and why she was adamant he would never go up there.
After Tartarus and Doria had gone to bed, the now twelve-year-old Lucifer snuck out of the palace. He had gotten better at his shadow travel and with the pit being so dark, it was almost laughable at how easy it was to escape.
Lucifer stumbled out into the city street, catching himself before he fell face-first on the pavement. He stood up, brushing himself up as he looked up and down the empty street, curiously gazing up at the flickering lamp posts and the shabby brick buildings lining the street.
He was in awe. He had never seen such a cramped space. The alley he was in was one-third of the size of his walk-in closet, maybe even ΒΌ!
Lucifer stepped out of the alley, making his way down the dimly lit street. Every second, the silence was broken by his footsteps. The street felt endless. Every turn resulted in old looking buildings, either a store or an apartment, with flickering street lamps, roads with holes, and trash being blown around by the wind. Lucifer was out of place in this poor neighborhood. Aside from being a god, he was dressed in a silk, black toga with a golden emblem holding it together, and he had a special pendant from his parents; his being oozed wealth and privilege. It was as clear as day that he did not belong here.
The more he walked around, gazing up at the graffiti and the closeness of the buildings, Lucifer began to feel disappointed with the surface world.
He was expecting something very different. Something spectacular, something grand - his mother either exaggerated or somehow felt pride about where she grew up.
Is this really what the mortals live in? He thought to himself, a mixture of confusion and disgust on his face. Wow, no wonder mom married dad.
At another turn, Lucifer found himself at a bridge. The sulphuric scent of the East River filled his nose, and peaked his curiosity. The pit had rivers, but from what he's heard from his mother, rivers on the surface world don't try to kill you or give you depression; unless you thrash around and can't make it out of the water.
Leaning over the railing, Lucifer looked down at the shimmering blue, admiring and trying to see through it. His mother has told him all about the countless species of fish in the sea, and he had always been amazed that the ocean was large enough to fit them all. It sounded impossible, but it was possible.
Lucifer began walking along the bridge, his hand trailing along the rail. He was bored now. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, scoffing.
Lucifer had expected better of the mortals. Their creations are interesting, but living like this, in tight quarters that don't seem to be up to par, feels a bit strange. Was this really how his mother lived? Cramped up against other mortals? She was a demigod, she had to fight monsters, how on earth was she able to do her duty with so many mortals around? Mortals aren't supposed to know about the god world, so the fact no one discovered his mother was a demigod meant that she must've been quite the sneaky one.
Lucifer is kind of curious as to how his mother managed it.
As he made his way off of the other end of the bridge, Lucifer never noticed the tall man in fisherman's clothing following just a few feet behind him.