The air in the war room felt thick with tension. Lucien stood at the head of the long, obsidian table, watching the gathered demon generals—Althar, Ogrim, and Melenis—all stand in grim silence. Their eyes flicked nervously toward each other, the flickering torchlight casting long shadows on the stone walls.
Lucien knew they were doubting him. Their loyalty had been a matter of convenience, not trust. Demons were creatures of ambition and pride, and while they were willing to follow him for now, their eyes were always scanning for the next opportunity to seize power. But Lucien had a plan for that.
"Why have you gathered us, Lord Lucien?" Althar spoke, his voice low and cautious. He was the first to speak since they entered, but it was clear that his patience was running thin.
Lucien tilted his head, the glint of a smirk dancing at the edge of his lips. He could feel their doubts hanging in the air like an oppressive weight. "I've called you here because you have questions. You wonder where my true loyalties lie, don't you?"
There was a shift in the room, a subtle shift of unease. Althar's eyes narrowed. "We wonder whether you are still loyal to your mother's cause, or if you are simply a puppet in the hands of greater forces."
"Do you think I'm a puppet?" Lucien asked softly, though the words carried an edge of venom. "Perhaps you believe I've been manipulated by the demons I've allied with, or worse, that I am foolish enough to trust those who simply offer me power."
Ogrim shifted uncomfortably, his large form casting a shadow on the table. "We simply don't understand your actions, Lucien. You've made your moves, but you've yet to reveal your true intentions. The Church's power is crumbling, yet you hold back."
Lucien allowed the silence to stretch, his gaze turning cold. "Because I do not need to strike now, Ogrim. I've already taken the first step—planting doubt in their minds. Fear, paranoia. The Church's foundation is built on faith, but once that faith falters, everything else will crumble. But I will make them question their own beliefs. I will break them from within."
Melenis, the youngest of the generals, spoke up, her voice laced with uncertainty. "But how can you control their faith? It's not as simple as destroying their warriors."
Lucien's smile spread wider, a smile that did not reach his eyes. "It's not. But faith is fragile. I will show them their gods have abandoned them, that their salvation is nothing more than a lie. I will manipulate the very core of their belief, and in doing so, I will lead them to their destruction."
The room was quiet for a moment, as the demons absorbed his words. It was clear that Lucien's plan was unconventional, but it was also undeniable. The Church's greatest strength was its faith. Without that, they would have nothing. And Lucien knew exactly how to shatter it.
Althar spoke again, his voice almost reverent. "You think you can break their faith?"
"I know I can," Lucien said, his eyes dark with conviction. "But it won't be easy. It will take time. It will take careful planning. I'll need your full cooperation. If you question me again, if you doubt my methods, then you will all fall along with the Church. But if you stand with me, we will burn them to the ground."
Althar, Ogrim, and Melenis exchanged wary glances. For now, they were uncertain, but Lucien had made his position clear. He wasn't just playing for power—he was playing for control over everything.
"Do you still doubt me?" Lucien asked, his voice a quiet threat.
No one dared answer immediately. The demons exchanged glances, the weight of their decision pressing down on them.
Finally, Althar nodded slowly, his pride yielding to Lucien's unyielding will. "We stand with you, Lucien."
The others followed suit, though their expressions were more reserved. They weren't entirely convinced, but for now, they would follow his lead. Lucien's smile returned, predatory and cold.
"Good," he said, his voice like ice. "Then let's begin the next phase of our war."
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End of Chapter 5