——-Haven
The heavy bass throbbed through the club, a relentless, seductive beat that pulsed like a living heart. Bodies writhed beneath flickering crimson lights, a mass of mortal and demon flesh moving in sync, oblivious to the dark eyes that watched over them.
Sera stood on the balcony overlooking the dance floor, her dark hair cascading down her back like a river of ink. Below, mortals danced, their faces flushed, their skin glistening with sweat. Some were entranced, spellbound by the touch of demons disguised as breathtakingly beautiful men and women.
But Haven wasn't just any nightclub. It was Sera's domain. And there were rules here.
Her gaze zeroed in on a hulking Incubus with a cruel smile, his hands gripping the arms of a stumbling mortal woman. Harrow. He leaned in close, lips grazing the woman's neck as he whispered something that made her shiver.
Sera's jaw clenched.
The crowd parted as she strode through them, hips swaying in a skintight black dress that clung to her curves like a second skin. Every step exuded power, her heels clicking against the polished floor like a countdown.
She reached them just as Harrow's fangs grazed the woman's throat.
Sera's hand shot out, grabbing Harrow by the collar. With a savage yank, she pulled him away, forcing him to stumble back.
"The hell you think you're doing, Harrow?" Her voice was low, dangerous — a purr with a razor's edge.
Harrow sneered, fangs glinting. "Just having a little fun."
"Not in my club," Sera said, her grip tightening around his collar. She shoved him backward, sending him crashing against the wall. The mortal woman staggered away, eyes glazed, completely unaware of how close she'd come to being a meal.
Sera pressed closer, her chest brushing against Harrow's, her breath hot against his ear. "You touch another mortal in my club, and I'll rip your throat out. Understand?"
Harrow's eyes darkened, his jaw clenching. "You're just a low-ranking succubus playing queen. You think you can scare me?"
Sera's lips curved into a slow, wicked smile. She let her power slip free, just a taste — enough for her eyes to darken to an abyssal black, the air around them thickening with the scent of smoke and sex.
Harrow's bravado faltered. He swallowed, eyes darting around as if searching for backup that wasn't there. Sera leaned in, her lips brushing his ear.
"Run," she whispered.
And he did.
The crowd swallowed him up as he fled, and Sera straightened, smoothing her dress as if nothing had happened. The music pounded on, the mortals dancing, blissfully unaware of the predator that had just slinked away with his tail between his legs.
"Sera."
She turned to find Nix approaching, his silver hair tousled and his mismatched eyes glinting — one green, one gold. He leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his gaze trailing over her in a lazy, appreciative sweep.
"You've really got a way with people," he drawled.
Sera rolled her eyes, but a smirk tugged at her lips. "You here to lecture me, Nix?"
"Not this time," he said, pushing off the wall and stepping closer. His body radiated heat, the scent of burnt sugar and smoke wrapping around her. "But word's spreading."
Sera arched a brow. "Word?"
"About you." Nix's gaze was serious now, the playful spark in his eyes dimming. "A rogue succubus operating on Earth without permission. Lucifer's got his eyes on you."
Sera's smile didn't falter, but her fingers tightened around her glass, the coolness of the glass biting into her palm.
"Let him look," she said, tossing back the last of her drink and slamming the glass down on the bar. "I'm not afraid of anyone."
But as she walked away, the bass thrumming beneath her feet, a shiver ghosted down her spine. Because she knew that Lucifer never just watched. He acted. And if he was coming, then her days of playing queen were about to end.
Outside Haven, the night was thick with the scent of rain and smoke. Neon lights bathed the street in a crimson glow, and beneath the flickering sign, a figure stood — tall, imposing, wrapped in a dark coat that fluttered like wings in the wind.
Lucifer.
His gaze was fixed on the sign above, the word Haven blinking on and off, as if undecided whether to shine or fade. He slid a gloved hand through his tousled black hair, jaw clenching as a memory sliced through him like a blade.
Liliana, her body sprawled across his lap, her blood staining his hands. Michael's blade lodged deep in her chest. Her eyes, once so full of life, fading beneath his touch.
Lucifer blinked, forcing the image away, his face hardening. That was a long time ago. But the ache in his chest hadn't dulled, and now she was here — a ghost in the flesh.
With a slow, deliberate breath, he stepped inside.
The heavy bass of the music hit him first — a deep, sensual thrum that pulsed through the air like a heartbeat. Bodies swayed and pressed together, lost in the haze of smoke and lust. Red and violet lights slashed through the darkness, casting the room in hues of sin and desire.
Lucifer moved through the crowd with the effortless grace of a predator. Eyes followed him, drawn by the magnetism that dripped from every inch of his perfectly sculpted frame. He wore power like a second skin — dark, dangerous, and untouchable.
But he wasn't looking at them.
He was searching for her.
Then he felt it — a dark, volatile energy pulsing from the center of the room. His jaw tensed, and he followed it, the scent of sin and smoke leading him to the bar.
There she was.
Sera.
She stood with her back to him, one leg propped against the barstool, her black dress hugging her curves like a lover's embrace. Long, dark hair tumbled down her back in wild waves, and her skin glowed under the crimson lights. She tossed her head back, laughing at something the silver-haired demon beside her said, but the sound barely registered to Lucifer.
It was her.
Liliana.
Alive.
Breathing.
Laughing.
Lucifer's fists clenched at his sides, leather gloves creaking. Relief and agony warred within him, twisting like a knife in his gut. How was this possible?
As if sensing his gaze, Sera turned.
Their eyes met.
Electricity sparked through the room, crackling in the air between them. Sera's expression shifted — her brows drawing together, lips parting in confusion. There was something familiar in his eyes, something that made her pulse quicken and her chest tighten.
Lucifer didn't move. Didn't blink. He simply stared at her, his face a mask of cold composure. But inside, he was burning.
Sera's heart pounded in her ears, and a strange, fierce anger welled up in her chest. She didn't know this man, yet everything in her screamed that she did.
Lucifer swallowed, forcing his expression to remain blank.
She's really here.
Sera strode toward him, her heels clicking against the floor with a confidence that bordered on defiance. The crowd parted around her like smoke, the sultry scent of her perfume lingering in the air. When she stopped in front of him, she crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed and chin lifted.
"You lost?"
Lucifer's gaze dipped down, lingering over the curve of her hips, the dangerous set of her jaw. His lips curved into a lazy, arrogant smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Depends," he drawled, voice smooth and dark like sin itself. "Have you seen a rogue succubus? Mouthy, defiant, thinks she owns the place."
Sera's jaw clenched, and her nails bit into her skin. Something about his tone — that infuriating, smug tone — ignited a fire beneath her skin.
"You think you're funny?" she shot back, eyes blazing. "Who the hell are you?"
Lucifer leaned closer, the heat of his body brushing against hers without ever touching. His scent wrapped around her — dark spices and smoke, the kind that made knees weak and minds hazy.
"Someone who's been to Hell and back," he said, voice dropping to a dangerous, velvety purr. His gaze locked onto hers, intense and searing. "You're Sera, right?"
Sera's heart hammered against her ribs. There was something about the way he said her name, like he was tasting every syllable. Like he'd said it a thousand times before.
She squared her shoulders, refusing to let him see how much he rattled her. "Depends," she bit out, mimicking his earlier answer. "Who's asking?"
Lucifer's smirk deepened, a flash of perfect white teeth. He leaned in, his mouth so close to her ear she could feel the ghost of his breath against her skin.
"You should be more careful who you let in your club, Sera."
A shiver snaked down her spine, her pulse thrumming with a mix of anger and… something else. Something dark and forbidden that she didn't want to name.
Lucifer straightened, his dark eyes scanning her face, searching for something she couldn't fathom. Then, just as quickly, his expression shuttered — arrogance sliding back into place like a mask. He turned to leave, his broad shoulders cutting through the crowd as if he owned the room.
Sera stood frozen, her fists clenched at her sides. Something about him felt wrong. Too familiar. Too intimate.
Before he reached the door, he glanced back over his shoulder, eyes heavy-lidded and intense. There was a flicker of something raw and haunted in his gaze.
"You really don't remember me, do you?"
And then he was gone, leaving Sera standing in the middle of her own club, her heart racing, her skin tingling, and the taste of his words lingering like smoke on her tongue.
Sera shoved the door open, the heavy metal slamming against the wall with a resounding crash. Her heels echoed sharply as she strode into her office, fury simmering beneath her skin. Behind her, Nix slipped inside, closing the door with a quiet click. His eyes tracked her every move, brow furrowed in concern.
Sera marched straight to the bar, her hands shaking as she grabbed a glass and the nearest bottle of whiskey. The liquid sloshed as she poured, amber spilling over the rim and dripping onto her fingers.
"What the hell happened out there?" Nix asked, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Sera downed the drink in one harsh swallow, the burn scorching a path down her throat. She set the glass down with a loud clink and braced her palms against the bar, shoulders rising and falling as she caught her breath.
"Some arrogant bastard just showed up," she said, her voice tight and strained. "Started talking to me like he knows me."
Nix's brow lifted, his expression darkening. "What did he look like?"
Sera dragged a shaky hand through her hair, pushing the wild curls back from her face. The stranger's eyes were still burned into her mind — dark and bottomless, like storm clouds ready to break.
"Tall," she muttered, her jaw clenched. "Black coat. Dark hair. Eyes like…"
She trailed off, swallowing hard. Eyes like sin. Eyes like a promise of destruction wrapped in velvet. Eyes that felt like they'd stripped her bare with a single glance.
Nix's gaze sharpened, but he said nothing.
Sera rubbed the back of her neck, the skin tingling beneath her touch. "It's like… it's like he knew me. Like he knew things about me that he shouldn't."
"Did he say his name?"
Sera shook her head, biting her lower lip. "No. But the way he looked at me…"
Her voice faltered, the memory crashing through her like a wave — the stranger's intense, unwavering stare, the way his eyes seemed to trace every line of her face as if he were searching for something. Or someone.
Sera let out a shaky breath, her hand flexing around the empty glass.
"I think I'd remember someone like that," she muttered, but the words sounded hollow.
Nix nodded, his jaw tight. "Yeah. Maybe."
But his eyes lingered on her, a shadow of unease flickering across his face.
Alone in her office, the silence closed in like a suffocating shroud. Sera leaned back against the wall, eyes falling shut as she tried to shake the feeling crawling beneath her skin.
Darkness swirled behind her eyelids. The room spun, the air thickening, pressing in.
A flash.
The ground shook beneath her feet. Heat blazed against her skin, the scent of smoke and blood filling her lungs. A battlefield stretched out before her, flames licking the sky. Bodies scattered like broken dolls, wings burning to ash.
A man's face loomed before her — fierce, desperate, eyes blazing with anguish as he screamed her name.
"Sera!"
His voice echoed, a haunting refrain, and Sera's chest seized, her heart slamming against her ribs.
She gasped, her eyes flying open.
The room came back into focus — the empty office, the cold glass in her hand, the steady, unrelenting thump of the bass from the club outside.
Her breathing was ragged, her pulse pounding in her ears.
Who was that man?
Why did he look like the stranger in the club?
And why did her heart ache as if it had been shattered into a thousand pieces?
The night air hung heavy, thick with the scent of rain and sin. The neon lights of Haven pulsed like a heartbeat, casting a crimson glow across the rooftop where Lucifer stood, his dark coat whipping around him like a shadow. His eyes were fixed on the window of Sera's office, the glass glinting like a shard of broken memory.
From here, he could see her — pacing, restless, her silhouette framed by the dim light. Her expression was stormy, brow furrowed, lips set in a defiant line. Lucifer's jaw clenched, his chest tightening with the ache of recognition. Liliana. No, Sera. She was Sera now. But the soul was the same.
"Aw, would you look at that," a familiar, smug voice drawled behind him. "The mighty Lucifer Morningstar, staring at a succubus like a lost puppy."
Lucifer's eyes narrowed, but he didn't turn around. Azazel stepped up beside him, his arms crossed, a smirk twisting his handsome face. His dark hair fell over his forehead, eyes gleaming with malicious delight.
"She's not just any succubus," Lucifer said, his voice low and edged in steel.
Azazel chuckled, his laughter cold as the wind slicing through the night. "Oh, I know. It's her. The one you let die."
Lucifer's fists clenched at his sides, black flames flickering beneath his skin. His jaw ticked, but he said nothing, keeping his eyes locked on Sera as she poured another drink, the glass catching the light like a shard of glass.
Azazel leaned closer, his breath hot against Lucifer's ear. "You know what I don't get? Why you even care. She doesn't even remember you. Doesn't even remember what you did to her."
Lucifer's eyes darkened, his muscles taut beneath his coat. "I didn't betray her."
Azazel tilted his head, feigning confusion. "Oh, no?" He stepped around Lucifer, blocking his view of Sera. "Then why did she die screaming your name?"
The words struck like a blow, the memory slamming into Lucifer like a fist to the gut. Blood on his hands. Her blood. Liliana's eyes wide and terrified, her fingers clutching at him as Michael's blade plunged through her chest.
Screaming his name.
Lucifer's hands shook, flames curling up his arms, black and scorching. The rooftop vibrated beneath him, the air growing heavy with the scent of burning embers.
Azazel grinned, his eyes glittering like shards of obsidian. "Face it, Lu. She's better off not knowing the truth."
Lucifer swallowed, his throat tight, his heart a cold, aching knot in his chest. Azazel sauntered away, his laughter echoing through the night, each step a taunt.
Lucifer turned back to the window. Sera was sitting now, her head buried in her hands, her shoulders tense, like she was struggling to hold herself together.
Lucifer closed his eyes, his fists trembling as the memory surged — the battlefield, the blood, Liliana's broken body cradled against his chest.
Her eyes fading. Her lips parting, whispering his name one last time.
"I didn't betray you," he whispered, voice raw and breaking. "I swear."
But the wind swallowed his words, carrying them away into the night. And inside the club, Sera sat alone, oblivious to the dark prince watching over her.