Chapter 10: A Whisper in the Abyss – The Tyrant Queen's Private Confession
The oppressive silence that hung over the royal audience hall was a testament to the weight of the moment. Everyone watched, as if frozen in time, their collective breath held by the tension that crackled in the air. The Queen—Lucia—sat upon her throne, the very embodiment of power and grace, her gaze fixed unwaveringly upon the youth before her.
His entrance had been nothing short of unexpected. At first glance, he appeared to be weak, his form far from what one might expect from someone bearing the heavy weight of divine energy. In fact, his power seemed to leak from him, a raw, uncontrolled flow that spoke of inexperience, an unpolished mastery of the primordial energy that swirled within his veins. Yet, beneath that unassuming exterior, there was something darker, something far more ominous.
The aura of death that clung to him was undeniable—a constant, chilling reminder of the abyss that lurked just beyond the veil of life. It was palpable, thick as if one could almost reach out and feel it, taste the decay and despair that trailed in his wake. The air itself seemed to shift in his presence.
His appearance was enough to stir suspicion. His very being seemed like a harbinger of doom.
"Who dares to enter the throne room unannounced?!" The royal guards, trained in the art of vigilance, immediately responded with swift aggression. Their weapons, gleaming with the light of the flickering torches around them, were aimed with deadly precision, their voices commanding as they encircled the intruder.
The tension in the room escalated rapidly. Yet, amidst the chaos, Lucia—Queen of the Mermaids, known for her iron-clad composure—spoke with a voice so serene, it was as though she were discussing the weather rather than the presence of an uninvited guest.
"Let him be," her voice rang out, a calm command that immediately halted the guards in their tracks. Their confusion was palpable, but there was something in her tone that made them hesitate. They looked to their Queen for guidance, her eyes now locked onto the stranger before them. She was watching him with a curious gleam in her gaze, her lips curling into a soft, enigmatic smile.
Her smile held a certain edge, a coldness that sent a shiver down the spines of all those present. It was a smile not of kindness, but of intrigue, one that suggested the Queen saw something in this strange, young man that others might not.
The room was thick with silence, broken only by the soft whispers of those in attendance. A low murmur spread throughout the hall, the ministers exchanging nervous glances, their eyes flicking from the Queen to the mysterious figure before them. One particularly bold individual muttered under his breath.
"It is the sign of the slaughter's arrival…"
The words hung heavily in the air, their implications setting off a ripple of discomfort through the audience.
Lucia's gaze never wavered, her eyes glowing faintly with an eerie crimson light as she observed the young man. His aura was still strong, yet there was a distinct lack of control over the power that radiated from him.
His appearance was almost laughable, an unpolished mess of primordial energy leaking in all directions. But what truly captured her attention was not his weakness, but the palpable presence of death that accompanied him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she observed the strange sensation that seemed to pulse from his very core. It was familiar to her, but not something she had ever expected to encounter in a person so young.
For the briefest of moments, the Queen's regal composure faltered, revealing a flicker of something—uncertainty, fear, perhaps. But it was gone as quickly as it had appeared, hidden beneath her usual cool exterior.
The audience held their collective breath, waiting for what might come next.
"Who... are you?" she finally spoke, her voice rich with authority, yet laced with an undertone of curiosity. She tilted her head slightly, her smile growing ever so faint.
Lucifer McKenzie—though not yet known by his true title—stood still before her, his body tense, though his mind was elsewhere. His thoughts were churning, but one thing was certain: the Tyrant Queen was a force to be reckoned with. Yet he could feel her, too—he could feel the creeping touch of death that had already begun to claim her.
"You will die in three days," Lucifer's voice cut through the silence, his words falling like a stone in a pond, causing ripples of shock to spread across the room.
The audience's reaction was immediate and chaotic. Some gasped, others scoffed, while a few looked genuinely disturbed. Their Queen, their ruler, was doomed.
Lucia, however, remained unfazed. Her expression did not betray a single ounce of panic. She simply watched him with an unwavering intensity, her crimson eyes glimmering in the dim light.
Amelia—Bernice Williams, the Queen's daughter—was the first to react, her voice shaking with disbelief. She reached out and grabbed Lucifer's wrist, her grip tight as though she might shake the truth from him.
"W-what? How can you be so sure?" she stammered. "We have the Divine Water pond. It has cured many ailments. You're wrong—she can't die."
Lucifer's eyes flicked to her, his gaze cold. "The Divine Water will not help. It may provide temporary relief, but it's already too late for her."
His words struck a nerve, but Lucia did not flinch. She met his gaze with the same steady calm as before. She knew it was true. Her body was already betraying her. Death had touched her, and there was nothing she could do to escape its grasp.
She exhaled slowly, her lips curling into a small, knowing smile. "Today's audience is adjourned," she announced, her voice firm, and the crowd, still stunned by the proclamation, began to shuffle uneasily out of the hall. They cast one last, lingering glance at the enigmatic figure before they were dismissed, leaving only the Queen and her closest allies in the room.
Bernice, her face pale and her hands clenched tightly at her sides, looked at Lucifer with a mix of disbelief and frustration. She had tried so hard to protect her mother, to find a way to save her from the inevitable, but now it seemed that the stranger's words rang with terrifying truth.
Lucia, however, was not finished. "Clara," she called, her voice slicing through the tension like a knife. "Bring him to my office."
Without waiting for a response, she stood up and made her way toward the door, her footsteps echoing through the silence of the hall.
Lucifer followed her, reluctant but determined. He could sense the power in her, the force that had allowed her to maintain control over her kingdom for so long. But that same power was now failing her, crumbling from within.
Once in the office, the doors closed behind them, leaving only the two of them in the quiet, dimly lit room. Lucia, still composed despite the heavy knowledge that she was nearing the end of her life, sat down at a desk, her fingers lightly tracing the edges of a teacup.
"I never thought I'd meet a kin of the Great Death God, Hades, in my life," she mused, her voice quiet and almost playful. "A recently Awakened Demigod at that."
Lucifer took a seat, his gaze following the Queen's every movement. "I'm here to sell the Divine Water pond," he stated flatly, though his words were a mere smokescreen. There was more at play here than a simple transaction. He had come for something far more valuable.
Lucia's lips quirked upward, though her eyes remained sharp. "Is that why Bernice brought you here? You must know I do not need the Divine Water... I am beyond its help."
Lucifer's eyes narrowed as he studied her carefully. "But you're cursed," he said, his voice low, the weight of his words hanging between them.
Lucia was silent for a moment, her fingers pausing in their gentle caress of the teacup. Then, with a soft sigh, she nodded. "Yes. I am cursed."
Lucifer had already known the answer, but hearing it from her lips solidified what he had suspected. Her curse was not something she could simply wish away. It was the very thing that had brought her to the brink of death.
"I can save you," he said, his tone firm. "But in exchange, I require the Tremor-ranked Magic Spell that your daughter promised me."
Lucia's gaze flickered for just a moment—an imperceptible shift that betrayed her calm facade. But it was gone in an instant, replaced by a composed expression as she poured tea into their cups.
"If you truly believe you can save me, then you must want something more," she mused, her voice thoughtful as she placed the teapot back onto the table. "What is it you seek?"
Lucifer leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with quiet intent. "Your most prized possession."
Lucia paused, then smirked knowingly. "You want Poseidon's Trident, don't you?"
Her words rang out loud enough for someone hidden in the shadows to hear. The playful tone in her voice was unmistakable, but beneath it lay something far darker, a calculated game being played.
"I could give you that," she continued, her eyes glinting with an edge. "But there is one condition: you must marry my daughter."
Lucifer blinked, momentarily stunned. "What?" he asked, genuinely perplexed. "Why would I marry your daughter?"
Lucia's smile only widened. "Oh, I don't mind it," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "You do have noble blood, after all. But I wouldn't want to force my daughter into a political marriage. She deserves more than that."
Lucifer scowled, clearly irritated. "I have no intention of marrying your daughter. If your kingdom is your most prized possession, then I would rather marry you and become the King."
The Queen tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she considered his words.
"My goodness, are you saying you want me?" she asked, her voice playful but with an underlying tension.
Lucifer stared back at her, his expression unreadable. "If it secures what I want, yes."
---
A/N: The plot thickens! What will happen next in this intense game of power and control? Will Lucifer get what he wants, or will the Queen have other plans?