Tobias Thorson was lost within the restrained moans and the teeming ecstasy that surrounded him before the sounds of gunshots interrupted his fantasy. New sounds emerged from the three girls around him, from fear rather than pleasure. He rose from between the legs of the girl he had been giving attention to, annoyed at the disturbance as the other two shifted alongside her. Disturbances destroyed the experience. Disturbances cost credits. You never knew how long the gaps between Council sessions would be. It meant he paid a lot to hire the girls he spent his time with, and there was always the possibility you'd never get the same one twice.

  More gunshots filled the air, muffled by the walls of his grand bedroom. It was bigger than most apartments in Rai. Moonlight illuminated the room through the giant windows that overlooked it, reaching as far as the bed and the rug between it and the large doors. It was around this moment he sensed something was wrong. Sure, sometimes guards got bored and accidentally shot things while entertaining themselves, but when it occurred more frequently…he paid them to deal with things like this. If they were so incompetent that they couldn't handle whatever it was, they deserved a bullet in the head.

  Tobias listened as another round of gunshots filled the air, followed by the shouts and moans of his men. He kept still for a moment and narrowed his eyes, listening as footsteps pattered outside his room, rushed and panicked. He held out his right arm and tapped into his Transformative Blessing, changing it into a shotgun.

  'Just be a few seconds, ladies,' he said, trying to sound relaxed while knowing there was tension in his voice, and that they'd sense it. Still, he shifted his enormous weight to the side of the bed, moving awkwardly as his great stomach weighed him down like an anchor. Once he was up on his feet, he waddled towards the bedside table and reached for his robe, which wasn't there. More gunshots rang out, louder and closer than before. Another sound answered them, tremendous booms like cannon fire rattling the walls. Tobias froze before turning his giant body to the three girls, who were becoming more terrified each second. This agitated him more, causing him to scowl.

  'One word and I will kill you all,' he whispered, his tone showing the seriousness of his threat. They would understand he was not lying. Whether a girl died made no difference to him. Yet, one of them who had fiery crimson hair opened her mouth to say something, stopping herself as soon as Tobias fixed his Transformative shotgun at her.

  'Yes?' he asked, daring her to utter a single word. He did not tolerate disobedience. However, the crimson-haired woman was saved by the sounds of more gunfire. Tobias fixed his attention back to the doors, aiming his weapon. The room fell silent as they listened to the sound of mumbled pleading, before a final echoing blast ended it. The intruder was here.

  An uncomfortable silence followed. Everyone was waiting, waiting for something that would unleash itself in a torrent of bullets, screams, and death. Instead, Tobias and the three girls stared at the doors, listening intently. They watched a handle moved downward, as though a child were trying to sneak into the room, believing no one had noticed them. A man emerged, a Hateful man with silvery gold hair, dressed in black with etchings of silver alongside silver buckles across the jacket. He looked up at them.

  Then Tobias shot him.

  The Hateful man was knocked back, hitting the door, which rattled on the impact. Unable to contain herself, one girl screamed in horror, before covering her mouth with both hands. Everyone glanced at her for a moment, saying nothing, before turning their attention towards the Hateful man. His breathing stuttered and became frantic as he slid down against the door, his body fighting as blood gushed out of his chest, seeping from multiple wounds.

  'That didn't take long,' Tobias said, unsatisfied. 'After you blew away my shitty guards, I was expecting more of a fight.'

  He glanced at the girls with a smile, before gesturing to the dying Hateful man.

  'I paid those idiots to keep pieces of shit like him out. Well, if they're that bad, I'm glad he killed them. Just means I'll have to hire better ones.'

  Unexpectedly, the Hateful man stopped gasping as he lay with his back against the doors, no longer appearing to be dying. Instead, a glare appeared on his face, indignant and hateful, while blood still seemed to be gushing out of his body, creating a pool of crimson. Tobias frowned at him.

  'Is this what you want?' the Hateful man said. 'Is this what you all want? Humans…'

  The Hateful man shifted on one side, the blood dissipating into steam. Tobias had heard of this occurrence, how Hateful bodies decomposed after dying. He wondered how the Hateful man appeared to have survived a shotgun round in the chest, and his frown deepened.

  'How are you still alive?' he asked. The Hateful man said nothing, shifting onto his feet, rising with the same hateful glare on his face. Unable to help himself, Tobias smiled, amused by the strangeness of all this.

  'I should've hired you instead. You might have done a better job on your own.'

  The Hateful man staggered a few steps into the room as moonlight shrouded him. He straightened himself and regarded Tobias, appearing exhausted and impatient.

  'You think this a joke,' he said, as lines of anger covered his face. 'Your insolence sickens me, Tobias Thorson. Yes, I know who you are. I intend to see you and all your friends tonight.'

  Tobias held his tongue, realising who this man was.

  It's him. The one who professes himself the new god of our world. Thinking of that brought a smile to his face.

  'That ain't the real you,' he said, his knowing smile deepening. 'So, c'mon. Where are you…Cursed one?'

  Lucifer did not reply, focusing his gaze on Tobias. He was a massive man, far more overweight than most humans by some distance, his stomach overhanging as though he had eaten one of the girls lying terrified behind him. If he had a neck, Lucifer could hardly tell. His large bald head possessed jowls that made his smile almost disconcerting as they regarded each other. His nakedness didn't help either, and judging by the nakedness of the girls, Lucifer had no illusions about what he had interrupted. He kept his attention off them, not just because he didn't trust Tobias, but because something didn't feel right about seeing them in such a state. Tobias seemed to read this in his discomfort, glancing between him and them. The human had been right, of course. He was staring into an Illusionary conjuring.

  'Don't fancy a look, do ya?' he said, his voice barbed with insult. Tobias extended his right arm towards the girls, beckoning them towards him. 'I might have one that interests you.'

  He reached back and took a girl by the arm, dragging her forward as she gasped. The move forced Lucifer to look at her, causing him to freeze as his eyes widened in realisation.

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  No…that's not possible, he thought, his lips parting in amazement as his mind debated whether his eyes were tricking him. As much as he wished they were, he knew they were not. She possessed a slim frame, but her hair was mostly silver with strands of gold, her skin ghostly white. She reminded him of Ven, and this chilled his blood.

  'You like her?' Tobias probed, grinning, as the woman struggled to break free of his giant hand. In response, Tobias struck her on the face with his Transformative arm, making her gasp as she ceased struggling, cowering in his grip as she closed her eyes. Lucifer's mind tried to register what was happening, stunned at the prospect of seeing one of his own race like this.

  'You know…sometimes it just adds to the thrill, the idea of dabbling in the taboo,' Tobias said, grinning. 'She was a good price, mind. She almost looks like you. Unfortunately, she has a fault that lowers the price compared to what I imagine it could be. She ain't one of you.'

  He returned his gaze to Lucifer then, amused. 'Still, she is beautiful, isn't she? Fancy doing a trade? I'll take one of your girls, and you can take one of ours.'

  What are you?

  Lucifer could feel the voice stirring, saying nothing, watching him. The thought caused Lucifer to grit his teeth, his body tightening almost to the point of shaking. Even if the girl was human, he couldn't help but see Vennifer lying there, hurt and ashamed. Then, as he watched the girl cry, he was surprised to discover her looking at him, mouthing words he had never expected to see from a human.

  I'm sorry.

  Why are you apologising to me? Lucifer wondered, remembering the woman in the Dreamhouse lying on the floor during her madness. It reminded him of the words Diana had spoken to him, back when he had begun his dream.

  "Our lives aren't as great as you think. It doesn't justify what we've done, but we all suffer in some way. That's just what it means to live in this world."

  Suffering is universal, isn't it? Between humanity and Hateful, we all suffer. Is that what you want me to see? To understand?

  Lucifer listened then, his agitation growing with the presence within, with the voice. He longed for answers, for truth, for understanding. He felt like a child being exposed to the truth, watching as everything they once thought true was shown for the lie it was. Lucifer gritted his teeth.

  Answer me! his mind screamed, while a strange violet and crimson aura swirled around him, appearing like dashes of visible wind. Lucifer did not understand what it was, but he understood that power came from it, giving him the sense of omnipotence he knew he would need to destroy the Divinity. He turned his hands and glanced at them, staring at palms and fingers that slowly changed into bladed claws as he tapped into his Transformative Blessing. He looked towards Tobias then, a strange sense of tranquillity washing over his face.

  'Tobias,' he whispered, while the Illusionary Blessing faded away. 'You have no idea what's coming.'

  Lucifer's true form stepped into the room then, enveloped in the strange aura but paying it no mind. Without knowing it, his eyes had changed colour too, becoming violet with crimson irises.

  'I will destroy him,' he said, though he noticed something different as he spoke. It was as though the voice within had spoken alongside him, their voices combining. That gave Lucifer pause as he looked at his right hand, noticing the power swirling around. He knew he should be afraid, but a part of him sensed clarity as he stood, figuring this to be a step along the path. Feeling the reassurance that came with that, he took another step towards Tobias, noting the fear that spread over the human's face.

  'Before now, my mission was to force you to swear fealty to me. Make you acknowledge that a new god was coming,' he said, reaching forward and cradling Tobias's chin with his right claw, smiling. 'But, I can see the pigs you truly are. I see your cruelty, your love of pain and suffering. I'm going to hunt down and slaughter every one of you. There will be no Council under me. I will rule alone. My name is Lucifer Armedeus and I will become the new god of this world.'

  Lucifer stabbed his clawed hand into Tobias's neck. The human appeared to not realise what had just happened, glancing down at the planted claw, before blood seeped through his lips and nose. Then he opened his mouth and finally allowed the rest of the blood to gush onto Lucifer's claw. One girl screamed as Lucifer yanked his claw away, as Tobias's body sagged and fell back onto the bed, gargling and struggling with his final breaths. The violet and crimson aura faded then, allowing Lucifer to return to his previous state as he relinquished his Transformative Blessing. He then turned towards the human girl who looked like Vennifer.

  'I've only just begun,' he whispered, allowing his hand to fall by his side. 'I will change this world. I will free my kind from this purgatory.'

  The human nodded in understanding, while the two others trembled behind her. Still, a question lingered within Lucifer to which he wanted an answer.

  'Why do you make yourself look like one of us?' he asked.

  'Because I want to get away,' she answered, appearing ashamed. 'I have a son, and I want to give him the best chance I can.'

  Lucifer considered this, before nodding. 'I will change things,' he said. 'I will make this world make sense. I hope you succeed in your dream. Now I must pursue mine.'

  He stepped towards the door, knowing what needed to be done.

  'Wait!' he heard the human woman call behind him. 'Why do you want to become a god?' she asked.

  Lucifer allowed himself to smile, considering the question. It was what he asked himself again and again. Despite the pain. Despite the suffering pursuing dreams often brought. That question always lingered within. More often than not, the answer one gave not only defined the dream but also one's existence.

  'Because a god can create absolution,' Lucifer replied. 'Absolution removes all confusion and ambiguity. Nuance does not exist, and neither does dichotomy. A god can make a world a simple place, an understandable world. A god can create this reality, like how the Divinity created ours; I will create another. I will give my kind a way to understand this world, understand itself. Then, we won't have to be known as Hateful anymore. Then, we can be understood.'

  Lucifer paused then, allowing himself to turn and regard the human woman once more, still seeing Vennifer in her. Sadness rose within him.

  Which is why I understand we can never be together, Ven. To pursue a dream, I must sacrifice all others.

  Without understanding why, this brought a tear to his eye.

  'It didn't have to be this way,' he said, fighting the emotions threatening to overcome him. 'All we ever wanted, all we ever needed was your help.'