"What is it that you truly desire?"
John felt it immediately.
Lucifer's power was subtle, almost impossible to notice unless someone knew what to look for. It did not force itself into the mind like telepathy or tear through defenses like dark magic. It simply stripped away the instinct to lie.
John could feel the power of the gods inside him reacting. Ancient divine forces stirred beneath his skin, lightning flickering faintly at the edge of his fingertips for half a second before fading again.
It did not matter.
Lucifer's presence remained untouched.
Lucifer smiled as he noticed how hard John was trying to resist his influence. "Go on, John. I know you want to tell me."
Rachel noticed the shift first. John's expression had not changed much, but something about him felt more exposed now, like the walls he usually kept around himself had quietly cracked open.
John looked away for a moment and let out a slow breath.
"I made promises," he said at last.
Lucifer leaned casually against the edge of the piano.
John rested both hands in his pockets before continuing. "The Wizard trusted me with his power before he died. Not because I was the best person for it. Honestly, I think he was just out of options." A faint smirk touched his face before fading again. "But before he passed, I promised him something."
Rachel noticed the shift in his voice immediately. It was calmer now... Less guarded.
"I told him I'd rebuild what was lost," John continued. "A new Council of Wizards to keep this world safe from the demons and dark magic."
Lucifer's eyes narrowed slightly with amusement. "Ambitious."
"I also promised Kahndaq something," John continued. "Those people spent generations getting crushed by stronger nations, dictators, foreign powers, gods, metas, all of it. Every time they tried to stand up, someone bigger came along and reminded them how powerless they were."
His gaze hardened slightly now.
"So I decided to change that."
A faint spark of golden lightning crawled briefly across his knuckles before disappearing again.
"I also want to make Kahndaq strong enough that nobody can ever threaten it again."
Koriand'r watched him carefully after hearing that. There was no arrogance in his voice. If anything, it sounded more like responsibility than ambition.
John's gaze drifted downward for a moment before he spoke again, and this time his voice softened slightly.
"After that, I'm done."
The words came out more honestly than he intended.
"I want to retire somewhere quiet with my family." A faint breath escaped him, almost thoughtful. "Somewhere peaceful and far away from politics, wars, and all this madness." He gestured vaguely around himself before giving a small shake of his head. "Maybe have some kids... Try to be a good dad... And well... Live a normal life for once."
Silence followed.
Rachel looked genuinely caught off guard by the answer. Even Koriand'r's expression shifted slightly, as though she had expected something far more ambitious from someone with that much power.
Lucifer, however, only smiled.
It was not mocking this time. If anything, he looked quietly amused.
"You possess enough power to terrify entire pantheons," he said as he slowly lifted his glass, "yet the thing you truly want is painfully human."
John looked back at him.
Lucifer's smile widened just a little.
"A peaceful life," he said softly. "How wonderfully ironic."
John stood there quietly, still feeling the strange pressure lingering in the back of his mind.
Then it hit him.
His brows pulled together slightly.
"…The hell was that?" he muttered, finally realizing how much he had just said out loud.
Lucifer chuckled softly into his drink. "That," he replied smoothly, "was honesty. Terrifying thing, really. Most people spend their entire lives avoiding it."
'Shit! It feels so weird.' John narrowed his eyes at him. "You pulled that out of me."
Lucifer lifted one shoulder lightly. "Please. I merely asked the question. You answered because some part of you clearly wanted someone to hear it."
John stared at him for another second before exhaling quietly through his nose. He could still feel the faint irritation crawling under his skin. It wasn't anger but more like discomfort.
"That's annoying," John said flatly.
Lucifer grinned. "You have no idea."
Then his attention shifted.
Rachel felt it immediately when those eyes settled on her.
Lucifer walked past John slowly before stopping in front of her.
"And what about you, Rachel Roth?" he asked with his usual signature smile. "What is it that you truly desire?"
Rachel stiffened slightly.
For a moment, she looked ready to resist the same way John had, but then she noticed something important.
Lucifer wasn't forcing anything.
He was simply waiting.
Rachel lowered her eyes briefly, fingers tightening against the edge of her sleeve.
"…I want freedom," she admitted quietly.
Lucifer tilted his head slightly. "Freedom."
She nodded once. "Freedom from my father. From his voice in my head and his influence." Her expression tightened faintly. "I'm tired of feeling like my life already belongs to him before I even get to decide anything for myself."
Lucifer watched her carefully. There was no mockery in his expression now. If anything, he looked strangely understanding. "Freedom from daddy's influence?" he said softly with a faint smile. "We're so much alike already."
Rachel looked up at him uncertainly.
Lucifer took another slow sip from his glass before continuing.
"But that can't be everything," he said. "Freedom by itself is empty, my dear. What happens after you have it?" His eyes narrowed slightly with interest. "Go on. Keep talking."
"I want to sleep without hearing him in my head," Rachel admitted. "Just one peaceful night where my mind is actually quiet."
She paused for a moment before speaking again.
"I want friends," she continued slowly. "People who aren't scared of me or trying to use me for something." A faint breath escaped her. "I want to go outside without feeling like I'm dangerous to everyone around me."
Koriand'r listened carefully from nearby, her expression softening slightly.
Rachel looked down at her hands for a second before continuing.
"I want stupid normal things too," she said with a faint, embarrassed smile that barely lasted a second. "I'm only nineteen. I want to go on dates and drink. I want to know what it feels like to fall in love. Maybe have a family someday." Her voice dropped lower near the end. "I want a life that actually feels like mine."
Lucifer became very still after hearing that. Then, slowly, his smile returned. "Well," he said softly, swirling the amber liquid in his glass once more. "It'd seem our end goals are the same... we all want freedom."
"Can you help me?" Rachel asked. "John says you're the strongest of all and that you can do anything you wish. Can you help me defeat Trigon?"
"That's a difficult question to answer, my dear..." Lucifer said as he walked over to the minibar and put the glass down.
"Sit," he said casually as he gestured toward the long black couch near the fireplace. "This conversation becomes significantly less enjoyable if everyone insists on standing dramatically the entire time."
The trio sat down on the long couch.
Lucifer stood for another few seconds before finally walking over and lowering himself into the chair across from them. He crossed one leg over the other, looking more like a therapist about to discuss family trauma than the ruler of Hell.
"Yes," Lucifer said calmly. "I can remove Trigon's influence from Rachel. Permanently, if necessary. That part is honestly quite simple."
Rachel blinked. "Simple?"
Lucifer gave her a small smile. "My dear, your father is powerful. Absurdly powerful, really. Unfortunately for him, influence and corruption are hardly unique talents in my line of work."
John folded his arms loosely. "I already told her my lightning can suppress the influence temporarily."
Lucifer pointed lightly toward him. "Exactly. Divine lightning, living magic, holy authority. Your power acts like poison to entities built from corruption and fear. Trigon can still whisper through the cracks, though. You can block him. I can silence him."
Rachel looked down briefly, processing that.
"So…" she asked carefully, "then why not just kill him?"
The room became quieter after that.
Lucifer's expression did not disappear, though something colder settled behind his eyes now. He leaned back slightly in his chair.
"Because your father is not merely a demon," he said. "He is a cosmic constant."
Koriand'r narrowed her eyes slightly. "Cosmic constant?"
Lucifer nodded once. "Creation requires opposition. Light requires darkness. Order requires chaos. Every realm in existence is balanced against another force. Trigon exists as one of the pillars maintaining that balance."
Rachel frowned. "He destroys worlds."
"Yes," Lucifer replied calmly. "And stars explode by the millions every day across the universe. Black holes consume entire systems. Predators hunt weaker creatures. Entropy exists in all things." His gaze shifted toward her. "Existence is not built on kindness. It is built on balance."
John stayed silent, though his expression had hardened slightly.
Lucifer noticed immediately.
"You already understand this," Lucifer said as he looked at him. "That's why you haven't tried hunting every villain on your planet to extinction despite having the power to do so. Without villains, people will look at you heroes in fear... and then the heroes will become villains in their eyes. Thus, a new cycle will begin."
John did not answer.
Lucifer leaned forward slightly now, fingers loosely intertwined. "If Trigon dies permanently, the imbalance would ripple outward across every connected realm."
Rachel swallowed quietly.
Lucifer's voice remained calm as he explained it.
"At first, it would seem beneficial. Demonic realms would weaken. Corrupt magic would destabilize. Countless dark entities tied to Trigon's influence would either die or lose power completely." He paused briefly. "Then the real consequences begin."
The fireplace crackled softly behind them.
"Hell would absorb the vacuum first," Lucifer continued. "Not because I would choose it, mind you. Cosmic systems despise empty spaces. Power always flows somewhere."
Koriand'r's eyes narrowed further. "Meaning your realm would grow stronger."
"Exponentially," Lucifer answered without hesitation. "Every demonic hierarchy across multiple dimensions would begin collapsing inward toward Hell itself. Wars would erupt almost immediately. Ancient rulers sealed away long before humanity existed, would wake up sensing weakness in the structure of creation."
Rachel felt cold hearing that.
Lucifer noticed, though he continued anyway.
"Barriers separating dimensions would weaken over time," he said. "Certain realms rely on Trigon's existence as a counterweight. Remove him entirely and eventually reality starts compensating."
John finally spoke. "Meaning invasions, civil war across infernal dimensions, reality tears, and magical storms spilling into Earth
Lucifer pointed toward him slightly. "Precisely."
His expression darkened just a little now.
"You would not simply remove evil," he continued. "You would destabilize the ecosystem containing it. Smaller demons would evolve into larger threats. New rulers would rise, attempting to claim the empty throne. Some are far worse than Trigon because, unlike him, they would still be hungry."
Koriand'r crossed her arms. "You speak as though his existence is necessary."
Lucifer looked at her calmly. "Necessary does not mean good."
That shut the room quiet again.
Lucifer stood slowly from the chair and walked toward the glass wall overlooking Los Angeles. His reflection stared back at him against the sea of lights below.
"When my father created existence," he said softly, "he did not create perfection. He created balance. Every force serves a purpose, even the monstrous ones."
Rachel looked down at her hands again. "So there's no way to stop him without making things worse."
"There are ways," Lucifer replied. "Permanent imprisonment, dimensional exile, or severing his connection to this realm entirely." He glanced back toward her. "Even weakening him to the point where he becomes incapable of manifesting physically for several millennia."
He walked over to Rachel and asked, "I don't really care about humanity... they can live or die or fight among themselves for all I care. But if Trigon interferes with Earth, it'd foil my plans. So, I'll help you solve your daddy issues. I'll sever his influence from this reality... Think of it as a favor from the devil."
"What do you want in return?" John asked.
"A favor for a favor," Lucifer replied, looking toward John.
"Which is...?" John narrowed his eyes.
"You see, I'm really enjoying my time here on Earth. So, right now, the throne of Hell is empty. And it can't remain empty forever," Lucifer said as he walked to the minibar and poured a drink. "My father will sooner or later interfere and maybe force me back to Hell, which I'd love to avoid. So, after you've achieved your goals..."
He turned back to John again with the glass of liquor.
"...you'll give me a year of your life on Earth and rule hell in my place. After that, you're free. I'll personally make sure you get to live your peaceful life with your family without any interruption."
"That's roughly over six thousand Hell years," John said.
"A small price to pay for freedom and peace, don't you think so?" Lucifer asked.
Rachel grabbed John's arm, "Please don't..." She didn't want John to spend over 6000 years in hell for her. It's too big a sacrifice to ask for.
John ignored her. "If I say no, you're going to erase her existence, won't you? Without the key, Trigon won't be able to set foot on Earth."
Lucifer's devil face appeared for a brief moment. "If it interferes with my plans, yes."
"And what you said about..." Before John could speak...
Lucifer cut in. "Your peaceful life with your family without any interruption?"
"Yes," John nodded. "Are you serious?"
Lucifer smiled as he said, "I am a Devil of my word."
"Deal," John said with a nod. 'Where would I get a time chamber like hell for free? It's just 1 year on Earth. With my Wisdom, I can keep my sanity and get stronger than ever. With these overpowered freaks around me, I need more power. God knows when they'll start fighting among themselves. Haa... I'm gonna miss the girls. But gotta protect them.'
Lucifer looked confused but also slightly amused, "Interesting... You'd sacrifice that much for a girl you met yesterday? Why? I don't quite understand it. Erasing her existence would've been much easier. You get a Trigon free Earth, and you can continue with your life..."
John looked at Rachel for a moment, then back at Lucifer.
"She asked for help. That's enough."
--
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