Lucifer remained in his room for a long time after Amelia left.
The door had closed softly behind her, yet the silence that followed felt heavier than the argument itself. For several minutes he simply stood where he was, staring at the wooden panels of the door as if expecting it to open again.
It never did.
Eventually he exhaled slowly and lowered himself onto the edge of the bed.
The conversation replayed in his mind in pieces. Not as words, but as expressions and emotions that refused to settle.
Lucifer is not some naive fool. He knew Amelia disliked him.
That had never been a secret.
But he had never realized the depth of that hatred until today.
The worst part was that he could not even blame her.
The memories of the original Lucifer were clear enough now that he understood exactly why she felt the way she did. The arrogance. The cruelty. The casual humiliation. None of it could be defended.
If anything, Amelia had tolerated far more than she should have.
And yet…
Lucifer still felt sad.
The emotion sat quietly in his chest like a dull weight that refused to move.
He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.
It was strange how complicated emotions became when memories from two lives existed in the same mind. Part of him remembered being the arrogant noble who had treated Amelia like property. Another part remembered the future where she hunted him across battlefields and ruined cities.
Neither version felt completely like him.
But the consequences of both versions belonged to him.
Lucifer rubbed his face slowly.
He had bigger matters waiting for him.
Soon he would need to speak with his father.
Rowan Obsidian Valcrest would demand explanations about the awakening, the demonic ritual, and Mia's involvement. Those were not conversations that could be handled while his thoughts were still clouded.
He needed a clear mind.
After sitting there for several more minutes, Lucifer finally stood up and decided to go out to get some fresh air.
He decided to take a walk along the estate to calm his mind.
A walk would help or at least that was what he told himself.
The Valcrest estate was unusually quiet that morning.
Many of the guards had been dispatched toward the outer territories following the monster disturbances in the Noct Vale Highlands. The usual rhythm of servants, patrols, and messengers moving through the estate had slowed.
Lucifer walked without direction, letting his thoughts drift as his feet carried him along familiar stone paths.
Eventually his wandering brought him toward one of the oldest buildings within the estate.
The Ancestral Hall
The structure stood slightly apart from the rest of the mansion complex. Tall black pillars framed its entrance, and the doors themselves were carved from ancient ironwood reinforced with runic plates.
Lucifer had not entered the hall in a long time.
He pushed the doors open.
The hinges moved silently.
Inside, the hall stretched forward in quiet solemnity. Sunlight filtered through high stained windows, painting the obsidian floor in muted colors. Along the central chamber stood the most important feature of the hall.
The Valcrest Family Wall.
A long slab of polished obsidian stone that carried the engraved names of every known member of House Valcrest.
Lucifer approached slowly.
Hundreds of names covered the surface.
Some belonged to ancestors so ancient that even the family archives held little more than fragments about them. Generals. Conquerors. Nobles who had fought during the early centuries when Abysscyra struggled to survive the collapse of the old world.
Lucifer recognized some.
Others he remembered only faintly.
His gaze slowly drifted downward.
Near the lower portion of the wall, the names became more familiar.
Michael Obsidian Valcrest.
His elder brother.
The name carried quiet authority even carved in stone. Michael had always stood at the center of the family's expectations. A prodigy who had graduated from Astral Crowncrest Academy and ranked among the strongest students of his generation.
Unlike Lucifer, Michael is actually liked by everyone regardless of their positions.
He is truly the ideal heir anybody can ask for.
Beside it stood another name.
Sebastian Obsidian Valcrest.
Lucifer paused briefly.
Sebastian was his cousin, the son of Rowan's younger brother.
Contrary to what many outsiders believed, Sebastian had never been formally adopted by Rowan. After his father died he simply remained within the Valcrest household under the protection of the family.
His father had been Roger Obsidian Valcrest.
He was Lucifer's beloved uncle.
The memory surfaced immediately.
Lucifer remembered the sound of the alarm horns echoing across the territory. Soldiers rushing toward the gates while terrified civilians tried to flee deeper into the estate lands.
He had been younger then.Too young to understand what war actually meant.
He remembered standing behind Roger while the battle raged around them.
Demons surged through the broken defensive lines like living nightmares. Their bodies twisted with unnatural limbs and jagged claws that tore through armor like paper.
Roger stood between them.
His axe moved with terrifying force.
Lucifer could still remember the sound it made.
Not a clean blade strike.A crushing impact causing demons to collapse under each blow.
Roger had always fought like that.But even warriors like him had limits.
By the time the battle ended, Roger was still standing.
For a moment Lucifer thought they had survived.
Then Roger collapsed.The wounds had been too severe.
Lucifer remembered kneeling beside him.
Holding his uncle's body while blood soaked into the ground beneath them.
Roger had died protecting him.
Sebastian had lost his father that day.
Lucifer stared at the name for a long moment before moving on.
Another name stood slightly apart.
Ariel Valcrest.
Sebastian's mother.
Lucifer remembered her faintly. Ariel had once been known for her elegance within noble society, but after Roger's death she had withdrawn almost completely from public life.
She still lived within the estate.
But she rarely appeared outside the inner household.
Lucifer's gaze moved again.
Rowan Obsidian Valcrest.
His father.
The current Duke.
Rowan's name had been carved deeper than the others, a subtle tradition reserved for the ruling head of the house. Across the continent Rowan was known as one of the strongest Dukes alive.
Some even believed his strength rivaled that of Demon Dukes themselves.
Lucifer knew the man behind the reputation.
Rowan was not a cold person described by the masses.He is like that because he carried heavy responsibilities like armor on himself.
He is a good father and an even better warrior.
Beside Rowan's name stood another.
Clara Blackwood Valcrest.
Lucifer's mother.
Her name looked almost fragile carved into the obsidian.
Clara had once been a commoner before marrying into the Valcrest family. During a demon conflict years ago which clamed Roger's life,she had used a forbidden technique to kill the demon duke, destroying her own body in the process.
If not for her,Lucifer had been long dead along with the Valcrest warriors present at the scene.
The battle left her permanently crippled.
Yet she had never shown resentment.
Lucifer had always admired that.
Further along appeared his own name.
Lucifer Obsidian Valcrest.
Seeing it there always felt strange.
As if the stone had recorded a version of him that no longer existed.
Just after his name stood another.
Amelia Valcrest.
Lucifer frowned slightly.
He still did not understand why Lucifer's mother had insisted on having her name engraved here years ago. The decision had caused serious arguments among the elders of the house.
Many believed the family wall should remain reserved strictly for bloodline members.
Lucifer looked away quickly.
After their conversation that morning, the sight of her name felt uncomfortable.
He made a mental note to be more careful around her.
A little further down the wall another name appeared.
Evelyn Valemount.
Lucifer acknowledged it briefly before letting his gaze drift higher.
One name held his attention.
Robert Obsidian Valcrest.
His grandfather.
And arguably the person who spoiled Lucifer the most.
Robert had once ruled House Valcrest before Rowan inherited the title. In his prime the old Duke had been feared across the continent.
A warrior who fought during the Black Battle and survived.
A man who led entire armies into Pandemonium and returned victorious.
Many believed Robert had been the strongest Duke of his generation.
And yet…
Officially he was dead.
The world believed Robert Obsidian Valcrest had died years ago.
Lucifer knew the truth.
The funeral had been a lie.
Robert had faked his death.
Even Rowan did not know that.
Only Lucifer knew.
Because in the future timeline that knowledge had eventually surfaced.
Robert had abandoned the wars after Roger died.
Even a man like him had limits.
Lucifer stared at the name quietly.
Then he heard a light disturbance in this quite environment.
Light footsteps echoed through the hall.
Lucifer did not turn immediately. He is still lost in the memory of his grandfather.
A familiar voice followed.
"Well… this is unexpected."
Lucifer turned slowly.
Evelyn Valemount stood near the entrance of the hall.
Her red hair fell neatly over her shoulders, catching the afternoon light filtering through the stained glass windows. Her crimson eyes studied him with the calm confidence that always seemed to accompany her presence.
Her posture was perfect.
Almost annoyingly perfect.
She crossed her arms lightly.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Then her gaze moved briefly across the wall behind him.
A faint smirk appeared.
"Let me guess," she continued dryly.
"You finally discovered reading?"
Lucifer stared at her.
Evelyn tilted her head slightly.
"I suppose staring at names carved in stone is still an improvement over your usual hobbies."
Lucifer exhaled slowly.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
"Good afternoon, Evelyn."