The five of them stood on the platform, the roar of the cosmic arena still echoing around them. Khaos was down there, in the first realm, facing a monster made of stone and fire. Lucifer watched, every muscle tight.
Bariel's voice cut through the noise. "The first test is complete. The Trial begins in earnest now."
Michael turned, his eyes hard. "What is the first challenge? A battle of champions?"
"Not exactly," Bariel said, a strange note in his voice. "The first challenge is always personal."
The ground beneath them dissolved.
No warning. No flash of light.
One moment they were together, the next—
---
Lucifer landed on solid ground. He was in a room. A simple, circular chamber with stone walls. No doors. No windows. The air smelled like old books and rain.
A figure sat at a small wooden table in the center, stirring a cup of tea.
She looked up. "You took your time."
It wasn't Lilith.
