The candle burned down to half its size, before Lucian decided to leave with an unfinished bottle in his hand.
The lead was almost everywhere, making it hard to track anyone unless they were under the sky. The closer to the center, the more its powers seeped out of the walls. It was to prevent the pirates from using astral skills to destroy each other's houses.
Some proficient astral users could sense if they were being spied on and use astral barriers to prevent it, but most depended on the lead to protect their privacy.
Lucian's clothes were still bloodied, but the dark night was perfect for sneaking around. He blended into the shadows, walking past the drunk pirates on the streets, and the occasional thieves who preyed on them.
The buildings became bigger as he got closer to the center, the lead stronger. The Woodhearts' bar with its flag flying high on the roof, was not far from his destination.
The closed sign on the door made it look deserted. Nobody was guarding the entrance, nor patrolling the area.
Lucian pushed the door open, the bell ringing loudly, "What a cozy place you got here."
He placed the bottle on the counter, his golden eyes more noticeable in the dim light of the candles. Smiling at Ash and Penny, who sat opposite each other at the counter, he greeted them, "I brought a drink, shall we have a toast?"
Ash dropped his cigarette, grabbing the sword from his belt.
Penny's chair fell back as she jumped to her feet, her hand reaching for her hairpin, which doubled as a dagger.
Lucian used the counter to lift himself up and kick Ash in the face, sending him flying back. He grabbed the bottle and threw it at Penny. She dodged it, but it was a distraction for Lucian to get behind her and wrap his arm around her neck.
Ash got up, his nose bleeding, but he didn't charge at Lucian, the sharp edge of a broken bottle against Penny's throat prevented him. "What do you want?"
"You two are the only people who know what I look like." Lucian pressed the broken glass into her skin, making her bleed, "I don't want to leave any witnesses behind."
"Let her go, she has nothing to do with this," Ash said, his hand slowly reaching into his jacket.
Lucian pushed the bottle harder, making Penny hiss in pain. Blood dripped down her neck, staining her dress.
Ash froze, his eyes glued on Penny's face. "Please..."
"Do you know where the Hilgo Kingping is?" Lucian removed the bottle from her neck and pressed it behind her back, "He bought the Varia woman I'm looking for."
Ash swallowed, his eyes moving from Lucian to Penny, "I can take you there."
Lucian's lips curled up, "You will bring her here. Don't take too long. By the sunrise should be enough."
"..." Ash gritted his teeth, but nodded. He grabbed his coat and left without a word.
Lucian kicked Penny's legs, making her fall on her knees, "Your Voice seem protective of you. Why don't you tell it to show itself?"
He grabbed her hair and yanked her head back, her face twisting in pain. He didn't remember her being mentioned in the prophecy, and couldn't figure out what her role was supposed to be.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he sang behind her head, his voice sweet like honey, "Unless you want me to snap her neck like a twig."
A golden halo appeared behind Penny's head, her body standing up on its own, her eyes glazed over, a sinister smirk forming on her lips.
Lucian let her go and stepped back, his face blank, "Why did you show yourself? I believe it's against the rules, is it not?"
"You are one of us, not fully awakened, but close." Her voice was layered, as if multiple voices spoke at once. The sound was grating, like nails on a chalkboard, "No rules were broken."
The furniture in the bar began to float. Penny stood on her toes, her arms spread wide, crushing them in the air as her fists tightened. The small broken wood and shattered glass thrusted forward, making Lucian's shield shatter in a single hit. The pieces cut through his shirt, digging into his skin as he flew back and crashed against the wall.
"Alright, you can return to hiding," Lucian said, wiping the blood off his lips with the back of his thumb. He tried to form another shield, but her next attack came too fast.
"Keep summoning me and your people will die," Penny collapsed on the floor, her body twitching. The halo behind her head disappeared.
Lucian walked toward her, groaning as he cracked his back. He managed to repel most of the damage, but a few pieces went through, and he could feel the cuts on his skin throbbing
Provoking death was not good for his health. He couldn't die yet, but his body still paid the price for his recklessness, and his people too.
Penny's trembling hand touched her head, seeing the destroyed room and then at Lucian, "Wha─"
"My new Vice," Lucian smiled down at her, "Congratulations. I expect great things from you. An undead soldier is hard to come by."
She scrambled away from him, her back hitting the wall, "Why would I listen to you?"
"Ash's life is in your hands." Lucian picked her hair pin from the floor and handed it to her, "If you feel like a burden, I won't stop you from ending yourself. But if you care about him, you will do as I say."
Lucian's mother used to be quite feisty until a point when she became docile, loving and devoted. He used to think it was because she came to love father more than ever, but after finding out the truth, it was because she realized there was no escape from his father's life.
Penny's face changed with every word he spoke. From anger, to fear, to resignation, and finally to a dead look. She grabbed the hair pin and hid it in her hair, her face lowered, hiding her eyes, "What... are your orders?"
"Get some sleep, you have a long day ahead of you." Lucian walked behind the counter, waiting for Ash to return.
Penny gathered the broken pieces of the furniture and made a makeshift bed for herself on the floor, covering herself with her coat. Her hair's glow dimmed as she closed her eyes.
Lucian sighed, feeling the pain in his body throbbing. The counter attached to the floor survived the attack, and he used it to support himself. He placed his head on his arms, and tried to rest.
When images and words fail to control you, when pain is not enough to break you, there's only one way to make you submit.
He had confirmed it just now.
They would not kill him, they could not kill him. They would kill everyone else around him until he became docile, loving and devoted…like his mother.
╔═══ Author's note ════╗
Mathieu was right. Lucian's plot armor will keep him alive for sure.🙏😭
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