Chapter 1: Chapter 1: The Return
By: CartoonSunday
Hell was vast. A kingdom without borders, endless in its reach, unrelenting in its suffering. Yet amidst the chaos of fire and brimstone, there were places of quiet, places where the screams of the damned grew faint and the flicker of flames cast long, sharp shadows.
Lilith stood at the edge of such a place, her presence a quiet force against the backdrop of chaos. She had seen Hell change over millennia, shaping itself into something both beautiful and grotesque, much like her. Her lips curled into a smile, one that never reached her eyes. Eyes that could pierce the soul and extract its darkest secrets, eyes that had seen the dawn of mankind and its inevitable fall.
She had been there from the beginning. The first woman, the first sinner, the first to defy the will of a so-called god. Cast out not for disobedience but for ambition. Lilith had wanted more, craved more, and she had taken it with both hands, regardless of the consequences. And now, she ruled Hell beside the man who had fallen just as far—Lucifer, Morningstar, the Lightbringer, the Lord of Hell, though his title meant far less to her than the name he once held.
Lilith stepped forward, her blackened robes whispering like the promises she had made over centuries. Promises of freedom, of power, of all the things the mortals above would never understand. The hem of her robe barely grazed the molten earth as she moved with purpose. The air around her seemed to bend, heat and darkness melding as if Hell itself recognized her presence.
Her mind, sharp as a blade forged in the fires of the underworld, calculated every detail of her surroundings. She was always watching, always waiting. Here, nothing escaped her gaze. Not even the figure descending into Hell from above—the one she had been expecting.
Lucifer was never one for dramatic entrances. He didn't need them. He was too familiar, too comfortable, as if Hell itself was just a minor inconvenience to him. He drifted down lazily, his wings—though singed and torn—still carried a shimmer of the once-great celestial that had defied Heaven. His golden hair caught the light of the flames, and his smile... that infuriatingly bright smile.
Lilith narrowed her eyes. Lucifer had always been the charming one, but behind that charm, Lilith had long suspected a flicker of weakness. His belief in the human race was baffling, and at times, she thought, pathetic.
The Lightbringer landed with an effortless grace in front of her, his boots barely stirring the ash beneath them. His attire was nothing like hers—where Lilith's robes were dark, his clothes were light, almost resplendent. He still wore the remnants of his once-angelic armor, though now tarnished, cracked, a relic of a past he couldn't seem to let go of.
"Well, if it isn't the Queen of Hell herself," Lucifer said, his tone light and teasing as usual. His smile broadened, but Lilith could sense something behind it—something that didn't quite sit right. "And here I thought you'd be too busy counting souls or sharpening your claws."
Lilith didn't respond immediately. She let the silence hang, savoring the tension. Lucifer was always too eager to fill the quiet with his incessant banter. She enjoyed watching him squirm when words failed him, even though it rarely happened.
"I see you're as insufferable as ever," she finally said, her voice like silk sliding over broken glass. "Tell me, what brings the great Lightbringer to my domain this time?"
Lucifer chuckled, stepping closer with that casual swagger he always had. "Our domain, Lilith. You keep forgetting, we're partners in this."
Her eyes flashed dangerously, but she did not correct him. Not yet. Instead, she turned her back to him and began to walk, slow and deliberate, knowing he would follow. He always did. Lucifer may have been the ruler of Hell in title, but it was Lilith who commanded respect. It was Lilith who understood what it meant to truly wield power here.
"I heard rumors," Lucifer continued, falling into step beside her, hands stuffed casually into his pockets. "Rumors that someone rather special decided to grace us with her presence."
Lilith felt her lips tighten at the edges. Of course, he already knew. Lucifer's informants were as widespread as his delusions of grandeur. He thrived on gossip, on the whispers of Hell and the mortal world alike. She could hear the amusement in his voice, but she didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
"Rumors have a way of spreading," Lilith said, her tone measured. "But not all rumors are worth entertaining."
"Oh, but this one is," Lucifer's voice dropped, taking on a more serious note, though his grin never wavered. "Eve's back."
The name hung in the air between them like a blade, sharp and heavy. Lilith felt the familiar surge of anger, an ancient hatred stirring deep in her chest. Eve. The woman who had taken everything Lilith was supposed to have. The mortal who had bent to God's will and was rewarded with paradise, while Lilith was cast into the abyss for her defiance.
"Is she?" Lilith replied, her voice as cold as the deepest pits of Hell. "And what interest do you have in her, Lucifer?"
"Oh, Lilith," Lucifer sighed, "it's not about interest. It's about curiosity. After all, isn't it fascinating? The first woman, the original sinner, returning to Hell? Don't you want to know why?"
Lilith stopped walking. The fires of Hell roared around them, casting long shadows that danced on the walls of the cavernous expanse. She turned slowly to face him, her eyes burning with a cold, calculated fury.
"I don't care why she's here," Lilith said softly, dangerously. "What matters is that she knows her place. And if she doesn't, I'll make sure she remembers."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow, his playful demeanor dimming for a moment. "And what place would that be, Lilith? At your feet? You know, she's not the same naive girl you remember. She's changed."
Lilith's lips curled into a smile, one that was all teeth and no warmth. "We all change, Lucifer. But some of us remain true to our nature."
Lucifer chuckled again, though it was weaker this time. "You always did have a flair for the dramatic."
Lilith ignored his comment, turning her gaze back toward the distant flames. She could feel it—the shift in the air, the pull of something ancient, something familiar. Eve was here. And with her came a reckoning.
"Are you going to welcome her?" Lucifer asked, his tone lighter again, though Lilith could hear the undercurrent of tension. "She is an old friend, after all."
"Friend?" Lilith scoffed, the sound like a hiss through clenched teeth. "I have no friends, Lucifer. Only enemies who have learned to stay out of my way."
Lucifer shrugged, the careless motion at odds with the serious glint in his eyes. "Well, you may want to make an exception this time. Eve's not here for a social call. Something's different."
Lilith's gaze snapped to him, her eyes narrowing. "What do you know?"
"Only that she's been... restless," Lucifer said, his voice softening. "She's looking for something. Maybe redemption, maybe power. Hard to tell with mortals, they're always so conflicted." He sighed dramatically, running a hand through his golden hair. "But I have a feeling whatever she's after, it's going to affect us."
Lilith's expression remained unchanged, but inside, her mind was racing. Eve, back in Hell, looking for something? It didn't matter what it was—Lilith would make sure it didn't interfere with her plans.
"What do you suggest we do?" she asked, her voice deceptively calm.
Lucifer smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Oh, I'm sure you already have a plan, Lilith. You always do."
Lilith said nothing, but her silence spoke volumes. She did have a plan. She always had a plan. And Eve's return was just another piece to be played in the eternal game.
"We'll see," she said finally, her voice low and dangerous. "But rest assured, Lucifer—whatever she's after, I'll make sure it never leaves these infernal gates."
Lucifer gave a soft chuckle, though the sound lacked its usual levity. "Careful, Lilith. You almost sound like you're afraid of her."
Lilith's eyes flared, the heat behind them unmistakable. "Afraid? Of a mortal? You should know better than that, Morningstar. Eve is just another soul, and like all souls, she can be bent. Broken."
"Maybe," Lucifer said, his gaze growing distant for a moment, as if remembering something long forgotten. "But mortals… they have a tendency to surprise you. Believe me, I should know."
Lilith snorted in disdain. "You speak of them as though they possess power. They're fragile, fleeting. They burn out before they even understand what it means to live."
"Ah, but that's the beauty of them," Lucifer said, his smile returning, though there was something almost wistful about it. "Their fragility is what makes them remarkable. The way they cling to hope, even when all logic tells them to surrender. Their belief in redemption, even when they're drowning in sin."
"Spare me the sermon," Lilith said with a sneer. "Hope is for the weak, and redemption is a lie we tell them to keep them in line."
"Is it, though?" Lucifer asked, his voice softening. "Or are you just too cynical to see it?"
Lilith's eyes darkened, her fingers twitching at her sides. Lucifer had a way of getting under her skin, of needling at her defenses until the cracks showed. It was part of his charm, part of why so many had fallen for his honeyed words and dazzling smile. But Lilith was not one of them. She had never been one of them.
"I see things clearly, Lucifer," she said coldly. "I don't waste my time on fantasies of salvation."
Lucifer tilted his head, his expression thoughtful. "Maybe that's your problem, Lilith. Maybe that's why you've always been so… alone."
Lilith's anger flared, a deep and visceral reaction that she barely managed to contain. "I am alone by choice," she hissed. "I don't need anyone. Certainly not some mortal who can't even comprehend what she's walked into."
Lucifer raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to bite my head off. I'm just saying, maybe Eve's different. Maybe she's not as predictable as you think."
Lilith's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Predictable or not, she will learn her place. One way or another."
Lucifer watched her for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Just don't underestimate her, Lilith. She's changed. Time does that to people."
Lilith said nothing, her mind already spinning with thoughts of what awaited Eve. The first woman may have changed, but Lilith had no intention of allowing her to disrupt the careful balance of power she had cultivated here. Eve would bend. She would break, if necessary. Lilith had done it before, and she would do it again.
As they continued walking, a ripple of energy cut through the air, faint but unmistakable. Lilith's senses prickled, and she paused, her gaze shifting toward the distant horizon of Hell's vast expanse.
"She's here," Lucifer said quietly, his voice lacking the usual playfulness. "Can you feel it?"
Lilith nodded once, sharply. The energy was familiar, too familiar. It was a tug at the core of her being, a reminder of the ancient betrayal that had led them all to this place. Eve's presence was unmistakable, even after all this time.
"Let's go greet her, shall we?" Lucifer said, his smile returning, though there was something more somber about it now. "It's been a long time since we've had a reunion."
Lilith's eyes narrowed. "This is not a reunion, Lucifer. This is a reckoning."
Lucifer didn't respond, but the flicker of amusement in his eyes remained as he turned and began walking in the direction of the disturbance. Lilith followed, her steps slow and deliberate, every inch of her body coiled with tension.
The journey through the desolate expanse of Hell felt longer than usual, though the familiar sights and sounds of the damned did little to stir Lilith's focus. Her mind was entirely on Eve now. The memories of their last encounter were old, but not forgotten. The betrayal, the abandonment, the fall from grace—these were things that Lilith had never forgiven, and never would.
As they approached the edge of a vast chasm, the air grew heavier, thick with the scent of sulfur and the sound of distant wails. The ground beneath their feet trembled slightly, a faint echo of the turmoil below. Lucifer came to a stop, his gaze fixed on the distant figure standing at the edge of the abyss.
Eve.
She was barely recognizable from the woman Lilith remembered. Her once-innocent face had hardened, her eyes dark with shadows that hadn't been there before. Her body, once fragile and human, now radiated a subtle, dangerous energy—an aura that spoke of power gained through suffering, through loss.
Lilith's lips twitched into a smirk. It seemed Eve had been through Hell long before she had physically arrived.
"Well, well," Lucifer said, his voice light as ever, though there was an edge to it now. "Look who's come crawling back. How long has it been, Eve? Centuries? Millennia?"
Eve's eyes flicked toward them, her expression unreadable. "Long enough."
Her voice was different too—hardened, cold. Gone was the softness Lilith had once despised, replaced by something much more formidable. Lilith could feel the weight of Eve's presence pressing against her, challenging her. It was not the weak, pliable mortal she remembered.
But Lilith had no intention of showing weakness.
"I didn't expect to see you here, Eve," Lilith said, her voice dripping with venom. "I thought you'd be too busy repenting for your sins."
Eve's gaze lingered on Lilith for a moment before turning to Lucifer. "I'm not here to repent."
Lucifer raised an eyebrow, his smile widening. "No? Then what brings you to our lovely little corner of the afterlife?"
Eve hesitated, just for a moment, and Lilith caught it. That flicker of uncertainty. It was small, but it was there.
"I'm here," Eve said finally, her voice steady again, "because I have unfinished business. With both of you."
Lilith's smile grew, sharp as a blade. "Unfinished business? How quaint. And what exactly do you hope to accomplish, Eve? Do you really think you can waltz into Hell and make demands?"
Eve didn't flinch, her gaze hard and unyielding. "I'm not here to make demands. I'm here to make things right."
Lilith's laughter was cold, mocking. "Right? You think you can fix what's been broken for millennia?"
Eve's jaw tightened, but she didn't rise to the bait. "I'm not here to fix anything. I'm here to end it."
Lucifer's expression shifted slightly, the amusement in his eyes dimming. "End it?" he repeated, his tone more serious now. "What exactly are you planning, Eve?"
Eve took a step closer to the edge of the abyss, her eyes never leaving Lilith's. "You'll find out soon enough."
Lilith's eyes narrowed, her instincts screaming at her that something was wrong. This wasn't the Eve she had known. This was someone else—someone stronger, someone more dangerous.
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