Eliana gave Sumaq the news they had been waiting for: they were finally going to be parents.
—"I'm going to be a father!" —exclaimed Sumaq, a radiant smile spreading across his face as tears of joy streamed down.
Overflowing with happiness, he lifted Eliana into his arms, spinning with her in a hug full of love. Their laughter mingled with the warm glow of the sunset, bathing the moment in golden light. From a distance, César and Liz hurried over to congratulate them, their faces lit with genuine smiles. Yet beyond the harmony of the scene, in the shadows of a nearby alley, a figure watched with malice.
Lucifer, shrouded in darkness, curved his lips into an intriguing smile. That happiness seemed like the perfect opportunity to sow discord.
Days passed, but Sumaq's initial euphoria began to fade. What should have been a period of joy was marred by nightmares that haunted him every night. In them, he saw Eliana slipping from his arms, her laughter turning into a distant echo that dissolved into darkness. He would awaken drenched in sweat, his heart pounding fiercely.
Eliana was always by his side to calm him, running her fingers through his hair and whispering words of comfort. Yet the fear persisted, lodged in his chest like an invisible hook.
One afternoon, while walking through the park seeking a moment of respite, he lost himself in thought. Leaves crunched under his steps, and the crisp autumn breeze barely alleviated his unease. He wondered how he could protect Eliana, how he could ensure that nothing would ever take her from him.
Then, he sensed a presence.
Looking up, he found himself face to face with Lucifer.
The air seemed to thicken, as if the temperature had dropped suddenly. The sun, which had shone brightly moments before, was hidden behind a dense cloud, casting an eerie twilight around them.
—"What do you want?" —asked Sumaq, his body tense, eyes alert.
Lucifer's smile did not convey trust.
—"I just wanted to chat for a moment," he replied softly, almost seductively.
The wind carried a murmur through the dry leaves as Lucifer slowly circled him, like a predator studying its prey.
—"You have five minutes. Then you leave," said Sumaq, frustration throbbing at his temples.
Lucifer let out a light laugh, one that seemed to glide through the air like a poisonous whisper. He stepped closer, and without Sumaq noticing, the surroundings subtly shifted. The tall, leafy trees seemed to bend, casting longer shadows. The distant sounds of children playing in the park faded, as if they were in another place, another world.
—"I know what it is to lose someone you love," said Lucifer, his voice tinged with unusual melancholy.
A spark of curiosity ignited within Sumaq.
—"Who were those people?" —he asked, intrigued.
Lucifer kept his smile, but his eyes reflected something Sumaq could not decipher.
—"My followers. Jesus took them from me," he replied.
Sumaq furrowed his brow, caught between disbelief and an unexpected compassion.
—"Jesus? How did that happen?" —Sumaq asked, confused.
Lucifer sighed, almost theatrically.
—"Some of them became Christians and… well, they went to heaven," he said, feigning sadness.
The answer made Sumaq feel a pang of confusion. His teachings had always shown Lucifer as a being of pure evil, but in that moment, his words seemed loaded with a different truth.
The Seed of Discord
—"Why did you rebel against God?" —he asked, more out of a need to understand than to challenge his faith.
Lucifer smiled with satisfaction. The first crack in Sumaq's conviction had appeared.
Without a word, he extended his hand, and before Sumaq's eyes, the shadows came alive. Endless images surrounded him, as if he were looking through a window in time. He saw angels chained, their gaze empty, their spirits broken. He saw the flood sweeping over humanity, bodies floating in an endless sea. He saw the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, fire consuming even those who seemed innocent.
The images were too vivid, too real.
—"God has always been selfish. He does whatever it takes to make you obey," whispered Lucifer.
Sumaq felt his breathing grow heavy. He brought a hand to his forehead, trying to organize his thoughts.
—"And what is it that you want from me?" —he asked, irritated.
Lucifer extended his palm. Resting in it was a fruit of intense, pulsating red, almost alive.
—"I want to free you from God and His control. You only need to taste this fruit," said Lucifer, offering him the apple.
Sumaq eyed it warily, yet doubt had already taken root within him. He thought of Eliana, of how he could protect her. What if this was the key to her immortality?
—"If you eat, you will be free. And you will learn how to make Eliana live forever," Lucifer said seductively.
The promise struck him like a whip. The fear of losing her was his greatest anguish.
But something inside warned him this was a trap.
—"Look, Sumaq. Do you really think a good God would allow all the suffering you see in this world? The wars? The crusades? The abuses in His churches? Don't you see the hypocrisy?" —Lucifer continued, his tone caressing like velvet.
Sumaq shivered.
—"But… I've believed in this my whole life," he whispered, pensive.
—"And what if everything they taught you was an illusion? The truth is in front of you, and it's terrifying," Lucifer tilted his head.
The fruit glowed with a hypnotic light.
—"Free yourself from God's chains," whispered Lucifer. "Don't you want to protect Eliana?"
Sumaq swallowed. His mind was a whirlwind of unanswered questions.
—"I can't keep being a prisoner of this faith," he murmured.
And with that final spark of doubt consuming him, he bit into the fruit.
The air seemed to tremble around him.
Lucifer smiled, satisfied.
Sumaq had fallen into his snare, and now the shadow of uncertainty enveloped him completely.