In an abandoned warehouse, thirty miles outside Voyage City, the air hung thick with dust and decay. Broken windows let in faint streaks of moonlight, casting eerie shadows across the cracked concrete floor. Somewhere in the silence, a steady drip of water echoed, amplifying the suffocating emptiness of the place.
Angela stirred, her wrists chafing against the cold metal bindings that held her against a rusting chair. Her head throbbed, sweat streaming down her temples as panic surged through her veins. The rough cloth mask over her face trapped her breaths, turning them shallow and desperate.
"Where am I?" Angela's muffled voice trembled with fear. Her heart pounded so loudly it drowned the silence, her body slick with nervous sweat.
"Oh, you're awake. Well, that was fast."
The voice slithered out of the shadows — smooth, mocking, dripping with disappointment yet tainted by a smile. Footsteps approached, slow and deliberate.
Lucian.
Angela froze as the weight of his presence filled the room.
"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want? Why am I tied up? What will you do to me?" she stammered in terror, struggling helplessly against the chair as the metallic creak echoed in the empty warehouse.
"Oops, I forgot."
With an almost casual snap, Lucian released her bindings in a blur of motion. The ropes fell loose, and he slid the mask from her face before pressing a cool bottle of water into her trembling hands.
"Sorry," he said smoothly, his golden hair catching the faint light as he leaned closer. "I usually don't like tying people up, but I had to. I wanted to scare you a bit, my dear."
Angela's eyes darted to his face — and then widened in shock. Her breath caught in her throat, and her hands shook violently.
"You… You are that man. The man with golden hair." Her voice faltered, disbelief painting every word. "But… how? How have you not aged a day?"
Lucian's lips curled into an amused smile. He stepped out of the darkness, golden eyes glowing faintly.
"You remember me now, don't you?" His tone was velvet as he stretched out a hand, palm open as though inviting her to reach for him.
Angela's heart raced. "Yes… I remember you. But tell me… how have you not aged a day?"
Lucian only yawned, lowering himself onto a dusty couch opposite her. He crossed his legs, gaze calm, almost bored.
"Well, I don't have to answer that, do I?" he said lazily. "In any case, I need your help. I came to tell you something very important."
Angela hesitated, torn between awe and caution. Her body tensed as though every instinct screamed for her to run, yet her eyes locked on him, unable to look away. Folding her arms, she steadied her voice.
"What is it that you want to tell me? And why did you have to kidnap me — to God knows where — just to have a conversation?"
Lucian tilted his head, smirking faintly. "Again… do I need to answer that? I didn't want any disturbance. Either way, I'm surprised you made it here to the U.S. alive." His tone shifted into feigned concern as he reached forward, his hand brushing her cheek. "You know… your mom will definitely be worried about you."
Angela stiffened. Her heart twisted, but she tore his hand away and looked aside.
"I know… they would be worried. But I came here to do something, and until I do that—" Her voice grew stronger, fierce determination igniting in her eyes. "Nothing can stop my goals!"
"Oh, really?"
Lucian flicked a switch. The ancient lights in the warehouse buzzed, flickering before sputtering to life. The glow revealed peeling walls, cobwebs drooping like drapes, and support beams cracked and sagging with age. Dust swirled in the sudden light, and the entire structure seemed ready to collapse under its own weight.
He adjusted his gloves as he strode toward her, eyes gleaming with curiosity. "Then what are you here for?"
Angela rose to her feet, squaring her shoulders. "I need to see my father. I heard he was arrested for robbery around the slums. He's held in Purgatory. I need to find him."
Lucian's expression softened into mock pity as he delivered the blow. "Easy now… I do know who your father is. But he's dead."
The words crashed down on her like thunder.
Angela froze.
Her chest constricted. Her breath hitched.
No…
No, that couldn't be.
Lucian's tone was drenched in false sorrow as he continued, "I heard his remains are held in Purgatory, a state prison… because his body is possessed by a demon."
Angela staggered, the world spinning as if the floor itself had been ripped from under her.
"What?! That… that can't be true…"
The revelation pierced her heart sharper than any arrow, deeper than any blade. All the hope, all the miles she had traveled from the Dark Continent to see him again — shattered in an instant.
Her knees buckled as she lunged forward, seizing Lucian's shirt with trembling fists. Her voice cracked as her grief poured out.
"Why couldn't you save him?! I thought you were powerful! You promised me… you promised you would save him! So why…? How could…?"
Her words broke, collapsing into sobs as she fell at his feet, broken.
Lucian bent down, pulling her gently into his arms. His voice was soft, soothing, almost fatherly as he stroked her hair.
"It's okay, my dear. It's okay. What's important is finding a way to bring your father back… or avenging him."
His hand patted her head as he feigned grief, his golden eyes shimmering with counterfeit sorrow. "I am sorry I couldn't save your dad. I got the news too late. I never knew… until recently."
Angela's tear-filled eyes lifted to him. This man… unlike her father, he had saved her family from ruin, lifted them from the brink of despair, asked for nothing in return. He had been her benefactor, her savior, a man cloaked in mystery yet wrapped in strength and kindness.
And in that moment, blinded by grief and desperate for hope, she decided to trust him completely.
Her voice trembled, but her resolve blazed in her eyes. "Who killed my father? And… how can you bring him back?"
Lucian's form blurred — gone in a flash of golden light — before reappearing before her with a flick of his wrist. His AI watch lit up, projecting a glowing hologram between them.
"There is… a cosmic device," he explained, tone solemn. "It can take one back to the past… change it… control time itself. It can appear in many forms, but most commonly, a ring… or a watch."
Angela's eyes widened, awe and recognition colliding within her.
"That device… I'm sure I've seen it somewhere…" Her breath hitched as her mind raced. Suddenly, memory sparked like lightning. "Aha! I saw it on Johnson — my boyfriend's finger. It looks like a ring, but…" Her eyes narrowed on the holographic model. "It has a similar design. Why is that?"
Lucian's smile darkened as he circled her, words slow and deliberate. "Well… the device belongs to him. And he doesn't even know it yet. That's where you come in. That's where I need your help."
Angela leaned forward, desperation replacing hesitation. "What help? Should I bring the ring for you?"
He chuckled lowly. "No… not really. I plan to scientifically recreate the device without any trouble… so I can save your father from death." He paused, golden eyes locking onto hers. "What I need you to do is study Johnson. Learn everything about him. His weaknesses. His strengths. And most importantly—" His voice lowered into a whisper. "Bring me his blood."
Angela's face twisted with confusion. "But… how will exploiting Johnson help us? And… who killed my father?"
Lucian sighed, placing a hand atop her head once more. His eyes softened, feigning sorrow. "Your father was killed by the rainbow-colored speedster… Quicklightning."
Angela's eyes sharpened. "Quicklightning? Who's that?"
Lucian hesitated, then delivered the dagger. "Unfortunately… it is your boyfriend, Johnson Stones." His words were cold, casual. "He killed your father without mercy. Ripped out his heart."
"Impossible!!!"
Angela's voice shattered into a scream as tears flooded her vision. Her body recoiled, breaking under the weight of betrayal. She shook her head violently, denying, rejecting, yet unable to escape the truth.
"No… No, that's a lie! The only person who ever treated me kindly… who claimed to love me… How could he…?"
Her knees buckled, collapsing as grief devoured her.
"Fuck you, Johnson!!!" Her wail cracked through the warehouse as she pounded her fists against the floor. "Why did you do this to me?! How could you toy with my feelings and break my heart this way?! I loved you! I trusted you! I even went out on a date with you… and you… you killed my father!!"
She wept uncontrollably, burying her face against Lucian's chest.
Lucian stroked her back, his tone soothing, almost tender. "I understand how you feel. That rage. That anger. I feel it every day. But revenge… revenge must not be rushed. It must be precise."
He lifted her chin, eyes boring into hers with chilling intensity.
"I don't want you to kill Johnson. No. I want you to use him — as he has used you. Manipulate him. Make him trust you completely. Gain his secrets, his abilities, his weaknesses. And when he is at his most vulnerable… take his blood. Bring it to me."
Angela's tears burned away, replaced by a fiery resolve. She rose to her feet, fists clenched, determination blazing in her eyes.
"Yes, sir. I will do it. I'll do everything to bring down our common enemy."
Lucian's lips curled into a triumphant smile. "That's my baby girl."
In the blink of an eye, he whisked her away, returning her to her doorstep. He placed a set of keys in her hands, along with a strange device.
"Here. Use this to return to the warehouse if you are in danger. I'll be there… waiting to save you."
Angela nodded firmly, gripping the device tightly.
As she opened her door, Lucian turned back as though recalling something. His golden eyes glinted.
"Also… you should live with Johnson. It will make gathering information much easier."
Angela's resolve did not waver. She agreed.
And as their paths diverged, the night swallowed them whole.