The Throne in the Mansion
Edwin woke with a pounding headache.
Darkness surrounded him. Rusted steel walls. No windows. Underground.
He sat up slowly, alone.
That woman from the woods… she betrayed me.
Anger flared.
I'll kill her for that.
Then creak.
The door opened.
A goblin-like demon entered, hunched and sneering.
"Chow time, you piece of trash."
He held a dented pot and a scoop. With mock ceremony, he dumped a ladle of broth onto the floor.
"Eat up. It's good."
Another scoop.
"Two portions. Don't want you getting fat."
He laughed.
Edwin smiled coldly.
He lunged, grabbed the demon by the neck, slammed him against the bars.
"I've run out of patience."
He strangled the creature, until its life is gone. Then searched the body.
A key.
He unlocked the cage and climbed the stairs.
🏚️ The Mansion Above
The door creaked open.
No guards. No noise.
Just a garage dusty, silent.
Edwin stepped inside.
A grand house unfolded before him. A chandelier sparkled overhead. Twin staircases curved upward. The air smelled of old money, of legacy.
Generations of wealth, Edwin thought.
He spotted the front door.
I could leave.
But something pulled him.
"The smart thing is to run. The right thing… is to explore."
He climbed the stairs.
The hallway stretched wide, lined with paintings Stone Age, Ice Age, Ancient Egypt, WWII, and more. A timeline of humanity. A museum of power.
Then music.
Soft piano. Classical.
A door stood open.
Edwin stepped inside.
A grand hall. A throne of gold. The scent of royalty.
A man sat, regal and still.
He looked up.
"Hello, Edwin."
Edwin stepped closer.
"Who are you?"
Closer still.
"I said who are you?"
The man with no expression and there was a huge weight in the air that feels like its holding you down.
"I am Lucifer."