The world froze.
Time itself seemed to stop, holding its breath in silence.
From a distance, Isabel's dimmed eyes caught sight of a figure — tall, unwavering, and impossibly familiar. That same presence... that same dark, commanding aura that had saved her once before. His silhouette cut through the swirling snow like a shadow against the moonlight.
He walked slowly, each step pressing softly into the blanket of fallen snow. There was a calm authority in the way he moved — terrifying, yet divine in its strength.
Perhaps the heavens have not completely forsaken me, she thought weakly, before her eyelids fluttered shut.
Lucifer stopped in front of her. His crimson eyes flickered briefly, reflecting the dying glow of her spirit. He crouched before the fragile figure lying motionless on the snow.
"It isn't heaven that came to save you…" he murmured, his voice low and cold as winter itself. "It's hell."
He lifted her gently into his arms — her body limp, her warmth fading. Then, with a surge of energy, the world blurred and folded around him. When the air stilled again, they were back inside her chamber.
Lucifer laid her softly on the bed. She flinched in pain, a small sound escaping her lips. His gaze softened. Slowly, almost against his will, he brushed his hand against her cheek. Her body, even in weakness, leaned instinctively into his touch — seeking comfort from the very being the heavens despised.
For a moment, something unfamiliar stirred inside him. A warmth he thought long buried. He clenched his jaw.
You're only repaying her kindness, he reminded himself. Nothing more.
He placed his palm on her forehead, and a golden light shimmered through the darkness. The air hummed as her wounds began to close, her breathing evening out. When the glow faded, he drew her blanket up to her shoulders and sat beside the bed.
His eyes lingered on her face — so peaceful, so fragile — before sleep, uninvited, pulled him into its quiet grasp.
---
The Next Morning
The soft light of dawn brushed across Isabel's face. Her eyes opened slowly — and she gasped when she found little Xavier curled beside her, fast asleep. For some reason, her body felt lighter, her strength renewed. But the memories of the night before flooded her mind in a cruel wave.
Maya...
She shot up, panic tightening her chest, and ran out of her room.
In the corridor, the air was thick with sorrow. The maids stood in silence — heads bowed, eyes swollen from tears. Isabel froze. Her gaze followed theirs until it fell on the wrapped corpse lying before them.
Her breath caught.
Her legs trembled as she staggered forward.
When she pulled the cloth away, her world shattered. Maya's lifeless face stared back at her. Isabel fell to her knees, a strangled cry tearing from her throat as tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks.
"If not for her, Maya wouldn't be dead," whispered one of the maids. Others nodded, their voices barely audible.
Isabel didn't hear them — or maybe she did, and it broke her even more. She wept until her voice failed her, until the guards came and carried Maya's body away.
Hours passed. The palace returned to its mechanical rhythm, but Isabel remained — hollow, motionless, her soul fractured.
When she finally rose, her eyes were dull. She walked back to her chambers, where Xavier sat quietly, watching her.
She stopped in front of him.
Her voice shook.
"Since you came here… bad things have been happening."
Her words cracked with pain. "Are you truly… a monster?" she whispered. "Maya is gone… and it's all my fault."
She picked him up, her tears falling on his scales. "You're healed now," she said softly. "And soon, the king will come for you. It's best I set you free — maybe your family is out there waiting."
She walked to the forest — the same place she had found him. The wind whispered through the trees as if mourning with her.
When she reached the clearing, she placed him gently on the ground and turned to leave.
"Stop there, human," a voice commanded.
Isabel froze. Her heart raced as she spun around — but no one was there.
Then, before her eyes, the small creature began to glow. The air around him pulsed with dark light, his body stretching and twisting as his true form began to emerge.
Her breath hitched. She could only watch — terrified and mesmerized — as Xavier transformed.