The sky outside had dimmed into a dark hue.
It was almost midnight.
Clouds ran through the skies like torn fabric, twisting into unnatural shapes as the rain continued drowning the place.
They were currently in Eurasia, one of the 7 safe zones on Earth after the last natural calamity occurred.
Lucifer stood at the edge of the living room, his hands still covered in blood from tending to Ivy and Alex.
The girl lay curled on the couch, her new horns shining faintly under the ceiling lights while Alex had also finally passed out beside her, his shirt soaked in sweat.
Looking at the glowing symbols which were slowly fading away from the almost 40 year old man's body, Lucifer realised how much the too had changed.
Ivy's eyes had changed their colour to red now, matching her crimson hair while the two horns on her hair made her look lowkey scary.
As for Alex, that man had a fucking growth spurt or something.
He had grown a foot in height, reaching almost 7 feet now.
As for his body? It had become a dozen times more heavy and muscular while his skin had turned even more pale than usual.
The boy had been almost unable to carry the girl to the sofa, much less help Alex.
'It seemed that whatever this transformation was…had made the two of them a hundred times stronger or something,' Lucifer wondered thoughtfully.
Ivy's breathing had steadied, but she still hadn't opened her eyes.
Lucifer didn't know what to do now, all he remembered was Ivy screaming about some system and floating screens and if that wasn't enough, Alex lost it too, talking about demons and shit.
But now that whatever happened had been over, the house seemed to be too quiet.
He looked outside again.
The world looked almost…different.
Lucifer got the chills as he turned on the television, hoping to get something…anything out of it.
He hoped there was a clue about what happened to the two because something in his mind told him that it wasn't just them who was experiencing this.
The moment Lucifer turned on the TV, static buzzed loudly before the screen finally lit up in bright lights.
There, Two news anchors stood, their faces pale, as they tried to keep their calm.
"...Once again, for viewers just tuning in, this is not a drill. I repeat—this is NOT a drill." The male anchor looked exhausted, his tie half-loosened and shirt collar soaked in sweat.
"Across all 7 safe zones, thousands of people are undergoing what experts are now calling an 'Awakening.'"
The female reporter beside him nodded quickly, though her hands shook as she held her tablet."Reports are flooding in from Northern Eurasia, South Africa, New Zion, the Neo States—everywhere. People are collapsing. Some are shrinking. Some are sprouting wings, horns, tails, even...fangs?!"
Lucifer blinked slowly, eyes narrowing as he watched the footage being played behind them.
Blurry videos from security cams. A child with glowing eyes crawling across a ceiling like a spider.
A woman screaming as her skin peeled off to reveal metal plates. Men floating midair, laughing maniacally as black mist poured from their bodies.
It was like something straight out of a horror game.
The male anchor rubbed his temples. "Government officials have yet to make a statement. Emergency broadcasts are up, asking people to stay indoors and keep calm. Military units have been deployed, but even they're facing...challenges."
Then came the most chilling part.
"One general—just five minutes ago—was reported to have grown a second head and attacked his own squad. If this is mana-related, if this is a global system-triggered event, we—"
The woman suddenly gasped beside him.
Lucifer leaned forward.
"Paul..." she whispered, staring at her co-host. "Your...your nose—"
Blood ran down the man's face. His eyes rolled back for a moment before snapping forward, now a dull glowing blue.His hands clawed into the desk as his body shook violently.
"My head...hurts...it's screaming..." he mumbled.
"Paul?! Security! Paul…stay with me–" But it was too late.
The man let out a scream that shattered the camera's mic. A second later, his jaw stretched unnaturally wide, and his arms twisted backward with loud, wet cracks.
He slammed his fists into the table, sending splinters flying.
The female anchor fell backward in her chair, screaming as the crew behind the scenes rushed in, the feed now pure chaos.
"Cut the feed! CUT THE—"
The screen turned black.
Lucifer stared at the TV for a long moment, his eyes completely still.
Then, finally, he let out a dry, bitter laugh.
"…Yeah. Thought so."
The boy leaned back on the chair, resting his head against the wall as the wind blowed outside.
For a moment, he looked at his hands, still human and fragile.
There were no wings or any kind of system message.
"So…what now?"
***