Lucifer: Godless Reawakening

[In the surveillance room]

Many students had already fallen asleep in their seats, their heads drooping one by one the moment the screens went blank after the group entered Haven.

It was announced beforehand that the time spent inside the Haven would remain unmonitored in the beginning—an unusual rule, but one backed by several unspoken reasons.

Some students wandered the room restlessly, pacing between the walls. Others sat cross-legged in quiet corners, meditating to refine their aether. After all, once the second round concluded, every remaining contender would finally step onto the big stage.

Gizel and Natalie, however, stayed exactly where they were. Gizel read her book with the same calm expression she always carried, while Natalie polished her shield, brushing away every last speck of dust.

Flip.

Gizel turned a page. A dried flower bud slipped out and landed on the table with a soft tap, immediately catching Natalie's attention.

Gizel's ears reddened as she quickly scooped it up and tucked it away.

A teasing glint lit the short-haired girl's eyes.

"Caleb gave you that?"

Gizel groaned. Hiding was pointless at this stage.

"Yeah… but don't misunderstand. He brought them when he visited me in the infirmary—to wish me a speedy recovery."

Natalie laughed under her breath.

"You don't have to break your character and say so many words at once. I get it. You and Caleb are juuuuuust friends."

Gizel covered her face with the book. Naturally, she convinced no one.

After a moment, Natalie leaned back.

"So why are you hesitating to make things official with him? He's a good guy. He's always been on your side."

Gizel exhaled softly.

"It's not that simple… my father… he's a bit ambitious."

Her gaze drifted to the blank screen where William's feed used to be.

"Out of all the Dukes, he's the only one considered to be under the influence of a Count. And honestly, I don't find it unfair. The Count's contributions are on completely different scales."

Natalie's brows lifted. She knew the story well. Among the four Dukes, only Duke Valebridge shared his level of authority with someone of lower noble rank.

Count Delimore.

A visionary leader.

And an absolute monster on the battlefield.

"But… how is that connected to your dating life?" Natalie asked.

Gizel lowered her head, voice quieter.

"He wants the next generation to bring back supremacy. To reclaim dominance. And he wants to achieve that through my partner."

Natalie froze.

"Political marriage?"

Gizel nodded slowly.

"Yes. He believes my blessing isn't strong enough to restore Valebridge's glory. So he plans to marry me off to someone with a powerful blessing—someone who can take over the throne."

Natalie's fists tightened around her shield cloth.

"Damn… that's horrible. I actually thought he was a good man."

Gizel gave a small, bittersweet smile.

"He is. He's let me chase every dream, make every decision for myself… except this one. He made it clear long ago—the matter of my marriage will be decided by the house."

Natalie chewed on her lower lip before speaking again, her voice quieter this time.

"So… your husband is supposed to supress the next ruler of the Delimore family. That would be William, I suppose?"

Gizel gave a slow nod.

"Truth be told, when I realized William was nothing but a spoiled brat with barely any strength to justify his arrogance… I was relieved. I thought it meant there'd be no real obstacle for us to regain our respect."

Natalie hummed, not judging, simply acknowledging.

"Well, it's natural to feel that way… but things didn't stay that simple, did they?"

Gizel's shoulders slumped a little.

"No… they didn't."

Her fingers tightened around the edge of her book as she continued,

"When I challenged William that day… it wasn't just curiosity. I feel bad admitting it, but I wanted everyone—every spectator, teacher—to witness that House Valebridge could overpower a Delimore in the arena."

Her jaw clenched as the memory resurfaced.

"But that pride… it was crushed. Completely shattered. By that guy."

Natalie wryly smiled, "You have it tough, eh?"

Gizel shrugged, "Just trying my best to live these few months to the fullest."

…..

Pitch darkness swallowed the night sky as the five individuals—along with the small child—readied themselves for departure.

They had eaten, drunk, and rested just enough to restart their journey with clear heads and steady limbs.

Since no rule forbade carrying supplies, each of them had taken a modest share of water, food, and basic medicine. Nothing excessive—just enough to keep them moving without weighing them down in battle.

"We have around ten hours left to reach Island Beta," Gloria began, her voice steady despite the surrounding gloom. "The bridge connecting this island to our destination is three times longer than the previous one. Naturally, the ocean beneath it is open sea… with several creatures lurking."

A faint tremor ran through Warren's spine, but he forced his expression to remain composed, arms folded across his chest as if bracing himself against the cold.

Kevin adjusted the sheath at his side, fastened the belt across his torso, and exhaled.

"So? What's the formation? We need to rethink who handles the rear now that Lextor is gone."

Naturally, they couldn't trust that their rear was secure anymore—not after losing a strong warrior during the ambush on the last bridge. The gap Lextor left behind was too large, too dangerous to ignore.

Gloria was still piecing together a new strategy when William spoke abruptly.

"There will be no formation," he said. "We don't know what we'll face out there, so we march straight to Island Beta and finish this."

His stance was absolute.

To him, there was no point wasting time thinking.

This round would be decided through brute force alone.

"Trying to hold a formation for some balanced team effort is bull crap. If you see danger, jump on it. Overwhelm it before it overwhelms us." He finished with a tone that left no room for argument.

Kevin's brows furrowed immediately—and justifiably so. He had always planned his missions, no matter how unpredictable or difficult the situation. To him, entering a battlefield without structure was asking for disaster.

But one look at the others told him everything he needed to know.

The majority stood with William.

Kevin swallowed the words forming on his tongue.

Arguing here would only make matters worse.

So, for now—he fell in line.

William glanced at everyone.

Gloria gave a nod and so did Emma who was already holding the child's hand.

Taking a deep breath, he relayed, "Okay then, let's finish this."

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- It's going to be chaotic. Thanks for reading.