The wind blew over the ruined village, carrying a smell of ashes, wet earth and dried blood. Lucifer stood in the middle of this field of death, his blue eyes fixed on the creature standing before him.

Aeshma looked at him, her iridescent eyes shining with an amused glow. She approached, her bat wings folding against her back, and placed a hand on Lucifer’s shoulder.

"I see in your eyes that you are wondering if you made the right choice," she said, her voice soft like a caress. "But the question is no longer whether you did right or wrong. The question is whether you are ready to assume what you have chosen."

Lucifer turned his head toward her. "I had no choice. You offered me a possibility, and I took it." He paused, his eyes hardening. "But I do not trust you."

Aeshma laughed, a crystalline sound that echoed in the silence. "You are intelligent, Lucifer. That is a good thing. Idiots do not live long in the world we are going to face."

"So tell me," he asked, planting his gaze in hers, "what is a demon like you doing in the world of mortals?"

Aeshma tilted her head, her fingers brushing her chin as if she were thinking. "That is a good question. But the answer is simpler than you think." She moved closer, so close that he could feel her warmth. "The angels chased me away. They banished me from the heavens because I refused to submit to their laws. And the demons..." She shrugged. "The demons are traitors, manipulators. They betrayed me. So I came here, to this forgotten world, to find someone who shares my hatred."

Lucifer narrowed his eyes, wondering if she was a fallen angel, or a demon banished from hell... Or maybe she did not really belong to one of those races.

"And you found a fifteen-year-old kid half dead?"

She stepped back, her face becoming serious. "Even if I am a demon, do not trust any other demon. They are our enemies as much as the angels."

Lucifer looked at her, a cold smile on his lips. "So we are alone. You and me."

"Exactly."

Suddenly, without warning, Aeshma approached and her hand closed around his throat. Lucifer started, but he did not resist. He felt her fingers sink into his flesh, just enough to cut off his breathing. Then she leaned in, her lips meeting his.

The kiss was brief, but intense. A burning heat ran through his body, concentrating on his back. Lucifer felt his skin open, as if something was being engraved there with a red-hot iron. He grimaced, clenching his teeth, while a sharp pain spread along his spine.

And then it was over.

He pulled away, panting, bringing his hand to his back. When he withdrew it, it was covered in blood.

On his back a black circle with a silver disk in the center, engraved in his flesh like a burned tattoo.

"What did you do?" he asked, his voice panting.

Aeshma said with a satisfied smile: "The mark of a lunar eclipse. It binds you to me, Lucifer. The second you accepted becoming my consort, you automatically became banished from hell and cursed by the angels."

Lucifer looked at her, his eyes widening. "Cursed by the angels?"

"Yes. The angels will hate you, they will seek to destroy you. And the demons, if they learn that you are bound to me, will do the same." She approached, her eyes plunging into his. "You are alone, Lucifer. You can only count on me, and I can only count on you. This is the pact we have sealed."

Lucifer remained silent for a long moment.

"I understand," he said at last. "So how am I going to open the gates of the abyss?"

Aeshma smiled, her eyes sparkling with malice. "I know someone who can do it. We just need to force him."

"Who?"

"Konstantine... A mortal who is problematic..."

Lucifer nodded. "So we must find him."

"Not right away." Aeshma raised a hand to interrupt his thoughts. "For now, you must increase your power. I have given you two of my abilities."

Lucifer looked at her, intrigued. "Which ones?"

"The ability to control and absorb lust. And the ability to control and absorb fear." She paused, her smile widening. "These are powerful emotions, Lucifer. They are at the heart of this world. With them, you will be able to manipulate humans, weaken them, strengthen them."

"But you said that most of your power was sealed in the world of mortals."

"Exactly. A part of me is imprisoned here, in this realm. But you, you can unlock it. By training, by learning to master these abilities, you will release my power. And together, no one will be able to reach us."

She held out her hand, a red glow dancing in the hollow of her palm. "So, are you ready to begin?"

Lucifer did not answer. He took her hand, and felt an electric shock run through his arm.

"Yes."

....

The years passed in the forest of Norwes.

They had settled in a clearing, far from the ruined village. Lucifer had built a small hut of wood and stone, a shelter that she had reinforced with her powers. It was a simple place, but Lucifer had never asked for more than the essentials. He slept on a blanket of animal skins, ate fruits and game, and trained every day until exhaustion.

The training was harsh. From dawn, Aeshma forced him to run in the forest, to climb trees, to jump between rocks. His muscles screamed with pain, but she gave him no respite.

"Faster!" she shouted as he ran between the tree trunks, his feet sinking into the mud.

"I can’t... go any faster!" he panted.

"Then you will die!" she retorted mercilessly. "And your mother sacrificed herself for nothing!"

Those words, every time, made him start again. He ran faster, jumped farther, struck harder. Pain was a constant companion, but he had learned to turn it into fuel.