Lucian's Rage

"Why are you crying, Lucian?"

Adrian's voice was soft, almost hesitant, as though he feared his question might break Lucian further.

Lucian looked up, his shoulders trembling, tears streaming down his face as he hiccupped between sobs. His voice came out broken and raw. "I-I can't believe she's gone, Adrian... I... don't know how to live without her."

The weight of the day bore down on him like a suffocating shroud. His mother—the light of his life—was gone. The funeral had just ended, and they had buried her body beneath the earth. Only now did the reality sink in: she was truly gone, never to return.

The walks they used to take together in the gardens, her laughter as she shared funny stories from her childhood, and the tales about his older brother Lucius—all of it was lost. He would never hear her voice again, never feel the warmth of her embrace.

She was gone.

Adrian sat beside him in silence, his gaze fixed on the sea of glowing flowers before them. Liliroses.

The Liliroses surrounding his mother's grave shimmered with an ethereal glow, their soft light transforming the somber scene into something almost magical. Lucius had ensured the grave was adorned with the flowers their mother loved most. She had always admired them, finding beauty in their peculiar nature.

"They only glow near death," she had once said, her voice tinged with wonder. "It's proof that even in death, there is beauty."

Her words echoed in Lucian's mind, a bittersweet memory that brought a fresh wave of tears. He buried his face against his knees, his sobs muffled as his body trembled with grief.

Adrian let out a quiet sigh, and Lucian felt him shift closer until their shoulders touched. The closeness was grounding, though it did little to dull the ache in his chest.

It had been so long since they'd spent time together. Adrian was always busy running the Blue House and overseeing the Magic Tower at such a young age, all while attending the academy. And when Lucian's mother had fallen ill, he had devoted all his time to caring for her, isolating himself from everyone else.

No one outside the Purple House—save for the servants, his father, and Lucius—knew how much he had sacrificed to be by her side.

"How did you do it?" Lucian whispered, his voice barely audible as he turned to look at Adrian. His tear-streaked face reflected a desperate longing for an answer, for something to ease the unbearable weight in his chest.

Adrian's eyes softened, and he tilted his head slightly. "How did I do what?"

"How did you move on?"

Lucian's voice cracked as he asked, the pain in his words palpable. He was referring to the loss Adrian had endured—the day both of Adrian's parents had died. Yet Adrian seemed so composed, so whole, while Lucian felt as though he was unraveling.

Adrian's expression grew thoughtful, his gaze distant as he searched for the right words. After a moment, he smiled faintly, the gesture small but sincere. Gently, he placed a hand on Lucian's head, his touch warm and steady.

"I had you," Adrian said simply.

Lucian blinked, his tear-filled eyes widening in surprise. The ache in his chest didn't vanish, but it shifted—transformed into something softer, something fluttering. It was as though Adrian's words had sparked a flicker of hope in the darkness consuming him.

"I…" Lucian opened his mouth, but no words came. He didn't know how to respond, his emotions too tangled to make sense of.

Adrian's hand lingered for a moment before he continued, his voice steady and reassuring. "You have me now, too. If you think life isn't worth living without her anymore… then live for me."

"That was what you said, Adrian… what happened? What happened?!" Lucian's voice cracked as he screamed, the sound reverberating through the room like a thunderclap. The chaos in Cassian's office intensified, papers flying off the desk, books toppling from shelves, and the very air vibrating with an oppressive energy.

Cassian staggered but quickly regained his footing, his instincts screaming at him to intervene. He tried to approach Lucian, his arms raised as if to calm him, but the sheer force of the dark energy radiating from Lucian's body pushed him back. It was like standing in the eye of a storm—chaos swirling all around, unrelenting and wild.

"Lucian!" Cassian shouted, his voice strained against the oppressive atmosphere. "Calm down! You're going to destroy everything!"

But Lucian wasn't listening. He couldn't.

"I like you, Adrian. I… like, like you. Is… that okay?"

Lucian's voice had been small, almost hesitant, his cheeks tinged with a faint blush. He'd fidgeted nervously, unable to meet Adrian's gaze. It had taken all the courage he had to confess, to lay his feelings bare.

Adrian had smiled softly, his expression warm and reassuring. "I'm honored, Lucian."

Those three words had made Lucian's heart soar.

"I thought you cared about me!" Lucian's cry was filled with anguish, the weight of betrayal bearing down on him like a crushing tide. He collapsed onto his knees, his trembling hands clutching at his chest as if trying to contain the pain threatening to tear him apart.

His eyes, once vibrant and full of life, turned pitch black—bottomless voids that reflected the darkness consuming him. Shadows seemed to coil around him like living entities, feeding off his despair and anger.

Cassian took another step forward, his voice desperate. "Lucian, listen to me! Adrian isn't here! You're lashing out at someone who can't even hear you!"

But Lucian didn't respond. His mind was a whirlwind of memories and emotions, his grief and fury intertwining into something uncontrollable.

'Why did he say those things? Why did he make me believe I mattered?' The questions looped endlessly in his mind, fueling the storm raging within him.

The room trembled under the weight of Lucian's power, cracks forming along the walls as objects shattered and splintered. The darkness pouring out of him seemed endless, an abyss that threatened to swallow everything in its path.

✧༺ ⏱︎ ༻✧

"Ah shit."

Cassian cursed under his breath, shielding his face as papers whipped around the room like restless spirits. The oppressive energy was suffocating, a relentless tide of chaos threatening to consume everything in its path.

He stepped forward cautiously, gritting his teeth against the dark force radiating from Lucian. "Dammit, Lucian! Snap out of it!"

Lucian didn't respond. He remained on his knees, his translucent form trembling, his eyes still voids of black. The shadows twisted and coiled around him, growing darker, denser.

Cassian lunged instinctively, reaching for Lucian's shoulders, but his hands passed through empty air. He stumbled forward, nearly falling. "What the—?!" He stared at his hands, realization dawned on him.

'He's a ghost… of course.'

Cassian straightened, his jaw tightening. His mind raced. 'How am I supposed to stop him if I can't even touch him? Think, Cassian. What can get his attention...oh.'

Cassian's lips twitched into a grim smirk as a memory surfaced. The countless arguments, the barbed exchanges—they'd been at each other's throats for years. And if there was one thing Lucian couldn't resist, it was taking the bait when Cassian pushed the right buttons.

'You're always so predictable, Faelith,' he thought, his tone dripping with exasperated amusement.

Straightening, Cassian cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled over the swirling chaos, his voice sharp and mocking. "Is this it, Lucian? Throwing a tantrum like a spoiled brat? No wonder Adrian didn't choose you!"

The effect was immediate. The shadows froze mid-sway, and the oppressive energy in the room faltered.

Lucian's head snapped up, his blackened eyes narrowing into sharp slits. "What did you just say?" His voice was low and dangerous, a quiet storm before the eruption.

Cassian allowed himself a smirk, his heart pounding as he took a step closer. 'Got you.'

"You heard me," he said, crossing his arms as if the chaos wasn't trying to swallow him whole. "All this power, all this destruction, and for what? Because things didn't go your way? Face it, Lucian—you're just a child throwing a fit. Maybe that's why Adrian never—"

"Shut up!" Lucian's voice roared, the shadows surging briefly before faltering again.

Cassian seized the moment, pointing to the wreckage around them. "Look at this! Look at what you're doing!"

Lucian hesitated, his gaze darting around the room. His breathing hitched as he took in the destruction—the overturned furniture, the shattered shelves, the cracks webbing across the walls. The dark energy seemed to flicker, like a flame running out of fuel.

Slowly, the shadows began to retreat, dissolving into the air as Lucian's eyes returned to their normal hue. He sank to his knees, his trembling hands clutching his head.

Cassian exhaled, tension draining from his body as the chaos faded. The room shimmered faintly, the destruction reversing itself piece by piece. Books floated back to their places, cracks sealed, and the air cleared until the office looked as though nothing had ever happened.

Cassian surveyed the pristine room, his arms still crossed. 

"How fucking powerful are you?"