CHAPTER 5: Shadows in Flesh, Light in Pain

The room was dark. Not the absence-of-light kind, but a darkness that felt alive. Thick. Breathing. Watching.

Ash stood in the center of a circular stone platform, her arms cut, her breath ragged, her eyes tired — yet unbroken.

Lucifer wasn't there. Not this time.

Instead, she faced one of his 12 servants — the first teacher:

A pale, cloaked woman called Velra the Blade of Truth — known for carving lies out of the soul itself.

Velra didn't speak much. Only fought. And when she fought, the air turned heavy, like the world itself was judging you.

Ash wiped the blood from her lips. "So this is it… the first lesson?"

Velra raised her sword — long, silver, etched in runes that bled.

"No. This is the test of your bones. The lesson comes after."

Then she moved.

Ash barely saw her. The speed wasn't measurable. It was surgical. Brutal. Personal.

The blade sliced her left arm, the wind from it almost enough to knock her over. Ash dropped to one knee but didn't fall.

"I'm not here to die…" she whispered.

Velra circled her. "You're here to kill your weakness."

Then again — slash. Dash. Pain.

Each strike was placed with intent, hitting pressure points, muscle fibers, the psychological cracks in Ash's mind.

She screamed but didn't fall.

"AHHHH!"

Velra stopped.

"What hurts more — the pain in your body… or the silence in your heart?"

Ash growled, standing again.

"I feel everything. Pain. Rage. Love."

Velra's head tilted.

"And which of them do you use?"

Ash didn't answer. She charged.

This time, her movement had purpose. Her footwork tighter. Her center focused.

The clash was short — steel against steel. Velra blocked with a single hand. But Ash had gotten faster.

The servant of Lucifer smiled, just slightly.

"Good. You're not just meat. You're evolving."

Velra stepped back. Sheathing her blade.

"Lesson one is complete. You survived."

Ash fell to her knees, her eyes wide with both pride and confusion.

"Wait… that was it?"

"No." Velra knelt beside her, whispering into her ear.

"That was just the first hour."

🕯️

Later, in her private quarters, Ash stared at the AI console. It buzzed quietly, calculating her new stats.

Durability: +7

Endurance: +6

Combat Speed: +5

BiQ: +2

Intelligence: +1

Weaponry Mastery: unlocked: "Luciferian First Form"

A small grin crept on her lips.

Her knuckles bruised, her heart pounding.

But she felt… proud. For once.

And then the door creaked.

A girl entered.

Her face half-covered in a mask, her aura familiar. One of Nyra's descendants — tall, calm, absurdly powerful. Mysterious.

Ash's eyes widened. She didn't speak. She couldn't.

The girl walked in, placed a small cloth on the table, and looked at Ash with those deep eyes that seemed to contain a thousand galaxies of silence.

Then turned to leave.

Ash whispered, just loud enough for her to hear:

"What's your name?"

The girl paused. Then… without turning:

"You'll forget it once you fall."

Ash blinked. A chill slid down her spine.

What did she mean?

Then the girl was gone.

Leaving Ash confused… and oddly… curious.

Her hand clenched.

"I'll make you say it again someday."

And so, Ash began to walk the path of blades and truths — taught by demons, observed by living myths, and haunted by a girl with no name.