159. Lucien vs. Emma
The rival faces the spirit of the Goddess
The next morning, Carlisle High School smelled like wet concrete,lovely styled, cheap body spray, and the faint metallic tang of teenage anxiety that never quite left the hallways and other guys were normally looking at her saying that she was as beautiful as the stars. Her huge breasts would bounce like extremely huge watermelons. This would idiotize others and make other release their essence in seconds. After all, she had become the ultimate beauty under heaven.
Emma walked through the front doors with her usual stride that could scare any one, shoulders back, chin high, the quiet glow of Asase Ya’s fertile strength as if she were the incarnation of the battlefield, Anat’s war-fire that could consume the whole universe, and Inanna’s descending-rising radiance humming just beneath her skin like a secret she was still learning how to carry politely to come through the real ones and the fake ones. She had spent the morning pretending everything was normal. Drinking tea with Karl. Listening to Freyja describe the new room upstairs. Ignoring the way the ground sometimes seemed to lean toward her now, as if asking for permission to grow something.
She didn’t notice the new student until third period that was luring others into lies as other may not know. In Scandinavia, Lie (singular) is a highly common habitational name for families who lived on a mountain slope. Meanwhile, in Asian communities, Lie is often a variant romanization of Chinese surnames like Li or Lai, or a transliteration of Overseas Chinese name. Now, she had to face a new situation. Now, she had to become what she was meant to be.
His name was Lucian Vale. Yeah, this fucker will mean problems. This has to be newly acclaimed.
He transferred in that morning tall, pale, with black hair that fell across one eye like it was hiding something sharp and he had a power around of SS Elipson living form. His smile was too perfect, too knowing, the kind of smile that made teachers forget to ask for paperwork. When he walked into AP Literature, the air in the room grew heavier, sweeter, like incense mixed with something slightly rotten underneath.
He sat two rows behind Emma and he was bothering some girls to piss her off.
And he watched her.
Not the way normal boys watched. Not with clumsy interest. Not with the respect that professors would give her. With the cold, ancient hunger of something that had once worn many names across many hells With a spark that could burn doubts, a lesser prince of temptation who had volunteered for this particular assignment with genuine delight.
Lucian leaned forward during discussion, voice smooth as oil over silk when the teacher called on him.
Lucian: The hero’s journey is just a polite lie we tell ourselves about suffering having meaning. In reality, most people break long before they transform. Don’t you think, Emma? This cannot be the end of those look for real answer. This shall be what you call beauty and mercy.
The way he said her name felt like fingers brushing the back of her neck.
Emma turned slowly. Her eyes met his and for a split second, the three goddesses inside her stirred. Asase Ya’s earth-sense tasted something wrong in the soil of his shadow. Anat’s war-blood warmed with recognition of an enemy. Inanna’s starlit heart narrowed with the memory of descent and betrayal.
Emma: Some people break. Some people lie. Some peope kill. Some people choose not to. The difference is whether they’re willing to finish what hurts them instead of dragging it into everyone else’s life and ruin them for their victimization.
Lucian’s smile widened, slow and sondangerous
Lucian: Bold words for a girl carrying more than she admits. I can take it. Sure enough! This is valid. I can see why you say it. I can smell it on you three old queens pretending to be one quiet student. How long do you think you can keep pretending to be normal before something slips? Before the ground opens up because you got too angry in the cafeteria? Before your precious brother has to come clean up your honest little mess? What sshould be that? You tell me.
He leaned back, voice dropping so only she could hear.
Lucian: The underworlds are watching, Emma Garrison. They sent me to see what happens when the reincarnation of Asase Ya, Anat, and Inanna tries to play human in a place like this. Push too hard… and I’ll make sure the whole school sees exactly what you are.
The bell rang.
Lucian stood, slinging his bag over one shoulder like any other transfer student.
But as he passed her desk, he whispered one last thing:
Lucian: Tell your brother the princes say hello. And tell him we’re curious how long his mercy lasts when it’s his sister’s fire that burns the world he’s trying to save.
Emma sat very still as the classroom emptied.
The glow beneath her skin flared once fertile earth cracking, war-fire licking at the edges, starlight descending with ancient fury. This has begun for her to adapt to any situation. In doing so, nothing can be a coincidence. This is true.
For the first time since awakening, she felt the full weight of three goddesses who did not like being threatened on their chosen ground.
And somewhere across town, in the small house where tea still remembered how to be warm, Karl felt the shift through the ring a warning, a pull, the first real complication of the new story stepping onto the familiar battlefield of high school hallways and teenage cruelty.
The underworlds had chosen their weapon.
A rival supernatural student with a smile like poisoned honey and orders to push Emma until something broke.
The honest new beginning had just met its first deliberate test.
And Emma Garrison carrying the Earth, the War, and the descending-rising Love was already deciding how she would answer it.
Oh come on! This is not what I expected. This can become a super war.