Lucian stood silently in front of the tinted windows, his gaze lost in the vast expanse of the world outside. Below him, the city pulsed with life—a chaotic, yet fragile existence. People went about their daily routines, unaware of the forces lurking just beneath the surface. They thought they were safe, tucked away in their fleeting mortal lives, ignorant of the darkness that silently surrounded them. But Lucian knew the truth. He had seen it all. Time was a cycle, and he had lived through it all. Every age, every era, every civilization—he had been there, watching from the shadows.
It had been so long since the Almighty had locked him away, banished to the forgotten corners of time. Yet, even in exile, Lucian had never stopped observing. He had worn many faces over the eons—always adapting, always changing. His current persona was just one of the many masks he wore to blend in with humanity. A businessman by day, a benefactor by night, and a protector to the souls who couldn''t see beyond their own limited existence. No one suspected the truth. No one would ever guess that the "Evil" Immortal Vampire, the exiled prophet, stood among them, playing the game of humanity''s fleeting existence.
The heavens had cast him out, betrayed by those he once called allies. But Lucian was no mere pawn. He had once walked among the divine, and his power had rivaled even the heavens themselves. They had forgotten him, but now, he would remind them of who he was.
It had been fortnights since Lucian had left the safety of his home. As he stepped outside, the bright sun struck him, momentarily disorienting his eyes. The frenetic, clattering boulevard stretched before him, bustling with the noise of the city. Everywhere he looked, churches stood tall, symbols of God''s dominion over the world. But to Lucian, they were nothing more than reminders of his own fall from grace.
With a swift motion, Lucian entered a narrow alley, Altaria''s Backyard. It was the perfect place to blend into the shadows. As he walked deeper, his senses heightened. A group of men, thugs of the city, eyed him carefully as he passed. One of them, a brute of a man with a sneer on his face, stepped forward.
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"Hey there, punk," the thug said, his voice low and threatening. "You might want to just give me all your goods, or you won’t like what happens next."
Lucian''s patience, thin as it was, snapped. He had not come here for a confrontation, but this fool had crossed the line. Without a word, Lucian’s hand moved swiftly, and the thug’s body crumpled to the ground, incapacitated. The remaining henchmen froze in shock, unsure of what to do. Lucian didn’t even spare them a glance as he continued his path down the alley.
As he walked, his eyes fell upon a small stall where a vendor was selling peculiar items. On the table in front of him sat a jar filled with eyes. One, in particular, caught Lucian’s attention. It was moving, its pupil shifting as if it were alive.
Intrigued, Lucian approached the vendor. "How much for one of these eyes?" he asked, his tone calm but curious.
The vendor, an older man with a mischievous grin, looked up from his wares. "Around 12 Alti, young man. But for you, I’ll give you a discount—how about 10 Alti?"
Lucian didn’t hesitate. The price was trivial to him, and the object itself was too fascinating to ignore. He handed over the Alti and picked up the eye that had caught his attention. It felt oddly familiar in his hand.
As he continued walking, Lucian examined the eye more carefully. He recognized it immediately. This was the Eye of Altaria, a legendary relic from the days of the Three. The eye had once been a powerful tool used in ancient battles, a device that allowed the wielder to see beyond the physical world. It was a relic of great importance, one that Lucian had once used himself during the wars between realms. To see it again was a strange blessing—and a reminder of what he had once been.
Lucian paused for a moment, the weight of the eye heavy in his hand. It was a symbol of power, but it also reminded him of the fall from grace he had suffered. He carefully replaced his own eye with the Eye of Altaria, feeling the strange sensation of reality warping around him. His vision distorted, and the world before him seemed to shift. The eye gave him a new perspective, a clearer view of the hidden forces in the world.
With his new vision, Lucian felt the power surge within him once again. The time had come. He was no longer just an observer. He was ready to remind the world of who he was—Lucian, the strongest of the Three, the one who had once shaped the world. And this time, nothing would stand in his way.