He extended his hand slightly, as if gesturing to the very fabric of reality.
"Before existence," he began, his voice taking on an almost reverent tone, "there was only the Great Darkness."
The air in the temple seemed to still, as if reality itself paused to listen.
"And then," Lucifer continued, "from the abyss, from the emptiness itself, was born a single, burning Light."
The Ancient One's fingers curled slightly against her robes, listening intently.
"It was small, at first," Lucifer went on, his golden eyes distant, yet piercing, "but as it grew, the Darkness screamed."
Mazikeen raised a brow, but for once, she did not interrupt.
"The Light heard the Darkness," Lucifer murmured, "and in that moment—it perceived something beyond itself. And in that imperceptible flaw, that first crack in its once-immaculate perception…"
He smiled, slow and knowing.
"…the cosmos was born."
The flames of the candles flickered, as if something unseen had just brushed past them.
Lucifer tapped his fingers against his knee.
"As the Voice," he said smoothly, "the Light spoke, and in doing so, it created the Word. And with the Word came all things—existence, time, the Omniverse."
His gaze flickered toward the Ancient One.
"It wrote its Name into the very essence of creation," he murmured. "On a sub-molecular level, the Light made itself present in all things."
The Ancient One breathed in slowly, absorbing the words.
Lucifer let the silence sit for just a moment, before continuing.
"But, of course," he added lightly, "a Creator needs tools. And so, His next creations—His first big ideas—were us."
Mazikeen tilted her head. "The Demiurgic Archangels."
Lucifer smirked.
"Indeed," he said, "the first and most powerful of the divine."
His voice took on a rhythmic cadence, listing their names with careful weight.
"First, He created Amenadiel—the eldest, the steady one. To him, the Creator gave the Power of Time itself, to start it all."
"Then came Michael—the warrior, the foundation. To him, He gave the ability to create dull matter, the building blocks of all things."
"Next was Samael—that would be me, of course—" Lucifer smirked at the Ancient One before continuing, "—the one who brings life to what has been made."
"And finally," he said, lifting a finger, "Gabriel—the one who sets the laws, the one who gives form and function to all that exists."
The Ancient One's gaze did not waver.
But Lucifer could see it now.
She was memorizing every word.
"As the Source of all things," Lucifer continued, "He then sent out the Hands—constructs of creation itself—into the greater Overvoid."
The Ancient One blinked. "The Hands?"
Lucifer chuckled. "Yes, my dear—the ones who were tasked with shaping new Multiversal systems. With them came the seven connective energies—the fundamental forces that bind all existence."
His golden eyes flickered.
"And every universe they created," he said, "forged a new set of Infinity Stones. The anchors that stabilize reality."
He picked up his tea once more, taking a slow sip.
"After that," he said, eyeing the Ancient One over the rim of his cup, "I assume you know the basics."
Silence.
Mazikeen blinked. "Huh."
The Ancient One exhaled quietly, but there was something… different about her now.
As if something had just clicked into place in her mind.
Lucifer, pleased with himself, leaned back slightly, rolling his shoulders as if shaking off the weight of eons-old history like it was nothing more than idle conversation.
"There now," he mused, lifting his cup to his lips, taking one last, thoughtful sip before setting it down again. "That should be enough history for one evening, wouldn't you say?"
Mazikeen snorted. "You love hearing yourself talk."
Lucifer smirked. "Well, of course, Maze. But I do believe we had plans to be somewhere else by now—"
He turned toward the Ancient One, lifting a single brow, golden eyes gleaming.
"—unless," he drawled, "you have one more question to ask me before we go?"
A challenge. A final chance.
The Ancient One did not speak immediately. Instead, she sat perfectly still, gazing into her cup of tea as if the rippling surface held all the knowledge of the cosmos.
She had learned more than she expected from this exchange. But there was still something… missing.
Something that didn't fit with what she already knew.
Slowly, she raised her gaze back to Lucifer.
"The Seven Connective Energies," she said at last. "Tell me about them, please."
Lucifer stilled for just a fraction of a second.
Ah.
Interesting choice.
He studied her, eyes narrowing slightly.
"Now that," he murmured, tilting his head, "is a question I wasn't expecting. Usually people ask more about Father and Fate, but well, I can tell you about it."
Mazikeen frowned, glancing between them. "What the hell are the Seven Connective Energies?"
The Ancient One kept her gaze on Lucifer. "I know of the Living Tribunal," she said calmly. "I know of the Celestials, the Watchers, and the Eternals—of beings meant to maintain balance in the Multiverse."
She exhaled softly.
"But I have never heard of these energies before. And if they are tied to creation itself, then why?"
Lucifer chuckled, low and rich, resting his chin against his knuckles.
"Why indeed," he murmured.
He let the question settle, enjoying the weight of it in the air.
Then, finally, he answered.
"The Seven Connective Energies," he said, voice smooth, "are the fundamental forces that shape everything—the unseen currents that hold reality together, binding existence at its core."
Mazikeen crossed her arms, watching him skeptically. "And they are?"
Lucifer lifted one finger at a time, his golden eyes gleaming as he listed them.
"The Speed Force," he began, "the representation of reality in motion—the very cosmic force that pushes space and time forward."
The air in the temple seemed to hum at his words.
"The Emotional Electromagnetic Spectrum," he continued, "the energy field that gives the universe feelings and emotions—the force behind all passion, rage, hope, and fear."
Mazikeen snorted. "Great. So reality itself is emotional. That explains a lot."
Lucifer smirked, but he kept going.
"The Life Force," he murmured, "the breath of creation itself. It allows life to flourish, interconnecting every living being down to their very souls."
The Ancient One's eyes flickered slightly, but she said nothing.
"The Sphere of the Gods," Lucifer continued, "the cosmic force that grants divinity—the source of magic, the power from which gods and those like them draw their might."
A whisper of something stirred in the air at that.
Lucifer noted it.
"The Dimensional Superstructure," he said, "the architecture of all things—the power that governs everything imaginable and unimaginable. It is the scaffolding of reality itself."
Mazikeen frowned. "That sounds like something this Kang would have messed with."
Lucifer's lips curled slightly.
"Indeed," he murmured, before lifting his next finger.
"The Collective Unconscious," he said, "the force of knowledge and wisdom—the invisible link that connects all sentient minds, forming the very fabric of understanding."
The Ancient One's fingers twitched.
Lucifer caught it.
And finally, he lifted his last finger.
"And the seventh," he said, his voice dipping lower, "the most curious of them all—Faithfulness."
The room seemed to still.
"It is," Lucifer murmured, "the cosmic force tied to Faith in Justice—the power rooted in the goodness within people's hearts, their heroic nature, their unwavering belief in something greater."
The Ancient One's lips parted slightly, but she did not speak.
Lucifer smiled.
"There," he mused, leaning back lazily. "That should answer your question, dear sorcerer."
But the Ancient One?
She was thinking.
And Lucifer?
He knew he had just changed something.
Something important.
The Ancient One's expression remained unreadable, but Lucifer saw it in the way she filed away the information, tucking it neatly into whatever vast collection of knowledge she had cultivated over the centuries.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice lowering to something almost conspiratorial.
"Kang knew of some, surely, maybe even tried manipulating them," he mused. "But he could never hold them all, you see."
He sat back, stretching leisurely, then let out a content sigh.
"Hope you're content with the answer."
The Ancient One studied him carefully.
Then, at last, she nodded.
"It was a valuable answer," she admitted.
Lucifer beamed. "Of course it is. I gave it."
Mazikeen groaned. "Can we leave now?"
Lucifer sighed dramatically, rising to his feet.
"Very well, Maze," he said, smoothing his coat. "We've entertained enough cosmic discussions for one day."
He turned to the Ancient One, tilting his head slightly.
"I must say, dear sorcerer," he mused, "this was delightfully enlightening. We must do it again sometime."
The Ancient One smiled ever so slightly.
"Perhaps," she said.
Lucifer's smirk widened.
And with that, he turned toward the door—Mazikeen at his side, rolling her eyes as they walked.
But before they stepped out, the Ancient One's voice cut through the air one last time.
"Lucifer Morningstar."
He paused, glancing back.
The Ancient One's gaze held something steady, weighty, knowing.
"Be careful what you look for," she said.
Lucifer's smirk did not fade.
But for a moment—just a flicker of a second—his golden eyes darkened.
Then, with a flourish of his coat, he turned fully and walked out.
And the game continued.
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