lucretia

Lucrezia grew up in a poor family. Her mother, exhausted by hardships, rarely spoke to her and was indifferent to life. For as long as Lucrezia could remember, her mother had always been busy with her younger brothers and sisters, completely forgetting about her. Lucrezia saw Zafrael for the first time that very terrible night when her town was attacked by demons. Her whole family: mother, brothers, sisters were killed one by one. She had already decided that there was nothing to hope for when Zafrael arrived with his soldiers. They burst into the horror of the bloody night like pure white lightning. Zafrael saved her from the knife of a demonic butcher. That year Lucrezia turned 13. She was obsessed with heroes and bowed to them. Zafrael's exploits that night were forever etched into her memory and served as a source of inspiration. The girl could not return to the destroyed house and decided to join the army to serve as a sister under Zafrael. Few soldiers returned from the front line alive and their lives often hung in the balance. Lucrezia quickly learned how to treat burns and sew up torn and mutilated limbs. With every second she spent in the war, she admired Zafrael more and more. Every time he came back, she took care of him and healed his wounds. As a commander, he was the first to rush into battle and kill demons without counting. New scars lay on his skin on top of the old ones. One day Zafrael received a fatal blow. Blood was pouring from a deep wound in a wide stream. Consumed by longing, Lucrezia was afraid that there would be no other opportunity and confessed her feelings to him in front of everyone. However, their situation was too different. Lucrezia could only look at him from afar and did not dare to dream that she would one day become his wife. He, of course, did not even think about marriage. The joy of the whole environment did not allow Zafrael to refuse marriage with Lucrezia, although he did not want it. Thus, their union was tragic from the very beginning. Despite everything, Lucrezia was over the moon with happiness. She did not even know that this marriage could neither narrow the gap between them, nor give her the desired love. Almost all the time Zafrael struggled with the forces of demons and his duty became the reason for separation from his wife. He didn't have time for a family, and he didn't think about his silent wife at all. Lucrezia did not complain and continued to manage the household and other family affairs while Zafrael was fighting with enemies. Day and night she prayed to the gods to spare her husband. She prayed that the war would end as soon as possible, and her lover would return home to her and their unborn child as soon as possible. She never expected that in response to her pleas she would receive the news that Zafrael would soon become one of the gods. She wanted to gather her will into a fist and beg him to stay with her for the sake of the unborn child, but seeing the religious fervor in Zafrael's eyes, she decided to keep silent. Instead of pleasing her, the gods took Zafrael so far away that any connection with him was severed. Soon their son was born. All the love and tenderness that Lucrezia felt for Zafrael, she directed at the newborn. Wanting to escape from the conflagration of war, she left the city with the baby. Mother and son found a small village and settled in it. Although outwardly everything looked quiet and peaceful, the locals secretly sacrificed to the demon — gave him children. Lucrezia could not even think that her son could be taken away and fed to a monster. Worse, it was her child who was supposed to be the last victim that was needed for the demon's rebirth into the real world. Lucrezia was already plunged into the depths of despair, but suddenly she saw the silhouette of Zafrael, just like on that anxious night, many years ago. This time he came to stop the Demon's rebirth. Seeing the white lightning bolt in her husband's hand, Lucrezia immediately realized what was about to happen. She prayed that he would think of his son. But the deadline for the demon's rebirth was still approaching. Zafrael found the monster and brought down his lightning on it. The ritual was interrupted. But the child also turned into a handful of ashes. It all happened so fast, but Lucrezia could have sworn that her son managed to say "dad" a moment before his body evaporated… At first Lucrezia pinned all her hopes on Zafrael, but he left her. Then her son was the center of her world, but the world took him away, and all for the sake of the so-called "just cause". Time after time, her most precious things were taken away from her. Everything that kept her alive. In the heat of the struggle for the destruction of the ritual, no one noticed how a tiny part of the demonic essence managed to escape. Clinging to the hatred that was boiling in Lucrezia's soul, she began to implement her plan. The demon began to whisper his cunning speeches into the ears of the grieving mother: "Poor Lucretia… To the great and mighty gods, you and your child mean no more than specks of dust." Double Horror—that was his name. Many considered him the most cunning demon in Esperia. "Then the gods indulge the desires of a small bug? And yet... if you give your soul to us, we will reward you properly… You will be as strong as the gods." Thunderclouds swirled over the horizon, as if gathering strength for a new lightning strike. Lucrezia knew that the demon was in a hurry to find its master. She spoke and her slow speech was imbued with madness. With bitterness, she let the demon into her soul and he kept his word. Lucrezia felt her skin covered with armor, as a new great power, fueled by hatred, filled her. The pain of a difficult birth, hopeless loneliness, the face of a child illuminated by a blinding white light a moment before death… Lucrezia remembered all this, while the Demon kept whispering his incomprehensible spells to her. Her hatred was growing, but now Lucrezia controlled it and felt that it had become much stronger. Grabbing the dark star, Lucrezia, eager for revenge, went to her former lover. The gods are not blind, they just don't care. Surely they won't do anything this time either?