Castle MorningStar stands tall and proud in the center of Pride, the heart of Hell. Its brimstone walls stand strong against the cruelty of the dark realm's skies, which batter it with harsh, flaming rain. The supernatural savagery of the weather matches the wickedness of the dark realm's inhabitants.
Deep within the castle, a figure walks elegantly down a hallway.
She is a strikingly beautiful woman with long purplish-black hair, pale skin, and glowing violet eyes. Dressed in a black evening gown, white gloves, and black heels that click sharply against the carpet, she walks with measured grace.
The hallway is adorned with portraits of grotesque scenes, depictions of agony and terror—but she passes them without a flicker of discomfort.
She arrives at a pair of towering double doors, flanked by two demon guards. They open the doors at her mere presence. She does not acknowledge them.
- - -
She enters a grand throne room. At its center, two thrones command attention.
One is lower, crafted of silver and inlaid with a constellation of precious stones. Its matching crown and scepter are also silver—the scepter's head carved into the shape of a coiling serpent.
The other throne sits elevated, looming over the silver. It is made of pure gold, encrusted with the finest diamonds. Resting on it are a golden crown and a golden scepter, tipped with the head of a roaring dragon.
The woman ignores the silver throne.
She approaches the golden one, lifts the crown, and places it on her head. Then she takes the scepter, and with unhurried confidence, reclines into the throne.
A smile blooms on her beautiful face.
"Power is a look that suits you, my dear."
The voice echoes across the room.
Shadows in the corner stir and coalesce into the figure of a man.
He has waist-length hair of radiant gold, sun-kissed skin, and a tall, muscular build. His beauty could snare the eyes of both women and men alike. But what draws the eye most are his shifting eyes—they change color like a chameleon, never staying the same.
The woman rolls her eyes.
"Your sense of humor is as vexing as ever, Leviathan. I'm starting to wonder if you even have one."
The demon laughs—and his illusion peels away.
His hair shortens to shoulder length, fading to grey with a single green streak. His skin pales. His towering stature shrinks to an average height. Still handsome, but no longer divine.
His eyes remain reptilian—pale green sclera, golden-green irises, slitted pupils.
This is Leviathan, the Sin of Envy.
"Admit it, I had you fooled for a moment!" he exclaims gleefully. "For a brief moment, you actually thought I was him!"
"Not for a single second," she replies coldly. "A fake can never truly match the original, no matter how hard it tries. A tiny snake trying to imitate a mighty dragon. It's almost adorable. Almost."
An emotion flickers across Leviathan's face. It vanishes quickly beneath his usual smile—but Lilith notices. She just doesn't care.
"Your tongue is as venomous as ever, Mistress Lilith," he says with mock admiration.
"I drink from the same cup as the Devil himself," Lilith replies, lips curling into a smirk. "It is to be expected."
Leviathan chuckles.
"A few millennia ago, I would never have expected that from you. I doubt anyone would."
Lilith's smile fades.
"What did they call you back then?"
Lightning crashes outside, flooding the room with a sudden, searing light.
For a brief instant, in Leviathan's eyes, Lilith's figure overlaps with another—a woman with honey-colored hair, peach skin, and warm brown eyes.
"Ah yes. I remember now."
"They called you... Eve."
X X X
In the beginning, the Almighty created the Heavens and the Earth.
And on the Earth, from the dust of the ground, He created Man—creatures made in His image. He breathed life into them: Adam, the first man, and Eve, the first woman.
God united them in marriage and placed them in the Garden of Eden—a paradise with everything they could ever desire.
But all was not well in Paradise.
"Eve, my lovely bride. You must understand, as your husband, I am naturally meant to take charge," Adam said, voice firm. "I am the one with authority—not only in this Garden, but in our marriage!"
Adam stood tall, with dark, curly hair and bronze skin. His lean, powerful body looked sculpted from living stone, and he radiated an air of divine command.
"No. I refuse to understand!" Eve snapped.
Her eyes burned with conviction. "What right do you have that I don't? We were made from the same dust, Adam! It is the same breath of the Divine that gave us life! What makes you so special?"
Adam frowned, trying to soothe her.
"Eve, please… it's the natural order of things. Look around. All the animals in the Garden follow these principles. My instinct tells me we should too."
"Well," Eve said, arms crossed, "you know what my instinct is telling me?"
She stepped closer.
"It's telling me you're being insufferable! And until you're ready to see reason, I don't want to speak to you! Your very presence is vexing!"
With the fury of a storm, Eve turned and stormed off.
Adam watched her go, hesitation clouding his gaze. He thought of calling her back… but decided against it.
He believed she would come back.
He believed she would calm down with time, and all would go back to what it once was.
He believed wrong.