Planet Earth,
29th February, Year 2079.
"Good morning Lucifer, please have a seat."
A 17-year-old boy walked inside what seemed like a uselessly large room, or so Lucifer thought.
He didn't particularly go to a rich orphanage, but even he knew that having glass walls for a backdrop wasn't something 'average' people could just afford.
In the current day and age, Earth was divided into different zones based on things like air quality and atmosphere.
The world population seemed to be at an all time high and it only further increased the problem of pollution, depletion of resources, etc, etc.
The man sitting behind the polished table seemed to be in his late 30s, pitch black hair, sharp eyebrows, and a black suit that fit him perfectly.
He seemed to be staring at Lucifer a bit too hard.
"People call me Alex, Alex Morningstar." The man said with a hint of pride, once again asking the boy to sit down.
Taking a seat on the soft, velvety chair, Lucifer almost moaned.
He had always been used to the hard, plastic chairs back in his orphanage.
'I could get used to this—' Thought the 17-year-old boy as he coughed awkwardly.
"Yes, hi…father."
They had met in the orphanage after Alex found Ivy visiting the place to donate stuff a little 'too often'.
Alex leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping softly against the sleek table as his sharp, black eyes studied the boy, as if trying to make sense out of something.
"Father, huh?" The strong-looking man asked, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Guess that's what I am now."
Lucifer shifted in his seat timidly.
He wasn't sure if it was just him or if Alex was really looking at him like he was inspecting a new piece of furniture instead of meeting his newly adopted son.
"Did they treat you well at the orphanage?" Alex asked, but his voice didn't hold much warmth.
"...It was alright."
Alex scoffed, shaking his head. "No need to lie. I've been there. Those places don't do 'alright.'"
Silence stretched between the two.
Lucifer didn't know what to say.
He had no idea how to act around this man who had adopted him…just out of spite.
The tension in the room continued, and the only sound was a faint hum of the air purifier in the background.
No matter how much he tried, the boy could not wrap his head around the absurdity of his situation.
70 per cent of the World's population lived in in densely polluted areas, without a single proper mechanism to help them purify air, and then there was this man using
a literal air purifier for such a small space.
Alex Morningstar was certainly a man who screamed rich.
Alex let out a deep breath and leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk. "Look, kid. This situation is new for the both of us. I don't expect you to start calling me 'Dad' today and start hugging me by tomorrow." He paused.
"But if we're doing this, let's at least be honest with each other."
The boy looked away, his fingers gripping the armrests tight. "Yeah... alright."
"Good," Alex said, leaning back again. "Now, tell me something real. What do you think of all this? Moving in with a stranger? Getting a whole new life dumped on you?"
Lucifer let out a short, dry laugh. "Honestly? Feels weird as hell."
Alex almost chuckled, nodding. "Yeah. Same here, kid. Same here."
And then, the awkward silence continued.
"Very well then, as you know, I'm now your father, and it's only fair you know what I do. I'm a businessman.
As for what my company does… heh– guess you'll have to figure that out yourself."
"Wait…your company?"
"Umm, yeah? This whole building we're sitting in is mine…Did I forget to tell you that?"
"…"
Another round of silence ensued as Alex sighed.
He stood up from his seat, startling Lucifer as he walked towards a clothes stand and put on his classy black blazer.
Then, walking back to the boy, the man towered over his figure.
"Would you like to tell me about what you did before you were in the orphanage or anything else?"
"I don't really remember much before I was taken to the orphanage at 9, but there is indeed something I feel you should know." The boy said, contemplating if he should say it or not.
"I do not particularly like anything, and I am also scared of sleeping." He said.
"Sleeping? What exactly do you mean?"
"I get strange dreams about two people dying in a darkened space? Haha. Yeah, it's pretty weird, I know."
The man raised an eyebrow, ruffling Lucifer's hair like some pet dog.
"I guess so many years of living in a rundown place like that does fuck your mind in weird ways…even thuough I can't do much about your nightmares—I may have a solution for it.
Unfortunately, I have a meeting with my client, so my P.A. will take you to our house.
You can go there and rest until I come back." That was all the man said before walking out of his room, leaving a disturbed 17-year-old boy who continued repeating the lines he remembered from his accursed dream again and again.
"Live like the king I always wanted you to be..."
***