Bariel's booming voice echoed across the shimring expanse of the Bifröst, his joy unrestrained as he called out, "Lucifer!" The ground quaked faintly beneath his thunderous steps, his massive fra bearing down like a mountain in motion. When he reached his brother, he stopped abruptly, his chest heaving with exertion, though his grin remained as wide as ever.
Lucifer turned to face him fully, his dark eyes softening just slightly as they took in the sight of Bariel. His posture was relaxed, almost languid, his hands resting lightly in the pockets of his long coat. "Bariel," he greeted, his voice low and smooth, carrying an air of understated affection. His lips curved into a small smile, one that hinted at a rare warmth hidden beneath his usual air of detachnt. "You look… well-fed."
Bariel let out a bark of laughter, reaching out to clap a hand on Lucifer's shoulder—a gesture both affectionate and robust. "Always the joker, brother," Bariel rumbled, his green eyes shining with mirth. "It's been too long. You should visit more often. Thor's hall could use your theatrics."
Lucifer tilted his head slightly, the faintest trace of amusent flickering across his face. "And here I thought you'd grown tired of my antics. But no, it seems even Valhalla isn't immune to boredom."
Bariel's laughter rumbled again, but then his gaze shifted, catching sight of Nezha standing a few paces behind Lucifer. The boy's stance was firm, his golden spear resting at his side, though his body language betrayed a tension beneath the surface. His fiery aura crackled faintly in the cool air, the embers flickering and fading like a barely contained storm.
"Who's this?" Bariel asked, his brow furrowing as his jovial tone dipped into curiosity. His large hand gestured vaguely toward Nezha, though his eyes searched his brother's face for answers.
Lucifer turned slightly, his dark eyes sweeping over Nezha with a calculated gaze. His expression didn't shift, but there was a subtle weight in the way his shoulders squared, as if his very presence pressed down on the boy. Nezha stiffened under the scrutiny, though he kept his chin high, his golden eyes eting Lucifer's stare with a determined steadiness.
"Nezha," Lucifer said at last, his voice calm but edged with sothing unreadable. "A guest… and sothing of a pupil." His tone was casual, yet each word seed to carry layers of aning, as though inviting deeper interpretation.
Bariel raised an eyebrow, his curiosity intensifying. "A pupil? Since when did you take on apprentices?"
Before Lucifer could answer, his gaze lingered on Nezha for a mont longer. The faintest flicker of recognition crossed his face—not surprise, but sothing closer to acknowledgnt. His dark eyes narrowed slightly, and a glimr of understanding illuminated their depths. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, his expression shifted into sothing colder, more calculating.
"Ah," Lucifer murmured, his voice so soft it was almost lost in the ether. His eyes darted briefly to the faint, fiery aura that surrounded Nezha, then back to the boy's face. His lips curled into a small, knowing smirk, and his voice took on a languid drawl as he added, "You've been keeping interesting company."
Bariel's green eyes flicked between Lucifer and Nezha, his confusion mounting. "What is it?" he asked, his tone laced with concern. "You're looking at him like you know sothing I don't."
Lucifer's smile widened slightly, though it was laced with a faint edge of amusent. "Oh, I know sothing, all right," he said, his voice light but layered with intrigue. His gaze never left Nezha as he added, "The boy carries sothing… familiar."
Nezha's jaw tightened, his grip on his spear firming as he t Lucifer's gaze. There was no defiance in his posture, but a quiet tension radiated from him, as though he could sense the weight of Lucifer's judgnt pressing down on him.
Bariel stepped forward, his broad fra casting a shadow over both Lucifer and Nezha. "What does that an?" he asked, his voice low and edged with protective concern. His green eyes flicked to Nezha, then back to his brother. "What's he carrying?"
Lucifer finally tore his gaze away from Nezha, his smirk softening into sothing more relaxed. He turned to Bariel, his expression calm, almost dismissive. "Oh, nothing to be alard about," he said smoothly. "Just an old treasure of mine—a sin, to be precise. Wrath, if I'm not mistaken."
Bariel blinked, his expression shifting between disbelief and surprise. "You gave him Wrath?" he asked, his voice rising slightly. "Since when did you start handing out sins like party favors?"
Lucifer's smirk returned, this ti laced with a faint hint of mischief. "It was getting dusty in my treasure space," he said with a casual shrug. "And besides, who better to wield it than soone with… potential?"
Bariel crossed his arms over his broad chest, his eyes narrowing slightly as he studied his brother's face. "And you didn't think to ntion this earlier?" he asked, his tone edged with irritation.
Lucifer chuckled softly, the sound smooth and unbothered. "We've only just reunited, Bariel," he said, his tone light. "Would you have preferred I opened with a list of recent transactions?"
Bariel sighed, his frustration giving way to reluctant amusent. "You never change," he muttered, shaking his head. His gaze shifted to Nezha, his expression softening into one of curiosity. "So, what's it like, carrying a sin?"
Nezha hesitated, glancing briefly at Lucifer before answering. "It's… powerful," he said carefully, his voice steady despite the weight of the question. "But it's not sothing I fully understand yet."
Lucifer's smirk deepened, a faint gleam of satisfaction in his eyes. "Good," he said simply. "Understanding cos with ti—and with use."
Bariel frowned, his protective instincts flaring. "You're not going to give him any guidance?" he asked, his tone laced with disbelief.
Lucifer shrugged again, his expression indifferent. "Why would I?" he replied smoothly. "The sin is his now. How he chooses to wield it is entirely up to him."
Bariel sighed again, though this ti there was a hint of resignation in his voice. "You're impossible," he muttered, shaking his head. Still, a faint smile tugged at his lips as he added, "But I suppose that's why we love you."
Lucifer inclined his head slightly, his smirk softening into sothing almost genuine. "And that's why I tolerate you," he quipped lightly.
Nezha, caught between the exchange, remained silent but thoughtful, his golden eyes flickering faintly as the weight of his new power settled around him. In the presence of these two celestial beings, he felt both dwarfed and emboldened, his resolve hardening like tempered steel beneath the weight of their expectations.
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