Ancestral Lineage

Geraldine sat on a velvet cushion, her red eyes locked on a projection—an ethereal image of Lucifer, flickering like starlight on water.There was no rage in her gaze, no malice—only an aching silence, an overwhelming storm of longing buried under centuries of strength. The strongest demon alive, the Paragon of Sin, the Chosen of Chaos and heir to the Dark Mystic Path… reduced to quiet, fragile yearning.Love had outlived empires. Hers had endured for over a thousand years.

A single tear traced the curve of her cheek before she wiped it away with a growl."No," she muttered, steeling her voice. "Not now."She remembered the fire in her son's eyes—Xander, her beloved adopted son, whose determination to meet his father knew no limits.If he was willing to claw through the world for that man, so would she.

Her hands curled into fists, but the flare of heat against her palms stopped her cold.The Sin symbols etched across her skin began to glow.One in particular pulsed violently—a crimson hue radiating from a wolf's head, sharp with draconic horns and slitted eyes.

Her breath caught. "Wrath...?"But no, it wasn't the standard Wrath sigil. This one was different—older, deeper, more feral. It wasn't just a wolf. It was something ancient. Something divine.

She rose, walking toward the obsidian altar in the center of her chamber. As she moved, other symbols on her arms shimmered into focus.Pride—once a simple lion's head—now gleamed with four golden horns and a regal, metallic mane that moved like molten light.Sloth—no longer just a bear—was now a fusion of bear and sloth, wrapped in an aura of misty gray and pale blue, as if time itself slowed around it.And Lust—ah, Lust! A breathtaking hybrid of peacock and serpent, a hypnotic draconic beauty. A creature of divine seduction and terrifying allure.

Her lips trembled. "They're evolving… rebirthing."She clenched her fists. The symbols weren't just activating. They were awakening—ascending beyond the archetypes of the Seven Sins she had known a millennium ago.More than that—they were connected.Her eyes widened.

"All of them… are near him."She zoomed in on the flickering energy signature—Lucifer. No… Ethan. Her Ethan.Pride, Sloth, Wrath—all orbiting around the man she loved. Coincidence? No.Fate? Most likely.A divine joke? Almost certainly.

Her pulse thundered as a wild thought crossed her mind."What if… he is the core?"What if Lucifer wasn't just one of the Sins—but the anchor? The being who could reawaken the True Sins, unlock their perfect forms, and merge them with divine chaos?

A strange laugh burst from her lips—unsteady, giddy.She could feel it in her soul: the symbols weren't responding to just proximity. They were reacting to him.Pride had already reached its Zenith.Wrath and Sloth were on the verge of doing the same.If she helped… no, when she helped… what would become of the Sins?And more importantly… what would become of her?

She didn't need more power. She had transcended most demons centuries ago.But if awakening them fully meant anchoring herself deeper into his path—then she would become the guiding star, the beacon of their rebirth.And when all was said and done, she wouldn't just be a Paragon.

She would be his Queen. [email protected] My Vi#r*t@ual@ Lib.rary E$m$pire (M_V*L#E-MPYR) for mor$e.@

Her eyes burned with madness and devotion as she gazed at the hovering image of Ethan."Wait for me, my love," she whispered, a tear sliding free again."I'm coming… and I'll bring the whole world with me if I must."

And as the Sin symbols around her began to thrum with an unholy symphony, Geraldine—the Paragon of Sin—grinned with terrifying grace.Her plans were just beginning.And Fate, that wretched puppeteer, was about to learn what it meant to burn.

...

"I'm a Sin what now?!"

"A Sin Candidate. Precisely, the Sin Candidate of Wrath—just like your mother, Elaine, the Sin of Sloth," Ethan said calmly, a faint smile touching his lips.

"For real?" Regnare blinked in disbelief.

"For real real. Walk with me." Ethan rose from the cushion he'd been lounging on. His hair was slicked back neatly, and he wore a simple sky-blue sweater, brown corduroy trousers, and—oddly enough—black Crocs.

"Okay! Let me get dressed first," Regnare said, hopping off the bed.

"Sure. I'll be waiting outside," Ethan replied as he walked out, humming a jaunty tune.

Regnare didn't take long. He tied his long, white hair into a man bun and dressed in a grey sweater and casual trousers, matching his dad's vibe but less chaotic.

As they walked down one of the corridors of their mansion, they crossed paths with Barki, just finishing a brutal morning workout. Sweat glistened on her chocolate-toned skin, outlining every cut and curve of her muscular form. Her sports bra and leggings clung tightly to her body, and her face had that post-workout glow that made her look radiant.

Ethan's jaw dropped. Regnare cringed.

"Where are my two babies off to?" Barki asked with a smirk, wiping her face with a towel.

"Dad wants to talk to me," Regnare muttered while nudging Ethan, who was now frozen, eyes wide, completely captivated.

"Damn. I'm in love," Ethan breathed out, not even trying to be discreet.

"Honey, there are kids here!" Barki said, flushing with embarrassment.

"Let me hug you, mommy!!!" Ethan shouted and literally leapt into her arms, face buried in her bosom.

"Gyaah! I'm dirty!" Barki protested, trying to push him away.

"I love 'em dirty!" Ethan declared shamelessly, completely ignoring his surroundings.

Regnare rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they stayed in their sockets.

"Is this what love looks like?" he muttered, thinking about a certain black-haired someone.

"Unfortunately, it's a full pack," a cool voice said behind him.

A sudden wave of frost surged through the air. In an instant, Ethan was frozen up to his neck in a block of shimmering ice, his face still in mid-goofy expression.

"Mother Pisces?" Regnare turned, recognizing the elegant woman with ocean-blue hair tied into a loose braid. Her serene face was a mask of mild irritation.

"Sorry you had to witness this, Reg. Your father can be… intense," Pisces sighed, controlling the frost so it began to melt—except around Ethan's legs.

BONK!

She smacked him on the head.

"You absolute moron!" she snapped as he clutched his head.

"Ow ow ow! What was that fo—ow! Damn it! Reg, save me!!" Ethan wailed as Pisces grabbed him by the ear and began dragging him away.

"This is abuse! Divine abuse!!"

"Shut up and be grateful I didn't vaporize your Crocs," Pisces growled.

Regnare just shook his head.

"This family is crazy."