The sky over Exfodia burned red. For days, the battlefield had been drenched in blood, sweat, and raw energy. What was once fertile land had been reduced to nothing but cracked earth and scorched ruins. The wind carried the scent of destruction, the echoes of battle still vibrating in the air. Two warriors stood amidst the devastation—Lynx and Onyx, brothers by blood, enemies by fate. Lynx was exhausted. His breathing was uneven, his muscles ached with every movement, but he refused to fall. His grip tightened around the sword of pure blue energy in his hand.

Onyx, standing across from him, radiated an unstable, violent aura—a swirling mass of red and purple energy that twisted the air around him. His once-human form was barely recognizable, his features contorted by the power consuming him. “Why do you keep fighting?" Onyx snarled, his voice layered with something... inhuman. "You know you can't win. Just surrender." Lynx wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes locking onto Onyx with quiet resolve. "Because this isn’t just about us. It never was." Onyx scoffed. "Still clinging to that pathetic idea of honor? Of family?" His aura flared, distorting the air with crackling energy. "You sound just like them. Weak. Naive. And you’ll die the same way."

The mention of their parents struck Lynx like a dagger to the heart. His fingers trembled around the hilt of his sword. He took a slow breath. "Don’t bring them into this." His voice was controlled, but beneath it, rage simmered. "Why not?" Onyx grinned, his fangs bared. "They were weak. Just like you. And I'll prove it." Before Lynx could react, Onyx's aura shot out like a whip—grabbing something. Someone. A girl. Lynx’s heart stopped. "No—NO! ONYX, DON’T! SHE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS!" The girl—Emily, the one Lynx loved—was held aloft by Onyx’s power, struggling against the invisible force. "Let’s see how you like it, brother," Onyx sneered, his grip tightening. Emily gasped, her eyes locking onto Lynx’s. A silent plea. Lynx took a desperate step forward—too late. A sickening crack filled the air. Emily’s body went limp. Onyx tossed her aside like broken glass.

For a moment, time froze. Lynx's legs gave out, His sword disappeared. He collapsed to his knees beside her lifeless form. His fingers hovered over her cheek, trembling. "No..." His voice was barely a whisper. His breath shook. His vision blurred. "Why her... Why..." He clenched his fists. The grief inside him burned—something primal, something beyond rage.

A spark ignited within his core. Then—it happened. A howl of anguish and fury erupted from Lynx’s soul. The ground shook violently. The sky darkened. A black and blue aura engulfed him, crackling with energy—power unlike anything before. Lightning split the sky. The ground fractured beneath him. Behind Lynx, the shadow of a beast began to take shape—massive, with glowing eyes and jagged fangs. A Demon Fox. Lynx let out a guttural scream, his energy spiraling out of control. “ONYX... I'LL MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS!" The battlefield shook as his power erupted. The sky seemed to bend inward, reality itself trembling beneath the sheer force of his rage.

Lucifer awoke gasping for breath. His hands clutched his chest, his heartbeat thundered against his ribs. Sweat dripped down his face as he sat up, his sheets tangled around him. He looked at his hands—they were shaking. "That dream… That wasn’t just a dream." The name Lynx lingered on his tongue. He could still feel the rage, the pain, the power coursing through his veins. And the grief. He touched his chest—where Onyx’s blade had stabbed him in the vision. There was no wound, no scar. But he could still feel it. His room was eerily silent, the world outside still waking up. The only sound was the steady pounding of his heart. "What the hell is happening to me?" The doorbell rang, startling him. Still disoriented, Lucifer glanced at the clock. 10:30 AM. "Crap—I overslept." Shaking off the remnants of the vision, he quickly changed into a more casual outfit and hurried downstairs.

His mother stood by the door, arms crossed, an amused look on her face. "Finally awake, huh? Someone’s here to see you." Lucifer stepped forward, and his eyes widened. "Kris!" His childhood friend stood at the door, grinning. "Hey, Lucifer… long time no see." The two embraced briefly before stepping back. Kris’s eyes scanned Lucifer’s face, his smile fading slightly. "You alright, man? You look like you just saw a ghost." Lucifer hesitated. For a moment, he considered telling him everything. But where would he even start? Instead, he forced a small laugh. "Yeah, just had a weird dream." Kris raised an eyebrow. "Weird enough that your hands are still shaking?" Lucifer looked down. His fingers were still trembling. Kris sighed. "Well, whatever it was, let’s not waste the day talking about nightmares." He nudged Lucifer’s shoulder. "Let’s catch up. You in?" Lucifer glanced at his mom, who simply waved him off.

"Go. You need to get out more anyway." Lucifer exhaled and nodded. "Alright, let’s go." As they stepped outside, Lucifer couldn’t shake the feeling that his nightmare wasn’t just a nightmare. 

The forest was unnervingly quiet. Lucifer and Kris had wandered deep into the woods, the sunlight barely piercing through the thick canopy. The air was still, yet something felt... wrong. Lucifer’s thoughts lingered on the nightmare—no, the memory—from the night before. The sight of Onyx, the burning battlefield, Emily’s death… It had all felt too real. "So, about that dream you had," Kris suddenly said, breaking the silence. "You seemed really shaken up earlier. Wanna talk about it?" Lucifer hesitated. How could he explain something he barely understood himself? "It was just… weird. It felt more like a memory than a dream, you know? Like I was someone else." Kris gave him a side glance. "And that someone else was named Lynx?" Lucifer stopped in his tracks. "How did you—?"

Before Kris could answer, the ground trembled. Birds scattered from the trees, the lake's surface rippled unnaturally, and a sharp gust of wind nearly knocked them off balance. They both look up and they see a giant ship in Exfodia’s atmosphere. A beam is shot out of it and it beamed out two people. Then, a low, menacing voice echoed through the clearing.

"So, this is where the energy signal came from?" Lucifer and Kris froze. They ducked behind a thick tree trunk, peering cautiously through the foliage. Two figures stood near the lake. The first was a hulking man, draped in a long, battle-worn coat, his arms crossed as he gazed over the landscape with piercing red eyes. Onyx. The second was a thin, wiry figure hunched over a scanning device, his fingers tapping furiously. "Yes, sir," the smaller man—Minion—stammered. "The energy readings spiked here. If the Elementos exist, one is definitely close." Lucifer felt his pulse skyrocket. His hands curled into fists.

Onyx was real.

(End of Chapter 2)