Marked By Lucifer Son

It was 2A.M, the night was peaceful, still as if the world had disappeared from its main form. There wasn't a moon, neither was the sky cloudy. Darkness filled everywhere in the sky, except for one star. A single, burning star glowing bright, as if it didn't belong.

Everyone could feel it. A danger was beneath the surface. The star was a sign of something. A sign of a formidable being brought to this world. A hybrid had been born, born of both light and darkness, it was forbidden but destiny lied within the star. In that moment, A child was born. Supernatural forces in awe, and in the shadows, forces trembled, sensing the arrival of a powerful being they never expected.

Lyra was that hybrid.

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LYRA'S POV

Eighteen years later...

I am 18 today but my father, Michael didn't celebrate my birthday. He was so desperate for me to start school immediately. It's a tradition in our family that when we get to 18, we are expected to the school of the supernatural to understand the nature of our powers.

"Lyra, you'll be starting school tomorrow," he called out from the living room. I was in my room, hoping for a birthday surprise, "Pack your things. The driver will drop you off."

My birthday was forgotten. Again. He hates me. They all do. I was so badly expecting something, anything. With tears filling my eyes I took out my phone, played a song, pouring down my emotions and sang alongside. I have a good voice tho. At least that's what Kael always say.

Kael's my step brother but he always treated me like his younger sister. He was the only person in this lonely world who loves me, understands how I always felt.

" Happy birthday sissy," Kael came in with a flower. " Oh no, this was not the expression I was expecting."

Thanks bro," I forced out a smile sniffing and wiping my face. "I'm fine, you know how I behave."

"Now you looked like a mashed tomato, Lyra. You're starting school tomorrow, it should be an epitome of joy, not this... come here hun." He dropped the flower on the bed as he opened his arms for an embrace. "You have to be strong, learn to be happy for yourself and for me too okay."

I nodded, hugging him tightly feeling a bit better.

"You're choking me... Lemme help you pack up, so you won't miss anything." He whispered as I pulled out of his embrace heading to my closet to start packing.

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I stood in front of the gate of my new school. Academy of the supernatural. I was in awe as to how the gothic structure of the building was. The wall was at the highest, and the dark stone walls gave off an almost eerie vibe, like there was a spirit within the walls, all looking at me.

I gulped down my saliva, adjusting my bag I held on my shoulder, my heart racing faster than I wanted to admit. The wasn't just a school, it was a school filled with mystery. Everyone inside was something. Something powerful. But me? I didn't even know what I really was. I just knew I was different. Different from the rest of them.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, forcing courage and a smile on my face like I belonged. I could hear whispers before I even made it to hallway. Some were curious, others suspicious, all of them unsettling.

It reminded me of my pack where I was brought up.

I'm used to it, I told myself, hoping I would feel bold, but it failed. I always had the feeling of never fitting into anything, of being a little too strange for the world I was brought in, and it followed me everywhere. I was the only one of my kind it wasn't just it, although it was a big part of it. It was mostly the fear I instilled in myself, the fear of the power I had, waiting to get out.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and walked inside. Woah. The hallways weren't as bad and scary as I thought it would. It was dimly lit, a gentle glow illuminating the walls with a warm surface.

I kept my face down; I was avoiding batting an eye with anyone. The last thing in my mind right now is to draw attention. I could feel it the second I walked through the hallways. People were staring at me.

I could hear their voices, their thoughts. Their scents, witches, demons, werewolves, vampire.

" This is the new girl with the purple eyes," one of them thought.

" She's different, I doubt she's a werewolf," another said.

" But her father is the alpha leader, she is a werewolf," a guy with a brown hair spoke.

I could feel their gazes all around me. I felt so left out.

Just as I turned to head to the principal office through the indication sign, I met by my left, a sudden wave of nausea hit me as I attempted to open the office door.

A flicker of light, but enough to make the nearby students turn and stare. My heart raced. Not now. Please, not now.

"Lyra?"

As I looked behind, a feminine figure stepping out from the shadows at the end of the hallway.

" Welcome to the school, I have been expecting your arrival." The young woman explained, she was putting on a crimson color top, and a blue faded jean. " Ah, I assume you were going to the principal's office, follow me let me lead you to your room."

" But my dad said I should head to the principal's ......."

" You must be exhausted, I will inform him later, come drop your luggage and rest for tomorrow lectures," She cutter me off, leading eastward side of the hallway.

I just nodded and followed; I really am exhausted. With all the stares and the journey from my prison yard. So much I get on my 16th birthday.

"This is your room. Get some rest," she said with a smile on her face as she walked away.

I smiled faintly as I went into the room. It was big. Not as big as my room tho. But it was way too comfy for a school hostel. At least I had it to myself.

I laid on the bed staring at the ceiling in thought of how my life has been

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Flashback.

I was four when it first happened. I didn't understand what I was doing. I was just a kid, playing alone near the edge of the forest. Playing with the flowers, I found some that was half-dead. It looked sad, weak. I felt sorry for the flowers wishing I could bloom it back to life like the rest of them.

My hands.... They started to glow.

The light burst from my palms, bright and powerful, bringing the flowers back to life. I didn't understand what was happening obviously, but everyone else did. They feared me. I could still hear the whispers.

I could still remember their growls, the terror in their voices as they backed away from me.

"She's not just a wolf," one of the elders had muttered, his eyes wide in fear. " She's something.... Unnatural."

After that day, my world changed. No one ever trusted me. I could still feel it in the way they look at me, whispered when I wasn't around them. Even my family, Michael and Kael grew distant. Although Kael was always there for me. But they knew I was different. And the different was bad.

–-–-–-–

I closed my eyes, out of exhaustion, I drifted off to sleep.

"Lyra..." A voice called out my name from my dreams jolting me awake.

The room suddenly turned cold. I wasn't alone.

The voice from last night still echoed in my mind. It disappeared just as it had appeared.

I shook my head as I stretched lazily on the bed. I was feeling energetic. It was 5:30AM. Today's gonna be a good day. I convinced myself even though it would be impossible. I arranged my luggage and got prepared immediately for the day.

It was breakfast time. I figured I could blend in, if I stayed quiet and kept my head down, I'll be alright eventually. I made my way to my seat, gently picking at the food on my tray. What were they even talking about? I don't know what I was but getting judgements from gossipers was annoying. I wish they could learn to be quiet.

Suddenly, the room became silent. What just happened. I suddenly developed goosebumps, like a shift of air. It felt like everyone had seen a ghost in front of them.

I turned around, and that's when I saw him. Xaphan.

The way he strolled into the cafeteria like he had ownership of this place, which, from the expressions of everyone in the room, he pretty much did. He was tall, with a black hair that fell below his broad shoulders, and hes eyes, so dark and they seemed like it could suck the light out of the room. He had this aura of danger as he walked, something untouchable, like he wasn't from this world.

He walked straight towards me, ignoring the gasps and stares from the onlooking students, his expression unreadable.

"Out of my seat, newbie," he sneered, his voice sounded a bit commanding.

I blinked, confused. "I'm sorry, what?"

"This is my seat," he repeated, not even bothering to look at me. "And you're in it."

I was stupefied as I stared at him for a second, trying to process what he just said. Was this guy serious? The cafeteria was practically empty, and he came all the way here for me to give up my sit? For a moment, I wanted to stand up to avoid trouble, but the tone he used got on me the wrong way.

"Your name's not written on it," I shot back, as I raised an eyebrow at him.

That got his attention. His dark eyes finally met mine. He was staring at me with surprise on his face

"I don't like to argue with... little babies," Xaphan said, leaning down slightly, his face was dangerously close to mine. "Move, newbie."

I was supposed to feel scared. My wolf spirit told me to get up and run, but instead, I sat there frozen. I could smell him. He was a demon, ancient but he looked way younger. I tried to read his mind, to my surprise I couldn't maybe because he was too close to me.

Before I could utter any statement, Xaphan stood upright and walked away, and left me sitting there, dumbfounded. Students began bantering, shocked as to what just happened.

______________

The first two periods weren't bad. History and Art. We had combat training next in the field. Everything was supposed to be easy, if I was cautious not to create a scene. Everyone there seemed to have known their origin, demons, witches or something else, and they moved without problem, confident of their abilities.

Then I was just here. No origin.

"Focus!!" the instructor yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I have to concentrate, I convinced myself, focusing in the midst of the sounds of the other students in the field. The atmosphere of the room was filled with thuds of punches and kicks, and I could feel my heart thumping with every hit in the room. My opponent, was a girl with short brown hair and her brown eyes that sparkled like diamonds on the sunlight, a sly grin spread across her face. Her name is Ember, it was written on her name tag, and she looked as fiery as her name.

"So" Ember began, handing me a handshake. " You're the new girl everyone's been talking about. Alpha Michael's daughter, right?"

I swallowed, holding my training staff tighter. " Uh, I guess so."

She smirked. " Let's see what you've got."

The moment she trampled me on the floor, something inside me snapped. I could feel heat building behind my eyes as my vision blurred. I could feel power surge in me but was being suppressed by something.

I could hear Ember, chanting something I didn't understand. The room went silent. All pairs of eyes were on me as I laid there, panting, my heart pounding in my chest. I couldn't understand what had happened until I caught my reflection on the window of the building.

My eyes... they had flames in them. I gasped, stumbling back. I blinked my eyes only for tears to come out but the flames had gone.

The students erupted into whispers filling up the room.

"Did you see that?"

"She's dangerous."

"she's not just a werewolf..."

The instructor rushed to where I was, saying something about calming down, but his voice sounded distant. It sounded like echoes. I could feel fire burning in my head as tears flowed freely down my face.

The students whisper grew louder.

"Class dismissed," the instructor announced abruptly, his voice tight. "Go to your next classes."

_______________

I was in the sickbay.

"Do you feel any pains in your head?" the sick bay attendant asked, shone an eye examiner in my eyes hoping to see any injury.

I nodded. I already seemed fine before I got to the bay. I wasn't honestly speaking I was hell worried of what I was becoming.

"You seem fine, you just need some rest." The attendant spoke with concern written on her face. She appeared nice. She handed me a glass of water to calm my nerves. I told her thank you and went to the class.

We were supposed to have politics and governance but it seemed the teacher was absent. Whispers filled the room again as soon as I entered.

"Didn't you see how scared ember was?"

"She nearly burned her alive"

"Do you think she's part-demon?"

"Maybe she's not a werewolf at all..."

I wanted to crawl under the table. But instead, I sat down and pretended not to hear them until the period was over. I decided not to go for lunch. Not just because of the gossip but because I decided to avoid the cafeteria altogether. I wasn't ready for another set of stares especially another incident with Xaphan.

Speaking of him I didn't see him during lectures today. Better I didn't. I just needed to learn what brought me to this school. I made my way to my room, hoping to find some peace and quiet.

But when I opened the door, my eyes landed on something I least expected that made my heart skip a beat....

There he was. Xaphan. Sitting on my bed.

"What the hell?" I blurted out. "Who gave you access into my room?"

Xaphan didn't even bother looking up. He was balanced on the bed with his shoes crossed together, arms crossed behind his head, a smirk playing on his lips. "I own this room."

"No, this is my room," I said, standing in the doorway stupefied. "I've been here since yesterday."

"Yeah, well, I've been here since forever," he replied nonchalantly, finally looking at me. "You're the one arguing for what's not yours."

I was utterly dumfounded, my mind struggling for a comeback. But the truth was that, I didn't have one. But I couldn't let a mere demon intimidate me over what's mine.

"you've got to be kidding!" I snorted, looking at him with disgust. "There's no way you can just walk in here and claim the room because you feel like it."

Xaphan sat up slowly, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "I don't feel like it. This is my room. The principal probably put you here because they thought I wasn't coming back."

"I don't care." I snapped, folding my arms. "You have no right to kick me out."

His eyes widened, like he was surprised at my boldness. I was also in shock as to where the courage to talk back was coming from.

"Is that so?" He asked now staring fully at my appearance.

"Yes! This is my room, and I'm not......"

"Lyra," he interrupted, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous tone. "You're not in control here. I am. I don't have all day to do this with you."

Before I could respond, he stood up, his presence overwhelming the small room. I had to turn my head to catch his gaze. and for a moment, I held my breath. He was beautiful, but in a way that was unnerving. His dark eyes seemed to see right through me, and his scent, dark but intoxicating. Until he walked past me without saying anything, leaving me standing there, speechless.

He was muttering something about the principal as he walked out, slamming the door behind him.

_____________________________

"I-I'm terribly sorry, Xaphan," the principal stammered. "We had no idea if you were coming back, and the room couldn't be empty. We had to make the room for a special student."

Xaphan barely looked at him, his expression one of utter boredom. "And this 'special student' is?"

The principal shifted uncomfortably. "Lyra. The Alpha leader's daughter."

Xaphan's eyes flicked toward me for some minutes, but his face remained unreadable. "I don't care. Just fix it today."

The principal continued to ramble nervously. "We'll, uh, we'll figure something out. Maybe we can move her to another...."

"No need," Xaphan said, cutting him off. "I'll manage."

The principal blinked, clearly shocked. "Thank you for understanding, Xaphan."

Xaphan sighed, turning his gaze back to me. "I'm not doing this for you."

_____________

"Lyra? You there?" Kael's voice echoed through the phone.

I jolted, coming out of the daze I was in since the moment I got back to my room. The tension I faced the last few days, feeling more inferior that I don't belong here, and Xaphan. I could still feel his presence even in his absence. It was all too much.

"Yeah," I said, adjusting my phone on my ear. "I'm here."

"How's school going? Are you... holding up, okay?" There was a soft concern in his voice making me smile. He always worried too much about me.

"As I expected," I replied, my voice sounding a bit hollow even to myself. "I mean, everyone's still kind of... hostile." I paused, my teeth biting my lips lightly. "Especially Xaphan."

Kael didn't need to ask who Xaphan was. I had mentioned him before, very briefly, when I tried explaining why things felt so intense around here.

"Your roommate," Kael said, his voice laced with tension. "Did he do anything to you?"

"No," I quickly reassured him. "it's just that... I kind of feel something despite his hostility."

My wolf was drawn to him in ways that confused me, and yet his coldness cut deep, leaving me torn between fear and... something else.

"Just be careful around him," Kael warned, his tone serious now. "he's a demon. We don't know how they operate."

"I know," I whispered. But that didn't change the fact that something about him pulled me in, even when I wanted to run the other way.

Kael sighed on the other end. "There's something else, though. Something happened in one of the packs."

I straightened, my heart skipping a beat. "What do you mean?"

"One of the wolves from the crimson ridge pack she was attacked by... something. We're still not sure what. You weren't in their discussion this time." Kael explained.

The memory of when I was small, bringing a wave of unease with it. The packs had always been strong and stable, but strange things had been happening over time, no one could explain. And for some reason, people always looked at me with suspicion whenever something went wrong.

"They didn't call me?" I repeated, surprised by what I heard.

"No," Kael said slowly.

I closed my eyes as the memories flooded back, remembering when the pack's trust in me became shattered.

Flashback

I was only ten when the first attack happened. One of the hunters had gone missing in the forest, and when they found him, his body was broken, twisted in ways that no normal creature could've done. There were whispers, heightened conversations behind closed doors. No one said it outright, but I could feel their eyes on me. I could hear their whispers.

Then more attacks followed. Unexplainable events that sent some of the pack into chaos. Wolves injured or killed by something lurking in the woods, a dark presence no one could identify. And though I had nothing to do with any of it, some pack members started looking at me as if I were cursed. As if I were the reason for all of it.

I'll never forget the day they called me a danger to the entire pack, whispering that I should be killed. I was an abomination. Michael had stepped in, ordering me not to step out of the house for some time. His words were sharp, cold, and laced with fear. That was the first time I felt the divide between me and everyone else. The first time I truly felt alone.

Back to the Present

Kael's voice jolted me back to reality. "Lyra, are you okay?"

I nodded, even though he couldn't see me. "Yeah... I'm fine. I need to go; I'll call you later."

Before Kael could respond, I hung up, my hand shaking as I tossed the phone onto my bed. The tears I was holding back for long fell freely across my cheeks.

I rushed to the bathroom, locking the door behind me. The cool tile floor beneath my bare feet, did little to calm my burning blood within. I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and immediately looked away, unable to face the reflection of the girl who had always been different. I pressed my palms on the sink, my breath wheezing as I struggled to keep myself from breaking completely.

Why does my life have to be this way? Why couldn't I just be normal?

I hated everything. How I felt, how everyone treated me, the daily accusation from my childhood. I wiped my face roughly, as if trying to erase my weak state. But the pain was there, hurting.

I was startled by a noise outside the bathroom door. Could it be Xaphan? I thought.

No, he can't see me this way. I quickly washed my face opening the bathroom door slowly. Peeping into the room. No one was there. My wolf instincts perceived a witch around. It wasn't Xaphan. Something was wrong but couldn't tell.

I stepped outside of the bathroom, hoping to see any sign of... what I wasn't sure of. I peeped outside the door also no body.

Forcing myself to believe it was my imagination, I went to the bed to watch Netflix. Ignoring something just happened.