" I know it might be hard for you to remember all that happened, but just remember, whenever you remember, you need to stay calm. That was all in the past, and it's over."
"So don't stop those memories or try to fight them. Embrace your memories as they are a part of your life that you deserve to know."
Finishing with the explanation, Lucifer kept his phone back.
"Now lay down, close your eyes and try to remember what happened. Just know, those are only memories now," Lucifer reminded Alicia, who sat unmoving on the white bedsheet, looking at Lucifer.
It was all... a lie. She didn't have any family? She was an experimental subject? She was saved by Uprising? She didn't have any bad feelings for Uprising, even if it was true, but she was still scared to remember.
She didn't want to try to remember even if it was true. The experience before was already frightening enough for her.
"Do you want to do it or not?" Lucifer asked, seeing Alicia scared.
Alicia shook her head. "I don't want to think about it. It isn't pleasant."
" Well, welcome to life. It's not always pleasant. But it is what it is. If you want to run from these memories, you can try."
"Just know, one day, these memories are going to catch you when you aren't ready. And it is going to be even more painful at that time than it will be now," Lucifer warned Alicia. "I leave the further choice on you."
He stood up, prepared to leave.
"Wait!" Alicia caught Lucifer's hand by the wrist, stopping him.
He turned around, glancing at Alicia.
"I-i am ready!" Alicia declared.
"That's good. Now lie down and start thinking about what you saw when your head was about to blow up," Lucifer let out as he again sat. His wrist was still grabbed by Alicia.
"Try to form a complete image in your head. Instead of your memories keeping you hostage, you need to drag them out and win over them. You understand?" he asked.
Alicia nodded as she again laid on the bed, looking at Lucifer.
She closed her eyes but still didn't leave Lucifer's hands.
Lucifer could feel his wrist being grabbed a bit too tight. The more Alicia went through her memories, the more she started sweating as her face went pale.
Her left hand fist was clenched so tightly that her nails had stabbed her own skin, making her bleed.
Same was the case with her right hand, but she was grabbing Lucifer's wrist, so her skin was safe. Instead, it was Lucifer who was hurt.
He could see his hand bleeding as Alicia's nails stabbed him. She was also clenching so tightly that if it were anyone else instead of Lucifer, his wrist would have been broken.
Lucifer was different, so he didn't find it tough to deal with. This much pain was nothing.
'She's quite strong, physically as well. I wonder what abilities she was injected with. How many does she exactly have?' he thought, glancing at the pale face of Alicia, who seemed to be having a nightmare.
Her teeth were also clenched as she kept her eyes tightly closed, reimagining the scenes she had seen before while trying to remember more.
"Your hand is bleeding," Cassius reminded Lucifer, noticing his wrist had started bleeding.
"It's nothing. It'll heal in a second," Lucifer replied lazily. He kept his focus on Alicia, wondering if she was successfully going to remember.
He wondered what it would be like for him if he were in her place, trying to remember. Fortunately, when he gained his memories, it wasn't that hard. Probably because his memories weren't gone because of Raia.
Lucifer glanced back at Kellian, who was still standing here, watching everything. "You don't have to watch. Arrange for our departure. After she is fine, we will leave for the Dungeon."
Kellian turned to a shadow and disappeared.
"Lucifer, are you here?" Alicia asked, breathing heavily as if she was struggling.
"The way you're holding me, I don't think I can leave even if I wanted to," Lucifer replied jokingly.
"How are you feeling? Are you coming to terms with everything?" he asked.
"It is hard. I don't want to remember it. But I think I understand what had happened. It was true. I was that girl. I still can't remember most of it though. I only saw a few glimpses of it," Alicia replied.
"You can't remember more?" Lucifer asked, rubbing his forehead. "It's fine. You can get up. I think it's enough for now."
Alicia opened her eyes to reveal her wet eyes.
"Are you about to cry?" Lucifer asked, shaking his head. "Why? It's all in the past."
"I know. And I'm not crying. I'm not a kid," Alicia let out as she sat up, wiping her tears.
As she freed Lucifer's wrist, she noticed a red mark on his wrist, which was bleeding. "Your wrist! Why didn't you remind me?!"
"What on my wrist?" Lucifer lazily asked as he jerked his hands a few times.
He wiped his wrist and all the blood with a cloth before showing his wrist to Alicia again. "I don't think there's anything on my wrist?"
Just as he said, his wound had healed entirely. Not even a mark was left.
Alicia didn't know what to say. Ultimately, only two words left her lips. "Thank you!"
"Don't mention it. Rest a little before getting ready. We need to get going soon," Lucifer told Alicia before he stood up. "And one more thing. There's nothing embarrassing about crying. And it's not only kids who cry."
He left the room, leaving Alicia behind.
"I'm glad you're fine," Cassius also told Alicia before he left as well.
...
In a certain hotel in the Legion City, a man had just finished watching the address of Quan on the news channels to know what had happened.
"Lucifer Azarel is the new leader of the Uprising? Raia and Varant are both dead? The story about Varant attacking the Capital City? I guess I should check what's going on myself."
Despite hearing such things from Quan, he couldn't believe that Varant would consider taking over the Capital City.
" Varant would never attack the Hunter Union since he and Zeiss were best friends. And the Uprising wouldn't stop Varant even if it was happening since they wanted Variant rule. And now they have it," he stood up, rubbing his chin as he was able to guess a few things.
"It looks like Uprising is using some really clever scheme. But I can't let Lucifer be in the middle of it."