The quiet of the apartment, filled only with the soft, steady breathing of its occupants, became too much to bear. Even Reina, exhausted from days of worry and sleepless nights, had succumbed to slumber beside her son. The air was heavy with peace, a fragile kind that Lucifer and Kai felt they didn’t belong to.


    They slipped out into the cool night, the door creaking softly behind them. The street outside was bathed in dim light from the occasional flickering streetlamp. Shadows of the surrounding buildings stretched long and eerie across the uneven cobblestones. The hum of distant cars and the faint murmur of nightlife added a low, constant rhythm to the quiet.


    As they completed half of the distance, Lucifer’s hand trembled slightly, and his lips moved, barely audible as he muttered under his breath. “Déjà vu…”


    Kai, too focused on the thought of getting coffee, seemed to miss the remark entirely. But Luke noticed. His sharp gaze turned down the street, and what met his eyes was… not ideal.


    There, with an air of exaggerated importance, was an orc dressed in attire that screamed wealth and vanity. A tailored suit adorned his hulking frame, complete with gold trim that gleamed faintly under the streetlights. A fancy wide-brimmed hat perched precariously on his head. He still had that business-briefcase in one of his massive hands, while the other was handling the leash of his precious vehicle: the raptor! The creature’s sharp claws clicked against the cobblestones with a rhythm that was almost… smug.


    Lucifer froze, instinctively drawing back. For a moment, he considered making another sarcastic remark, but he stopped himself. No, not this time. This time, he chose silence from the very beginning, but, as fate would have it, his attempt at discretion failed miserably.


    The orc’s head swiveled, his small yet piercing eyes narrowing as if he felt Luke''s gaze on him. This interaction went just like it did last time. Luke averted his gaze, pretending that nothing had happened, and focused instead on catching up to Kai, who was happily whistling a song about coffee.


    They walked without a word, their footsteps echoing faintly as they moved toward a vending machine placed in the corner of a small, dimly lit plaza.


    The faint buzz of its electrical workings hummed like a background melody to the surrounding stillnessIf you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Lucifer scanned the area as they approached. The plaza was simple yet oddly serene—a few benches scattered around a cracked stone fountain that no longer ran. Above them, the sky was a deep navy, stars faintly visible through the veil of urban light pollution.


    Luke slid a few coins into the vending machine, the mechanical clinks loud in the quiet night. He pressed a button, and with a soft clunk, a can of coffee tumbled into the collection slot. Kai picked it up while Lucifer selected an energy drink for himself.


    The two leaned against the fountain, their faces dimly illuminated by its glow. Kai popped open his can first, taking a slow sip.


    He broke the silence, his voice soft but direct. “Curious?”


    Lucifer raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his soda. The fizz tickled his tongue, and he let the moment linger before responding. “Yeah, but it’d be bad manners, no?”


    The night’s silence was lightly interrupted by a dim hum coming from the vending machine, their only companion. Kai took another slow sip of his coffee, savoring the bitterness, before turning his gaze to Lucifer with a sigh.


    “The concept of survival,” Kai began, his voice calm and measured, “works much like the gods from the myths we all know about. I can offer blessings, but it’s far more competent. More powerful. More direct. And certainly more targeted. It doesn’t rely on faith or prayer to act, and… it’s above gods.”


    Lucifer tilted his head with a slight smug on his lips. “So, what you’re saying is, that kid’s got some kind of divine insurance now?”


    Kai chuckled softly. “In a way. With the blessing from the Avatar of Survival, the boy is guaranteed to live the longest life he’d be able to. He’ll endure whatever. Survival basically means laughing in the face of death."


    Lucifer leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms as he processed this. The smirk lingered, but there was a flicker of genuine curiosity in his eyes. “What exactly is an avatar?” he asked. “We’ve touched on the idea when we met, but it really just looks like human-ish character you control? Like a video game.”


    Kai nodded, his expression patient. “Let''s begin with the concepts. In my case, the concept of survival which represents all there is to, well, survival: lifespan, longevity, endurance, etc… It’s all compressed into one idea.”


    “Roger that”


    “An Avatar is when the concept gains sentience and forms a voice in order to interact with the world more… directly.”


    Lucifer raised an eyebrow, “So, like… a ghost?”


    “Sort-of”, Kai shook his head, continuing the dialogue. “Now, for what I currently am, an Avatar2—a Further Avatar is when the voice acquires or generates a body, fleshing its interactions with the world through a physical presence.”


    "Oh, I got it now" Lucifer continued, taking another sip of his juice. “In other words, not the real you—am I righte?”


    “Fair observation.”


    After Kai’s final reply, the two fell into a comfortable silence, continuing to sip their respective drinks, enjoying the peace of the night on their way back.


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