Lucinda placed a hand on her arm as she turned away from the doorway. A chuckle would have left her lips if it weren't for the fact that her body was still aching. Her wounds burned, and she could tell she was losing more blood than usual. It was difficult keeping her face up just so she could comfort Greyson, but she sighed in relief when he finally left. At least now, she could express her discomfort.

Perhaps she shouldn't have overprepared. Deimos was hard to read, but he was a man of his word. Not to mention that his threats were usually empty. He wouldn't hurt Greyson if he said he wouldn't.

Greyson... How long had he been feeling that way? Had it been days? Months? Was that how he felt about her since the beginning?

The thinking made her chest ache, and she closed her eyes. Her head was floating on air as the world around her spun. But even though she was in pain, she would keep this mask on her face. It was probably tattered, and no doubt Deimos already saw past it. But she still had a plan to continue.

"Was that the truth?"

She turned to Deimos and raised a brow. "What was?"

"Those things you said to him," he replied. "Was it the truth? Were they all true?"

"I don't see a reason why I should lie."

"You don't need one to do so. Besides, it seems like a Lucinda thing to do. First, you tell him the things he wants to hear. Then, at the end of everything"—he made a tearing motion with his fingers—"you rip it all apart. Next thing you know, he's going to spend the next thirteen years of his life wondering if what you told him was real or not. But if it is true, then he's lucky."

"Don't tell me you're jealous over a twelve-year-old."

"Can't say I'm not." He shrugged. "He gets this sweet talk, probably from the heart, too. All I got was an 'It's better if we don't see each other again after this' and no contact for more than a decade." He paused for a while. "Honestly, your conversation with him was... familiar. It gave me deja vu."

Lucinda hung her head and clenched her hands into fists. At least, she tried to. The moment she curled her fingers, she loosened them immediately. She didn't even have the strength to keep her grip together.

"Like I told you before," she said. "You weren't the first person to feel that way, and it seems like I was right. You aren't the last, either."

"I hope he's the last. For his sake and yours."

Lucinda could only look away from him after that response.

Apart from the pouring rain outside, it was quiet. Lucinda never enjoyed the quietness. She didn't even plan for the silence to pass between them. It made her thoughts louder, and they liked screaming on top of one another. Her headache didn't help, either. Things were more difficult to sort through. Even so, she held on and pushed the pain away from her mind.

She had to. If she would do or say the wrong thing, she would lose.

And she had already lost her own game once. It wasn't a mistake she would repeat ever again.

When she lifted her head, Deimos was already in front of her. He lifted his hand, making Lucinda take a step back. Deimos paused, and something flashed in his eyes for a quick second. Then, he placed his hands down again.

"I think we're really all alone," he whispered.

Lucinda lowered her eyes. "I guess so."

Her chest ached at the sight of him, and she couldn't understand why. It ached the same way thirteen years ago, and it ached the same way it did with Greyson earlier. The pain always started with her chest feeling hollow. Then, a rock suddenly appeared out of nowhere and rolled inside of her. It dragged her down while inflicting pain on her body at the same time. Every time she felt it, she wanted nothing but to claw her chest and grab that rock. Maybe throw it somewhere far away so it could never roll ever again.

Everything should have been over all those years ago. She made sure that they were over years ago. She was the one who decided to finish things off. She was the one who decided that they shouldn't see each other again because it was for the best. Yet here she was, acting like a toddler with a tantrum because things didn't go her way.

"What are you doing here, Deimos?" she whispered.

"I work here. If anything, I should be asking you that question."

"And just like what a cute idiot told me, that's not what I meant and you know it." A dry chuckle managed to leave her lips, though it was immediately cut short with her coughs. She wiped her lower face with her hand, then sighed in relief she didn't see any blood.

Lucinda shook her head and turned away. "I don't have any more time for this, Deimos. I have a job to finish."

"What are you planning, Lucinda?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Because I need to know if you're using Greyson as a pawn or not."

"And why should that matter to you?" she snapped back as she looked at Deimos again. "You didn't seem to have a problem hurting him a few days ago. Why are you suddenly acting like you care?"

"Don't pretend like you do. You can say any sweet word you want, but I know you. What are you planning, and are you using Greyson as a pawn or not?"

"And like I said earlier, why should it matter to you?"

"It matters to me because I know how it feels like to be a pawn that you'll just toss away once you're done!"

Lucinda flinched back when Deimos raised his voice. She froze for a split second, but her instincts returned. She gathered the smallest sliver of energy that she had and let her blood crystalize into another blade. The moment she lowered herself to a stance, Deimos stepped back. It was subtle, but she noticed an expression crack on his face. His eyes were wide, and his jaw dropped. She half expected it to disappear after a second. But when she blinked, it still remained.

Deimos then continued. "I... I know how it feels to be a pawn that you'll just toss away once you're done. And I don't know your son that much, but I don't want him to feel the same way."

Lucinda opened her mouth to say something, but ultimately decided to keep it shut. She didn't know why she decided to stay silent. Her time was running out. Every second she was stalling was a second of her losing.

"I'm not wrong, am I?" Deimos asked as he lifted his head. A single tear trickled down his eye and rolled down his cheek.

Lucinda bit her lower lip before replying. "Not wrong about what?"

"I'm just a pawn that you threw away, Greyson's another pawn you're manipulating." He paused and took a deep breath.

"This is all a game to you, isn't it?"

Once again, Lucinda froze. The rock inside her rolled once more, and this time it was heavier than before. The weight dragged her down, rooting her in her place. And she hated to admit it, but it was successful. She couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't say anything, couldn't do anything.

"I... That's... It's..."

"That's not what? That's not true? Because knowing you, that's how you see everything." He took a step forward and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Luce, please. Whatever it is that you're thinking, you have to stop. If you truly care about your son, you'll know that this will only hurt him."

Lucinda removed his hand away from her shoulder, the frown on her face deepening. "Why are you doing this, Deimos? Why are you suddenly acting like you care?"

"I always cared, Lucinda. I always cared about you." He lowered his eyes. "I... I always loved you. I still love you. Is it so wrong of me to do that?"

A shiver traveled down Lucinda's spine, and the hairs on her arms stood straighter than a line. Deimos's words echoed in her head, looping again and again and again. Yet somehow, she couldn't believe it. She wasn't even sure if she could ever believe it.

One of her hands reached for Deimos's own, and she placed the other on his face. His skin was cold, perhaps because of the weather outside. Deimos didn't move. He kept his eyes on the ground, even when she brushed his hair away from his face. Perhaps it was for the better.

She couldn't look him in the eyes. At least, not like this.

"If I say yes," she whispered, "what will you do?"

"Honestly, I don't know. What do you want me to do?"

"Maybe hate me like a normal person." Even though Lucinda laughed at her own comment, she couldn't feel any emotion behind it. "You said that I'm the one who sees everything as a game, but I feel like you're the actual chess master here. You're the one playing this stupid wicked game. I don't think you even knew you were playing or that you were the one that won."

Deimos placed both of his hands on her back and wrapped his arms around her. Lucinda placed her forehead on his chest, but she didn't return the hug. Her hands gripped his coat to keep herself standing.

One of her hands reached for her head, brushing her hair as he pulled her closer. "Luce, please tell me what you're planning. I need to know if I should stop you or not."

Lucinda furrowed her brows as she thought of what to do. If she would tell Deimos, then he would definitely stop her. She wasn't sure if he could help, too. Even if he would, there were the other two Furies they might have to worry about. And worst case scenario, she would die.

Her grip on Deimos's coat tightened as she met his eyes again. "I need you to bring me to Zeus."

"Why?"

"I'm going to talk to her, and I'll tell her that I'll give her Demon if she agrees to my terms."

Deimos grabbed her shoulders and lightly pushed her away. His face held his usual blank expression once again. His eyes flicked up and down, as if he was searching for something. Whatever it was he was looking for, she kept her lips into a straight line and focused on his face. Deimos opened and closed his mouth a few times, then stepped back.

"You wouldn't," he said with a shake of his head. "That's not what you're planning to do, is it? There's something else."

"Even if there is, I'm not going to tell you what it would be. I just want this to be over." She paused for a bit, then added, "Besides, I'm... thinking about Greyson, too. Once this is done, he can finally be free from his workload."

"Are you planning to kill Zeus?"

Lucinda hummed as she turned away. "And if I am?"

"She'll kill you first before you can do that."

"Then I'll make sure to be faster. This night is only going to end with one person dying." She picked up her phone from her pocket and flipped it open. "In fact, a few people should be here soon."

"Then I should tell you that you're too late."

Turning around, she saw Deimos grab the device from his pocket and flip it open. Lucinda couldn't see much about it except for the dots that indicated where her coworkers were. There was one group with three people, and three more scattered. The lone dot not moving must have been her. Two more dots were moving. One of them was faster than the other, while the slower one was ahead.

Lucinda's eyes widened in realization, and her blood turned cold when Deimos added, "Demon's already on the move."

It felt like a thread snapped inside of her. She couldn't feel anything. The rock was no longer rolling inside. Instead, it had fallen down and disappeared.

Of course she would lose. Why did she think she would win this game? It only made sense that he would get to Zeus first. 

"Greyson." Lucinda turned around. "I need to get to Greyson, he—"

"Luce!"

The moment Lucinda took a step forward, she immediately stopped in her tracks and placed a hand on her head. The world around her spun once more. The next thing she felt was the stone cold floor, followed by Deimos's arms lifting her up. If he was calling her name, then she couldn't hear it. Only ringing reached her ears, and her eyes were too tired to stay open.

Had she lost too much blood already? Was that the reason why her wounds weren't healing quickly anymore?

The last thing she felt was Deimos's hand holding hers, before everything became a confusing blur.

Codename: DEMON is just a songfic. Bet you didn't know that.

Anyway I have been waiting for this chapter since I picked the prompts and I'm so glad it's finally out :sobbing:. Also, fun fact. This is the first time I've ever used the words 'I love you' romantically. Don't worry, I totally wasn't held at gun point and forced to write it hahaha please help me--