Pandora’s Point of View

The dream always began the same way. I was standing on a craggy cliff, high above an ocean of black fire. The air was heavy with ash, choking and oppressive, yet I stood untouched. Beneath me, the waves churned and writhed, as if alive. Somewhere in the distance, a monstrous horn bellowed, the sound reverberating through my bones. I knew what it meant. He was coming.

Lucifer’s voice, a low rumble that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere, broke through the chaos. “Pandora.”

I turned, and there he was—a towering figure wreathed in shadow and flames. His eyes burned like twin suns, and his presence was both intoxicating and suffocating. I hated how small I felt under his gaze, how his very existence demanded submission.

“Father,” I said, bowing my head slightly. I had no choice. No one defied Lucifer Morningstar—not even his daughter.

He stepped closer, his form blurring between something human and something monstrous. “You have aligned yourself with the pirate queen,” he said, his voice laced with both amusement and disdain. “A clever move, but one fraught with danger.”

“I know what I’m doing,” I replied, forcing confidence into my tone. “Uma has the resources and the ambition. With her help, the Fairy Godmother’s wand will be within reach.”

Lucifer’s laughter was a dark, guttural sound that echoed around me. “Ah, my ever-bold child. But you must remember: this is not about Uma or the wand. This is about me. Everything you do serves my purpose.”

I clenched my fists, a flicker of defiance rising within me. “I haven’t forgotten.”

“Good.” His fiery gaze bore into mine. “Once you have the wand, Auradon will fall. Its light will be snuffed out, and my dominion will spread. That is your purpose, Pandora. To prepare the way for me.”

The weight of his words pressed against my chest, suffocating me. I nodded, but inside, doubt twisted like a knife. For so long, I had believed in his vision, in his power. But now… now I wasn’t so sure.

Lucifer tilted his head, as if sensing my hesitation. “Do not waver, child,” he warned, his voice dark and menacing. “You exist because of me. Your power, your very life, is mine. Betray me, and you will find out just how fragile your existence truly is.”

The dream began to crumble around me, the cliff disintegrating beneath my feet. As I fell into the black fire, his voice followed me, a whisper and a roar all at once. “Do not fail me, Pandora.”

---

I woke with a start, my heart pounding and my skin clammy. The ship’s cabin was dark, the only light coming from the moon filtering through the small, circular window. I sat up, pressing a hand to my chest to steady my breathing. The air smelled of salt and damp wood, a stark contrast to the acrid smoke of my dream.

Lucifer’s words lingered in my mind, heavy and inescapable. For years, I had followed his commands without question. But now, standing on the edge of something far greater than either of us, I couldn’t shake the doubt gnawing at my soul.

Was this truly what I wanted?

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. “What is it?” I called, my voice sharper than I intended.

The door creaked open, revealing Prudence Blackwood. She stepped inside with her usual air of confidence, her dark eyes scanning the room before settling on me. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” she said dryly, leaning against the doorframe.

“Just a bad dream,” I replied, brushing off her comment.

Prudence raised an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. “A bad dream, or something more?”

I frowned, meeting her gaze. Prudence was sharp, too sharp for her own good. She had a way of seeing through people, peeling back their layers until there was nowhere left to hide. It was both infuriating and fascinating.

“Why are you here, Prudence?” I asked, deflecting her question.

She smirked, pushing off the doorframe and crossing the room to stand before me. “I wanted to see how the great Pandora Morningstar is faring in her little alliance with Uma. You seem… distracted.”

I narrowed my eyes. “And you seem awfully interested in my business.”

Prudence laughed softly, a sound that was equal parts amusement and mockery. “I’m interested because you’re unpredictable. One moment, you’re aligning yourself with Uma; the next, you’re brooding in the dark. It makes me wonder where your loyalties truly lie.”

Her words struck a nerve, but I kept my expression neutral. “My loyalties are exactly where they need to be.”

“Are they?” Prudence tilted her head, studying me like a puzzle she was determined to solve. “You have power, Pandora. Enough to rival even your father’s. But power without conviction is meaningless. Tell me—what do you really want?”

The question caught me off guard. What did I want? For so long, my purpose had been dictated by Lucifer’s will, by his grand vision of domination. But now, faced with the reality of his plans, I wasn’t so sure.

Prudence must have seen the flicker of doubt in my eyes because her smirk faded, replaced by a look of genuine curiosity. “You don’t have to follow his path, you know,” she said quietly.

I stiffened, her words cutting deeper than I expected. “You don’t know anything about me.”

“Maybe not,” she admitted. “But I know what it’s like to be trapped by someone else’s expectations. To feel like you don’t have a choice.”

Her words struck a chord, and for a moment, I let my guard down. “What do you know about choices, Prudence? You act like you have it all figured out, but you’re just as trapped as the rest of us.”

She smiled faintly, a hint of sadness in her eyes. “Maybe. But at least I know who I am. Can you say the same?”

The question hung in the air between us, heavy and unspoken. I wanted to snap at her, to tell her she didn’t understand, but the truth was, she had hit a nerve.

Prudence stepped back, her expression unreadable. “Think about it, Pandora. Power is only worth something if it’s yours. Not your father’s, not Uma’s. Yours.”

With that, she turned and left, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I sat there in the dark, her words echoing in my mind. For the first time in my life, I began to question everything—my father, his plans, my place in all of this.

What if Prudence was right? What if I could choose my own path?

The thought was terrifying, but it was also liberating. For the first time, I felt the faintest flicker of hope.

Maybe, just maybe, I didn’t have to be my father’s pawn.