Newcomers of the Forest - Lucius AU

Chapter two - Adapting to new home

It had been two weeks since Lucius arrived at the house, gradually acclimating himself to the grandeur of his surroundings. Mapping out the estate wasn't overly difficult for him, having grown up in a similarly opulent manor. Yet, what truly made his adjustment easier was the presence of his younger siblings, who seemed genuinely delighted to have him there.

"Lucius, Lucius, would you read a book with me?" Alina asked, her playful demeanor evident as she clung to his arm, while Soul sat nearby, absorbed in coloring a picture book. It was a common occurrence for the two of them to coax Lucius into various activities, whether it was cycling or drawing.

"Alina, you know Lucius still has to finish his homework," Carly interjected as she entered the library, reminding Lucius of the math assignment his new tutor had given him. Yes, unfortunately, their guardian had deemed it necessary to hire a tutor.

"But I don't see the harm in taking a little break. I even baked some cookies for us to share. Let's just keep this a secret though; Mr. Edmonds would not approve," she said, her smile infectious.

Soul's eyes lit up at the mention of cookies. "Cookies? Can I have one, please?"

Carly chuckled as she approached, placing the cookies on the table. "Of course! Thank you for using your manners, Soul."

As they sat around the library table, munching on cookies and engrossed in their books, Lucius couldn't shake the feeling of warmth and belonging that had eluded him for so long. Alina and Soul giggled at the antics of their storybook characters, and Carly occasionally glanced at Lucius, her eyes brimming with gratitude.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Mr. Edmonds, the strict tutor, entered the room, his stern gaze surveying the scene before him with a furrowed brow. His imposing figure seemed to fill the space.

His gaze settled on them, and Carly greeted him nervously. "Good evening, Mr. Edmonds. We were just... having a little break."

He remained silent, his skepticism evident as he observed them. Lucius could feel his heart racing as he searched for an explanation.

Soul spoke up innocently. "Mr. Edmonds, Carly made cookies, and we thought it would be a nice treat."

Mr. Edmonds finally spoke, his voice commanding. "While I appreciate the gesture, young ones, we must remember the importance of discipline and responsibility. Lucius, your homework is your priority."

With a nod, Lucius acknowledged the reminder, reluctantly setting aside his book to focus on his math homework. Carly, wearing a disappointed expression, gathered the remaining cookies and quietly escorted Alina and Soul out of the library.

Lucius glared at his tutor as he sat in silence while Mr Edmonds lectured him. Listening to another word that this man said made time feel endless. The homework is only due till next week. Having a few snacks or such shouldn't have been a problem. Nevertheless Lucius had to wait until Mr Edmonds was finished, and left him alone in the library. It was finally quiet. Lucius let out a loud sigh,and fiddled a bit with his pencil as he stared at the problem in the book. Lucius never liked math. He pull away from the table, and lean back to stretch his arms.

"This sucks." he thought.

The boy lean a bit too far back...CRASH!

Lucius ended up falling and hitting his head against the floor. He rubbed the soreness on his head as he groaned in pain. His pencil seemed to have also rolled under the bookshelf. Lucius shuffled forward, and reached underneath. Something felt dusty, large, and leatherlike. Slowly, he pulled what he had felt with his hands. His eyes widened a bit at the old looking button notebook he held. The dust particles caused Lucius to sneeze after he had brush it off. This definitely wasn't his pencil. It had no name or title, that's strange.

He opened up the notebook and flipped through the pages.

"Dear Diary,

Tomorrow is my little brother's 9th birthday.

I thought about what gift I could give him that would be useful to him. Conveniently, I did swipe a couple of treasures while on my trip. Perhaps that pendent would help to enhance his abilities"

He stared confused at the book and it's passage.

"Diavolo's Pendant, one of its kind to enhance a weak demon's powers. Leonel would definitely need it if he's ever gonna be the successor for the throne. And of course being his protector I took a rather valuable ring. That angel named Reddle was it? He was so easy to trick."

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Lucius lay his head softly against the pillow, placing his arms on either side of him. He stared up at the ceiling lost in thought while pulling his red blanket on top. Lucius couldn't help but be curious about Diavolo's Pendant, it could help in his current circumstances, and it would do him well. However, he's never been aware of its existence until today.
Lucius rolls over to his side staring at the button notebook. Who could it belong to? It certainly didn't belong to Carly. The manor itself did seem to be particularly old, perhaps these were left by the previous owners. But then where would they be now?

None of this made sense to Lucius, he didn't know what to think. The boy just seems particularly fixated on such a mysterious pendant, but besides learning about that. This book belonged to an older brother of a boy named Leonel, who Lucius could assume would perhaps also be an antichrist such as himself... And another thing, an angel named Reddle knew of the pendent and was possibly trying to protect it.

The boy rubbed his forehead in frustration, perhaps it was time for a bit of shut-eye. So as the tree branches kept tapping against his window, and the wild howls of the wind continued to be persistent and brought shivers to the night. Lucius eventually succumbs to his slumber.