Ludovica (#1 of the Original Sins)

Chapter 1

I stare at the reflection in the mirror with narrowed eyes. Violet eyes stared back at me, free of any eyeliner or mascara, framed by sooty black lashes. Lips were twisted, like I had just sucked on a lemon. I caught myself grimacing in the mirror.

Damnations. Why was the Chimera a hormonal teenager? Why not a middle-aged, married man? I was not familiar at all with works of the adolescent mind. Their complicated, pre-adulted mind. Chavia once said that humans at the adolescent stage were the spawn of the devil. Ironic.

The generations of humans just get worse and worse as technology tightened its puppet strings. I scoffed.

Damn Lucifer and his stupid underworld army. What does he have against Heaven now? Thousands of years have passed since he was exiled. How stupid it is to blame others for your downfall.

Not that it was my business anyway. I was just a grunt.

I examined myself in the mirror for flaws to be corrected by the power of makeup.

My complexion, unlike Chavia's, was bronzed, like I had spent my whole life under the sun. Sadly, there was no sun in hell. I was just created this way. With naturally tanned skin. The twisted wishes of Lucifer to make his grunts 'look like sin'.

Sooty eyelashes framed violet eyes. Chavia once said those eyes could be a man's downfall. How right she was. My nose was small and sharp with angular cheekbones that could cut glass. My mouth if it was not downward and puckering into a grimace, was soft and sensual, a soft rose pink that could not be replicated into any artificial lip colour.

I sighed and decided to go bare-faced. I was on an assignment, not a mating ritual.

Picking up my bag, I took one last look at the mirror. I had already changed and though I have no blinking idea what adolescents wear to school these days, I decided to heed Chavia's advice and donned a red tank top with a black leather jacket, and matching leather pants. Something about opposites attract.

Getting into the car that was bought as a part of the assignment, I ignited the engine and drove to school. How lucky that I knew how to drive, after being immersed in the human world for so long. I had gone through the evolution of humans, from horse-carriages to the modern cars seen today. I have lived for so long, the fresh feeling of being alive had long since faded away. How does joy feel? Screwing a man has been a principal part of my existence. The reason I was born. To tempt mankind to sin.

Sometimes I woke up in the middle of the night, jolted by their screams as they burnt alive in hell.

I looked at the school as I found an empty spot in the parking lot. The campus was big and modern, just like any other schools. I killed the engine and got out of the car. For the thousandth time, I felt out of my depth.  The adult world was so much easier. Just a touch, a wink, a friendly conversation, a flash of cleavage and you blended in.

Don't be a chicken, lady. It was something that Chavia always said when hesitation took me. It never failed to make me shake out of whatever stupor I was in. A lady I am not, but a chicken I refuse to be. My feet unconsciously shifted apart into a warrior's stance. Feet apart, hands tensed. It was the signature stance every soldier in Lucifer's army assumed when inevitable war broke out in hell. Some dark lord unsatisfied with their measly amount of power will decide to challenge Lucifer, and this usually resulted in a fight,  their army against Lucifer's. Needless to say, it was impossible to best Lucifer with all seven sins as generals, me being the only female sin. Leading my men through countless wars has toughened  and scarred me, and I was not about to be bested by high school that was younger than I was.

I swallowed and remembered the instructions Chavia gave me.

"On the first day of high school, always go to the Office to get your schedule. Then, go and find your class and settle down. That's how high school works."