THE WINE OF FREEDOM
1160 Words
I was totally confused about the whole thing.
“No,” I managed to reply, thinking of what I don't know.
He looked at me as though trying to hand me a vision through his eyes — something I should understand but I refused to see. The more he stared, the angrier I felt, like he was reading thoughts I didn’t want known.
“Laura,” he began, his voice low but layered with authority, “you should have known what would become of this… but you forsook it.”
His tone wasn’t scolding — it was the voice of someone torn between warning and care, like a guardian caught between duty and desire.
He stepped closer. Our faces hovered just inches apart. Heat poured from his body, blending with the air between us. His fingers lifted, brushing against my lips — soft, deliberate, electric. My breath hitched. My heart betrayed me, racing faster with every second.
“What… what did I forsake?” I managed to whisper, eyes locking onto his. He was a storm — dangerous and beautiful.
“Your fears,” he said slowly, his breath warm against my cheek. “Your beliefs. The stories they told you, Laura… none of them are true. There are no beasts in the woods. The only beast the people of Ashford cannot defeat… is fear itself.”
He moved closer again, his hand still resting against my mouth. His eyes burned crimson for a heartbeat, then softened into warmth.
“Can—can you please go back a little?” I stammered, my voice trembling, both from fear and the strange pull he had over me.
He chuckled — a sound that lingered, smooth and unsettling. “I’ll do that, my Queen,” he murmured, stepping back with a knowing smile. “Until you understand better. For now… rest.”
He turned, the movement slow, regal, like a king dismissing an argument he knew he’d already won. I sat on the bed, mind spinning, trying to connect the dots between Ashford’s tales about the woods and the strange world I’d awakened in.
Then it hit me. Lucifer. That was the name he’d spoken on the horse.
My stomach twisted. “Could it be the same Lucifer the priests talk about?” I whispered to myself. “The one of fire and punishment cast down from Heaven?”
“It can’t be,” I said louder without realizing. “He can’t be that Lucifer—”
“You’re wrong, Laura.”
His voice came from behind me, calm yet piercing. He turned, holding a cup filled with liquid, and approached with unhurried grace. “Ashford,” he said, “made you think that Lucifer comes with horns, fire, and thunder. The priests painted fear with my name. They lied. They always do.”
He paused beside me, the cup glinting dark red under the dim light. “Will you drink? It helps calm the nerves while you… understand.”
I stared at him — at the perfection of his face, the way the dim light wrapped around him like loyalty. His hair fell effortlessly to his shoulders, and every muscle beneath his robe spoke of quiet power. Could evil look this beautiful?
“And why do you stare so long?” he asked, his tone playful, though his gaze was steady and heavy enough to steal my breath.
“I… I don’t know,” I said shyly, taking the cup from him. “But maybe, after this, you could take me on a walk? You know I’ve never seen the world beyond the woods, only this room.”
He smiled faintly and sat back on his throne-like chair, his eyes tracking every movement I made.
“What is this?” I asked, lifting the cup slightly. “The drink—what is it?”
“Wine,” he said softly. “Something Ashford may never know unless they step beyond their fear.”
“It’s strong,” I murmured, tasting the burn across my tongue. “If your world can make something this good… it must be full of wonders.”
He tilted his head, the corners of his lips curving. “There is more, Laura. You’ll learn of freedom, power, royalty, peace, and luxury —if you serve.”
The word serve struck me like a small bell. I wanted freedom, not chains. Yet if service led to power, maybe that was the path to it. I drank again, slowly.
The surrounding room shimmered — vast, filled with mirrors, jeweled crowns, and high dark pillars that seemed to touch the stars themselves. There was no ceiling, only a night sky swirling with dark stars, embers of fire, and flying shadows. It was terrifyingly beautiful.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” I whispered. “This… this is what freedom must feel like.”
Lucifer’s smile deepened. “Shall we?” he asked, brushing his fingers across my cheek. His touch was warm — too warm — leaving a trail of shivers.
He snapped his fingers.
Faceless shadows appeared instantly, their movements swift and silent. My heart skipped as they surrounded me, dressing me in silks and jewels before I could breathe. Their lack of faces haunted me, but I dared not speak.
When they vanished, I stood before him, clothed like a queen.
“I’m ready,” I said, my voice quivering. “I want to see your world.”
He extended a hand. “Then let’s begin, my Laura.” His voice carried my name like a promise.
His hand brushed my waist as we walked. His touch was both comfort and claim. My mind told me to pull away, but my body betrayed me, leaning closer instead.
“So, you’re a king?” I asked, trying to sound calm.
“In every world, there’s a leader,” he said, looking down at me. “Here, that leader is me. And you… are my queen.”
My heart stopped for a second. “Your… queen? We didn't talk about me being a queen to you,” I whispered.
“Yes,” he murmured, his hand tightening slightly around my waist. “You already accepted the wine, didn’t you?”
Before I could reply, the great door before us opened with a sound that shook the air. Beyond it, fire danced in the distance, and the ground glowed faintly like burning coal.
A voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere at once.
“Welcome to Hell, Laura.”
I froze. My legs weakened, and a cold wave rolled through me. Sweat dotted my skin as I turned slowly toward Lucifer.
“Hell?” I breathed, my voice cracking. “Is this… the Hell the priests spoke of? Or just a name?”
He smiled, but his eyes — they told a truth I didn’t want to know.
And then I saw something that left me with no doubts at all.
- Writer
