[Third Person's PoV]
Lucian sat in his underground base, reclining in a worn but regal-looking chair carved from black obsidian. The dim lighting from arcane torches flickered across the stone walls, casting long shadows that danced with subtle life. Despite the silence, he wasn't entirely alone—two of his faithful shadow creatures stood by, ever vigilant. With a calm yet commanding tone, Lucian rose to his feet and said, "Report to me while I begin repairing my ring."
As he pulled off his semi-petrified ring, its once-radiant glow now dulled by a creeping stony texture, he dropped it into a basin filled with a bubbling purifying potion. The stone began to peel away slowly, like rust melting from ancient iron.
"I ssssupposssse I'll go firssst," Edna hissed, slithering upright as her serpentine body coiled slightly beside her silent companion, Beatrice, who stood patiently, awaiting her turn.
"We didn't merely collect ingredientsss from our ssside of the pantheon," she began with a grin that revealed her needle-like teeth, "but from othersss as well. Though not all of them were taken by force—some beings were kind enough to offer them willingly. Othersss, however... we simply took what we needed without their consssent."
Lucian gave her a slow glance, raising a brow as he swirled the ring in the potion.
(A/N: Writing the words in hissing annoys the fuck out of me, so know that I'll stop it and just consciously know that she hisses her S's)
"I'm pretty sure the Phoenix hatesss us now," Edna added with a hiss-laced chuckle, "for plucking a few of his precious featherzzz."
Lucian's hand froze mid-swirl, and he turned to her sharply, his eyes wide with disbelief. "You got me Phoenix feathers?"
"And its tearsss too," Edna beamed proudly. "It started crying after we plucked the feathers, muttering all sorts of nonsense like, 'No, not again,' and 'My beautiful plumes!' It was quite dramatic."
Lucian stared at her, momentarily speechless, before covering his mouth to muffle his reaction. "Oh my god… that poor Phoenix…"
Edna's expression shifted from smug satisfaction to sudden worry. "S-should I not have done that? Did I… upset you, my liege?"
"No, no," Lucian replied quickly, scratching his cheek awkwardly, "you did excellent work. Truly. I just… pity the fate of that poor bird. It probably has trauma now."
Edna let out a relieved sigh before smiling wide. "Ahh, our lord is so magnanimous… he even empathizes with his—"
"Just… continue," Lucian cut in, mildly exasperated, as he retrieved the fully de-petrified ring and began drying it with a cloth, examining its restored shimmer.
"Of course!" Edna straightened herself proudly. "We have gathered more than enough material for you to both experiment with freely and store for emergencies. In total, we've collected around 500 unique ingredients, including 100 different types of monsters—many of which you have yet to encounter."
Lucian looked up from the ring, clearly impressed. "Good work," he said sincerely. "Tell me, is there anything you would like as a reward for your efforts?"
"A reward?" Edna blinked, taken aback as if the idea had never even occurred to her.
"Yes. You and the others have done me a tremendous service. I think it's only right that you be rewarded."
Tears welled up in Edna's eyes as she tried to contain her emotions. "To know we've been of use to you, our lord… that alone is reward enough. There is no greater honor."
Lucian remained silent, giving her a pointed look that made it clear he was expecting an actual answer. She shifted awkwardly under his gaze.
"I… I can't possibly ask anything from you," she said hesitantly. "The only thing I desire… is to be used more. I love nothing more than serving you, my lord. That alone brings me joy."
Lucian sighed softly, shaking his head with a faint smile. "Very well. I'll make sure to put you to greater use moving forward."
With that, he turned his attention back to the ring—his artifact, Bloody Mary. As he refocused the enchantments within it, he paused for a long moment, then made a decision. Rather than simply restoring the blood bond, he would take it further. He would forge a soul bond.
This weapon had followed him through countless battles. If there was any item worthy of being bound to his very soul, it was Bloody Mary.
"Beatrice, you're next," Lucian said as he started working on the enchantments, his tongue poking out slightly as he focused. His hands moved delicately over the surface of the ring, glowing symbols faintly responding to his touch.
Beatrice stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "We have successfully converted more believers into the Paradox Church."
Lucian froze mid-sentence. His hands stopped moving, and he blinked slowly. "The Paradox what, sorry?" He turned toward her with wide eyes, completely taken aback.
"The Paradox Church," Beatrice repeated, puffing up her chest with pride. "Or at least, that's what I'm calling it for now. I hope you don't mind, my lord. I took the liberty of refining some of the narratives concerning your followers—just minor adjustments."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by refining the narratives? Be specific."
Beatrice clasped her hands behind her back and spoke confidently. "You and Mistress Annabeth aren't the only deities that are going to appear in the future. There's Lady Thalia, your siblings, Percy Jackson… and who knows how many others will emerge. So, I crafted a more comprehensive fable, one that works and could be attributed to your books. One that explains how you gathered these powerful figures—other 'gods'—under your leadership. Together, you formed your own pantheon to stand against the invading gods from beyond. To protect the world, you sacrificed your presence and fell into slumber, and the others followed suit, going into hiding while awaiting your return."
Lucian stared at her with his mouth slightly open, stunned into silence. "Wait—hold on a second. You did all this on your own?"
Beatrice tilted her head. "Not entirely. A large good portion of it came from Mistress Annabeth's instructions. She began sending me updates after Lady Thalia was confirmed to be walking the path of ascension, not to mention ideas on how your stories will unfold in the following books. Then came news about Percy, your siblings, and most recently... Luke."
"I see," Lucian muttered, slowly sitting back down. "So Annabeth's been keeping you informed. That's… actually good. I'm relieved someone's on top of things." He rubbed his temples, then looked up again. "But still—the Paradox Church?"
Beatrice chuckled softly. "That part wasn't even my creation, not really. The name came from the believers themselves. As strange as it sounds, your kindness, whether intentional or not, has inspired people. I've been helping the needy in your name—homeless individuals finding shelter, runaway teens given refuge, women escaping abusive homes. Because of that, they look to you as a god who saved them. To them your doctrines have turned me into a better person, and that better version of myself has changed their lives. They attribute all of it to you."
Lucian's expression softened into something unreadable. "Doctrines?" he echoed, his voice low.
Beatrice scratched her cheek nervously. "Yeah… that wasn't me either. When I discovered those ancient ruins and I started a small book club with my other identity to find correlation between the two, that's when it sort of began. It started as a joke, a game really—we treated the stories like fables, like if the books are connected to the ruins maybe they have hidden messages. Over time, the group began crafting those fables and hidden messages into actual scripture. At some point, it stopped being a game and started becoming… serious. Too serious, maybe."
Lucian ran a hand through his hair, clearly overwhelmed. His ring sat forgotten on the table beside him. "Oh gods, this is spiraling out of control. What doctrines are there exactly?"
Beatrice brightened, clasping her hands together. "I could name three of my favorite ones. They're the most popular too, and I think you'll like them, my lord."
Lucian leaned back with a sigh. "Hit me."
Beatrice beamed and clasped her hands behind her back like a student proud of their report. "The first one is the Doctrine of Duality: Truth is found in contradiction. Only by embracing both the shadow and the light can we see the whole.
Followers are encouraged to accept conflicting traits within themselves and others—strength and vulnerability, logic and emotion, rage and mercy—as necessary parts of growth and wisdom."
Lucian's eyes widened. He slowly brought a hand up to cover his mouth, suppressing the laugh—or cry—rising in his throat. Beatrice, unbothered, continued cheerfully.
"The second is the Doctrine of Hidden Kindness: Deeds in shadow shine brighter than glory in light.
True virtue is doing good without expecting reward. The Church encourages anonymous aid and secret compassion. It ties perfectly into your myth, my lord—how you helped the world in silence, without asking for recognition."
Lucian let out a small whimper, his other hand gripping the edge of the table like it was the only thing keeping him grounded. His enchanted ring, still unfinished, flickered faintly beside him.
"And finally," Beatrice said, voice swelling with reverence, "the Doctrine of Sacred Rebellion: Question the heavens, for even gods may falter.
Blind faith is discouraged. Followers are urged to challenge authority—yes, even divine authority—when it contradicts justice or conscience. After all, in the sacred stories, you defied fate itself, didn't you?"
Lucian was no longer seated. He had slowly, helplessly slid off the chair and was now sitting on the floor, staring blankly into the middle distance.
"What the fuck is happening…" he whispered, more to the universe than to her.
Beatrice knelt beside him, gently patting his back. "It's okay, my lord. It's a lot to take in, but I truly believe your message is changing lives."
"My message?" Lucian croaked. "Beatrice, I don't even remember writing a message! This is spiraling! There are doctrines! Scripture! There's a freaking pantheon!"
"And it's beautiful," Beatrice said warmly. "You've given people hope."
Lucian just buried his face in his hands and felt like crying.
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+10 advance Chapters on: patreon.com/Shadow_D_Monarch3
(A/N: Be on the look out I'll be releasing a Harry Potter Fanfic in a few hours, 2-4 hours give or take)