The crystal glass of blood-red wine shimmered in her pale hand as Lilith stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, gazing over the glittering skyline with a cold, detached expression. Her luxurious apartment was cloaked in shadows, the only light spilling in from the city below — bright, chaotic, and insignificant. A subtle scent of iron hung in the air, the aftermath of a recent ritual still lingering. The circle on the floor, etched with ancient runes and smeared with sacrificial blood, whispered promises of Jonathan's return. Her son. Her perfect, broken creation.

Her mind was a storm of calculation and obsession. Everything must fall into place. Every ounce of blood spilled was a step closer to resurrecting him. Humanity, with its frailty and corruption, was ripe for use. Their blood was a currency, one she traded with ruthless precision.

And yet, for all her cold resolve, something within her softened. A warmth, foreign yet welcome, curled around her heart. It was an emotion she allowed for no one — no man, no mortal. Not since Adam. Her disdain for the feeble sex, for the weakness they symbolized, was absolute.

But then there was you. Her exception. Her Queen of Edom. A woman whose power matched her own, whose presence made Lilith feel something other than loathing and rage. With you, she allowed herself a flicker of vulnerability, a whisper of tenderness. A sentiment she considered a dangerous indulgence, yet one she could never renounce.

It was why she had called you here tonight.

Her fingers tightened around the glass as she closed her eyes briefly, steadying herself. She needed you near — not for counsel or strength — but for balance. For a reminder that, beneath the layers of vengeance and cruelty, there was still something in her worth saving. Only you could provide that.