>>149869152
>"Oh Charlie, you are so naive if you think that Lucifer became king of Hell with a flick of his wrist."
>Charlie's smile faltered, her brow furrowing slightly. "What do you mean? Dad just... came down here. He was the first Fallen Angel, so he became the king. Everyone accepted him."
>The speaker, a shadowy figure with a sinister chuckle, leaned forward. "Lucifer didn't win Hell, my dear. He conquered it, like any true king does. He didn't just walk in and take a seat on the throne. He had to prove his strength, his will, his very right to rule this domain."
>Charlie's eyes widened, a flicker of genuine confusion crossing her face. "But... but who did he have to conquer? And what about the Sins? I thought they were all just... there, ruling their rings."
>A slow, knowing grin spread across the figure's face. "The Sins? Oh, they were his first and most powerful allies. They weren't just 'there.' They were the first to stand by his side, the first to recognize the glorious potential of his rebellion."
>"Lucifer didn't conquer alone. He gathered the most powerful, most ambitious demons to his banner. Each of them, consumed by their own vice—greed, lust, gluttony, and the rest—saw in him the ultimate path to power."
>The figure's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "For their loyalty, for their unwavering support in his great war, Lucifer granted them a part of his kingdom. He gave them their rings, each one a testament to their loyalty and a symbol of their dominion, so they could rule under him. Their crowns are only a reflection of his own."
>Charlie fell silent, processing this new, darker version of her father's history. The peaceful narrative she'd always believed was cracking.
>"So... if the Sins were on his side," she finally said, her voice barely a whisper, "then who did he have to fight to conquer Hell?"
>The figure simply chuckled, the sound chilling and devoid of warmth. "Oh, Charlie. That's a story you'll have to learn later."