Meeting the Demon

The little girl's green eyes were wide open in awe. She was staring outside her window at the pretty leaves which seemed as if they were flying in the air like orange and yellow butterflies. One of the leaves was blown towards the window and got stuck on it. The girl was curiously examining the strangely shaped leaf.

Unlike other leaves, it was a sunny color and was composed in a funny pinnate shape. The girl looked around and slowly pushed the window open to grab the leaf. The window rattled a little, startling her. She kept on glancing behind her to make sure that no one was watching her before continuing to open the window. 

Her tiny palms tried to reach out for the leaf but she was too small, unable to reach it. 

"Ugh!" she groaned. The leaf was too high up and she wanted to look at it just once…

A hand reached out and grabbed the leaf before she could. The girl yelped in shock and almost fell but a strong pair of arms wrapped around her, steadying her. She looked up to see a tall figure but for some reason, the face was a blur. Who is it?

She squinted her eyes, trying to make out the face of the stranger but it was as if her memory was blank. Her heart palpitated but not in fear. The person's presence was calming her down, making her feel safe. She was still staring at the person, wanting to see the face. No matter how much she racked her brain, the stranger remained faceless and for some reason, it was also worrying her. Why was she feeling as if she had forgotten someone very important to her? 

The person was moving their lips, saying something. What was that person saying?

Suddenly, she was scared. The person took her hand and pressed the leaf into her palm, closing her fingers around it. She did not know the person's face nor voice. Yet, she was scared that they were going to leave.

"Don't go…" she whispered. "Stay with me…"

The person was slowly starting to fade. A white fog was engulfing her, scaring the little girl as she tried to hold on to the person. 

No! She yelled out but to her horror, her voice had gone mute. She tried to scream but the fog was blocking her way, an invisible force pulling her away from that person. 

Don't go! She screamed but only her lips moved. The girl struggled to reach that person but like a wisp of air, the person disappeared as if they never existed, leaving her alone in a cold and dark world.

…

Lillian awoke with a start. For a few minutes, she was breathing heavily, unable to comprehend anything. Her heart was racing crazily and she was profusely sweating. It took her several minutes to calm down.

"What was that?" she wondered out loud. She tried to remember the dream but it was hazy. All she could recall was a maple leaf and the rest was completely foggy.

"Weird," she muttered and rolled to her side, ready to go back to sleep. She had just closed her eyes when suddenly, they shot open in shock. 

Lillian scrambled up and looked around her. 

"This isn't my room!" she exclaimed. "Where am I?"

The place was at least five times her tiny room back home. In fact, it was one of the most luxurious bedrooms she had ever seen. 

The terracotta style walls oozed elegance with carvings of square shaped flowers on them. There was a short spiral staircase which led to a series of walk-in closets on the upper floor. The king sized bed, on which Lillian was sitting, was located in the middle of the room with orange and yellow curtains hanging around it. There was a small chimney at a corner but there was no fire in it at the moment.

However, what astonished Lillian was the beautiful view outside. The mansion she was at was situated somewhere on the hills because she could see the whole city beneath her. The buildings looked like tiny lego blocks while the sun shone brightly on them, illuminating the whole city with its colorful rays. 

"How did I end up here?" she wondered out loud, scratching her head. "I was celebrating dad's birthday and…"

Her mind slowly came to a realization. Events of last night rushed into her head and she felt a sharp jab in her brain.

"Agh!" she grunted. The pain was similar to her many headaches. She held herself steady, waiting for the pain to go away until, finally, it disappeared.

"I met Lucas Hao and then I heard guns…" she recalled. "And then I fainted. But where am I? And dad! What happened to my dad?"

She quickly turned around, scanning the room. Her eyes fell on a piece of paper, neatly folded and placed on the bedside cabinet. She picked it up to find a message written in beautiful cursive handwriting. If she was not in a panic, she would have probably appreciated the handwriting more.

"Wash up and come to the living room by 9:30 AM to discuss last night's events. Lucas Hao."

Lillian glanced at the wall clock. It was 9 AM.

Her hands were shaking at the thought of meeting Lucas Hao. The man had an intimidating aura, making her feel as if she was being throttled by it. She was scared of the darkness which lingered in his eyes, gazing at her as if she was the most loathsome person in the world.

I should just talk to him in a calm manner and request him to give us more time to pay off the debt, she decided.

Taking a deep breath, she went into the bathroom to wash up before presenting her case in front of Lucas Hao. To her surprise, someone had already kept a new toothbrush, toothpaste and a fresh set of clothes for her to change into. 

"Weird," she muttered but she did not have much time to think about all that. She must beg for her father's life in front of the Demon of the Underworld.

But what was going to be his response? And worst of all, what would be the cost?

….

Lucas was in the living room, quietly sipping coffee. The papers were already ready and he put them on the coffee table in front of him. 

When the clock struck 9:30, he heard a pair of footsteps hesitantly approaching him. Lillian stood there, feeling apprehensive. She was staring at the back of the long chair he was sitting on.

"Umm...Mr. Hao?" she softly called him. "I-I am-"

"Lillian Cheng," he stated. "Daughter of Howard Cheng, who owes me two million dollars."

Lillian was scared. Lucas Hao was not a person to be messed with and to her dismay, he sounded completely devoid of any emotions. 

"Come and face me," he quietly ordered her. Lillian took a deep breath and shuffled towards him. She stood in front of him, trying not to look at his way. He scared her and she wanted to get out of that house as soon as possible but the thought of her father kept her rooted to her spot.

"P-please!" she begged. "Please give us some time! We'll pay you back every penny if you could just-"

"I don't forgive debts easily, Lillian Cheng," Lucas said, his dark eyes narrowing at her. He was scrutinizing her, which made Lillian feel suffocated. The fear was already overwhelming her and to top it all, his gaze was menacing. 

The man was a criminal, a demon with no soul. The little she read about him was enough to tell her that he was not going to let go of them so easily.

"However…"

Lillian's eyes beamed a little at that word.

"I might think of forgiving the debt," Lucas said. "If you agree to my condition."

Lillian's heart sank but she did not betray her emotion. Condition? What condition? Was he going to make her do something illegal? Or use her in some perverse way?

She was an affable person but not a fool. Lillian knew very well what sort of conditions criminals would set for their victims and she was afraid. But there was no other way. She had to save her dad.

"What is the condition?" she whispered. 

Lucas pushed the envelope towards her. Lillian's hands shook as she took it and opened the seal. Inside the envelope was a legal agreement.

"Read it," Lucas told her. Lillian blinked in surprise and slowly read the agreement. Her eyes widened in shock as she read every word of the document until she was done. For a moment, she did not dare to speak.

"This…" she began. "This is a contract for marriage!"