Coin flip

Leah waited, her gaze steady as the weight of the impending civil war loomed. She knew it was inevitable—the church would make their move soon. But Leah had been preparing, crafting a hidden weapon to tip the scales decisively in her favor. 

"Ligh will come," she thought, a rare smile tugging at her lips. Her enigmatic guard and expert in all things demonic was the key. With Ligh's knowledge, this war wouldn't just be won—it would be over before it even began.

______________

"Prepare all mages for combat!" Duke Nilguard commanded, his voice sharp as he paced before the Court Magicians. "Potions brewed, spells inscribed, summons primed—we strike the cathedral without delay!" 

He turned to the ritualists, his tone biting. "This is no ordinary ritual! Every glyph precise, every relic perfect, every incantation flawless. Fail, and it's not just your life—it's the battle we lose. Move!" 

The air crackled as magic surged, a symphony of preparation under Nilguard's relentless oversight.

________________

"Father... I'll go!" Ghiest Jr. stepped forward, his voice firm, his eyes pleading. 

General Ghiest paused, gripping his ancient halberd. "Son," he said, his voice heavy with both pride and sorrow, "this is my duty—soon it will be yours. Protect our home, always. Now go!" 

He turned, his weathered armor gleaming faintly, a relic of countless battles, and strode toward the coming war, a living testament to unyielding resolve.

_________________

"Can't believe I'm going to war before even spending a month in this world... I really am cursed, huh?" Adam muttered, strapping on his gear, mostly to look like Leah's glorified bodyguard. 

He glanced at the ceiling. "Alright, spirits, demons, or whatever—you listening? No hijacking my body this time, okay? Please?" Memories of past possessions flashed through his mind, and he sighed. "Seriously, I don't have the refund policy for this nonsense."

____________________

"Ligh... is it prepared?" Leah asked, her voice steady. Her mute bodyguard nodded, gesturing for her to follow. Leah rose from her throne, her emerald cloak trailing as they walked toward the ritual site. 

The chamber was dark, lit only by flickering torches casting eerie shadows over intricate carvings along the stone walls. At the center lay a massive ritual circle, etched with symbols in an unknown language that seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive. 

"If I'm correct," Leah began, gripping the jagged dagger Ligh handed her, its surface etched with glowing, sinister runes, "all it takes is my blood to open the portal and summon a greater demon of wrath." 

Ligh nodded silently, her face unreadable as always. Leah pressed the blade against her palm, wincing as she drew a shallow cut. Crimson droplets fell onto the circle, hissing like acid as they touched the runes. The ground shuddered. 

Flames erupted from the symbols, spiraling into a towering vortex of fire. The heat was suffocating, and the glow bathed the room in an ominous red. Slowly, a colossal figure began to emerge. 

It stepped through the portal, towering over Leah. Its body was a grotesque amalgamation of molten rock and flame, encased in jagged, blackened armor. The armor's cracks glowed with an intense, fiery light, as if the creature's core was a living inferno. Its eyes were empty sockets, but within them danced twin flames, burning with ancient fury and malice. 

Leah met its gaze without flinching. The air seemed to grow heavier as the demon loomed over her, its presence alone enough to make lesser beings crumble. 

"Great Demon of Wrath," Leah declared, her voice firm and commanding, "General of War. I beseech thee to aid us in our endeavor. In return, we offer you the souls of sinners, ripe and unclaimed, a feast for your eternal hunger." 

The flames in the demon's eyes flickered. It straightened, its massive, clawed hands flexing as it examined its surroundings. Then, with a guttural, echoing voice, it spoke: 

"...What? Wait... what's going on?!" 

Leah blinked. The terrifying aura of wrath and malice cracked like a dropped porcelain mask. The demon glanced around, its fiery eyes darting. "I was taking a nap! Who dragged me out here?!" 

Leah exchanged a look with Ligh, who shrugged silently. "Uh... I summoned you?" 

The demon groaned, the flames in its chest dimming slightly. "You people always summoning me with promises of grandeur. I don't even like wrath that much—it's exhausting! Can't someone summon me for snacks and a nice chat for once?" 

Leah stared, caught between disbelief and irritation. "You're... the Great Demon of Wrath?" 

The demon sighed, slumping slightly. "Yeah, yeah. It's a title, not a personality. Let's get this over with—what do you want me to incinerate this time?"

"Ms. Leah, Bouyd said to get you for—wait, is that a goddamn demon?! Leah!" Adam's voice echoed through the chamber as he marched in, a mix of annoyance and disbelief plastered on his face. "What did Bouyd say about summoning demons in the palace?"

Leah sighed, rubbing her temples. "Adam, not now."

The Demon of Wrath turned its fiery gaze toward Adam, tilting its massive, armored head. For a moment, the chamber fell silent, tension thick in the air. Then, the demon's molten voice rumbled out, casual and curious:

"Huh. I didn't know there were more people from Earth."

Adam froze mid-step, his expression flipping from irritation to wide-eyed shock. "Wait—Earth?! Don't tell me... Are you from Earth?!"

The demon scratched its chin with a clawed hand, creating sparks. "Yep. Long time ago. Before all this demon stuff, I used to be a stockbroker. New York, late '80s. You?"

Adam's jaw nearly hit the floor. "Are you kidding me? You're telling me you used to be human?! From Earth?! How the hell did you end up like this?!"

The demon shrugged, the flames in its armor flickering lazily. "Bad career move. Made some poor life choices. One thing led to another—yada, yada, infernal contract—and boom, here I am. Your turn, kid. How'd you end up in this magic soap opera?"

"That's not important!" Adam snapped, practically vibrating with excitement. "Can you take me back? Do you know how to get to Earth? Please! I'll—I'll sell you my soul!"

The demon raised a fiery brow. "Sell me your soul? Kid, that's amateur hour. What am I gonna do with it? I've already got a closet full of those things collecting dust."

"Leah, please!" Adam whirled around to her, desperation in his voice. "This is my one shot! Forget the war, the church, everything—he knows the way home!"

Leah crossed her arms, her lips twitching as she fought to suppress a smirk. "Adam, we need him to destroy the church, not chauffeur you across dimensions."

Adam spun back to the demon, practically pleading. "Come on, man. Just a quick trip! You're from Earth, you get it! There's fast food, the internet, video games!"

The demon groaned, rubbing its temple with a clawed hand. "Ugh, don't remind me. I miss pizza. And bagels. And real coffee." It paused, glancing at Leah. "You know what? I'll make you a deal—help me end this mess quickly, and then we'll talk about Earth. Deal?"

Adam hesitated, his shoulders slumping. "...Fine. But I'm holding you to that. And for the record, if I had a soul left to sell, you'd be swimming in it by now."

The demon chuckled, the flames in its chest flaring briefly. "You've got spunk, kid. I like it. Let's wrap this war up fast—I've got a hankering for a New York slice."

Leah finally broke, a laugh escaping her. "If this is what I have to deal with for the rest of my reign, I might just let the church win."

_________________

"Hey, uh... demon dude, what's the first thing you're gonna do when you get back?" Adam asked, his mouth full of bread as crumbs rained onto the table. Despite his abysmal table manners, his tone carried genuine curiosity.

The Demon of Wrath—sitting in an oversized chair designed for someone significantly less... fiery—gingerly sipped a drink through a dainty straw. It was a surreal sight: an enormous, flame-cracked monstrosity nursing a glass of water like it was fine wine.

"Hmm," the demon rumbled thoughtfully, leaning back in its chair. "Coffee. First thing I'd do is find the strongest, darkest brew I can. God, I miss coffee. It's one of the few things worth crawling out of hell for."

Adam nodded sagely, shoving more food into his mouth. "Coffee's legit," he mumbled, crumbs spewing everywhere. "You ever try those caramel macchiatos? They're like sugar and caffeine had a baby."

The demon gave him a slow side-eye. "Kid, I used to be a stockbroker. Caramel macchiatos were the fuel that kept my soul barely tethered to my body. I've probably consumed enough to fill a swimming pool."

Adam laughed, oblivious. "Man, I can't wait to go back, too. First thing I'm doing? Cheeseburger, large fries, and a milkshake. No—scratch that—two milkshakes. One chocolate, one strawberry. Hell, I might even mix 'em together. The food here is fine and all, but let's be real: it's no fast food. Am I right?"

The demon chuckled softly, though there was a flicker of something in its flaming eyes—a brief, unguarded sorrow. It sipped again, the straw making an empty slurping sound. "Let's leave that talk for after the war, kid," it said, its tone quiet, almost wistful.

Adam paused mid-bite, tilting his head. "What's with the vibe shift? You good?"

Across the room, Leah silently observed, her hands folded in her lap. She'd been listening to their conversation, though much of it was lost on her. The demon's words were strange and foreign—English, a language she only partially understood. Ligh, ever dutiful, stood beside her, scribbling translations onto a chalkboard as quickly as Adam and the demon spoke.

Leah's gaze softened as she caught the undercurrent in the demon's words. She wasn't fluent in their tongue, but she understood enough to grasp the truth: the demon didn't believe Adam would ever make it back.

(He doesn't know, poor kid...) Leah thought, her chest tightening. Her hand clenched the fabric of her dress as a pang of guilt and pity washed over her. Maybe he deserves to know. But... not yet. Let him hold on to the hope a little longer.

The demon glanced at Leah, their gazes locking briefly. It didn't say anything, but the flicker in its molten eyes told her it understood.

Adam, oblivious to the weight in the room, swallowed his bite and leaned back in his chair with a grin. "Alright, demon dude. You better not leave me hanging when this is all over. I'm holding you to that coffee date. You, me, and a drive-thru, yeah?"

The demon managed a small smile, the embers in its eyes dimming slightly. "Yeah, kid. You've got it."

Leah turned away, hiding the sadness in her eyes. She didn't understand everything they said, but she understood enough: some hopes are too fragile to break before their time.

_____________________

"Are you... actually a child?" The Demon of Wrath asked, his voice deep and filled with curiosity as he and Adam wandered through the grand, eerily quiet halls of the palace. Adam shot him a confused look, furrowing his brow.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Adam replied, scratching his head. His mouth was still half-full of bread, crumbs falling onto his shirt like some sort of food disaster.

The demon—wrath personified, with flames licking the edges of his cracked, molten armor—stopped and turned to look at Adam, his fiery eyes narrowing as if inspecting him. "Kid, I've dealt with more souls than you can shake a stick at, and yours? Well, it's messed up. It's... strange. It doesn't feel dangerous, but damn, it looks all kinds of screwed up. You're not some adult in an kid's body, are you?"

Adam blinked, his mouth going dry for a moment as he tried to process the question. "Wait... so you're telling me my soul is all... wrong? Like it's broken?" He laughed nervously, half-worried and half-trying to make a joke of it. "Well, that's just great. I knew I was messed up, but I didn't think it was that bad."

The demon—Wrath, as Adam had begun to think of him—let out a low, rumbling chuckle. "Oh, it's definitely not normal, that's for sure. But hey, you're from Earth, right? I get it. You guys are all over the place. I've seen some weird souls come through, but yours... it's like someone tried to play Jenga with it and gave up halfway through." He eyed Adam, a flicker of amusement dancing in his fiery gaze.

Adam scratched the back of his head, feeling oddly self-conscious. "So... is that a good thing or a bad thing? I mean, am I gonna explode or something when you try to summon me back to Earth? 'Cause that'd be pretty messed up."

Wrath tilted his head thoughtfully, his armor creaking like an old door opening. "Nah, kid. You're not going to explode. You're just... interesting. Most souls I deal with are either too angry or too broken to care about, but you? You're like... a mystery wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in an existential crisis. And frankly, I'm kind of curious to see what'll happen next."

Adam looked around, a bit unnerved by how casually Wrath was talking about souls and mysterious things in his usual menacing tone. "You really talk like you've got all the answers, huh? I mean, I guess I can appreciate that."

"Well, I've been around a while," Wrath said with a smirk that could almost be mistaken for genuine amusement. "And I've seen enough to know that the more messed up something is, the more interesting it gets. So yeah, I'm kind of taking a liking to you, kid."

Adam's eyes widened. "Wait, hold on—are you saying you like me? Like, you—the demon of wrath—likes me? Am I some sort of charity case for you now?"

Wrath paused, his eyes flashing for a brief second with something unreadable. "Maybe. Or maybe you're just too much of a puzzle for me to leave unfinished. I don't know, kid. You've got this vibe, like a bad idea that somehow works out in the end. And it's been a long time since I've seen a soul like yours."

Adam blinked, trying to process the compliment—or whatever that was—and then cracked a grin. "Well, I'm glad to know I'm someone's project. But seriously, demon dude, are you sure my soul isn't gonna, like, combust or implode at some point?"

Wrath chuckled again, this time a deep, rumbling sound. "Nah. You're fine—for now. Just... don't get too cocky. It's always the ones who think they've got it figured out that end up making the most of a mess."

Adam laughed, though the knot in his stomach stayed tightly wound. "Yeah, well, that sounds like advice from someone who's already made a mess or two."

"One or two?" Wrath grinned, his fiery eyes flickering. "Try one thousand. But hey, you'll learn, kid. You'll learn."

As they continued to walk, the hallway around them filled with an eerie quiet, and Adam couldn't shake the feeling that this demon—this powerful, ancient being—was genuinely curious about him. He wasn't sure if that was comforting or terrifying. Probably a bit of both.

"...Hey, Wrath," Adam asked, walking beside the towering demon as they continued down the corridor, "are there more? More people from Earth?"

Wrath gave a thoughtful hum, his burning eyes flickering with a mix of amusement and nostalgia. "Oh, yeah. There were more. Lots more... but you, kid, you're the only human one left. All the others? They're long gone." He paused, as if reminiscing about old memories that were both distant and painful. "So, technically, you're the last human from Earth."

Adam blinked, feeling a bit of a chill run down his spine. The last one? He let the thought settle in his mind, trying to wrap his head around it. "Wait... hold on. You mean, there were other humans like me? And I'm the last one?"

Wrath chuckled softly, a deep, almost comforting sound despite his intimidating form. "Yep, that's right. You're it, kid. The last of your kind. But..." He tilted his head slightly, a mischievous gleam appearing in his fiery gaze. "Wait a second, don't tell me... is that why you chose that name? Adam? The Adam? Like, the first human?!" Wrath burst out laughing, his fiery form seeming to flicker brighter with the force of his amusement. "Hah! That's funny! You really went and picked the name from Earth's first guy!"

Adam stood there, blinking in surprise, a little self-conscious. "Well... I mean, it seemed fitting. Not like I had a ton of options, right?" He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Besides, it was the name I remembered the most."

Wrath's laughter faded, but his tone softened, like a moment of understanding. "Yeah... I get it, kid. I get it. It's a name with weight. A name tied to something... bigger than just you." He gave a half-smile—if such a thing was possible for a demon—and looked down at Adam with a glimmer of camaraderie in his burning gaze. "You're the last human from Earth, but you've got your story, your place, your name... I'm curious, kid, how's that gonna shape you?"

Adam gave a crooked smile, feeling the weight of Wrath's words, but also something lighter. Maybe this whole being-from-another-world thing isn't all bad, he thought, a little more comforted by Wrath's surprising sense of understanding. "Well, as long as I don't explode or end up in some fiery pit, I guess I'll be okay."

"Ah, don't worry," Wrath said, his grin returning, sharp and playful. "We're in this together now, kid. Let's see where this wild ride takes us."

"...That last bit sounded kind of ominous," Adam said, narrowing his eyes and looking up at Wrath, a slight frown tugging at his lips. "Am I gonna have some moment in the future that's gonna, like, totally screw me up for good?"

Wrath paused, his fiery gaze fixing on Adam with an unreadable expression. The demon didn't answer immediately, and for a moment, the air between them grew thick with tension. Adam shifted uncomfortably, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up.

Finally, Wrath's lips curled into a slow, deliberate smile. "Kid, you're in way deeper than you realize." He leaned down, his voice lowering, almost conspiratorial. "This world? It's got a way of twisting people. Everyone's got their breaking point, some more obvious than others. You've seen a glimpse of it already, haven't you?" He gave a meaningful glance toward the distant horizon, where the sky began to darken with the weight of an approaching storm. "You're going to face some tough choices, really tough ones, and yeah... there's a chance it might break you. But that's what makes the story interesting, right?"

Adam swallowed, feeling a mix of fear and excitement. He wasn't sure if he was ready for whatever Wrath was hinting at, but the demon's tone made it clear that it wasn't going to be easy.

"But hey," Wrath added with a wink, his fiery eyes glinting, "you've got me to help you screw things up in really interesting ways. So no pressure."

Adam snorted, the tension easing a bit. "Great. Because that's exactly what I need right now—a demon buddy to help me ruin my life."

Wrath grinned, his teeth sharp and gleaming. "You're welcome. Now get ready. We've got some serious chaos to stir up."