Chapter VI

The game started as usual—exploration, battle plans, party discussions. But an hour in, Sebastian's smirk returned.

"Anne."

She raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

Sebastian chuckled, then leaned forward, eyes gleaming. "Your patron is calling in a debt."

The table went silent.

Anne straightened, fully aware of what that meant. She had made a deal with a demon in-game.

And knowing Sebastian—this was not going to be easy.

"What does he want?" she asked cautiously.

Sebastian's smirk deepened. "He wants... a sacrifice."

The party gasped.

"She might sacrifice one of us." Liam joked, but she was paying more attention to Sebastian's statement.

Anne frowned. "Define sacrifice."

Sebastian tapped his fingers against the table, pretending to think. "Something important to you."

Anne crossed her arms. "That's vague."

Sebastian held her gaze. "It's meant to be."

There was something else in his expression—something personal. Like the conversation wasn't just about the game anymore.

She narrowed her eyes. "You planned this, didn't you?"

Sebastian shrugged, looking far too amused. "Maybe."

Anne exhaled, staring at the board, but her mind was on him.

He was raising the stakes.

Not just in the game. But with her.

Anne leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "Alright. Let's play."

Sebastian's smirk didn't waver. If anything, it sharpened. "Interesting. You're not even going to ask what happens if you refuse?"

Anne tapped her fingers against the table. "No need. I already know you wouldn't make it easy."

Sebastian chuckled. "Smart girl."

The other players exchanged glances, clearly intrigued but oblivious to the underlying tension between them.

"Fine," Anne said, sitting up straight. "What does my patron demand?"

Sebastian's fingers traced the edge of his notebook, considering. Then, finally:

"Your voice."

The table went dead silent.

Anne blinked. "Come again?"

Sebastian leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Your warlock's voice. Your magic is tied to it, right? Your patron wants you to give it up. If you accept the deal, your character loses the ability to cast verbal spells—until your patron sees fit to return it."

Anne's breath hitched.

He wasn't just raising the stakes. He was forcing her to trust him.

She could feel the weight of his challenge, not just in the game, but between them.

He was testing her. The others were waiting, watching with bated breath.

Anne took a slow inhale. Then, deliberately, she met Sebastian's gaze and smirked.

"I accept."

The rest of the session went on, but something had shifted. Every now and then, Anne would catch Sebastian watching her, a flicker of something unreadable in his expression.

And every time, she'd smirk back—because she knew. She had played right into his hands.

And she didn't mind one bit.

As the session wrapped up and the others packed their things, Sebastian didn't move.

Anne waited until they were the last ones at the table. Then, she arched an eyebrow. "Happy now?"

Sebastian hummed, tilting his head. "I didn't think you'd actually go through with it."

Anne smirked. "And you think I scare that easily?"

Sebastian let out a low chuckle, pushing his glasses up. "No. But I do wonder."

Anne narrowed her eyes. "Wonder what?"

Sebastian leaned slightly closer. "How far you'd go for a deal."

Her stomach flipped.

But she held her ground, raising an eyebrow. "Are we talking in-game... or real life?"

Sebastian's smirk deepened. "Who says there's a difference?"

The tension between them was thick—something neither of them wanted to name just yet.

Finally, Anne rolled her eyes and grabbed her bag. "Come on, DM. You're walking me home."

Sebastian chuckled, standing up. "Was already planning to."

And just like that, the game continued—even outside the table.

The streets were quieter now, the evening noise of the city replaced by the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze. Sebastian walked beside Anne, but this time, there was a palpable shift. He was no longer just the DM or the guy who teased her during game night.

His presence felt heavier, more focused. Anne couldn't shake the feeling that something loomed between them.

She looked over at him, slightly concerned. "So, what's the deal with the voice thing?"

Sebastian's lips twitched, his expression serious. "I said your patron would decide when it gets returned... but that's not the worst of it."

Anne's stomach dropped. She stopped walking for a moment. "What do you mean?"

Sebastian stopped too, turning to face her. "You lost more than just your voice."

Anne furrowed her brow. "What?"

Sebastian's gaze was steady. "You lost the risk in the game."

Her heart skipped a beat. "Explain."

Sebastian took a deep breath. "You agreed to the debt. You knew what you were risking. But... you didn't realize that it wasn't just your voice the demon wanted."

Anne blinked, mind racing.

He leaned in slightly. "Your bond with me... is part of it."

Her eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

Sebastian's voice softened, but the weight of his words carried something more than just the game. "The deeper you go into this... the more the consequences become real. The stakes aren't just for your character anymore."

Anne's breath caught in her throat. "Are you saying... this isn't just a game?"

Sebastian nodded slowly. "It never was just a game. Not for me."

A silence settled between them, heavier than any words they could have exchanged. The city around them seemed to fade.

Anne's mind raced. "What are you saying? That this—what we're doing—is more than just the stakes of a game? More than just... a deal?"

Sebastian met her gaze, his eyes dark, serious, and almost too knowing. "Yes."

Anne's chest tightened. She had known there was something about him—something dangerous, something magnetic. But this?

This felt real.

"What are you suggesting, then?" she asked, voice low, almost unsure.

Sebastian took a small step closer. "I'm not suggesting anything. I'm just being honest. What happens next... it's not just the game anymore. It's us."

He looked at her for a long moment, watching how she reacted to his words. He knew that she'd feel the weight of it all.

His voice was quieter when he spoke again. "And if you lose more... if you give more of yourself to this... it won't just be a debt in the game. It'll be something... deeper."

Anne's pulse quickened. Her chest tightened again, but not from fear—from something else entirely. She stood there, unable to form words. Everything was blurring together now.

Sebastian leaned in closer—just enough so she could feel his breath against her skin.

"So now, you get to decide, Anne. How far are you willing to go? Not just for the game. For us."

Her breath hitched. "For us?"

Sebastian smiled, but it wasn't his usual smirk. This was different. It was genuine—but it was also dangerous.

He stepped back, his voice softer, but still heavy with meaning. "The stakes are real now. This game is ours, whether you want it to be or not. And I'm not letting you back out."

Anne swallowed hard.

She had no idea what she was walking into, but there was a part of her that couldn't turn away. Not from him.