Meeting the Devil

"I will kill them all! I will destroy everything! They will pay!" she screamed, her voice laced with agony and fury.

For a long moment, she sat there, sobbing into her hands, drowning in her pain. Then, a shadow fell over her.

Someone was standing in front of her.

He was devastatingly handsome—tall and refined, dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit that clung to his strong frame. In one hand, he casually held the keys to a sleek Bentley, the metal glinting under the dim light.

Anna barely spared him a glance at first, assuming he wouldn't see her. No one else had.

But then she realized something.

He was looking at her. Not past her. Not through her. But directly at her.

Anna stared at him, her mind spinning with confusion. He was alive—she was sure of it. A living, breathing human. So how could he see her?

Her lips parted, but no words came out. Before she could even form a question, the man crouched down, bringing his face level with hers. His piercing gaze held an unsettling mix of amusement and something far darker.

Then, in a smooth, deep voice, he repeated her words.

"I will destroy everything."

A slow smirk curled his lips as he let out a low, rich laugh.

"I love the sound of that."

Anna's blood ran cold.

"You look like you've just left your body," he continued, his voice dripping with amusement. "I can help you get back. I can give you what you want—the power to inflict pain, to make them suffer."

His eyes gleamed with a dangerous promise.

"But there's a price." He leaned in, his breath chilling against her skin. "You will serve me in exchange. You will give up the life you knew and take on a new identity."

He tilted his head, watching her reaction with unsettling calm. "So, tell me, little soul... do we have a deal?"

Anna looked at him with disbelief that he could help her "why should I believe you" 

The man chuckled darkly and turned on his heel. "Ah, I see. I thought you wanted to live again. What a shame."

He took a step away, his polished shoes clicking against the pavement. "I suppose I'll just find someone else," he mused.

Panic surged through Anna. No. She couldn't let him leave. This was her only chance.

Without thinking, she lunged forward and grabbed his sleeve. "Wait!"

He stopped, tilting his head slightly before turning back to face her. A slow, knowing smirk crept onto his lips.

"Good," he murmured. "You've come to your senses."

He studied her carefully now, his piercing gaze roaming over her face as if searching for hesitation. "But before we proceed, I must warn you," he continued, his tone dark and unwavering. "I am no angel."

He leaned in, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "I am a demon. And I do not grant mercy. Don't expect kindness, don't expect salvation. Only power. Only vengeance."

His smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with something sinister. "Are you still interested?"

Anna clenched her fists, her grief and fury burning hotter than ever. "Yes," she said, her voice steady. "As long as I can make them pay, I'll do anything."

The man's expression twisted into pure delight. He threw his head back and let out a deep, menacing laugh that sent shivers down her spine.

"That's the spirit," he purred.

Then, without warning, he placed his hand on her forehead.

The world around her exploded into darkness.

She could only hear his voice faintly, like a whisper echoing through an endless void.

"This is up to you. Only your will to survive can bring you back."

The words reverberated in her mind before everything around her blurred into an overwhelming haze.

Suddenly, in the darkness, a portal flickered into existence before her—swirling, shifting masses of energy that seemed to stretch into infinity. 

Anna stepped toward it, but the moment her body touched it, an unbearable pain tore through her. It felt as if she were being ripped apart, piece by piece, her very soul unraveling.

She screamed but forced herself to move forward, her mind clinging desperately to the faces of those who had betrayed her—Maria, Lucy, Daniel. The memory of their laughter, their lies, their cruelty fueled her resolve.

"I won't let them win."

She pushed harder, her entire being fighting against the agonizing force until—

A sudden pull. A force yanked her through.

Her eyes shot open.

Blinding light seared her vision, and she gasped for air, her lungs burning as if she hadn't breathed in ages.

The steady beep, beep, beep of heart monitors filled her ears, the rhythmic sound grounding her in reality.

Anna's vision was still blurry as she looked around, her head pounding from the brightness surrounding her. She winced and closed her eyes again, trying to steady herself.

"Did I fail?" The thought gripped her, sending a wave of panic through her chest.

A voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Can you see me, miss?"

She forced her eyes open again, blinking several times to focus on the figure in front of her. A man in a white coat was waving his hand before her face—it was a doctor.

She looked at him, still disoriented, and gave a slow nod. Her mind struggled to piece everything together.

That was when she noticed someone standing near the door.

Her breath caught.

A tall figure, clad in a dark, expensive suit, leaned against the frame with his arms crossed. His piercing gaze locked onto hers, and a smirk tugged at his lips.

It was him.

The demon.

Her heart pounded in her chest. Wait… that wasn't a dream?

The doctor turned to him, exchanging a few quiet words before they both walked out of the room together, leaving Anna alone with a nurse who was adjusting her bed and checking the IV drip.

Anna's mind raced. She was alive. She wasn't supposed to be. How did she get here?

"I don't understand…" she whispered, her voice weak. "How did I get here? What happened to me? How am I even alive?"

The nurse, oblivious to her confusion, gave her a gentle smile and patted her shoulder. "You've been here for six months, miss. Mr. Kendrick brought you here unconscious. You were badly injured and underwent plastic surgery, but you never woke up—until now."

Anna's body tensed.

Mr. Kendrick?

Before she could ask more, a deep voice echoed from behind.

"Can you excuse us?"

The nurse turned and saw the man standing at the doorway. She gave him a quick nod before walking out, leaving them alone.

The air in the room thickened as the man approached her.

Lucas.

He stood before her, towering over her bed. Slowly, he reached out, tilting her chin up with two fingers so that she had no choice but to meet his gaze.

"I hope you didn't forget our agreement," he murmured, his voice smooth yet laced with undeniable menace. His thumb brushed against her skin, sending a cold shiver down her spine.

"You made a pact with the devil, Anna," he continued, his eyes darkening. "And let me make this clear—if you so much as think about turning back, death would be mercy compared to what awaits you."

He let

go of her face and straightened, watching as her lips trembled slightly.

Anna swallowed hard, the weight of his words pressing down on her.