Night 5: The Deal That Couldn't Be Turned Back

　　He that is disobedient, and he that sinneth, shall perish together: and he that forsaketh the LORD shall be destroyed.

　　***

　　"There's no going back to earth anymore."

　　Nidhitra announced with finality the words that made Yvonne most desperate.

　　"It can't be, if you can come, you can surely go back, what is this place, what the hell is this place!"

　　Evina was scared enough to yell. Even if her cold home wore her down, at least there was her only remaining family there, and her beautiful but cold mother.

　　"Am I, am I dead. Am I in hell?"

　　Here, this would not be a warm heaven, she would never see her father again, what sin had she committed.

　　"This is hell? Do you think so ... hahahahahaha" the dried up voice sneered indulgently. With that, Niditra walked eagerly towards Evina, "Hell? That's where the fallen angels go! And here ... is a 'playground' a hundred times more sinful than the Fall, a space that even God abhors and cringes at. The air here can taint the purity of any god... Here, it's vampire territory, ah! Uninitiated girl, you are a bold human to come here."

　　"Vampires ...," Yvonne repeated, lost in thought.

　　"Yeah, vampires! Vampires! All here live on blood and take pleasure in insulting God. Do you humans always think there is only heaven and hell, only Jehovah and Satan, what a pathetic ignorance!"

　　Niditra's emotions grew more and more agitated, "The true master of this entire world, and even the universe, is actually Ogo Visata, it's Ogo!"

　　"Master!" The python beside him suddenly spoke up, intentionally stopping Niditra's words.

　　Evina watched in amazement that the creature even spoke, then looked warily at the old woman.

　　Niditra stared as if her eyes were rolling to the ground. She was lost in her own flashbacks, and the words she had just spoken didn't seem to have been ranted at Evina.

　　After a long time, the old woman calmed down a bit. "If you want to get out, you can, it's even easy, as soon as that man opens his honorable mouth, you'll be escorted out of this hellhole in no time."

　　"Where is the man?" If only she could find him, she was confident that she could plead with him to let her back in, and she would.

　　"Hmph, as a humble human, do you want to go to him like that? Don't forget that all here live on blood, and by using human blood as the finest delicacy. I'm afraid you'll be killed on the way before you even see it ..."

　　"It won't ... Then why don't you kill me and suck my blood? This is all a lie you made up!"

　　She just wanted to think of it as a nightmare, that she'd wake up and everything would be back to the way it was, and she had a lot of chores to do, didn't she?

　　"Because you still have to fulfill the contract you made with me, how could I waste my strength to kill you now?"

　　Evina looked at the paper the old woman held in her hand and remembered with a jolt that it was the same paper she had seen at the end of her coma, signed with her name.

　　"Surprised? An ancient book warps into a thin sheet of paper after burning. But, since the beginning of your turning over the first sheet, your destiny was decided."

　　"How in the world can I go back, do you want me to be your servant, or ... do you want to slowly drain my blood." Speaking of which, Evina couldn't help but be afraid, she was so timid and cowardly, would she die soon?

　　"You forget that your agreement with me was a deal, and since it was a deal, you must have benefited as well. As long as you accomplish one thing for me, I will immediately fulfill that wish of yours that cannot be fulfilled."

　　"A wish that cannot be fulfilled? How do you know?" Evina grew convinced that the old woman might actually be a witch.

　　"Ask your own heart how much you long to reach it ... So, even at the risk of death, you have come here and prayed for my help to fulfill it.

　　Lost in thought, Evina didn't bother to notice, at the corner of Niditra's mouth, the sly, eerie curve.