The Demon's Bargain

Levi had been avoiding Rue for days.

There was something about him that unsettled her—a mix of danger and allure that tugged at her, something deeper than the usual pull she felt toward people. He was dangerous, there was no doubt about that, but there was more to him, something she couldn't put her finger on. Every time their paths crossed, it was like an electric current crackling between them, too strong to ignore.

But today, she couldn't avoid him any longer.

Levi had been walking home from the university, the weight of the grimoire pressing down on her shoulders. The night was chilly, the streets dimly lit by flickering streetlamps, but she didn't care. Her mind was still racing with everything she had uncovered—Eloria's past, the sigil on her wrist, the magical explosion from earlier. Nothing felt safe anymore. Nothing felt normal.

And that's when she saw him.

Rue stood against a lamppost across the street, his form lean and unshakable, like he was part of the shadows themselves. His eyes locked onto hers the moment she noticed him, a glint of something unreadable in his gaze.

Levi froze, instinctively taking a step back. She didn't want to talk to him. Didn't want to know what he was thinking, what his presence meant in all this chaos.

But Rue didn't give her that choice. He pushed himself off the lamppost and started walking toward her, his steps deliberate, like he knew she couldn't run.

"Levi Rose," he said, his voice low and smooth, carrying an unmistakable edge of amusement. "I've been waiting for you."

Levi's pulse quickened, but she stood her ground. "I don't know who you are, but I'm not interested in whatever you're selling."

Rue stopped just in front of her, too close for comfort. He was taller than her, his imposing figure overshadowing her in the dim light. There was a strange stillness around him, like he didn't belong to the world at all.

"You'll be interested soon enough," Rue replied, his lips curling into a knowing smile. "You don't understand it yet, but you will."

Levi could feel her magic swirling inside her, ready to burst, ready to be unleashed. It was a constant hum beneath her skin now, always there, always pressing. But when Rue's hand brushed lightly against her arm, a shockwave of power slammed through her, like a door closing on the magic inside her.

It was gone. Just... gone.

Levi gasped, her knees threatening to buckle as the sudden absence of power left her disoriented. She stared at Rue, her chest heaving with panic.

"What did you do?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Rue tilted his head, his smile widening slightly, eyes glinting with something dark. "I didn't do anything. I just... unlocked something. It's not your magic you need to be afraid of, Levi. It's what happens when you can't use it."

Levi shook her head, confusion flooding her. "What are you talking about?"

Rue's expression shifted, darkening, and his voice dropped to a dangerous tone. "The truth, Levi. You're on the edge of something bigger than you can handle. And when you finally realize it, when you feel the pull of your magic and you can't escape it... That's when it'll be too late."

The words echoed in Levi's head, leaving a sharp, lingering ache. But before she could respond, Rue took a step back, and with a flicker of motion too fast for her eyes to follow, he disappeared into the shadows of the street.

Levi stood there, trembling, the eerie silence of the night pressing in on her. Her magic was still absent, as though it had been locked away somewhere deep inside her.

What did he mean?

She felt the tug of her power, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the hum of raw energy that had once felt like an extension of herself. It was quiet, distant... locked away. She clenched her fists, frustration building inside her as she tried to call on the magic, but it refused to answer.

Rue's words replayed in her mind, each one like a weight pressing down on her chest. What was she supposed to do now?

The night air had turned colder as Rue vanished into the shadows. Levi stood frozen for a moment longer, her fingers twitching in frustration as the familiar hum of magic refused to return. Her heartbeat was loud in her ears, the absence of her power leaving her feeling exposed, vulnerable in a way she hadn't felt before.

She tried to steady herself, breathing deeply, but it wasn't helping. Rue's cryptic words echoed in her mind, his touch still lingering on her skin like a phantom sensation. The unease that followed him was like a weight, one she couldn't shake off. What did he mean by you're the gate? And what had he unlocked when he touched her?

As she walked back to her dorm, her thoughts were a whirlwind of confusion and fear. But before she could spiral further, the sound of footsteps broke her focus.

"Levi."

She spun around, startled, but quickly recognized the tall, imposing figure emerging from the darkness. Scout Cromwell stood across the street, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable. He was always hard to read, always distant, but tonight, something was different. His usual confident stride was replaced by a more cautious, measured approach.

"What do you want?" Levi asked, her voice sharper than she intended.

Scout didn't answer immediately. He was scanning the area, his eyes narrowing as if looking for something—or someone—hidden in the dark. When he finally met her gaze, his eyes were intense, almost urgent. "Rue," he said, his voice low. "He's playing a dangerous game with you."

Levi frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Scout took a step closer, his voice dropping even lower, as if making sure no one could hear. "You don't get it, do you? Rue isn't just a demon—he's an opportunist. He sees you as a means to an end, Levi. And I'm telling you now, you're dangerous. Not just to yourself, but to them."

Levi's stomach twisted. "Them? Who the hell are you talking about?"

"The hunters," Scout replied, his tone hardening. "The ones who've been watching you since you showed up on their radar. The ones who'll do anything to stop you from unlocking your potential. You're a witch born of blood, Levi. And they've been looking for you for years."

Levi's mind spun with his words. Hunters? The idea felt unreal, like something out of a bad fantasy novel, but something about Scout's demeanor made it feel all too real. And Rue's words only added to the mounting sense of dread she couldn't shake.

"So, what?" Levi snapped, her voice trembling. "You're here to warn me about Rue? Or are you just here to tell me I'm in over my head?"

Scout's expression softened, though his eyes remained cold. "I'm warning you about both of them," he said quietly. "Rue is dangerous, but the real threat is what you are. What you could become."

Levi took a step back, her mind racing as she tried to process what Scout was saying. He wasn't wrong. Something inside her was waking up—something powerful, something she couldn't control. And the more she uncovered, the more she realized there were forces out there watching her, waiting for her to tip the balance.

Scout seemed to sense her confusion, or perhaps the growing fear in her eyes. He sighed, running a hand through his dark hair before speaking again. "Look, I'm not here to make your life harder. I'm here because you need to know what's coming for you. The ones after you won't stop, Levi. Not until they get what they want."

Levi shook her head, trying to clear the fog in her mind. "So what do I do? Just... run? Hide?"

"No," Scout said firmly, his gaze intense. "You stand your ground. You learn how to use your power before they find you. And you don't trust Rue. He may say he's here to help, but the truth is, he's more interested in what you can do for him."

Levi looked away, her mind still reeling from everything. "Why are you telling me this? Why do you care?"

Scout hesitated for a moment before answering, his voice softening slightly. "Because, Levi, if you don't figure out how to control this power inside you, they're going to come for you. And when they do, you won't be ready."

Levi's heart pounded as she processed his warning. They're going to come for me.

But what was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to fight something she didn't fully understand?

Scout must have read the uncertainty on her face, because he gave her a hard, almost grim look before turning to leave. "Figure it out, Levi. You don't have time to waste."

Levi stood there for a long moment, the weight of his words pressing down on her. She had been stumbling through this new world of magic, unaware of the danger lurking around every corner. But now, she knew—she was at the center of something far bigger than herself.

As she turned and walked back toward her dorm, she felt the first stirrings of something else—something not quite fear, but not far from it. She was in over her head. And there was no going back.

In a dimly lit, ancient chamber deep underground, shadows moved like living entities. The room was circular, its stone walls adorned with cryptic symbols and flickering candles that cast long, eerie shadows across the cold floor. At the center of the room stood a massive obsidian table, around which sat figures cloaked in darkness, their faces hidden by hoods, their voices low and deliberate.

A heavy silence hung in the air, the tension palpable. At the far end of the table, a tall, slender figure stood, the only one not seated. He was dressed in black robes that shimmered with an otherworldly sheen, his presence commanding and unsettling. His voice, when it broke the silence, was smooth and cold.

"It is time," the figure said, his voice resonating through the chamber like a low hum. "The witch has awakened."

The others in the room stirred at his words, but none dared speak. Their gazes were fixed on him, waiting for further instruction.

"Levi Rose," the figure continued, his voice like the crackling of ice, "the one born in crimson. She holds the key to breaking the balance. The gate is open, and we cannot allow it to remain that way."

A sharp, feminine voice from the left spoke up. "She is dangerous, but she is only one witch. Surely, we can find a way to control her."

The figure's eyes, hidden beneath his hood, narrowed. "Control her? We cannot control what has been set in motion. She must be stopped before she fulfills her role." His voice dropped lower. "Before she unleashes what is buried in the earth beneath us."

A third figure, sitting across from the first, leaned forward. "If we destroy her, we risk the wrath of the demons. Rue Pendragon already has a vested interest in her. And we cannot ignore the vampire who has become entangled with her. They could be a complication."

The slender figure paused, his finger tapping on the table in slow, deliberate rhythm. "If Rue Pendragon wants to play his games, let him. He knows nothing of the true power Levi Rose wields. He is nothing but a pawn in this. The vampire is inconsequential."

There was a collective shift in the room as the other figures seemed to consider this. But the figure at the head of the table continued, his voice growing colder still.

"The prophecy speaks of the witch who will bring the final reckoning, the one who will break the hourglass of time. And she must be stopped—at all costs."

"Is the prophecy certain?" asked a voice, its tone hesitant.

"Do you doubt the ancient texts?" The head of the table's voice turned to steel. "The prophecy was forged long before we even existed. There is no doubt. Levi Rose is the catalyst, and she will awaken the powers that should remain dormant."

Another figure, his voice a gravelly whisper, spoke up. "And what do you propose, Master? How do we end her life before she grows too powerful?"

The figure at the head of the table stood taller now, his shadow stretching long across the room. "We do not just end her life, we ensure her magic is silenced forever. We strike at her before she can understand the depth of her abilities. She must be isolated, hunted, and broken."

The room grew quieter as the others absorbed his words, but an air of reluctant agreement settled upon them. Each figure in the room knew the gravity of what was being discussed. To kill Levi Rose would not just be a simple act of violence—it would be the unmaking of something far more significant.

"Send the hunters," the figure commanded. "The ones who have been tracking her. I want her dead before the next full moon. We cannot afford to wait."

Another figure spoke, his voice laced with venom. "What of the grimoire? She has already unlocked it."

The figure at the head of the table's eyes flashed with a dark gleam. "The grimoire is of no concern now. Levi's magic, however, is. Destroy her, and the grimoire's power will be extinguished with her. If we wait, it will only grow stronger. We must act swiftly."

The final figure rose from his seat, his cloak swirling around him like an ethereal mist. "And if Rue intervenes?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.

The head of the table's lips curled into a thin, malicious smile. "Then we will deal with him, too."

The Council of Shadows fell into a deep silence once more as their plans were set into motion. Each figure left the table, disappearing into the shadows of the room, their footsteps barely audible as they melded into the darkness.

Outside, the moon was full, casting an eerie light over the city. Somewhere in the depths of the night, Levi Rose was waking up to her destiny, unaware of the storm that was brewing in the shadows. The hunters would come for her soon. And when they did, she would be forced to choose—survival, or the awakening of something far darker than she could comprehend.