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Sharp teeth, practically fangs, fit themselves together perfectly. Ruby red lips pulled back to form a cruel smile as yellow eyes gazed into a pool of liquid. “My, my, what have we here?” The voice that came from that wicked mouth was high-pitched, yet dangerous. There was no threat in their words, but danger radiated from it nonetheless.
A figure appeared in the liquid; a young man with curly hair and bright eyes. He was full of hope and held an eagerness to please. He was ready for the entire future that he had ahead of him. It would be such a shame if something were to happen to that future.
The dark creature with the yellow eyes’ smile grew wider and crueler. A finger dipped into the liquid, swirling it around. “What a sweet boy.” The creature mused, eyes twinkling with delight. “Sweet like sugar.” When they removed their finger from the dark liquid, it came out blacker than the longest night. “So few humans have spirit like that anymore.” The creature remarked, speaking solely to themself.
The man in the liquid grinned; a dazzling and brilliant smile that could have lit up the whole world. He carried a pack across his back, stepping forward to greet an old friend. His eyes radiated an intelligence and eagerness to learn that was so rarely seen in mortals. The creature enjoyed those with a love of knowledge. If knowledge was power, then the mortals seeking it were more powerful than some gods that the creature was aware of. The yellow eyes studied the figure, listening to his conversation with interest.
“Intelligent and sociable.” The creature hummed in satisfaction. “What a perfect balance.” Their expression turned colder, darker, more dangerous. “Such a balance must be difficult.” They rose from where they sat, their gaze never abandoning the pool of liquid. “Perhaps he will need some help.” Their voice slowly transformed into more of a hiss than not. “I am all too willing to offer my services.” They laughed, a cruel, terrifying laugh that could shake the trees. “Now, what is this perfect creature’s name?” They gazed into the pool, desperate to learn more about this particular human that they had taken an interest in.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Anis Kadar couldn’t wait for his first day of classes. He’d been looking forward to college since he was in middle school. He couldn’t truly believe that he was finally here. He gazed up at the main building, feeling simultaneously overwhelmed and excited. College. It was the sign of true adulthood. What was more was that he had managed to get into one of the most prestigious schools in the country for his field: Adams University. It had been his dream school since he was twelve. He was finally here, he had really made it.
He stepped across the grass, unable to stop grinning from ear to ear. It was if every single one of his dreams were coming true. He approached the main building with his head high, his wild curls blowing into his face on occasion. He pushed them back, tempted to tie them back. He didn’t like how he looked with his hair tied behind him; however, so he would just attempt to grin and bear it. The grinning part was proving to not be a problem in any capacity. It was hard to stop smiling when he gazed at everything he had hoped for standing before his very eyes.
He spotted a young woman struggling to organize a stack of papers in her hands. She was muttering to herself and sighing heavily. She pushed her braids back and squinted her eyes in an attempt to make out the words on the page. She was clearly having a rather difficult time with it. Anis chuckled to himself and he approached her.
“Need help?” He questioned, causing her to jump in surprise. She whipped around and narrowed her eyes, this time to glare at him.
She swatted him with her stack of papers. “Anis!” She hissed, putting her hands on her hips. “You scared me! What were you thinking? I could have hit you, you know!”
Anis laughed and rolled his eyes, knowing his friend too well to believe that for even a moment. “That’s only if you could see me.” He teased, a grin still stretched across his face. It was common knowledge that his friend had horrible eyesight and constantly forgot her glasses. Anis was completely at a loss of how she forgot them so often, considering that she couldn’t see a thing without them. “Besides, you couldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Just because I couldn’t doesn’t mean I wouldn’t.” She challenged, crossing her arms. “Besides, flies aren’t hurting nobody.” She insisted, waving her arms dramatically. “You, on the other hand, are a rather harmful person to keep in existence.”
“Oh, come on!” Anis laughed, understanding that his old friend was just teasing. “You’re so cruel to me, Veda!” He pretended to stumble back as if wounded. “What a cruel twist of fate this is.”
Veda rolled her eyes, but couldn’t hide the way the corner of her lips quirked up. “You are so dramatic.” She declared. “Why do I even speak with you?”
“Because I’m most likely the only person you’ll know who’s from your past?” He suggested with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. “Do you know how competitive this school is?” He questioned, crossing his arms. “It’s a miracle that two people from the same town even made it to this place in the same year.”
Veda cocked her head to the side questioningly. “Funny, because I don’t know anyone else who even applied.” She pointed out with a know-it-all smirk. “I only heard of it through you and you’re the only other person I know who applied, so everyone who applies seem to get in from what I’ve seen.”
“Well, that’s just because intelligent people are friends with intelligent people.” Anis insisted. “So, when two very intelligent people apply for a very prestigious school, the chances of them both getting in are higher than any other combination.”
“Oh, so you’re calling yourself intelligent now, are you?” She asked, gaining the higher authority.
“Oh, is that so wrong?” Anis crossed his arms, stilling smiling. “I am intelligent or else I wouldn’t be here. I worked hard to get what I’ve got. So have you. We’re both very intelligent.”
Veda put her hands up in surrender, still holding her large stack of papers. “Alright, you win.” She conceded, shaking her head and glancing back at the main building. “I managed to get a map of the campus, but I can’t see shit.” She sighed, squinting back at the top sheet of paper. “I’m trying to find my dorm, but I don’t think that the building I need exists!”
“Here, let me see.” Anis took the map from her, studying it closely. “The D building is right here.” He pointed to the small picture after barely a moment’s hesitation. It wasn’t exactly difficult to find when one could see. He glanced up and pointed to real-life equivalent. “There. It’s three buildings down, which is why it’s called the D building, I imagine.”
“What, let me see!” She snatched the map back from him, squinting at it closely. “That’s a D? I thought it was a P!” She exclaimed, looking embarrassed. Her cheeks turned darker and she flushed under her friend’s gaze.
“This is why we remember our glasses, Veda.” He patted the top of her head soothingly. “It’s alright. I would have made the same mistake if I couldn't see.” He tried to reassure her, not wanting her to feel bad. He hated when the people around him felt bad, especially if it was due to something he did.
Veda just shrugged, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Yes, but you
can
see, now can’t you?” She mumbled, but shook her head and forced a new, strained smile. “Anyway, enough about that.” She changed the subject quickly, holding her many papers against her chest. “I’m going to go to my dorm and meet my roommate.” She smiled. “See you later, Anis!” She wove to him before taking off down the campus towards her dorm.
Anis sighed, not having meant to upset his friend. He knew that she was sensitive about her inability to see without her glasses and he knew better than to bring it up. He had just meant to help and maybe share a laugh with her, but that hadn’t gone well. He ran his fingers through his curls and forced a smile. It was scientifically proven that even pretending to smile could make someone feel happier. He made his way into the A building so he could sign in and get his papers. He thanked the man who gave him his papers before heading towards the B building to meet his roommate.
The name on his paper gave his roommate’s name as Link Whinn and Anis was excited to meet him. He wasn’t exactly unpopular at his old school; in fact, he’d had many friends, but now that he was at a new school with new people, Veda was the only person he knew. He never did well on his own, being a rather extroverted individual. He hoped that he would get along well with his roommate, not knowing what he would do if the other boy didn’t like him.
He entered the B building and checked each number off as he walked past. “103, 104, 105, ah!” He stopped in front of room D106 and inserted his key into the lock, turning it and pushing the door open. He glanced around the room, pleased with how neat it was. He despised messy and disorganized rooms. They were rather unbearable in his opinion. At least whoever his roommate was hadn’t destroyed the entire room in the short period of time since they had arrived.
Anis noticed a head of long, ginger hair facing away from him. “Hello!” He greeted his roommate, stepping towards them. “Link, right?”
The figure turned around. “Margaret, actually.” She said plainly, clearly expecting the mistake. The woman was tall, far taller than Anis, with broad shoulders and a square jaw. Her long hair partially hid her face, which was heavy with makeup.
“Oh! Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize-” He sputtered out, horrified by his mistake.
“No, I know.” She offered him an apologetic smile. “That’s my name in the system and I have no doubt that’s the name printed on your sheet.” She ran her hand through her hair, letting the orange strands flow through the space between her fingers. “It’s not your fault.”
Anis flushed and shook his head, still thoroughly embarrassed that he had committed such an error. “I still shouldn’t have assumed.” He insisted. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay.” Margaret assured kindly, sitting down on one of the twin beds that filled the small space in the room. “I forgive you.”
Anis sighed in relief, almost surprised by how at ease that put him. “Thank you.” He walked to the bed opposite the one Margaret was sitting on. “So, roommates?” He attempted to ease the tension in the room.
“Hopefully not for long.” Margaret replied, standing up to unpack a few of her things. “I’m submitting a request to be transferred to the female dorms.” She explained upon seeing the confusion on Anis’ face. “So, I’ll be out of your hair in a week, hopefully. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No! No, of course not!” He said quickly, putting his hands up. “Whatever is most comfortable for you, obviously.”He offered her a small smile.
Margaret smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Thank you.” She said genuinely, seemingly pleased by Anis’ answer. “Sorry, this has been a terrible introduction.” She laughed awkwardly. She closed her eyes as if gathering herself. When she opened them again, she had a bright and cheerful smile across her face. “Hi!” She waved at him happily. “My name is Margaret Whinn! Due to a bit of a mix-up, I’m your temporary roommate! I hope you won’t mind sharing your room with a
girl.”
She said the word girl with a dramatic eye roll and a disgusted face. Her entire demeanor had changed to that of someone extremely energetic and hyper. All of her motions were emphasized and flamboyant, as if she was performing.
“Oh.” Anis was taken completely off guard by the sudden shift. “Uh,”
Margaret laughed, returning to the way she was before. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out.” She was swallowing a laugh. “I’m an actress.” She quickly explained, causing the pieces in Anis’ mind to snap together. “I thought a new introduction would help things. I may have gone a little far, apparently.” She chuckled to herself as she studied his expression.
“Oh! Oh, no.” He laughed, relieved that Margaret was just acting and hadn’t become an entirely new person in the blink of an eye. There was nothing wrong with those who did so, he just wasn’t prepared for it. “No, it’s alright.” He assured. “I was just surprised, is all.” He explained, rubbing the back of his neck. He cleared his throat and tried to gather himself as she had moments before. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Margaret!” He exclaimed in a dramatic fashion, a wide grin stretched uncomfortably across his face. “My name is Anis Kadar and it’s okay that you’ll only be here for a little! I still hope that we can become good friends!” He clasped his hands together and batted his eyelashes, causing Margaret to burst out laughing.
“Wow, you’re good.” She snorted, grin appearing to almost split open her face; and yet, it felt genuine. “You aren’t an actor, are you?” She accused playfully, putting her hands on her hips.
Anis hurriedly shook his head in denial, laying down on the bed he had claimed as his own. He scooted up to rest on the pillows while still facing his new friend. “No, I could never.” He insisted. “All those people staring at me?” He shuddered. “No thank you.”
Margaret laughed. “Well, you could certainly do it if you wanted to. You have natural talent.” She returned to sitting on her bed. “Well, Anis Kadar, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She told him with a warm smile that filled the room. “I hope that the two of us will get along and have a great school year.”
“I’m sure we will.” Anis assured with a grin. “College is going to be fantastic.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
College was proving to be more challenging than Anis originally anticipated. There was more work to do instead of having free time and prices were so high that he’d been forced to get himself a part time job as a barista at a coffee shop on campus. It was fine enough work, if tedious. He had hoped that he would have more time for the new friends, but that was proving not to be the case. He, Margaret, and Veda would often grab lunch together, but that was about it.Margaret had been transferred to the female dorms within the week and Anis’ roommate was replaced by a man named Mark Lohst. Mark was probably a fine enough person, but Anis had no patience for him. The man was a complete slob, ordering pizza almost every night and leaving the boxes for Anis to clean up. Not to mention that the entire dorm reeked of marijuana at all hours of the day so badly that it made Anis’ head ache. He didn’t have a problem with people smoking, but the rate at which Mark smoked seemed a bit excessive. Anis mostly had a problem with how lazy and disgusting the man was. He didn’t mind that his dorm was slowly becoming infested with bugs or that he wore the same clothes daily. Anis was glad that Margaret was enjoying her new dorms, but part of him wished she hadn’t left.Margaret’s roommate was a peppy, nonbinary person named Lee. They had brightly dyed hair, one half completely blue and the other half bubblegum pink. They were extremely energetic and talkative, never seeming to shut up. It could be entertaining when it wasn’t so obnoxious. Anis felt bad for feeling annoyed by them, as they genuinely didn’t realize that they were being so loud and obnoxious. They were just trying to be friendly. Lee would chatter on and on for so hours at a time if anyone would let them, not letting anyone get a word in. They just had so much to say at all times. Anis was honestly surprised when Margaret told him that she didn’t actually get along with Lee.“I get that they don’t mean to be, but they are just so annoying!” She exclaimed, sitting on the grass beside Veda and Anis. “They just talk so much at all hours, no matter what I’m doing! If I’m studying, they want to talk. If I’m resting, they want to talk. If I’m trying to sleep, they’re chattering on and on and on.” She groaned. “They try to talk to me when I’m in the shower! Who does that?”“Oh, you think that’s bad?” Veda challenged, chomping down on a carrot violently. “Try living with a literal fifteen year old who thinks she’s better than you!”Veda’s roommate had turned out to be a fifteen year old girl named Teal Chada who had graduated high school early and had practically every college in the country clambering over themselves to accept her. From what Veda described, she wa short-tempered and entitled, treating Veda like she was the young child who needed bossing around. Veda despised her, but felt like she couldn’t do anything about her situation because her roommate was only a child. Not only that, but the child was wheelchair bound. Anis had never met the girl, but part of him thought that Veda was probably being hard on her.He groaned. “At least your rooms are clean!” He pointed out. “There was a slug in the shower last night along with a bug in my water. I could have drunk out of that!”“It’s almost like roommates are supposed to suck.” Margaret noted, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “Maybe it’s to teach us a lesson about how we won’t always get along with people later on in life.”“That lesson could have been taught without me almost drinking a roach!” Anis insisted, still feeling his tongue tingle at the very thought of it. He gagged, trying not to be sick at the very idea. “It was so gross. You didn’t see its little legs. It was the worst experience of my life. I’m traumatized.”“Sounds like you could use some help.” A young man approached the group, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He stepped through the bushes and stood awkwardly in front of them. “I know a person. Well, not personally. I know of them.” He explained, rubbing his arm nervously.Anis recognized him from a few of his classes. He always sat in the very front and looked like he might cry whenever anyone spoke to him or called on him. He was a rather anxious young man, shy and skittish. Anis wasn’t sure that he had ever even heard the boy speak before.“And who are you?” Veda rose an eyebrow, glancing at Anis in confusion. “Do we know each other?” She was clearly creeped out by the man’s entrance.“Oh.” The boy deflated. “We sit next to each other in ASL?” He tried to jog her memory. When it was clear that he wasn’t going to accomplish anything from that, he sighed. “Hansel. My name is Hansel.” He sat down beside the group, causing Veda to scoot away. An expression of hurt flashed across his face when she did so. “Sorry.” He glanced down. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”“And yet that’s exactly what you’re doing.” Veda pointed out coldly. She clearly didn’t want him interrupting her time with her friends. Generally speaking, Veda was rather distrustful towards strangers. She had been quite rude to Margaret as well upon meeting her. Anis shot a glare at his friend and shook his head warningly.“Oh.” Hansel looked devastated and slowly stood, starting to leave.“Wait!” Margaret reached out to him. “It’s alright. Please, sit.” She patted the spot next to her. “You don’t have to leave.” She smiled reassuringly at him.Hansel seemed uncertain. “Really? You don’t want me to go?” He asked, shifting his weight from one foot to the next.“Of course.” Margaret smiled warmly.Hansel beamed, appearing to completely light up. He was so excited to be allowed to sit with other people. He quickly sat beside Margaret before she had a chance to change her mind. “Thank you!” He sat criss-crossed with his hands in his lap. He looked very much like a well-behaved kindergartner.Margaret smiled kindly. “Of course. The more the merrier.” She insisted, casting a glance at Veda pointedly.Veda huffed, grinding her teeth together. She clearly wanted to object, but she kept quiet. “Oh! Loralei called me last night!” She informed Anis, changing the subject entirely. She was always eager to talk about her girlfriend, even when they lived so far apart. Anis didn’t really like Loralei, thinking that she treated Veda less than ideally. She wasn’t abusive or anything, she just didn’t respect Veda to the degree in which Veda respected her. Veda adored Loralei, worshiping the ground beneath her feet. The way Veda spoke of Loralei was comparable in some ways to how certain people spoke of their gods. She would make any excuse to speak to or about her, constantly wanting to spend time with the woman she viewed as the most amazing person in the world. Loralei, on the other hand, treated Veda with disinterest. She rarely went out of her way to speak with her girlfriend and she seemed more entertained by playing with Veda’s feelings.“She called you?” Anis was genuinely surprised. He couldn’t remember the last time Loralei went out of her way to contact Veda on her own. Maybe she was changing. Anis certainly hoped so.“Well, we talked on the phone.” Veda replied flippantly.“So, you called her.” Anis corrected with a small sigh. There went any hope of Loralei becoming a better person. “She just happened to pick up.”Veda opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by Hansel speaking up. “Who’s Loralei?” He asked, happily listening to the conversation.“Loralei is my girlfriend.” Veda said coldly, shooting a glare at Anis for disrespecting her. “She’s not only my girlfriend, but she’s the most talented, most intelligent, most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.” She smiled to herself.Anis scowled. “She almost flunked out of high school.” He added, not thinking that she was all that intelligent.“Intelligence isn’t measured by grades.” Veda snapped, shaking her head. “If you think otherwise, that’s just cruel.” She crossed her arms, glaring at her friend. “You can’t say that she’s unintelligent just because the school system failed her.”Anis rolled his eyes. “You’re right, but the problem is that she never even tried.” He insisted. “She went to my high school, I saw how she did in class. She never did any of her work.”“Then it wasn’t a matter of intelligence, now was it?” She challenged. “She’s really brilliant, school just wasn’t a good fit for her.”“That’s not an excuse not to try!”“Trying made her feel stupid!”“That doesn’t mean she should just give up!”“Guys!” Margaret snapped at both of them, glaring between them. “This isn’t the time or place to fight.” She insisted, gesturing to Hansel, who was looking very awkward indeed. He appeared to be attempting to hide inside of his shirt, not knowing how to handle being in the middle of the squabble.“Oh!” He squeaked, turning rather red. “Oh, no. No, it’s alright. It’s fine.” He lied, not wanting to be a bother towards anyone. “I’m fine.”Anis sighed, suddenly feeling guilty for fighting in front of someone new. “No, it’s not fine.” He shook his head. “We shouldn’t have done that. I’m really sorry.”Hansel shook his head hurriedly. “No, it’s okay. You didn’t do anything wrong.” He hugged his knees to his chest.“What about you, Hansel?” Margaret asked. “Do you have any romantic partner?” She questioned, trying to lighten the mood.Hansel lit up and nodded quickly. “Yeah. Two, actually.” He beamed at the thought of them. “Michael and Mackenzie.” He started peeling at a blade of grass. “They live far away, though.”“Oh, so you’re polyamorous?” Margaret asked with a reassuring smile. “That’s really interesting. I had friend who was poly.” She explained. “She was really sweet.”Hansel looked relieved. “Most people don’t understand.” He admitted. “I’m glad that you’re not weird about it.”Margaret shrugged. “I have no reason to be.” She said simply, scooting closer to him. She glanced up to see the looks of confusion on Anis and Veda’s faces. “He’s polyamorous. It means that he has more than one romantic partner, both of which know about each other and think that it’s okay for him to have more than one romantic partner.”“So cheating?” Veda asked, seemingly confused by the entire concept.“No!” Hansel said quickly. “Not cheating at all. I would never, ever.” He started pulling up multiple blades of grass anxiously. “I couldn’t cheat on them.”“How is that not exactly what you’re doing?”“It’s not cheating if they say it’s okay.” He shrugged. “It’s more like-” He trailed off, considering for a moment. “Like, normally it would be cheating to look at your notes during a test, but if your teacher says that it’s an open-notes test, it isn’t cheating. It all depends on the rules. If it’s not against the rules, you can’t be cheating.”That made sense to Anis, at least. That metaphor made it really click how that sort of thing worked. He shrugged and leaned back on his elbows, stretching out so he would be more comfortable. “That’s neat.”Hansel smiled and nodded. “I think so. Communication is important in all relationships, it’s just arguably more so in poly relationships.”“I think I understand.” Anis squinted to see Hansel’s face through the bright sunlight.“I still don’t get it.” Veda sighed, throwing her braids back. “But you do you, I guess.” She laid down against the grass and closed her eyes.“I plan on doing so.” Hansel chirped, a smile on his face. Margaret chuckled at his enthusiasm. It was amusing how he went from so anxious to confident in his lifestyle within the moment.“Good on you.” Margaret nudged Hansel approvingly. “Don’t let anyone put you down.”Hansel flushed darkly. “Thank you.” He squeaked in a tiny voice.“What time is it?” Veda asked, shielding her eyes from the sun.“Almost one.” Margaret checked her watch. “Wow, time passed by so quickly.”“Shit!” Veda jumped up, gathering her things in her rush. She hopped to her feet and took off down the campus, clearly late for her next class. Anis watched as she ran before tripping over something, sending her flying through the air. It seemed to happen in slow-motion as she fell through the air, he legs kicking out from under her. She tilted in the air and her head slammed against the ground. It looked extremely painful.“Oh my God!” Margaret jumped up and ran after her friend, Anis on her heels. Hansel hung back, not knowing exactly what to do. When Anis caught up to where Veda had collapsed on the ground, his stomach churned. She had apparently hit her head on a rock and blood was rolling down her face. It was more blood than Anis had ever seen. It should be impossible for her to bleed that much, right? It wasn’t good. “Someone call 911!” Margaret screamed, kneeling beside Veda. “Quickly!”Anis nodded and retrieved his phone, inputting the number with shaking fingers. He held the phone to his ear, quickly explaining what had happened to the dispatcher. He turned around to see Hansel standing behind him.“I know someone who can help. You just have to be willing to make a sacrifice.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Anis wasn’t quite sure how he ended up standing alone at a train track at 11:45pm, but there he was. He sighed, considering what a stupid idea this was. How exactly had Hansel roped him into this?Truth be told, he knew exactly how. He had been panicked and frightened, pacing back and forth in the waiting room of the small-town hospital. He was thinking that Veda might die, so when Hansel began talking about how he might be able to help, Anis had fallen for it in an instant. He could still hear Hansel’s words in his head about how he knew a demon who made deals and could save Veda. As he thought back on it, Anis was realizing how superstitious and ridiculous it all sounded. There was no such thing as crossroad demons or selling one’s soul to the devil. Those sorts of things were just stories.He paced around the track, shaking his head. “You’re such an idiot, Anis.” He mumbled to himself, just wanting to break the silence. He didn’t like the quiet that came with being in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night. “Demons and spirits like this aren’t real.” He glanced at his watch, checking to see if it was midnight. He sighed in exasperation when he realized that he still had some time to go. He was already here, so he might as well wait. He sat down on the rail, putting his hands in his jacket pockets. It was still summer; there was no reason for him to be as cold as he was. Anis’ hands were always so cold.Anis tapped his foot and hummed to himself awkwardly, hoping that Veda was alright. She’d hit her head rather badly on a rock and even though the doctors insisted that she would be alright, Anis wasn’t entirely convinced. There had been so much blood, he had seen it. How could anyone be okay when they had lost that much blood? To be fair, Anis wasn’t an expert on what counted as “too much” blood, but it had appeared to be a large amount. That was why he’d allowed Hansel to talk him into this. He just wanted to help his friend, wanted to make sure she would be alright. He would do anything to make sure she was safe and healthy.He watched his feet, tapping out a random rhythm. Hansel had said that if he came to the abandoned railroad tracks behind the school and waited until midnight, a crossroads demon would appear and make a deal to save Veda’s life. Anis couldn’t believe that he had fallen for such an obvious trick. He made up his mind not to speak to Hansel again after this night. What kind of sick person pranked someone who was concerned for his injured friend’s well-being? Hansel had preyed on Anis’ fear and desperation. Hansel was the only monster in this situation. Anis wasn’t going to sit here and make a fool of himself any longer.He stood up and began to walk away, muttering under his breath about liars and betrayal and how stupid he had been. He had barely walked five steps before he heard an unfamiliar voice come from behind him.“Don’t blame me when you’re the one who’s early.” Anis spun around to see a devilishly handsome man with bright yellow eyes peering at him. The man smiled to reveal sharp teeth that fit neatly into place, seeming to gleam in the moonlight. “I believe that Hansel scheduled an appointment for you?” He cocked his head, carrying his arms neatly behind his back. “Anis, is it? Of course it is.” He chuckled as if he had made a joke that only he found amusing. “Anis Kadar.”Anis frowned, taking a step back. There was something about the man that put Anis on edge. “I don’t think I ever told Hansel my full name.” He noted, an uncomfortable buzzing feeling under his skin. He automatically didn’t trust this strange man who had appeared seemingly out of nowhere; though, he had to admit that the man was incredibly attractive, even if his yellow eyes were bizarre.“You are correct.” The man agreed, still grinning in a creepy manner. “He never needed to, of course.” He took a step forward, balancing on the rail of the road. “That is unimportant.” He waved him off dismissively.“I’d say that it’s pretty important.” Anis narrowed his eyes, his discomfort rising. “I’d like to know how you know my name.”The man laughed, but it wasn’t a joyful laugh. It was cruel, cold. Anis didn’t like it, it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. “Surely Hansel told you?” The man implored, not even looking at Anis. His gaze was more fixated on where his feet were balancing. “Being told information is such a human necessity. Thankfully, I am not human.”“You’re saying you’re a demon, then?” Anis asked, thinking back on what Hansel had told him. “A demon? The Devil?” He didn’t believe that. How could he?The man’s grin grew wider and his eyes snapped up to meet Anis’. “And if I said yes?” His eyes flashed dangerously. “If I told you that I’m the Devil himself?” He stepped forward and off of the railing, foot landing in a shallow pool of water. “Would you believe me?” His voice felt like it was coming from far closer than it was. “Would you be frightened?” The voice was barely above a whisper now, but it felt as if he was yelling with the way it filled Anis’ head and echoed against his skull. He was toying with him.“I don’t know how I would feel.” Anis said eventually, slowly. He felt like there was a correct answer to this question. “I don’t know because you haven’t told me.”The man chuckled again, appearing satisfied with that answer. “Clever. Very clever.” He remarked, stepping behind Anis. “You must be so popular with the clever little head of yours.”Anis felt his cheeks heat up and he tried to turn to glance at the man, but he must have been lingering just out of sight. “I have friends.” He said, almost defensively. “My friend is why I’m here.”“Ah, yes.” The voice sounded like it was coming from inside of his head now. “Sweet, precious Veda.”That caused Anis’ blood to boil. “You don’t know shit about her.” He snapped, not liking the way this man said her name.“I know enough.” He stated calmly. “I know she’s injured.” The man hummed, stepping back in front of Anis once again. “I know she’s in need of help. I know that’s why you’re here.” Anis hated that the man was right. Was he even a man at all? “Isn’t it?”“Yes.” He admitted, glaring at the creature. “Can you actually help or are you just going to continue being mysterious?” He mocked, tempted to shove the creature out of his personal space. He felt stiff; however, like he couldn’t move even if he tried.“Oh, come now.” The creature stepped away as if reading Anis’ thoughts. A part of him wondered if he actually was. “I like knowing my clients before helping them.”Anis scoffed. “Helping? Isn’t this a deal thing? You get something out of it too.” He’d seen movies about making a deal with the Devil. Not many, but he knew that no demon gave something away out of the goodness of their heart.“Ah, that I do.” The creature confirmed with a light shrug of his shoulders. “But you have no reason to worry your pretty little head about that.” He touched Anis’ curls, causing him to jerk his head away.“If you’re going to get my soul or whatever, I feel like I should worry about it.”The creature laughed again. “You are too adorable, Anis Kadar.” He remarked with an almost fond smile. “Now, let’s move on to business, if you insist.” He straightened his already straight tie. “You may call me what you like. The Devil, Azazel, Demon, Zagon, Lucifer, Satan.” He wove his hand through the air flamboyantly. “I have been called many things.”“What do you call yourself?” Anis challenged, not interested in what the creature might have been called in the past. He cared what his name was.The creature smirked. “You may call me Zephone.” He pronounced the Z as a hard S, bowing dramatically. “That is what my coworkers call me.”“You have coworkers?”“I do. You certainly don’t believe that I’m the only one of my kind?” He rose an eyebrow. “If I were, I am sure I would have better deals to make than those I make with precious Hansel.”Anis furrowed his eyebrows. “What deals do you make with Hansel?”“Sorry, but there is a certain amount of confidentiality involved with my career.” Zephone put a dark finger to his lips. “I will not spill my client’s secrets.”Anis rolled his eyes. “Fine, whatever.” He crossed his arms, growing frustrated. He didn’t really care about the arrangements he’d made previously. He only cared about the deals he would make with him.“Now.” Zephone pulled a contract out of seemingly nowhere. “Let’s get down to business.” He smirked, fangs briefly visible. “So, what is your end of this deal? What would you like?”“I’d like my friend to live.” Anis said hurriedly. “I’d like her to be okay and back on her feet within the week.”“I can do that.” Words appeared across the contract in lines. He pointed to a place to sign. He took a pen from his pocket and clicked it. He offered it to Anis. “All you have to do is sign.”“I’m selling away my soul?” Anis hesitated, suddenly having second thoughts. Was making a deal with a demon truly the best idea?Zephone chuckled. “Something like that.” He smirked, wiggling the pen between two fingers. “You are free to read the contract. You might wish to do so.”The contract was long and Anis was pretty sure he had seen enough movies to get the gist. He shook his head and accepted the pen, signing his name across the bottom. He was doing this for Veda. He hoped that he hadn’t made the worst mistake of his life.