The Mysterious Being (in a calm, slightly elevated voice):
"Before you leave this place, Darius, there is something you must know… about Rayos the Hilarious – The Devilish Grinner."
Darius looked at him in surprise, and as the question formed lightly in his mind, his voice rose:
"Rayos? I've never heard that name before. Who is he?"
The being smiled, but it was not a smile of joy. It was a challenge—an ambiguous mix of curiosity and dread.
The Mysterious Being:
"Rayos… the Devilish Grinner. He is a demon, but not one you would expect. His body is tall and slender, sculpted as if meant to resemble a human form, yet never truly belonging to this world. He wears a long black coat that shifts in the darkness, as if its fabric is woven from living shadows. And every time his pitch-black eyes peer into an unknown abyss, a faint golden glimmer flashes before vanishing once more. His smile—always present—is not an expression of joy, but an eerie awareness of a truth that only he knows."
A chill ran down Darius's spine, yet curiosity kept him silent.
Darius asked,
"What does he want?"
The mysterious being smiled again… but this time, it was not a smile of comfort.
"Rayos wants nothing, because he already has everything. But he enjoys making deals… deals you cannot refuse."
"Deals? Like what?"
The being fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, as if fearing that merely saying the words would bring them to life:
"The moment you even consider accepting his offer… it's already too late."
A shiver coursed through Darius's body, yet the question still lingered in his mind.
"And what does that mean for me? Why are you telling me this now?"
The mysterious being looked at him, a gaze filled with centuries of knowledge and regret, then answered in a low, heavy voice:
"Rayos appears in the darkest moments, when despair becomes deadly, and choices run dry. He does not offer help outright; instead, he plants within your heart an agreement you cannot refuse—a contract whose details are whispered rather than spoken, and whose price… is a variable only understood by those who have suffered. If you ever see him, do not consider his offer, for accepting it means losing yourself."
Darius hesitated, his voice carrying a blend of curiosity and fear:
"How do you know this?"
The being smiled, answering without hesitation:
"Because I once accepted his offer."
A thick silence filled the air, as if even the wind had ceased to move. Darius looked at the mysterious being, but the latter was not looking at him—rather, at something that was not there… or perhaps, something that no longer existed.
"What did he give you?"
The being laughed, but it was an empty laugh, like a blade buried deep within his chest, impossible to pull out.
"He gave me what I wanted… and took what I never knew I had."
He said no more, and Darius did not ask further, because a part of him… did not want to know the answer.