Astra was in an unfamiliar place, where time seemed frozen and everything smelled of sulfur and blood. She was no longer afraid—everything had happened far too quickly. The being before her had no defined form, but upon noticing her confusion, it began to speak:
"Do you know why you are here, child?"
The creature's voice was deep, yet almost paternal. Astra was not a child, but rather a young woman, nearly twenty years old.
"Am I dead?? I only remember being at my wedding, and then…"
Astra realized she truly couldn't remember how she ended up there. Her body was naked, and the only thing beneath her was blood and heavy diamond jewelry. Her long red hair was disheveled. The blood wasn't hers, but there was a wound where her heart should have been. When she placed her hand there, she felt a huge hole—but it wasn't a normal hole, and there was neither a heart nor a heartbeat.
The being in front of her seemed to be waiting for her to gather her thoughts, then it spoke again.
"Astra, you are no longer in the mortal world, but you're not really dead either. In fact, you were offered to me."
"Offered??? Why?? What do you mean?? I was getting married, and… I don't remember what happened afterward, but I shouldn't be here."
"Allow me to help with that."
The being then blew what looked like ashes, and Astra saw that after her wedding, her mother-in-law and her two sisters-in-law, along with other guests, had performed a ritual and struck her in the heart. But she couldn't understand why they did it—everything had been perfect. It was her big day. Why would the people who claimed to love her kill her?
The being then helped clarify:
"Astra, what you just witnessed is more common than you think. I have existed for centuries, and throughout these centuries, I have seen people resort to human sacrifice to get what they want. Greed, despair, and wickedness don't change over time; they have existed ever since humans were created. Your case was no different. You were used in the Golden Hand ritual. It's one of the oldest: basically, they offer Satan a young virgin who has just been married. It's also known as the Bride of Satan ritual. 'Golden Hand' is just a more marketable name, so to speak."
Astra was stunned. She understood what had happened but not the reason behind it. Her fiancé's family was wealthy—beyond wealthy, billionaires for generations. Why would they make such a sacrifice? For what purpose? But it didn't matter; she was already dead or half-dead, and now her only option was to beg for mercy from that being, though she doubted it would work.
"Are you going to take me to Hell? Is that it? Are you a demon??"
Astra, beginning to feel desperate, let out a long laugh—normal for someone facing death.
"Yes, I am a demon. And about you going to Hell… well… we need to make some arrangements. How about I change the setting? I know you had a gentle nature, and even now, you must be frightened."
Tears rolled down Astra's face, but she nodded, and immediately the place transformed into a beautiful garden. Her naked body was covered in flowers and foliage, and the previously undefined being took the form of a handsome man in an elegant white suit, much like the one her fiancé had worn on their wedding day.
"I think you'll be more comfortable this way. It's amazing that even after all that's happened, you still feel embarrassed about being naked. Usually, those who come here don't feel those things anymore."
The being's voice was now deep, gentle, and friendly. The place no longer smelled of sulfur but of lavender and sweet cherries.
"Thank you for that, I suppose… You still haven't answered: where am I going now?"
"Before I answer your question, let me introduce myself by my true name. It's important that I'm honest with you now. We demons usually lie, use fallacies and schemes to twist the truth, but you're already here, so I can speak openly. My name is Asmodan the Second, son of the one himself. I have various powers, as you might imagine, going back to the dawn of creation—from creating illusions, manipulation, persuasion, control over infernal fire, shapeshifting (as you just witnessed), among others. And, of course, I can grant wealth and certain wishes through a pact. You don't need to tell me who you are; I know you, Astra Krosniak…"
The demon paused and let out a sarcastic laugh, then continued:
"Your mother-in-law, Eleonora Campbell, and her two daughters, Griselda and Melissa Campbell, were responsible for the offering. I have certain requirements to accept an offered pact, and I believe you met almost all of them… except for one."
Astra looked thoughtful and confused. Asmodan went on:
"What Eleonora asked for required more than just any bride. So, in exchange for her wishes, a virgin bride was needed, a ceremony on an unholy day of the month, in an unholy place, the bride had to be a redhead, born of a profane sin—the greater the sin, the better—and the groom had to love her deeply. Eleonora had a lot of trouble, but in the end, she managed… in a way."
"I'm not the product of a profane sin!! You said I fulfilled almost all the requirements—what do you mean by almost?"
"This is where it gets complicated. You satisfied almost all the requirements except for one, and you know what it is. Maybe you don't remember—it was a great trauma in your life, wasn't it?"
Astra lowered her head and began to sob, hiding her face in her hands. She knew what the demon was referring to, but she didn't want to think that, of all things, this was the problem.
"I'm not a virgin…"
Astra's voice barely came out. The demon remained still in front of her, waiting for her to compose herself.
"Exactly. You're not a virgin, but Eleonora didn't know that. She was deceived, wasn't she?"
"Yes! I didn't think it mattered. But tell me, what happens now? I'm not a good sacrifice? Are you going to send me back to the mortal world? Or is my fate worse than I imagine?"
The demon laughed, and Astra noticed how beautiful and sharp its teeth were.
"I don't know what you had in mind, but yes, we have a stalemate. That's why I have an offer. I can't accept the sacrifice, so we can make a pact—you and I. It will be beneficial for both of us. I can arrange for your return to the mortal world, though no longer as a human, since you're no longer human. You will be immortal and able to do whatever you want, however you want, without guilt or consequences. But of course, you'll work for me."
"Work for you? What do I have to do?"
The demon let out a laugh:
"You'll have to bring me three souls a year, for seven consecutive years. After that, you'll be free to do as you please. During that time, you'll feed on blood and hearts, which works out since that's how you'll bring me these souls."
Astra was horrified. She couldn't and wouldn't do that; she would rather stay in Hell.
"No! I don't want that. I'd rather perish than do it. I'm not a murderer, let alone a demon's lackey."
"I don't think you'd enjoy living in Hell. It's no place for little girls like you, and that's hard to admit, even for a demon like me."
"It doesn't matter. What would I gain by taking the lives of innocent people?"
"Hahaha, and who said they're innocent? I don't want good souls, much less pure ones down here, which is also why I don't want you. You're of no use to me! I want evil souls, the kind that give even lesser demons the chills, the kind that make people wonder if there's still any hope left for the mortal world."
The demon gestured excitedly, even salivating as he spoke. Astra then noticed how tall he was and how dark his hair was.
"Even so, that's not a role for me! I'm not evil—you yourself agree with that."
"Are you sure it's not for you? You have a friend, Joan, a very close one, whom Eleonora will surely kill at the first opportunity. You have your fiancé, Evan, who doesn't know what his mother did. And you have your two sisters-in-law who took part in all of this. You need revenge!"
"I don't need anything! I need peace, and what would you gain from this??"
"Do you know why Eleonora did all this? So her family could maintain its power, money, and success for all eternity. The Campbell family has been doing this for generations. They perform various sacrifices—some smaller, some bigger—some with animals, some with women, others with children…"
Astra's eyes widened, horrified, but at the same time, she began to feel anger. Asmodan laughed; he had expected this reaction. He knew his words would have an effect.
"And now you have the chance to put an end to it all. You can protect your friend, tell your fiancé the truth, and live eternally free on Earth. You are beautiful, young, and will remain that way forever. You won't get sick, you'll be strong enough to lift a big car with one hand, you could have all the wealth in the world, and if you want, you can help people with it—I really don't care what you do afterward, as long as you fulfill our agreement."
"And what do you get out of it? I went to church, and they always said never to make deals with the devil, that you are cruel and unpredictable. So there's something I don't know that will hurt me in the end. You don't want me now because I'm naive and innocent, but after seven years, when I'm a monster who has brought you twenty-one sinful souls, I'll be perfect for this place. I'll be drowning in sin and filth; I won't even be human anymore. What will be left of me?"
Asmodan positioned himself in front of Astra, took her delicate face in his hand, and looked into her sad eyes. It was strange, but she truly couldn't make out the color of the demon's eyes. They seemed red and deep, but not ugly. Meanwhile, hers were large, blue, and sad.
"You have the eyes of a helpless little animal… What they did to you was blasphemy, like killing a baby in its mother's arms."
Asmodan spoke softly and then straightened up again:
"What you heard in church was correct. We demons are unpredictable, and we always trap people through contracts they don't fully understand. But in your case, the one I really want is Eleonora and her entire family who made the pact."
"But why? I mean, she offered me, in a way. She fulfilled her part of the deal."
"Yes, in a way, but a pact is a pact, and Eleonora should have been more careful. You're not a virgin, but not because you chose not to be. It was taken from you…"
Astra felt tears welling up in her eyes again. She swallowed hard, and Asmodan quickly lifted her chin, as if trying to comfort her. Beside him, she seemed much smaller than she really was.
"Don't cry… there's no need to cry anymore. Your situation is, well, complicated, even for the underworld. Eleonora and her daughters will have the right to enjoy the benefits of the pact for seven years. At the end of that time, you yourself will bring me their souls, and that will be quite the unpleasant surprise for her—which serves her right. No one told her to trust a demon, did they?"
Asmodan smiled, revealing white, sharp, gleaming teeth. His pale face and defined jawline were surreal. Astra wondered if this was really happening.
"If you accept, you will have a wonderful life. I can help you. I will stay by your side until you complete your mission. Then you'll be freer than ever before. I can give you abilities that will make you a powerful woman…"
"But I'm no longer a woman. I mean, I'm nothing now, right?"
"You are a woman. You never stopped being one—women are a direct creation of the One Whose Name We Do Not Speak. You are like angels on Earth…"
"Eleonora too??"
"Hahaha, Eleonora was once young and innocent as well. You'd be surprised if you could see what I see in people…"