Lena Carter pulled the hood of her jacket over her head and quickened her pace. Her shoes splashed through shallow puddles, soaking through her worn socks, but she hardly noticed. Her mind was elsewhere—on her brother, Caleb.
The doctors had made it clear. Without an expensive procedure, he wouldn't survive. And despite working double shifts at the café, begging for loans, and searching for any possible way to gather the funds, she had nothing. No money. No time. No options.
Her stomach twisted with helplessness. Caleb was all she had left. Their parents had died in a car accident when she was sixteen, leaving her to raise him alone. She couldn't lose him too.
Lost in thought, she barely noticed the dark alleyway she had turned into. It was a shortcut home, one she had taken countless times. The buildings loomed over her, their windows dark and lifeless. The only sound was the rain… and her footsteps.
Then—
A whisper.
Soft. Almost indistinguishable from the wind.
Lena halted, her breath catching in her throat. Her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the sound.
Nothing.
She exhaled, shaking her head. I'm just exhausted. That's all.
But the moment she took another step—
The streetlamp above flickered.
Her heart pounded. And then she saw him.
A man stood beneath the failing light, his figure cloaked in darkness. Tall. Unmoving. Watching her.
Lena's breath hitched. She hadn't heard anyone approach. Hadn't seen him until now.
His face remained shadowed, but she could make out the sharp lines of his jaw, the unnatural stillness in the way he stood. His presence felt… wrong. Like he didn't belong in this world.
Her instincts screamed at her to turn around and run. But her feet remained frozen in place.
Then, the stranger moved.
Slowly. Purposefully. Toward her.
Lena swallowed hard. "Who are you?" she forced out, her voice barely above a whisper.
The man stopped just a few feet away. The streetlamp flickered again, casting a brief glow over his face.
She sucked in a breath.
He was beautiful. But not in a way that felt safe. His features were too sharp, too perfect—almost inhuman. And then there were his eyes.
Golden. Luminous. Like fire trapped beneath his irises.
They held her captive. Hypnotic. Dangerous.
A slow, knowing smirk curled his lips. "That's not the right question."
Lena's pulse hammered. "Then what is?"
His voice was smooth, velvety. "What do you want, Lena?"
Her stomach twisted. How did he know her name?
She took a shaky step back. "How do you—"
He ignored her. "You've been searching for a solution, haven't you?"
Lena stiffened.
"You're desperate," he continued. "Willing to do anything to save your brother."
Her blood turned cold. No one knew about Caleb. No one.
And yet, this stranger… he knew.
Lena clenched her fists. "Who are you?" she demanded.
His golden eyes gleamed with amusement. "Someone who can give you exactly what you need."
Her breath caught. The temptation in his words was undeniable. A promise wrapped in mystery.
But nothing in this world came for free.
"What's the price?" she asked, voice steadier than she felt.
His smirk deepened. "You ask the right questions."
A gust of wind swept through the alley, chilling her to the bone.
And then—
She saw things.
Flashes. Visions. A throne of bones. A sea of fire. Shadows twisting and writhing like living creatures.
And at the center of it all—
The man before her.
Lena stumbled back, gasping as the vision vanished.
Her chest rose and fell rapidly as she stared at him, realization slamming into her.
"You're not human."
He tilted his head. "And yet, here I stand."
Lena's throat tightened. "Then… what are you?"
For the first time, the amusement in his expression faded. A heavy silence fell between them.
Then, in a voice that sent ice down her spine, he spoke.
"I am the Devil's son."
Her breath caught.
Her legs tensed, ready to run. But deep down, she already knew she wouldn't make it far.
He took a slow step forward, closing the distance between them. "You've been knocking on doors, searching for help. But no human can give you what you seek."
Lena's mind raced. This was impossible. Demons weren't real. The Devil wasn't real.
And yet—
Here he was.
"What do you want from me?" she whispered.
He studied her, golden eyes burning into her soul.
Then, softly, he said, "A deal."
The words sent a shiver through her.
Lena had heard of deals with the devil before. Legends. Stories. Cautionary tales.
She should say no.
She should run.
But then she thought of Caleb. Of his frail body, his shallow breaths.
Of the doctors shaking their heads.
Her resolve hardened.
"What kind of deal?" she asked.
The Devil's son smiled—a slow, dangerous thing.
"One that will grant you exactly what you desire."
Lena swallowed. "And what do you get in return?"
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, he leaned in—so close she could feel the unnatural heat radiating from him.
His breath brushed against her ear.
"You."
The world tilted.
Lena's knees weakened. "What… what does that mean?"
His fingers brushed a strand of wet hair from her face. "Your life. Your soul. Your submission."
A chill raced down her spine. "And if I refuse?"
His smirk didn't waver. "Then your brother dies."
Lena's heart stopped.
Her breath came in shallow gasps. He was giving her no choice.
Her mind screamed at her to run. To fight. To do anything but surrender.
But then she thought of Caleb's pale face. The sound of his weak, labored breaths.
If she said no, he would die.
Her vision blurred. Her lips trembled.
Then—
She took a deep breath.
And whispered, "I accept."
The Devil's son smiled.
And the world went black.