章 2: the devil's offer

"Why should I trust you?" the little girl rasped, her voice hoarse from exhaustion. She took a shaky step back, her small frame trembling under the weight of her newfound strength. "You... you might be with them."

The stranger chuckled, a low, melodic sound that sent a shiver down her spine. "Oh, darling," he said, his voice laced with amusement, "those fools don't even deserve to breathe the same air as me. Comparing me to them is almost insulting."

He took a step closer, and the girl instinctively raised her hand, a faint glow flickering at her fingertips. But the magic within her sputtered, faltering like a dying flame. Her knees buckled, and she staggered, clutching her chest as a wave of dizziness overtook her.

"Careful now," the man murmured, closing the distance between them in an instant. His gloved hand hovered over her, but he didn't touch her. "You've overdone it. That power of yours—it's extraordinary, but it comes at a cost."

The girl's vision blurred, the edges of the world growing darker. She wanted to move, to run, to fight, but her body refused to listen.

"Who... are you?" she managed to whisper before her legs gave out entirely.

The man caught her before she hit the ground, cradling her tiny frame with a gentleness that belied his eerie presence. "Someone who can give you everything you've ever dreamed of," he said softly, his voice carrying an almost hypnotic allure. "But for now, sleep, little one. You'll need your strength for what's to come."

Her eyes fluttered shut, and the last thing she heard was his voice, smooth and unrelenting.

"I've found my diamond in the rough."

The little girl stirred, her eyelids fluttering open as she slowly came to. The overwhelming exhaustion that had consumed her moments ago was now replaced by a strange sense of comfort, a softness beneath her that felt too good to be real.

She blinked, trying to focus her vision, and gasped.

She was no longer in the cold, sterile lab. No longer surrounded by harsh metal and machinery. Instead, she lay in the center of a lavish bedroom, the kind of place she had only seen in stories or in dreams. Velvet curtains in deep crimson framed the windows, and golden chandeliers hung overhead, their crystals catching the light in a dazzling display. Rich tapestries adorned the walls, depicting scenes of ancient battles and lush, peaceful landscapes. The furniture—ornate, carved with intricate designs—spoke of wealth and power beyond anything she could have imagined.

Her breath caught in her throat.

This was... impossible.

She sat up, gazing at the room with wide eyes, her mind still reeling from the events that had led her here. She was so small, so fragile. How had she ended up in such a place?

Her heart skipped a beat as fragments of her past returned—snippets of memories she had long buried. A time when she was the daughter of a noble family. The warm smiles of her parents. The grand halls of her childhood home. And then, the day they were taken from her. The day everything changed.

She had been dragged from the remnants of her life—shackled and tortured in that dreadful scientific lab. She remembered the cold, the pain, and the desperation to escape. And yet... here she was.

The strange man's words echoed in her mind. "I can give you everything you've ever dreamed of."

But what did it cost? What was the price for this lavish life, for this unimaginable luxury?

Her fingers brushed the silken sheets, her heart still pounding with confusion and disbelief. This was too much—too fast. She didn't know whether to feel grateful or terrified.

A soft sound behind her caught her attention.

The door opened, and in stepped the stranger from before, his black cloak swirling as he entered the room. His eyes glimmered with something unreadable, as though he knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I trust you find your accommodations... to your liking?" he asked, his tone smooth, almost playful.

She turned to face him, her small hands curling into fists. "What is this?" she demanded, her voice a mix of awe and anger. "Why... why am I here?"

He smiled, a smile that sent a shiver down her spine. "Because you've earned it, little one. You deserve far more than those lab rats ever thought you were worth."

She felt a cold knot of unease in her stomach. Something wasn't right, and she could feel it in the pit of her stomach.

But for now, she could only stare at the opulence around her, still struggling to believe it was real.

The little girl's heart pounded in her chest as she faced the stranger, her small hands trembling with a mixture of fear and burning desire.

"Please," she whispered, her voice quivering. "Tell me... what do you want in exchange for all this luxury?"

The man paused for a moment, studying her with those piercing, unreadable eyes. Then, a faint smile curved beneath his hood.

"Hmmm," he mused, his voice smooth and amused. "Straight to the point. I like that about you."

She gritted her teeth. "Yes. Nothing is free, right?"

"Exactly," the man replied, his tone turning more serious, more calculating. "The thing I want is simple, really. I want you to take revenge."

Her breath caught. "Revenge?" she echoed, her mind racing. "Revenge on who?"

The man's smile widened, revealing something cold and predatory in his gaze. "On your parents' killers. I know them. And not just them. I want you to end the lives of those who dragged you into that hellish lab. I can help you with that. I can give you the means to make them suffer."

Her pulse surged, and for the first time, she felt something inside her stir—something darker, something that had been smothered by fear for so long.

"Yes," she whispered, barely able to control the heat of rage building inside her. "Yes, I want it. I want to shred them into pieces. Tell me what I need to do. I'll do anything."

The man's eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and something else—something darker. "Will you be able to withstand any hardship for that purpose? Will you push through every obstacle I put in your way? Because I won't make it easy, little girl. The path I offer is not one of mercy."

Her heart pounded as she looked into his eyes, the fire inside her only growing. "Yes. I will."

"Wonderful," he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "Rest now. We will talk more later. The first steps in your revenge must wait for the right moment."

Before she could protest, he raised his hand, his fingers tracing a sigil in the air. A cold wave of magic washed over her, and within seconds, her body grew heavy, her eyelids fluttering.

The last thing she saw before slipping into unconsciousness was his smile, a promise of things to come—and the darkness that awaited her.