Chapter 3: Deal of Death

I really thought it was the end of me.

“Did I scare you?” he asked, a smirk was plastered on his face.

I admit, he is such a fine looking man, but what he just did… it was insane!

“You!” I pushed his chest. “Put me down!”

“All right.” He chuckled and he did as he was told.

I looked around to see if the building collapsed, but to my surprise, I found that we are still in the same room. Uncle is peacefully lying in the hospital bed while Nari is at the corner, unconscious. A low gasp escaped from my lips when I figured what happened wasn’t true. This man must have toyed my mind and made up those stupid illusions!

“How dare you scare me like that!” I yelled to him. I’m really pissed this time. “I can see now that you are real and not just my hallucination, but should you really do that? I don’t care what you are, or what’s your purpose for meddling with my life, but please! Don’t toy me! I am facing a big problem and I can’t—”

“I told you, didn’t I? I will put an end to that problem of yours. I’m not toying you, Katherine. Let’s say, I want to play a game with you.”

“What’s the difference, huh? You want to play with me, it’s all the same!”

“Toying you is different from playing with you. Toying you means I’m just the one who’s receiving all the benefits, meanwhile, if I say playing with you, you can cooperate and have your fair share of benefits in our game.”

“Well then, Mr. Supernatural, I don’t want to play a game with you.”

“It’s Helion. My name is Helion.”

“I don’t care about your name at all.”

He shrugged and sat on the sofa like a king in his throne. “You saw what I’m capable of doing, didn’t you? It just means I am powerful. Powerful enough to do whatever you wish.”

I fell silence.

“Trust me, I can make your earnest wish come true. And I know what that is. You want your uncle to live, right?”

I glanced at my uncle. He looked so lifeless and helpless in that bed and with all the apparatus in his body. Even if it would cost my life, I will do everything in my power just to save him. I don’t care how much it would cost me.

“What do you want?” I asked Helion. “I’m sure you are doing this for a reason. I don’t believe that you are doing this just because you are bored and you want to help.”

He smirked. “You are smart. You didn’t go to school for nothing.”

I sighed. “But first, tell me what are you exactly.”

“Didn’t I already tell you? I am between life and death. I am not alive like how you humans are, but I am also not from the realm of the dead.”

“Yes, you told me that, but you didn’t tell me what exactly you are.”

He shrugged. “Free to guess.”

“I’m not good at guessing, so just tell me.”

“Hmm…” His thumb and index finger grazed his jaw. “Let’s say I am a low rank deity.”

Deity.

I would have laughed if I didn’t witness myself what he’s capable of doing. But I’ve seen it. And I am desperate enough to risk everything I have just to save the only family left to me.

“Can you really save my uncle?”

“I can. It is just a piece of cake, actually. It won’t take time. But of course, before I would do that, we need to have an agreement first.”

“What are the terms, then? What do you want in return?”

He stood and the next second, he was already in front of me, the back of his hand softly grazed on my jaw.

“Your life,” he whispered. “I want your life, Katherine.”

I went still. I even stopped breathing for a moment.

“The question is, are you willing to give up yours to save his?”

My jaw clenched. “I am,” I answered without hesitation.

The corners of his lips rose. He stepped back a little, looking satisfied now.

“But what do you mean that you want my life? Does that mean you will kill me?”

“How can a lady talk about her own death so calmly, huh? Are you not afraid of what I might do to you?” His eyebrow raised.

“You want the truth? I don’t want to die. But if dying means saving my uncle, I won’t think twice in jumping to death. But you tell me first. Do you really mean to kill me?”

“I won’t kill you. Let’s say, I’m just going to sacrifice your life to get what I want.”

I wanted to ask what a transcendent being like him wants but I figured that is beyond the lines. I am not sure if it’s worth it to give my life to him for the sake of whatever he desires, but one thing is for sure. My death will be worth it if it’s for the sake of the person I care the most.

“So, it’s like you are buying my life.”

He snapped. “Exactly.”

I sucked on my breath and calmed myself. This is not the right time to be shaken, Jace. You need to stand and decide. You can’t just idle and watch the most important person die right in front of you.

“Give me a month to be with my uncle, then. Give me a month to have a normal life. A month to do all the things I want. After that, you can do everything you want to do with me,” I said bravely.

To be honest, I have so much plans for Uncle and for myself. I want to graduate and do so many things. I want to build my own café, travel in every place I want, meet people and live a long ordinary life. But I guess I have to accept that that’s not the life meant for me. Fate has always been so cruel to me ever since. I should have never hoped that it would make everything better for me.

“Sure. I will give you that. So, it’s a deal?”

“Deal,” I replied silently.

He lifted his hand and my lips parted when I saw how a golden ring formed in his index finger.

“Now our agreement is official.”

I looked at my hand and figured that I have the same ring too. I was dumbfounded. I thought our agreement is just verbal. Maybe it’s to make sure that I won’t go back on my words.

“That is a deity’s agreement ring. You can never take it off nor destroy it until the day we have done both our parts. And let me remind you that there’s no way to break the agreement. If you refuse to do your part when the time comes, the person you cherish the most will die in your stead. I just want it to be clear.”

I blew a breath. Now I can see that this agreement is very serious. There is no turning back for me now.

“So, make sure you will do your part. You should die one way or another,” he said silently, the darkness in his eyes was like a storm, one that has unfathomable depths, and one that no one could survive from.