CHAPTER 1 The Devil

“How many are still left?” he asked Zera, while massaging his temples as he sighs out of exhaustion.

Zera scanned her tablet for the remaining people scheduled for today. “There are still four more,” she answered while looking at her wristwatch that tells it’s already 3:00 in the afternoon.

“Do you want to cancel the rest?” she asked Lucas, who now seems like he will fall asleep anytime soon with his eyes closed.

After a few minutes and multiple exhausted sighs, he rose and stretched out his arms and neck, showing he is going to finish all the remaining people for today. Without a word, Zera went out to call the next client.

A knock on the door was heard and the door burst open. Lucas rose his head and there he saw a full-bearded man in his 30’s with a belly pooch sticking out of his red shirt, he has a full-sleeve tattoo of different kinds of snakes and flowers that look like they have been drawn by a four-year-old kid.

Lucas cleared his throat, without any self-introduction he asked, “Welcome, what can I do for you?” still, even if the answer is too obvious.

The chair creaked when the man sat down, “I want to be hot. Not just hot but like, Jacob Black hot,” he answered as his eyes roamed around the room like he’s in a museum. “But why do you have such wonderful lounge outside and I entered your office filled with all these red lights like suddenly...I feel like I’m already in hell, man.”

Lucas let out a chuckle. “Well, I can make you ten times hotter than Jacob Black, what do you think?” he replied, ignoring the office remarks. His office is just a small room with his table on the center, walls are painted white with no decorations hence the four red bulbs from the corners of the room are reflected on the walls. It has nothing to do with his devilish persona, he just likes the room warm and red gives him warming effect.

Lucas scans through the man’s profile on his laptop and it says the reason that he’s been applying is that he’s been badly bullied all throughout his life and rejected by all the girls he liked. Lucas raised his well-defined brow. Fair bargain my friend, he thought.

“That would be amazing! I want to be the hottest guy in this town, well, I can never be the hottest guy in the world right? That’s too much and it’s not like I’m going to live long,” he beamed, tapping his fingers on the table as he licks his lips which irritated Lucas so much. He tried not to look disgusted.

“Okay Mr. Rancho, your wish is my command." Lucas looked at him with a sly smile. "But first, let me explain our contract so it will all be clear to you. Okay?”

The guy seemed uneasy but nodded his head afterward. “Now, this contract will be valid and irrevocable as long as you live. Your wish shall be granted, in exchange for your life. Do you have any objections?” Lucas explained as he watch the fear wash over the man's face.

"This deal must also not to be disclosed to anyone, failure to comply, I shall visit you in your most inconvenient time.." Lucas trailed off and looked at him intently. "You wouldn't want that, would you?"

“I..I u-understand,” the guy answered, scratching the back of his head.

“Are you all decided and sure that you will never have any regrets?”

“Yes,” a more determined tone came out from the Mr. Rancho's word. Lucas then signed the paper and put it in front of him. He then reached for his dagger and asked for the guy’s hand.

This guy seemed more scared of the dagger than the thought of selling his own life to the devil huh, Lucas thought. As he made a slight thrust onto the guy’s thumb, the blood started to come out. Lucas spread the blood all over the thumb and put it on the paper, getting his fingerprint.

He then collected the paper and set it on fire, the man coughed when the smoke filled up his nose.

"All done," Lucas announced.

“W-what now? Do I look hot already?” the guy asked.

Impatient imbecile.

Lucas sat on his chair and without looking at the guy and wiped the blood from his dagger. “As you walk out of this room, you shall receive what you wished for.” He slightly tilted his head to see the guy’s reaction and to no surprise, he looked delighted.

“Thank you so much!” the guy exclaimed and winced after he slammed his hand with wounded finger on the table. Lucas was just staring at him blankly until he made his way out.

Zera entered the room and collected the ashes of the contract. “Shall I call on the next?” she asks, and Lucas just nodded, feeling sleepy. Zera went outside his office, carrying the ashes and disposed them in the huge Tree of Death in their lounge area.

Domus Malum, or the “House of Evil” is nothing like a creepy place that most movies make as the devil’s nest. Lucas made it look like an ordinary office with minimalist designs, it has a wall of shelves for books, a nice lounge area for the guests and a huge piano beside the Tree of Death, where the contracts of their clients serve as the soil and the tree being fertilized by their souls.

The day went by so fast with a soul taken in every hour, Lucas is now dealing with their last client. Lucas immediately made the contract to a 56-year-old grandma who wants to look young, and young forever. She won’t live too long, and lived already long enough but still chose hell because of beauty, this made Lucas grimace. This is just peak stupidity, he thought.

“We got nothing scheduled tomorrow as you requested,” Zera announced to the weary devil. She still looks all prim and proper despite going all around the whole day. Her beautiful long dark hair made her complexion quite fair that matched her golden eyes and everyday red lipstick, an ethereal beauty for a devil. Her expression does not change, she always wears a cold deadpan facade with everyone, even with Lucas, who really does not mind as long as she does her job. Being appointed by Lucas' father to accompany him in the world of humans, she swore to serve him and only him. 

“Finally,” Lucas blurt out in relief. His golden eyes beamed with excitement with the thought of tomorrow. He stood up, arranged his table, put his coat on and tapped Zera at her shoulders with a smirk. “I’ll just have a smoke outside,” he told her as he exit through the door.

It was already dark outside when he got out. The wind ruffled through his hair as the trees around Santuario de Santo Cristo Parish church danced along. He stood right above the ground where his Domus Malum rests beneath.

“What’s a young man doing outside in this time of the night?” a sudden old voice came from behind Lucas. He did not bothered to look at him as he knows it’s the priest of the church. Dressed in his black cassock and a rosary tied up in his right hand, he stood beside Lucas.

“Nothing, just inhaling some good air. It feels stuffy in my home,” Lucas answered as he pop out a smoke out of his pocket and lit it. The priest knows who he is. He knows Domus Malum, and he knows what kind of business they have beneath the church. Yet, instead of crucifying the devil out of their place, he encourages Lucas to find the light. Humans have their own ways of being insane, Lucas thought.

“Well, I hope you’re enjoying the air. You can ask for a tea inside as well,” the priest offered, which Lucas answered with a wry smile. He always thought that humans are just clowns, a bunch of hypocrites, and this world is a whole damn circus. They convince others to lead a good life, to be a kind person so the blessings would come their way, but they also know damn well that they are all sinners, hopeless romantic sinners and undeserving of anything.

He threw the cigarette’s butt to the ground as he faced the priest, who is looking at the full moon. “Or, you can have the tea in my office. It would be a great honor to have you down there” Lucas answered and once again gave a smile to the priest and headed back to his home, six feet underground.

July 19^th, Domus Malum is closed. Lucas prepared himself to go out to have some fun, and when the devils are out for some fun, this fun means suffering for humans.

Lucas, looking like a dream with his gray suit and a white polo underneath with the top two buttons left open stood in front of Zera, who was busy arranging clients’ applications for tomorrow and not even sparing a glance on him.

“How do I look?” Lucas spun around.

“Dashing.” Zera just simple answered and turned her back on Lucas. He just sneered and bid goodbye to Zera.

Heading towards his car just beside the church, a nun passed by him and greeted him good morning.

“May God be with you!” the nun said with the biggest smile on her face, unaware of his identity.

“Thanks but no thanks, you need Him more!” the devil replied with a chuckle. He hopped on his McLaren 765LT and drove away like he owns the whole country.