Chapter 4: Blessing or curse

Dylan's POV:

In an isolated valley named Mudgrave, there's a crossroad where it is said to be a meeting place for those who wanted to see the one they called "The Crossroad Demon" a cool name for someone who can grant wishes, and in return, he must be rewarded with an equal value of the wishes, an eye for an eye, a soul for a soul, and a payment worth the value of their precious wishes.

To summon this so-called Crossroad Demon, you need to bury a box containing some graveyard dirt, the bone from a black cat, and a drop of the wish maker's blood in the middle of a crossroad during the new moon. The demon will appear according to the liking of the wish maker to prevent him from being afraid and make him more comfortable while making his wish. Once the deal has been sealed, the wisher's soul will be traded for a wish.

It's been a long time since the crossroad demon has been summoned. As time goes by, the crossroad demon became a myth and his name has changed to Djinn, Genie, or Soul collector, but his favorite amongst all of the names given to him was "The Contractor" it's classier, elegant, and sounded like a real businessman. I mean, he's been doing a lot of negotiations and deals so far and it's just fair to be branded like a professional if you know what I mean.

This classy, sophisticated handsome Supreme Being was no other than yours truly. Yeah, Dylan is the name, and granting wishes is my game. I've been doing this for as long as I could remember from the very beginning of my existence and I'm having so much fun and pleasure collecting the souls of those greedy humans who cannot be contented with what they already have and still asking and wanting for more.

I was out busy soul-hunting when I felt a dark presence summoning me. Yes, once I've been summoned, there's no way of resisting it. I have no choice but to comply with their calling, the feeling of longing and wanting something so hard attracts me so much like magnets pulling me closer. I can't control these urges; the next thing I knew, I was at the crossroad with my caster.

"Why did you summon me?" I glared at the one who summoned me. He is no ordinary man, and I don't think that he is human. His aura is different from the ones I've encountered. His aura is darker than I've ever felt before.

"You're the Contractor, right? I am here to make a wish," his voice resembles a furious beast.

"Do you know the price for a wish? It's a soul for a wish and from what I can see, you don't have one," I reminded him.

I tried to act cool in front of him but terror coursed through my nerves. He's more dangerous than I thought and I need to be very cautious on this one. My power is limited to granting wishes only and cannot be used in self-defense. Except if my caster is in trouble, I must protect them at any cause. My power can turn into weapons to defend my wisher's life until I get my payment. The same goes for me they can't hurt me as long as the deal is not yet over.

Some cheating assholes are trying to get rid of me so that they can get away from the deal. Little did they know that once the deal has been sealed their fate has been made. Their soul will be mine one way or another. But it only applies to humans and I never encountered one who has a power greater than mine up until today.

"You're right. I don't have a soul, but I can give you a better offer. The one that I'm sure you cannot refuse to accept," he confidently said.

"There's nothing you can give that is greater than your very own life, but I am intrigued by what you have to offer, so go on and humor me," I provoke him.

"How about your freedom?" His words seemed to cut my whole being like the cold breath of death. "Don't you want to be free from all these?" His voice is roaring like thunder spreading his arms wide open as the cool breeze crawls over my entire body making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"How is that even possible?" Terror streaked through me that my eyes widened with alarm and feared to close my eyes. "Nobody can lift my curse except for..." Terror choked me and stole my words.

"Don't you get it up until now you don't know who I am?" He gleamed at me, and I can see hell in his eyes.

"Y-you are the Devil," I stutter.

I didn't recognize him because he looks like just an ordinary human with a different face. He is wearing a black suit just like me, but classier and more sophisticated. The only thing that makes him different from everyone else is he carries this dark powerful orb inside him. His mere presence is enough to immobilize anyone when panic seized their brain and a nameless dread engulfed them.

"You're not as dumb as you look," he sarcastically said to me. "About my proposal, is it good enough for you?"

He just leveled the playing field so it's fair enough to ask for his wish. "Tell me, what's your heart's desire?" I said to him and bring out the contract from thin air.

It must have been something really valuable to him that he seeks my help to do it. He took out a picture from nowhere and gives it to me. It was an image of a young girl who looks pale and sick. She looks so innocent and harmless to me. I see nothing special about her. She's just an average teenage girl, so what does he want from her?

"This is my wish. Her name is Aria Flockart and lives in Crescent Hill Valley. I want her soul," he seriously said to me while looking straight into my eyes. "I don't care how you do it. All I want is her soul," he clearly demanded.

"Most of the wishes that I've granted were material things. It's quite tricky considering that it's the first time I encounter this kind of demand," I honestly said to him.

"Can you do it or not?" He sounded pissed and raises his voice. "C'mon now, I'm trying to level down here you are one of my finest creations and you've been collecting the most number of souls in the past centuries. Don't tell me you're losing your touch?"

"They don't call me the all-mighty Supreme Being Contractor for nothing," I self-proclaimed. Well, maybe I made up some of those words so I would look cooler than I already am, and additional self-praise is not such a bad thing. I force myself with a fake smile and hand him over the contract. "You know how this works, signed here and we've got ourselves a deal." I took out my dagger to make a small cut on his index finger, so he could sign the contract using his blood, but he is the Devil so he uses his very own essence to sign the contract.

I went to Crescent Hill Valley to look for a girl named Aria. I can feel her presence calling out to me, begging me to come to her the moment I set foot on the valley. For some reason, I'm a sucker for those who are filled with negative energy. Their desperation, depression, longing, and wanting for something is giving me so much energy and power. I feed on those people who desperately seeking salvation and redemption. They would do anything and everything to get out of the situation they are buried in. Those lost souls were potential wish makers and they are the ones who could not resist what I have to offer, the wishes.

I can hear Aria's prayer not to save her but to end her suffering. She wanted to end her life. She must have been suffering all of her life to wish for it. Should I be happy? She just made my job easy. Her soul for my freedom, there's nothing more I wanted in this world or the afterlife but my freedom. I decided not to waste any time and pay a visit to Sacred Heart Medical Centre where she was admitted.

I remember the last words the Demon King said to me before we parted ways that I have to be careful for she may be heavily guarded and he is right. There is some sort of barrier that is surrounding the place. I decided to stay outside of the facility to observe and activate my stealth mode, so no human can see me. I was standing beside the cherry blossom tree when I first saw Aria. She was looking through the windowpane. She looks so weak and lifeless. Her negativity is pulling me closer to her. She's like a drug that is so hard to resist. Until she saw me, I couldn't believe that she could see me even if I made myself invisible to a human's naked eye.

I can feel that she feels the same for me. I don't know how or why but I feel connected to her in some ways I can't explain. It didn't take too long before I convinced her to make her first wish. It was no surprise that she was easily persuaded. With my irresistible charm and impressive marketing skills, "NO" was never an option, but what surprises me is her wish. Of all the things she could have asked me to grant her is unexpected. She only wishes for a kiss. Unlike others, they wish for material things.

The contract says that my wisher cannot harm me up until the deal is over, this one is different. The moment our lips were locked on each other, I felt my life force has been sucked out of me. She took all of the strength I had from my body and drained me up to the last drop of my life force almost killing me. I know that I have no soul and am just a spirit, but I could have been a goner if we continued to kiss.

Although I am aware of what is happening to me, I couldn't let go and the more our kiss intensifies the more I got lost in our kiss. I never knew I could feel something as pleasurable and intimate as that in my entire existence and I wanted to prolong it even putting my life at risk. I use up the last strength I had to pull myself away from her before she took my life. I felt really weak that it took me a whole day to rest until I merely regain half of my strength.

But that's not what bothers me the most, why do all of a sudden I feel something? I used to be a ruthless demon with a heart of stone. But now, I have this unexplainable weird feeling that’s been bugging me ever since we had that kiss. Aside from that, I suddenly become aware of my surroundings like the busy streets, the night's cold breeze, the sound of the children playing at the park, and the refreshing feeling of the raindrops falling on my head. I'm having nostalgia and never thought I would experience all these things that only humans are capable of feeling.

"Who the hell is she?"

She is far more dangerous than I thought. Looks are deceiving. I don't think she is human but if she is not, why does she have a soul? From what I can see she is not aware of her power and even if I ask her I don't think she knows the answer. She is more innocent than she looks.

If the Demon King wants her so badly, it means that she is more valuable than anything else in this world. With her power, she can be the most dangerous weapon if possessed by the wrong hand. I need to know more about her and find out what she was.

I need to see her again. I mean we still have unfinished business and apart from that, I wanted to get to know her more. To be honest, I can relate to her pain and suffering. I feel so connected to her, despite these weird unexplainable feelings I have for her, I shouldn't let my guard down and never give in to her charm.

That night I went to her room and gather all of my courage to see her once again. She looks different from the first time I saw her. She looks healthier than before, and her skin is no longer pale. Is it just I or she is looking radiant and blooming? I never expected that she looked pretty if you stared at her a little bit longer. The more you look at her the more you will see her natural beauty. Why am I even complimenting her?

As much as I wanted to turn the other way and avoid staring at her, my eyes won't cooperate. I just can't take my eyes off her.

"Are you here to collect my soul?" she asked me casually.

"No, and to be honest I'm not sure what I am doing here. All I know is that something about you captivates me and I want to see you once again," I said to myself while looking into her eyes.

I kept staring at Aria's lips whenever she speaks and all I can think of is our kiss. I know that something has awakened inside her because I can feel the dark force in her, but still, I sense no threat in her.

She is too nosey and keeps asking questions. Normally, I easily get irritated but why do I find her attitude cute? Instead of getting mad at her questions, I tried to answer her honestly. Aria is too innocent and kind. She is too trusting and not aware of the danger that surrounds her.

"How about another..."

I immediately stop her from making another wish. I don't usually care for the caster, but for some reason, I want no harm to come for her.

"Nope, no more kisses for you, Missy. No repetition of wishes," I said to her, but deep down inside, I want to feel her lips once again and taste her innocence from her kiss.

"If you're not here to collect my soul and not here for my second wish, then why are you here for?" She raised her brow.

The corner of my mouth quirked up. "Stop pretending like you don't care. I know that you've been looking for me the whole day." I think to myself.

I know it was a lame excuse and I could have thought of a better way to be with her but the first thing that comes out of my mouth was to invite her out on a date. I just wish that she will not reject my invitation because that would be very devastating. It will destroy my self-esteem and my ego as a man. It will kill me in an instant out of embarrassment.

I reached out my arm and open the palm of my hand inviting her to hold on to it while looking straight into her eyes. My charm works every single time I do that.

"Take my hand if you wish to come with me."

"No!" she bluntly said to me. "Why would I trust you?" 

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I exclaimed. I never get rejected in my entire existence and she simply decline my offer. "When was the last time you get out of this shitty place and see the other side of the world? I am offering you a chance of a lifetime to see and explore the world free of charge," I tried to convince her.

She looks at me with tears shimmering in her eyes. I can feel the hesitation and the burden weighing on her.

"What is the use of all these? Sooner or later you will collect my soul," she sadly said.

Suddenly, my chest hurts. I can feel my heart pounding hard like it wants to burst out of my chest. There is a rainbow of emotions flowing in my system.

"I am dying?" I said to myself. "Why am I feeling this way?"

I thought that something bad had happened to me because this kind of emotion was foreign to me. It is not something threatening, but a feeling of thrill and excitement. It's been so long since I felt something. My hearts stop beating the time I became a Djinn, but after that kiss, I can feel my heart beating once again. She awakened my feelings.

"Can we just forget about that part of the contract and enjoy this moment while we still can?"

Meeting Aria may be a curse, but why do I feel like it was a blessing?