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The pact

Aurora

The figure before me was both terrifying and fascinating. He radiated a powerful energy that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I struggled to maintain my composure as I faced that supernatural being.

"I... I need help," I said, my voice trembling slightly. "My family is in trouble. We are drowning in debt, and I don't know what to do."

The demon's smile widened, revealing sharp teeth. "Help, you say? I can offer that. But you must know that everything comes at a price. What are you willing to sacrifice to obtain my help?"

I swallowed hard, feeling the weight of the question. "I will do anything to protect my brother and keep my family safe."

The demon laughed, a deep, reverberating sound that seemed to echo through the walls. "Anything, you say? Very well. In exchange for my help, I want your innocent soul."

My heart leapt in my chest. I knew this was dangerous, but I was desperate. "And if I accept, how would it work?"

The demon approached, the shadows around him seeming to move with him. "I will ensure that your debts are paid, that your family is protected, and that you have what you need to survive. But in exchange, your soul will belong to me. From the moment the pact is sealed, you will be mine for all eternity."

The gravity of what he was proposing hit me like a punch in the stomach. However, the image of Sol, helpless and dependent on me, gave me the courage I needed. "I accept," I said finally, my voice firm.

The demon extended his hand, and I knew this was the decisive moment. Trembling, I placed my hand in his. A cold sensation traveled up my arm, and then a bright red light enveloped our hands. I felt a sharp pain in the palm of my hand, as if something was being marked on my skin.

"It is done," said the demon, his voice satisfied. "Now, go. You will see that the changes will begin to happen immediately."

With that, he disappeared in a cloud of shadows, leaving me alone in the basement. I looked at my hand and saw a symbol burned into the skin, a mark of the pact I had made.

I climbed the stairs back to the house, feeling a mixture of fear and hope. Had I done the right thing? I needed to believe I had.

In the days that followed, I noticed immediate changes. The bills that had seemed impossible to pay began to be mysteriously settled. The debt collectors stopped calling and showing up at our door. The shelves in our kitchen, once empty, started to fill with food.

Sol noticed the difference too. "Aurora, how did we get all this?" he asked one day, his big eyes full of curiosity.

I smiled, trying to hide the truth. "We received some unexpected help, Sol. Everything is going to be fine now."

However, with the improvements also came signs that the demon was fulfilling his part of the pact. Sometimes, I felt a dark presence watching me. Objects moved on their own, and I had disturbing dreams of the demon, his red eyes glowing in the darkness.

My relationship with Damian, the mysterious customer at the café, also began to change. He seemed to know more than he let on, and our encounters became more frequent and intense. I felt a growing attraction to him, and there was something between us that I couldn't explain.

"You made the pact," he said one day as we sat at a table in the back of the café. "I can sense the mark on you."

I nodded, feeling a lump in my throat. "Yes, I did. I had no other choice."

Damian leaned forward, his eyes shining with an intensity that left me breathless. "Aurora, did you know that once a pact is made, the marked soul can sense the presence of the one who controls it, even from a distance?"

My mind reeled with the implication of his words. "What do you mean by that?"

He smiled, but this time there was something different in his expression, a disturbing familiarity. "It means you are not just dealing with any demon. You are dealing with me."

The revelation hit me like a blow. Damian, the man I was beginning to trust, was the same demon with whom I had made the pact. I recoiled, feeling a mix of betrayal and fear. "You... are him?"

Damian nodded slowly, his smile growing colder. "Yes, Aurora. I am the demon you summoned. And now, our fates are intertwined in ways you can't yet comprehend. You belong to me, in life and beyond."

That night, as I tried to sleep, I felt a strange presence in the room. When I opened my eyes, I saw Damian standing at the door of my room, his eyes glowing in the dark.

"Damian? What are you doing here?" I asked, my heart racing.

He took a step forward, the dim light illuminating his face sinisterly. "Aurora, our pact cannot be ignored. I am here to ensure that you fully understand what this means."

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