I want you by my side

“Don’t waste my time, human. I have other matters to attend to.”

“I make deals with humans, feeding on their desires and fears.”

These words echoed in my ears, and I gasped as my eyes fluttered open. I found myself lying beneath a tree, the red glow of the moon hanging ominously above me.

Wasn’t I just at the banquet? Where am I now?

The last thing I recalled was the piercing red eyes that had pulled me under, sending me spiraling into darkness. As I tried to make sense of my surroundings, a familiar, low voice cut through the aberrant silence.

“You’re awake?”

I looked up and saw him—standing beneath the blood-red moon. The figure was tall and imposing, his face sharp and otherworldly, like a statue carved by the gods. His crimson eyes glowed, casting a light in the darkness, and a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

With a deliberate stride, he approached me and said, "I was wondering when I would get to see you, Avaris."

I exhaled slowly, blinking hard to process the current situation. Everything that happened wasn’t a dream. I had met this person.

“Where am I? Why did you take me away from the banquet?” With a calm but slightly irritated tone, I asked.

“You looked like you were having a hard time, though,” he replied, flicking his hand in the air. Suddenly a scroll materialized, and for a brief moment my calmness broke and my breath caught before I regained my composure.

“But that is not why I’m here,” he continued, his voice turning colder. “Everything that happened isn’t a dream, Avaris. Don’t act like you don’t know why I’m here.”

The demon’s smirk deepened as he held the scroll before me, unrolling it with a slow, deliberate motion. With its edges curling as though alive, the parchment glowed faintly. My name, Avaris, was written beneath Dyvian's, binding us with ink that glistened in the red moonlight.

“What do you want?” I demanded. Whatever had become of my life, I wouldn't be a coward anymore—not after all that had been taken from me.

Dyvian raised an eyebrow, his crimson eyes narrowing slightly. Was that amusement? Or annoyance? Either way, I didn’t flinch under his gaze.

“Aren’t you going to ask the usual questions?” Dyvian's voice was slightly derisive. “Like, why do demons walk among humans, or perhaps even my true nature?”

I barely disguised my impatience as I looked him in the eyes. “Why should I care? You granted my wish, and now I’m here to fulfill my part. Besides,” I nodded toward the scroll, “isn’t your name right there? Dyvian.”

He laughed, the noise abrasive against the eerie stillness of the night. “Bold of you, Avaris. But remember,” he leaned in, his voice a murmur laced with danger, “you don’t get to decide the terms anymore.”

With a flick of his hand, the scroll rolled itself up and disappeared into thin air. I resisted him as he slowly circled me, his presence eerie and oppressive. He scanned me with his eyes, as if evaluating my value.

“Do you recall the terms of our contract?”

For a brief second, my throat constricted, but I nodded. The deal I had struck was burned into my memory, a choice made in my darkest hour. “You promised to grant my wish,” I said firmly. “In exchange, I owe you… one request. No questions asked.”

Dyvian’s smile returned, colder than before. “Good. And I think now is as fitting a time as any to claim it.”

I stiffened, clenching my fists at my sides. “What do you want?”

A gleam of evil flickered through Dyvian's glowing eyes as his face darkened. "It is easy," he said, pausing as he gave me another look, seemingly rethinking his choice. “Come with me.”

I spoke sharply and narrowed my eyes. “What do you mean, ‘come with you?’”

Dyvian’s expression hardened. “That’s my request, Avaris. I want you by my side.”

I responded immediately and defiantly. “Ask for anything else. I’ll give you my father’s property, everything I own, if that’s what you want. But following you? That’s out of the question.”

He sighed, his irritation seeping into his voice. “Trust me, I don’t make requests like this lightly. But we’re both in a situation that needs resolving.”

I crossed my arms, skepticism evident in my stance. “What kind of situation could possibly require me to go with you? I know I agreed to fulfill one request, but I didn’t sign up for this. Besides, I barely even know who you are.”

Dyvian’s jaw tightened, and for the first time, hesitation flickered in his expression. “Something… happened when I granted your wish,” he admitted, his tone edged with frustration. “Since then, our fates have become entangled. My powers have weakened, and in return, you’re suffering the effects. You’ll continue to lose consciousness and grow weaker unless you stay by my side.”

I laughed sharply, my voice laced with disbelief. “So you want me to come with you for my safety? You expect me to believe that?”

Dyvian’s crimson eyes glinted dangerously as he let out a humorless chuckle. “Believe me, if this only affected you, I wouldn’t care. But when I granted your wish, our lives became linked. Every time you collapse, my strength weakens. It’s mutual. You weren’t supposed to be unconscious for a week, Avaris. You weren’t even supposed to faint tonight at the banquet.”

I held his gaze. “Even if you’re telling the truth, I can’t just leave everything behind to follow you.”

Dyvian gave me a look that was half resignation and half annoyance. “Think it over. I’m not asking for your sake, but my own. If you value your life, you’ll reconsider.”

And with that, his form began to dissolve, his piercing eyes the last to fade from sight.

I blinked as I felt myself drawn back into the present, shattering the eerie silence around me. When I opened my eyes, I was no longer beneath the crimson moon but back at the banquet, in Prince Theo’s arms, surrounded by murmurs and worried glances from the gathered guests.