The sky was dark, the stars engulfed by the night with the moon not even daring to show its pale face. To many, it was beautiful, provided how the simplicity was so complicated, so vast, so infinite. While some saw peace on heaven and earth, just as many others felt nothing besides fear. They can see only the unknown, that of which terrifies most mortal men. They fear what lurks in the shadows and the darkness. They fear its prominence at night, and others fear the evil that could one day consume them or the people around them.

Yet among them all, a lone figure walked without that fear. Without that admiration. She had seen and felt too much pain to fear the evil of others. The feeling of searching for someone to love. The feeling of believing to find that person, only to have them reveal their darker nature after its too late to go back. The feeling of needing to protect her children from him. The feeling of it being all in vain. She knew it all too well, so she trusted no one. No one save one man. This man she trusted with all her heart, but she had yet to see him again as they had been apart, for what seemed to her, centuries.

As she walked through her garden, the tall hedges surrounding her and the millions of ornate flowers filling her nose with the sweetest of aromas, she glanced back on her memories of him. The way he had held her in his arms. The warmth of his chest against her cheeks as she embraced him. The softness of his lips against hers. The safety she had felt with him. His scent of the roses. The true, powerful, unwavering love in his eyes when he looked at her. It had all been so wonderful.

And it had been gone for years.

Her slow pace quickened, tears beginning to stream down her cheeks. As the happy memories started to burst into her present reality, she soon was running. The monstrous size of her house was being reduced to a cottage in the distance. By now she had subconsciously run into the woods in her garden however she couldn't even tell where she was running anymore, so she didn't notice the transition from the open grass to the dense trees. It didn't matter. She wouldn't have cared anyways.

As she ran, she shouted out, crying for this man. She wanted nothing more than to see him again and to be by his side for the rest of her life. This desire burned in her heart, for while she would go to the ends of the earth to have her wish, she felt that it would be impossible to find him again. And as her wish began to consume her entire mind, body, and soul, she began slowing down but kept walking on. And the tears continued to flow.

For a while she didn't notice the grass and ground transition to stones. Or that the stones transitioned to elaborate, ocean blue, reptilian scales which seemed to cover the ground. She also didn't notice that the trees were becoming more scarce, and the ones remaining were thin, blackened, and dead. Only once the trees were completely gone did she notice the change in her environment. Looking up at the sky, it was still as black as coal, but it was different than when she had entered the forest. It was almost as if the sky itself radiated an aura of malevolence that blocked out sight of anything more than about a mile away which was easy to see as there were no obstructions on this endless sea of scales. With fear finally beginning to wrap its fingers around her again, she turned around to go back the way she came, but she was shocked to see that the scales extended back that way too. Confused as to how she had gotten here, she turned again to face the direction she had originally been walking in. Maybe there's something up ahead, she thought. Her mind set, she continued going forward looking for anything that might signify where she was. She didn't have to walk very long.

Soon, she saw a tree in the distance. Grasping onto any hope she could attain, she ran to the tree as fast as she could. Once she got close, she noticed it was a cherry tree, the biggest one she had ever seen. The trunk was even bigger than that of a redwood tree and the height was also just as proportionately bigger. However it was different than other cherry trees. Its trunk was as black as the ominous sky, and the cherry blossoms were the same ocean blue as the scales that engulfed the ground. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, and at the same time, it was the most terrifying thing as well. It was almost as if the tree itself was daring her to approach it, challenging her to either come forwards or turn back.

Conflicted and confused, the young woman stood her ground, debating with herself whether or not to go forwards to the tree or not. She tried to calm herself down and consider the consequences of either decision. Despite her attempts, it was difficult given her situation. She was terrified that the cherry tree's looming presence that beckoned to her might result in her demise should she choose to go towards it. Although, while she acknowledged that likely possibility, she was forced to realize that even if she did decide to turn back and manage to go home, her pain and despair would eat away at her until there was nothing left. She stepped forward, her eyes brimming with fierce determination and loathing, rejecting everything she had felt in life except the existence of the loving man who flitted across her mind until she had cast aside every fear that delved within her that caused doubt to belittle her spirit.

In mere seconds she had come close enough to reach her hand out and extend her fingers to touch the bark of the cherry tree's trunk. The trunk itself felt a bit different than she expected, though. She knew it was a fruit among vegetables however she never would have thought that the wood would be quite so smooth. It was almost like a tablecloth that someone had smoothed out so as to remove every last wrinkle and ridge from its surface making it look even more beautiful and elegant.

Suddenly, as if in reaction to her touching the tree, a strong voice boomed throughout her head and to the reaches of the scales while at the same time not having presence in the physical world. One could say it was the voices of spirits. Or perhaps, the voice of just one.

The dye has been cast.

The girl turned around frantically, her eyes darting across the landscape but seeing nothing and no one. She walked a small distance away from the cherry tree, hoping to see who or what had spoken. Desperate for an answer and getting a bit impatient, she shouted out.

"Is someone out there?!"

She didn't expect a response.

Yes.

She was shocked to hear the voice speak out a second time. It was deep and raspy with a slight growl giving it a bit of an edge, however it also had a softness to it. One that made it almost seem kind. She shook her head. She didn't trust this voice. It made her too uneasy. Along with this kindness she believed might have been there, she felt waves and waves of darkness and corruption. It seemed to almost hiss through the scales themselves, so it was very difficult to determine where the voice emanated from.

"Where are you?"

You really don't know?

"No! I don't!" she shouted getting a bit irritated at the mocking tone she heard.

They say it's bad luck to keep us waiting. And even worse to leave us waiting after being summoned.

Suddenly a great force locked the woman's muscles, completely immobilizing her. She struggled in vain, for she couldn't break free of the invisible force. As her body began turning around, she realized what he had meant by saying that.

The cherry tree.

She now faced it head on, unable to run to or away from what came next. Hearing a slight rumbling noise, she looked up to the top of the tree where the mass of blossoms were.

In a single dark spot among the blossoms, she saw something move. She nearly screamed in terror as something gigantic burst out from the petals and flew down to a surprisingly graceful landing. It all happened so fast, she had barely been able to see it. It was almost as if it had gone instantly from the top of the tree to the base. The blossoms that had shook loose floated down around this creature in front of her, highlighting its powerful aura.

Its fangs and talons were pale as moonlight, both the size of an average full grown man, and its eyes were similar in color however they seemed to be radiating a white fire. Tufts of elaborate fur decorated the top of its chest and along its spine and its four legs, the same color as the scales that adorned the ground. The beast had scales of its own, a dark indigo with black outlines, which covered the rest of its thin but strong body. But the most extravagant feature this creature had was its massive wings. The beast's scales extended up the skeletal structure of the wings as well, and the wings themselves which were a light blue, were so large that they could expand across an entire football field.

The girl remembered what she had thought of the cherry tree earlier. How it had been the most beautiful yet the most terrifying thing she had ever seen.

It baled in comparison to this majestic creature.

She heard another low rumbling noise which it seemed to be making while it closed its eyes. It took her a moment to realize it was laughing.

Am I really so terrifying that you appear to shake in fear?

She tried as hard as she could to grab a hold of herself. "You're more intimidating than you think."

It is in our nature. My kind that is, it said, the corners of its jaw curling up, almost grinning with pride.

"What are you exactly?"

A demon. One you summoned inadvertently. You see, it's more like I came to you, for I heard the cries of your soul.

"My soul was screaming?"

Yes. Very loudly across the spiritual world in fact. I don't doubt that other demons wished to get here first, but I happened to be nearby when it happened.

A question started to nag at her mind. "Why did you bring me here?"

I wish to make you a deal.

"A deal?"

Well, in our situation and terminology this is a contract, a seal between a human and demon. The demon provides the human with absolute service and must follow the will of their master or mistress until they have reached their goal agreed at the beginning terms of the contract. The demon must protect the human from lethal physical harm to assure the human's goal is fulfilled.

She thought for a moment. "What if the human dies naturally before their goal is achieved?"

That has never happened. We are very good at our jobs, and we have been doing this since the beginning of mankind's existence. And once the goal is fulfilled, the demon receives a certain form of payment.

"I knew it. You want either my soul or my life, right?! That's the only reason you want to help me, isn't it?!"

The demon was silent for a moment, enraging the girl even more.

No.

"Liar!"

Allow me to explain.

"I don't want you to explain anything to me!"

There are various types of demons, some of which rely on a different source of sustenance.

He definitely had her attention now.

In other words, no, I don't desire your soul or any other to feed upon.

She was extremely confused. "What exactly do you want then?"

I am a creature of darkness, and I love every single aspect of it. While the payment must be linked between the two parties of the contract, one of them does not have to lose their life, so I have a developed taste for raw and purely negative emotions instead. Basically, if you engaged in a contract with me, once I helped you achieve you goal, I would take away all your worst feelings of sadness, anger, and pain. I would feed on it, giving me the darkness I thrive in and you the freedom you've desired for years.

She considered the proposal for a minute. It seemed too good to be true. Could it really take away every last shred of pain and misery she had experienced? She didn't doubt the truth in its words, but she wasn't sure if she truly desired to be without it all. If she agreed, and her pain and sorrow were taken away, it could all happen again.

You need not worry about losing the experience you gained from your past mistakes.

She was a bit shocked at this. "Why not?"

All this would do for you is guarantee that those memories would not bring back any more pain for you in the future.

She realized that if all of it was true, she could finally regain happiness again. There didn't seem to be a negative part of the contract for either one of them. As for her goal, she already knew what she wanted.

"How do I seal the contract?"

Are you agreeing to the terms?

"I am."

Then do we have a deal?

The demon's eyes suddenly began glowing furiously, partially illuminating the soulless sky.

"Yes, we have a deal."

As soon as those words left her mouth, the invisible force that had been holding her released her, and the scales on the floor whipped up off the ground into a raging whirlwind. The scales made the air so dense she couldn't see more than a foot in front of her own face, blocking out the demon and the cherry tree from her line of vision. And from somewhere in the middle of the storm its voice boomed out again.

Then seal the contract with a name for me.

She didn't even have to think about it. A name for a creature as majestic yet terrifying as this.

"Victor Anguis."

Suddenly she felt a hot, burning sensation on the top of her right breast. She clenched her teeth, forcing herself not to scream from the pain. When it had finally subsided, she looked down and saw a sky blue pentagram emblazoned on her chest. She was a bit startled at first, but soon she realized what it meant. As she looked up once more at the dense air, the scales began drifting a bit apart. Through the open space she saw the silhouette of a tall, lean man, and while she couldn't see any features on his face, she saw his eyes glowing red. Even though they were a different color than before the scales had risen, she felt a slight familiarity with the glow in his eyes.

Our contract is sealed, Sophia LaFontaine.