"I will never forgive you"

The words come as a strangled gasp through your chapped lips as you crawl through the undergrowth. The icy chill of the night breeze is a blessing, serving only to numb your body from the pain already there.

With every movement your vision narrows, the encroaching darkness wiping away the last light in your eyes. It… couldn't end like this, could it? Born into slavery, worked to exhaustion, then sold onwards as a human sacrifice. Dumped into a mass grave before you could even truly be called an adult.

It hurts, but the pain keeps you alive. You scream again, repeating your curse into the night once more. "I will never… forgive you…"

A promise, a curse from the dregs of the world to the world itself, a promise that you will have your vengeance. Such a cruel, unjust world couldn't possibly exist, and if it did, it needed to be punished. You just need to find someplace warm, treat your wounds, then…

It's just that the battered and bruised body you have is at odds with the spirit. You weren't treated any different to the other girls, the glassy-eyed things too broken to bother resisting. Some of them must have survived in that mass grave, but only you had the will to pull yourself out, to climb out from the exsanguinated bodies and rise to the top. This isn't the end, this isn't the end, this isn't the end…

Blood leaks from your wounds as the cold intensifies, vision shrinking until it was but a pinprick in the abyss. You can't die here, you've crawled so far, you've got to be near civilization, someone will rescue you.

With one final pull, your strength gives out, body refusing to move no matter how hard you try. It's strange, the flakes of snow almost feel warm now as they pile onto your skin, forming a thin barrier. It's just… too difficult. The body won't obey, and with the last of your strength, you flip yourself over, staring at the sky.

This… can't be how it ends. All those days fantasizing about your secret magic lessons, teaching yourself to read so you could get a job once you earned your freedom… it can't have been leading up to this…

The blood ceases to flow, and a single crystal tear falls down your cheek as the abyss claims you.


"It really isn't fair, is it?"

The husky voice jolts you out of your haze. The pain… the cold… it's all gone. You look around, seeing only an abyss of darkest flames burning. And you're not alone.

Above you stands what you can only call a demon. Crimson red skin, dressed up in a tight suit. The buttons above her chest are open, showing her hefty cleavage to all those who would dare look.

You try to reply, only to find your throat soothed, your body healed.

"Did… Did you save me?"

The question comes out as a whimper, too shocked to do much about it. You've never felt this good, all the pain has finally gone and for the first time in a while, you're at peace.

The Demon lets out a cackle, the husky voice warming you far more than the flames that surround you. "Oh my dear little morsel, you saved yourself. Symbols have power, you know? A Pure existence tainted by sacrifice, crawling from the Pit, determined to not submit as the rest of the sheep? Then, with her final breath, cursing the world itself?" The demon leans down, her ruby eyes glowing in the dark as the voice drops down to a sensual whisper.

"That is the story of the first of our kind, little one. And that is power to creatures such as I."

Her white fangs flash in the dark, and her warm hand presses against your shoulder. "I am Manat, and I'm here to offer you a deal."


You can only laugh. She's saved you, stopped you from passing on. If your soul was marked for Sacrifice in that abominable ritual, then there's no telling what kind of fate she saved you from. But that's the thing, isn't it? She's saved you, which means you're in her debt. "I owe you my entire being," you state, the weariness creeping in once again. "Anything you need, I will-"

The Demon hand whips out faster than you can see, fingers grabbing your chin while it hisses in frustration. Whimpers escape your lips as her nose touches yours, the burning eyes staring deep within your soul. "Not another word," she says, almost spitting her words out with fury. It's not anger directed to you though, but at what?

"Our deal is not to be taken under duress. A choice between two blessings, one of redemption and one of revenge; a deal of absolute truth brokered by a trickster. If you submit, if you promise to serve, the power is lessened."

You blink slowly as you process what she's said. It seems fantastical, but for the first time in your life, you've been given… a choice? Nothing to do, no beatings waiting. Your heart swells with gratitude towards your mysterious demon, but the thought that you get a choice… your first choice as a free person, is almost enough to bring you to tears.

Nodding, you steel yourself. This demon probably has ulterior motives, but there's no use antagonizing her. "Then, great and powerful Manat, I am ready to hear your offer."

The demon smiles, loosening the grip on your face and pulling back slightly, the smell of brimstone receding slightly. "Now you understand," she says with an approving smile.

"There are two blessings for thee, though a choice must be made for which one to take. The first is the story of Redemption, of leaving your grudges behind. I have... found myself in possession of a Bud of the Earthmother. Should you take it, you will escape your fate as Sacrifice and be given passage into her Garden, to frolic and live in… eugh, harmony for the rest of existence." The demon shudders slightly at that last bit, but she does open a fist to reveal the glowing pink bud within her hand. Just looking at it fills you with a sense of ease and warmth.

But… if she's offering this to you, then it means she really didn't save you. You're already dead, and this is merely a stop on the way to the afterlife. There is no being saved, no freedom, she's simply here to offer you a new path. Your fingers curl up into a fist, trembling with rage at the sheer indignity of the whole thing. Training yourself, fighting for freedom, crawling through the forest, all to just die anyway? This isn't fair, it isn't just. No world where a death like yours is possible deserves to remain as it is. You cannot, WILL NOT accept that.

"I'll take the second offer." you tell Menat, the smouldering rage spurring you on. The Devil lets out a delightful smile at that.


"Well, that is a surprise. Don't even want to hear what it's about?"

You shake your head. "I think I understand. The first is me passing on, but that's not what I want. The second is… It's to help you and your kind, isn't it?" The Demons, cruel and malignant beings, have nearly all been wiped from the face of creation after the death of the Demon Lord a thousand year ago. The only ones still alive are those bound within objects or kept as familiars for warlocks and their kin. What a curse that would be, to blight this cruel, unfair world with a demon as your last breath. A giddy smile reaches your lips. Even when your mistreatment was blatant, nobody stepped forward, nobody said anything. They're all complicit.

You reach out and grab her empty hand, letting out a cry as something cold travels down your arm. The demon lets out a rapturous laugh. "Ah, the wrath is even stronger than I anticipated. Wonderful!"

The icy cold sensation runs through your body, into your veins until it settles within your belly, a strange mark etchings its way onto your skin. A brand of curse and sin, pressed onto your body forever more. "The pact is complete, little one. Eighteen years of freedom in return for a simple boon to be given to demonkind."

Her black nail presses against your head, and you find your vision fading away into nothing but pure white, until the only thing that remains is her black lips hovering in the void. The crackling sounds of flame slowly peter out, until all you can hear is the demon's whisper. "Thank you."

The white light overwhelms the last of your vision, and you awaken.