DARK PARADISE

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"We can't go on like this, Alfred! Come on, do it something. You're the head of the family, you have to act so that your company rises again. I don't want to live poor!"

"I don't want to drop out of college either, Dad! If I drop out of college, what will my friends say? They can make fun of me all over! Especially if the reason I quit college is that Dad went bankrupt!"

Dizzy because his wife and children kept babbling, Alfred finally pounded the table in front of him until the two women fell silent.

"Can you be quiet for a moment? I'm having a headache! You only think about money and money, but don't help me find a way out," said Alfred, who was already annoyed.

"I told you, just sell your eldest daughter so we can get rich!" Caroline came to her husband. "She's beautiful, smart, what man doesn't like her? She's the only one who pretends to be expensive and acts like she doesn't want to be caressed,"

Inara also approached her mother and father. "That's right, Dad. Who knows, if Irina stops studying, the scholarship will automatically transfer to me! Is she the only one who wants to get a college scholarship? I want it too," the girl grumbled.

"Indeed, if we sell it, how much will we get? One hundred million? Two hundred million? That won't be enough!"

Caroline smiled. "We have to sell it at a very high price, enough to make your company rise again so that we don't go bankrupt,"

"You're crazy!" Alfred couldn't stop thinking. "You think, by selling Irina, our wealth will return and increase? Have you forgotten how stupid and innocent that child is but you want to sell her? If there is a buyer, we will return her to us and take the money back!"

"Yes, then what? You want to sell our house? Listen, Alfred. I don't want to live poor, especially if I leave this house. It's fine," Caroline was annoyed.

"Never mind, Dad. Just follow what Mommy says, we'll sell Irina so we can get rich again," Inara said, which made Alfred look at him annoyed.

"You're as stupid as your Mom! All you think about is money, money, money! But no

think about other things that are no less important!" Alfred rebuked.

Caroline glared at her husband. "Eh, why do you even call me stupid?!"

"Arrgh, whatever! I'm tired, I'd better just sleep. I'll take care of this matter later," Alfred decided and quickly left.

Meanwhile, Inara, who saw her father leaving, suddenly frowned. "Mom, I don't want to stop studying, I still want to enjoy my youth," the girl whined to Caroline.

"Yes, darling. You won't stop studying, Mama guarantees me. Mommy already has an idea so Daddy's company doesn't go bankrupt."

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Approaching her husband in the room, Caroline threw her cell phone which was displaying an article that Alfred could see directly.

"Lucifer, the King of all demon Kings who can fulfill all human desires, as long as humans submit to him and are willing to turn away from God."

"What's this?" Alfred asked after reading the article that Caroline presented.

"The solution to our problems." Caroline replied with a floating smile.

Alfred frowned in confusion. "You want us to ally with the Demon Luficer to get rich again?"

"Exactly right!" Caroline nodded firmly. "You know, Lucifer is the highest throne among devils, he is invincible. He can grant any wish we make, as long as there is reciprocity."

Caroline approached Alfred then sat on the edge of the bed, watching Alfred digest her words.

"You bet it will successful?" Alfred seemed doubtful.

Caroline once again nodded. "Yes, of course. As long as we can give back to the devil, he will make us rich."

"How about reciprocity?"

"Reciprocity as a sacrifice, Alfred." Caroline stared closely at her husband.

"He will give us what we want, everything. As long as we can sacrifice to him according to the agreement."

Alfred seemed to be considering his wife's words. Indeed, currently there is no visible solution to their problem. Could this be the solution you are looking for?

"How do we make a pact with the Luficer Demon?" Alfred asked to the core. The man was very desperate because the company was threatened with bankruptcy.

"I don't know, because there is no article that explains how to summon him. But it looks like we really need help from someone who is an expert in things like that," explained Caroline.

Alfred is again considering his decision to raise the name of Joel's company again, which is already threatened with bankruptcy.

If he doesn't act immediately, his family will fall into poverty. The house may also be confiscated by the bank.

Not long after, Alfred finally nodded too. "I know where we can find someone who will help us."

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After dinner, Alfred kept his promise to Caroline this afternoon. He is now taking Caroline and Inara to meet the person who will be the solution to their problem.

The road to get to that person's place is not close. They had to pass through cemeteries, lush forests, and deserted roads that made the hair on the back of their necks stand up.

The location to the house of someone Alfred knows is completely private, hidden, and quite difficult to access.

"Where are we actually going, Mom?" Inara got up and approached her parents who were sitting in the front seat of the car, while she sat alone in the back seat.

The deserted and eerie streets made Inara afraid. "We want to meet someone who can save our treasure," answered Caroline, glancing at Inara.

"Mama, have you found someone to sell Irina? Where, Ma? Why don't we just invite Irina to come too? You're letting her worship at church. What a pretentious human being!" Inara sneered in annoyance.

"Stupid kid!" Alfred rebuked while staring intently at Inara through the rear view mirror in the middle of the car.

"Don't always corner Irina. Even though she's stupid, don't forget the fact that she's your older sister, your twin. Besides, we don't want to sell her. Papa and Mama have indeed found a solution to our problem, but that doesn't mean we're selling Irina."

Inara became increasingly annoyed because of her father's answer. The two originals almost merged with each other because they were so annoyed. "Daddy is evil! Papa always defends Irina. What's so special about her? Irina is just a stupid girl who happens to be in the same womb as me. If I could choose, I wouldn't want to share a womb with her!"

Realizing that the atmosphere was a little tense because of Alfred and Inara's little fight, Caroline immediately mediate so that the dispute does not continue.

"Shh, that's it, that's it!" Caroline motioned for silence. "Calm down, darling. There's no need to be angry like that. We will still be rich even if we don't sell Irina. In fact, we will be even richer,"

Caroline's smile made Inara believe and calm her down. The girl is now silent, leaning on the car seat and crossing her arms with a lazy face.

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After an hour and a half of travel, they finally arrived at their destination. A large house with black and dark shades was now in front of them. Inara gaped at the house.

She didn't expect this to actually exist in the real world. Inara thought, only in the films and stories she had read were there buildings standing in the middle of the forest.

But after seeing it with her own eyes, Inara believed it. Strange but true, the big house stands strong and is the only building in the lush forest near the mountains of

California.

Alfred, Caroline, and Inara immediately approached the main gate after getting out of the car.

Miraculously, the gate immediately opened as soon as the three of them stepped inside. Once again Inara was surprised.

The loud squeak of the fence adds to the horror impression of this place. The girl immediately held on to Caroline.

They continued walking, until they finally met someone who seemed to be the guard of the house.

He was a man, pale white, blue eyes and white hair. Her white hair was left long and braided neatly. His neat thick eyebrows add a handsome impression to him even though he looks a little scary.

The white hair he has is not gray or a sign that he is old, but his hair has been the color he was born with.

"Welcome to the residence of Mr. Jonah Rogue. How may I help you?" The man bowed respectfully.

"I want to meet Jonah," Alfred immediately stated his wish as he took out his identity card."I was his friend when he was in college,"

Glancing at the ID card that Alfred was showing, the man with the name tag named Everest nodded.

He then opened the way for Alfred and the others to enter. "This way, please."

Alfred, Caroline, and Inara were silent as they followed Everest who brought them in. The atmosphere inside the house was as scary as the atmosphere outside. There is only black in it.

Even though it is decorated with lighting from hanging lamps and candles, it cannot be denied that the atmosphere here is quite different.

Many guards are on guard in front of the rooms in this house. Also, there are also many skulls that are decorations in this house.

Whether the skull is real or fake, what is clear is that it is very scary. Inara hasn't stopped shuddering since entering this house.

The girl always held Caroline's hand so they wouldn't get separated. Everest led them into the elevator in the house.

He pressed the button for the floor he wanted, then the elevator rose, taking them to the 3rd floor, the floor where the host lived.

After arriving on the 3rd floor, Everest led Alfred, his wife and child to follow his steps and approached a room which was closely guarded by 4 guards.

This floor is the most heavily guarded floor. The number of guards on duty on this floor is greater than on the other floors in this house.

And, the appearance of the guards also looked different from ordinary guards. They don't look like 'humans', not even Everest.

Everest is now talking to the guards who are closely guarding the room which they believe is the room where Jonah Rogue is.

"He is Mr Jonah's college friend, bring his in along with his wife and children. They want to meet Master." Everest's brief explanation made the 4 guards understand. A blue-haired guard immediately opened the door and invited the three to enter.

As soon as she entered the most heavily guarded room, the door was immediately closed from the outside, making Inara stand on tiptoe in surprise.

The first thing you see when you enter this room is the shades of black mixed with red.

There was a fairly large hanging lamp in the middle of the room, while small lamps and candles seemed to illuminate it from various sides.

The atmosphere here is not as gloomy as downstairs. However, the sinister aura was still very strong and thick in this room.

Moreover, you can smell the fragrant aroma of burning incense from the first time you set foot in this room.

Alfred tried to stay calm and continued to walk forward, followed by Caroline and Inara who followed his from behind.

The floor in this room is beige with a mixture of black. Right in the middle of the room and under the chandelier, there is a large black Pentagon painting with accents of small red snakes surrounding it.

The atmosphere in this room is really scary, even more so than downstairs. Not long after that, a man appeared who walked over to the three of them.

The man's smile immediately floated when he knew who was coming to his. "Alfred Christian Joel, welcome to my residence," the man known as Jonah Rogue hugged Alfred briefly.

Even though he hasn't seen him for many years, Jonah still clearly remembers Alfred.

"This is Caroline, my wife, and this is Inara my daughter," Alfred introduced his children and wife to Jonah.

"Ah, Miss Caroline and Inara. Nice to meet you," Jonah invited Caroline and Inara to shake hands briefly in a friendly manner.

Caroline welcomed the handshake happily, unlike Inara who was shaking slightly. It's not just this room that's scary.

According to Inara, the figure of Jonah Rogue, who was known to her father's friend, was no less scary than the place where he lived.

Even though Jonah is friendly, his fierce appearance makes anyone who meets him feel embarrassed. Moreover, the many tattoos on both hands make him even more respected by people.

Jonah's body is very athletic, it seems he is good at sports. His gaze is sharp even though he often smiles. His hair was shoulder length, with a few gray hairs already starting to adorn his hair.

The clothes that Jonah wears reveal his identity even though people have only seen him once.

Jonah Rogue is not just anyone. He was a powerful person, and because of his power, he was highly respected by people.

Moreover, it is common knowledge that the Rogue family has passed down their devotion to high-ranking demons from generation to generation.

They offer a fantastic number of people, namely 30 to 50 people in one month.

"Come, please sit down," Jonah invited Alfred and his family to sit down.

Jonah and Alfred sat opposite each other on a red sofa mixed with black. Meanwhile, Caroline and Inara sat beside Alfred.

Inara was reluctant to let go of Caroline. This pleasant atmosphere really made him uncomfortable.

Inara wanted to go home quickly, if possible. Just about to start a conversation, a beautiful woman suddenly came up to them.

Her body is sexy and slim. Her waist-length jet black hair. Even though she is very beautiful, again the woman looks scary at the same time.

Jonah immediately stood up and greeted the woman, inviting her to sit beside him.

"Hey, sweetheart," Jonah and the woman kissed passionately for a moment, before they returned to talking about serious things.

But before that happened, Jonah of course introduced the woman first. "Alfred, meet me. This is my wife," Alfred and the woman shook hands briefly.

"Morana Deimos," said the woman, introducing her name to Alfred.

Furthermore, Caroline and Inara also had the opportunity to shake hands with Jonah's wife.

Just as Morana was shaking hands with Inara, the woman deliberately let out a red light on the right side of her eye, making Inara jump and immediately end her handshake with Morana.

The perpetrator just laughed lightly, returning to sit beside Jonah gracefully and calmly.

"Sweetheart, don't like that. They are our guests, dear," Jonah reprimanded and advised Morana gently, making his wife respond with a sweet smile.

That was really real. Morana actually gave off a red glow next to her eye, which Alfred and Caroline also saw.

"Forgive my wife, kid. She really likes to be mischievous like that," Jonah said while looking at Inara who was still hiding on Caroline's shoulder.

Morana Deimos. That woman is also not just any woman. She is a half devil. Even though her father was human, she was also a direct descendant of Leviathan, a demon in the form of a snake monster who guards the seas and can transform himself into a human.

She is more than two hundred years old, but her face is still young like twenty years old. She is immortal, and her face cannot age.

That's because she has the demon blood of Leviathan, the mother. Different from Jonah.

Even though Jonah also lives immortally and his face does not age, his hair turning white is a sign that he is old.

Why is that? This is because Jonah is a pure human, not a human with devil blood like Morana, his wife. Demons and humans are different creatures.

The devil is promised eternal life by God, while humans can play at any time as determined by God. It's different with Jonah, who is a servant of the devil.

People who are in league with Satan will of course live eternally like Satan himself, unless they make a mistake that makes Satan angry and ends their lives right then and there.

Jonah was a pure human, who later married a woman with a mixture of devil and human blood. It is very likely that their offspring will live forever with a face that never ages like Morana, because she also has devil blood.

However, one thing needs to be underlined here. A marriage between a devil and a human will make it very difficult to have children.

The different blood of the two certainly makes it difficult for fertilization to occur. For example, Jonah and Morana.

The two have been married for almost ten years, but until now they have not had any children.

However, the two of them continued to fight and support each other, being patient because they believed that one day there would be a Rogue descendant.

"So, what brought you and your family to my residence, Alfred?" Jonah started a serious conversation.

Alfred and Caroline stared at each other for a moment. "I need your help. My company is in danger of going bankrupt, that's why I want to make an agreement with Lucifer so that my family and I don't fall into poverty." The man answered.

Jonah immediately laughed when he heard Alfred's wishes. It's as if he didn't expect that Alfred, who was known to be hardworking and devout in his religion during college, would suddenly want to ally himself with the devil, especially a devil like Lucifer.

"Help me, Jonah. I don't know what else to do, I don't want to fall into poverty. I have a family I have to support, there are children I still have to send to school," there was despair in Alfred's eyes, and Jonah could see it clearly.

"Well, I will help you," Jonah answered confidently. "But I can't be 100% sure whether he wants to or not, because Lucifer is the devil with the highest throne. He is the King of all Demon Kings, of course not a few humans come to him for help."

Jonah stared at Morana for a moment, after which his wife closed her eyes and muttered like she was chanting a spell.

Not long after that, thick, odorless smoke suddenly evaporated from behind the sofa Morana was sitting.

From the smoke, a pitch black dragon appeared with bright red eyes, from whose breath blue smoke came out.

Apart from that, there was a rolled letter in the black dragon's mouth. Morana raised her right hand, which the dragon then gave her the letter she had previously bitten.

Three seconds after the letter was in Morana's hands, the black dragon disappeared along with the smoke that had appeared.

This is truly amazing. Even though it is beyond human understanding, it really exists.

Alfred and his family saw for themselves that this mythological creature whose truth was unclear appeared in front of them, even if only for a moment.

"In this paper, there is a spell summoning Lucifer," Morana placed the rolled paper on the table which was the barrier between herself and Alfred.

"Tonight is a full moon, which is the right night to summon Lucifer. Not only do you need his help, but hundreds or even thousands of people out there are also doing the same thing."

"You do this ritual in an empty room in your house. Make a Satanism sigil with two circles around it. Place a red candle that greets you in each corner of the Sigil, then you sit right behind the line you have made. Focus, and the room must be dark, without any interference. Chant the spell simultaneously and firmly. If Luficer wants, he will come to you to help." Morana explained at length.

"But, can't you guys help us so that Luficer comes to us tonight, instead of someone else?" Doubt arose in Alfred, because he was afraid that Luficer would not come to him.

Jonah reflexively shook his head. "We are just intermediaries, not Luficer's masters. All we can do is help you, but whether Luficer will come or not is not certain."

"No one can guarantee who Luficer will come to help. If he wants, then he will come. Only lucky people can work with the Demon King, of course according to Luficer's criteria and choices too." Morana spoke again while looking at Alfred and his family alternately.

Doubts were increasing in Alfred's heart. He doesn't have much time to raise his company again which is in danger of going bankrupt, he wants Luficer to come to him.

"But, because you are my husband's friends, I will reveal one thing." Jonah just smiled and let his wife reveal a secret that very few people knew.

"When carrying out the ritual, there must be a black goat's head that has large and perfect horns. The goat's head must be fresh, the eyebrows have just been cut. Place it in front of the sigil you made, the blood must still be there." Alfred and his family listened carefully to the explanation from Morana Deimos.

"That will work? Luficer will come to us?"

"Most likely, yes. But, it all depends on Luficer's wishes. But I can guarantee, 80% of the time this method will succeed in making him interested." Morana and Jonah looked at each other then smiled.

Meanwhile, Alfred seemed to be weighing his decision this time. The man stared at Caroline for a moment before finally nodding firmly.

"Okay then," Alfred took the roll of paper that came from the black dragon, then stood up and shook hands with Jonah and Morana.

Not only Alfred, Caroline and Inara also did the same thing. Even though Inara was afraid to shake hands with Morana, she was afraid that the woman would tease her again.

But this time, fortunately Morana was not as mischievous as when they first met. The woman was friendlier and showed a sweet smile which added to the beautiful impression.

"Thank you for helping me and my family. I am very indebted to you," a glimmer of hope now appeared in Alfred's eyes. The man is no longer in despair, even though his certainty is not 100%.

"My pleasure, Alfred. Let me know if you succeed, and don't forget to stop by here another time. I will be happy to welcome you," Jonah and Alfred hugged for a moment, before finally Alfred was ushered out of the room along with Caroline and Inara too.

After the death of Alfred and his family, Jonah and Morana still lived there. The man grabbed his wife's slender waist to bring Morana closer.

"He thanked us, even though we made him turn away from God," Morana looked at Jonah closely.

Jonah smiled and answered, "Humans are greedy, dear. They are never satisfied, until they finally ask the Devil for help to increase their rank. Even when they are desperate, they choose to ally with the Devil rather than look for other solutions." The man gently stroked his wife's smooth cheek.

"Humans chose to turn away from God and worship Satan for their own satisfaction. Wealth, eternal life, and much more," Jonah continued.

"Doesn't that mean you and your family are also greedy? You have also been in league with the Devil for generations," Morana replied sharply.

Jonah actually laughed at his wife's words, even though what Morana said was sarcasm. "Yeah, me too." "I'm greedy, including greedy about you. I don't want to share you with anyone, never."

Jonah lifted Morana's body, which made his beautiful wife laugh. Next, Jonah kissed Morana gently and intensely as he walked towards their room with Morana still carrying him.

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On the way home, Alfred informed Damien, his subordinate, to urgently find a black buffalo head with large, perfect horns. Naturally, he wanted the buffalo's head to be fresh and bleeding, as per the requirements given earlier.

Alfred didn't care how it was done. By the time he arrived home, the buffalo head had to be there. Damien and the other subordinates had one and a half hours to find the buffalo head exactly as Alfred wanted, no matter how.

"Mom, do you really want to ask the Devil for help?" Inara broke the silence in the car.

"Hmm, and why not?" Caroline replied firmly.

Inara swallowed hard. "Isn't it too risky, Dad? Asking the Devil for help would mean he'd want something in return from us. Like... a sacrifice?" Inara asked hesitantly.

"Yes, that's correct," Alfred replied this time. "They certainly demand a sacrifice as payment for granting all our wishes."

Inara's face turned pale, her mind in turmoil. She hadn't expected that the solution to her family's problems would involve asking the Devil. Inara was scared, scared that she might end up being the sacrifice in the end.

"Calm down, dear. The matter of the sacrifice will be for your mother and me to handle; you don't need to worry. None of us will be the sacrifice." Caroline reassured Inara, as if reading her daughter's thoughts.

Inara eventually nodded, relaxing her body in the car seat while occasionally lost in thought.

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Alfred's car now entered the grounds of his house. The three-story house had been the residence of Alfred and his family for the past seventeen years.

Caroline woke Inara, who was fast asleep in the back seat. Her daughter seemed to be fully regaining consciousness as they got out of the car.

Just as Alfred was about to enter the house, a beautiful petite girl ran toward him.

"Mom, Dad, Inara!" She called out, then stopped in front of Alfred. Irina looked delighted to see her parents and twin sister arriving.

"Where have you been? When I got home, the house was empty, and you were gone for so long," the girl smoothed her long hair, some strands covering her face.

"We had a little business to attend to, but it's done now," Alfred replied briefly.

"Oh, I see. I was so worried something had happened to you. Are you hungry? I-"

"Where's Damien?" Alfred cut off his daughter's sentence before she could finish speaking.

"Um, Damien hasn't returned yet. He went out briefly but hasn't come back. He also took some of your guards with him," Irina explained gently.

Alfred only nodded several times. It seemed the buffalo head he desired hadn't been found yet. That's why Damien and the others hadn't returned.

"Alright, I need some rest. The journey was quite long and exhausting. Good night, Irina." Alfred and Irina's conversation ended as he walked toward the stairs.

"We also need rest; Inara is quite tired. She even fell asleep on the way home," Caroline led Inara, who was still half-awake, upstairs to their rooms on the second floor.

Quietly, Irina gazed wistfully at her family. She had prepared some light snacks for her father, mother, and sister.

But when they arrived, they left straight away to rest. Irina hadn't even had a chance to mention the food because Alfred interrupted her earlier.

Sighing, Irina forced a smile. "It's okay, Irina. Maybe they're just tired; long journeys are exhausting."

Once more, Irina watched her little family as they walked toward their rooms on the second floor.

Finally, with a heavy heart, Irina stored all the light snacks she had prepared in the refrigerator and went to rest in her room.

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Damien arrived half an hour after Alfred. The man apologized for the delay. Finding a buffalo that met Alfred's specific criteria wasn't easy, so it took a bit longer.

However, Alfred was pleased with what Damien had brought. It was precisely what Alfred wanted and matched the hidden conditions for drawing Lucifer's attention.

"Why did you want this, sir? Why did you suddenly ask me to find something like this?" Damien asked curiously, as Alfred had never done anything like this before.

After pondering for a moment, Alfred leaned in and whispered to Damien about his plan to summon Lucifer. Damien was shocked, unable to believe his master would attempt such a thing.

"What I told you stays between us. No one else needs to know," Alfred then walked away, leaving Damien alone, stunned.

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All the requirements were now prepared. Alfred and Caroline summoned Lucifer that very night, following the directions from Jonah and Morana.

With only half an hour left before the crescent moon waned, they needed to act quickly.

Alfred and Caroline performed the ritual in an unused room, which was initially a storage room on the second floor. Now abandoned, it became the place they would use for the ritual.

The room door was shut and locked tightly. Only Alfred and Caroline were inside, as Inara had long been asleep. They also didn't wish to involve Irina, who was deeply devoted in her faith.

The pentagram symbol was drawn, and red candles were lit and placed in the proper spots.

Across from where Alfred and Caroline now sat lay the black buffalo head facing them, its blood left to stain the floor. In the middle was the pentagram, complete with red candles.

Once everything seemed well-prepared, Alfred and Caroline nodded confidently. They took their positions, focused, and began reciting the incantation given by Morana.

"Lord Satan, by your grace, grant me. I pray thee the power to conceive in my mind and to execute that which I desire to do, the end which I would attain by thy help. O mighty Satan, the one true God who livest and reignest forever and ever. I entreat thee to inspire Lucifer to manifest before me that he/she may give me true and faithful answer, so that I may accomplish my desired end, provided that it is proper to his/her office. This I respectfully and humbly ask in your name, Lord Satan. May you deem me worthy, Father,"

The incantation was spoken three times, after which Alfred and Caroline waited for what would happen next.

The occasional cold breeze pricked their skin, adding to the tension in the dimly lit room illuminated by just five red candles.

After waiting several minutes, there was still no sign of Lucifer's appearance. Only the silence of the room remained.

"Why isn't anything happening, Alfred? Did we fail?" Caroline looked worried.

"Maybe we mispronounced the incantation? Let's say it again." Caroline nodded, and they prepared to focus once more.

But just as they opened their mouths to recite the incantation again, something surprising happened.

Right behind the black buffalo head, an orange-yellow light appeared, gradually forming a symbol.

Not only that, a horned figure emerged, with a pentagram symbol behind it, seemingly acting as a throne for the figure.

Both the pentagram and the horned figure were the same orange-yellow color, a brightness that was almost blinding.

Slowly but surely, the light surrounding the horned figure dimmed, leaving only the glowing pentagram symbol.

Alfred and Caroline gaped, still in disbelief. Was this Lucifer? The King of all Kings of Devils? The one holding the highest rank among the seven deadly sins?

Alfred and Caroline instinctively clung to each other, fear overtaking them. Despite eagerly awaiting Lucifer's arrival, they were now terrified and pale with fright.

"Hmm, a black buffalo head and blood..." The figure seemed to sniff around. "So, Jonah and Morana favored you, leaking the sure way to summon me," the heavy voice of the figure echoed.

"Is that you... Lucifer?" Caroline asked, trembling.

"Yes, I am Lucifer, the most powerful Devil, holding the highest rank in this world, and with the most followers." Lucifer boasted, exactly as described in the articles about him.

"Hmm, I smell despair here. You seek my help, am I right?" Lucifer's guess was spot-on.

"Yes!" Alfred answered confidently. "We need your help. We promise to give anything in return, as long as you help us."

"Hmmm," the Devil murmured. "But one thing you must understand. I am the Devil. By seeking my help, you're turning away from God to form a pact with me. Can you leave your God?"

Alfred looked at Caroline, who nodded. "Yes, I can."

"Alright. Like you, I am also greedy and never satisfied. If you want all your desires fulfilled, the price is not small. You must give me an equivalent exchange for what I grant you," Lucifer continued.

"Just tell us what you want in return, and we will fulfill it."

"Twenty human sacrifices per month. Can you manage?"

Lucifer's demand stunned Alfred and Caroline as they exchanged glances. They were shocked, never expecting such a high toll in exchange for the Devil's favor.

Moreover, it was per month. Annually, they would need to prepare 240 sacrifices.

Wasn't that excessive and horrifying?

Sensing the hesitation of his potential followers, Lucifer added, "Alright. Because you summoned me under a crescent moon and brought me a special offering, I'll reduce it to fifteen per month. But this also doesn't come free; there's a condition."

"What is the condition?" Alfred quickly replied.

"I want your daughter as my bride," Lucifer replied nonchalantly.

Alfred and Caroline were shocked; fear gripped them again. They initially thought Lucifer meant Inara, Even though...

"No, not your blonde-haired daughter, but the one with brown hair. Blue-eyed, and named Irina," said Lucifer, who seemed to know Alfred and Caroline's thoughts. Not "seemed to know" - he actually did.

As a demon, it's no secret that demons can perceive the thoughts and inner desires of humans. Pure demons or half-demons alike can sense these things due to their demonic blood.

This ability differs from those who merely form pacts with demons; they can't access this knowledge unless a new agreement is made, which naturally comes with many, many more exchanges.

"You... you know?" Alfred asked in surprise, unable to believe it.

Lucifer chuckled. "As a demon, I can read your hearts and minds. I can even understand all the details of your family just by observing one descendant from it."

"You said you wanted to make Irina your bride. Does that mean you want to marry her?" Caroline, who had been silent until now, finally asked, letting Alfred do most of the talking with Lucifer.

"Certainly," Lucifer nodded once. "I intend to marry Irina. By doing so, you only need to provide me with fifteen sacrifices per month. That's quite a reduction, isn't it?"

"But... how would that even work? A marriage between a demon and a human..." Alfred couldn't comprehend it.

"Allow me to explain. We demons can take human form whenever we wish. Morana Deimos, a half-demon, later married a pure human named Jonah Rogue. You know, Morana's true form is actually a snake, not the human appearance you've seen," Alfred and Caroline were taken aback by this revelation.

"She changed into human form solely to marry a pure human. It would take a long and complex explanation to go into all the details, but I trust that my brief explanation suffices for you."

Alfred and Caroline fell silent, uncertain how to respond. They didn't know whether to accept these terms, which would reduce the number of sacrifices, or reject the terms, which would effectively mean offering up their daughter themselves.

"I'm not asking for an answer right now. But rest assured, I won't treat Irina like my other sacrifices. She may indeed be a sacrifice to me, but she will have a different rank than the others. For Irina would be my sacrificial bride, not a true sacrifice like the rest."

Did that mean Irina would be treated well by Lucifer and wouldn't become a true victim?

Who could say? Both Alfred and Caroline were equally confused.

"If you agree to my terms, come to Chicago tomorrow. Go to Skyler Corporation, and don't forget to bring my bride with you. I can't linger any longer, as the crescent moon is fading."

As soon as Lucifer said this, his form slowly disappeared along with the pentagon symbol and the buffalo head that had been offered. At that same moment, the moon in the sky was completely covered by clouds.

In the stillness of that night, Alfred and Caroline rethought their next steps. Would they sacrifice Irina to attain wealth that would never fade, or would they dismiss today's events and choose to struggle onward?

🖤🖤🖤