Ch1 - The figure through the fog

“Dammit”
My head was aching, and a pain like I had never felt before was attacking my nervous system. My entire body was on fire. The nerves spread through my body were screaming for the pain to cease. As my mind became clearer, the pain reduced to nothing more than a dull throbbing sensation. I took a moment to compose myself, realising the blurry surroundings differed from usual.

With my newfound clarity, I began surveilling my surroundings, occasionally stopping to clutch my head. The room was blocked by a cloudy, thick layer of fog and my vision barely penetrated the dense cloud, however outlines of furniture were somewhat recognisable. It seemed as if I was in a living room of some kind… No, upon closer inspection I believed it to be a garage with old furniture lying in disorder. As both the fog and my pain came to a swift disappearance, I noticed a figure - lying down on the cool, solid floor.

The sudden figure startled me, and I stood there, unsure of my next move. Click. His hand began to move, slowly scratching the floor whilst trying to grab it. He was alive. Treading cautiously, I tentatively moved towards this person. Due to my situation, it would be favourable if he had information on where I was or how I got here; I needed to be careful not to startle him - if he ran I would have no information and no idea of my next move.

I cleared my throat.
Still no reply. Then…


“ hello? “
I felt a presence stood near me, observing my body stretched out over the cold slab. I called out louder. “Hello?!”
After the ritual, I had no clue what happened. It all went so fast. The fog engulfed the room then.. I can’t remember. All I knew was that I could only move my hand, and used this to desperately grab onto the figure. He winced as I placed my hand upon his leg, seemingly in unbearable pain.
“Are you…”
His cool, indifferent eyes seemed to pierce through my soul, rendering me unable to speak. His built frame leant down, and a sense of danger overwhelmed me. This man… he surely couldn’t be…
“ Are you. Okay? “
His soft tone entirely opposed his agressive demeanour, and I briefly wondered if there was a second person in the room I could not see. However his eyes once again fell on mine, and I found myself speaking without hesitation.
“ I.. I’ll be okay… but you. “
He seemed puzzled by what I had just said, and looked down at himself to figure out the reason for my concern. It seemed as if in all the commotion he had not noticed the scorched skin peeling off his arm. His eyes lit up - albeit extremely briefly - in alarm, however regained his indifference. His eyes wandered to my first aid kit I had stashed on my work surface, however made no move towards it until he noticed the gaping would on my palm.
The blood was flowing slowly, indicating it was a fresh wound, however had been there for a little time already, before the fog. The man did not seem to care though, and retrieved the kit for use on my hand.
“ it’s okay.. really.” I spoke without thought, wanting the man to focus on himself, however he paid me no mind.
“ it may become infected. “ was the only reply to my lack of endorsement.
To avoid the awkward situation, i took a good look at the man who was currently bandaging my had. His hair was fine and brown, glistening in the dim light from the window. As for his complexion, it was that of a celebrity - smooth and light - and he had no blemishes on his skin. Muscles surrounded his bone in all areas, however not large enough to be a body builder. But the thing that caught my eye…

Horns protruded from his forehead, gradually thinning into a curved point. A quick movement caught my eye and I noticed a small tail darting around from his back. I tried to stop myself but a sharp gasp escaped my mouth. The man looked over, confused by my sudden noise. He followed my line of sight until his eyes rested upon his tail. He grimaced.
“ ah… I’m sorry about my appearance. I didn’t realise. “
As soon as he had said that, the demonic features disappeared, almost as if they were a figure of my imagination. But the sour look on the man’s face confirmed they did exist.
“ what… “ I struggled to push my voice out of my throat “ it worked? “
He glanced at me.
“ what worked? “
I took a moment to sigh. Of course he didn’t know. He couldn’t. That I was the one who summoned him here.

Chapter end