Chapter 5 - Contract

Noah stared at the reflection in the mirror, greeted by the unfamiliar face of a strikingly handsome young man. A sense of youthfulness radiated from the 18-year-old with long black hair cascading down to his shoulders, porcelain-like skin, and deep crimson eyes that seemed to hold a myriad of untold stories. As Noah tentatively touched his face, the mirrored figure mimicked the gesture.

"Is this... me?" Noah wondered aloud.

"Pretty cool, right?" 

"Who?" Noah inquired, turning around to see the diminutive figure.

"Azazel?" he asked, recognizing the resemblance.

Floating by his side, a mini-version of Azazel was floating.

"Not precisely. I'm an inorganic life form that Sir Azazel left for you to assist you," explained the mini Azazel.

"Assist me with what?" Noah questioned.

"Look at your right hand," suggested Mini-Azazel.

Noah lifted his hand and discovered a red pentagon, like a tattoo, imprinted on his palm.

"This is the proof of the contract between you and the demon prince, Azazel," explained the mini Azazel.

"A contract? What kind of contract?" Noah probed.

"It's quite a lengthy discussion. How about you take your shower first?" suggested Mini-Azazel.

Noah though for a second before agreeing, he entered the shower and left the water fell. He took a good look at his body, although he was no skinny, he wasn't as build as now. 

"Is this because of the contract?" Though Noah.

 Noah looked at the pentagram on his hand. The pentagram, the most demonic symbol in the Cristian religion. Although in modern culture people believe that the inverse cross is the symbol of the devil, it was actually the Cristian representation papacy, representing how Saint died in the cross like Jesus, but backwards. 

The pentagram on the other hand…

Noah couldn't help but made a sad smile while looking at the symbol on his hand. 

"I guess that… I am truly a devil's child."

.............................

"What are you doing?" Noah asked.

"I'm collecting data from your primitive world," replied Mini-Azazel.

"Data?" Noah questioned.

The mini-Azazel sighed before turning back to the computer. "In your words, I would say that I am an Artificial Intelligence or AI. However, my program is at least 10,000 years more sophisticated than the AI in this world. It's like comparing an Atari with the PS9."

"As I was just created, I need more data so I can be useful to you" He added.

"Thanks… I guess…" Said Noah.

"By the way, you should look at the TV, you have become pretty famous"

"What?" Asked Noah.

"See this" 

The old tv turned on its own as the face of Noah appeared on the prime news.

"The police have no clue how he did it, but the killer known as justice, has escaped the prison of Alcatraz, we have the chief police here we us to give us more details about this incident, hello Mr. Wilson"

"Hello everyone. So, basically, at 10 p.m., the night guard was doing I's round when he called for the justice killer, when he received no answer, he entered the cell and notice that he had… disappeared. We inspected the cameras and nothing, it didn't show anything strange since he entered his cell at 6.00 p.m."

"Have the police had any hypothesis on how he did it? People don't disappear like that"

"We have few hypotheses, we think that he had help from the inside, but we can't say anything until we are sure, for now, we tell everyone in your home that, if you see this man, go away as fast as you can and call the police, this man is extremely dangerous."

"That's right, we can't forget the brutal murder of Tiffany Camilion, who died at the hand of this subject by torturing her for 3 days until the voluntary turned himself in"

"On other news…"

Noah turned off the tv.

"Although your face is still the same, with your new appearance, nobody would believe that you are the same person, this is part of the gift that prince Azazel gave you "

"Anonymity" Mini-Azazel added.

"Explain me about the contract" Said Noah.

Mini-Azazel release the cable on his head and turned towards Noah.

"I have a small video that prince Azazel left for you"

From the eyes of Mini-Azazel, a holographic Azazel showed up.

"Hello Noah, if you are seeing this it means that I have gone back home, I left this AI so it can' help you instead of me, I am quite the busy person you see" 

"So let me explain you how this works" Said Azazel.

"The contract between the prince of hell Azazel and the human Noah Afterlife, gives you the privileges of using my powers, what I want in return is that you recruit servants, so they feed you with their devotion, they feed you and you feed me, is that simple."

The projection signaled the hand of Noah.

"That mark on your hand is your 'symbol', every human that you made a contract with will have one, that said, as more people have that symbol, you will be able to use more of my powers."

"Your powers?" Asked Noah.

"It will take too long for me to explain, so let the IA tell you about that"

"Last, but not least, when you managed to upgrade yourself to the monarch phase, I will contact you again to tell you about your sister, for now, you are way too weak to do something anyway"

"Wait…"

"Well, I have to go now, go luck, my champion, I will be waiting for the day I see you again"

"Wait! Azazel!"

Just like that, the transmission ended, and Noah was once again in front of the AI.

"Sit down, I have a lot to explain to you about the contracts and your new powers, so this will take long" Said the AI.

Noah settled onto the couch, ready to absorb the information about his newfound abilities.