INFERNAL PACT

While Marcus was chasing steven steele through the stairs, Victor Thorne stood in the old lift listening to its creaks. The wooden interior was worn, and a dim light flickered above. When the lift stopped, the doors opened with a screech. Thorne froze, staring at an eerie, endless hallway, dimly lit and impossibly long. Thorne stayed in the lift while observing the hallway.

" There's no way this fits in the building " Thorne muttered. He stepped forward, feeling the cold air and shifting shadows. As he walked down the corridor, he noticed countless doors lining the walls. Something is definitely off, Thorne felt. He dropped his suitcase on the floor.

A door next to him started shaking violently. Thorne maintained his calm and watched closely. Suddenly, the door flew open, and Marcus stumbled out, wide-eyed and breathless.

" Marcus?! Where did Steven Steele go? " Thorne questioned. Marcus panted. " I was chasing him through the floors and i almost caught him but then suddenly I ended up in a room and he disappeared out of nowhere. I know it doesn't make any sense, but you got to believe me, Mr. Thorne."

Thorne allowed a small smile and said, " Well It does make sense. Look around, Marcus."

Marcus glanced around and his face paled. "An endless hallway... how is this possible?"

Thorne replied, his eyes narrowing. "We're dealing with something far beyond possible "

Marcus and Thorne felt an eerie chill as they stood in the endless hallway. Suddenly, one of the room doors creaked open on its own. Marcus exchanged a confused glance with Thorne.

"Well, that's our cue," Thorne said, striding towards the door.

"Wait, where are you going? Be careful! " Marcus called out, nervous but following him nonetheless.

They entered the room and were greeted by another surprise. They found themselves back in the lobby they had first come from. The same receptionist with a cigarette was waiting there.

"Wait, they have a reception lobby on the top floor too?" Marcus exclaimed.

Thorne sighed, "You still don't get it, do you?" He shook his head slightly, looking around the room.

"I don't have the slightest idea what's going on here, but I can tell you that my body isn't feeling good " Marcus said anxiously.

Thorne replied quietly, "Shhh, calm down, Marcus. Don't drop your guard."

"Why? What happened, Mr. Thorne?" Marcus asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Thorne scanned the entire lobby with his eyes and he noticed there's something wrong with the receptionist lady. She was staying in shadows without moving. Her face can't be seen.

" Don't get too close to her " Thorne ordered. Let's try another door. They both opened another door in the lobby and ended up in the same lobby once again. The receptionist lady is still there in the darkness. The lobby was filled with suffocating silence and eerie

" No.. Not again, this is no good mr thorne " Marcus concerned.

" He must have used the pact probably. I can sense it somehow when i opens the door . So don't let him get our blood, Marcus. "

Marcus' eyes widened in surprise. "Who are we talking about?"

"Steven Steele, it has to be him " Thorne said, stopping for a moment. "No, it's definitely him."

"He used the pact? I've never seen a pact like this. What is this? Are we trapped in his time loop ?" Marcus asked, his curiosity and tension mingling.

Thorne's expression grew firm. " Well i can't say what's exactly is his power, but from the looks of it, the reality now we are experiencing isn't real at all ".

Marcus started to stutter, "Oh no no no, this is really bad," he continued. "Why is even Steven Steele doing this? Why did he run away and now attack us? If he was the one who wrote that letter to you, Mr. Thorne, why is he doing all this? It doesn't make any sense."

"We'll have plenty of time to think about that after we escape from this trap, Marcus," Thorne warned him.

"But how are we going to escape? I've never seen anything like this ridiculous pact user ," Marcus complained.

" Well to be precise, everyone knows there are two kinds of pact systems " Thorne began, "I'm an Infernal Pact user as you know and you're a Heavenly Pact user. You do know that unlike your Heavenly pact, the infernal pact has very different rules right? "

"Yeah, Mr. Thorne," Marcus replied.

Thorne continued, "Even within each pact, there are three tiers. Most people have only seen or heard of the common two tiers. This is a first -tier pact user. It's very rare to encounter one these days."

Thorne and Marcus noticed that the receptionist was not even glancing at them since they entered the lobby and on their conversation.

"Mr. Thorne, i know it sounds stupid but is it possible to stop the pact from a first-tier user?" Marcus asked, his concern evident.

"Of course, Marcus," Thorne replied. "The pact rules apply to all users, except in some very rare occasions . This power is certainly troublesome, but fortunately, he's drunk and unstable . As long as he doesn't get our blood which is the first requirement to continue the pact, it will cancel itself out."

Thorne's words gave Marcus some hope. They proceeded to walk towards the exit door of the lobby, which led outside the hotel. However, upon entering the door, they found themselves back in the lobby once again, though it had different paint, lights, and furniture from the last lobby. The same receptionist lady was there again.

"Oh, great," Marcus sighed.

"So tell me, Mr. Thorne, what will happen next if he gets both our bloods?" Marcus asked, his voice filled with concern.

" when it comes to infernal pact, shedding your enemies whom the pact has casted on is the basic ritual or first stage of this power. Once he gets our blood, he can extend his pact time and use more components of this power effectively. There are six sacrifices or requirments to met and with each stage, you gain more authority over this pact and the price of sacrifice will also. Increase along with it. If someone completes all six requirements, they can use the pact limitlessly and becomes unstoppable. That's something the world doesn't want to see. Fortunately, no one will get there, or the ones who tried have become..."

"The Nephilims, Sons of fallen " Marcus finished the line before Thorne could.

"Yes," Thorne continued, "and that's why anyone who crosses the fourth stage of the pact will be considered as criminal and will be hunted by the national government, no matter who they are."

"I know about that. So, which means if Steele gets our blood, he'll become even more troublesome?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, considering this basic insane power, even getting to the second stage might be enough to easily kill you, That's why stay on alert. Stay away from anything that seems alive. Especially that lady. " Thorne said with a serious expression.

"Oh, hell no Mr thorne , we need to get out of here," Marcus exclaimed.

" Hold your horses, Marcus. I only said he can kill you, not me," Thorne replied with a mocking smile.

"What's that supposed to mean? " Marcus rasied his eye brows.

" Well it's the truth marcus, anyway Let's try other doors " Thorne suggested.

They started to encounter various doors, but each time they ended up back in the same lobby, though the properties of the lobby and position changed each time—except for the ever-present receptionist. When they tried the exit door again, they found themselves in an upside-down lobby, left them standing on the roof of the lobby.

"What the hell?" Marcus yelled nervously.

" Interesting, i think i started to see a pattern and a way to understand the principles of the pact," Thorne said.

"What is it?" Marcus asked, curiosity in his voice.

"The pact allows him to create as many pocket dimensions as he wants, each one differently and within those dimensions, he can bend the physical properties as he likes, even defying gravity like this," Thorne explained.

Marcus started to grasp the complexity of the pact. "So you are saying he can literally kill us by crushing us with gravity anytime by changing the gravity of this dimension ? "

" Well No, he can't. Gravity, electromagnetism or any other fundamental forces of nature can't be manipulated directly by a same pact user. A pact user can only manipulate one fundamental aspect of nature or anything that exist in reality, it might be very simple power to something cosmic level or maybe even beyond that. He can create a dimension and manipulate its default features when he creates a new dimension. but he can't change these fundamentals again in the same dimension once the dimension is already created. That's why we're standing on the roof now, He now can't alter gravity or time in an existing pocket dimension like the one we are in. He has to create a new pocket dimension to make any new changes," Thorne clarified.

" So he can then create a new dimension that will have a heavy gravity or a dimension with with no oxygen, that'll easily kill us? " Marcus questioned again.

" Yeah he can, but he needs to atleast met the first or second requirement to get an authority like that from the pact, so far he doesn't gets our blood he can't use massive direct attacks like that and Right now he only inversed the gravity's force without changing it's numerals. . He can't increase or decrease the existing gravity force. even if he gets the authority it'll be very fatal to normal users, but it's not a victory guaranteed attack on other pact users, well you are gonna ask why aren't you, it's simply because creating a massive sure hit attack like that can drain your pact energy so much and if it'll lower yours energy level than your enemies, it'll leave you defenseless and a counter attack from your opponent will annihilate you probably ".

Thorne explained while checking the time on his pocket watch and he continued.

" The pact users fight requires more knowledge than the power itself and steven steele is quite the clever one too. He can sense my energy level and hence why he will probably try to attack us with small surprise attacks to get our blood. "

Even though Marcus didn't fully grasp the explanation, he nodded as if he did. "Mr. Thorne, how do you know so much about the pact system?" he asked respectfully.

Thorne gave a blant look at him "Well, of course, I know about it because I'm a pact user myself. You do ask some rather stupid questions sometimes, Marcus." Thorne's tone was light, but his eyes were serious.

They walked through the door on the roof and returned to the new lobby, which now appeared normal again. The receptionist lady stood there, still silent.

"Why isn't his pact running out of time? How long are we going to walk back and forth, Mr. Thorne? Why isn't he attacking us to get our blood?" Marcus sighed.

" Looks like he wants us to feel helpless or trapped endlessly losing hope and The pact time limitation only starts once he begins his first attack," Thorne explained, raising an eyebrow. "So far, he hasn't made a move. He's waiting for a sure hit on us or maybe he's waiting for us to take the bait."

"A bait? What's that?" Marcus asked, puzzled.

"Think about it, Marcus," Thorne continued. "Every time we enter a new dimension, everything changes except one thing."

"The receptionist lady," Marcus interjected.

"Exactly. She might be the key to getting out of here. You're a heavenly pact user Marcus. You can create a shield, right? Be prepared in case things go sideways," Thorne warned.

" Oh count on me for that " Marcus replied confidently.

They approached her cautiously. "Hey there, beautiful ," Thorne called out, but she didn't respond. They moved closer and called her again. She remained silent, looking down.

Thorne suddenly slammed his hand on the desk. She jolted and turned her eyes towards them. Both Thorne and Marcus were taken aback. Her face was a horrific sight, filled entirely with eyes where her mouth, nose, and ears should have been.

" My Lord, what kind of creature is this?" Marcus shouted.

Thorne raised his guard, anticipating an attack from somewhere. Marcus began to panic, sweating heavily. "Ready your shield, Marcus," Thorne ordered.

The eyes on her face started protruding, bleeding profusely. Though she had no mouth, her agony was palpable.

" That looks... horrendous," Marcus said, disgusted.

The eyes continued to swell.

"Marcus, shield!" Thorne yelled. At that moment, her entire head exploded. Marcus, just in time, formed an almost invisible luminous shield using his pact. The blood and fragments of her head were blocked by the shield. Her headless body collapsed to the ground.

"That's gross," Thorne remarked, keeping his composure.

Meanwhile, Marcus was drenched in sweat and began to bend over. "I think I'm going to puke, Mr. Thorne."

"Oh God, not now, Marcus," Thorne urged.

Suddenly, another door opened on its own, revealing the outside world. Marcus's brown eyes widened with hope as he adjusted his hat.

"There it is, Mr. Thorne. Let's get out of this hell already," Marcus urged.

Thorne smiled wickedly. "So it was a bait all along but not a big surprise at all. Can't you see, Marcus? He never intended to kill us from the beginning. He wanted to scare us away, but we'll stay," Thorne said confidently.

"What are you talking about? That bastard killed her! He'll kill us next!" Marcus yelled.

" Weren't you listening all this time , Marcus. That wasn't the real her and We won't get another chance to catch him like this. Did you forget why both of us came to this Brasswick city in the first place " Thorne raised his voice.

As Thorne finished, the door shut. "No come on " Marcus sighed.

"Seems like he can hear us well," Thorne noted as the lights in the lobby went out, plunging them into darkness. Both thorne and Marcus can sense something dwelling in the darkness making an eerie Noise.

" It seems like he's running out of energy, Marcus. He'll attack soon. Let's move to the other room," Thorne said, leading Marcus onward.

They entered another hallway, this time it looked peaceful and normal.

"Well, that's good news, Marcus. We didn't end up in the same lobby again. " Thorne remarked.

Marcus remained silent, still recovering from the gore he'd witnessed. Suddenly, they heard a rumble from above.

" Marcus, you better pull your shields again " Thorne warned. They looked up just as sharp knives began raining down.

"Back to the lobby!" Thorne shouted. They ran, while dodging the knives . Marcus stumbled while shielding against the knives and fell, but Thorne quickly picked him up, deflecting knives with his hand. They both leaped back into the lobby just in time.

Marcus was breathing heavily, his hat lost in the run, revealing his sweat-soaked curly hair and face.

"He… he attacked us finally, the pact should end now ?" Marcus asked, frustrated.

Thorne stared silently. "Check your shoulder, Marcus," he said in a low tone.

Marcus looked and saw his shoulder bleeding. He wasn't surprised , too tired for that.

"What does this mean, Mr. Thorne? If he only got my blood…" Marcus asked desperately.

" It means since he got your blood, he can extend his pact on you unfortunately, i told you to not drop the guard. Anwyay he can't attack me, but if he tries, his pact will cancel out. " Thorne replied steadily

"Oh great, so. I'm his only target now. I didn't came here for this " Marcus said, his voice filled with melancholy, as he face-palmed in regret.

" Why can't you use your pact and end this already, if you're so sure about his attacks . oh wait..... It more seems like you are having fun with him mr thorne. " Marcus raised his voice.

" Am i really? I don't know about that Marcus, but i do know that that you are a young lad and lack enough experience and mostly faith itself. It's ironic that a heavenly pact user like you doesn't even have faith in himself. How are you supposed to even weild the pact properly? " Thorne stated ruthlessly.

Marcus sighed, then apologized. "I'm sorry, Mr. Thorne. I'm not familiar with these kinds of ridiculous situation. " Marcus paused. "What do you want me to do now ? Wait... I'll fight him myself ". Marcus stood up with determination.

" It was i that called you here for a mission, Marcus, and it's my responsibility to settle things for you. So please Put your faith in me for some moment," Thorne replied calmly.

Marcus nodded in agreement. Suddenly, the floor beneath them began to break apart. The wooden lobby floor twisted like a mouth and engulfed them. They fell through to another level, where lights illuminated the hallway stretching in both directions.

The hallway doors opened at both ends. Thorne and Marcus saw figures walking towards them, dressed in classical male and female suits, but definitely not human.

Marcus squinted, trying to make out their forms. "Do they look like snakes walking?" Marcus asked cautiously.

"Yeah, walking reptilians to be precise," Thorne replied .

"They're coming after me right—" but before Marcus could finish his sentence, the reptilians began screaming, clutching their ears.

The reptilians began crawling towards them, their bodies slithering across both walls and the floor as they screamed and advanced. There were more than twenty of them.

Marcus watched helplessly as they marched closer. "What do you want me to do right now, Mr. Thorne?" he asked, frustration in his voice.

" It's look like he's going to attack me along with you " Thorne said.

" But doesn't that mean, his pact will cancelled out? " Marcus yelled in confusion.

Thorne nodded saying " As i sensed his power levels are going down. He's too weak now to hold on to his pact. So he's planning to take us both out with his last effort.

" and Marcus make another shield using your pact and cover me too," Thorne ordered.

"My shield isn't strong enough to protect us from those things! Please use your pact Mr thorne. We can't even fight with one of them with our bare strength." Marcus yelled.

" No i won't use it but trust me, just weild a new shield now ," Thorne urged .

Alright," Marcus muttered. He saw the reptilians leap towards them and, closing his eyes, he conjured a luminous shield. He then felt a surge of energy blast through his body and all of sudden the screaming halted . Opening his eyes, he was stunned to see the reptilians' heads exploding one after another, blood splattering all over the walls and floor.

"Oh God..." Marcus screamed. "You finally used it , Mr. Thorne, didn't you?" he questioned in awe.

Thorne replied, "No."

Marcus's smile faded. " Huh? Then who did it?"

" I did ," Thorne said with a sigh and continued "He will appear now, He's losing the Pact, don't drop your guard. He might use his another wild card.

Both Marcus and Thorne sharpened their senses, standing in the blood and waiting for Steele's next move. Suddenly, from the pool of blood, Steven Steele sprang up and attacked Thorne from behind with a long, sharp knife. Just before the blade reached his body, Thorne turned and caught Steele's wrist in an instant, gripping it tightly. Steele was stunned to Thorne's reflection. Steven steele gave a smile sensing his own defeat.

"Well, well, there you are, Mr. Steven Steele," Thorne said mockingly.

"Just call me Steele," he replied with a wicked smile, his body covered in blood. Suddenly, the blood on his body and the ground began to disappear, along with the darkness and eerie atmosphere in the hallway. Thorne sensed Steele's energy fading too. At last, everything returned to normal.

Thorne then noticed that despite his ridiculous power, as a human he's thin and weaker than him. His face is so pale with sadness.

"Finally," Marcus shouted in relief.

"Looks like your pact canceled itself. It's pretty sad that none of your traps worked out as you intended."

Thorne's harsh words didn't reached Steele. Thorne tightened his grip on Steele's hand, making his white skin turn red. Steele remained silent, looking down, his eyes obscured by his blonde-brown hair. His face showed no emotion until Thorne said, "So, you're really his disciple after all."

Steele's mind raced with emotions. He looked up at Thorne. "What did you just say? Who the hell are you guys, and what do you want from me?" Steele asked, his voice filled with rage.

"Before that you have to answer our questions. Why did you write me a detailed letter about the upcoming events in this city and many other informations ?" Thorne asked.

"What letter? What are you even talking about. I don't even know who the hell you are," Steele resisted.

" Tch, is that so ?" Thorne asked sneeringly

"I'm damn pretty sure. Now, can you let go of my hand?" Steele requested. Thorne released him.

Steele stood there, fixing his clothes. Then, in a drunken state, he attempted a surprise attack again on them using his raw human strength this time . However his movements were easily predictable. Marcus stepped in and kicked Steele in the face, sending him crashing to the floor with a heavy thud.

"You deserved that for making my stomach sick," Marcus yelled at Steele.

" Kill... Me.. Just kill me...already you damn fools "

Steele whispered in unconscious and started to fall asleep after being knocked out.

"Let's take him to our room. He's too drunk to have a normal conversation right now," Thorne said. "We'll talk to him again in the morning."

Thorne and Marcus entered the room. Marcus laid Steele on the bed and tied him securely with a tight rope.

"Are you sure he won't attack again?" Marcus asked, his concern evident.

"He can't, at least not with his pact on us and He's too weak to break that rope anyway," Thorne replied while placing his belongings on the table. He then removed his coat and moved towards the window.

"Let's refresh ourselves and get some food. After that, we should get some sleep," Thorne advised Marcus.

"Oh, I've lost my appetite for the next one week," Marcus responded.

Thorne smiled at his reply while looking out through the window. The cold wind rushed in, and Thorne could see the city settling into silence as midnight approached. The quiet city was shrouded in steam, with its towers shining in beautiful lights.

"What a strange day and a strange city," Thorne muttered to himself.

To be continued.