1 Bloody Eyes

The pain overtook every part of me that had senses. There was so much blood around me and on me, it made my face twist into a grimace. I could smell it, taste it, feeling it leaving my painful and contorted body. I could still hear her screams and see their mockingly faces as they were hurting the poor soul in front of me. Their mischievous laughter. The fearful and desperate face that she had, hoping that someone will save her. Her crying and screaming. And it wasn't just her. There were more girls like us around, hurt, and bleeding. Poor them experienced all this before us. God knows why were they doing all this. That horrifying image made me want to crush my skull. I'd rather be dead than see her or anyone else tortured like that again. All I wanted at that moment was to die and disappear from this sick and filthy world. But who will take care of those poor souls? I was all they had. I was the only hope they had. Even though I was weak and incapable of anything right now, I had to keep trying for them. I had to do everything I could to get them out of there. But for now, I was half-dead. Powerless. Useless. Broken.

The crying stopped. I moved my gaze in slow motion, only to see her losing consciousness. They had such gross smiles on their faces. I noticed with terror the blood dripping down her thighs. I was almost suffocating. I couldn't even scream or cry. I'm so sorry, sister...

They took her out of that horrifying room, and the few bastards that remained were approaching me. Scumbags.

"See what happens when you are too bold? What happened to the girl was only your fault. Neither of you would have been brought here otherwise. You should have been a good slut and behave," he said with venom in his voice, kicking my stomach and making me throw up some reddish colored liquid.

It was my fault, indeed. But I had to protect her. I couldn't watch her being abused with my arms crossed. Whatever choice I would've made, the result would have been the same. But maybe she wouldn't be unconscious now. Or bleeding like that. God knows where they took her. I didn't know what was right or wrong anymore.

"Where is that big mouth of yours now, huh?" Another one asked taking a fist-full of my hair and pulling hard, forcing me to look at his disgusting mockingly face.

Even though my vision was blurry, I could see his yellowish eyes piercing through me like a blade. He seemed scary.

"Let... me... go," I barely managed to say.

"Fine," He answered letting my hair go, my head hitting the floor hard. "End her now, it's almost time," He said while heading towards the exit.

Black spots were all over my visual area. I couldn't feel my limbs anymore. I was somewhere between reality and unconsciousness when I felt them moving my body.

'God, please help me... I will do anything, just help me save my sisters. I will do ANYTHING, no matter what the consequences are...if you think this is right and you will just close your eyes... I will resent you all my existence and you won't exist for me anymore.' I angrily shouted in my head, hoping I was heard.

I wasn't aware of my surroundings anymore; I couldn't tell the difference between reality and illusion. The moment my body made a collision with the floor was the last thing I felt.

"How pitiful... how disgusting the human race is..." I heard a low and distorted voice in my head.

Was I hallucinating? I could swear I could hear heels clicking around me. I couldn't feel anything but a freezing breeze. Was I still unconscious?

"No matter what century, no matter how the technology evolves, they are as revolting as before. If not even more revolting..."

What in the world...? That voice again. I tried to open my eyes, but couldn't do it. The clicking continued for a bit and suddenly stopped somewhere very close. When I started to feel my limbs, I noticed that I was shaking. It was freezing cold, but fear might be the main reason for shaking. What if I wasn't hallucinating? What if one of them came to hurt me more?

My eyes finally fluttered and I tried to scream, but it stopped somewhere in my throat. The first thing I saw was a pair of high-heeled stiletto boots. As my gaze went higher, I noticed some sharp claws, glowing fuchsia eyes with slit pupils, long sharp teeth, and a pair of dark wings. It seemed to have a pair of horns too, but it was too dark and he was surrounded with some sort of black flames, which made it even harder to decipher his features. What... in the world?

"Finally. I thought I'll have to wait an eternity," he sighed with the same creepy voice.

I was shaking even harder. I couldn't scream and words definitely couldn't reach my mouth. Was it some kind of monster? I was defenseless and vulnerable, what could I be

doing? I tried to crawl away from him, my eyes already full of tears. Everywhere I looked there were unconscious girls and blood. A lot of blood. I wanted to throw up so bad. That disturbing image and the smell... Did that creature...?

"P... please don't hurt me," I managed to whisper.

"To hurt you? I am here because you summoned me."

"I... summoned you? What is the meaning of that?"

"Of course, my bad. Nowadays people don't believe in demons anymore."

"Demon?!" I asked with a terrified voice.

"Yes, my dear. A demon is a supernatural being, who occasionally comes to the human world to form a contract with a human, offering a range of services in return for the future consumption of the individual's soul."

I tried to take in what he said. What kind of cruel joke was that? With that difficult situation, I was already in, this wasn't necessary. And a demon? For real? If I was remembering well, I asked God for help and... received a demon? Maybe it wasn't connected with my request in any way, but how? Why? I didn't understand a thing about this world anymore. I was confused. And scared. And he said something about a contract. What was that, a pact with the devil? He also said something about consuming the soul...

"You seem terrified. Let me make myself more pleasant for your eyes."

It looked like darkness embraced him for a few seconds. He took the appearance of a tall, handsome man with black hair, red eyes, and pale skin. He was dressed in a butler's outfit, which consisted of black trousers, a six-buttoned double-breasted tailcoat, and a grey vest, a tie, and white gloves.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Sebastian Michaelis, my lady," He said in a soft but yet masculine voice, approaching me.

"Layla..." I answered hesitantly.

"Now, the reason I'm here is probably that you accidentally summoned me somehow. And there must be a serious reason for this because I haven't been summoned for a long time."

I looked at him, trying to process all the information. And I had to regain my composure because I was still afraid and wondering if it was real or not.

He suddenly leaned down and took me off the floor, carrying me bridal style next to a wall, avoiding the bodies in his way. I flinched at the unexpected touch, but when the pain hit me, I gasped like I was dying. He put me down next to that wall so I could lean my back on it.

"Now, do you want to know more about the contract I've been talking about, or should I just leave you here to die like them?" He asked his red eyes on the same level as mine.

They were all... dead? Why on Earth would they kill them like that? I searched through the corpses with my heart pounding. Fortunately, none of my sisters was there. I looked away, trying to find my reason and to think clearly. What if...? No. How could something about that creature bring something good? I shouldn't take something like that into consideration. But maybe I should just listen to what he says. It's not going to hurt.

"Tell me more, please."

He smiled in a way that looked so innocent, it almost fooled me. No one could tell he was a monster.

"Well, this contract is a link and bargain between a human and a demon, wherein the latter offers specific services and fulfills the human's wish, and is rewarded the human's soul after the contract is complete. To be more specific, the creation of the contract is finalized as soon as the human issues a command to the demon and the details of the contract are thoroughly discussed. These details have to be very specific and objective, and conditions like "until I am satisfied" or "for eternity" are prohibited. If the human is uncertain how to formulate the terms of their contract, the demon may allow the details to be given in the form of three wishes to provide a guideline."

"What you mean is, you can grant any wish?"

"As long as is possible, yes. If the human's wish is not yet fulfilled, the usual practice for a demon is to serve under the human for as long as it takes and to perform supplementary orders. The demon is to protect and be the human's power. It must obey the orders the human gives, as long as the contract is still in effect."

"Ok, and... you said that the price is the human's soul."

"Yes, indeed. Once the contract is complete and the human's wish is achieved, the demon will eat the human's soul, which results in the human's death."

Oh. Now that sounded bad. But if I was to think of it... I've been tortured, physically and sexually abused for two years now. Well, that didn't matter as much as my two sisters. It was their sake that I cared about. They were so young and innocent; they didn't deserve such fate. Or to end like the girls around me. And it was only her fault! That poor excuse for a woman that we used to call mom.

When we were younger, she acted as the perfect mother. She was married to a rich man we used to believe it was our dad. She was a housewife, and all she had to do was to take care of us. Everything was pink in our little lives until that bastard decided that he wanted his own children and started to make our lives a nightmare. He told us that he wasn't our father and that we all had a different dad in a gross manner, he started to insult and beat us and made our days miserable as best as he could. And our mother didn't even move a finger. She didn't protest when he told her to send us away. But she didn't do it. So, the bastard set a trap for us.

One morning, we were going to school as usual. We got in the car, but it went the wrong way. Two hours later, after a lot of crying, pleadings, and screams, we arrived in the middle of nowhere and we've been knocked out. When I woke up, I was in a small room with just a bed and a table. Some unknown men told me that I and my sisters were many miles away from home, so trying to escape was useless. And if I still wanted to escape, I'll be beaten senseless. They started to explain how I was to offer my body willingly to some customers of them, and I had to obey everything that they said. I've been desperate, afraid, disgusted, defenseless, worried. But the feelings that conquered my entire being, were anger and hatred. But I had to obey them. They said my sisters will be spared a while if I will be a good girl. For God's sake, they were eleven and thirteen years then! It would have been so inhuman. Being two years older, made me responsible for them. I lasted as I could for two years. But then, one rich and stupid customer asked for me and one of my sisters because the weirdo had a sister fetish or something. And I couldn't stand to see her touched by that man, while she cried like there was no tomorrow. At first, I offered to do anything he wanted, just to let her be. But he refused, and while he tried to rape my sister, I just hit his head with a vase and took her out of that room. The problem was that the house was huge and it had so many rooms that we got lost. I had Irma with me, but I didn't know where Lorelai and the other girls from the house were. And I definitely didn't know where the exit was. So of course, we got caught. I tried everything, but I couldn't avoid what happened next. They beat me to a pulp, then made me watch in horror how they brutally raped my sister until she lost consciousness. And I guess that brought me to the actual moment. In front of someone that calls himself a demon, that may be real or not, making all my beliefs to shatter.

"So, what is that you wish, young lady?" He asked with a playful smile this time.

What did I want? I wanted to save my sisters. And I wanted to revenge on every single one of those bastards, including my 'dad'. I wanted to give them a slow and painful death. But was I capable of doing even one of those things by myself? Of course not. Was that worth giving up on my soul? Maybe. Well, for my sisters' sake, I would do anything. I had to make sure they'll be free no matter what. And I have been the one asking the heavens for help, promising that I'll do anything is going to be needed. My help came from hell, but still...

"I... I want to make that contract."

He smiled wider, kneeling next to me.

"Tell me about your desires."

"I want to save my sisters. I want to revenge on every single person that hurt us. At last, I want to make sure that my sisters will grow up well and will have happy families."

"Well, so be it. Now, where do you want to have the seal?"

"Huh? The seal?"

"I must put a seal on your body. The more visible the seal is, the stronger the bond is, so choose carefully."

"Put it on my face then."

"As you wish," He said pressing his palm on my right cheek.

I suddenly felt an unbearable pain where he touched me, making me scream my lungs out. Luckily it didn't last long, or I would've lost my consciousness again.

He withdrew his hand, which had some kind of pentagram inside a circle, glowing purple.

"Now I'm at your disposal, my lady. Give me the first order. Whenever you want me to do something, you must say 'I command you' or 'it's an order'."

"OK, um... I command you to help me find my sisters and set the other girls free. Please."

He started to chuckle while he got up. The pentagram started to shine, and I could see some glowing from my face too. It burned a bit, but it disappeared as fast as it came.

"Sorry, my lady, but this was the politest command I've ever received. Anyway, let's grant your wish. You better stay here; in your condition, it would be risky to take you with me. And painful."

"OK. Irma and Lorelai, those are my sisters' names. Please, find them fast."

"Yes, my lady," He said with a graceful bow.

With the speed of lightning, he was out the door. Soon after he left, I started to hear screams. There was so much noise, what was he doing? Scream after scream, like all the agony in the world, fell upon them. Was he... killing them? Not that they didn't deserve it after what they did to us, but it was frustrating that I couldn't see it.

The door finally cracked open, and he came in with a disappointed face.

"I'm very sorry, my lady. I couldn't find your sisters. It seems that you have been brought somewhere else along with the dead girls. But we have a track," He said throwing a man at my feet like it was a bag of feathers. I didn't recognize him, but it was kind of dark anyway.

"Now, now, mister. Will you talk willingly, or should I use other methods to make you talk?"

"Who the hell are you? What do you want?" He screamed at Sebastian.

"I'm simply one hell of a butler," He said with a devilish smile. "As for what I want... I want you to tell me where are my lady's sisters."

"Lady? This whore? Wait, why are you even alive?" He asked in shock.

In an instant, he gripped the man's neck and kept him suspended in the air.

"You don't have the right to give my lady such names. Now talk."

He made some funny noises like he was suffocating. Sebastian started to giggle.

"My bad, you can't talk like this," He said, dropping him on the ground.

The man tried to catch his breath, looking at Sebastian with fear.

"For the next trick, I will add knives," He warned the man.

"OK, OK, I really don't know where those brats are. This one was supposed to be dead; she was brought here because she's a troublemaker. I heard that some of the other girls from the area were transferred or sold."

"Disgusting," Sebastian said, breaking his neck in a blink of an eye.

I looked at him shocked, trying to get a hold of myself. I was about to throw up.

Sebastian nonchalantly took that man's wallet, phone, and car keys then took me bridal style again and got me out of that unholy place.

As he walked through the corridors, I could see dead bodies all over the place. Sebastian really killed all those guys... And he did it pretty brutally.

Outside was dark and cold. I looked back at the building, which was pretty tall but it looked wrecked. Trees were all around, it seemed like we were in the middle of nowhere. Only a few cars stood next to a village road.

"The other girls have been freed, my lady. Now, I guess you don't have a place to stay, do you?"

"I don't even know where I am. My home, if I can call it that way, is in Los Angeles. As I've been told, we are far away from there, but my sisters must be here somewhere and I can't leave until I find them."

"I understand. Well then, I have something in mind."

As he said that, I heard a car unlocking. He went the same direction as the sound, stopping in front of a black car. He made an effort to put me on the passenger seat with care so I don't get hurt, then put my seatbelt on. In an instant he was next to me, starting the engine. He studied the dash for a second, and when he finally found what he searched for, he pressed a button. Soon the car became warm and cozy. After that, he took the wallet and took out some kind of ID. With a satisfied smile, he entered an address on the navigation and started the car. I lazily moved my gaze at his face, studying his features. From his jawline to his lips, the nose shape, and eye form, everything was perfect. He looked like he was drawn. It was hard to believe that he was the creature from before. It's so easy to get fooled by appearances. But as long as he will help me achieve my goal, everything was worth it. No matter what I must face or lose, I'll make everything as it should be. I will become some people's karma, with my soul as the price for it. I wasn't depressed and I didn't regret what I did. But I was afraid. I was afraid of him, of the things that are going to come in my way. My body and my mind were wrecked by all the things that happened, and I knew that I had to strengthen both of them. For the sake of my sisters. For me to die in peace when I'll give my soul to the demon. Sebastian. He had a beautiful name. Well, it matched with his look.

"Is something bothering you, young lady?" He asked noticing my stare.

"Nothing. I was just lost in thoughts."

"I can feel your fear and it's understandable. But trust me, I won't do anything that will result in you being harmed. This contract's terms are almost all in your benefit. I'm almost fully in your control, so rest assured, my lady."

I looked at him without saying anything. He had a point, but suddenly finding out that such creatures exist and to even make such things as a pact with the devil was out of the ordinary. Well, I just had to get out of my comfort zone. Not that I was in it anyway.

"Sebastian?"

"What is it, young lady?"

"Why don't you call me by my name?"

"Because it would be inappropriate to do so. I'm your servant, after all."

"Well, I don't mind if you do that. It was a time when my family had servants, but we don't have to be that formal."

"You are an interesting one," he said with a grin. "Speaking of your family, I'd like to know what brought you to this point. I need to know the entire story in order to grant your wishes."

I took a deep breath and started from the beginning. He listened carefully, paying attention to the road in the same tame. He nodded or made a disgusted face from time to time. It made me even more uncomfortable to remember that stupid joke called my life for the second time that day, but telling him about it made my chest a little relieved of a pressure I didn't know was there.

"Well, I guess that my opinion about humans remains the same."

"Which is...?" I asked curiously.

"Your kind has monsters lurking that are far nastier than a demon like me. They deceive, hurt, steal, abuse, kill... they will do whatever it takes for their selfish desires. Their selfishness and thirst for power are insatiable. Humans are truly despicable."

"Sadly, you're right. And I'm no better using you for revenge. I mean, how many people died today because of me?"

"Hmm, twenty-six if I counted correctly."

"Well, I told myself that they were bad people and they deserved it, so I could feel better. But I realize that I'm no God to punish bad people. Still, I'm not sorry for it. And I don't intend to stop. I'm not interested in going to heaven anyway," I sighed.

"Usually, I find humans very interesting. Not all of them. But contrary to my expectations, you caught my interest. I thought that you have a plain soul, compared with my other masters. You are innocent, but your soul has such a potential to be lured into the darkness. I'm looking forward to consuming it."

"Is... is that a compliment?" I asked full of icy thrills.

"Yes, my lady," He purred with a sensual smile.

Well, who knows? Maybe I'll get used to it. He wasn't what I expected. His presence was quite soothing. And he seemed trustworthy. Maybe this deal was the best choice I've made so far.

He stopped the car in front of a two-floor house. It had nothing special, just plain white.

"My lady, I'll go and check the house. I know you are in pain, but you must hang in there just for a little while. When I'm totally sure that's safe and ready, I'll come for you."

I nodded and closed my eyes. Now what? I found a place to stay and scheme. How will I find my sisters? When? Where? What if I'll be too late? No! I had Sebastian. It was a good start. I wasn't as useless and helpless as before. I had to be optimistic and to think clearly, or I won't achieve anything. All I could do was hope that they will manage to stay unharmed and alive.

I startled when the door suddenly opened, but I calmed down as soon as I realized it was Sebastian.

"Everything is settled, my lady. Now, put your arms around me and keep me tight. It will be less painful."

I put my arms around his neck, but as I realized how close our faces were, I became a bit stiff. After all that happened, I was very reluctant when it was about being touched and that closeness felt awkward. But when he took me out, I forgot about all that. Pain hit me like a whip everywhere. I squeezed him hard, wondering if he could breathe properly.

"I see that you took a liking to me," He said with a joking tone.

If I wouldn't have been in pain I would've laughed, but it wasn't the case. I couldn't even pay attention to my surroundings. All I know was that he put me on a bed and turned the light on. My eyes really hated it, but they adjusted pretty fast. I was sitting up in a queen-sized bed covered with white sheets. There were two nightstands, a desk with a laptop and scattered papers on it, and a wardrobe, all made of light-colored wood. It had white walls and cream-colored curtains covering the window.

"I changed the bedsheets, so you won't touch anything that the bastard touched. Now, I found a first aid kit, but it won't be enough. I'll treat your wounds so you can sleep for now, but as soon as you wake up, I'll treat you properly."

"OK. Thank you."

He looked at me a bit surprised, then he smiled kindly. He brought the first aid kit, taking out a scissor. He took the fabric of the shorts I was wearing, cutting it with care. The same happened to my crop top and the less clothing I had, the more embarrassed I felt. My face heated up like I was exposing it to hot steam. He looked so composed like this was as usual as cooking.

"You seem flushed, my lady. What is the matter?" He asked with an amused smile.

"No... nothing," I lied avoiding his gaze.

"My lady, you don't have anything to be ashamed of. And I'm not going to take advantage of you in any way. You must trust me."

"Yes, you're right. And there's nothing to be seen anyway."

"We have to work on that low self-esteem too," He sighed.

He unclipped my bra and that was the moment I caught the courage to look at my body. Bloody scratches, ugly looking bruises everywhere, swollen portions, scars, burning marks... My body was a total mess. It was disgusting to look at it. And that's when I lost it. I burst into tears, with every single sob enhancing the pain. I covered my face with my hands. I didn't want to see that disaster anymore.

"My lady, I know it's not a wonderful view, but you have broken ribs and it's not good to shake them like that."

"My entire being is broken, Sebastian," I said with a small voice.

He took my hands off my face, giving me some kind of a compassionate look.

"I'll fix you, don't worry," He assured me with a kind smile.

Using a bowl of water and a piece of fabric, he cleaned my body of dirt and the excess of dried blood. Then he bandaged the ugliest looking wounds and treated the superficial ones. His fingers were cold on my skin but he was touching it so carefully like it was made of porcelain. He knew what he was doing. In the end, he used a bigger and more rigid bandage for my torso. It was a hard task to keep my breath and stay still, but if it meant less pain it was worth it.

"Good, we are done, my lady. Now try to sleep. When you rested enough, I'll have everything ready," He said while covering me with the soft blanket.

"Thank you," I said with a poor attempt of a smile.

He smiled and went to the door, but seeing him leave made me feel a strange emptiness and fear of being left alone. And the image of my sister bleeding and those corpses...

"Sebastian... can you stay here for a bit, please?" I asked shyly.

"Of course, I'll be here with you until the end," He assured me.

As he sat on the edge of the bed, my eyelids became heavy, and eventually closed in the process.