The Deal

"Aaahh!"

A young man in his teens woke up after having a nightmare. He was gasping for breath as he just dreamt of something extremely terrible.

"Haa… Haa… What the hell was that? Ugh…"

The young man clasped his chest as he can still feel his heart hurting…

'That was too much even for a dream!'

He complained in his heart as he steadied his breathing. He stared at the ceiling of his room and felt something strange but he ignored it for now.

"Hmm…"

A couple of minutes had passed before he finally calmed himself, but he felt so weak that he decided to rest on the bed again.

However… he felt something weird again!

"Ugh… What's going on now?"

He sat on his bed as he couldn't remove the unpleasant or weird feeling…

Then, he was suddenly stunned as he caught his reflection from a small mirror on his study table…

"I'm… I'm… so young!"

The young man couldn't believe what is happening… It was very confusing since he knows that he just woke up!

"Am I dreaming again? A dream within a dream?! That's not possible!" He shouted to himself as if to wake himself up…

He tried to pinch himself and it is hurting him. He then decided to stand up to get into the bathroom to splash himself with some water…

"Haa… Haa… This is…"

He returned to his room as he confirmed that he's not waking up… This must be the reality!

Then, he found his mobile phone on his study table and realized that he should check the date first…

It is July 28, 2130!

Thud! Thud! His mobile phone slipped on his hand and was dropped to the floor.

This happened not because of his shock but because of the memories that he suddenly recalled!

"I… I… I made a deal with a demon…"

He covered his mouth in disbelief.

He suppressed his voice as he was afraid that someone might hear him. Though his worry was for naught as no one is in this house aside from him and he doesn't have any neighbors as well…

Thud!

He then heard a closing book behind him…

"So you finally remember…" He suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him as he jumped in surprise…

"Ah! Who are you?!"

He immediately backed away and went to the door…

He saw a black-haired man wearing a tuxedo and holding a book in his hands. He has a pale complexion, lean frame, and is strangely attractive with his reading glass…

Everything seems normal except for the curved horns on his head…

"Wait—You're the demon!" He finally recalled thanks to the horns.

However, he shouldn't be a handsome man!

What he saw before is a scary creature with burned skin, bizarre wings, and a vine-like tail with jagged bones protruding along its ridge…

This is not the same demon!

"Oh… I see that you're surprised with my appearance, contractor…" The demon smiled mysteriously.

"Contractor?" The young man repeated in a confused tone. He was ready to run away from this house but it seems that there is no need for it.

"Yes… You can still remember your wish, right? Cyril Vermont…"

"Ahh…"

After hearing him calling his name in a cold voice, he finally recalled his encounter with the creature…

This high-ranking Demon wanted to take his life to free himself from the bindings of the Artifact!

However, Cyril is the recognized owner of this Artifact where the Demon was trapped for so many years.

So even if the artifact's power was weakened during that night, to the point that this Demon can make a projection of himself, he still couldn't kill Cyril directly…

He took a deep breath as he tried to recall what happened.

"I wanted to be an Awakened with a higher level of power! I wanted to be stronger than ever!"

This is how Cyril answered when he was asked what he would want before he dies. It appears that the Demon needs to kill him in such a strange way.

Nevertheless, during that time, his mind was messed up and he just probably thought of smashing the face of the man who took his woman and perhaps, including the woman herself… He couldn't tell.

"I can grant that for you… I can see that you still have 89 years in your lifetime. Hmm… I'll be taking 80 years from that to fulfill your wish. Is that alright?"

"Yes! I, Cyril Vermont, accept that offer!"

"Kukuku! Very well… I, Xagan, the Blasphemed One, accept the deal."

After they accepted each other's offer, he heard the demon's wicked laugh as if it was coming from the depths of hell…

This is the last thing that he can remember… until he woke up here, a month before his Awakening!

"Wait! My wish is to become a stronger Awakened! Why would you bring me to the past?!"

"Oh, Cyril… This is not just the past anymore… This is the present. Everything in your memories before has never happened... yet."

"What? Is it time travel? Or is it turning back the time? Is that even possible?" He was confused. However, the Demon doesn't seem to have plans of explaining things so easily.

"Give me 60 days of your remaining life span and I'll answer this question…"

"What?!"

'I only have 9 years in my life and you want to take away more?!' Cyril wanted to shout but decided to hold it inside… He was still a bit afraid of offending this demon.