Strength isn't free... the cost of Blood.

"What do you mean? Will you help me?"

"I won't help you." The man shook his head. He looked deep into the eyes of Atlas. "It'll be you who needs to help yourself."

"I can't!" Atlas exclaimed. "I am too weak!"

"That's what you think. Humans aren't as weak as you think. During my time, I had many human allies who fought side by side. You think those ordinary Vampires are strong? The humans I knew could easily defeat one. Have you heard about those humans?"

"Humans who could fight Vampires? I heard about them, but only in stories. I thought they were made-up stories? It was said that there were some humans a thousand years ago who were known as heroes. They were strong enough to kill millions of soldiers and even give a tough fight to a Vampire."

"Millions of years ago? Time passes really fast, it seems. They must all be dead by now in that case." A disappointed sigh left the lips of the man.

"Fine. I'll give you what you want. I'll give you strength... But it will come at a cost."

"I'm willing to pay any cost! I don't even need strength for an eternity! I just want the strength to get my sister out of that place and give her a proper burial. I don't even care if I die after that. Even if you want me to sell my soul to you, I'll agree!" Atlas exclaimed.

He had heard the stories about Hell and Devils who ruled over hell and dealt in souls. At this time, he was thinking that the man was a Devil.

"That's not how it works. I can't set a time limit. I can give you strength, but it won't come free. You'll have to learn how to do things yourself. You'll have to learn how to call forth that strength and how to use it properly."

"You mean I can go back to the place with strength? What about my death?"

"Death? Death is only temporary. The soul is eternal. I can send you back, but as I said, it'll come with a cost." The man declared.

"What cost?" Atlas asked.

"The cost is simple. For as long as you are in my body, your soul will keep losing a small fragment of it every day until the day it's completely destroyed. The fragment of your soul will be what lays a path for me to wake up and break these restrictions. Do you accept the cost?"

"My soul will be destroyed?"

"Yes. You can get the strength of mine, but you'll lose your soul in return. And it's not because I want to destroy your soul. As much as you like to think it, I'm not a Devil, and this is not hell," the man let out as if he could read the thoughts of Atlas.

" It's just because a human soul isn't strong enough to last in my body for a long time. I can extend your time by a bit, but it won't last long," he further stated. "Ultimately, one day, your soul will be destroyed. It will depend on your soul though. It can be destroyed in a week, a month, or a year. But I don't think it'll last longer than a year in any case."

"What will happen if my soul is destroyed?" Atlas inquired. "How is it different from death?"

"As I said before, death is temporary. The soul is eternal. But when your soul is destroyed, you'll be gone forever. You'll never be reborn. It'll be the end of you for an eternity..."

"Is there really a rebirth cycle? That's not a fragment of human imagination?!" Atlas exclaimed in surprise.

The man only smiled in response. "Take your time. Think about it. It's a high cost to pay.

Atlas didn't even take a single second before coming to a decision. "I accept! Give me strength! I am ready to give up my life, my soul, and my future for Misella! I am ready for everything! I want your strength!"

He was already feeling guilty for not being able to save her. The last thing he could do for her was give her a proper burial. It didn't matter if he needed to have his soul destroyed in exchange. He was even willing to sell his soul to the devil for strength.

"Are you sure?" The man asked, taking the last confirmation. "You might regret it. The pain of the soul being destroyed slowly is worse than any pain you ever experienced in your life."

"I am! Give me strength! Give me the strength to save my sister... Whatever's left of her!" Atlas dropped to his knees.

"Fine. I shall give you the strength you need. But it's for you to learn and grow that strength so you can use it. I won't help with that. I'll just show you the path. It's for you to walk on that treacherous path." The silver-haired man started stepping towards the Atlas.

As the man walked closer, Atlas felt like he was being suffocated under intense pressure. Just how strong was this person? Even standing before him was so hard.

Atlas sat on his knees before the man as if he was in the audience of a King.

The man stopped a few feet away from Atlas and placed his hand on the head of the young boy. A light started shining around Atlas's body as soon as the man touched him, which lasted for a few minutes.

After the man took off his hand, the light stopped, and a crescent moon symbol appeared on the forehead of Atlas.

"This soul mark will try to slow down your soul deterioration, but it'll start disappearing as your soul deteriorates. There will come a day when this mark completely disappears. That shall be that day your soul is lost forever. Use the time wisely, young man..."

As the man finished his words, he turned around. The surroundings started turning blurry, including the man's figure who walked back to his spot before the tombstone.

"What is your name?" Atlas asked, feeling like he was never going to see this person again as his surroundings turned illusory.

"There's no need to tell you my name since you'll be forgetting all about this meeting as soon as you wake up." The man's voice echoed in the surroundings. "Best of luck, young human. Use my body wisely. Also, I hope Lilith won't trouble you too much."

Atlas soon disappeared. Only the man was left. He sat before the tombstone, letting out a sad smile.

"The kid reminded me of you so much. Was I right in doing it?" he asked as if he was talking to the Tomb.

"I wonder if I should've told him about the other costs that he needs to pay in the future? Maybe not... Even if I had told him, he wouldn't have said no. I could see it in his eyes. It wouldn't have mattered."

"I'm curious what the future holds for this boy. The boy who wasn't supposed to be here. It looks like a fated accident that he ended up here. I wonder what changes this accident brings to the world. It'll certainly be interesting."

"The world does need some change but then again, they are in the same world as well. When my body makes an appearance in the world again, things would start getting bad…"