Zafira [1]

My phone slipped from my hand, and my mouth hung open in horrified shock. I could only take a few involuntary steps back in utter bewilderment.

But even now, at the back of my crazy mind, I couldn't help but scream that it worked! The summoning ritual worked!

However, a much more raw and terrifying emotion subdued my surreal excitement—a cold feeling that could only be described as pure, primitive fear.

Not the everyday kind of fear, no. A much more natural, soul-numbing fear that you could feel deep in your bones.

The kind that lets you know death is close at hand.

That was what I experienced when I glanced at the being before me. There, at the center of the salt circle, stood a tall, rather alluring figure enveloped in shadows from head to toe despite the rest of the room being bathed in light.

Slowly, the shadows receded, revealing the creature that had been hiding within their dark embrace.

It was a young woman, seemingly in her late teens, if her appearance was anything to go by, which I guessed it wasn't.

Her smooth gray skin seemed to absorb all the light around her, replacing it with a feeling of dreadful chill.

"Ah..." the figure sighed in an overtly feminine voice and reached out to stretch her arms. She was... nude. Why the hell was she nude?!

Without paying any attention to me, she began to study the interior of my studio apartment, all the while sensually and smoothly running her hands across her supple form.

She seemed to pay particular attention to the multitude of charms and paper talismans I had stuck on my walls.

She also keenly noticed all the candles I had arranged around the summoning circle. A slight, humourous smile developed on her lips, revealing gleaming pearly white teeth hidden beneath her thin, plump lips.

For a moment, I simply drank in her appearance. She was tall, slender, and undeniably beautiful in every sense of the word. 

Her jet black hair, tinged with a reddish hue, cascaded past her shoulders, adorned with two long curved horns that curled inwards atop her head like an obsidian crown of sorts.

Her cool gray skin seemed to radiate a haunting chill that was, at the same time, also warm. It was contradictory but true.

Pert nipples sat atop two perky, moderate breasts that complemented her thin frame well. Her toned body seemed to be masterfully molded from gray clay, considering her smooth skin didn't possess even a single blemish.

Save for her apparent demonic features, she didn't look much different from someone my age or any other ordinary human teenage girl. It seemed the image I had of a scary demon in my mind was mistaken, I guess.

As if finally noticing my gaze, she turned to look at me. It was only then I actually paid full attention to her face… and my heart almost jumped out of my chest.

She had long, pointed ears that were adorned with multiple piercings and a set of ruby earrings dangling delicately from them.

Her lips were of a dark shade of vivid crimson, as deep as fresh blood, that only accentuated her unparalleled beauty.

But it was her piercing siren eyes that genuinely drew my attention. Twin orbs of crimson glowed brightly within them, possessing an enchanting allure capable of enthralling anyone with just a glance.

I was transfixed as I stood there, frozen in place. The longer I seemed to stare into her eyes, the more I was lost in their crimson depth. For a moment, I actually forgot to breathe.

But not for long! I quickly managed to snap my mind back to reality and avert my gaze from her.

That was… scary. It felt like something was going to break in me had I not stopped staring into her eyes.

Just when I thought I had wrestled back some semblance of control over myself, I heard the same soft, almost velvety voice calling out to me.

"That was a rough crossing," she commented casually, each word uttered in a honeyed tone that tried to stir something primal in my soul. "I assume that you guys are not very accomplished summoners, right?"

That statement took me by surprise. But before I could respond, she continued speaking, not giving me a window to talk back.

"Well, no harm done," she shrugged and snapped her fingers. All of a sudden, a regal black gown made of light, airy fabric and frilly edges materialized around her glamorous figure in a puff of black smoke.

I watched in slight regret and major relief as she covered her naked form. At long last, the pressure that had been suffocating me since I laid eyes on her dissipated a bit… only a bit, though.

"That said, are you one of the priests who summoned me here?" the horned beauty raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing me.

This time, I managed to stammer out a response. "N-No, I'm not a priest."

Okay, maybe calling it proper was a stretch. I did not sound nearly as confident and calm as I wanted to be and ended up choking out a whisper.

But she heard me, as was evident by a confused frown that took over her beautiful face. "Not a priest? Then are you guys a mage circle? A witch coven? A warlock unit?"

If she was confused, then she wasn't the only one. I was taken aback, too. What was she talking about?

Trying to steady my voice, I replied, "None of that."

Okay, my tone still was nowhere near confident, but I managed to avoid stuttering. That was an achievement, right?!

On the contrary to my regrowing composure, the demoness, however, seemed anything but calm. Her enchanting eyes widened in disbelief before casting a dubious stare my way.

"Okay, I'll get into the personal details later. First, where are the rest of you guys who summoned me?" she asked, looking around my apartment again in search of something.

Why was she so sure that there were more summoners?

With ever-growing confusion, I told her, "There are no others. I was the only one who… uh… summoned you here."

Back to stuttering again. Great.

"...What?!" the hellspawn yelped, clearly surprised by my answer. "But that's impossible. A single mortal summoning a demon of my caliber is not… is not… possible…"

Her voice trailed off as she started murmuring to herself. Deep in thought, she gently rubbed her chin as the gears in her head churned and twisted to help her reach some kind of conclusive answer.

"Unless… the summoner's spirituality is on par with those of the Monarchs. Hmm, could it be possible? But then why is he not in a domain? A variable? No, have I gone crazy?"

Her mumbling then became far too incomprehensible for me to understand, and my patience, or lack thereof, got the better of me.

"Hey," I interjected with a yell, regaining some of my voice.

Hey, in my defense, it's not every day your worldview gets shattered, and reality as you know it turns out to be fake. 

Talking to supernatural beings wasn't exactly in my wheelhouse. It was taking some getting used to.

Thankfully, I caught her attention. "I… I summoned you to sign a c-contract!"

For a split second, doubt crept into my mind. Was this really a good idea? But then, I quickly dismissed such thoughts. I had come way too far to turn back now.

"Oh, is that so?" she cackled, not even bothering to hide the obvious sarcasm in her voice. "And I guess you used a binding vow to ensure I have no choice but to sign it with you?''

I hesitantly nodded.

"Of course. I felt it," she chuckled. "You mortals love using that little trick. You give demons a way to enter the mortal plane and forcefully take their consent for a vow in doing so. No smart demon would ever fall for such a bad scam, but some unfortunate ones do."

'Then why did you fall for it,' is what I wanted to ask, but I held my tongue. Provoking her without knowing her full capabilities didn't exactly seem wise.

What she said was right, though.

According to my reading, a binding vow differs from a contract, but not entirely. Basically, it ensures that one can demand a price in exchange for their service.

A summoner's service was providing a demon with a means to escape hell, and in return for this service, the demon had to sign a contract with the summoner. That was the vow.

The blood offered by the summoner on the ritual circle acted as binding, ensuring that if one party died, the other would too. This binding prevented the demon from harming the summoner.

Hence, the term – binding vow.

The only way to escape such a vow was to fulfill its condition, which in this case was by signing a contract with the summoner.

So, yes, it could indeed be considered a scam.

Surprisingly, despite calling it a scam, she didn't seem angry in any way. It was almost as if this situation didn't bother her at all.

"Well, I guess it's fine. I'll agree to serve you, but first, I'd like to know you a bit before I sign my freedom away. So, is that alright with you?"

Though she phrased it as a question, she didn't wait for my answer. Instead, she did something that left me gulping in shock.

She lifted her leg… and stepped out of the salt circle.