0.2 Devil Summoner System

There was a cavernous room, dark except for a pair of glowing red eyes. Sinister laughter echoed off of the walls, resounding in the night's still. A figure paced across the cavern, back and forth. A shackle attached to his ankle held a heavy iron ball that rested on the floor.

He held a glowing orb before him, and in the light that shone from it, he could see the reflection of Setia, walking through the dark streets of the city. The girl huddled for warmth, avoiding the gaze of anyone she passed. Her curly black hair fluttered in the wind, framing her face. Her golden eyes shone beneath horn-rimmed glasses. Her face the picture of innocence. The figure seethed with anger. He clenched his fists.

"The time will come." He whispered. He held out a hand as if to lovingly caress the image. Then clenched his fist again. "I will have my vengeance."

A sound of footsteps approaching the cavern sounded. A figure stood outside the prison walls. He stood tall, his dark hair cropped short, his hazel eyes glowing in the dark.

"My lord, I have done as you requested." The man said. A small smirk played about the figure's black lips.

"She has the cuff?" The man asked eagerly. The man lowered his head in a nod.

"Good. Monitor her, it won't be long now."

"As you wish, my lord. I will be ready." The man turned to walk away, his thin tail poked out beneath his belt, a pointed end on its tip. The demon seethed with excitement. She was returning.

The man ran his hands through his short platinum blonde hair, his red eyes narrowed in anger. He would never let it go. Not as long as he lived.

XXX

Later in the evening, after class, she was wandering the streets of the city on her way home. The dark night was eerily quiet, the streets empty save for a few stragglers wandering down the streets. Setia rounded a corner onto a secluded street and shoved her hands into her pockets. The evening was brisk, and she was eager to get into the warmth of her small apartment. She sped down the street and turned into a darkened alley.

Rustling sounded from the darkness, glowing eyes were in the distance. She heard the sounds of muffled crying. A ripping sound, a thud. Setia slowed down and moved forward with caution. The alley was dark, but she could see the silhouette of two figures down at the other end. It was a large man, hulking, slamming a young woman against the wall, grabbing her and accosting her.

"Hey! Leave her alone!" She shouted, running down to the end of the alley to confront the man. Nine times out of ten, once they confront the accuser they run away, right? The man turned to face her, a sinister snarl on his lips. The girl huddled against the wall. They had ripped her blouse open. She clutched her purse in her hands and cried.

Setia growled and stood tall, her own height meager in comparison to the towering giant. The man looked her up and down and shook his head. A sinister grin filled his face.

"Get out of here and mind your own business, kid." He spat on the ground at Setia's feet. Setia moved forward and shoved him back, away from the woman.

"You leave her alone. I'm calling the police." She said, reaching in her pocket for her phone.

A flash of metal in the lamplight. The man lunged forward. Setia gasped, coughing as she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. The man pulled back, Setia removed her hands from her stomach, they were covered in blood. The man looked shocked at himself, stared down at the knife in his hands, and ran off down the alley.

Setia looked at the young woman who'd huddled against the wall. She trembled and ran off, screaming for help. Her vision got fuzzy. She felt lightheaded and dizzy. She fell to her knees.

Suddenly, her wrist felt warm. She looked down and her bracelet was glowing. A small orb of light emerged from the wristband and floated in the air before her. Everything around her had stopped. The air had stopped blowing, leaves falling, paused in midair. Cars passing by on the streets halted. The girl running around the corner froze with a scream on her face.

"Hello, Setia. You have activated the Devil Summoner system." The disembodied voice of Eli Parks sounded in her ears. The glowing orb changed shape, stretching and contorting until a small, black, scaly dragon hovered in the air before her.

"Eli?!" Setia cried, staring at the creature before her. The creature climbed onto her shoulder and stared down at the gaping wound in her stomach. Setia blinked, shaking her head to clear it. What on Earth was going on?

"Hmm, your death is imminent. That activated the system." The dragon nodded, proud of itself for its deduction. She noticed the pain and bleeding had also stopped, with the time stop. She rose to her feet. She stared down at the blood covering her and blanched.

"What is the Devil Summoner system?" She panted, her hand still clutched over her wound. She hoped it was a working title like a video game.

"You have two options: die, or take part in the experiment."

Never Mind. Not like a video game.