In the sprawling waste zones of Ashfield, a city choked by the refuse of a broken society, Jack Vesper sorts through discarded junk with no real future in sight. At 25, he's just another misfit, another person tossed aside by the world, now working...
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Rin's gaze sharpens. "You can't be serious, Jack. Did you not hear the part where it says no host has ever succeeded? And the whole 'constant gaze of the world' thing? That's not a drawback; that's a nightmare."
I shrug, trying to project a confidence I don't fully feel. "Look, Rin, we're out of options. Most of these demons are worse than this. Falastor at least sounds like he's... cooperative. I'll take my chances."
"Cooperative?" she snaps. "The book basically says he's cursed. Do you have any idea what it means to attract everyone's attention? Good or bad, Jack. You'd never have peace. You'd—"
I cut her off. "We're in an old creepy corporate lab with an Ai that's trying to kill us, Rin. Peace is a luxury I'm not counting on. Besides, I've handled being in the spotlight before. I was arrested once you know."
Her lips press into a thin line. I know she's thinking about Finn, about the fallout from his betrayal, about the risks of trusting anything right now. Rin crosses her arms. "What's the real reason? Why this demon? There are other options, you know."
I hesitate, my confidence slipping for just a moment before I pull myself together. I glance down at the book, then back at Rin. "Because I get it," I finally say, my voice quieter now.
Her crimson eyes narrow slightly. "Get what?"
"Being hated," I mutter, unable to look her in the eye. "Feeling like no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try, there's always someone out there ready to tear you apart. Falastor's story... I don't know, it just feels familiar. He might be a demon, but his price? That kind of spotlight? I think I can resonate with that kind of bad attention."
Rin's expression softens slightly, her arms uncrossing. She doesn't push me on it, and for that, I feel a small wave of relief. She glances at the page again, her lips pressing together like she's trying to come up with a counterargument but can't quite find one.
"Alright," she says after a moment, her tone resigned but not harsh. "If this is the one you're going with, I won't stop you. Just... don't let this thing consume you, Jack. You have to keep control of yourself."
I smile. "I could say the same for you. You ready to make our pacts?"
Rin nods, pulling out a small utility knife. "Let's get this shit over with. I hate anticipation."
She slices a bit of skin off her thumb, wincing slightly. I hold out my hand, and she sternly grabs it, slicing my thumb with the same efficiency. A sharp sting accompanies the deep crimson flow of blood. Rin holds her page in one hand, and I hold mine in the other. The positioning is awkward, but we both want to make the pact simultaneously. With a wordless nod, we press our bloody thumbs to the worn-out paper.
I half-expect nothing to happen, like this is all some elaborate prank, but then a voice rings out.
The AI's voice, cold and detached, reverberates through the room. "Pact initiation recognized. Host identities confirmed. Demonic entities: Nyr, The Veiled Sovereign, and Falastor, The Hated One. Proceeding with binding protocols."
