Cold air that smells of sugary-syrup dances all around me. It carries with it something that drums like a heartbeat, noticeable yet inaudible. That's what makes me open my eyes wide. And what was torn out of me was a loud gasp.
I'm in a room filled to the ceiling with flickering, whispering shadows with gleaming ruby eyes. They're all watching me, low laughter building. My head swings around to try and count them all, but I know it would be fruitless; there are just too many.
Something hits the ground with a soft, metallic, resounding thud.
Curious, I ignore the shadows and take a peek at it. What I find was what appeared to be a elegant fork made out of blown sugar. Silver, with delicate red ribbons wrapping around the handle. I pick it up, and the shadows screech and scatter.
"Oh, hi there. You've found my fork," a child behind me says.
I yelp and whirl around to see who was there. To my surprise, I find a young girl, seeming to be anywhere from eight to ten, with wavy blackberry hair and cherry red eyes that her skin look even paler. My stomach rumbles faintly, and embarrassment flushes me raspberry-red.
I noticed something else: she's impossibly thin, all skin and bones.
This girl wears a cheery yellow dress and matching flower crown, but there's a sense of wrongness about the crown. Peeking out from among the blossoms, I see some miniature, bloody silverware. Tiny forks, spoons, and knives dance with the blossoms and leaves.
She tilts her head, hair shifting into her eyes. Only her nose and mouth remain visible to me, and I feel like I'm on a merry-go-round, rushing 'round and 'round, all the way until I grow sick. My legs give out not too long after, and my hands sting when they make contact with the ground.
The girl giggles, covering her mouth, her eyes no longer being covered. She gets on her hands and knees and crawls to me, snatching up the fork as she did so. That's when I catch sight of her wings.
Like the fork, they seem like they're made from sugar. I've watched a lot of baking shows, so I recognize that look. But I'd never seen wings like that. Black and mottled, pastel red Angelle wings, all in a set of four placed between her shoulder blades.
"W-w-who are y-you, and w-where am I?" I stutter out, trembling violently. My hands fly to the pocket in my jacket, grabbing the knife I keep there, and opening it. "Stay back!"
She stops, sitting down almost like a fox. "I'm Vi!" she exclaims excitedly. "And you're in the Demon's Realm, duh." She sticks out her tongue at me.
Vi. What a strange name.
The dress she's wearing flickers, changing. It goes from yellow and ruffled to gingerbread-brown, with a wide skirt and puffy, white sleeves. Illustrations of candies decorated the bottom, then they shift to a forest scene. Two silhouettes of children approached a house.
"Y-your dress," I say, suddenly hating myself for pointing out the obvious. "It's changed."
She glances down, not all that interested. "Uh-huh, yeah, yeah. Whatever. Now, who are you, Little Miss Intruder?"
I take a deep breath and unwisely pocket the knife. "My name's Iris, and I have no idea how I got here." Slowly, I manage to ask, "How exactly did I get here? To....wherever this place is?"
Vi smiles widely, revealing frighteningly sharp fangs. She lets out a small hum, sustaining it for longer than necessary. Cherry eyes flash to mine, and it appears as though there's firelight in them.
"You were summoned here," she says as if it were plain to see. Getting up, she begins to skip around me. "You're just in time, too. The feast is going to start in a week."
"Fe-feast?" I ask in a rush. "Wha-what feast?"
Her face falls. "I guess you'll be sacrificed on my day. Oh, that sucks." But I think she didn't care all that much because she lets out a sweetened giggle. "That's too bad. Well, I'll see what I can do for you."
I have no time to react since she slams her tiny hands on my shoulders and looks me in the eyes. They go bright, and I can hear her voice inside my mind.
"Make a contract with me. It's the only way you'll survive what you'll go through to escape."
There's nothing I can say, nothing I can do. Every part of my is too cold and too hot all at once, my mind a whirl of messy thoughts and emotions that don't fit quite right.
"C'mon, just do it. You'll get some cool abilities. It's totally worth it."
"What do I get from this deal?" I ask, voice shaking. Even though she's a tiny child, I'm still scared of what she can do. "I mean, how much danger will I be in? And why would I be in danger?"
I know it's a stupid question. I just have to ask.
Vi giggles, the sound building until I can't take it. I fall to the ground again, wishing it would stop. Please, someone, make it stop. It's all I can hope for right now.
"You'd be chased, maybe even caught, and maybe-definitely-even killed and cooked if any other demon sees you," she says, attention flitting away from me and onto the fork she's holding. "But if you made a contract with me, you'd have some protection."
"I'll do it," I tell her, already cursing myself for doing this. "Hey, what are you the demon of?"
She hums again, growing excited. "Gluttony! Now, onto the contract, Iris!"
Once again, her hands go on my shoulders, and they squeeze so tightly. The cherry-red colour of her eyes changes to raspberries. Ribbons of magical energy swirls around us, the same red shade. My body heats up, and I fear that I'm going to melt down into a puddle of Iris-sugar. I can't look anywhere but at her, and that fills me with even more fear.
Just as suddenly as it begins, the contact ends. Vi releases me and twirls around, a plate appearing in her hand. What might be a chocolate cupcake rests on the porcelain plate, pink frosting piped to resemble flowers on top. It looks like something I'd make on a good day.
"All you have to do is eat this, and then the binding will be complete!" she sings, hitting a high-note that makes me jealous. "So, eat up!"
My mind screams at me to not do it, to refuse her treat and run away. But I've never been one to follow my own advice, so I reach out and eat it slowly. Vi watches the whole thing, smiling in an unnerving way. There's no way that this will end well.
Something happens when I'm done, an odd sensation taking over my mind. Everything becomes sharper, clearer, as if I'm seeing the world in colour for the first time. I blink, blown away by it. I might have just eaten a demonic cupcake, but it might be able to actually help me.
Vi giggles, clapping her hands, and then her face falls. "Oh," she says uneasily, "that's not right." She glances up and down at me.
White-hot panic flashes through me, and I feel myself freeze in place. "W-what is it?" I ask, trying to not scream. Having a demonic child saying that something wasn't good was more terrifying than one might think.
"Well," she draws out, puffing her cheeks. "You're not compatible with me." She shrugs, and the ground shimmers underneath her. White circles appear from nothing, and she begins playing hopscotch.
"And that means....?" I give her a look that I hope she can interpret correctly. "Please. I need to know."
"You only have about five percent of my power in you. Most contractors can get up to forty or fifty percent, and that's not counting those who already have magical abilities. In other words, you might now make it out of here." Vi trips over nothing and falls to the ground, and there's a sickening sound. "Ow!"
Her leg is broken.
Shining tears well up and fall, and she looks up to me and holds out her arms. Despite my situation, I can't help but think of Millie, the girl I used to babysit back home, and I kneel down to gently hug her. She cuddles up to me, but I can sense something in the air. There's another sound, a gross, sharp sound of her bones and muscles knitting back together. I almost throw up.
Vi sighs. "I can try to give you more power, but that might not be any good. Lemme think, if you take my fork with you, that could help. Oh, yeah, you'll be able to summon me three times when you get through the city. Good luck!"
"H-how bad is five percent? Like, I mean, what do I get with that?" I question, hoping it's good news.
Her face screws in concentration. "You'll get the ability to understand what the other demons are saying, and I think you'll be able to eat our food. If you use the fork for more saturated power, you might even be able to become smaller and faster!"
My hopes fall, and I know that this is the end of me. All my life, I had no respect for the Gods and the demons, and it was finally coming to bite me. I didn't even say goodbye to my friends and family. I was going to die here.
I pull Vi closer to me, and she doesn't complain. She's warm, like the cupcakes I had taken out of the oven the other day. It had been a Black Forest cake for a game party with some friends.
"Tell me about this city," I say, stroking her hair. "I need to know what I'm going up against."
She purrs like a kitten. "It's the largest city in Frosseri, and it has around fifty-thousand residents. At least, that's what my big brother, Alistair, told me when I asked. Oh, yeah. Frosseri isn't the Demon's Realm if you're wondering. It's just the territory of Gluttony. So, it's my home."
"Is there a safe house or someplace I can stay at night? Do I have to hide under things?"
Vi curls up on my lap. "There should be some hotels with a candy sign. I'll find a way for you to stay there. Don't let anyone see you. Not even Alistair or Levy. They won't be able to do much to help."
I narrow my eyes. "You said that Alistair was your brother. Why can't he help me?"
She scoffs. "You really think the demon of Lust will do much? He's not, like, that strong, duh. Levy is his girlfriend, but she's kinda scatterbrained."
Inhaling, I try to keep my thoughts to myself. I have to rely on my wits for this, but I never even trusted myself when playing a horror game. I've never shot a gun, and I only have a stupid pocket knife to defend myself with. I'm screwed if someone decides to attack me.
Vi and I sit together for much too long. By the time she finally pulls me up and gives me the fork and a small device, I've done everything I can to stay calm. Then I look into her wide eyes and tell my mind to shut up and focus on the matters at hand.
"Off you go," she whispers. "I hope you make it out of here alive."
I nod. "So do I. So do I." My voice gets tangled up in my throat, and I bite my lip. After giving her a long hug, I scrutinize the device.
It resembles a normal phone, with a shiny red and white swirled case. Vi quietly explains that it has a map on it, and I don't ask how this realm has technology like this. That's probably a smart move. Maybe. I don't really know. Along with that, she tells me that there will be several vendors lining the streets of the city, so I don't have to worry about food or water.
Finally, I set off. As I exit the area I had been in, I see that it was like a dark forest, the moonlight falling down upon it. It's like a scene from a fairytale, something majestic and beautiful. That's when I hear the growling from somewhere off to the side.
My blood pounds, and I slowly move away. The growls grow louder, and a branch snaps to my left. I think it's to my left. I'm bad at sound-direction understanding, and I've been that way my entire life. But even with that stopping me, I know what the growls mean.
I have to hide.
Right now.
The very second I scramble onto a nearby giant rock, the largest hell-wolf I've ever seen bursts out from the cluster of trees to my left. It's reddish-brown, with burning amber eyes and frighteningly long fangs. Even from my perch on the rock, I can see the gleaming, dagger-like claws.
It howls at the bloody—why is it blood red?—moon and stalks forward. There's a human intelligence in its eyes, and I know that I'll be in trouble if it leaps up here.
I gulp and try to remember anything I learned back in the beginning of high school. Hell-wolves are normal wolves in the Demon's Realm, and they are around shoulder-height to an adult. This one must be younger since it only goes to the middle of my upper arm. That thought doesn't comfort me in the slightest.
It snaps its jaws and lunges up. I shriek and scramble back, making a useless cross shape in front of me. The beast freezes right as it's about to land, and it snarls at me. I freeze as well, disbelieving what just happened.
What saved me?
It couldn't have been the Gods. They're too fickle to do such a thing. It has to be a coincidence, not holy magic.
I shake my head and rack my brain. What do wolves like? Hunting, probably their mates, weak prey......
Cats.
Wolves like cats, right?
Okay, if I throw the white cat, it will hopefully run after it. Please, please, let this work. I don't want to die today.
It doesn't matter; I have a plan. Shifting my attention to what I'm wearing, I untie the cat ornament I had put on and raise it high. The wolf snarls again, eyes changing to a lighter colour as it zeroes in on the new prey. It moves to its back legs with anticipation, and that's when I throw the cat decoration.
The beast falls over in its excitement but quickly recovers. After shooting me one last hateful glare, it runs in the same direction as its target.
I collapse, praying that it doesn't want some human with its plastic, and slide down the rock. Without a glance that way, I take off down the rocky path, towards the city off in the distance. The sparkling lights entice me, reminding me of home.
Beelzi was part of the Malin continent, to the north of Tanasi, and it was once well-known for the food it offered. Then it advanced as usual, and it simply changed what it was known for. Once food, now technology.
The walk—run, to tell the truth—took a few hours with some breaks in between, but I eventually make it to the city. Up close, it's horrific.
Demons of twisted flesh roam the streets, talking and chatting like normal, but they're so wrong to look at. I can't even process what I'm seeing with some of them. They have horns, antlers, wings, spikes, tails, claws, whips, chains sprouting from their flesh, and more. They're laughing, eating, partying. The clothes they're wearing aren't things I really recognize except for a few here and there.
It's odd, but it looks like some parts of this place borrow inspiration from Crystallea.
Or, does Crystallea take things from this realm?
I'd rather not think about either one. It's too wild.
Already, there are several problems that arise as I watch. The first one is simple: there's really no place to hide. The second thing I see could help with that, and it's that everything is just a bit bigger than I expected.
So, I might be able to hide under the counters and tables, but I don't know how I could get under there in the first place.
My eyes shift from one side of the very busy street to the other, and they widen when I catch sight of a large hole in a broken building. Carefully, I make my way to it while silently wishing that no one sees me. By some magical coincidence, no one does.
I take a seat and bring my knees to my chest. Where does this hole lead to, and where am I supposed to go? Vi didn't tell me everything I need to know.
Maybe I can stay in here until I find one of those candy-signed hotels. This might connect to a tunnel or something. All I have to do is delude myself into thinking this is a game. Like in Little Fairy. I just have to pretend that I'm Rosie.
Little Fairy is a "horror" game that I love with all my heart. It's a third-person game where I play as a girl trying to escape a fairytale-themed nightmare. The worst part's always the spider room. In it, Rosie gets chased by spider mannequins that freeze when the player makes her look at them. If they catch her, they tie her up and eat her.
"Oh, Nyxa, you seriously need to stop talkin' to her. She's nothin' but drama, and you know it. Levy said that you were looking for someone else in the bar, and you what she'll do if she catches you there," a lady says from outside the hole.
I cover my mouth and press myself to the ground. Outside, there are two demons, but one of them looks more ethereal than I expected. She's pale pink, with white-pink hair and large fox ears. Two huge, fluffy tails rests above her white blossom skirt, twisting and reacting to the conversation. I look up, and the fox demon wears a fluffy, white coat around her shoulders and a white top.
She's so delicate and sugar-like.
Something falls down, and one of her hands enters my line of vision as she kneels down to grab it. I'm surprised to see that her hands and arms are a darker pink that fades to meet the light pink of the rest of her. Even her eyes are pink, but there's a white flower encircling her pupils.
Those very eyes rest on me, and we both gasp. Her ears go back in shock, tail fluffing up.
"A human?" she asks curiously. "Just whatever are you doing here?"
Slowly, as if I'm a frightened cat, she reaches out to grab me. With a start, I see that she's only a bit taller than I am. Her friend is even taller, about six feet.
"Nyxa, why do you have a human?" her friend asks impatiently, foot tapping. "Please tell me that you just found her now. If you tell me that she's another pet, I will scream."
Nyxa lets go of me and raises her hands in defense. "No, no, she's not, Kit! But she's super cute!" With a wink, she brings a finger to her lips and smirks at me.
The other demon, who has three shiny, jade-green horns and antlers, shakes her head. "You need help. I swear, this is an addiction and nothing else."
Scoffing, Nyxa pats my head. "Do you need help, dear? Did you get lost?"
"I'm not from here," I manage to say. "I'm from Beelzi, and I'm supposed to find a way back. Please, help me."
Both girls look at me, different reactions telling me what's going on. Nyxa is smirking at me while cradling her face with one hand. Kit looks sorta disgusted by my existence.
"Beelzi? Why, that's so far away. Maybe you'd fare better with us," Nyxa says, running a finger along my jaw. Her hand reaches down to mess with the charms attached to my shorts, and she licks her lips. "It's been long since I had a girl after all. It might be painful for you, but that's a risk I'm willing to ta-"
"I'm under Vi's protection!" I cry out, unsure if that will anything.
They recoil, but then Nyxa examines me while Kit shakes her head and leaves. Her pink and white eyes study every detail of my body, and I want to hide away from her. Whatever she's looking for, she finds it and lets me go.
"Where are you going, little human?" she asks sweetly. "Perhaps I can help you find it."
I don't exactly feel any sense of safety—false or not—but I can't refuse her offer. I don't know what might happen if I do, and I can't take any chances here.
"Vi told me that any hotels with candy signs might be safe," I say. "So, eh, could you take me to one?"
Nyxa scoffs. "Of course I can, darling human." She laughs, yet her tone and expression make me feel like a small child. "The only thing is, you'll have to pretend to be my pet. It's the only way they'll let you in."
Once again, by some convenience of someone else, I'm saved.
However, I can't shake the sense of dread. She did mention something being painful for me. It doesn't help that I wanted to strategize and figure things out myself, like in one of my games.
Maybe this is for the best. I'm not exactly the type of person who can survive anything. My sister and I used to call those kinds of characters roaches because of that.
Nyxa takes ahold of my wrist, slinking her fingers down to my own fingers, and she grips them tightly. Wondering if this is how Rosie felt during the dollhouse section of Little Fairy, I allow her to parade me to the hotel.
I can only hope that this will actually work.