[Parking Building - 20 minutes after the incident]
Three black cars stopped on the ground floor of the parking building. The doors opened simultaneously—six people stepped out, all wearing identical black suits with a silver emblem on the left chest: a circle with the silhouette of a spirit bound by chains.
Spirit Tamer Organization.
A woman led the way—late thirties, black hair tied tightly, a sharp face with a thin scar on her right cheek. Her name was Kirana Vex, Senior Investigator, Tier-4 Tamer. Her green eyes scanned the building with intense focus.
"Top floor," she said, her voice firm and cold. "The biggest energy spike is there."
The team moved efficiently—climbing the emergency stairs in tight formation. Two Tamers were in front, invisible barriers expanding from their hands for protection. Three were in the middle with detection devices—tablet-like devices that display supernatural energy patterns. Kirana was behind, one hand poised with a contract seal glowing faintly in her palm.
They reached the roof.
And stopped.
"Damn," muttered one of the young Tamers—a man in his twenties with glasses, his device flashing a violent red. "Energy reading off the charts. This... this is no ordinary Malicious Spirit."
Kirana walked forward, staring at the destroyed rooftop. The concrete cracked in a circular pattern—like an explosion from within. Black and red burn marks in several spots, still billowing thin smoke.
And amid the residue.
Demonic energy.
Like a transparent black mist floating in the air, moving against the wind. Kirana reached out—her fingers touched the mist, and instantly her skin burned with cold.
She pulled her hand away quickly, wincing.
"Demonic contract," she said quietly, but everyone heard.
There was complete silence.
One of the Tamers—a young woman with bobbed hair—sounded shakily. "That's impossible.
Demon contracts can't form in an urban area like this. Our protection should—"
"Clearly not enough," Kirana interrupted sharply. She turned to the team. "Scan the full area. I want complete data. Demon type, contract level, and most importantly—contractor identity."
The team moved quickly. Devices were aimed at various angles, collecting data. A Tamer knelt, touching the burn marks with special gloves, taking samples.
Kirana gazed at the city in the distance. The sun was already fully risen, the morning light illuminating the tall buildings.
Out there, there was now a hybrid.
Half-human, half-demon.
An Abomination that must be destroyed.
"Issue an alert," she said without looking up. "Priority 1. Hunt order. Find the contractor. Kill on sight."
"And the demon?" asked the young Tamer with glasses.
Kirana smiled thinly—a cold, humorless smile.
"Exorcism. Then seal forever."
[Raven's Apartment - Residential Area, 7 km from the parking lot]
Raven closed the apartment door with his back, breathing heavily. The journey from the rooftop to here was a blur—he couldn't clearly remember how they escaped. There was a leap. An instantaneous displacement. Like the world had folded and they were stepping through it.
Azaelith.
Her voice echoed in Raven's head—not from outside, but from within.
"Demon Step. One of my abilities. Now it's yours too."
Raven didn't answer verbally. he just thought: You have a lot of explaining to do.
"And I will. But first," her tone changed, a hint of amusement, "look at yourself."
Raven walked to the bathroom—a small space with a mirror above the sink. The fluorescent light flickered before turning on fully.
he stood in front of the mirror.
And froze.
The person in the mirror was him, but not quite.
The face remained the same—bone structure, nose, lips. But his eyes had turned red.
Blood red with vertical pupils. Just like Azaelith.
There were no whites anymore. Just a faint glow of red, even in the fluorescent light.
Raven touched his face—hands trembling slightly. The reflection moved with him. Real. This was real.
"Fuck," he murmured softly.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Azaelith's voice was playful. "The eyes are the window to the soul. And now your soul is mixed with mine."
Raven took off his jacket and t-shirt—both torn and bloody from the fight. he turned, staring at him back in the mirror.
And his breath caught.
Marking.
From the nape of his neck to his lower waist—a complex pattern like a tribal tattoo, but moving.
Black and red lines that glowed faintly, swirling slowly like a living organism. In the center of his upper back, the same symbol—a circle with runes that burned in the air as the contract was formed.
Contract seal.
Permanent proof that he was no longer fully human.
Raven touched the marking—it was warm. It beat like a second heart.
"That," Azaelith said, her voice more serious now, "is our bond. As long as the marking is there, the contract is active. You can access my power. I can exist through you."
Raven turned from the mirror, walking into the main room of her studio apartment. A single bed in the corner, a small desk with an old laptop, a minimalist wardrobe. A sparse life. No photos. No decorations. Just functional.
Just like his life.
he sat on the edge of the bed, his head in his hands.
"Explain," he said quietly. "Explain everything. How this works."
There was a moment of silence.
Then Azaelith appeared.
Not physically—but like a transparent hologram across the room. Sitting in a desk chair with elegant posture, legs crossed, arms resting on the backrest. Only Raven could see her.
A mental manifestation.
"Okay," Azaelith said, her voice now sounding both outside and inside—a disorienting double layer.
"First lesson: shared consciousness."
She raised a hand—the transparent figure moved with grace. "We are now connected. I exist inside you—in your empty soul that has become my new home. I can see what you see. Hear what you hear. Feel what you feel."
Raven stared at the transparent figure. "So there's no privacy."
"Exactly." A faint smile. "But don't worry—I'm not interested in most of your boring thoughts. Only the relevant ones."
"Relevant to what?"
"Survival. Power. Contract." Azaelith stood, walking—steps not touching the floor—around Raven.
"You can call me anytime. Just think my name with focus. I'll manifest like this—but remember, only you can see and hear me."
Raven nodded slowly. "And your powers?"
"Ah. That's the fun part." Azaelith stopped in front of Raven. "You now have access to some of my powers. Demon Step—instant movement within a limited radius. Demon Flame—black-red flames that burn spiritually and physically. Enhanced strength, speed, durability—the whole basic package."
She crouched down, eye level with Raven's red eyes.
"But there's a catch. The more you use this power, the greater the cost."
"Transformation," Raven said quietly.
"Yes. Physical transformation. The more often, the more permanent. The eyes are the first stage—they're permanent now. Next, the markings will spread. Nails will become claws. Maybe horns will grow. Teeth will become sharper." Azaelith's red eyes glowed. "And most importantly—your humanity will erode. Emotions fade. Empathy lost. You'll become more like me."
"Monster," Raven muttered.
"Or free," Azaelith replied. "Depends on your perspective."
Raven stood and walked to the window. he stared out at the city below—people walking, living their normal lives. Unaware that the world was far darker than they thought.
"Spirit Tamer," he said without looking up. "They will hunt us."
"Yes." Azaelith appeared beside Raven—standing in the air, level with us despite her transparency.
"Our contract left an energy signature. They must have detected it. And they won't stop until we're dead."
"Are they strong?"
"Some of them. There's a tier system—tier 1 through tier 5. The one investigating the rooftop was probably tier 3 or tier 4. Dangerous." She looked at Raven. "But you have me now. With full power, we can fight even tier 5."
"And the price?"
"Full transformation. You'll become a complete demon. There's no turning back."
There was a long silence.
Raven stared at his reflection in the windowpane—red eyes staring back. Foreign yet familiar somehow.
"Why am I not afraid?" he asked quietly, more to himself.
Azaelith laughed softly. "Because you were never afraid of death. You were only afraid of boredom. Afraid of a meaningless life. And now," she twisted her hands, a dramatic gesture, "you have a purpose. Survival. Strength. Fight."
Raven closed his eyes. he felt the markings on his back throb. he felt the dormant power in his veins—like a sleeping beast, waiting to be summoned.
he opened his eyes again.
"There's no turning back," he murmured.
"No," Azaelith confirmed in her head.
"I will be hunted."
"Yes."
"I will change."
"Inevitably."