Max woke up to the sound of gunshots and distant explosions—an oddly fitting alarm clock for Hell. He sat up with a groan, rubbing his temples as he took in his surroundings. The room was a standard hotel setup: one bed, cracked wallpaper, and a faint sulfur smell. Just the usual infernal charm.
He caught his reflection in a dusty wall mirror and blinked. His body looked mostly human—more human than he expected—but with wolf ears poking out of his hair and a fluffy tail swishing behind him.
"…Right. I did have a wolf phase," Max muttered. Wolves had been his favorite animals since childhood, and that obsession apparently bled straight into his character design.
Still, even as he stretched, he could sense something deeper—something ancient and monstrous lurking beneath this pleasant humanoid shell. His true form. One he instinctively knew he shouldn't reveal unless absolutely necessary.
His phone buzzed aggressively on the nightstand, vibrating so hard it nearly fell off. Max picked it up and froze. Dozens of messages greeted him—Octavia, Loona, Bee, Charlie, Vaggie, Millie. All with heart emojis, pet names, and inside jokes.
He scrolled through the chats.
"…Huh. I'm already in a relationship with all of them."
And they were surprisingly wholesome relationships at that. Since the contract magic made him respond exactly how he genuinely would, he didn't have to fake anything either.
A small smile tugged at his lips.
"This is… actually really nice. And they aren't acting as crazy as I expected."
Then a thought surfaced—an ability he remembered but hadn't fully explored.
"Harem Contract?"
The moment he spoke, cold chains materialized—thin, glowing, symbolic—one set looping from his neck, another set forming around his hands. A floating, ornate contract materialized before him with names etched in elegant infernal script:
Vaggie, Charlie, Octavia, Loona, Bee.
He skimmed through the clauses.
Mutual ownership of souls, representing absolute trust rather than control. A bond both eternal and breakable—but only on their terms.
Sweet, in a very spooky infernal sort of way.
His phone buzzed again.
A text from Blitzo: "GET UR ASS TO WORK. NOW. 😡💥🔫"
Followed by several more emojis that looked like war crimes.
"Oh. Right. Job." Max snapped his fingers, and a stylish black suit wrapped itself around his body. Elegant, fitted, intimidating—a combination he found oddly perfect.
He headed downstairs.
The moment he stepped off the last stair, a small blur slammed into him.
"O–OH! A boy! Is he your boyfriend? Is he new? OOOH–DUST!" Niffty squealed before zooming off to clean a cobweb that had dared exist in her presence.
Max laughed. "She's like ADHD on crack."
He finally approached the lobby, spotting Charlie and Vaggie talking anxiously while Husk nursed a drink. Today looked familiar—eerily familiar. It was the day Alastor first arrived at the hotel. And judging from Loona's earlier texts, it was also the day I.M.P. dealt with that insane family in the first episode of Helluva Boss.
"Oh! Hi Max!" Charlie beamed, giving him a quick hug before bouncing back to Vaggie's side.
A tall, shadow-splintered figure turned toward him, smiling that unsettlingly sharp smile.
"Well now, so you are the demon who has captured so many souls," Alastor said, voice crackling like an old radio.
Charlie started to introduce them. "Right! Max, this is—"
"Alastor. The Radio Demon. Overlord." Max offered his hand calmly. "Pleasure to meet you."
Alastor's grin twitched, just slightly.
"Oh my, someone well-informed. How delightful."
"Wait—how do you know who Alastor is?" Charlie asked, frowning. "You've only been in Hell for a few years. Right?"
Few years? Max almost choked.
He didn't have all of his memories yet, but two years was far less than he expected.
He improvised.
"Well, I read a lot about Hell's hierarchy. You know—your father at the top, then the Sins, Royalty, and Overlords. Alastor stands out."
Vaggie crossed her arms. "Fine. But can you help out with the hotel today?"
"Sorry, Vaggie. I have to head to I.M.P. I'll be back tonight."
Charlie stepped in front of him, worry softening her expression. "Max… why do you work at I.M.P.? My hotel is supposed to rehabilitate you. And that job is one of the worst influences around. Plus it's on the other side of the Pride Ring. I know Loona works there, and we're not against your… situation, but we could figure something out."
Max placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Charlie, my star. I'm pretty sure I can't be redeemed. I'm the nicest sinner around—I haven't even slept with anyone yet. Even when Bee dragged me to the Lust Ring for a party."
"She WHAT?!" Vaggie summoned her spear so fast it whistled.
Charlie grabbed her before she launched herself across the lobby.
"Relax, both of you," Max said. "Per the contract, I can't do anything intimate with anyone unless we share souls. And we're not even at stage two yet. I won't break that rule."
The Harem Contract had two levels:
• Level One: Romantic connection—similar to dating.
• Level Two: Eternal, marriage-like soul bond.
And because Max refused forced relationships, every contract included a voluntary exit. No return, but no imprisonment either.
Charlie sighed. "Still… why did Bee take you to the Lust Ring? It's another Sin's territory."
Before Max could answer, his phone exploded with new texts—urgent ones from Blitzo, Moxxie, and Loona.
"I'll ask her later," Max said, sliding the phone away. "Right now I.M.P. has a job. And with me there, there's less chance of unnecessary killings. They might be Hellborn and unable to enter Heaven, but I still care about Loona. Like I care about all of you."
Charlie softened again. "You're right. Just… come back safe, okay? And tell Loona the get-together should be in a few days."
"I will," Max promised.
He stepped outside, shadows curling around his feet.
"Alright. Time to get to work."
Darkness swallowed him as he vanished into the Pride Ring's skyline.