"You're one hell of a bastard," the Devil muttered as Nathan stepped into the hospital room. The place was empty—no nurses, no patients—and no one had the faintest clue that a literal Devil had manifested there.
The black-haired man exhaled tiredly, shoulders sinking as the Devil continued, his tone a mix of mockery and amusement, "I never told you to kiss her, yet you did. So tell me, was it just temptation that made you lie to her about all that emotional crap?"
Nathan didn't even flinch. The Devil had seen it all—and somehow, he knew Nathan had been lying to Mira about most of it.
After a moment, Nathan finally spoke, voice low and calm. "Yeah, there was temptation," he admitted. "But I also wanted to mess with her." His eyes turned colder, a hint of bitterness creeping in. "No matter what bullshit reason she gave me for leaving, I know she cheated on me first. This was just…payback."
He still remembered. A few days before their breakup, Mira had gone on a date with Troy—and then spent the night at his place. Nathan didn't find out until later, when one of their mutual friends spilled it. And when he confronted her, she twisted it into an excuse to end things.
"Kukuku~ as I thought," the Devil chuckled darkly, his plush body hopping up to sit on Nathan's lap, startling him. "You really *are* the best man for this job."
Nathan glared down at him but didn't push him off.
"Tell me," the Devil said, tilting his head, his button eyes glinting like embers. "Why *her*? Why Mira, when you could've chosen her twin?"
Nathan's frown deepened. "Didn't you hear the whole damn thing?"
The Devil's grin widened, sharp and knowing. "Don't give me that bullshit," he sneered. "I can *see* when someone's lying—and you, my friend, were lying through your fucking teeth."
Nathan averted his gaze, jaw tightening.
The Devil hopped onto his lap again, his plush body light but his words heavy. "Now, now, don't be shy," he teased, "tell me—why *that* girl and not her better version?"
Nathan let out a tired sigh. "…Because it was fun," he admitted quietly. "Fun making Amaya taste defeat for the first time in her life." His eyes drifted downward, voice flattening into something cold and honest. "I liked both of them, but back then…I thought, 'what would her reaction be if she got rejected?' And then…"
"Phahaha!" The Devil's laughter burst through the silence, sharp and cruel. "You're one *nasty* scumbag. Rejecting a girl just to enjoy her misery—now that's dark even by *my* standards." With a bounce, he jumped off Nathan's lap and landed back on the bed, grinning like a predator amused by its prey.
Nathan's brow furrowed. "Don't put it like that. I didn't mean to—"
"Yeah, yeah, I got it," the Devil interrupted, waving him off dismissively before his grin thinned into something more serious. His button eyes gleamed faintly red as he asked, voice low and deliberate, "So…are you ready to make the contract?"
Nathan took a deep breath...this was it.
He hadn't forgotten about his brother even once. He was still desperate to save him anyhow.
That's why, he said, "If seducing women is what it takes to get my brother back, then yes, I accept your offer."
He rested his hand on the devil's offered one.
A grin split the plush's face before Nathan heard, "Welcome to hell."
Suddenly, something seemed to have pierced his head.
"Ah!" Nathan's head jerked back, his mind turning numb and vision darkening.
He nearly slipped off the stool as he clutched the bed bars tightly and endured the pain.
It was as if his head was splitting and mending several times within a minute.
His nose felt hot, veins popping in the middle of his forehead, eyes becoming hot red.
For a moment, he felt like screaming and calling for a doctor.
But then...the pain slowly began to subside. His vision regained clarity and the throbbing slowly vanished.
Nathan slowly lifted his eyes to look at the bed but the plush was nowhere to be seen.
But he didn't think of searching for the devil as his eyes caught something unfamiliar levitating in the corner of his eyes.
[Welcome, host.]
[I am your assistant in this wonderful journey!]
[Are you excited?]
"..."
No.
Absolutely, fucking not.