A solitary boat, made of a glossy and otherworldly material, was being rowed by a single woman, clad in a flowing white garment. The sea was covered by a pure white fog, so thick that even the water was barely visible.
The sea was so pristine and serene that anyone who saw it would doubt it was real. As the boat moved, it created no ripples. Its existence, too, was questionable.
On the boat, the lady, pure and calm, paddled. Her movements were filled with such a grace that one would be inclined to believe that she was an angel.
Behind her was a boy curled up in a fetal position. The boy was naked and his eyes were gray. He stared into the fog, but his mind was nowhere near here.
The woman, perhaps unnerved by the silence, spoke.
"I wouldn't believe it if I were told I would meet you so early."
The boy showed no sign that he heard her, his eyes were still fixated on the fog.
"The others had said you'll become a God. I believed them." She stopped paddling and gazed at him. The boy's eyes flickered on her for a moment, but he soon lost interest.
"Although I'm a bit disappointed: you don't seem to be half the man they said you were." The lady shook her head in dismay and placed the paddle on the floor of the boat. She squatted beside the boy and whispered into his ear.
"I was your biggest fan." Her hand went to his face and caressed it passionately.
"I didn't expect you to die so early, all because of revenge." Her hand rubbed against his bare skin with the delicacy of a lover.
The boy didn't flinch; it was as if he hadn't noticed her.
"Was it worth it?"
Her question finally elicited a response from the boy. He looked up, as his eyes were lost in thought. He whispered, "I'll do it all over again."
"I thought as much." She smiled, expecting such a response. "You were called the perfect human," she continued. "You were known as the protagonist of an entire era. Look how far you've fallen now."
She retrieved her hands from his skin and said, "But this is also good."
She then looked at him with a gleam in her eyes, as if he were the most precious thing in the world.
"I believe you know where I'm taking you to?"
"To the underworld," the boy whispered, biting on his pale skin with such intensity that his skin broke, but he was no longer flesh and there was no more blood to be shed.
"Over there, your soul will be recycled, and you'll die in the truest and purest form."
The boy just kept his teeth glued to his skin but said nothing.
"Kael, will you be willing to sign a contract with me?" She stretched out her hand to him, waiting to see if he would accept. "Let me grant you new life."
Kael was supposed to turn twenty this month but his thirst for revenge had doomed him.
He had lived a really shitty life, completely fueled by revenge. Every waking second, he was either thinking about revenge or how to become more powerful. Now that he had accomplished his goal, there was little satisfaction. More emptiness.
If he had a second chance he would try to be happier.
That was why, although he knew this woman was a demon, a member of the same race he had sworn to eradicate, he still took her hand.
She smiled while holding his hand and asked, "Kael, do you believe in fate?"
The boy was immediately put off by her question as he squinted his eyes. He answered nevertheless, "Not really."
"Then you wouldn't mind accepting the fate of my father, Azreal?"
Before Kael could ask any more questions, she continued, "With the heavens as a witness, and the earth as our bearer, I make this contract with you, Kael Rudon. I shall grant you life, the greatest gift ever, and in exchange, you shall bear the fate of my father."
Kael's eyes dimmed. Perhaps this hadn't been the right choice, but what other choice did he have? Besides, he didn't believe in fate to begin with. Whoever her father was, he would have no control over him once he was out of here.
All that mattered right now was not dying. Now that hope was in front of him, he couldn't go back.
"Do you agree to these terms, Kael Rudon," she asked with a small smile plastered on her face.
Kael nodded. He had chosen this path, so he might as well walk it to the very end. At the very least he wouldn't die. As they say, wherever there was life there was hope.
In that moment, he felt his back heat up as if a hot pen was being used to inscribe words onto him.
He didn't flinch as the feeling wasn't painful. But when his hand touched his back he felt nothing, but he knew that something had happened.
Looking at the lady one last time, he felt an urge to thank her. But his pride wouldn't let him appreciate a demon. The realm was already fading and Kael realised that the contract was already manifesting and he was about to be reborn.
Before everything vanished into oblivion, he saw the lady speak. "Maybe you'll create the world father dreamed of." For some reason, she had this weird smile on her face that Kael couldn't get off his mind.
And before he could ask anymore, a cold darkness enveloped him.
As he drifted in the void, a single thought surfaced.
He had lived to kill demons.
He had died to a demon.
He had been reborn by a demon.
His fate was now that of a demon.
Somewhere along the way, he had crossed a line.
He was no longer sure he could call himself human.
[Author's note: this is the beginning of a legendary story]