A contract with a demon.

When Artemis was the age of nine, he wanted to be stronger, a lot stronger. Strong enough so that people couldn't hurt him anymore, so that his family couldn't bully him anymore about being weak. After being beaten up by some local bullies, he ran away crying. Ashamed to go home and tell his family. His grandfather, the head of the Dagger household, would just call him a coward. He ran into the forests, and stay there until nightfall.


As he sat there, face buried in his knees, he heard a voice in the darkness.

"Why do you cry child?"

Art's young eyes looked up, his face immediately contorted in terror. Kneeling in front of him was a demon. A looming figure of black smoke, it's body completely black except for various cracks, that seemed to glow burning red. The demon radiated heat, and smelled like death. It cooled black eyes staring straight into Art's pure red ones. He screamed, shuffling back, but the demon moved with him only stopping when his back hit the tree.

"Please! Don't eat me!" He begged, covering his face in terror, The Demon titled it's held in confusion.

"Eat you...Why I don't want to eat you, I'm not particularly fond of children, especially boy children. Souls still so untainted, No I have no interested in eating you." Art slowly pulled his hands away, checking to see if the demon would attack. It didn't, it remained there looking at him.

"Then what do you want?" He asked gulping,

"I told you, I want to know why you cry," Art's fear stemmed somewhat, he looked at the Demon, before glancing away.

"Because I'm weak, the kids at school bully me, and my family don't care." He told the Demon bitterly. The Demon gave a cold chuckle, that send a shudder down Artemis's spine, he felt the demon reach up and cup his chin. He stiffened at it's touch, although it didn't look it. It's skin was scaly, and rough. The Demon lifted the child's chin with ease.


"Do you wish for power child?" The Demon asked in a seductive tone. Art nodded eagerly, the Demon chuckled once more. "How fortunate that we would stumble upon eachother, you see child, I am on the brink of death. I have more power than I could ever imagine and I'm about to lose it. Alas, if I were to give it to you, I could live. And you would gain a power stronger than your wilder dreams."

"How would giving me your power make you live?" The Demon smiled, it's teeth were sharp like a snakes, only there were rows and rows of them. Art pushed back against the tree, trying to increase the distance between him and those teeth.

"In exchange for my power, I would live within you, It'll give me at least another couples of decades yet, I'm not ready to be rid of this world yet. What do you say..." The Demon began to skulk around Art, moving behind him so he could whisper in his ear. "You would be able to defeat those bullies, silence them for good, they would never cross you again. Nor would anyone else, that is, if you use me properly. You're family will be amazed, proud I should imagine. It won't hurt either, you'll just fall asleep for a while. Then wake up stronger than ever."

Artemis listened to his words, he didn't like it, but more than anything he wanted power. To be stronger than those who would bully him, to prove his family wrong. His naïve mind couldn't comprehend the consequences, as all he knew was that he would get to be strong. 

"I'll do it, you can live inside me, and you give me power." The Demon moved in front of him, it's face split into a terrifyingly monstrous grin.

"Excellent," Then as the Demon moved forward, everything went dark and Artemis slipped into unconsciousness.