Emily was at her absolute breaking point. A life once defined by luxury had vanished in an instant, leaving her with nothing.
She walked aimlessly, stopping atop a bridge as a thin drizzle began to fall. The cold rain pierced through her skin, covered only by a thin, wrinkled, and stained T-shirt.
Only days ago, she was the princess of a business dynasty. But a betrayal by her father’s most trusted confidant and a ruthless conspiracy from a rival family had stripped everything away.
Their assets were seized, her father was imprisoned, her mother took her own life, and her young sibling was left to endure the gnawing pains of hunger. Emily herself was cast out onto the streets, her name tarnished by slander.
She stood on the bridge, staring down at the black currents of the river below. It wasn’t death she sought, but silence. She simply wanted to stop feeling the agony of betrayal.
"The water looks quite cold, doesn't it? What if you reclaimed everything that was yours and put those who betrayed you in the exact position you are in now, instead of jumping into that freezing river and dying in vain?"
The deep voice sent a simultaneous wave of chills and warmth through her. Emily turned to see a man in a sharp, all-black suit. His eyes were the color of ash, and his skin was deathly pale.
Lucius, a collector of souls, saw the desperation within Emily. It wasn't sympathy he offered, but a transaction.
***
"I can restore your family's dignity and destroy those who laughed at your tears."
Emily realized exactly who, or what, stood before her. The weight of her misery silenced the subconscious instinct to run. Instead, she asked.
"And the price?"
Lucius curled the corner of his lip into a thin smile that didn't reach his ice-cold eyes. He stepped closer, his leather boots making no sound on the wet asphalt.
"Your soul."
Lucius watched the remaining flicker of doubt in Emily’s eyes with a hungry gaze. To him, a soul shattered by betrayal was the most exquisite delicacy, seasoned with rage and despair.
The doubt lingered only for a moment. Emily’s gaze turned hollow, devoid of emotion. Lucius watched every shift in her expression, yet now, even he could not read her.
A suffocating silence enveloped them, interrupted only by the pitter-patter of rain hitting the river's surface. Lucius, who had lived for millennia and watched thousands of humans grovel at his feet, felt something foreign: anticipation.
Usually, humans would cry, tremble, or at least radiate a burning passion for revenge.
But Emily had become like a flat, dark mirror. She no longer radiated fear, but she didn't radiate light either.
Slowly, Lucius extended his hand, palm facing upward, letting the raindrops pass through his ethereal shadow.
Emily stared at his pale hand, then back into his ashen eyes. The sparkle of a naive princess was gone, what remained was a pure, terrifying resolve.
She reached out and placed her hand in his. The moment their palms touched, the rain seemed to freeze in mid-air. Time stood still.
From their connection, Emily felt a cold current creep through her body, eventually piercing her heart.
She didn't pull away, even as her heart rate slowed and her breath hitched.
She stared straight into Lucius's gray eyes and heard his final words before she lost consciousness.
"You know that the devil never bargains."
***
When Emily opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on the large white bed in her own room.
The filthy T-shirt she had been wearing was gone, replaced by her usual silk pajamas.
She blinked, staring at the gold-carved ceiling—a sight she thought she would never see again. With a racing heart, she checked the small calendar on her bedside table.
January 10, 2025.
Emily’s hands shook. That date was exactly one year before the tragedy struck her family—before the traitors seized her father's company.
"Welcome back to the past, Emily."
She heard the same heavy voice from the bridge. Turning, she saw the same man who had claimed her soul as the price for her vengeance.
"Am I... truly back in the past?" Emily asked hesitantly.
"Do you doubt the abilities of the great Lucius?"
Instead of answering, Emily simply sighed and moved toward the bathroom.
***
After returning to the past, Emily began weaving her web of revenge with Lucius’s help.
The ill fate that once befell her was now turned against the traitors in the company and her business rivals. Her father was not imprisoned, her mother was alive, and her younger sibling continued their education.
Her family remained blissfully unaware of the tragedy that would have consumed them if Emily hadn't sacrificed her soul.
Nearly a year had passed. As Lucius assisted Emily in her retaliation, he noticed something peculiar: Emily did everything from the shadows, ensuring her family never knew they were ever on the brink of ruin.
Lucius was used to contracts fueled by pure hatred. But Emily performed hers as an act of sacrifice.
"Why did you agree to sacrifice your soul if you don't even enjoy the satisfaction?"
It was a question he had never asked a contractor before, as they usually laughed with glee at their enemies' downfall.
"Because if it weren't for my mistakes, my family wouldn't have been destroyed. If only I hadn't been so foolish and naive back then... so consider this a trade: my soul in exchange for fixing my own failures."
Lucius, the heartless collector, felt a strange sensation in his chest—something foreign, especially when he looked at Emily.
"You know your time is running out, don't you?" Lucius asked as Emily stood on the balcony, watching the city lights with a peaceful expression.
Emily turned and smiled at him. "Thank you for helping me."
At the sight of that smile, the strange vibration in Lucius’s chest returned. He didn't want that smile to vanish. He didn't want to see the color leave her cheeks or her body grow cold and stiff.
Lucius did not want to take her soul.
He stepped closer, closing the distance between them. He looked into her eyes and whispered her name, "Emily..."
"I'm ready." Emily held out her hand, palm up, just as she had on the bridge.
Lucius placed his palm over hers and gripped it firmly.
"I once told you that the devil never bargains."
Emily didn't understand the weight of his words. She anticipated the creeping cold to stop her heart, but the cold never came.
"And you should know... that the devil is selfish."
Instead of a chill, Emily felt a warmth from Lucius’s hand spread through her. But the warmth quickly intensified into a searing heat. Her heart felt as though it were being pierced and placed over burning coals.
She wanted to scream, but her voice was trapped in a throat that felt like it was swallowing lava. Her heart hammered with an unnatural rhythm, growing weaker and weaker until it finally stopped. The searing pain vanished.
Emily thought she was dead, but she realized she was still standing on the balcony. However, everything felt different. Her senses were sharpened, and her body felt impossibly light. She looked at Lucius, her face filled with questions.
"Emily, I will not let your soul be destroyed. You will spend the remainder of your contract in eternity... with me."
