I Bear The Devil's Eye

Henry stared at the screen, his caution battling with his curiosity. After what seemed to be a moment of deliberation, he made his decision

"No," he said firmly, declining the Source's offer, hesitating before he clicked the 'No' option

But the screen didn't vanish as he expected. Instead, it began to glitch again, flickering erratically like a bugged game as new text appeared.

Henry's eyes narrowed as he slowly read what was shown:

[I truly apologize for sending this message, but you cannot decline the offer.]

[However, by doing so, the Devil's Eye Bearer will be put on penalty mode for the estimated time of 00hrs:00min:39secs.]

"What? Penalty mode?" Henry repeated, his voice with an edge of confusion. "What does that even mean?"

He reread the text carefully, but the words offered no further explanation. But his questions were about to be answered as the screen suddenly flickered out of existence.

Then the world around him began to tremble. The once serene blue skies and fluffy clouds glitched, distorting like a corrupted video game. The mirror beneath his feet cracked, and the entire scene disintegrated, fading into nothingness.

Henry closed his eyes, placing his hand over his eyes as hot air blew into his face. When the chaos stopped, Henry opened his eyes eyes to find himself in a completely different realm.

The once cool, cloudy atmosphere Henry had just gotten used too was completely gone. The blue skies were now consumed by a shadowy black void, and the clouds had vanished, replaced by a strange oppressive darkness. The air around him burned with what seemed to be an unbearable heat but he seemed unbothered by this. Beneath his feet, the reflective, mirror-like surface was gone, replaced by jagged, molten rocks that cracked and spewed magna in flowing streaks.

The young man surveyed this sinister new environment, dread twisting in his chest. "Where… am I?" he whispered, his heart pounding so erratically. His eyes scanned the desolate landscape, stopping at a structure in the distance—a massive fortress made of stone and iron. Its menacing design resembled something straight out of a fantasy novel, movie or a nightmare, exuding a strange aura of danger and secrecy.

As Henry stared at the ominous castle, unease gripped him tightly. The building radiated a foreboding energy, as though it held multiple or even countless terrible secrets that he wasn't prepared to know. His uneasiness became a reality as shadowy figures began to emerge from the fortress, hovering in the air.

"What... what is that?" he muttered, his breath hitching. It was impossible for humans to float like that, so what were they?

His answer came as the figures began to soar toward him at speeds that defied imagination, faster than any aircraft he'd ever seen. Straining his eyes, Henry caught a closer look—and immediately regretted it.

He stumbled backward as the details became clear for him to see: leathery bat wings, scales covering their bodies, razor-sharp claws and fangs, twisted horns sprouting from their heads, and talon-like toenails.

These weren't humans, but demons.

Henry's instincts screamed for him to flee the area, but he stood motionless, till the surge of adrenaline finally kicked in. Turning on his heels, he bolted, running as fast as his legs could carry him. But his desperate efforts to escape were futile; the creatures outmaneuvered him effortlessly, weaving past him as they surrounded him in moments.

Skidding to a stop, Henry found himself trapped, encircled by about six of these demons. Exhausted and terrified at the same time, he glanced around for any sign of escape or help, but he was alone at this point. The demons sneered and chuckled in a mocking tone, their cruel red eyes savoring his fear.

"No, stay away from me!" Henry yelled, grabbing a loose stone which he caught sight of on the ground and hurling it at one of them. The rock struck the creature in the chest, but it didn't flinch, an appropriate thing to happen.

The demon snarled, its amusement turning into rage. In a blur of movement, it lunged at Henry with incredible speed, its claws slashing through his chest with devastating force that was enough to tear even through crocodile skin. Henry dropped to his knees, blood gushing from the cut staining his once-pristine robe. Blood spewed from his mouth as well, a sign that his internal organs were damaged at this point.

Clutching his chest tightly, he looked down at his trembling hands, now drenched in blood. Tears streamed down his cheeks—not only from the pain, but from the sheer terror he felt just by seeing that amount of blood. His breathing grew ragged as the world seemed to close in around him.

Before he could process his current situation, another demon darted forward, tearing though his back.

"Agh!" Henry cried out in agony, bjt still struggling to stay on his knees, possibly, trying to rise up.

The rest of the demons didn't hesitate, seizing the one good opportunity to unleash their Fury. One by one, they slashed at his body, their claws ripping through his flesh. Amidst the pain and suffering, Henry's mind flashed with memories—his mother's face smilling at him as they stood together on a snowy roadside, surrounded by Christmas trees and twinkling lights.

But the warmth of that memory couldn't protect him from his brutal reality. His body now mangled and lifeless, lay on the ground. The demons rose into the air, their mouths opening to release torrents of hot flames enough to turn stone to glass.

The inferno descended upon Henry's corpse, but something strange happened. The fire wasn't consuming him; it was being drawn toward him, sucked in by an unseen force. The flames roared, yet amidst them, a shadow began to form.

The demons, sensing something was wrong, intensified their attacks, hoping to obliterate him entirely. But their efforts were in vain.

As the flames dissipated, a transformed figure stood in the center. It was Henry—but not the same. His human form was gone, replaced by a monstrous visage resembling the demons, yet far more commanding. Claws extended from his hands, and a dark aura radiated from him, exuding undeniable authority.

The demons recoiled in fear. Even the flames surrounding them grew hotter, an irony not lost on creatures born of fire.

Before the new Henry could unleash his vengeance, the entire world began to glitch and distort.

[Your 39 seconds of penalty have elapsed. You have been accepted by the Source.]

Henry jolted awake with a gasp, his chest rising and falling as he struggled to breathe normally. This time, he wasn't in one of the strange realms he often found himself in—it was a completely new place. He lay in a luxurious bedroom, his bare body covered by crisp, white bedsheets.

As he took in the fresh, clean air of the unfamiliar room, his breathing began to calm. "Am I back?" he muttered, glancing down at himself, hoping to see if this was a bad dream and non of it was real. But only part of it seemed to be a dream. His muscular frame remained, just as he had seen in the dream.

"I'm still the same…" he whispered, trying to convince himself he was still safe. Yet unease lingered as he realized how different the place was.

Henry's eyes wandered around the room. A silver of sunlight peaked through the red and white curtains. A wardrobe filled with various clothes stood neatly against the wall. A single door, likely leading to the bathroom, was nearby, just a few meters from the bed. The entire room was pristine, free of even a hint of dirt—far nicer than his dingy apartment back home.

He tried to shake off the lingering nightmares, taking comfort in the luxury surrounding him. But just as he began to relax, a soft sound interrupted his thoughts—a rustling beside him followed by a faint, feminine moan.

His head whipped to the right, and he froze. Lying beside him was a woman, just as unclothed as he was. She was stunning, with long black hair cascading over the bed and striking blue eyes that shimmered like jewels.

Henry's mind raced. Shock, confusion, and a trace of fear gripped him as he stared at the stranger beside him. How had she gotten here? Why was she in his bed? He couldn't move, let alone speak.

The woman stretched with a yawn, her hand covering her mouth in a delicate gesture. Her calm expression shifted into a radiant smile as she noticed his presence.

"Well, that was an rough night," she said, her voice smooth and mature, tinged with allure. "Felt like I was wrestling with a beast."

She pulled the covers off her chest, revealing even more of her flawless figure.

"Good morning, handsome," she added with a playful grin.

Henry swallowed hard, his gaze fixed on her. He wanted to say something—anything—but no words came. His instincts screamed at him to react, yet he remained completely still, caught between disbelief and embarrassment.

The woman, still seated beside him with a confident air around her, was none other than the lady in red from earlier who had taken him in.

The Source intervened, sending another message

[Good morning Lady Velvet]