Drip, Drip, Drip.

That was the sound Nathan's blood made as it fell to the floor. It painted a pretty picture, he decided, in the way it pooled on the stone.

His wasn't the only blood in the hallway of course. Just over there, he could see a great fountain of the liquid sprouting from a neck. It had pulsed so rhythmically before, he mused, when the heart had still been beating. Looking around, he wondered where the head had gone, but it seemed like it had gotten lost.

If his blood painted a picture, the hallway was truly a work of art. The walls were painted red, so very red, and body parts were strewn around in a way that seemed messy but promised to reveal a deeper meaning - at least to Nathan.

Nathan could feel himself getting colder. His life leaked out of all the holes that his body now had, but he didn't feel sad about it.

He didn't feel much of anything right now, Nathan decided. He had known death before, and he could practically hear the reaper breathing down his neck. It had always seemed so scary, death. He had struggled with all his might against it and had escaped from its clutches again and again.

But right at this moment, it was hard to understand why he had done so. Then again, he should at least try and survive, shouldn't he? There must have been a reason why he had done so in the past.

Mentally, Nathan considered all his options. He could no longer move his body, it was incredible he even managed to kill the last couple of the Hibble's men. That was what he had been doing, wasn't it? The memory was already hazy, details fleeing from him.

His Fount of Nature perk struggled with all its might, but the injuries were too severe, the paltry healing it provided futile in comparison. One option was still left, though. And this was the perfect moment to test it, he decided.

Certain of his decision, he finally engaged his most mysterious skill – Ripples in the Water.

Nathan felt the demands of the skill, it asked not for energy or stamina, but rather for what he was willing to offer and what he was asking for. The answer was clear.

I will give anything I have, he told the skill - anything I have for my life.

At first, it seemed like the skill had no effect, but Nathan soon noticed what was happening. There was a certain sense of weight to existence – one that went entirely unnoticed until it was gone. Nathan had not realised it, but the pressure it exerted on him decreased every time his power rose.

The reason for that was simple – the weight itself stayed the same, but Nathan could endure it better. Now though, this weight was lifted. Little by little, it receded and with that came a dreamlike sensation.

Nothing had changed, every drop of blood and every wall was the same as before. Deep inside of himself, however, Nathan knew that the rules of existence which had been so ironclad before, were nothing but suggestions now.

It did not take long until something took advantage of that situation. As if in a dream, Nathan could see overlapping pictures before him. One showed the very same floor he was lying on, while the other displayed a magnificent grove. In the middle of this grove was a circle of mushrooms, the fungi radiating an aura of mystery.

All at once, the pictures snapped together, a circle of mushrooms now sprouting from the stone floor. Through the circle stepped a creature.

It was an image of absolute perfection. Its form was neither male nor female, for human concepts could not touch the great one.

The slender and pale limbs it carried, showed Nathan the shortcomings of his form, for how could he compare to its magnificence? Its large eyes were entirely black, displaying nothing less but the beginning and end of existence. As it smiled, a row of sharp teeth was revealed and Nathan wished for nothing more than to be consumed by this divine being.

Already he was offering up his inferior arm when a pentagram of fire suddenly erupted in-between them. Out of it stepped a red humanoid, a goat's horns on his head. The devil was wearing a suit and looked at Nathan with his snake-like eyes.

Stolen story; please report.

When the devil spoke, the voice was insidious, worming its way into Nathan's mind. “Now then, fae. You would not want to breach the terms of the accord by overwhelming this mortal's mind with your glamour, would you?”

The words freed Nathan's mind, allowing him to see the fae for what it was – a pale humanoid with elongated, slender limbs that ended in claws. On its face was a perverse grin, drool dripping from its mouth.

Nathan physically recoiled at that, feeling as though his very being had been defiled.

Answering, the fae's voice was high and filled with whimsy, but Nathan knew not to trust that. “Ah, but would it truly breach the accords to dominate this one? After all, he has summoned us here himself.”

Turning to Nathan, the creature addressed him directly. “May I have your name, mortal?”

That question sent a shiver down Nathan's back and he was still reeling from the glamour's previous effect. Nonetheless, he knew that showing weakness here would undoubtedly spell his doom, so he answered with all the confidence he could muster.

“You may not, fey. For the duration of this conversation, you can call me Nate, though. How should I adress you?”

That was when Nathan finally noticed the abnormality of his current condition. While he was still lying on the floor, wounded and in a pool of his own blood, for now, he felt neither pain nor weakness. Ripples in the Water had not just summoned these beings but also delayed his death.

Hearing Nathan's answer, the fey broke out into tinkling laughter. “You may call me Bittersweet, of the winter court.”

Nodding at that, Nathan turned to the grinning devil. “It's good to see a mortal who knows the ways of the fae. I always find myself getting annoyed, when those of the courts manage to trick another soul. Call me Telemoth”

As the devil spoke the name, it echoed through the surroundings, carrying with it the smell of ash and brimstone. Nathan could not stop an exclamation from escaping him. “True name.”

Transforming into a cloud of smoke, the devil suddenly appeared behind Nathan, leaning down and whispering in his ear. “Only a part of it.”

The being took a deep breath, savouring the air. “Should we not trade today, I would be delighted for you to call on me again. Your soul smells so grandly of Wrath, yet so tightly bound. With this fragment of my name, it should not be a problem for you to find me in the future.”

That was when Bittersweet reinserted themself into the situation. “Ah, do not entice the mortal any more, hell-dweller. It is time for us to present our deals.”

The fae stared at Nathan with incredible intensity, its nose twitching as more saliva escaped its mouth. “You have with you an object steeped in sorrow and grief, but still filled with love and longing, mortal.”

Opening its mouth and letting an enormous tongue taste the air, Bittersweet continued. “Seldom have I felt an object of such strong emotional significance. For it, I will save more than just your life. You will be granted a portion of my power, given for eternity. To call upon the winter courts might, 'tis a boon rarely given.”

That offer was truly enticing. A completely different pool of power would be useful for the entire tower and considering that it will still be some time until I get my second class it might very well keep me alive.

Nathan knew what Bittersweet was asking for though - his mother's ring. It was the very last object he had not just from his mother but also from earth entirely. He had already left his entire life behind once in a future that did not exist any more, the thought of parting from this too filled him with apprehension.

Seeing that Nathan did not react immediately, Telemoth gave his offer in turn. “I see that you are uncomfortable to give away that which makes you yourself, Nate. Worry not, for as long as you live I will not demand anything of you.”

With a flourish, Telemoth produced a scroll, dense script written on it.

“Only after your death will I collect the debt. Your soul will be mine for eternity, and in return, you will gain the power of a warlock's contract. I can see that your soul is almost filled, but this much power will not overburden it.”

There were Warlock classes in the tower, but this was not what the devil was talking about. Upon signing the contract, Nathan would get a general skill providing him with a specific part of the devil's power. I would have to haggle with Telemoth, if I only get the contract I would need to borrow his regeneration specifically, considering the state I'm currently in. But I'm sure I could convince him to give me a one-time healing.

There was one thing remaining that could impact Nathan's decision. With a thought, he summoned his status, looking for one particular perk.

Perk: Lone Wolf

The User can no longer form or join any parties, clans, or organizations. The user’s stats are reduced by 50% if not alone in combat. Upon death, the user’s soul is erased in all timelines.

It says that my soul is erased upon death. What takes precedence here though, is the perk or a devil's contract? Such a contract is just about the most unbreakable agreement I know of in the tower – I have never heard of someone escaping from one. But I have also never heard of someone's soul getting erased.

By now, Nathan could already feel Ripple in the Water's influence waning, reality gaining more weight by the moment. It would not be long until the skill's duration was over and he had to make a decision until then or bleed out on the cold stone floor.