The music stopped suddenly for a few seconds. The lights froze and Jessica felt as if she were frozen in time. When the beat dropped it was as if the world erupted into a chaotic frenzy around her. The crowd went wild as alcohol flew threw the air. She tried to retreat but more people swarmed from behind to join the mosh pit.

Her heart stopped when she lost her footing and began to fall. She heard stories of people being trampled to death and wondered if that was to be her fate. Another sick twist from the Heavens is to end her life a little bit earlier. The last thing she remembered was locking eyes with the DJ.

A strong hand gripped her arm and dragged her away from the stampede of dancers. She staggered back to her feet and used the man to steady herself. "I'm so sorry, thank-" she began to say before she stopped short. Standing before her was the DJ offering a warm smile. Her eyes darted back to the empty stage. "How did you?"

"You almost had a nasty fall there. You all right?" the smooth-talking DJ asked.

"Umm, yeah," Jessica said as she tried to figure out the logistics of such a feat.

"You can call me Lu," he chuckled. He nodded toward one of the private rooms. "Wanna go somewhere private for a moment? Get away from the music and I'll buy you a drink?"

"I was actually looking for my friend," she said as she scanned the crowd for a head of familiar pink hair.

"I'm sure she'll be fine. I insist, let me get you a drink."

She wondered for a moment how he knew her friend was a woman, but his words seemed to flow like honey, and Jessica was hooked on it all. She managed to nod her agreement, still a bit dazed, as he lead her to a private room. Upon entering it was considerably quieter than the dance floor much to her relief.

"Any preferences?" Lu asked as he began preparing a couple of glasses from a minibar.

"Ah, no. I don't really drink that much," she said shyly as she took a seat on the leather couch.

"You should," he said as he began mixing a fruity drink. "Live a little. I take it you don't hit the club scene too often?"

Jessica paused for a moment. Was that the secret to life that she's been missing this entire time? Was she supposed to just live a little? She was lost in thought when her attention was snagged by a red drink held in front of her face.

"Well?" Lu asked again.

"Yeah, it is my first time," she said taking the beverage. She sniffed the rim of the glass and could smell the aroma of strawberries and alcohol. "Thank you," she nodded.

Lu smiled as he took a seat close by. "Let me take a guess. You came here because it was your friend's idea to help forget about something?"

"Yeah... How'd you know that?"

He smirked as he sipped on his whiskey. "Saw it in your eyes. You know they say they are the window to someone's soul."

Jessica cradled her drink as she stared deep into Lu's reddish eyes. She wasn't sure what she was searching for but dove in regardless. It felt as if she were falling into his depths. His eyes spoke of untold mysteries that defied his age. She blinked a few times as she adverted her gaze. "My boyfriend had cheated on me. Nikki thought coming here would help me forget."

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

"Revenge is sweet, after all," Lu said with a knowing look, "It's also not fattening."

She glanced down at her waistline unsure if his comment was directed at her.

Lu placed a delicate hand on her bare leg. "Let me ask you this. What if you had the chance to get your revenge on him?"

"I don't know. I keyed his truck and that might have been too much..."

"Nonsense," he said leaning in close. His eyes flared with intensity like a raging fire. "He wronged you. The relationship you built was crushed in an instant and the only damnation he receives is a scratched truck?"

"Maybe he does deserve more?" Jessica said as she adverted her gaze. "But what would I do? Slash his tires?"

"You poured months, possibly years into this man," Lu said with passion, "You may have planned to buy a house with him. Maybe even have kids? He deserves so much worse for what he's done!"

"Poison ivy in his pants?"

Lu's eyes lit up with glee, "You're on the right track now. Think bigger. Grander!"

Jessica stumbled over her words as she tried to think of a more sinister punishment. "Break his knees?" she asked awkwardly as she thought of her friend's incessant chant.

"There you go. Now we're getting somewhere. What of his love affair? She knew he was taken and decided to engage in such an adulterous act regardless. She must be punished as well!"

"I don't know... This is just so much," Jessica said as she turned away from the conversation.

"No, no, no..." Lu said as he knelt down in front of her. "What if I could give you the strength to exact your revenge? The power you need to satisfy you and twist fate to your will?"

She tried to hide her emotion but couldn't help but perk up at the thought of things going her way for once. Time and time again life seemed to be out to get her and she was helpless to endure the blows. "You can really do that?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Lu said with a sinister grin that tugged at his lips. "We'll make a little deal and it will all work out in your favor. It'll be perfect!"

"What do I need to do in return?"

"For now? Nothing," he explained, "I'll lend you my power for a day and after that, I'll come to collect what I want. How does that sound?"

"What is it that you want?" Her father's voice nagged at the back of her mind. She knew something about this didn't seem right but the idea of something going her way was invigorating. She could make Brian and that woman pay for the pain they put her through. For once she could come out on top!

"It's nothing much. You wouldn't even notice if it were gone. So what do you say?"

Lu said as he extended his hand. His words were smooth and seductive to the point Jessica found it difficult to resist. She eyed his hand for a moment and then shifted her gaze to his bottomless eyes. They seemed to draw her in and make his deal all the more tantalizing.

"Okay," she said as she grabbed his hand and shook it.

"Excellent," he said in an ominous tone as his skin turned several shades of red before her very eyes. Quickly a thick pair of horns began to protrude from his skull as thick feathery wings ripped out from the back of his shirt. Jessica's eyes went wide as she tried to pull away but found his grasp to be far too powerful. His fingernails turned black and pointed sharp as they began to dig into her skin.

A devilish rune of black and red appeared over the back of Jessica's hand as demonic energy flowed into her blood and her body. The wounds Lu left behind turned a nasty black and burned like a branding iron. She yelped in pain as she was released and fell to the floor.

"What did you do to me? Who are you!?"

"Oh hush now," he said showing his rows of pointed teeth. "I simply gave you a fraction of my power."

"You're... You're not human," Jessica cowered from the corner she had backed herself into.

"No, I suppose I'm not," Lu said as he surveyed his hand as it returned to normal. "Just an imitation but so much better than the real thing." He grinned as he eyed Jessica, "You better enjoy the gift while you can. Not many mortals get to test drive Lucifer's power."

"Lucifer?" she gasped as she clutched her bleeding wrist.

"The one and only!" he said with a flourish of his pitch black wings. "Now if you don't mind I have other deals to make. You would not believe how easy it is to persuade today's youth to sell their soul. Ta-ta," he laughed as he snapped his fingers and vanished into a ring of fire that quickly subsided.

"What have I done?" Jessica quietly cried.