As midnight neared in the realm of mortals, in a hellish dimension far from their reach, San Gong, seated upon its blazing throne, prepared to cast its shadow into the human world, to complete the final step of its dark pact.

Hell, as it were, is not a world in the traditional sense.

In reality, it's a concept far broader than what mortals can fathom.

Composed of manifold dimensions, each a complete world unto itself, these realms are ruled by various lords of Hell. This includes the notorious Seven Lords, as well as lesser-known but equally formidable devils and demons, and of course, the greatest anomaly amongst them, San Gong.

San Gong stands mightily among the rulers of Hell, disdaining others while coveting the throne. Shunned by both demons and devils, it holds no love for its kin.

Brutish and wild in its ways, it inspires fear in the demonic.

"The time draws near."

San Gong’s voice, deep as thunder, echoed through a dimension filled with rivers of magma, causing shadow-dwelling fiends to cower, not daring to look upon its destructive grandeur.

This domain is peculiar, not made of solid land and seas of lava. Instead, floating islands, bound by massive, crude chains, hang suspended above the blistering landscape, forming a bizarre archipelago shrouded in red toxic fumes.

"The souls of mortals are always within easy reach, yet tonight, another treasure will fall into my hands."

Perched upon the largest island, amidst the relentless heat, San Gong sat on its throne, gazing triumphantly at the human realm, ready to claim another son of great potential.

But as San Gong readied its shadow, it heard another weak call within its vast sea of will.

Chants praising Hell's King, Satan, reached its ears, the mere mention of that name evoking extreme revulsion in San Gong.

These were likely the antics of devil worshippers from the human realm, offering sacrifices to Satan, one of Hell's ruling lords, yet the chants reached San Gong.

This piqued its interest.

As rivals for the throne, both it and Satan were eager for power. If this matter related to Satan, perhaps San Gong could turn it to its advantage.

Sending forth a tendril of consciousness, San Gong traced the call to a distant site of heretical worship. To its astonishment, it found a coven of misguided cultists encircling a naked young woman, chanting in Satan's name.

It seemed she was their offering.

How amusingly mortals play...

Offering their kin to otherworldly beings in hopes of receiving alien "blessings" – could anything be more farcical?

The nude woman, placed upon an ancient stone altar, her eyes wide with terror and bound by chains, could only cry helplessly amidst the sinister chants.

Below her, the stone bore crudely drawn and egregiously incorrect symbols of dark deities. San Gong's shadow noticed no less than thirty errors at a glance.

No wonder its call was heard; these amateur cultists had completely botched the sequence of runes.

It was as awkward as dialing the wrong number while reporting to a superior.

But what more could be expected from these weak and foolish mortals?

For them to achieve even this was commendable.

San Gong's will hovered above, eyeing the woman chosen as sacrifice. Her beautiful shell meant nothing to San Gong; it was her soul that truly mattered.

And upon a cursory glance, San Gong rose from its throne.

This woman... was unique.

She bore an aura truly of Satan, having likely been in contact with him, or perhaps she was a "seed" Satan had deliberately cultivated in the human realm.

No wonder the cultists intended to offer her as a "devil's bride" to Satan. Her life was probably destined for this very moment.

San Gong's four dark red eyes lit up in unison, sensing that perhaps a rare opportunity was opening before it.

"Filled with devilish power, a perfect vessel. Perhaps you can bear me a true demon prince or princess."

The demon lord cackled, a nefarious plan swiftly forming in its mind. If it claimed this "devil's bride"...

Ha! It would not only thwart Satan's scheme but also bolster its own power. Most importantly, it could deeply humiliate the proud Satan, making him a lord of Hell who couldn't even protect his bride...

Perfection!

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Descending from its throne, San Gong's form shifted slowly, soon adopting the guise of a white-haired man once more.

It gestured, manipulating the void with its vast, malevolent will, heeding the cultists' summons. It was time to visit its "bride" in the mortal world.

"She will be the true heir of San Gong's mighty bloodline... Ah, a key... a key to supreme power!"

The demon lord stepped through a swirling vortex of flames, appearing in the mortal realm with the grandeur of a Hellish monarch. Its arrival filled the cultists with dread and the woman bound to the altar with terror.

Tonight, San Gong would unleash its desires, and as for Merlin...

With the true child of Hell, or a Hellish princess about to be born, he was no longer significant.

But this didn't mean San Gong would relinquish its newly acquired "son." It wouldn't waste any power, so while it indulged in its "wedding night," one of its minions would take its place, venturing into the mortal realm to claim Merlin's soul.

The issue, however...

"Missing?"

San Gong, in the human realm, embraced its "bride," enchanted by the dark powers. But the bad news from its minion quickly soured its mood.

The demon lord questioned with a hint of anger:

"What do you mean missing?"

Despite the vast distance, San Gong's fury was felt almost entirely by the demon minion that had descended upon Coulson's farm.

It was a high-ranking demon, grotesque and twisted, the very image of the hideous demons of legend.

Judging by its four square eyes, much like San Gong's, the creature was undoubtedly infused with San Gong's power, one of its true "sons."

At that moment, the towering creature, over four meters tall and covered in black muscle and tough keratin, clutched the scroll between San Gong and Merlin.

It stood before the Coulson farm, deceit and malice swirling in its four dark red eyes, but now filled with fear. Facing San Gong's interrogation, the high-ranking demon searched the farm with its power, but aside from livestock, there was no sign of Merlin.

Not even his scent!

It was as if... as if Merlin's life had been completely erased overnight, or as if he had never existed at all!

"Most exalted one, I can only say I've found no trace of the soul named Merlin."

The child of Hell answered tremblingly:

"Either he has left this world, or some unknown force has severed the mark you left upon him. With my power, I cannot break through this seal."

"Worthless!"

A deep reprimand accompanied by the woman's moans echoed in the child of Hell's mind. San Gong was never a merciful demon lord, and its punishment was swift and severe.

The twisted child of Hell writhed on the ground as if struck by lightning. Its flesh boiled, and blood spewed forth, mingling with thick black smoke, its power undoubtedly spiraling out of control because that power had never truly belonged to it.

San Gong could grant power to its "sons" and just as easily take it back or manipulate them to punish those who failed.

"Spit"

The child of Hell spat out blood laced with organ fragments, but dared not make a sound, fearing to provoke San Gong's wrath again.

But honestly, San Gong had its own considerations regarding Merlin's "disappearance."

Just as it seized every chance to suppress other lords of Hell, each lord was no pushover and would retaliate.

San Gong suspected that Merlin's disappearance might well be the work of another hellish lord, as Merlin's pure soul, having experienced death, was coveted by them all.

A true rarity.

"Tear the scroll, release the power!"

San Gong commanded in the child of Hell's mind:

"What I cannot have, let no one else possess! Erase that soul! Tear it apart completely!"

"As you command, my lord."

The battered child of Hell knelt humbly. After San Gong's will receded, it held the scroll before its eyes, resentment flashing through its four dark red eyes. It clenched its talons, and amid the flickering dark red lightning, the demonic script was utterly shredded.

The torn parchment transformed into burning flames, dancing around the child of Hell like ignited butterflies. In their burning, they gradually extinguished.

This signified the destruction of the pact, and with it, the soul that bore the pact, Merlin's soul, was utterly torn apart by the unleashed fury of San Gong.

A price no mortal could bear.

No matter where that fellow hid, he was doomed.

---------------------------------------

Far from Coulson's farm, in the wilderness, Merlin drove Lola with a sense of unease, speeding through the wild.

The Shadow Guest had warned him that when midnight arrived, when San Gong's pact was to be sealed, he must stay far from mortals.

But Merlin was unclear how far "far" meant regarding these supernatural beings, so he decided it was best to keep as much distance as possible from his family and other mortals.

Leaving the hospital, he drove Lola into the wilderness of Wisconsin. Pressing the pedal, the 1962 car, revitalized with a new engine and parts, did not disappoint. In two hours of frantic driving, Merlin was far beyond Madison County.

He didn't know where he was, nor did he care.

The watch on his dashboard, with each tick of the minute and hour hands, made Merlin's anxiety spike.

The possibility of death is not the worst punishment; knowing your time is coming and waiting for it second by second is the most miserable wait of all.

"Click"

Suddenly, the minute and hour hands aligned, and Merlin slammed on the brakes. Lola's tires screeched against the ground, jolting to a stop in the wilderness.

Before him, the watch indicated midnight had arrived.

He sat in the driver's seat, the surrounding wilderness silent, bathed only in moonlight.

Merlin looked around, his breath quickening, his body rigid. He closed his eyes, awaiting fate's arrival.

It was like the bizarre tales in the superhero comics Phil enjoyed, like those superheroes who gained strange powers in strange ways.

Would it be flames?

Or smoke?

Or perhaps, the unbearable pain of a life worse than death?

Merlin didn't know, nor did he want to.

But after several minutes with his eyes shut and feeling only a soreness in his shoulders from the posture, nothing else happened.

He opened his eyes to find the hands of the watch at 12:09. Nearly ten minutes had passed with no incident.

Did this mean he was safe?

Or had something already happened, and he was simply unaware?

Regardless of the case, Merlin felt relieved.

He reached out, adjusting the rearview mirror downward, and looked at the face reflected there – black hair, black eyes, slightly gaunt cheeks. It was his own face, Merlin Riley.

He hadn't turned into a monster, nor had he been killed by some horrific magic; he had survived!

In that moment, Merlin's tense heart suddenly relaxed.

He reached out, took a cigarette from the dashboard, and lit it under the night sky. He turned on Lola's newly installed car stereo, and a new song by Jackson played across the wilderness at night.

Leaning back in the driver's seat, Merlin rested his left hand, holding the cigarette, on the car door, the other gripping the steering wheel, and pressed the gas pedal.

Lola roared as the beautiful red convertible carved an arc across the wilderness. Merlin was ready to return to Madison, to the hospital, to be with his injured father and weary mother.

Then, to prepare for the upcoming school season, to head to New York, to start his life anew.

However...

Just as Lola was about to accelerate, a sudden burst of dark red flame appeared on Merlin's fingers holding the cigarette, engulfing both the cigarette and his fingers in the sudden inferno from hell.

The time...

Had come!