In the dark of the night, he moved like a shadow, a predator in the stillness. Time seemed to stretch unnaturally, neither moving forward nor backward, as if the world itself held its breath.

Hubertus’ innards twisted as his gaze fell upon his first target. The cool wind snaked over his body, carrying with it the faint scent of ash and something sweeter—something tantalizingly human.

It was a woman, perhaps 23 or older. He couldn’t tell, and it didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was important. They had told him so. She was the key to unlocking something greater, a stepping stone toward unimaginable power.

Hubertus stepped forward, his demonic form emerging from the shadows. His wings stretched outward, casting jagged, monstrous silhouettes across the cobblestones. The faint glow of his crimson eyes illuminated the woman’s face, pale and trembling, her fear as palpable as the cold night air.

“So,” she said, her voice trembling but defiant. “You finally came, Grim Reaper.”

Hubertus chuckled, a deep and rumbling sound that seemed to reverberate through the empty street. “I’m no Grim Reaper,” he said, his voice calm yet menacing. “I’m here to make a deal.”

Her brow furrowed, confusion flickering through her frightened eyes. “A deal? What do you mean? Are you… the devil?”

Hubertus stepped closer, his clawed feet scraping against the cobblestones. “No,” he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. “But I know your secret. They told me.”

Her breath hitched, and she stepped back, her human eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. “My secret?” she asked, her voice barely audible.

Hubertus tilted his head, his grin revealing rows of sharp teeth. “Yes,” he said, his voice thick with certainty. “Your burning ember eyes have laid bare your deepest wish.” He leaned closer, his presence suffocating. “Revenge.”

The woman froze, her body rigid, her face a mask of shock.

Hubertus smirked, satisfied with her reaction. The air between them was electric, heavy with unspoken truths.

“You’ve thought about it, haven’t you?” Hubertus continued, circling her slowly. “That burning anger. The desire to make them suffer as they made you suffer. It’s there, smoldering beneath the surface, just waiting for someone to strike the match.”

She swallowed hard, her voice shaking as she whispered, “What do you want from me?”

Hubertus stopped in front of her, his crimson eyes locking onto hers. “I want to give you what you desire. The power to take your revenge. To make them pay for what they’ve done to you.”

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Her lips parted, her breath shallow. For a moment, the fear in her eyes gave way to something else—temptation.

“And in return?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Hubertus leaned in, his voice a low growl. “Your soul.”

"My… my soul?" she stammered, her voice trembling as her wide eyes locked onto his.

Hubertus nodded slowly, his expression unreadable, though his heart—or whatever dark force pulsed within him now—thrummed with anticipation. This would be his first. His first soul as a newly formed demon.

He could almost taste it.

All he had to do was fulfill her wish—destroy those wicked men who had tormented her, twisted her very being into something raw and vengeful.

Death is justice, he thought. A promise I can keep.

Hubertus took a step closer, his towering form casting her in shadow. “Yes,” he said, his voice calm but laced with dark authority. “Your soul. In exchange, I will bring them their doom. They will pay for what they’ve done. They will suffer more than you ever have.”

Her body trembled, and she clutched at her arms as if trying to hold herself together. Her fear was a living thing, coiling around her like a snake—but it wasn’t alone. Beneath it, Hubertus could see something else. Determination.

She thought deeply, her gaze dropping to the cobblestones beneath her feet. The night air felt heavier now, as if the Abyss itself waited with bated breath.

And then, as if she could no longer bear the weight of her decision, she nodded.

Hubertus smiled—a dark, predatory grin that sent a chill racing down her spine. “Good,” he said. “You’ve made the right choice.”

With a flick of his clawed hand, a scroll materialized in the air between them, glowing faintly with an unholy light. Its edges flickered like fire, and infernal text scrawled itself across the parchment, written in a language that seemed to twist and shift as she tried to read it.

“All you have to do is sign,” Hubertus said, holding out a quill that dripped with ink as black as midnight.

She hesitated, her trembling hand reaching toward the quill. Her eyes flicked up to meet his, searching for something—reassurance, perhaps, or a glimmer of humanity.

But Hubertus offered none.

She grasped the quill, her fingers shaking, and signed her name with painstaking slowness. The moment the final letter was complete, the scroll rolled itself up and vanished in a burst of dark flames.

“It is done,” Hubertus said, his voice a low rumble.

She stepped back, her breathing uneven. “So… you’ll do it? You’ll kill them?”

Hubertus inclined his head. “Of course. A deal is a deal.”

But even as he said it, a flicker of guilt stirred within him. He knew the truth—the full extent of what she’d just agreed to. Yes, he would kill those men. He would bring her the justice she craved.

But she had signed away far more than she realized.

Her soul would belong to him, and when her vengeance was complete, she would find herself bound to the Abyss, tormented for eternity.

And yet… Hubertus thought, his gaze lingering on her. She’ll help more than she knows. Her sacrifice will rid the world of those wicked souls, far more twisted than hers.

“Rest easy,” Hubertus said, his voice softening slightly. “Your suffering will not be in vain.”

He turned, his wings unfurling as he prepared to deliver the promised doom. But in the back of his mind, he couldn’t shake the lingering question: Am I any better than the monsters I’m about to destroy? Or am I just another cog in the endless cycle of cruelty?

The thought faded quickly, replaced by the thrill of the hunt.

The wicked men would pay.

And Hubertus would have his first soul.