Shin's eyes remained glued to her, his breath catching in his throat as he took in her mesmerizing beauty. She was unlike any girl he had ever seen in the dingy streets of the lower sector. Her skin was smooth and pale, almost glowing in the dim light, and her smile was filled with a warmth that seemed to light up the room. Her eyes, though, those piercing red orbs, held a hint of something else, something ancient and powerful.

The girl tilted her head to the side, her expression becoming more serious. "Do you know why you're here, Shin?"

Shin's thoughts snapped back to the present, the memory of Katy's sacrifice a fresh wound that bled anger and despair. He clenched his fists, the fabric of the bandage tightening around his injury. "i watched my sister die..." he accused, his voice raw with pain.

The girl's smile remained, but her eyes darkened, the stars on her suit flickering with an ominous light. "Yes, and do you know why Katy is now dead?" she repeated, her voice taking on an edge that hadn't been there before. It was as if the very air around her grew heavier, suffused with a malevolence that sent shivers down his spine. "It's because of your weakness. Because you couldn't protect her, because you couldn't stand up to the gods that rule you. You're a worm, wriggling in the dirt, begging for mercy that will never come."

Shin felt the weight of her words, each one a blow that hit harder than any physical strike. He watched her, his hatred growing with every syllable she uttered, yet he remained paralyzed by his own fear and powerlessness. He knew she was right. He had been there, right beside Katy, and he hadn't been able to save her. He was just a cowardly boy with a mouth full of empty promises.

"What do you want from me?!!"

Shin's voice was a desperate scream, echoing through the chamber, but the girl remained unfazed. She leaned back in her chair, the shimmering stars on her suit casting a cold light across her features.

"You see, Shin, your anger, your grief, your impotence in the face of power... it's all so predictable. It's what makes you the coward you are, tell me the truth.....you were grateful you wasn't chose as a sacrifice right?" she said with a smile of innocence.

Shin's face contorted with rage and despair. "How dare you!!" he roared, trying to stand up, but the pain in his side brought him back down, his body betraying him once again.

The girl leaned forward, her eyes piercing into his soul. "Admit the truth, Shin," she whispered, her voice a mix of compassion and challenge. "You're not here because you're strong or brave. You're here because you're weak".

Shin felt the words hit him like a sledgehammer, cracking the fragile shell of his pride. His eyes filled with tears, and he hung his head, unable to argue with her. In the quiet of the chamber, his sobs were the only sound, each one a testament to his failure.

"Good boy," she said, her voice gentle. "Now that you've realized your true nature, we can do business."

"For the gods....what do you want?"

Shin's voice was a broken whisper, filled with a mix of anger and defeat.

The girl's smile grew wider, a knowing look in her eyes. "Oh, I'm not here to judge, Shin. I'm here to offer you a choice."

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"i can send you to your sister now, pretty clichè if you ask me or we can make a deal"

Shin's eyes snapped up, the pain and anger momentarily forgotten. "What are you talking about?!"

The girl leaned closer, her eyes gleaming. "The afterlife, Shin. I can send you to your sister. End your suffering here and now, and be with her in the next realm an so long.

Shin's thoughts swirled. The idea of seeing Katy again, of escaping this waking nightmare, was tempting. But something deep within him rebelled at the thought of giving up so easily. "What's the deal?" he managed to croak out.

The girl leaned back in her chair, her smile never wavering. "Ah, the spirit of the desperate," she said, her voice a soft purr. "The deal, my dear Shin, is simple. I can give you the power to avenge your sister, to overthrow the very gods that you despise so much.

But, of course," she added, her eyes twinkling with mischief, "power comes at a price."

Shin's heart raced as he stared at her, his mind racing through the possibilities of what that price could be. Would it be his soul? His humanity? Or perhaps something far more precious? He clenched his fists, the fabric of the bandage sticking to the sweat on his palms. "What is the price?" he demanded, his voice hoarse with determination.

The girl's eyes grew brighter, the red deepening to a shade that seemed to swallow the very light around them. It was as if he were looking into the abyss, the very essence of a deity staring back at him. "Your life," she said simply. "But not in the way you think."

Shin stared at her, his mind racing. "What do you mean?" he asked, his voice trembling slightly.

The girl leaned closer, her smile never faltering. "In exchange for the power to destroy Devota and all who serve her, you must become something more than human. You must become a vessel for my power, a tool for vengeance. You will live, but your life will no longer be your own. You will be bound to me, to serve my will."

Shin's heart raced as he tried to comprehend the gravity of her words. "What... what do you mean by 'my life will no longer be my own'?" he stuttered.

The girl leaned back, her smile never wavering. "The power I offer is not for the faint of heart," she said, her eyes gleaming like twin stars. "It is a burden that will consume you from the inside out, a fire that will burn away everything that makes you human. You will become a weapon, a tool in the hands of the very power you seek to wield."

Shin's thoughts raced as he took in her words. "What you're saying is..."

The girl nodded, her smile turning into a knowing grin. "You will never find friendship or love, not as you knew it. Those emotions will be as alien to you as the very stars that compose the constellations. Everyone you encounter will be a potential weapon, a pawn to be moved and sacrificed on the board of fate, to serve our mutual goal of vengeance."

"Why do you choose me? are you telling me that a constellation can seek revenge?

The girl's smile grew wry. "I am not a constellation," she corrected. "I am something... else. But I, too, have felt the sting of the gods' cruel games. And like you, I wish to see them fall." She paused, her expression growing serious.

"But for that to happen, you must let me in," she continued, her hand reaching out to touch his cheek. "You must give me the darkness that fuels your anger, and in return, I will give you the light that will guide your path to vengeance."

Shin stared at her hand, his mind racing with the implications of her words. Could he really give up everything he knew to become a weapon? To lose the very essence of what made him human? His thoughts swirled with doubt and anger. "What kind of monster would I become?" he whispered, his voice barely audible.

The girl's smile remained constant, her eyes never leaving his. "A monster," she said, "but one that would bring about the end of monsters." She leaned closer, her breath warm against his cheek. "Isn't that what you want, Shin? To end the suffering that the gods have brought upon your world, to seek revenge for katy and ever your parents?

Shin's thoughts were a maelstrom of anger, grief, and desperation. He knew that if he accepted her offer, he would be turning his back on everything he had ever known. But the temptation was too great. The idea of having the power to strike back at the gods who had taken so much from him was intoxicating. He felt the rage within him surge, his hatred for Devota and the other constellations growing like a living thing.

"What...what do I need to do?" he asked, his voice a whisper of defiance.

The girl pulled out a scroll from the folds of her suit, unfurling it to reveal ancient, arcane symbols that writhed and danced in the dim light. "Merely sign this contract, and you shall have the power to bring about the start of your suffering," she said, her voice a seductive purr.

Shin's eyes narrowed as he studied the scroll, the symbols seeming to pulse with a dark energy that made him feel faint. He knew what he was being asked to do was insane, but the thought of his sister, her lifeless eyes staring up at him, gave him the strength to continue. "And how do I do this?" he asked, his hand hovering over the parchment.

The girl produced a quill made of a material that glinted like a black diamond. "It's quite simple, really," she said, her voice light and airy, as if discussing the weather. "You just need to prick your finger and sign with your own blood. A small price to pay for the power to reshape the world, don't you think?"