A sly smile curled the Devil's lips as he stepped from the shadows
"Huh? ...the devil? What do you mean devil? Where am I? What is this place?"
The devil took the understanding approach with him, recognizing the soul was disoriented by the sudden environmental change.
"Hmmm...so many questions. Let's keep it simple."
"This place...is known as the realm of the abandoned ones," the devil led with a smirk.
"Abandoned..."
The soul closed his eyes, recalled the goddess staring at him in disgust, as she abandoned him to disappear.
To the soul, it was a reminder of his current fate.
To the devil, it was his first card well executed already
"That's right, you are all alone - cast aside - to disappear into nothingness," the devil tutted, approaching the soul teasingly
"But lucky for you, I just so happen to be a... generous collector of the discarded."
As the devil got close, the soul regained his focus and stepped back cautiously.
"Wha-what do you want exactly?" he asked, voice trembling, feeling cornered already.
"Oh, not much. Just a...little give and take; scratch your back, you scratch mine sort of thing," the devil responded casually, trying to dismiss his true intentions.
"I don't trust you-"
"Yes, trust, of course! You see, it is a fundamental flaw with humans, the concept of trust," the devil rudely interjected
"Huh?" the soul was confused about where the devil was going with this
"Without trust, you act with caution; with trust, you act without," the devil said
"But trust is not that consistent, and so...you risk it all the same."
"Which begs the question... why not simply act cautiously, with or without trust?" index finger tapping on his temple, he pondered the human mind's tendencies.
"What are you trying to say?" Unable to follow the devil's logic, the soul sought clarity
"Ahh, I digress. For now, let's rectify the problem of trust."
The devil smiled and stretched his hand casually forward towards the soul.
A blurred visual of his memories appeared above them, playing like a cassette tape.
"In your maiden life, you lived as a human called Lionel."
"Mother died at birth, Father lost to drugs."
"Over the years, you were bullied, bankrupt, and betrayed."
"Consequently, you played martyr to a kid caught in a crossfire between 2 distinct gangs robbing the same bank. "
With a flick of his finger, the visuals changed to his next life.
"Then, in your first reincarnated life, to exact karma upon the fate you had suffered in your previous life, you treated the life of Nopheal Moreas as that of a recalcitrant prince."
"Abusing your power to manipulate those underneath you to do your bidding until you were betrayed and slain by your guard as punishment for your misdeeds."
"Need I go on?"
The devil leaned forward with a confident, sly smile that indicated he had the soul right where he wanted.
The soul was stunned into silence. Every word struck home, a damning account of his past lives.
"Good, silence speaks volumes, they say. But you really ought to choose your confidants wisely, lost soul."
The devil resumed his teasing approach
The soul stood firm this time.
"And given I've addressed the issue of trust, why not make me your first true confidant?"
The devil stopped within arm's reach of the soul.
"You seem to tend to defy fate, so I am willing to give you the chance to outrun it by offering what the goddess and her council will not."
"And what's that?" the soul asked bluntly
"A 2nd chance at reincarnation," replied the devil
The soul's eyes lit up at the promise
"Yes, it is within my power to do so as well."
"I'm also willing to go one further, by making you stronger, better, and preserving both of your memories to sweeten the deal. Like they say, knowledge is power. What better than that of your 2 previous lives?"
"(Whoa! Even the goddess didn't let me keep my memories of Lionel in my life as Nopheal...)"
"Should you accept my offer, all that will be yours, and you would've escaped damnation."
Tilting his head at the soul's dissolved hand, he reminded him of his limited choice in the matter.
This got the soul thinking.
"(tsk...he is the devil, isn't he? Knowledgeable, and already presenting to me a deal too tempting to refuse)"
"(If I do refuse, I'll probably resume where I left off, with my body turning to dust.)"
"So, what's the catch? There's always a catch with you, isn't there?" the soul asked.
"Hm-hm-hm," the devil chuckled. "Whatever happened to the concept of trust?"
"Don't play coy with me, devil. Your deals never end well for anyone. So, what's the damn catch?" the soul asked again.
The devil stood silent for a brief moment, then spoke
"In return for a 2nd reincarnation, you shall become my vessel; whatever I say, when I say it, you will obey. You shall become an extension of me, should I demand it - that is my deal,"
It was a stern proposal that prompted immediate caution from the soul.
"...pretty vague, isn't it?"
"So is the life you get to live. A fair trade, I'd say," the devil countered
"Hardly, but let's assume that is the case; why me?" the soul asked
"Irrelevant," the devil frowned
"I disagree. Without knowing the full terms, how can I ensure the integrity of our contract?" the soul countered
"I make the deal, you accept it or not. That is how this goes," the devil patrolling around the soul, tantalizingly.
"If we were to dive into all irrelevant plots, there'll be no end to our scuffle. So, make your choice; you barely have enough time left."
The devil reiterated, his frown returning.
"Tsk," the soul bit his lip, knowing he's been backed into a corner here.
He knew the devil had all the time in the world, and the same couldn't be said for him.
But, he wasn't prepared to dive in blindly either.
"All I want is a fair deal. Whatever happened to the concept of trust?" the soul said, staring straight into the devil's eyes.
He was fully aware he had just turned his words on him
The devil gazed deep into his eyes in return, his frown slowly transmorphing into a cunning smile.
"hm-hm-hm. I knew you were an interesting one. Let's just say you have in you something my enemies would kill for," the devil bluntly said.
"Something in me?..."
"That is all I'll be willing to share, for now."
"(Still doesn't paint a clear picture...but I'll relent for now)"
"So, I'll ask one last time, what's it going to be?" said the Devil
"...(If I say no, it's game over. If I say yes however, I get a chance...)"
"(The devil is never to be trusted, but If I can use his offer to somehow prove to the goddess and her council I am a changed man...they may help me outsmart him)"
"(But I'll have to be careful. If he can pause my damnation, he can also do the opposite.)"
The soul clenched his fist and stared at the devil with fire in his eyes
"Fine! I accept your offer, devil."
The devil lets out a wide, malign smile and then bursts into chronic laughter.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, VERY GOOD!"
"Huh?" The floor beneath the soul's feet quaked; it appeared as if the entire world was trembling
A sigil appeared at the back of the soul's remaining hand, his right hand.
It burned fiercely, and despite being on a soul, he could feel the pain when the mark bulged.
"Urgh...it hurts. What's the deal with this!?"
"A seal for our deal and, of course, as a warning, should you ever dare to defy the terms of our contract."
"..." the soul scorned at the devil,
"But I'm sure you wouldn't be so stupid now, would you, my dear vessel?" said the devil with a cunning smile.
"Yeah, whatever. So, ready to meet your end of the bargain?" the soul shook his right hand to soothe the burning sensation.
"Hahaha, so impatient. I like it," the devil folded its hands, fully prepared to answer the soul's wishes.
"Tell me then, how do you want to restart your life?" he asked
"(Lionel was a gullible fool, and Nopheal was an arrogant bastard. I have to do better this time)" the soul thought for a moment
"I need a new start, a fresh start," the soul answered
"Hoh...interesting. While this will put the schedule back a bit. I guess I can adapt the plan."
"I'll give you your fresh start. That said, it's time to rewind. Come to me, Chronos!" the devil snapped his finger, and a being dressed in a white cloak appeared before him.
He held a giant clock and was dressed in a pure white buttoned trench coat.
"Chronos here will help meet your conditions, and when the time is ripe, I'll join you in your new life."
"Okay... and how will I be able to tell?"
The devil smiled
"I'll find a way. For you see, knowing you and your alignments, I can appear to you as the most seductive, lustful, and charming woman of your dreams or-"
"If you reincarnate as a woman, I'll be the best friend you never knew you needed...or, of course, your Prince Charming."
The soul couldn't help but let out a light chuckle
"Huh, so even the devil can't tell for sure," the soul commented
"We don't know everything about you creatures, and that is why we tempt you," the devil said
"We tempt you to learn, we tempt you to evolve, we tempt you...to manipulate," the devil concluded with an evil grin.
The last statement was a timely reminder to the soul that, despite what just happened, he's still very much dealing with the devil here, not a friend.
"(I can't lose focus. Taking the devil lightly should be the last thing I do)"
"Now then, make your choice. Boy or girl?" The devil handed down the options
"(Maybe I can get him to let out more about himself and the deal if I push some decisions his way)" the soul contemplated his move
"I leave the choice to you," the soul responded, much to the devil's amusement.
"hahahaha, very well. Chronos!"
"Yes, my lord."
The hands on the giant clock started turning, and a faint glow with molecular particles resonated around the soul, making his environment look ethereal, dreamy, and calm.
"I feel...my essence strengthening," the soul said as his lost arm and toes were recovering.
"We shall meet on the other side, until then; remember our deal." The devil pointed to the sigil on the soul's right hand
"..." the soul nodded.
Then the glow grew bigger and consumed him before vanishing completely, taking the soul with it.
"(...Good... A fresh start, and until the time I meet the devil, I need to do whatever it takes to prepare. I'll need all the power and knowledge I can get to outsmart him or defeat him and claim this life for myself)"
The faint light was finally consumed by the darkness.
"(Now, bring on, my true reincarnation!)" the soul reveled at the prospect ahead of him