As the noise of the festival raged outside her home, Hope Mikaelson sat on the edge of her bed in a daze. Her auburn hair fell loosely to her shoulders. Her icy blue eyes were misty, tears threatening to fall. Her thoughts weighed heavily on her.
Her father, Klaus Mikaelson, was dying. He had absorbed the Hollow from her, and now he planned to kill himself to destroy the malevolent spirit once and for all.
But she wasn't ready to accept that. She still blamed herself for her mother's death, and now her father was going to die for her too. She couldn't be an orphan at fifteen. Not when she was the reason for both their ends.
In her hands, she held a small slip of black paper. A silver pentagram shimmered on one side. Under normal circumstances, she would've dismissed it as junk from a voodoo vendor at the festival. But today, the inscription on the other side felt like a cruel joke:
Need help? Desperate? Curious?
Your desires can be fulfilled… for a price.
Belief is irrelevant. Desire is everything.
She was skeptical, but her hope was slipping. And contrary to her name, she was running out of it.
So with a desperate wish, she clutched the flyer. "Please… if there's any way to save my dad… I'm willing to pay anything," she whispered through sobs as her tears finally fell. One drop landed on the paper, and instantly, the pentagram lit up. The slip burst into flame, and light enveloped the room.
When the glow faded and her eyes adjusted, she realized she was no longer alone.
Seated on the floor was a young man about her age, with tousled silver hair, dressed in a three-piece suit. His mismatched eyes—one radiant gold, the other stormy grey—swept across the room. His expression was distant, as if his mind hadn't quite caught up to reality. Then, with a small shake of his head, he stood and looked at her.
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As Caelum Morningstar stood up, he had only one thought in his mind.
It worked.
Telos Karma. The flyer. His desire for a place to belong. Somehow, it had all aligned.
He wasn't sure how long he'd been drifting in the Dimensional Gap. But now… he was free.
And the girl in front of him was the reason why.
Those icy eyes stared at him like he was a threat, but the tears still clinging to her lashes told a different story.
She summoned a devil after all—whether she meant to or not.
He took a quiet breath. Time to complete my first contract.
"You must be really desperate to call a devil for help," he said in a calm tone.
"I didn't know a devil was coming. I wasn't even sure it was real," she replied as she wiped the tears off her face.
"Well, here I am," he said, offering a light bow. "Caelum Morningstar, at your service. Now, may I know the name of the girl who seems to have cried me into existence?"
She drew in a breath, steadying herself before meeting his gaze. "Hope," she said. "Hope Mikaelson. And I didn't exactly plan on summoning you. I just… I needed help. I need to save my dad."
Her voice cracked slightly at the end, but she didn't look away.
As Caelum heard her reason, his gaze softened, and for the first time, the teasing smile faded from his lips. He stood a little straighter, a quiet understanding in his eyes. He had just lost his own father, too. Now more than ever, he's determined to fulfill this contract. Not just out of obligation, but out of empathy.
"You really know how to tug on a devil's heartstrings," he said softly. "Now why don't you tell me what we're dealing with, and I'll see what I can do."
"It's called the Hollow," she said. "A malevolent spirit. An ancient witch. She's… already hurt too many people."
"Say no more," he interrupted gently.
Hope blinked, caught off guard. "What? You're giving up already?"
He flashed a small grin, "Quite the contrary. This should be a walk in the park."
A part of Hope was still skeptical but there was something in the way he was so confident about it that made her want to believe.
"Are you sharing how you actually plan on dealing with the Hollow?"
"It's a soul. I'm a devil. I consume it." He said as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"So you just… consume it? Just like that?" she repeated, her voice slightly shaky as she tried to process what he was saying.
"Just like that."
And for the first time since she found out that her dad planned to die, Hope had—well, hope.
She hesitated, then asked, "So… what's the price?" Her voice was quieter now, remembering what the flyer had promised.
The question hung between them, the weight of it sinking deep into her chest. What was the price of saving someone's life? What would she have to give up?
"Since this is my first contract. I'll give you a discount. You don't owe me anything."
Hope blinked "Your first?" Whatever she was expecting, it was not this.
"Yes. I'm only fifteen after all. It's not like we start making contracts right out the womb."
"I need you to name your price." she said. Her voice a bit more forceful, "Because I need to know that you're going to give it your all to save my dad."
Caelum's eyes darkened for a moment, and the playful edge in his voice softened. "I just lost my own father," he said quietly. "That's why we're having this conversation in the first place. I get it, Hope. Believe me, I get it. So if you want a price. Just trust me."
She took a shaky breath, fighting the instinct to hold back. But there was something in his eyes—something she couldn't quite place. Maybe… maybe he really would try to save her dad. And maybe that was enough.
Hope hesitated, her gaze flickering to the door as if she might turn and run. But her heart, heavy with fear and desperation, urged her to stay. She met his eyes once more, her resolve hardening. She had no other choice. "Alright, I'm trusting you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.