The being called Raxus transported us back to its castle, specifically the castle''s dining room. Through means I wouldn''t understand, I found myself sitting in a chair opposite Raxus. I could still see the crimson sky from the windows. This place was as close to hell as I could think.


    We sat at a really long medieval style table, I''d say three meters long. Even though the table seemed to accommodate a lot of people, it only had two seats: mine and Raxus''s on opposite ends.


    "Do we have an understanding or not? Because I can send you back, let you test your luck, see if you''d survive the fall," Raxus said in a mocking tone. Why the hell does his voice boom like a surround system? I decided Raxus was a ''he'' based on his voice.


    "First of all, am I still in the car?"


    "Unless you have a twin sibling, then yes."


    "How am I here? Is this my soul or...?"


    "I thought it was obvious, given your appearance."


    What''s wrong with my appearance? I looked at my hands, and I didn''t see any differ.. huh, that''s new. I thought to myself as I saw my palms.


    I covered my eyes, and I could see Raxus through my hands. It felt like wearing sunglasses it still had my complexion but was like seeing through a plastic bag or a hologram. Not just my hands but my whole body. I could see my chair through my thighs.


    "Is my entire body transparent?" I asked as I scanned myself. Maybe I hadn''t noticed before because when I arrived here, I was still wearing my suit or at least a spirit version of my suit. Maybe that''s what reassured me that my body was still here.


    "Yes, it is. Also, like I said," Raxus paused and pointed at me, "this isn''t your body. It''s what the people of your realm call a soul. What I''m talking to now is your soul. Taking your body would... never mind."


    "Interesting. So, back to what''s important how can you help me?" I asked.


    "The deal is simple. You help me, and through that, you will survive."


    "Yeah, you still haven''t answered my question. Maybe I''m not being clear enough: HOW WILL YOU HELP ME?" I half-shouted and half-emphasized each word. I was sick of how he was dodging the question. Also, people who knew me said I was sometimes impatient.


    Like before, Raxus lifted his hand, and a red, misty rope of flames appeared around my neck. He closed his hand into a fist, and the rope tightened, simultaneously choking me and giving me the exact same pain as before.


    "You don''t seem to understand just where you are, who you''re talking to, and specifically what I can do to you. I can turn you into a pile of nothingness. I could just destroy your soul right here, turning that body of yours into a bag of bones."


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "Www..." I tried saying something, but I couldn''t. Raxus eased the rope just a little, enough for me to speak.


    "Then do it. I''m dead either way," I strained, saying as I tried grabbing the rope and pulling. My fingers burned as soon as I did. "You said I don''t understand oh, I understand. You were the one who abducted me; you are the one who offered me a deal. So I''ll ask again: How the fuck are you going to help me!?"


    "You think I can''t replace you? I could always use the mortal you fancy," Raxus said in a really sinister tone.


    I''d admit I was terrified when he said this. The thought of Raxus burning Chloe with his mysterious flames made me sick to my core. But I realized something: He could just have said he would send me back and bring a different human. I''m the one who''s going to die.


    Instead, he mentioned Chloe just to pressure me. Why? It either means I meet the criteria he needs, or bringing me used a lot of his power.


    "That''s... bullshit, and you know it. Even when we were visiting the crash site, we were operating on your realm''s timeline, so obviously you can''t mess with realms. We couldn''t even touch my car believe me, I tried," I strained, saying.


    I could see Raxus''s face twist up at what I said, confirming my suspicion. I wasn''t t as powerless as he wanted me to think, which gave me a little hope.


    "I don''t like repeating myself, so for the last fucking time: How will you help me?" I said, still trying to pull the flame rope from my neck.


    "Hmm, my gamble gave me a pain in the ass," Raxus said, threw his head back, and let out a deep, guttural laugh that echoed through the room. The sound was sharp and grating, like a thousand bones snapping at once. In all honesty, his laugh was more terrifying than his mug.


    He released my throat. Finally, I could breathe. Wait a minute this is my soul. Why did I still need to breathe? My lungs were currently in my body, so how? Also, why am I thinking this? I literally have a being that''s uglier than hell in front of me, and I''m thinking about my lungs.


    "True, summoning you here took a lot of power. Messing with the causality drained me, and it had some backlash. I won''t be able to do it again for a long time," Raxus said as he contemplated it.


    "So how will you bring me back?" I asked. There is nothing more annoying than a deal whose terms are ambiguous because it will bite you in the ass later.


    "What do you mean?" Raxus asked.


    "I mean, if taking me from my ''realm'' drained your power, then how would you put me back?"


    "Oh, there is a difference. Putting you in my realm was difficult you''ve never been here. But now that you''re here, it has become easier. Your soul is now accustomed to my realm and yours. Transferring you back would be like doing a refund on that Anazom," Raxus said. His voice, or his surround system, had no hint of doubt.


    "And on the matter of how ''I''ll fucking help you,'' as you so eloquently put it: I want you to be my revenant. When you accumulate enough of my power and accomplish my task, I will take you back to your realm, where you will have approximately an hour before my power abandons you. Which will be enough to save you."


    So he needs me, and I need him. Basically, this is a symbiotic relationship.


    "So what you''re trying to say is we both need each other?" I asked, mostly because I wanted him to say it or, more specifically, I wanted him to say that he needs me.


    "Yes. I can''t wait a thousand more years to try and summon another piece of shit. Even then, the defenses from both realms would have improved, making it harder to crack," Raxus said, which meant that he was stuck with me unless he''s patient enough.


    "So what''s a revenant?" I asked as I leaned back on the chair. I was now able to relax a little, knowing I wasn''t in hell and that Raxus would not kill me yet.


    "A revenant is someone that''s supposed to be dead," Raxus grinned as he made piercing eye contact. I didn''t notice, but his eyes were slit like a cat''s, and his irises were both red, just like his power and his domain. "Like a certain someone here."


    "So I''ll give you my power, and you''ll do a small task for me. And I''ll send you back. We''ll both be rid of each other."


    "You''re preaching to the choir. So what do you want me to do?"


    "Not much, really. I just want you to kill my brothers and sisters. But my advice? Start with their apprentices. My siblings are just as powerful as me... makes it easier."


    I mean, I wasn''t expecting much, but that... that was... I mean, just what the fuck.


    "Wait, your actual brothers and sisters?" I asked in both doubt and confusion. I mean, even if Jacob got on my nerves, I would never think of breaking him, let alone...


    "Yes," he said so casually.


    "Maybe I didn''t clarify. Your blood-related siblings?"


    "Yes. Well, they did imprison me here for centuries. It''s obvious I would be pissed, wouldn''t you?"


    "Why did they?"


    "Well, just because my apprentice killed all of theirs and tried to be one of us."


    Yeah, this guy is fucking insane. I''d say it  to his face, but those flames even the thought of them made me wince.


    "So are you in or out?"