Chapter 1: The Contract's Glitch
Maya turned her glass of sparkling water, entirely unimpressed by the luxurious banquet hall around her. At nineteen, she had already inherited her late father's tech empire, which meant surviving endless fake smiles and greedy board members trying to undermine her every move.
She stepped out onto the VIP balcony to escape the noise, letting the cold night air cool her face.
"You shouldn't be out here alone, Miss Maya," a smooth, velvety voice echoed from the shadows.
A tall man stepped into the ambient glow of the city lights. He wore a sharp, custom charcoal suit, but his striking, dark eyes held an unnatural, predatory edge. This was Leo—a figure spoken of in hushed whispers among the elite. To humans, he was an enigmatic billionaire investor; in reality, he was a centuries-old demon who traded desires for human souls.
"I prefer silence to hypocrisy," Maya replied, refusing to look intimidated. "And I certainly didn't invite you out here."
Leo smirked, leaning against the marble railing. "Fierce. But arrogance won't protect you from the men your uncle hired to eliminate you tonight."
Before Maya could react, the balcony door shattered. A masked assassin lunged forward, a blade gleaming in his hand. Leo sighed softly, extending his hand to summon his terrifying black flames to erase the threat—but as he reached out, a strange surge of force threw both him and Maya over the balcony edge toward the alley below.
Maya reacted on instinct, grabbing Leo’s wrist as they plummeted.
The moment their skin touched, a blinding crimson light exploded between them. A complex, glowing demonic seal burned itself onto the skin of Maya’s wrist. They hit the pavement below, but the impact didn't kill them—a shimmering black shield absorbed the force.
Leo stood up, his usual calm aura replaced by sheer shock. He tried to summon his dark magic, but nothing happened. He looked down at Maya, then at her glowing wrist.
His terrifying, absolute power was now locked inside her.
