Axel, still reeling from the loss of Gizmo, didn't know if Gizmo was temporarily shut down or was removed entirely, but had decided to face this unknown foe head-on.
He didn't have much control over the situation anyway, but had decided that if push came to shove, then he might have to take his own life, as he was not ready for a life of servitude.
The feeling of completely losing control and being brainwashed was not something that Axel appreciated at all.
He was ready to give a fight, but Gizmo's earlier warning was still fresh, thus he wasn't very hopeful regarding his situation.
He cautiously moved deeper into the cave. The air grew heavier, the silence more oppressive. A faint, ethereal glow emanated from a distant chamber, drawing him closer. As he approached, the glow intensified, revealing a breathtaking sight: a vast, crystalline cavern, filled with pulsating energy.
At its centre, a figure sat, shrouded in darkness. A voice, familiar yet distorted, echoed through the cavern.
"Finally here," just two words were spoken, but still, Axel could not see the creature's figure within the darkness. But to Axel, the mental pressure that came with the words earlier did not arrive. He was glad that the mysterious entity was somehow cooperating, and it seemed that it wanted something from him.
Axel was afraid that looking at the figure might cause him other issues, so he had to avoid looking at the entity for now. However, now the possibility of a dialogue was looking promising. Axel stared at the entity's figure for the first time.
All Axel could see was the figure of a tall, slender woman shrouded in black-red mist. There was something at the back of the woman that seemed like wings and several horns on top of her head, but still, he could only guess by the shape and outline of the mist.
What was clearly visible to him were the two blood-red eyes staring at him. There was mystery and intrigue in those eyes; it was captivating and scaring Axel at the same time.
"Stop staring, boy, it's rude," the voice said, but still, the otherworldly magic was absent in the words that lingered. Axel was glad to know that there might be a small chance that he might make it alive.
The entity started giggling, and suddenly, a wave of energy passed through Axel.
[Axel, that woman is a Demon, and that too a higher lifeform among the Demons; your chances of survival are not looking good], suddenly, Axel could hear Gizmo's voice in his head.
Axel was surprised at the turn of events, but before he could inquire, Gizmo spoke again, [It was this Demoness doing, she simply shut me down earlier, but maybe now she wants me to be present during your conversation].
"Boy, I am sharing the Soul contract, take help from that toy of yours and sign it," said the Demon in its alluring voice. Some blood-red texts started appearing in the air and started rearranging in the form of some glyphs in a circle hovering above Axel's head.'Gizmo, what is going on? Is she trying to make me her slave? Do I really need to kill myself?'
Axel asked as he was sure that the words "Soul contract" could not mean anything good for him.
[Give me some time, Axel, these texts are from the demon scripture. But from the looks of it, it does not seem that she wants to harm you in any way. The Contract looks transactional in nature. The Soul Contract in itself is a very rare thing, and only beings of high power can initiate it without an artifact of some sort], said Gizmo.
Axel waited patiently for Gizmo to finish his work while the Demoness was simply watching Axel without any movement.
[Axel, this is a named Demoness, known as Lilith. She is a Queen but is sealed here by some potent totem. The Soul contract that she proposed is part of her signature Blood Magic; from there, I could search for information regarding her. She has been mentioned in records dating centuries back, famous for her notoriety and carnage in the early years of her vast life].