Lord Aaron was gasping for breath, nervousness clenching his throat. "Wi-l-l…, will I…" he began to stutter, a question hanging on his lips. "Will I still be the same afterwards?"
"You will be even more!" Lenn asserted forcefully, an air of conviction surrounding his words. "More than just a mortal in this world! I bring you ascension, I promise to intertwine your body with a greater power."
Still in shock Lord Aaron asked, "How did you learn about my deepest desires?" He paused. "Are you the devil?"
"I am the one that understands you, Milord," Lenn said, attempting a soft voice. "I know about the value of your beauty, I know it is worth being protected at all costs."
"All costs…" Lord Aaron sighed. Him and Lenn both sat in silence, feeling the palpable gravity of Lord Aaron's decision, until finally Lord Aaron began to speak in a shaky, intimidated tone.
"I am in. Maybe this is my role in this game after all."
"A wise decision" Lenn grinned, unveiling his fleshy rotten gum and his sharp crooked teeth. "Please forgive the circumstances under which we met. Not a single day will you regret this pact," Lenn said contently, seeing his plan come to fruition.
Euphorically Lenn thought, "Only a vessel as beautiful as Lord Aaron could ever suffice to conceal the abyss within my soul. And now I got him right where I want him. Oh, you foolish soul!"
Lenn envisioned a perfect existence, never again would he know the feeling of inadequateness or the misery of rejection that once plagued his old self. He would be a new man, one that was going to be loved for his appearance and his birthright, for all the privileges one could never achieve through hard work or determination but only through the mercy coming from the Gods of luck. Through this pact Lenn would forever have a share of the extraordinary blessing Lord Aaron received from them.
Lafaar walked up to Lenn. "My lords, allow me to remind you that it is time to seal the pact now. When the clock strikes three and three and three, the devil's luck will be on our side" Lafaar announced.
"I love myself a good omen" Lenn looked at a longcase clock that stood in a corner next to the window, the ritual only a few minutes away.
Lafaar used the remaining time to sum up the binding ritual: "The allegiance pact that you want to enter requires my Master to leave a mark on you, Lord Aaron."
"A mark?" Lord Aaron sounded frightened, in fear of his spotless image being defiled.
"During the Blood Binding my master needs to stick one of his claws under your skin, releasing a fresh drop of blood. You will then see a small mark appear at the site of the puncture."
"There is no turning back now" Lord Aaron said and Lenn removed his shackles from him, so Lord Aaron could move freely again. The young aristocrat sat up on the edge of his bed to unbutton his shirt. When he turned around, Lenn saw Lord Aaron's defined abs and his delicate collarbones.
As the time was ticking away a chilling breeze heralded the ritual's onset. Lenn noticed shivers on Lord Aaron's skin under the full moon's glow.
"Fear not" Lenn reassured, though Lord Aaron trembled more. "You will barely feel a thing."
Lord Aaron stood up in front of the demon lord, who was about four heads larger than him. Lenn kneeled down, inspecting his own hand. His ash gray claw was shining sharply like a knife in the ghostly moonlight. He pointed the claw on his index finger at Lord Aaron's chest that started to move as his heart palpitated.
Lafaar whispered "Spirits who gathered here. Witness this everlasting covenant and forever hold together this inseparable bond."
Carefully Lenn pierced his nail into Lord Aaron's chest, feeling every layer of Lord Aaron's soft skin as he was cutting through it. Lord Aaron's face grimaced and a single thick drop of blood came slowly trickled down his chest.
"Bless, grim lord, this fateful plan.
A demon's soul, a mortal man."
Lord Aaron's eyes were rolling back in his head and a gush of white foam came leaking out of his mouth as he spread his arms out to the side. His body leaned back and his feet began to lift off the ground. Around the puncture site a black pattern took shape, like the ink of a tattoo. Two broken intersecting black lines became visible forming an upside-down cross on Lord Aaron's chest, one line running through the valley between and one beneath his breast.
A bond of a murky meandering substance emerged from the cross connecting Lord Aaron's body with Lenn's. This mysterious substance was steadily ebbing back and forth between Lenn and Lord Aaron and created a connection between the two. To Lenn Lord Aaron was no longer a stranger to him but rather an extension of himself. When Lenn closed his eyes and fully immersed himself into his newfound connection he had the impression he was looking at his own demon shape through Lord Aaron's eye and a system message appeared in front of him.
﹝ + New Blood Binding: Lord Aaron Burton﹞
﹝ - Revitalization Binding: permanently consumes 1% of your maximum infernal energy﹞
﹝ Infernal Energy: 99%﹞
"I must be cautious with pacts of this kind, otherwise it will drain my energy too much" Lenn theorized, regardless he did not regret his contract with Lord Aaron.
After the message disappeared Lenn was still inside Lord Aaron's consciousness and experienced the world around him through Lord Aaron's senses. The nature of his body felt more intuitive to Lenn since he was still used to his human form from his previous life and he noticed how easily he could control his new body. Lafaar looked at him after he opened his eyes "Lord Aaron?"
"No longer!" Lenn answered through Lord Aaron's mouth and started to laugh, loving his new clear-cut voice.
"Master!" Lafaar looked amazed. "It really worked."
"This is who I always dreamed to be, the whole world is at my fingertips!" Lord Aaron exclaimed and gestured happily. "I will have a lot of fun with this new body…" After he said that, Lenn switched back into his demon body. "I already miss my human shape."
Meanwhile Lord Aaron turned into a soulless shell, an empty-eyed marionette that went back to sleep in his bed. From this moment Lord Aaron was merely a human, in control of his own fate but only an other-directed piece in Lenn's game.
"We should set off to the Undying Fortress before it dawns, Master" Lafaar suggested.
"Agree," Lenn rasped and tucked up Lord Aaron in his blanket. "I have all I came for."