In a dimly lit room, I sat across from Lilith, my eyes narrowing as we discussed the grim tale of a man who had come before me. He was an enigma—unremarkable at first glance, but radiating a vitality that defied simple labels. Despite appearing ageless, effortlessly swinging between the vigor of his 30s and the wisdom of his 60s, he'd met a shocking end.
"Didn't that guy die within six months? He was reduced to just skin and bones, twisted and dried up," I said, the words tumbling out of me as a cold shiver crawled down my spine.
Lilith's eyes met mine, a haunting sadness clouding her gaze. "Yes, he did," she confirmed. "The tragedy lies in the irony, you see. To love so passionately, so intensely, that you inadvertently bring about the very demise of the one you love. Isn't it tragic?"
"Tragic?" I snorted, bitterness lining my voice. The word seemed like an understatement. To me, 'tragic' was a glimpse of my future if I continued down this path. As a distributor—of whatever it was that distributors in this twisted reality dealt with—I would be no different from that man, sapped of life within months.
And it wasn't just succubi I had to contend with. I was a bridge between worlds, liaising with a myriad of other races. The grim realization settled in: my lifespan might be even shorter than his.
Weighing the risks against the apparent rewards, I found myself teetering on the edge of a life-altering decision. "Can I quit?" I finally blurted out, feeling as though I were at a precarious tipping point between life and inevitable ruin.
Lilith's gaze intensified, scrutinizing my very soul as if assessing its worth. "You can," she said, pausing to let the weight of her words sink in. "But everything comes at a price. Are you prepared to pay it?"
The air between us grew thick, heavy with unspoken consequences and choices that could change the course of my life forever.
Staring into Lilith's piercing eyes, I finally broke the tension. "So, what's the price? What do I owe you for quitting a job I haven't even started?"
She motioned toward a small, intricately designed table beside her, where a now-empty vial sat. "Well, you drank the potion I provided you, didn't you? I assumed you'd find it helpful, but now that you're quitting, you should repay that favor."
My mind raced as I looked at the empty vial. That potion wasn't just any liquid; it was a rare elixir that cost hundreds of thousands of won per bottle. I had naively assumed it was a complimentary gesture, a freebie to make the job more enticing. But now, as I confronted the reality of my decision to quit, the potion had suddenly transformed into a heavy financial obligation.
Still, when weighed against the value of my life, the cost seemed trivial. "Alright, how much do I owe you for the potion?"
Her lips curled into a half-smile, almost as if she had been expecting my acquiescence. "I'm pleasantly surprised by your readiness. You consumed three bottles, so your total comes to 1.12 million dollars. I'm only charging you for the material costs, mind you."
I was floored. "1.12 million dollars? That means each bottle is around 3 hundred 74 thousand dollars? This isn't some mythical elixir; how can it be so expensive?"
Lilith leaned back, her expression tinged with a mix of amusement and seriousness. "Ah, but it is an elixir, you see. A very special one."
My heart sank as I processed her words. The term 'elixir' carried with it a gravity that suddenly made the exorbitant cost seem almost reasonable. Almost.
"An elixir, you say?"
Her nod confirmed my worst suspicions and redefined the stakes of the choice I had to make. Here I was, at a crossroads, forced to decide whether my life or my potential debt was more valuable. It was a harrowing moment, realizing that even the escape routes came lined with thorns.
My eyes widened as the realization struck me. "Elixir? The potion of legends, said to grant a long, healthy, disease-free life? You had me drink three bottles of that mythical stuff?" A whirlwind of emotions engulfed me—astonishment, gratitude, but most of all, confusion.
Lilith, the enigmatic woman who'd become something of a mysterious guardian to me, simply grinned. Her eyes sparkled with a knowing glint. "Consider it a very special gift, my boy."
I couldn't help but question the motivations behind her actions. Elixir was more than just expensive; it was practically a fairy tale. Each bottle had a rumored market price of 3 hundred 74 thousand dollars That's not the kind of money you throw around lightly, and that's assuming you could even find a bottle to buy. Most people believed it was a myth, and yet here I was, having ingested not one but three bottles, all thanks to Lilith.
"So, what's the catch?" I asked cautiously. "Am I expected to repay this 1.12 million dollars? Because, let's be honest, I could sell every organ in my body and still not reach that astronomical figure."
Her smile widened, taking on an almost maternal warmth. "Ah, you always think so practically. But don't you see? I've already invested 1.12 million dollars in you. Do you really think I'd let that investment go to waste? You're safe, you have my word."
The tension I hadn't realized was building inside me began to dissipate. If she was willing to invest that much in me, surely she had plans that involved me being alive and well. It was a twisted form of reassurance, but reassurance nonetheless.
"But I have to ask, Mother," I began, choosing my words carefully, still not completely letting my guard down. "Why me? And why now?"
"Hmm, intriguing questions," Lilith mused, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly, but never losing their warmth. "All in good time, my child. All in good time."
"Why are you putting me through all of this?" I threw my hands up in the air, my voice tinged with both frustration and confusion. "Do you take some sort of perverse joy in how simple and straightforward this all seems? Because, to be perfectly honest, I can't make heads or tails of it."
——————
A/N: Why not send some power stones!? and if you are reading this for the first time add this novel to your library.