"So, this is how it ends."
Leon Graves wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, eyes narrowing as he flicked the cigarette away. The bloodstain on his palm was dark, angry. A constant reminder of the cancer eating away at his lungs, like a curse he couldn't shake. He had 287 days left to live—less, if tonight went poorly.
The rain beat down on the city, making the night even darker, streets slick and shining under the broken streetlights. Leon pulled his trench coat tighter, ignoring the burn in his chest. He hated nights like this. The jobs always felt heavier. And tonight, it was a rich couple's daughter possessed by something nasty. Not his usual crowd, but money was money.
"287 days, 5 hours, 42 minutes."
The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, a cold whisper against his ear. A figure stepped out of the shadows, tall, pale, and gaunt, dressed in the same black trench coat as Leon. His eyes glowed with an eerie light, like stars on a dark depressing night. He stands firm, barely visible against the rainy backdrop, raindrops pass through him like he was Phantom of the night. Azrael, an Angel of Death, had been shadowing Leon for months now, counting down his time like it was some cosmic joke.
Leon sighed. "Azrael, I'm busy."
"287 days until your death. Though, with your habit, I wouldn't bet on you lasting that long." Azrael's lips curved into a thin smile.
Leon scowled, reaching for another cigarette, despite the coughing fit he'd just had. "Always with the cheerful updates. You got any other pearls of wisdom for me, or are you just here to waste my time?"
"I'm here to remind you of our bargain," Azrael said, voice smooth and cold as ice. "Every mission you complete, every life you save, buys you more time. Or did you forget? After all, your clock is ticking."
Leon exhaled a cloud of smoke, watching it dissolve in the rain. He hadn't forgotten. That was the damn problem. Azrael had made him an offer when the cancer diagnosis came. Leon was dying, but the Angel had given him a chance to extend his life. The Angel of Death acted as his personal System, handing out tasks that earned Leon more time. Power-ups. Abilities. But with each one, he edged closer to something worse than death.
Azrael wasn't helping him out of the goodness of his heart. Leon was being groomed for something darker, something bigger. Azrael is just patiently waiting for Leon's approval.
The wind howled as Leon neared the building's entrance. Glass crunched beneath his boots, the windows of the lobby were shattered to the frames. The demon's influence was palpable, seeping into every crack and crevice. The elevator was out of service. It's doors hang open like a gaping maw. Leon opted for the stairwell, the smell of sulfur growing stronger with each step he took.
Leon arrived at the ritzy penthouse, the penthouse door was wrecked when he reached it, the wind from the broken windows inside whipping down the hallway, carrying with it a faint scream that chilled him more than the rain ever could.. The place reeked of money and desperation, but the stench of sulfur was worse. It clawed at his senses the moment he stepped into the lobby, The demon inside wasn't subtle, and it was pissed.
Inside, chaos reigned. The glass from the windows lay in fragments across the marble floor. Curtains fluttered wildly, snapped by the wind, and papers and trinkets were scattered everywhere. The once opulent space now looked like a war zone. The penthouse, with its high ceilings and polished surfaces, had been reduced to a haunted ruin. The air buzzed with malevolent energy.
A middle-aged couple stood near the far end of the room, the mother sobbing uncontrollably, clutching at her husband's arm. Her eyes were wild with fear, darting between Leon and the Stairs, that led to the upper level.
The father stood motionless, his face pale, eyes hollow. Whatever he'd witnessed had broken something inside him.
"Please, you have to hurry. She's…" Her voice cracked. "She's not my daughter anymore."
Leon nodded. "She never was. Not since that thing took over." His voice was calm, but his eyes scanned the surroundings. Possessions like this were messy. The girl was upstairs, probably tied to a bed, thrashing, while the demon played with its food.
"Quest: Exorcise the Demon.
Time Reward: +48 hours.
Skill Unlock: Hellfire Blade"
"Accept?"
"Accept this system Leon, this quest objective will reshuffle to a new offer."
Azrael whispered cold to Leon
"Can't I get a normal exorcism once in a while?" Leon muttered.
The mother of the possessed child is confused and frightened, wondering who Leon is talking to.
The Angels of Death can only be seen by the person they want them to be seen.
But Leon was a stubborn exorcist, he doesn't want the system from Azrael, he doesn't want any power ups or any kind of help when he does his work.
He climbed the stairs slowly, ignoring the woman's babbling behind him. His mind was elsewhere—focused on the demon's presence. It was stronger than he'd expected. More dangerous. His pulse quickened, his breath shortened, but it wasn't just from the cancer.
When he reached the door to the girl's room, it burst open with a violent force. Inside, the demon had made its mark. The bed, once pristine and luxurious, was a wreck of broken wood and torn linens. Claw marks covered the walls, the remnants of a battle between the child and the creature that had taken over her. In the corner, the girl sat, her back bent at an unnatural angle, her hair hanging limply over her face. The moment Leon stepped into the room, she, no it looked up. Her eyes glowed a deep, malevolent red, and her lips curled into a mockery of a smile.
"Ah… the exorcist. I can smell the stench of death all over you," the demon growled through the girl's mouth, voice like gravel. "How pathetic. You think you can banish me?"
Leon didn't respond. He drew his cross, and his bible, Leon examined the Demons motions it's style of possession, and how it taunts him, but him being an experience exorcist he classified the Demon as E Rank. He started to chant incantations to repel the Demon, lifting the cross in front of it, but the demon was strong and snapped the cross like they were made of paper and lunged at him with unnatural speed. Leon barely had time to react, it scratched Leon's thighs with a minor wound. The demon provoking Leon, laughing and scratching the girl's body, blood spilled across the room from the injuries of the girl.
"This Demon is strong even though it's just an E Rank." - Leon told himself.
"Skill Unlock: Minor Healing (Can heal any minor injuries like scratches and deep cuts) Time Cost: -2 hours. Accept? This could heal your wounds and the girl's wounds, look at her body Leon, her body is full of scratches, she might die of blood loss" Azrael's voice echoed in his head.
"Two hours? No way" Leon scoffed, ducking as the demon flung a chair across the room.
Leon casted a protective barrier spell just enough to make time and make a shield against the Demon, to make him think without interruption. But the clock is ticking, for him and for the girl.
Leon could feel the demon's power trying to overpower his protective barrier, with every strike of the Demon it cracks the Barrier slowly. The heat seared through the air. But Loens Barrier is strong, his Magic overpowered the Demons strikes. When the Demon grew tired. He stopped for a while and grabbed a piece of wood from the broken bed, and targeted the Kids chest.
"Lower your barrier exorcist, or I will stab this little girl's heart" The Demon said
"Release her," Leon growled. The demon grinned, and slowly pierced the kids chest, blood spilling. inch by inch the wood is slowly thrusting Into the heart of the poor kid.
Skill Unlock: Entity Extraction (Low Ranking Demon Entities F - E Ranks)
"This skill grants the ability to forcibly extract low-ranking demonic entities (F to E ranks) from various sources, including cursed objects, corrupted areas, dimensional rifts, and even possessed individuals. The user can safely pull the demon out of its host or vessel, neutralizing its influence and freeing the possessed person. The extracted entities cannot be summoned or controlled, only removed and dispelled, making this skill vital for purification and exorcism purposes."
Time Cost: -10 hours
"If you won't accept this offer Leon, the girl will die" - Azrael shouted on Leon's ear
Leon's vision blurter for a moment as he considered the cost. He didn't want to give up, but the alternative was watching the girl die.
"Fuck it, I accept give me that fucking skill, NOW!"
Entity Extraction Skill Learned
Leon put down his protective barrier with haste and leaped forward to the kids body, Holding the kids arm with the wood that is about to pierce her chest, the demon laughing
"What can you do? I control her now" the demon said while laughing.
The surge of power was immediate, coursing through him like liquid fire. He moved with a speed that shocked even the demon, lunging forward and grabbing the girl's head. Light burst from her body with a scream that reverberated through Leon's very soul. The entity dissolved into nothingness, its laughter echoing long after its presence had vanished.
The room fell deathly silent. The wind no longer howled, the storm outside muted. The girl lay still, breathing shallow but steady, her wounds miraculously healed. Leon stood over her, panting his hands, shaking as the power drained from him. He was exhausted, but alive.
Azarael materialized beside him, watching with whose cold, starry eyes. "You have gained a new skill, and saved the girl."
Leon stared at the unconscious girl, wiping sweat from his brow. "Yeah, but what did it cost me?"
Azrael smirked. "Only 10 hours. A fair price for such power, don't you think?"
Leon stared at the girl, then at the broken glass that littered the penthouse floor. "What's the point of saving someone, " he murmured, "when I'm the one inching closer to damnation?" The System wasn't just a blessing; it was a curse. He needed the power to survive, to buy more time, but every time he leveled up, every time he accepted a quest, he got closer to something he didn't want to be. He could feel it creeping in, like a shadow growing in his soul.
The rain had lightened to a soft drizzle by the time Leon descended the staircase, his boots clicking against the marble floor as he made his way back to the penthouse's living room. The storm outside still loomed, but the howling winds and violent thunder had eased, mirroring the calm that had finally settled within the apartment. The chaos upstairs had been replaced with silence—an eerie, unsettling quiet that followed every exorcism. It was the kind of silence that Leon had grown used to over the years, but it never felt right.
He glanced at the girl, now lying on the plush sofa, wrapped in a blanket the mother had fetched from another room. Her breathing was steady, color returning to her pale cheeks. She was safe. For now.
Her parents were gathered nearby, the father pacing nervously while the mother knelt beside their daughter, her tear-streaked face a mixture of relief and disbelief. The tension that had gripped the couple was finally starting to loosen, though their eyes remained wide with fear and uncertainty. The mother wiped her eyes, still clutching her daughter's hand, while the father cautiously approached Leon.
"Is... is she going to be alright?" The man's voice trembled, his earlier stoicism shattered.
Leon didn't look at him right away. His eyes lingered on the girl, watching her chest rise and fall in a slow rhythm, confirming that the demon had truly left her. He sighed, finally tearing his gaze away from the child. "She's fine. The demon's gone. She'll probably wake up with no memory of any of it—just exhaustion and maybe a nightmare or two, but nothing lasting." He paused before adding, "Just... keep an eye on her. Sometimes, there can be aftereffects."
The father nodded quickly, his relief evident in the way his shoulders dropped. "Thank you. God, thank you." His gratitude poured out, but Leon remained silent, unmoved by the man's emotional display.
The mother, having overheard the conversation, suddenly sprang up, rushing toward Leon. She clasped his hands in hers, her fingers trembling. "You saved her. You saved our little girl. I—" Her voice broke, and she couldn't finish the sentence. Instead, she simply sobbed, her words choked by emotion.
Leon gently pulled his hands free, avoiding the woman's gaze. He hated this part. The gratitude. The thanks. He didn't deserve any of it. Not with what he'd had to sacrifice for the job. Not with what it cost him. "I'm just doing my job," he muttered, brushing past her.
The father fumbled through his jacket pocket, pulling out a thick envelope and thrusting it toward Leon. "Here—your payment, as promised. It's all there."
Leon glanced at the envelope but didn't take it right away. His mind was elsewhere, replaying the events of the night, the deal he had made with Azrael, and the hours he'd lost from his dwindling life. He hesitated, the weight of his decision still gnawing at him.
"Take it," the man insisted. "It's the least we can do after what you've done for us."
Leon sighed and finally accepted the envelope. "Yeah... thanks." His voice was flat, distant, as he stuffed the money into the pocket of his trench coat. He turned toward the door, eager to leave this place, to get away from the reminders of what he had just done.
As he walked toward the exit, the mother called out to him again, her voice softer this time. "Who... who were you talking to? Upstairs, before you... before you saved her?"
Leon froze, his hand hovering over the doorknob. For a moment, he considered telling her the truth—about Azrael, about the System, about the bargain he'd made. But what good would that do? They didn't need to know the full extent of what had transpired. The girl was alive. That was all that mattered.
"No one," Leon said quietly. "Just myself."
Without another word, he opened the door and stepped out into the rain, letting it wash over him as the door clicked shut behind him.
Leon walked through the dimly lit streets, the rain now just a light drizzle. The weight of the night clung to him like the dampness in the air, but it wasn't just the exhaustion from the exorcism or the cancer slowly eating away at his lungs. It was something deeper. Something tied to the presence that he knew followed him, waiting in the shadows.
"You're still here, aren't you?" Leon muttered, taking another drag from his cigarette.
Azrael materialized beside him, his pale, gaunt figure barely visible in the fading mist. His long black coat billowed gently in the breeze, raindrops passing through him like he wasn't really there. His cold, starry eyes glowed faintly, casting an ethereal light across the damp pavement.
"Of course," Azrael replied, his voice as smooth and cold as ever. "We have unfinished business."
Leon stopped walking, turning to face the Angel of Death. His eyes, tired and filled with a quiet defiance, met Azrael's unwavering gaze. "Unfinished business? You mean the girl? She's safe. I did what you wanted."
Azrael shook his head slowly, the faintest trace of a smile playing on his lips. "No, Leon. The girl was just another task, another mission to buy you a little more time. But that's not the business I'm talking about."
Leon frowned, taking a step back. "Then what? What the hell do you want?"
Azrael's smile widened, though it never reached his eyes. "You've already accepted the System, Leon. You've used its power, taken its rewards, and let it reshape your life. But you haven't made it official. The System doesn't work without binding contracts, and ours still lacks one... final signature."
Leon felt a cold chill run down his spine. He had known something like this was coming. He had been running from it for months, trying to convince himself that he could keep using the System without fully surrendering to it. But deep down, he knew that was a lie.
"And what happens when I sign?" Leon asked, though he already had a pretty good idea of the answer.
Azrael's expression grew serious, his voice lowering into something almost... reverent. "Once you sign, you'll be fully bound to the System—and to me. There will be no more half-measures, no more running from what you've already started. You will become part of something greater than yourself, something ancient. The System was never meant to be a simple tool, Leon. It's a path. A journey. And you've chosen to walk it."
Leon's heart pounded in his chest. "Chosen? You came to me when I was dying. You offered me a deal, and I took it because I didn't want to rot away in a hospital bed."
Azrael tilted his head, his eyes gleaming with that unsettling light. "You chose me, Leon. You could have accepted the fate given to you—a slow death, yes, but a natural one. Instead, you reached out for more. Power. Time. You wanted control over your destiny, and I gave you that."
Leon's hand tightened into a fist, his breath coming out in angry, ragged bursts. "I didn't know it would come to this."
"Didn't you?" Azrael's voice was soft now, almost mocking. "You knew the moment you accepted your first mission. Every exorcism, every skill you unlocked, every second you bought for yourself—it was always leading to this."
Leon closed his eyes, his mind racing. He had spent months denying it, telling himself he was just trying to survive. But Azrael was right. Every time he would use the System, every time he would take more power, it had pulled him deeper into its grasp. And now there was no turning back.
Azrael stepped closer, his presence almost tangible in the misty air. "It's time to make it official. You must sign the contract, Leon. With your blood."
Leon opened his eyes, his gaze hardening as he looked at the Angel of Death. "And if I refuse?"
Azrael's smile faded. "Then the time I've given you will run out, and you will face your end. The cancer will finish what it started, and you will die—without power, without purpose. But sign, and you will continue to live, to fight, to gain strength beyond anything you've imagined. The choice is yours."
The silence between them stretched on, the weight of Azrael's words pressing down on Leon. He knew what he had to do. There was no escape from this, no way to return to the life he had before. He had already crossed the threshold. He just hadn't admitted it to himself yet.
"Fine," Leon said, his voice cold and resolute. "I'll sign your damn contract."
Azrael's eyes gleamed with triumph, and he extended his hand. In an instant, a small, ornate dagger appeared in his palm, the blade shimmering with a dark, otherworldly light. He held it out to Leon.
"You know what to do."
Leon took the dagger, its cold metal almost burning against his skin. He hesitated for only a moment before clenching his teeth and dragging the blade across his palm. The pain was sharp but brief, and blood welled up from the wound, pooling in his hand.
Azrael stepped closer, his eyes fixed on Leon's bleeding palm. "Offer it to me," he said softly, his voice almost a whisper.
Leon held out his hand, letting the blood drip onto the ground between them. Azrael watched as the drops splattered against the wet pavement, then reached out with one pale finger to touch the blood. As soon as he made contact, the blood began to glow, pulsing with a faint red light.
"By this offering of blood," Azrael intoned, "you bind yourself to the System. Your power, your life, your very soul will now be tied to its purpose. There is no turning back, Leon Graves. You are now bound to me—and to the System—until the end."
Leon flexed his hand, the wound already beginning to heal as the power of the System surged through him, stronger than before. He could feel it now, deep inside him—a presence, an energy that would never leave. He had made his choice.
"Congratulations," Azrael said, his eyes gleaming. "You are now one step closer to your true potential."
Leon didn't respond. He simply stared at his hand, the blood drying on his skin. There was no going back now. Whatever came next, he was bound to it.
"I want to know why you chose me Azrael, I accepted your system. I guess you owe me a reason." Leon said with anger in his voice
"You are destined to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. You will ride at the end days. But which Horseman remains to be seen. The system will help you gain powers to level up to rise the ranks and eventually become a Rider, Horseman. This Is your fate Leon, you are know binded to it, you have already signed the contract."
The revelation hit Leon like a punch to the gut. He stumbled back, staring at the Angel of Death with wide eyes. The Horsemen? Was that why he was being leveled up? Was that why the System kept offering him more power? More time?
Azrael tilted his head. "You wanted to live, didn't you? This is the price."
Azrael took a step back, fading slightly into the mist. "I'll be watching, Leon. Your journey has only just begun."
As the Angel of Death vanished into the shadows, Leon stood alone in the rain, the weight of his decision settling in. The System was his now, for better or worse. And with every step he took, every mission he completed, he would be walking closer to a destiny he could no longer avoid.
He lit another cigarette, inhaling deeply as the smoke filled his lungs. There was nothing left to do now but move forward.
Because there was no escaping the System. Not anymore.
"Ride well, Leon. The end is coming.