Evie was sent back to Earth, and with a sudden jolt, she gasped for air. Her eyes flew open as if her body had been defibrillated back into life. The hospital monitors went wild, beeping and flashing in confusion. Her heart rate spiked, and oxygen levels flared—everything that signaled life.
The young nurse, who had been quietly checking on her, froze. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Oh my God," she whispered, dropping the chart. "She's… she's alive."
The nurse spun around, nearly stumbling as she bolted for the door. "Doctor! Doctor! She's alive! Evie Summers is alive!" Her shouts echoed through the corridor, drawing attention from everyone nearby.
Doctors and nurses swarmed the hall and they raced towards Evie's room. The news spread like wildfire, and soon enough, Ronan, Evie's older brother, heard the commotion. He was sitting in the waiting area, lost in thought, when he heard the words.
"She's alive? Evie's alive?"
Without wasting a second, he alerted his mother and together, they ran down the hall. His mind struggled to process what he'd just heard. His heart raced as he burst into her room, breathless, just as his mother arrived at his side, with tears in her eyes.
When they saw her, sitting upright in the hospital bed, breathing—alive—both of them stopped.
"Evie…" Ronan whispered. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. "How… how are you alive?"
Evie's eyes was filled with tears as she saw her brother and her mother. They looked like they'd seen a ghost. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. What could she even say? Her last memory was Hell itself—the Devil's throne, the deal she'd made. Now, she was here, back with them. Alive.
"I—I don't know," she muttered. She swallowed hard, the memory of Hell was still fresh in her mind. "I don't know what happened."
Her mother's eyes were wide with disbelief. She rushed forward and grabbed Evie's hand, squeezing it tightly. "You don't remember anything? The crash, the accident…" she paused. "You were gone, Evie. We thought we lost you."
Ronan took a step closer, he spoke with concern. "They said there was no way anyone could survive that crash. It was deadly, Evie. The doctors... they gave up hope."
Evie's mind was filled with the images of her time in Hell, but how could she possibly explain that? That she'd been bargaining for her life with the Devil himself? The truth was too terrifying, too impossible to share. She squeezed her mother's hand, blinking back the tears in her eyes.
"I don't know," she repeated in whispers. "I just... I just woke up."
The door opened up, and the doctor stepped in, looking both astonished and cautious. His eyes flicked to the monitors and then to Evie herself, who was very much alive despite all medical reasoning. "This is… highly unusual," he began, clearly grappling with the words. "Miss Summers, I've been in this profession for twenty years, and I've never seen anything like this. By all accounts, you shouldn't be alive. It's nothing short of a miracle."
He glanced at Evie's family, who were still in shock. "I understand this is overwhelming for all of you. But right now, Evie needs time. She's just come back from something none of us can explain. Let her rest. We'll run more tests to ensure she's stable, but for now, it's important that she's given some space to breathe."
Her mother hesitated, her eyes were full of worry before nodding. "Okay, okay. We'll give her some time." She looked back at Evie, brushing a hand through her daughter's hair. "We're just so glad you're back."
Evie gave her a weak smile, but inside, her thoughts were racing. She was back. The Devil had kept his end of the deal. She was alive again—alive to live the life she'd lost. For a moment, she was overjoyed knowing she was here, with her family, her brother, her mother.
But the price… the price of this second chance weighed heavy on her heart. She had to kill souls to stay alive. And every second she spent back on Earth was a reminder that her time was already ticking down.
Ronan and her mother left reluctantly, and the doctor gave her one last look of awe before exiting as well, leaving Evie alone with her thoughts. She was alive, but at what cost?
Moments later, she found herself staring at the ceiling. Evie laid there, staring blankly at it until she saw it—words appearing on the ceiling in dark, twisted letters: Your time starts now.
What the hell? She'd just come back from the dead, and now she was supposed to kill someone? The Devil wasted no time, and neither could she, but… how was she supposed to do this? How could she take a life just after regaining hers?
Before she could fully process it, the nurse walked in, breaking her concentration. Evie's eyes shifted away from the ceiling, forcing herself to act normal.
"How are you feeling, Miss Summers?" the nurse asked kindly, but there was a hesitance in her voice. "I… I don't want to overwhelm you, but… big network news stations have already gotten wind of your awakening. They're asking if you'd be willing to grant an interview."
Evie ran a hand through her hair. Should I kill the nurse? Should I not? She could hear her pulse, and she sweated in her palms. She felt her heart pounding as she tried to decide. What was she supposed to do?
"No," Evie said quickly. "No interviews. I'm too weak. Too… tired. Talking about this will just make things worse."
The nurse nodded sympathetically. "Of course, dear. You've been through something unimaginable. Rest is what you need."
The nurse turned to leave, and Evie suddenly began panicking. Should I stop her? She clenched her fists.
"Wait," she called, with a slightly trembled voice.
The nurse turned back. "Is everything okay, Miss Summers?"
Evie opened her mouth but froze. What the hell am I doing? She asked herself. She stared at the nurse, who was now watching her with concern.
"I just…" Evie forced herself to speak. "I just wanted to thank you… for not giving up on me. For not… you know, burying me."
The nurse's face softened, and she smiled gently. "Oh, sweetheart, it wasn't us. It was your mother and brother. They're the ones who wouldn't let Dr. Oliver send you to the mortuary." She placed a hand on her chest. "I'm just glad you're alive, really. The whole hospital is."
Evie swallowed hard as the nurse turned and left. As soon as the door closed, Evie's body snapped. She hit herself on the head, cursing under her breath. "Goddamn it! Pussy! You took the deal, and now you can't even act on it! Shit, shit, shit!"
Suddenly, she felt an excruciating pain in her arm, causing her to grit her teeth to keep from screaming. Her eyes widened as she watched something begin to etch itself into her skin. The pain was unbearable, like someone was carving into her flesh with a hot knife.
You have 24 hours, the words read against her skin.
She stared at her arm in disbelief. "Well, fuck my life," she muttered.
She had agreed to this bargain, but now she was trapped in the Devil's game with no way out and time ticking down fast.