In a world where the lines between the ordinary and the extraordinary blur, there are things that defy explanation. Things that lurk in the shadows of our everyday lives, waiting to reveal themselves when the moment is right. For me, that moment came when I met her.

I wasn't looking for a girlfriend. In fact, relationships were the last thing on my mind. But that was before I met Seraphina.

It was a normal day at school—well, as normal as it gets for a nerd like me, buried in books and gaming. I had always found solace in fantasy worlds, where powerful beings clashed, and heroes rose from obscurity. Little did I know that my fantasy was about to merge with my reality in the most unexpected way.

I was late, again. I raced through the school gates, clutching my backpack, mentally cursing myself for staying up too late grinding in the latest MMORPG. My feet pounded the pavement as I rounded the corner towards the classroom. That's when I saw her.

She stood at the edge of the schoolyard, watching the world with an air of detached amusement, as though nothing in this realm could truly interest her. Seraphina was tall, impossibly tall, with flowing hair that shimmered between shades of midnight blue and obsidian. Her eyes—those crimson eyes—glowed like burning coals beneath the pale light of dawn. She didn't look like any other student. She didn't look human.

"Excuse me, can you point me toward the principal's office?"

Her voice sent chills down my spine. It was soft, melodic, yet carried the weight of something ancient—something that had seen eons pass by like fleeting seconds. I blinked, my brain struggling to catch up with my senses. Was this some sort of dream? Did I fall asleep during my speed run last night?

"Uh, yeah, it's just down the hall and to the left. Are you new here?" I asked, trying not to stammer like a complete idiot.

She smiled—a small, knowing smile that seemed to pierce through me. "You could say that."

I shrugged off the strange feeling gnawing at the back of my mind. New girl. New year. Nothing unusual, right? At least, that's what I told myself until the bell rang, and I found her sitting in the desk right next to mine in homeroom.

"Seraphina," she introduced herself, leaning in with a smirk that made my heart race.

"Y-Yeah, I'm Kaito," I replied, barely managing to get the words out.

The rest of the day passed in a blur. I couldn't stop staring at her. Something about her wasn't right, but I couldn't put my finger on it. She wasn't like the other students. It was like she didn't belong in this world, like she was waiting for something—or someone.

That night, I couldn't sleep. My mind was a whirlpool of questions, each one more absurd than the last. Who was she? Why did she seem so... otherworldly? My gut told me to stay away, that nothing good could come from getting close to her. But my heart? My heart was already lost.

---

At precisely midnight, my phone buzzed. Groggy and half-asleep, I fumbled for it on my bedside table, squinting at the screen. It was a message—no, a command.

"Come to the park. Now."

No number. No name. Just a location.

I should have ignored it. I should have stayed in bed and chalked it up to a prank. But something—an invisible force—compelled me to obey. I threw on my jacket and slipped out of the house, making my way to the park.

The air was cold, unnaturally so for a spring night. A thick mist hung low over the ground, swirling in strange patterns as I stepped into the park. There, in the middle of the clearing, stood Seraphina, her eyes glowing in the darkness.

"You're late," she said, her voice echoing in the silence.

"Late? For what?" I asked, feeling more confused by the second.

"For the awakening," she replied. Then, without warning, her body began to shimmer, her human disguise melting away to reveal something... impossible.

Wings—massive, leathery wings—unfurled from her back, and horns, sharp and menacing, curled from her forehead. Her crimson eyes blazed with an intensity that left me frozen in place.

"My real name," she said, her voice now a thunderous boom that seemed to shake the earth itself, "is Seraphina, Queen of the Abyss, ruler of the Nine Hells. And you, Kaito, are now bound to me."

My breath caught in my throat. Demon queen? Ruler of the Nine Hells? What was happening?

Before I could process any of it, she stepped forward and placed a hand on my chest. A searing heat spread through my body as dark energy swirled around me, marking me, claiming me.

From that moment on, my life changed forever.