Ren is sitting on the bench, dressed in black, with a small bag in hand, his gaze fixed across the street. His fingers are tracing the bench absentmindedly, eyes locked on the man sitting across the road.
The guy he's after.
The man is absorbed in his work, painting on a board despite the dimming evening light. His face, partly obscured by a thin beard, is tired but focused. Ordinary clothes hang loose on his frail form, and a wheelchair supports his legs, which are motionless.
Around him, people are passing by, some pausing to admire the canvases spread out on a small table, others asking about the price. Most people just glance before walking on.
On this site,
Ren is watching quietly. There's no hurry. He lets the minutes drag, allowing the scene to unfold naturally.
Then, a girl appears when darkness almost falls, walking toward the guy. She's young, perhaps seventeen, with brown hair cascading over her shoulders. Her beauty is delicate, marred only by the weariness that mirrors the man's.
She approaches him with a soft smile, and they exchange a few words. Her voice is quiet, almost hesitant. After a moment, she begins to help the man gather the paintings, gently stacking them into a small cart beside the wheelchair.
Ren's eyes narrow as he watches the tenderness in her movements, the silent efficiency with which she aids the man.
Once the last painting is secured, they start to leave. She pulls the cart along, while the man moves in his wheelchair beside her, the two of them making their way along the street together.
Ren stands up, slowly following at a measured distance, keeping his presence unnoticed.
As they move down the street, the girl's voice drifts, low and hesitant.
"Dad… did any sell today?" Her words are soft, almost apologetic, as though she already knows the answer.
The man doesn't respond at first, his head bowed slightly as he pushes the wheels of his chair forward. When he finally speaks, his voice is thick with regret. "No… nothing."
A silence stretches between them, heavy and painful. She lowers her eyes, and for a moment, neither speaks. Then, her voice comes again, quieter still.
"How's Mom doing today?"
He exhales, his shoulders sagging further, as though the weight of the world presses down on him. "She was… vomiting blood again." His voice falters.
The girl's steps slow slightly, and she turns her face away. "What did the doctor say?"
"They said… they said her condition's getting worse. She needs the operation soon… or else..." He trails off, the unspoken words hanging in the air between them.
Another pause, longer this time. They continue to walk, but the atmosphere grows heavier with each step.
Then, as if trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, the man asks, "How was school today?"
She hesitates to speak, her voice barely above a whisper when she answers. "I… I quit school, Dad. I applied for a job… as a waitress at a... Bar."
The man stops in his tracks. His hands tighten on the rims of his wheelchair. A tear slips from his eye, quickly wiped away.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry," he says, his voice breaking. "I couldn't be a good dad for you… I'm—"
She cuts him off, her own tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.
"Don't say that. Don't ever say that, Dad. You're the best father I could ever ask for." Her voice shakes, but it's firm. She won't let him degrade himself any further than the life has already.
They walk on in silence again, their pace slower now, weighed down by the sadness clinging to them like a thick fog.
While here, Ren is just behind them, trailing them, listening to everything, his dark eyes gleaming with interest.
"There are always people with worse lives," Ren thinks, listening about their sad lives.
The man stops few minutes later before the entrance of an alley. He speaks, guilt and sadness dripping from his words, "Please,"
The girl stops, her eyes wet and red.
"Don't work there, that's dangerous." The man says
The girl: "Don't stop me, dad. I can't watch Mom... I can't lose her, lose you."
But before the man can say anything, a deep voice cuts through the air, coming from the alley, echoing in the dark.
"Hahhh, that's a rather sad life you've got there."
They freeze for a moment, startled, their heads turning toward the source.
They see a man stepping out of the shadows of the alley, dressed in black, with a creepy mask covering his face. The red smile on the black mask is gleaming in the faint light, menacing and unnatural.
His steps are slow, deliberate, walking out from the alley's depths, a figure of seeming terror emerging from the dark.
The man's face goes pale, his breath quickening as he stares at Ren. He immediately positions his wheelchair before his daughter, shielding her.
"Get behind me," he whispers urgently to her. She obeys, but not without glancing over her father's shoulder, her eyes wide with fear.
Ren takes his time approaching, his eyes flicking between them. He stops just at the alley's entrance, tilting his head as he speaks again, his voice smooth and mocking.
"Hahh, I heard your story on the way here. You've got some sad life, haven't you?"
The man stammers, "Wh, who are you? We—we don't have any money. We're poor."
Ren chuckles, a low, amused sound. "Ah, you misunderstood me, Mr. Painter. I'm not a thief." He pauses, letting the title of his persona hang in the air.
"I'm called Incubi. And I'm here to make a deal for you the offer of your lifetime. One that can turn your miserable existence around."
The girl, peeking from behind her father, speaks, her voice shaky. "We—we don't want any shady deals. Leave us alone."
Ren laugh, his laughter echoing through the narrow alley.
"Shady deal? No, girl. This isn't just some shady deal… it's a deal with me, the devil."
The man looks at her daughter, their eyes meeting briefly. He thinks of her mother, sick and fading, desperately in need of money.
Slowly, with his voice trembling, the man asks, "Wha… what's the deal? What do we get in return?"
Ren's tone turns almost cheerful now. "Ah, see, I need to do a little experiment. A tiny one. And in exchange, you'll get ten thousand dollars. Simple, right?"
The man's eyes widen at the mention of the amount, though suspicion still lingers in his voice.
"Ten thousand dollars?" He glances back at his daughter before adding, "I… I agree. But… give us the money first."
"Dad, don't—" the girl speaks, but the man cuts her off, his voice firmer now.
"Let your father do something good for you," he says, emotion breaking through his words. "With ten thousand dollars, your mother can get the operation. I'm already… I'm already useless, so just let me do one last good thing for you."
Tears roll down her cheeks, her voice shaking. "Dad, I don't want to lose you…"
Ren watches them, a grin curling beneath his mask. The air around him feels thick with tension, their despair feeding his amusement.
"Hahahaha," Ren laughs suddenly, breaking the somber mood. "I like girls like you, always trying to protect the ones you love. But you see… the word 'father' bears a responsibility for their families. A heavy responsibility that stabs their soul if their family is living like this."
His gaze shifts to the man. "And I admire how you're trying to live up to that responsibility… despite your condition."
With that, Ren pulls tosses the bag in his hand to the man's lap.
"Here, twenty thousand dollars. More than I promised. Take it. And with this… our deal is sealed."
The man's hands shake as he opens the bag, his breath catching when he sees the money inside. Tears fall freely now, his voice breaking as he says, "Thank you… thank you."
Ren waves it off. "Oh, don't cry, Mr. Painter. Your daughter's watching. Show her the strength of a father."
The man wipes his eyes quickly and hands the bag to his daughter, who clutches it tightly, still uncertain.
Ren's eyes glint from behind his mask. "Now, Mr. Painter… come with me. And girl, why don't you accompany your father? It won't take too long."
The man hesitates, looking nervously at Ren. "Wh… why her? It's not the deal we made."
Ren's tone softens, though the sinister edge remains. "I promise, not a finger will touch her." His eyes glint mischievously.
"Now, follow me."
He moves into the alley, the man and his daughter following him hesitantly. The faint light is barely reaching the narrow space.
With each step, Ren's excitement builds while the father's and daughter's hearts race in an anxious rhythm.
They're about to enter a darkness deeper than they could ever imagine and witness things that can only be fantasized about.