Lyra Carter pulled her hood tighter against the cold drizzle as she wandered through the abandoned streets at the city's edge. Shadows clung to every corner, silent witnesses to her restless grief. Since the accident, this forgotten part of town had become her refuge—where she could lose herself among broken street lamps and crumbling graffiti-scarred walls.

But tonight, something felt different.

A low whisper seemed to echo from the dark alleys, a pulse of wrongness she couldn't ignore. Lyra's footsteps slowed. In front of her, a shadow flickered—something not quite there, like a smudge across reality.

Her breath hitched as she realized it was watching her.

"Lyra," a deep, rasping voice called. The sound struck her like a storm, sharp and chilling. "You called, so here I am."

Stunned, Lyra took a shaky step back. "Who... what are you?"

The figure emerged from the shadows, tall and imposing, with a cold blue light smoldering in his eyes. It was a man—or at least, it wore the shape of one—but the jagged edges of his form, the faint shimmer of dark mist curling off his skin, betrayed something far more sinister.

"I am Clauneck a demon bound by contract." He sounded almost bored. "And you, apparently, have summoned me."

"Summoned? I didn't—" Her words died as she noticed the faint, glowing symbols beneath her feet, encircling her in a ring of ancient script. Panic fluttered in her chest.

The demon raised a brow. "Ignorance is no excuse. You spoke the binding words, whether you knew it or not."

She blinked, fighting to piece together her thoughts. Only moments ago, she'd been muttering to herself in a haze of anger and sadness, wishing for something—anything—that could fill the void left by her family's death.

Azael regarded her with a flicker of impatience. "The contract is sealed. You wished for peace, and I am here to provide it. Though, frankly," he added with a wry twist of his lips, "I'd rather not be."

Lyra's confusion hardened into anger. "Then go. I don't need you."

Clauneck's eyes flashed dangerously. "Not that simple. Now, listen well. I'm bound to you until this task is fulfilled, which means we're tied together until you find this 'peace' you so desperately seek."

Her mouth went dry. "And if I don't?"

"Then I remain," he said, a dangerous softness in his tone. "As much as I detest the thought."

With no choice but to accept the strange, terrifying presence now attached to her, Lyra dropped her gaze, feeling the weight of despair settle on her shoulders. Her entire life had already been consumed by loss. Now she had a demon bound to her, too.

"So… what now?" she managed, voice hollow.

"Now," Clauneck said with a mocking smile, "you follow me."

They walked in tense silence, Clauneck leading her deeper into the city's forgotten places. Broken windows stared down at them like dead eyes. After a while, Lyra mustered the courage to ask, "Why are you so eager to leave?"

The demon's jaw tightened. "There's nothing in the mortal world for me. I had no wish to be dragged back here."

Lyra frowned. "Then how did you… end up in my life?"

He shot her a cold look. "My sins are my own affair, mortal. Let's just say they've left me weaker than I once was."

A thought occurred to her—a terrible, desperate thought that sent a chill down her spine. "Could… could you help me avenge them? My family?"

Clauneckvturned, his eyes glittering with a mixture of intrigue and disdain. "A child's quest for vengeance? You overestimate the bargain we've struck." But, with a long sigh, he added, "However, I do have a task that may align with your goal. There is… someone who once betrayed me, an old enemy in this very city."

"Who?"

"A cult leader. A mortal obsessed with summoning forces beyond his understanding."

Lyra felt a strange thrill of satisfaction—a small spark in her hollowed-out heart. "Fine. I'll help you."

Clauneck looked at her, for the first time with a glimmer of interest. "Very well, girl. But remember—once we begin, there is no turning back."

The two disappeared into the darkness, a girl and her demon, bound by a contract neither had wanted yet neither could refuse.