𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 | 𝐎𝐌

prologue

"Hey... look at what I found."

M/C turned around after hearing a soft voice whisper to them. They rose a brow as they witnessed their co-worker holding an open book in their hands.

M/C studied the book in their co-worker's slim hands. The book had a dark purple hard cover which appeared to be made of leather. Gold lining dragged around the edges of the mysterious book. It looked old - very old, for that matter.

"What's it about?" M/C's voice came out as a feathery whisper as their co-worker neared. His name was Solomon.

"Demons." Replied Solomon in a calm tone. That caused M/C to perk up suddenly. Demons?

"... Demons, you say?"

"Yes," Confirmed Solomon. He looked around the room for a bit before he sighed, "I'm sure I can show you just a bit before getting back to work."

The duo worked together at a local library and have been best friends ever since they were little kids. The pair were very much inseparable.

M/C watched with eager eyes as the white haired male advanced towards a table. There he spread the book out so that the two could see. M/C walked closer.

"Look what it says here..." Solomon begun as he pointed at a certain paragraph, "This book is about seven demons, to be exact."

"Seven? Do you think they're well known?"

"Well they must be if a book on them has been published, M/C."

Solomon and M/C read further. M/C then stopped abruptly.

"The book is about demons who go by the names of: Lucifer ( who is the avatar of pride ) , Mammon ( who is the avatar of greed ) , Leviathan ( who is the avatar of envy ) , Satan ( who is the avatar of wrath ) , Asmodeus ( who is the avatar of lust ) , Beelzebub ( who is the avatar of gluttony ) and lastly, we have Belphegor, who is the avatar of sloth."

Solomon nodded his head silently. Until he spoke up in a meek voice, "That's... quite a lot."

M/C smirked playfully. "What? Scared, are you?"

The other could only roll his eyes. He wasn't scared, not at all.

"Do you think they actually exist, Solomon?" Questioned M/C.

Solomon took a deep breath. "Quite possibly. Let's read and see if they do."

And so, the two set to work again: flicking through tea-stained pages as information crammed into their heads. They were almost at the end of the book and had no idea how much time had passed.

"Look!" Whisper shouted the male as he pointed towards a decorated passage in the book. The two pairs of eyes were instantly glued to it.

"These seven demons, who are brothers, do exist in today's world and society. However, their whereabouts is unknown. Some researchers have recorded a sort of... Passageway leading somewhere. They reckon that this so called "passageway" links the demon world to the human world, although they are uncertain."

M/C's eyes grew as wide as saucers as soon as Solomon finished reading out the passage. Demons, in the human world? Passageway? What was going on?

"Do you, perhaps, think that demons are dangerous...?"

"I can't say that I know. I... uh... I haven't met one before."

"I hope you'll never meet one. Or anyone here. Demons sound dangerous." M/C sighed before running a hand through their hair.

"We can't be sure of that," Assured Solomon, "So what if they really do live amongst our population and society? Don't you think that if they had some sort of... Oh, I don't know, evil scheme, they would have pursued it already?"

Solomon had a point. And M/C knew that. They groaned.

"I hate that you're always right."

"I know." Smirked the male as he closed the book. He stood still as he noticed M/C's ice cold glare staring him down.

"What...?" He mumbled.

"Why are you putting the book back?"

Solomon scoffed. "Why do you think, M/C? We've slacked off our job for long enough because we've been reading this book. It's time to work."

Again, he had a point. However, the other was persistent. That book was way too valuable to just put back on the shelf. What if someone else found it?

"We need that book."

"No, we don't. After all, we've already read it. We know all we need to know."

M/C grumbled. "Okay, but... Can I take it home? To look at it again?"

Solomon's grey eyes grew wide. He visibly gulped. "Uh... no."

The other rose a quick brow. "And why not?"

"I should keep it at... My house. It would be safer than yours. After all, you live with someone."

That was also right. M/C lived with a college friend that Solomon disliked a lot. Although it was never established why.

"Okay, fine. Keep it at your house then."

"I was going to anyway," Solomon grinned, "Now come on, we've got work to do."

The duo set to work immediately after Solomon had slipped the mysterious book into his bag.

"Demons, huh... I wonder what else is to come."