Four Friends and Their Wildest Journeys

V. Pact sealed in blood

The air in the room grew heavy, saturated with a sinister energy that seemed to pulsate from the glowing pentagram carved into the stone floor. The red light reflected off the walls, casting the room into a bloody haze. At the center of it all, Karolina writhed against the altar, her limbs jerking in violent, unnatural spasms as the thing inside her growled low and guttural.

Lucifer stood at the edge of the pentagram, his towering form almost casual in its menace. His molten eyes gleamed with amusement as he watched Andżelika, Martyna, and Kuba struggle to come up with a plan.

"You're running out of time," Lucifer purred, his voice rich and seductive, each word wrapping around them like smoke. "Offer me a soul, and your little friend can be saved. Refuse... and she's mine forever."

The three friends exchanged panicked glances, the weight of the decision pressing down like iron chains.

"What the hell are we supposed to do?" Kuba muttered, running a hand through his hair as he lit a cigarette, his nerves frayed.

"Don't look at me," Andżelika snapped, pacing furiously. "I'm not the one who dragged us into this!"

"Well, technically, you were the one who insisted we come here for 'fun,'" Martyna said, the tension making her voice sharper than usual.

Before Andżelika could retort, the door to the room creaked open with an ominous groan.

"Oh my God, Karolina! Are you okay?!"

It was Mery. She stood in the doorway, wide-eyed, her perfectly styled hair bouncing as she tilted her head in mock concern. Dressed in an emo, attention-wanting outfit that was wildly appropriate for the setting, she seemed oblivious to the oppressive darkness suffocating the room.

"Mery?" Andżelika said, her voice dripping with disbelief. "What the actual hell are you doing here?"

"I was worried about Karolina!" Mery declared, clutching her chest dramatically. "She's my best friend, after all. And honestly, I thought you guys might be in over your heads without me."

Lucifer chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound that made the candles flicker. "Ah, how delightful. A volunteer."

"Volunteer?" Mery asked, blinking innocently. "For what?"

Andżelika's eyes lit up, a wicked grin spreading across her face as an idea began to form. "Lucifer," she said, turning toward the Devil, "you said we needed a soul, right? Does it have to be ours?"

Lucifer smirked, his sharp teeth gleaming. "A soul is a soul, my dear. It need only be willingly given... or convincingly offered."

Mery's smile faltered. "Wait, what does that mean?"

Martyna stepped forward, her expression icy. "Mery, you always say you'd do anything for Karolina, right?"

Mery's smile returned, forced and nervous. "Well, yeah, of course! That's what real friends do hihi.
"

"Perfect," Andżelika said, cracking her knuckles. "Because we need a little favor."

Mery laughed nervously, taking a step back. "Uh, what kind of favor?"

Before she could finish, Kuba and Andżelika grabbed her arms, dragging her toward the pentagram. She shrieked, kicking her legs dramatically as if auditioning for a bad soap opera. "What are you doing?! Let me go! I'm too petite to die!"

"Relax," Kuba said, rolling his eyes. "You'll be helping Karolina. Isn't that what you're always going on about?"

"This isn't what I meant!" Mery screamed, her voice hitting a pitch so high the candles flickered. "You can't do this to me! I'm her BEST friend!"

Martyna raised an eyebrow. "Mery, you're not even her real friend. You just hang around to feel important."

Lucifer's grin widened as the chaos unfolded. "Oh, this is marvelous. I couldn't have scripted it better myself."

The friends forced Mery into the center of the pentagram, tying her wrists and ankles with ropes they'd found upstairs. She thrashed and screamed, her protests echoing off the stone walls.

"You can't do this!" she wailed, her mascara smudging as tears streamed down her face. "Karolina needs me! She'll be devastated without me!"

"Oh, I'm sure she'll survive," Andżelika said dryly, lighting one of the black candles. "Now shut up and stay still."

Martyna opened the ancient tome they'd found earlier, its pages filled with dark, indecipherable Latin text. Her hands shook as she began to read aloud, her voice trembling.

"Domine tenebrarum, audimus tuam vocem. Accipe hanc animam ut pactum nostrum impleatur!"

The pentagram glowed brighter, the air crackling with energy as the flames of the candles turned black.

Mery's screams grew louder. "NO! You can't do this! I have SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR! Who's going to post motivational quotes on Instagram if I'm gone?!"

Kuba rolled his eyes. "Dear God, just let it happen already."

Lucifer stepped closer, his towering figure casting a shadow over the scene. "You've done well," he said, his voice like a purr. "Now, seal the deal."

Andżelika grabbed the ceremonial dagger, its blade glinting menacingly in the red light. She hesitated for only a moment before plunging it into Mery's heart.

Her scream was cut short, her body going limp as the pentagram flared with blinding light. The entire room shook violently, and the candles extinguished all at once.

As the light faded, silence fell over the room. The ropes binding Karolina snapped, and her body went still. The oppressive energy dissipated, replaced by an eerie calm.

Martyna rushed to Karolina's side, shaking her gently. "Karolina? Are you okay?"

Karolina's eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, they were wide and empty. Then, she sat up abruptly, her expression twisting into something that could only be described as... goofy.

"Guys," she slurred, her voice thick and slurred like someone who'd had one too many shots. "I feel AMAZING."

The friends stared in stunned silence as Karolina wobbled to her feet, grinning like an idiot.

"Did you... Did you save me?" she asked, her voice rising in pitch. "Oh my God, you guys! You're the BEST!"

"Uh..." Andżelika began, but Karolina cut her off.

"I could totally use a burger right now," she said, swaying slightly. "Or like, ten burgers. Do we have fries?"

Kuba blinked. "What the actual hell?"

Karolina giggled, twirling around the room like a ballerina on a bender. "This place is SO COOL! Look at all the spooky stuff! Wait, where's Mery? Did she go home?"

The three friends exchanged a look, their shock giving way to disbelief.

"Karolina," Martyna said carefully, "do you remember anything? At all?"

Karolina stopped mid-spin, tilting her head dramatically. "Remember? Oh, I remember... I was in a dark place, and there were, like, SO many vibes. Bad vibes. But now I'm HERE, and it's, like, the best thing EVER!"

Lucifer, still standing at the edge of the pentagram, chuckled softly. "A most delightful outcome. You've saved your friend... though perhaps not entirely as she was."

"Oh, she's fine," Andżelika muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "She's just... weird now."

Karolina threw her arms around them, swaying slightly as she pulled them into a lopsided hug. "You guys are the BEST. I love you so much! Let's NEVER do this again!"

As the friends stared at each other over Karolina's shoulder, one unspoken thought passed between them: this nightmare wasn't over. It was only just beginning.