Karma

~Chapter 4: The Things I Didn't Know~

The hardest part about having someone close to you kidnapped, especially if you're not sure if they're dead or not, is deciding what to do next. I recognized the way of attack and how they left the room. Blood splatter, bullet hole in the wall, some form of shattered glass and a strange note written in blood. It was all too familiar.

It seems we had gotten a little visit from Karma, a gang of thugs and murderers who may or may not have been after my head. Fan-freaking-tastic. What I had done to some of their comrades was pretty bad (they were the 15 people I had to kill) but what they had done with my little sister, they would pay for! I took the blood-covered piece of paper in my hand and crumpled it. I went back into the other room and got my backpack.

I looked through it and got out the book of spells mom left me. Yeah, I kept it, I even used the eye color changing spell and made my eyes blue. Unfortunately there was no spell to change hair color so I was stuck with the same, vibrant, blood-red, curly hair for the rest of my life.

I flipped through the pages and got onto the page with the spell for summoning Satan, "Καλώ τον διάβολο Σας προσκαλούν στο πλευρό μου με τη μία να περάσει μέσα από την πύλη," I read aloud, just like every other time. This time was different, though. Something about the way I entered hell felt different.

I had shut my eyes in time so I wouldn't be blinded by the bright and flashing light, and opened them when I smelt fire. Just like every other time, there he was, up on gigantic throne. Just like every other time, he glared down at me from said throne. Just like every other time, I was here because I wanted something from him. But this time, he couldn't give it to me.

"No." he immediately said upon my arrival, voice thundering around the underground.

"What do you mean 'no'?!" I yelled back in confusion.

"I mean no. I am unable to make a deal with you."

"What?! How can you not make a deal with me?! You're Satan, it's your decision!" I stomped my foot on the ground angrily.

"How many deals do you think you have made with me, Nikki?"

"I don't know... like, seven?" I guessed.

"Thirteen." He corrected.

Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures!

"So? Your point?"

"Once a mortal has made thirteen deals with me and has not exchanged their soul for any of them, the fourteenth deal must be made for their soul. That is one of the rules."

"What?! You never said anything like that the first time I made a deal!"

"That is because this rule has never been enforced before. No one has ever made thirteen deals. You, are the first."

"Well then how do I know you're not just making this up right now?!"

He sighed in annoyance and snapped. Next thing I know, a gigantic tapestry fell straight in front of me, kicking up dust and debris. I coughed and swatted away at the dusty air until it cleared. I looked at the tapestry and read the huge letters engraved into it.

"Rule Number 1: Any deals made shall be for the rest of eternity. If the deal is broken, the one who requested the deal will suffer the consequences. Harsh...

Rule Number 2: All mortals who make a deal can neither go to Heaven or Hell, and regularly will be harder to kill than most mortals. Well there you go, more info that would have been nice to know earlier...

Rule Number 3: If a mortal makes thirteen deals without the exchange of their soul, the fourteenth deal must be made with their soul. The deal maker does not have to mention this when the first deal is being made, for it has never been enforced before?! Alright, now you're really pissing me off, you bastard!" I yelled, my fists clenched so tight my knuckles were white. I didn't even bother reading the rest, I knew it was just the stupid "Body part color changing" thing.

The tapestry started levitating, making the ground shake as it lifted off of it. I flew up and disappeared from my sight, but I just glared at the colossal demon.

"To say something so harsh to someone like me, I see why they call you a trouble maker," he spat.

"And I see why they call you Satan, you heartless son of a bitch!" I spat back.

"Heartless? Says the girl who has brutally murdered 36 people."

"Says the demon I murdered them for."

"Touché," he smirked.

"Oh, and another thing that's pissing me off! The stupid tapestry always said "Deal maker". Never Satan. There's more of you that can make deals, aren't there?"

"Clever and quick. Fascinating."

"Let me guess, it's your brother, isn't it?!"

"Yes, I suppose you had the pleasure of meeting him?"

"Pleasure? As if, the guy's a half-ass cheapskate." I scowled at him, remembering the time I had the pleasure of meeting that asshole relative of his. "So are you gonna make me a deal or what?" I gave him cold words, along with a cold-hearted glare

"As I said before, it will cost your soul," he reminded me what I didn't forget.

"So?!"

"Stupid human."

"Excuse me?!"

"Do you know what a souless mortal is like?"

"A mindless and evil drone?"

"No, dead. A mortal without a soul wouldn't be able to withstand the pain and would die within less than an hour."

"What do you mean pain?!"

Without response, he snapped his fingers and I suddenly felt a giant pain, all over my body, "Ack!!" I screamed, it hurt like a freaking bitch! It felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside. My knees buckled as a fell to them, my hands digging into the dirt on the ground. I began coughing until I started coughing a familiar red liquid. The pain finally stopped after that, and I shakily got back onto my feet, "What... the hell... was that?" my voice came out strained and scratchy.

"That was a tenth of the pain one would feel if their soul was taken away. You pitiful humans have no idea how much strain it has on your body's just to walk around. The soul all of you are born with blocks the signals of pain and focuses on more important things, like food, sleep and emotions. Without a soul, the pain it blocks will not be ignored and will kill someone within hours, minutes even. And the pain you felt just now was only a tenth. So that pain, times ten is what it feels like."

I just stared at him in shock. Do humans even know this? I didn't know what to say or even do, I was so confused. What if I did give my soul? Would Leo really be safe without me? But if I didn't, what if I couldn't get her back from Karma?

So many things, I didn't know...