'What happened to me? Why do I feel so lightheaded? I was talking to Mason, right? What happened next? Why can't I open my eyes?'

Different thoughts flashed through Adam's mind. No matter how much he tried, all his senses failed him. He felt as if he floated in an empty void, unable to recall anything other than his conversation with Mason.

'Is this sleep paralysis? Why is this… huh? What was that? Was that an explosion?'

Unable to determine his location, Adam could sense constant explosions, eliciting subtle vibrations.

However, it was ever so faint that it felt non-existent.

Unable to see for what seemed like eons, Adam suddenly felt a series of intense vibrations. A blinding white light tore through the nothingness he once saw. A split-second later, Adam could hear a cacophony of echoes. Disorientated, Adam had his eyes darted around the strange surrounding.

"Where am I?" Adam said as he stared at the neon-lit room. He could hear the booming echo of an engine tearing through the air. As he lay on the floor, he struggled to rise to a sitting position.

"Why do I feel so tired?" Adam muttered as he fell on the floor.

Before he could rise again, a whisper filled his ears: "Remain where you are. Unless you don't want to live anymore."

Adam winced as he heard the declaration.

'Wait. I have heard this voice before. Yes, it's the guy that hacked…'

While this thought filled Adam's mind, he felt a splitting headache; and his body trembled in response.

"Are you an idiot? Do you want your soul to disperse before we arrive?" The mysterious person chided him.

Although Adam's vision was blurry, he could see the faint outline of what seemed to be a man. He wore what seemed to be a black suit, covered by a long trench coat. Unlike the other parts of this strange man, no matter how much Adam tried, he couldn't see his face. However, how the man could read his thoughts left him terror-stricken.

Before Adam could react, the voice reached him again: "Just lay there. Don't speak or think. Your existence depends on it. I'll help you, but you have to give me permission. You have ten seconds to decide."

'What is this guy—ah!'

Adam screamed, his agony clear as he trembled on the floor. With each passing second, his screams intensified; and so did his agony.

"Give me permission. Hurry if you don't want to die!"

"Make it stop! Please make it stop! I give you permission!" Adam bellowed.

Before Adam could react, the mysterious man reached for his head; and within seconds, Adam's screams ceased. Relief followed. At that same moment, Adam's blurry vision cleared; and his eyes lingered on the visage of the man before him.

Under the red neon light, Adam could see his wrinkled face decorated with various eerie-looking scars. His almond, emerald green eyes sat deep, set just above his flat nose. Thick, gray sideburns on either side of his face while a long goatee hung from under his chin.

"Who are—?"

"Don't bother yourself with my identity. Stop talking. Listen to me. You're not in any shape to talk right now. Wait until we reach the Outworld," the old man interjected, his voice a total contrast to how he looked.

'What the hell is this guy saying? Outworld? What—?'

While various thoughts filled Adam's mind, the voice of the old man reached him again: "I'm Vicar Reeves. Listen to what I've to say; we have little time.

"I know you're confused and in need of answers; however, now is not the time. Earlier, your soul was on the verge of being absorbed by a demon. You—"

"What?! Demon?" Adam couldn't hide his incredulity as he stared at Vicar.

With his brows furrowed, Vicar stretched his hands toward Adam's head. At the moment of contact, Adam lost his ability to speak, sparking a new sense of apprehension within him.

"You foolishly surrendered your soul to a demon from the Outworld. If I hadn't intervened, it would have eaten your soul." Vicar shook his head in displeasure. "Tell me, what is the name of the demon?"

'Demon? That's not possible. Something like that couldn't exist. It's not possible. That Korgrath was only a YouTuber.'

"Korgrath? Are you sure that is the name of the demon?" Vicar asked again, his voice sterner than before. He wore an ugly scowl as his emerald eyes stared at Adam.

Unable to speak, Adam listlessly nodded. His actions further distorted Vicar's countenance.

"It seems you're destined for death, after all. What did you wish for?"

'Nothing. I didn't wish for anything,' Adam thought. Although he didn't know how Vicar could read his mind, he knew it was the only way he could communicate with the strange man.

"Don't lie to me boy! Tell me what you asked for?!" Vicar roared.

'I swear! I didn't wish for anything. I thought it was a prank. How was I supposed to know that demons are real?'

While Adam explained telepathically, Vicar placed his hands on Adam's head, closing his eyes as he continued to read his thoughts.

'How is this possible? Oh. Was that why the demon sent a lesser demon to claim this boy's soul. Yes. That should be it. If not, it would not have tried tricking the boy to read the Hymn of Death. However, there is a big problem. This boy's soul is already being consumed by Korgrath's essence. Hmm… this is really strange,' Vicar mused.

His eyes stared at a blackened ethereal projection cowering on the ground. It had three horns protruding from its head, and its eyes were pitch-black. As Vicar mused, Adam's thoughts reached him again: "Sir, please, what happened to my mother? Is she okay? What about Mason and Jimmy? They're my friends. Can you please help them, too?"

Vicar didn't bother to answer Adam's question. Instead, he said, "After you agreed to give the demon your soul, what is the last thing you remember? Did it give you a timeline?"

'Sir, nothing extraordinary happened. It gave me a timeline of two days. It said, once the lightning tears the skies, it would claim my soul.' Adam then insisted on knowing, hoping it could lessen his fears. 'Please, can you tell me what happened to my mom? What about Mason and Jimmy? Can—?'

"Don't worry, you'll find out what happened to them soon. However, you won't be able to see them again." Vicar could only give him vague hopes. "Don't bother asking why. You'll find out soon enough.

"Now, tell me what happened between the day you made the deal and the moment you heard my voice," Vicar added, sensing that Adam wanted to ask him another series of questions.

Although annoyed that Vicar brushed off his questions, Adam felt a strange compulsion to answer Vicar's question. Wasting no time, Adam recounted everything that happened within the specified timeframe. Because of Vicar's compulsion, he did not leave out any details—not that he had such intentions.

"Hmm… I won't lie to you. Your life will differ greatly from now on. Forget about the life you once had if you have any intention of surviving in the Outworld."

'Sir, what do you mean? Where is this Outworld? What about my—?'

"Can you remember the news about the missing ship?" Vicar cut him off again.

Subconsciously, Adam nodded his head.

"I'm sure you have heard about the myths and the legends behind the Devil's sea so I won't bore you with a long explanation. Although most of what they have said in your world is nonsense, there is an element of truth." The old man hummed. "The Devil's sea connects your world to a myriad of realms, and once every so often, the Outworld and your world are in perfect sync. The demon Korgrath is also from the Outworld. It used the connection between the realms to snatch the souls of the humans in this realm."

'What?! That doesn't make any sense. Demons? Myriad of realms? How is any of this scientifically possible?'

Vicar's words caused a great disturbance within Adam's mind. Although all indications pointed to Vicar telling the truth, it contradicted everything Adam believed.

"Believe me or not, it doesn't change the reality of your situation. I'm only telling you this because the Outworld differs from yours. Unlike your small world, the Outworld is large; and various races occupy its lands and seas. One of which is the demons. You—"

Before Vicar could finish his statement, a thunderous roar echoed, shaking the room where they were. Within seconds, Adam could hear various explosions; and the room shook further.

"D-Demons? Is that a d-demon?" Adam muttered as Vicar's hand left him.

Since Vicar no longer held him, his sense of speech was no longer restrained. However, he did not dare to move an inch or make a loud sound. He couldn't even control his trembling body.

"It seems the demon Korgrath has no intention of letting you go. Its minions are attacking our vessel. Unfortunately, I won't be able to explain further. However, remember these words carefully. If my estimations are correct, our current location is the Wrathriver Necropolis. Find a body for yourself. Preferably one of an adolescent who died recently. Once you find a body, come look for me at Wazar Canyon. I will only wait for two months." Vicar then warned him with a commanding voice. "Remember, you only have a few minutes to find a body!"

Before Adam comprehended Vicar's words, he saw himself rise into mid-air.

"Wait! What do you mean 'find a body'? What is wrong with my body? Hey? Answer…" Adam's words trailed off as he passed through the walls of the room.

A few seconds after Adam disappeared from the neon-lit room, the cacophony of explosions ceased.

"Master, what are you planning? Why did you lie to that boy?" A mysterious voice echoed from the darkness. However, Vicar remained silent.

"Master, do you think he will survive? He has already begun the demonification process. Isn't it better to put him out of his misery?"

For the second time, Vicar did not respond. Soon, silence enveloped the room.

"Although there is nothing special about this boy, he is the first human I've seen to give his soul to a demon without genuinely wanting anything in return." He gave a brief answer after a while. "If he can find a suitable body and survive the demonification process, then I can't wait to see what he'll grow into. Especially after his memories of the last two days return."

"What if he fails?"

"Kill him if he's unable to withstand it." Vicar prepared to leave. "I'm heading to the Wazar Canyon."

"Master, I'll follow your orders… but it's impossible for him to reach the Wazar Canyon in two months. Especially if he survives the demonification."

"Then, he will die."

While Vicar's words echoed, he disappeared from the room. At that same moment, the neon lights dimmed into nothingness.