Lucian finally sat down in his room and let out a long breath. The door was shut. The noise of the house was behind him. For the first time since waking up in this reality, he was alone.
He lay back on the bed and stared at the ceiling.
Now what?
The shock had passed. The panic was still there, but quieter. It was time to think about what came next.
If he really was back in time, then things had to change. There were too many regrets to ignore, but one stood out above the rest, his brother.
Jamie's death would happen in about a year and a half.
Lucian clenched his jaw. He couldn't go through that again. He couldn't watch that happen a second time. If there was even a chance to stop it, he had to try.
But the truth was simple, without money, there was no treatment. And nothing about their life now gave him a way to earn that kind of cash.
He was just a freshman, barely starting college. No connections, no opportunities, and no time to waste.
He considered crypto for a moment, but dismissed it quickly. It was risky, unstable, and took too long to understand properly. He needed something solid, something real.
Money was the wall.
And he didn't know how to climb it.
He closed his eyes and took a breath.
Then a voice came, low and calm, but clear.
"I can help."
Lucian's eyes shot open.
He sat up fast and looked around the room, but no one was there. The door was closed. The window was shut. He was completely alone.
He waited.
The voice came again, same tone as before.
"Close your eyes, and let go."
He didn't move at first. His hands tensed on the blanket. His heart picked up again.
He thought about ignoring it, brushing it off like stress or exhaustion. But something deep in him said this wasn't random.
He paused, then slowly lay back again.
He closed his eyes.
And he let go.
His vision shifted suddenly.
A deep red hue spread across everything, and in seconds, the world around him was gone. Darkness stretched in every direction, and the only light came from a soft red glow ahead of him.
Lucian squinted, trying to make sense of it.
There was someone sitting in a chair in the center of the space, lit just enough to make out the shape.
"You've got potential," the man said calmly.
Lucian narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"
The figure leaned forward slightly. "You could say we share a similar name."
"Lucian?"
"Not exactly. I'm more known as the devil—Samael, Satan, Lucifer… any of those ring a bell?"
Lucian blinked.
He'd dealt with a lot in the past few hours, but this topped the list. He didn't feel scared in the usual sense, he just felt like he might be losing his mind completely.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"It's not about what I want," the man replied. "It's about what you desire. You want to help your family. You want to escape the struggle. And that requires power… so what you need is power. No?"
Lucian didn't answer right away. He understood where this was going.
"So this is a deal with the devil," he said slowly. "I get money. You get what?"
The man stood up.
Lucian stepped back instinctively.
The figure towered over him—easily around seven or eight feet tall (roughly 213–244 cm). His build was wide, his presence overwhelming. But he didn't make a move. He just looked down at Lucian, expression unreadable.
"You don't get money," the man said. "You get power. Real power. As for what I get… well, your soul."
Lucian's heart was pounding, but he kept his face straight. He tried to channel that old habit, keep calm, keep control. In his last life, he'd worked in sales. That part of him kicked in now.
"What is power then?" Lucian asked. "I get that I'll have power, but elaborate."
The man tilted his head slightly. "Power of the underworld. You'll be stronger, smarter, and gain access to things beyond normal men. Think of it like a system. There will be tiers, abilities, enhancements… tools to shift the odds in your favor."
He raised his hand, and a dark, matte black tablet formed in his palm. It hovered there, waiting for Lucian to look.
Lucian didn't.
He kept his eyes on the man.
Something told him if he looked away, he might not get the chance to look back.
"Come on," the man said, voice low and smooth. "Look at the tab and see all the great stuff you'll get."
Lucian finally glanced down at the black tablet floating in the figure's hand.
Lines of glowing red text appeared one by one.
He began reading, slowly.
"Infernal Presence…"
He paused for a moment, then read the description aloud.
"Type: Passive Aura… My presence warps the emotional tone of a room. My gaze unsettles people, my voice makes liars hesitate, and my silence weighs down the weak. People with guilt or no spine feel sick, anxious, or pressured…"
He looked up briefly, then kept going.
"Effect: auto-suppresses weak enemies, boosts intimidation and loyalty."
Lucian raised an eyebrow.
"So I can walk into a room and people just shut up or follow? Sounds useful."
Then he saw the downside.
"Drawback: strong-willed or pure people feel repulsed… makes trust and love harder to earn."
He clicked his tongue. "So basically, I scare people into loyalty, but anyone decent might hate me on sight."
He moved to the next one.
"Hellskin… Passive. My body heals fast and resists harm. Cuts close in seconds, I can take bullets, and the angrier I get, the tougher I become."
Lucian nodded slightly. "Self-healing and pain resistance. Good for surviving rough situations."
He read the side effects.
"Drawback: it burns my inner energy. The more I heal, the more I feel cold, numb, or hungry. Soul drains faster."
He exhaled slowly. "So I won't die fast, but I'll feel it later. Can't rely on it too much."
Next line.
"The Devil's Eye… Conditional. When I focus, one of my eyes turns red-black. I can detect fear, lies, hidden weapons… even influence weak minds."
Lucian raised both eyebrows.
"Basically a lie detector mixed with emotional radar… and if I stare long enough, I can control people. Hypnosis-lite."
Then the warning.
"Overuse causes migraines, vision loss, and people might notice my eyes change."
He muttered, "Right. So don't abuse it unless I want to pass out or freak people out."
He scrolled down.
"Blood Pact Binding… Ritual. I can bind others to me through demonic contracts. You both suffer if they break it. It's limited so choose wisely."
Finally, he reached the last one.
"Demonic Will… Active Burst. Triggers after a major emotional event, like protecting someone or watching someone close get hurt. I become something else. Stronger, faster, voice becomes a weapon, and time slows for me."
He stared at that part for a moment.
Then read the side effects.
"I might lose control and hurt allies. My body overheats. And after the burst… I crash hard. Exhaustion, pain."
Lucian let the words hang in the air.
He looked up at the figure again, not saying anything yet.