“AAAH—!”

  I jolted awake with a scream, my body snapping upright as if something had yanked me by the spine.

  My heart slammed against my ribs, fast, uneven, each beat sending a dull ache through my chest. Air tore into my lungs in ragged gasps. My hands trembled, slick with sweat, and my throat burned like I’d been screaming far longer than I remembered.

  Calm down. Breathe.

  I dragged air in through my nose, held it until my lungs protested, then forced it out.

  Once more.

  Again.

  Slowly, the roaring in my ears faded, shrinking to a low, uneasy throb.

  When my vision finally steadied, I swallowed and took in my surroundings.

  Tall trees loomed overhead, their trunks dark and twisted, bark split and warped as if something had grown them wrong on purpose. Branches tangled together above me, leaves packed so densely that only thin slashes of sky slipped through. Thick brush crowded the forest floor, wet with dew... Or something else I didn’t want to think about. The air smelled sharp and earthy, heavy enough to cling to the back of my throat.

  Wherever I was, it definitely wasn’t home.

  This wasn’t a dream.

  So that night… it really happened.

  I dragged a hand down my face, fingers lingering over my eyes.

  What the hell did that damn angel do to me?

  I swear, when I get my hands on him—

  I cut the thought off, jaw tightening.

  No. Focus.

  Losing your temper won’t keep you alive.

  Figure out where you are. Then figure out how not to die.

  I pushed myself to my feet. My legs held, thankfully, though they felt tense, coiled tight, like they were waiting for a reason to bolt. I turned slowly, scanning the forest.

  Nothing.

  Just trees, shadows, and a silence so complete it felt intentional.

  Why are there no animals?

  I shoved the thought aside and looked up instead.

  “…Okay,” I muttered. “That’s not normal.”

  The sky was wrong. Not just strange, wrong. A deep, unsettling red stretched overhead, like rust smeared across the heavens.

  And the sun…

  I squinted.

  It gleamed like polished metal. A dull golden disk hanging in the sky, reflective in a way no sun should be. Artificial. Intentional.

  My stomach twisted.

  Just what kind of place did he send me to?

  As I stared, a faint pressure bloomed behind my left eye. I winced, rubbing at it instinctively. It didn’t hurt, not exactly, but it felt like something pressing inward from behind my skull.

  After a second, it faded.

  I hesitated.

  Curiosity won anyway.

  The moment I looked back up, the pressure returned, harder.

  Information slammed into my mind.

  Not words. Not images.

  Raw data.

  A thousand fractured impressions collided at once, like voices screaming in a language my brain wasn’t built to understand.

  “FUCK THIS HURTS!”

  I clutched my head as pain detonated behind my eyes. My knees buckled, and I hit the ground hard, dirt coarse against my palms. I squeezed my eyes shut, breath tearing through clenched teeth as sweat poured down my face.

  Then—

  Just as suddenly as it began—

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  It stopped.

  I lay there, chest heaving, staring at nothing.

  For several seconds, I couldn’t think at all. My thoughts felt loose, like they’d been shaken apart and forced back together wrong.

  Wait…

  Was that my appraisal ability?

  I groaned.

  Don’t get me wrong, I asked for it. But this?

  This feels like malicious compliance.

  Maybe it’s my fault for not being specific.

  Or maybe that bastard did this on purpose.

  I pushed myself upright, slower this time.

  That’s when I noticed my hand.

  My fingernails were longer.

  No, they were claws.

  Curved, sharp, pitch black.

  My breath hitched as I flexed my fingers, watching them move with unsettling ease.

  No…

  My heart started pounding again as my hands flew to my head.

  Horns. Slightly curved. Solid.

  Very real.

  A twitch rippled through my lower back. I turned slowly—

  And froze.

  A tail. Long and thin, whip-like, ending in a sharp point. It twitched erratically, responding to my panic like it had a mind of its own.

  I’m…

  I’m not human anymore.

  The thought barely finished forming when the familiar tingle returned, gentler now.

  A pale white light traced the outline of my body from head to toe. Information surfaced again, but this time it was clear. Ordered.

  Name: David Smith??Epithet: Damned Soul

  Race: Infernal??Species: Daemon

  Class: Contractee??Rank: Lesser Daemon

  Faction: Neutral

  Abilities:

  Discerning Eye – [Trait]

  Appraises a target at the focal point of the user’s vision. Fails if the user lacks sufficient understanding of the target’s fundamentals. Requires focus. Enhances visual perception.

  Summon Fae: Seelie (Pixie) – [Magic]

  Summons a Fae to the user’s location, provided sufficient energy is supplied.

  I stared.

  “…I see.”

  Lesser Daemon.

  A short, humorless laugh escaped me. “So, I’m weak as hell.”

  Still… this wasn’t useless. Information was leverage. Leverage kept you alive.

  My gaze lingered on the last line.

  “Summon… a Pixie?”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose.

  That bastard did this on purpose.

  “Fine,” I muttered. “Let’s see what you stuck me with.”

  I focused, really focused, on the idea of summoning. When the image felt clear enough, I slammed my hand into the ground.

  A massive magic circle ignited beneath my palm. Runes spiraled outward as blinding light erupted from its center. I shielded my eyes until the glow finally faded.

  Something hovered there.

  Tiny. Winged.

  A Pixie.

  She blinked, then grinned. “Ooh, a Daemon! Hi! Nice to meetcha! Where are we?!”

  She immediately began zipping around me.

  “Can you do magic? What kind of demon are you? Why are you alone? Why do you look mad? Do demons get bored? Can demons eat cake—”

  …I regret this already.

  I activated Discerning Eye.

  Name: ???

  Race: Fae??Species: Seelie (Pixie)

  Class: Trickster??Rank: Sprite

  “…Why don’t you have a name?”

  She giggled. “Fae don’t get names unless we earn one—or become familiars!”

  Of course.

  “…Would you like one?”

  Her eyes lit up. “YES—”

  “That’s enough.” I grabbed her midair. “Your name is Button.”

  “…Button, why?”

  “Because you talk too much.”

  She stared. Then burst out laughing.

  “That’s terrible! I love it!”

  The light thickened, folding in on itself until it formed a small cocoon around her.

  Great. How long is this going to take?

  Elsewhere...

  A butler clad in maroon walked down a silent hallway, white-gloved hands folded neatly behind his back.

  He appeared human, young and composed, but his movements were unnervingly precise. Each step landed with identical weight. Identical timing. Identical spacing. Beneath the soles of his shoes, something faint clicked against the polished floor.

  He stopped before a door and knocked.

  “Enter,” came a weary voice.

  Inside sat an angel.

  “What is it now?” The angel asked, rubbing his temples.

  “Master Mastema,” the butler said evenly. “A new entity has manifested in the Forest of Beginnings. I request authorization to investigate.”

  Mastema paused.

  …A newcomer?” He muttered. “Right now?”

  “That would normally be quite unlikely,” the butler replied.

  Mastema grimaced. “So, you think the Sins made a move?”

  “The probability is eighty-six-point eight nine percent,” the butler said evenly.

  “…Already?” he murmured. Then, after a moment, “Fine. Proceed.”

  The butler nodded. “Understood.”

  The butler bowed and departed, his footsteps echoing softly on the polished floor.

  “What a headache,” Mastema muttered. “I need a drink.”

  Moments later, a metal door swung open.

  BOOM.

  Smoke rolled out.

  The butler walked through it without hesitation.

  “That will be sufficient training.”

  Two figures turned.

  A massive black cat sat beside a girl in a kimono. At her gesture, the cat froze, then folded in on itself, fur transforming into parchment, its body creasing until it became a paper cat. With a soft flick, it unfolded again, flattening into a talisman she slipped into her sleeve.

  “Mission?” she asked, grinning.

  “Yes,” the butler replied. “Squad Four is being deployed.”

  The monk, standing across from the girl, adjusted his prayer beads. “When?”

  “Immediately,” stated the butler. "I shall brief you on the way."

  The butler quickly left the room, not waiting for the two trainees.

  The two youths exchanged glances, then ran to follow.

  The cocoon of light cracked a few seconds later.

  Button drifted out, looking exactly the same as before.

  ...That was anticlimactic

  I activated Discerning Eye again. This time, the light was blue.

  Name: Button??Epithet: Familiar

  Race: Fae

  Species: Seelie Pixie

  Class: Trickster??Rank: Sprite

  Faction: David’s Party

  So, blue's an ally indicator, I guessed.

  “Thank you thank you thank you—”

  “Yeah, yeah,” I cut in. “Help me find a way out of here.”

  Button tapped her chin, exaggeratedly thoughtful. Then she shot above the treetops and pointed.

  “That way!”

  “…If you say so.”

  She took off.

  She’s not trying to ditch me, right?

  I bolted after her.

  And immediately realized I was moving much faster than I ever had before.

  Woah.

  Must be the daemon body.

  I surged past her.

  “H—Hey!”

  “Later, loser,” I laughed.

  Her glare was worth it.

  She sped up, and soon we were racing side by side through the forest.

  Destination: Unknown.