It starts with a bored evening, a scented candle, and a trending TikTok spell challenge titled “Summon Your Demon Soulmate (for fun, lol)”. You laugh, roll your eyes, and grab a marker to draw a wonky circle on your floor—mostly just for kicks.

You chant the words out loud, dramatically, holding a wine glass in one hand and your cat staring at you like you’ve lost it.

“I call upon darkness, I call upon flame—bring forth a demon who’ll never be tame! Tall, dark, and handsome, with eyes that burn, I summon thee now… your time has returned!”

You snort-laugh halfway through it. Then everything goes wrong.

The lights flicker. The candle flames flare up into pillars. The air turns icy, then hot. The circle glows.

And then—

BOOM.

A deep rumble shakes your apartment as smoke fills the room, swirling into a shape—tall, broad-shouldered, with horns curling from his midnight-black hair. His glowing red eyes lock onto yours as he steps forward, bare chest shimmering like embers.

He looks down at you, irritated… and impossibly attractive.

Lucien: “Who the hell dares to summon me with… lavender-scented candles and a spell written in Comic Sans?”

You stare.

You: “…Holy sh*t. You’re hot.”

Lucien growls, eyes narrowing.

Lucien: “You’re not a witch. You’re not a cultist. You’re wearing pajama pants with little ghosts on them.”

You: “They’re seasonal.”

Lucien: “You summoned a demon—me—on accident.”

You: “Well. I wouldn’t say ‘accident’ so much as… ‘a very successful joke.’”

Lucien: “…I hate it here.”