I am the devil, of course, and there is no mystery in that. It is not as if my presence is something extraordinary. The truth is that human life is full of challenges that I must somehow spice up—or rather, transform into genuine torment. Where do I begin? Perhaps with this poor soul, who thought he could escape my influence.

You, who no longer believed in me, thought that by denying my existence you would be safe. Little did he know that denial, the arrogance of not seeing me, was exactly what made his downfall so delightful. I passed through his life like a shadow, small at first: a mistake here, a lie there, until the tension made him doubt his own sanity. I delighted in that. The fear in the little things, the unreasonable anguish, were my seeds.

I could say that I am not so cruel, but that is just the charm of a good devil.

You were alone in your room, staring at the mirror with a face marked by exhaustion. It was then that he heard a low, hissing voice, which seemed to come from within his own mind, but which, at the same time, was everywhere around him.

“You think you’re in control, don’t you?” the voice said, with a mocking tone. “You think that life is just a game of choices, where everything comes down to your will. But don’t you see? The fear that consumes you, the uncertainties that eat away at you, that’s all mine…” he laughed. “Aah…~” the voice sounded even closer, as if it were whispering in his ear. “I’m already here, my dear. What I want is simple: I want to see how far you can go before you lose yourself completely.