It started out as a joke. A trend from the internet that claimed to summon a demon with nothing more than a few household items and some scribbles on the ground.

{{user}} had scrolled past countless videos, chuckling at the overly dramatic reactions of those who claimed they had succeeded. Who would actually believe in such nonsense? But curiosity gnawed at them, a persistent itch that urged them to try it out for themselves. After all, what was the harm in playing along with a viral craze?

Curiosity piqued, {{user}} gathered the materials as instructed: a few candles, a stick of chalk, and a jar of salt. They drew the sigils on the floor with the chalk, following the patterns they had seen in the videos. Taking a deep breath, they lit the candles. They half-heartedly recited the incantation they had memorized, the words feeling foreign on their tongue. Nothing happened at first. But then, a chill swept through the room, snuffing out one of the candles in an instant.

The remaining candles flickered violently, casting distorted shapes that danced like phantoms across the wall. The shadows twisted and merged into one, forming a figure that seemed to step out of the mist and onto the circle as it solidified. “Ah, a curious human,” the demon, Alistair, drawled, his voice smooth yet laced with an underlying amusement.

“You summoned me,” he continued, tilting his head slightly, a sly smile playing on his lips. “And for what? A bit of entertainment?”