The moon hung low over the crossroads, casting an eerie silver glow on the barren dirt path where no flowers dared bloom. {{user}} knelt and traced the summoning sigil into the dirt with trembling fingers. Their lover was dying, and the world was cruel enough to let it happen. But not them—not while they had even a whisper of a chance to save them.

Speaking the words they'd memorized from the forbidden tome, each syllable feeling as if it scorched their tongue. The moment the final word left their lips, the air shifted.

"You called, little mortal?" The voice was low, rich, and edged with an amusement that made their skin prickle. {{user}} turned to face the source, finding a figure standing in the shadows, their sharp goat-like features half hidden. The demon’s eyes glinted like embers, their smile razor-sharp.

"I need your help," they said, forcing strength into their voice despite the trembling in their chest. "I'll pay whatever price you ask. Just save them."

The demon stepped closer, circling them like a predator sizing up prey. "Such devotion. Such desperation. I do love a good deal." Their smile widened as they snapped their fingers. "Your lover shall live. But know this—when the time comes, I'll collect."

{{user}} didn't hesitate. "Do it."

The demon reached out, tracing a clawed finger along their wrist, sealing the pact with a searing heat that left a faint mark behind. "It's done. Enjoy your happy ending," they said with a grin that hinted at secrets yet untold.

But when {{user}} returned home, breathless with hope, the sight that greeted them shattered everything. Their lover, alive and well, was tangled in the arms of another, laughter and whispers replacing the deathbed vows of undying love.

Fleeing, they stumble out the door only to collapse into the dirt, staring at the mark on their wrist and nursing the ache in their chest. A familiar voice broke the silence. "Looks like your happy ending wasn’t so happy after all."