“Jiyong I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to realize this, but I-

Jiyong raised his hand and placed a finger over Seunghyun’s lips, “No, as much as I like that you’re saying my name now, not like this, no, please stop,” he sighed and rubbed his forehead in frustration, “You don’t know what’s come over you, but this feeling you have isn’t genuine, it’s Dantalion messing with your thoughts.”

Seunghyun had a shocked look on his face that almost made Jiyong think that he was getting through to him until Seunghyun started to speak, “Dantalion? What? I love that guy! He would never do such a think you might be sick Ji.”

“Don’t don’t call me,” a small frown formed on Jiyong’s lips, and he looked away.

“Oh I’m sorry did say something?” the concern in Seunghyun’s eyes could have fooled anyone if they were none the wiser.

Jiyong sighed, “Stay here all right,” he felt he was going to be having a long night with Seunghyun if he didn’t get this fixed soon. He turned around and walked back to the rowdy party and searched for Dantalion. The man was again secluded holding a book, but this time, he had a smirk on his face, obviously pleased with his work. Jiyong’s lips were set thin; he wasn’t in the mood to be playing games with Dantalion or anyone.

“Dantalion.”

Dantalion let out a laugh, “Are we playing the name game? My turn,” he mimicked the look Jiyong was giving him, “Jiyong.”

“This isn’t funny, what you’re doing is wrong, and you know that.”

Dantalion quirked an eyebrow, “Yes of course I know, I’m a demon, why don’t you try being one sometime?”

“I am a demon,” Jiyong grit his teeth in irritation.

“Physically yes, but ugh your morals,” he paused, “No it’s the fact that you have morals is exasperating. I could never put my finger on it until about twenty minutes ago. Your thoughts are racing a mile a minute darling; please slow down. You see I could never get close enough to read them, they’re so interesting, tell me more.”

Jiyong felt a little hopeless with Dantalion; he was reading him before he could say anything, “Listen, just take whatever spell you have on Seunghyun off of him. I don’t understand what use he is to you.”

“He’s no use to me, but he’s extremely useful to you, and that is what’s interesting. We demons love to exploit you know. I always had an interest in you Jiyong; now I know why.”

“I get it, you know my secrets, what is it you want from me?”

Dantalion tapped his chin as if he was thinking about what he needed, but they both knew that he was sure of what it was, “Your power.”

“What!? Absurd!” Jiyong grew angry, “You know what, you can keep Seunghyun under your spell for all it’s worth, he’s not worth my power at all.”

“Oh really? Do you realize I can make that man believe he’s being tortured in the hottest part hell just as quickly? Or do you not care?”

Jiyong almost paled, but he stood his ground, “He is no friend of mine, do what you will.”

“Are you sure?” a wicked smile spread on Dantalion’s lips, and he lightly moved his head to the side, seemingly focusing on something.

Jiyong’s eyes widened, and his head whipped to the side at the sound of a blood-curdling scream echoing through the forest. His heart started racing a mile a minute, and he grabbed Dantalion’s shoulders in a panic, “You stop this right now!”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

He cringed as the screams kept going, “You’re hurting him!”

“I know Jiyong, why don’t you give me what I want and I’ll make it stop?”

A sense of desperation washed over Jiyong, “You know I can’t do that it’s not mine to give.”

Dantalion rolled his eyes, “Don’t give me that, you best comply or I’ll put that man in an eternal hell and leave this place so you’ll never find me.”

“Fine!” Jiyong screamed, catching everyone’s attention in the process, something he did not want, “I’ll give you my power,” he conceded in defeat.

“I’ll end his suffering when it’s all mine,” Dantalion looked over at the crowd, “A knife, anyone?” someone came up, handing him a blade and Dantalion smiled appreciatively, “Give me your hands Jiyong,” Jiyong lifted up his hands, palms up and waited for Dantalion to start. Dantalion started carving into the skin, drawing a pentagram on one hand and an inverted pentagram on the other. He etched X's into his own palms and grabbed Jiyong’s hand, holding them together as they bled.

Dantalion’s eyes flitted to a black as he started chanting the rituals words, slowly draining the power out of Jiyong.

Jiyong eyes felt heavy as the power seeped out of him. He had never felt so weak before.

“What’s going on!?”

A booming voice sounded through the forest shaking Dantalion’s core and throwing his concentration off, thus stopping the ritual and the pain Seunghyun was going through, “What, who is that?”

When Dantalion let go of Jiyong, he fell on the ground, and from the voice he heard he knew he was in even more trouble. A small groan escaped his lips from getting a bit of his power seeped out of him, but he was barely able to recuperate before he felt a strong hand wrap around his throat and lift him off of the ground. Out of instinct, he wrapped his fingers around the wrists of the person, and immediately regretted it when he felt a burning sensation run down his arms.

“You dare let him have your power?” the voice was powerful, yet hard to distinguish the of the being, switching from men and woman to beings no one could imagine.

Jiyong gasped, not able to speak from the tight grip around his throat. He didn’t sigh in relief as he knew that he wasn’t out of the woods yet when he was let go to speak. Jiyong coughed trying to get his voice back so he could speak his part, “Grim, I had no choice.”

Demons gasped at the name, knowing that if Grim showed up someone was in serious trouble, nobody ever sees the reaper in person.

“No choice? I hand picked the power you so possess, and you disrespect me by giving it away. I should take your soul and put it in the vilest parts of hell, demon.”

Jiyong was shaking in fear, he knew Grim was not one to play, “I did it for Seunghyun, Dantalion was hurting him, what could I do?”

“Seunghyun?” The reapers bony hand stretched out of the robe and went into the dark depths of the hood, possibly in thought, “Dantalion!” the shout made Jiyong cringe, Death’s voice stretched down his spine making him feel chills that only death can bring.

Dantalion shrunk back, afraid of what could happen to him as he didn’t know that Jiyong was this close with the angel of death, “Yes.”

“For someone who is supposed to be smart, you have chosen to mess with the wrong demon. Even if you were to take all of Jiyong’s power, it would kill you. You would not be able to handle it because it wouldn’t mix with scum like your lowly power,” the Reaper stalked over to Dantalion, rising to full height and frightening Dantalion, an emotion he hadn’t felt in a long time, “This is why I don’t work with demon scum, you guy’s take what is not yours, hurt who does not need hurting, and kill for the simple pleasure, disgusting.”

“I am sorry, I couldn’t have known,” he shrunk down as he felt his inner being was being seen through.

“Sorry is a five letter word for a up you cannot take back,”

Dantalion yelped as Grim’s hand pressed against his chest, and he felt an immense burning coming from inside him, he could barely scream before his skin started forming bright red cracks in it like cooling magma and then hardened encasing him in fire and rock.

The Reaper turned to Jiyong, and knelt before him, “You have the power to destroy all that oppress you, I have given it to you in good faith, you are never hopeless, you are never powerless.”

Jiyong wished that were true, but it wasn’t if he weren't powerless he would not be a demon living a lowly life, “Yes, I will make sure I do not give up so easily next time.”

“You are too soft Jiyong, next time I will not show up to clean up your mess, you can do it on your own.”

Jiyong nodded in understanding only for grim to leave before he could look back up, the flapping of veiled wings the only indicator that he had left. Jiyong cleared his throat and turned around to go back to Seunghyun; he knew he hated these parties for a reason.

He came to see Seunghyun lying on the ground unconscious. Jiyong shifted out of his human form, groaning in the process and picked Seunghyun up, moving him to a clearing with grass in it. A more comfortable pace for an unconscious man. Jiyong felt it was better for Seunghyun to be asleep while Jiyong turned him out of his human form, it was truly painful for first-timers.

A few hours later Seunghyun uttered a few words, coming out of unconsciousness, “, my body hurts.”

“That’s the pain of torture.”

Seunghyun slowly sat up to see Jiyong leaning on a tree in front of him, “Torture,” he silently repeated the word, “Is that what hell is like? What I felt, what I saw?”

“Whatever Dantalion made you go through I can guarantee it was only a taste of hell. The only way to escape it is to be incredibly powerful, though that can take thousands of years. Even then you have to be of some importance.”

Seunghyun thought about the chains running through his body, and whips cutting his skin, “I never want to go through that again. The pain is unbearable.”

“Next time, I promise I will do better to protect you. I can be weak and stupid when these situations pop up when I know I can do better.”

The worry and concern in Jiyong’s voice made Seunghyun think twice about him, “Why is it that you care? What kind of demon cares? You’re like an entirely different person.”

“I have many layers, most unexplored. We all have our experiences.”

“You’re horrible at being a demon; you know that right?”

Jiyong was annoyed at that statement, “Well I’m sorry if I’m a bad demon, I’ll try spitting in your food more often.”

Seunghyun cracked a smile, “You’re not a bad demon you’re a good demon. What’s next, saving a damsel in distress?”

“You’re the damsel Seunghyun, and I already saved you."