The demon’s eyes shifted toward me briefly before he answered.
“It means she did not only summon me but also almost formed a bond with me .” My stomach dropped instantly.
“Oh absolutely not.” Becoming unemployed was not enough, my life was apparently collapsing in real time.
The younger cult member's gaze darted between me and the demon, his excitement growing by the second. “Wait. WAIT. Does that mean the bond formed properly?”
“Do not say bond like that,” I snapped. “That word feels medically concerning.”
Alarm flashed across the bandaged guy's face, though for completely different reasons. "That should not be possible."
The old shop owner was already rubbing both hands over his face again like a man spiritually exhausted by reality itself. “Of course this happens during my shift.”
I pointed at him. “You sold me haunted candles!”
“They were not haunted.”
“They summoned a DEMON.”
“That is very different.”
The demon, meanwhile, was by far the calmest person in the apartment, which made him the scariest person here.
I glared at him forcefully. “Explain. Right now.”
For the first time since appearing, he hesitated slightly before answering. “Summoning rituals are usually temporary.”
“Good. Love that. Temporary sounds amazing.”
“But,” he continued calmly, “the ritual changes depending on intent.”
The entire room turned toward me.
I glanced around in disbelief. “Why is everyone looking at ME like I knowingly seduced Satan?”
“You used vanilla candles,” the younger cult member whispered again like he still couldn’t believe it.
“I’m going to kill all of you.”
The demon ignored us and continued speaking. “Most humans summon demons for power, revenge, knowledge…”
His eyes shifted toward the candle circle around the coffee table.
“You summoned me because you were lonely.”
I was too stunned to answer him. I swallowed hard, rubbing my sweaty palms on my clothes. From the couch, Nina watched me carefully. She wasn't teasing for once, which made me dislike where this conversation was going.
“I was drunk,” I said defensively.
The demon nodded once. “Yes.”
“That sounded judgmental.”
“It was observant.”
That was deeply unhelpful.
The old shop owner cleared his throat awkwardly while looking everywhere except directly at me. “Emotional intent affects ritual outcomes.”
