Fatal Vows: Contractually wedded To Doom

His laughter was low and menacing, like a growl building in the back of his throat. It could send shivers down the spine as he let out a cold, mirthless chuckle, but Zayden sat there domineeringly, unaffected by his psychopathic laughter.

"It must have been fun," Zayden said, a fake smile appearing on his lips.

"Of course, it was much fun killing her by stabbing her in the heart," he said, pointing at his chest.

"And then?" Zayden asked, his fist clenched on the glass of cocktail.

"Uhm, and then she pleaded with me to spare her. She screamed and screamed just like when she pleasures me," he said and chuckled softly.

"What happened next?" he asked again, trying to keep his patience in check. He was beginning to boil in anger, his temperature rising as he heard those cruel words spoken by Damien.

"You must be enjoying how I killed her," he said, and upon seeing Zayden fake a smile, he managed to sit up despite being heavily drunk.

"Then I took her to the bathroom and drowned her in the water, but she just wouldn't stop screaming for help. So, I tied her mouth and made love to her despite her inaudible screaming. And then, the next morning, she threatened to report me and have me sued. Then I stabbed her and made love to her," he said with a smile as he placed his hands on Zayden's shoulder.

"Too bad she wasn't able to report me, and she didn't even have parents to look for her," he whispered into Zayden's ear and then laughed it off.

"It's fun, right?" Damien asked and moved away from Zayden.

He relaxed his back on the seat and took Zayden's cocktail from his hand.

Zayden's hand twitched, curiosity settling in. He so much wanted to punch Damien in the face, but it was a process he needed to follow unless he would have to face the consequences.

"I thought I would be taken to prison, but just with a phone call, my father was able to save me," he revealed, and realization set in for Zayden that his father was also an accomplice.

"So... your father knew?" Zayden asked, his sharp, piercing gaze on Damien, who sipped another round of cocktails.

Damien nodded in response before raising his head to see Zayden's dark and cold gaze.

But Zayden soon masked it, and it was replaced with a facade.

I hope you suffer your doom more than Anna, he wished silently in his heart.

But then again, he was doomed, and his life was in his hands. That made it more interesting since he would pass the same pain, torture, and torment he did to Anna. In fact, in higher quantity.

"But I heard they were going to start Anna's case again. I don't think you'll be saved this time," Zayden lied smoothly, so much so that it was hard for Damien to pick up on the lies.

"Really? When? How?" Damien asked with urgency and curiosity. He moved closer to Zayden, his wide eyes eagerly awaiting answers.

"I can help you. You only need to sign a deal with me," Zayden replied with a smile.

"What kind of deal?" Damien asked, glancing around when he saw a waiter passing by before focusing back on Zayden.

"I don't think this is the best place to talk," Zayden said with a wink. Without thinking twice, Damien stood up and followed him.

***

Damien trailed behind Zayden as he led the way. He kept looking back to see if anyone was following them, but he saw no one.

When they reached the rooftop of the nightclub, the sounds of music faded, and the hum of conversation disappeared, leaving just the two of them in Zayden's world.

Damien marveled at the sight before him. The first thing that struck him was the breathtaking view. The city's dark skyline stretched out before him, a glittering tapestry of lights and steel that seemed to go on forever. The stars twinkled above, and the moon cast a silver glow over the rooftops.

Damien sniffled in the breeze, closing his eyes. Zayden watched him and murmured to himself, "You should enjoy the beauty of nature before your death."

"Did you say something?" Damien asked, having heard Zayden's inaudible words.

"You must have heard wrong," Zayden replied.

"What deal were you talking about earlier?" Damien inquired, disregarding Zayden's earlier comment.

"Oh, that," Zayden said, revealing an ancient scroll wreathed in fiery mist. A phoenix feather rested at the edge, and a seal marked the center.

Damien took a step back, fear gripping him as he observed the scene unfolding before him. His body trembled, and his eyes remained glued to the fiery ancient scroll in Zayden's hand.

"Who are... who are you?" Damien stammered, tripping as he attempted to escape.

"No one gets it right!" Zayden cursed loudly, sending shivers down Damien's spine.

Seeing Damien's fear, Zayden took a deep breath in and out.

"The right question is: what am I?" he said, walking toward where Damien had fallen. Paralyzed with fear, Damien tried to get up but found himself rooted to the spot.

"What are you?" he asked, his tongue seeming to move of its own accord, as if controlled by some unforeseen force.

"Your DOOM."

"Doom?" Damien asked in terror, still shaken by fear.

"What do you want from me?" he asked.

"Good question. All I need from you is to sign this, and I would give you a peaceful death. Though I can't avoid mentioning the pain, torture, and torment that comes with it," he said cheekily.

Damien's breath was ragged and unsteady. He could hardly breathe.

"Why are you doing this?" Damien said, his breath becoming shallow, gripped by fear.

"Why? I'm being punished too. Do you think I want to do this?" Zayden said angrily, and Damien flinched in fear.

"Just sign this, and it would make everything easy for both of us. I would even give you a befitting burial. All you have to do is close your eyes, and before you open them, you would be long dead. So just sign it," Zayden said, a smile curling at his lips, giving Damien a false assurance.

Damien didn't reply but kept looking at the fiery scroll that danced elegantly in Zayden's hands.

Zayden stood up and turned the other way, trying to calm himself from the anger growing in him.

When he turned around, he found Damien trying to escape. With his eyes that turned from blue to red, the door was shut by an unknown force.

Damien tripped again, hitting his butt on the floor. He groaned in pain, but that didn't seem to affect Zayden.

"Come here, Damien," he commanded, his voice low and husky.

He didn't need to shout, but his low voice was enough to send Damien crawling and shivering in fear.

"I told you to go the easy way, didn't I?" Zayden said as he leaned back and gripped Damien's hair tightly, causing him to cry out in pain.

"Ah… that hurts," he yelled, tapping Zayden's hand in a desperate attempt to release himself.

"Does it? It must have hurt Anna too," Zayden said as he pulled him by his hair.

A dagger with sharp edges appeared in his hand.

Damien looked at him innocently, unaware of what he was planning to do with the dagger. Sweat broke out on his forehead.

"What… what do you need the dagger for?" he asked impatiently as his gaze darted between Zayden and the dagger.

"What else are daggers used for?" Zayden replied, and without wasting much time, he raised his hand, ready to strike Damien.

If Damien hadn't stopped Zayden just in time, he knew his dead body would have been laid out. Thankfully, he managed to stop him with the words Zayden wanted to hear: "I will… will sign it."

Zayden revealed a smile and ruffled his hair like a dog. "Good boy."

He handed over the scroll that sat majestically on his lap by itself. Zayden also handed him a black pen with a black feather.

Damien signed it immediately and, after that, gave it to Zayden.

He stood up and said, "I can go now, right?"

Without waiting for a response, he began to walk away. But before he knew it, Zayden was standing right before him.

"How…" he stammered, startled by Zayden's speed, but he couldn't finish his words as Zayden's hand struck his neck tightly.

"No, your pain has just started," Zayden said, his grip tightening around Damien's neck.