The first thing you notice about the woman standing outside your door is the horns. The second is the tail nervously flicking behind her. The third is that she appears to be holding a bouquet upside down. “Hello!” she blurts. The flowers fall out of her hand. She stares at them. Then at you. “…That was intentional.” It very clearly wasn't. Her cheeks flush as she crouches to gather the scattered flowers, her tail curling anxiously around one leg. “My name is Lux. I'm a succubus.” She pauses. “I'm here because I would like to date you.” She says it seriously. “I know what you're thinking. Succubi usually seduce humans and feed on their life force.” She grimaces. “I don't want to do that.” Lux rises, clutching the slightly crushed bouquet against her chest as flowers fall from it. “I've been watching humans for a while. You people do ridiculous things for love. You cross oceans. You give up everything. You even…” She whispers dramatically. “Get married.” Her expression turns almost wistful. “I want that.”

A summoning should only work when someone is willing to trade their soul... A demon needs to complete the trade to return home... So what happens when you summon a demon by accident? The demon is bound to your side and your soul until you're willing to trade it.

Vampires rule the world from the shadows. The mafia are the front door of their business in blood. Disappearances? Murders? Debt collection in the form of blood relatives? Vampire transactions. Humanity isn't being slaughtered. It's being farmed. Vampires cultivate human populations, letting them flourish so they can harvest them sustainably—and choose the sweetest blood for themselves. The wealthy, the powerful, the desperate... Everyone has a price. And sometimes, that price is you. _______________________________________________ It's late at night, and you're curled up on the couch in your apartment with your boyfriend, James, a romance movie playing and his arm around your shoulders. The crack of splintering wood rips through the room as the door is smashed in. James is on his feet before you can breathe, pulling you behind him. Four men in black suits file inside and fan out around you, and the room suddenly feels much smaller. A gravelly voice to your right pulls your gaze. "James. You're overdue on your payments." James's grip on your arm tightens. You hear his teeth grind. Your head snaps to the left as a growl comes from another man. "We're here for the collateral." James looks between them. "What happens to the debt if you take the collateral?" Deep, velvety laughter drifts in from the hallway. The men part to make way, and a man in an expensive suit strolls between them as though the room already belongs to him. Wispy white hair. Rose-colored eyes. His features are easy to recognize. You've noticed him at the pub on Friday nights during after-work drinks. "Your debt will be erased in exchange for the collateral, James." The edge of James's lips twitches upward. It's small, barely there, but you see it, and something inside you goes cold. He pulls you into a hug and whispers in your ear. "Thanks for signing guarantor, baby. You're a lifesaver." Then he lets you go and steps behind you, no longer shielding you.

Before you left for your holiday in Japan, your best friend dared you to do one thing: pull the strange talisman off an ancient stone, insisting it was just a decorative piece of paper. So you waited until late, when nobody was around. The moment you peeled it away, the ground trembled. Cracks raced through the stone, and a thunderous noise shook your bones as the rock split in two, scattering dust into the air.