Chapter 2

Henry sat there in silence; his phone still blankly glowing as he took another hit off the hookah. He wasn’t sure what to think of the call he’d just received. If this was how the developers planned the game to occur, what exactly was he going to be waiting for? Was he going to receive another digital call, or was the AR feature of the game going to pick up when the ‘exorcist’ that was being sent to his location arrived?

What was bothering him about either option was the fact the call had mentioned the arrival of a Tiered Demon. He knew for sure that one was arriving in the game. That was why he was sitting alone in the hookah bar. That was why he’d even downloaded the game.

However, from what he understood, tiered demon arrivals weren’t all that common, which was also why they were such a big hit when one did happen. The fact the mysterious call had mentioned such a thing perturbed him. He’d played a lot of Augmented Reality games before, and this just wasn’t adding up.

The chime of the door opening caused him to glance up. He was good friends with the owner of the hookah bar, so he’d been left in charge of the place with the spare set of keys to lock the door when he left. They trusted him, and everyone was going to head back once the Tiered Demon threat was over anyways. After all, it was only just past 10pm, and the place was usually popping until at least 2am. Still, he knew the open sign wasn’t on, and he was the only one there.

“Sorry, we’re-“ He stopped as his eyes focused on the individual stepping into the building. Was this some sort of joke? The individual was covered, head to toe, in a dark cloak, concealing their outfit and body type. Even more disturbing, their face was covered by an extremely creepy, smiling mask. At first he thought it was a Guy Fawkes cosplayer…which, while still weird considering they were months from Halloween, would at least have made some sense. However, the mask was not the recognizable Guy Fawkes mask. It was something more…twisted.

“Henry I presume?” The figure said. Their voice was digitally distorted, making it impossible for him to figure out if the individual speaking to him was a male or female.

“Uh, yeah?” He was on edge. He grabbed his phone, glancing around. This was beyond weird.

“Command sent me to pick you up and fill you in on the situation.” The figure shifted, revealing a gloved hand holding a phone. Henry could just make out the fact the thumb on the hand wasn’t covered, allowing the fingerprint to interact with the phone.

“While unorthodox,” the figure continued. Their phone screen was lighting up with the same pentagram symbol Henry had seen when he’d loaded in D.E.D. Exorcists. “I’m to hurry you through initiation as we head towards the tiered Demon’s rift.”

“What is going on.” This was way too weird. And no way was this all still linked to playing the game. Was this a joke? Had his friends set him up? “Who are you.”

The figure sighed as the pentagram glowed even brighter on their phone. A moment later, it flashed brightly, and for a split second Henry again heard that strange sound emanating, this time from the stranger’s phone.

“It’s easier to show you, rather than try to explain everything.” The figure stated simply. “Besides, I’ve not the time to waste. So, we’re going to get you your first D.E.D., and then I can answer your questions as we head to the rift. Now then, look at your phone.”

Henry glanced at his phone, and a pentagram had appeared on the screen. Just above it, he read the glowing text.

Incoming ritual transfer. Do you accept?

The thumbprint was in the same spot, and hesitantly, still disbelieving everything that was going on, but figuring he wasn’t in a position to agitate this stranger, Henry placed his thumb on the scanner. The moment he did, the strange sound became audible once more. So loud he tried to pull his thumb away. Yet, for some reason, his body wouldn’t react, and he watched the progress bar fill ever so slowly, the sound continuing to intensify. His vision, his very being, every ounce of his focus turned solely to the screen.

Transfer Complete

Appeared after who knew how long. However, he still couldn’t move, and the sound continued to echo around him. It felt as if his entire body was vibrating with the frequency.

Frequency Synchronization beginning

The sound intensified. His very essence seemed to react to it. The world around him disappeared. Every ounce of him resonated with the sound. And all the while, his body, his finger, it refused to react. Henry’s very existence was that sound.

Synchronization complete.

As quickly as the sound had started, it faded. Henry’s senses returned to him. His body was his to control. He rapidly lifted his thumb off the screen, even though another prompt had appeared.

Summon transferred D.E.D.?

[Level 1 Evil Eye – Wind Type]

“What the hell did you just do?” Henry was shaken. His breathing was raspy, and he was completely off balance.

“I told you, we don’t have the time.” The figure said simply. “Summon your D.E.D. and let’s get going. Now that you’ve resonated with the frequency, you’re not safe without one.”

Henry went cold. What the hell were they talking about? And what did it mean he wasn’t safe? Was that a threat? In his mind, he could see the strange figure pulling out a gun and killing him then and there. That would be the weirdest set up to a murder, ever. While he was uncomfortable with the whole situation, he knew he wasn’t in the position to anger this strange individual. There were too many unknowns.

Reluctantly, Henry placed his thumb on the fingerprint. The sound emanated once again, but much softer and manageable. In fact, it was almost pleasant, and his body felt somewhat energized by the frequency. That energy within came to a crescendo as the loading bar neared 100 percent.

As it completed the screen flashed brightly, a message floating across it.

Congratulations. You’ve summoned a Level 1 Evil Eye

Henry’s heart stopped and his breath caught in his throat. It wasn’t because of the demonic looking creature shown on his phone with basic stats and abilities. No, he’d seen that screen multiple times when his friends had been showing off their various D.E.D.s.

What caused him to freeze up, was the fact that just before his eyes, hovering a few feet before him, was that very demon. Perhaps the size of a basketball, with wings stretching from behind it, a floating eyeball creature with pale, yellowing skin, and the faintest breeze seeming to move about it. As his eyes locked on the massive eyeball, a raspy voice flowed unbidden into his mind.

A pleasure to meet you, Awakened One.