WARNING: mentions of sexual abuse and homophobia in this chapter

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Jules' feet were starting to ache by the time she made it to the fifth floor.

"You look like you've ran a marathon." Ellen laughed.

"This place feels endless. How many floors are there?"

"There's eight in all. Dealers of lust are on the sixth floor, pride on the seventh, and Dixon at the very top."

Jules felt a twist in her stomach knowing that she was getting closer to him.

"He has a whole floor to himself?"

"Why of course. But no one is allowed up there. It is always guarded by his demonic crows. A few years ago, a lust newbie tried sneaking up there, thinking she could get some d from Master D...if you know what I mean."

Jules didn't understand but did not want to interrupt.

"Oh man, I'm starting to sound like Alec. Anyhow, she came out barely recognizable and would have been dead if Randall didn't revive her. No one has tried to go up there ever since. I'm sure you're an exception though as his Peccator. With the way he defended you in the cafeteria, I doubt he plans to harm you."

"He's trying to bring me to hell. That is the greatest harm one could ever bring to another."

"Well let's not think of such thoughts before dinner. It will ruin your appetite. Let me show you around before Skye gets too impatient." Ellen gave her an encouraging pat on the head.

At first glance, the sixth floor looked very plain compared to the others before it. The decor was generic and there was nothing special about the chairs or the walls. That was until you took a closer look.

The first painting they passed showed the image of a burning house. The second painting on the wall was one of a starving family with their ribcages poking out. The third was a child in a wheelchair.

"All the paintings on this floor showcase suffering and misfortune," Ellen explained, "It makes the Dealers of envy feel better about their own lives. All the TVs are programed to filter out happy news so you can only see tragedies happening around the world."

Jules stopped looking at the paintings because the images got more graphic and grotesque as they continued on.

"All the rooms are built exactly the same and have sliding doors with no peepholes or cracks. People on this floor are constantly trying to spy on each other to see who has a better life. Having rooms you can't look in or out of prevents neighbors from getting jealous of each other." Ellen stopped at one of the doors and unlocked it. "You can sit on my bed to rest for a while if you would like."

Jules was happy to take up the offer and sat down. Her legs felt instant relief.

The room was neat and spacious. It reminded her of the luxury hotel pictures often advertised in magazines.

Questions began piling in her thoughts now that she had a moment to think. Ellen seemed to be the most willing on answering Jules' questions so she decided to take advantage of that.

"How was this place created? Every floor is so different, unique, and thought out. It must cost a fortune to cater to everyone's desires."

Ellen smiled but there was a somber look in her eyes. She got up and opened the drawer beside the bed. "Dixon is the brains and the power behind the whole academy's existence." She handed Jules a picture encased in an antique gold frame.

Dixon was sitting on a ruby victorian couch with the seven student council surrounding him, looking dashing and intimidating in their uniforms. What stood out to Jules the most was that Dixon's eyes were brown instead of red. His relaxed posture and faint smile managed to make him look more approachable.

"It might be hard to believe but he didn't used to be so scary and murderous back then...he was a hero to the dark world. You see, life as a new Dealer is a nightmare. Satan sends you on a job but doesn't tell you the dangers that come with it. Most die on their first week because they have no one to warn them of the demons or they are too weak to fight on their own. That's why Dixon built this academy. Dealers can fight demons together and live in a place that accommodates their needs. He was a genius to place it right next door to a high school. There are always fresh batches of vulnerable teenagers to trick and feed off from. If there is one thing I learned from living here, it's that high schoolers are the easiest to make deals with."

Jules continued to observe the picture. "He looks so different," she noted.

Ellen nodded in agreement. "He was different. Take a look at this," she slightly lifted her shirt to show a giant scar on her stomach. "Dixon used to go around the world saving Dealer's lives and bringing them here after. I was in Korea getting gnawed on by demons when he found me. Skye was in Paris, Simon was in Germany...the list goes on. I'm sure he's been to every corner of the world. "

Jules thought about the night of her birthday. "How come he is so different from the other Dealers? He was able to destroy all those demons in seconds when hundreds of academy students struggled just to hold them off."

Ellen sighed. "I don't know...nobody does. We can't teleport, control animals, or make demons disintegrate with the snap of our fingers like he can. He has always been enigmatic and keeps to himself. No one knows or dare tries to pry on the source of his powers and fortune. However, I do have an idea of where he gets his strength. Dixon is the only Dealer who does not need a Peccator. He is able to feed off everyone. Think about it like this, while everyone else can only eat innocence from one person at a time, all Dixon has to do is stroll around your school for a day. He gets an instant recharge on his energy with all the girls constantly lusting after him."

"He doesn't need a Peccator?" Once again, the more Jules learned, the more she was lost.

"I know what you're thinking. You don't understand why he made a deal with you when he could easily feed off others. Well good luck getting that question answered because that's exactly what everyone here has been wondering ever since we found out you were claimed."

Ellen's phone began to buzz.

"Skye is getting pissed so we'll end our tour here."

Jules had completely forgotten about the impatient Skye who waited for almost an hour by now.

"Thank you for answering my questions and letting me rest."

Ellen grabbed her arm as she was about to leave the room.

"Wait Jules, I need to talk to you about something really quick. During the fight between Jack and Dixon in the cafeteria, I saw something strange. For a split second, I could have sworn Dixon's eyes turned brown right before he let go of Jack's neck. I have a talent for noticing small details in my environment and I am rarely wrong about what I see. I need to know. How did you do it?"

Jules tried to recall but didn't remember doing anything to Dixon other than scream like the others. "I think you're mistaken. His eyes have always been red from the few times I've seen him. If what you're saying is true, I don't think it has anything to do with me. Also...I thought it was normal for Dealer's to have their eye color fluctuate."

"Dixon is an exception to--" Ellen's phone began to ring. She quickly silenced it. "Things that might be normal to other Dealers don't apply--" Her phone sounded again. Ellen took a deep breath and clenched her fist. "Forget it. Let's talk about this a different time. Here, take this."

Ellen shoved a piece of cloth into her hand. Jules looked at it questioningly.

"There is nudity everywhere on the next floor so you might want to blindfold yourself."

With Ellen's warning, Jules kept her eyes glued to the floor while anxiously walking up the stairs.

"I despise waiting."

Jules stiffened at Skye's threatening voice. She willed her feet to go faster.

"What's so fascinating about the ground?" Skye asked when Jules' kept her head down.

"I would like to avoid looking at nudity." Jules replied hesitantly.

Skye huffed angrily. "Listen here Jesus freak. I didn't wait for over an hour just so I could give a blind person a tour."

Jules' eyes remained downcast as she awkwardly shifted her weight between her feet.

"Fu*k it. Let's get this over with."

The sixth floor had very dim lights, making it difficult for Jules to keep her eyes trained on Skye's heels.

"The black sleek floor makes it easy to spot white fluid," Skye explained.

Jules saw something slimy on the ground and figured it was what Skye was referring to.

"This is a place where you can make all your adult fantasies come true. We have rooms fully dedicated to role-play, a toy store that can satisfy hundreds of different fetishes, a theatre room for porn, a library for porn, and a filming room where you can make your own porn."

Skye was entertained with how uncomfortable Jules looked. Moaning could be heard in the distance and Jules became green.

"We have soundproof rooms but many people still prefer to do things in public."

Jules saw a pair of handcuffs on the floor but decided not to ask about it. However, there was a collar right next to it.

"I think someone's dog may have lost their collar." Jules pointed it out to Skye who began to burst out laughing.

"We have a pet room. Would you like to see?"

The evil smile on Skye's face made Jules shake her head.

"Fine, suit yourself. Since you have an irrational fear of human bodies, I don't have anything else to show you. I would bring you to my room but I have guests over and they'll most definitely have their elephant trunks out and about."

Jules was relived they were done. A certain someone suddenly popped in her mind.

"How is Randall doing? Is he okay?"

"Probably not. He has been locked in his room ever since you put that dumb mop in his face."

"I didn't mean--"

"We know. Abby already informed us of the situation."

"Can I go up to see him?" Jules' guilt would not subside until she knew he was okay.

"If that means you'll be getting your irritating face out of my sight then sure, why not. His room is the first one on the right, but I doubt he'll even open his door. You better hurry and go. I see a group getting ready for an orgy coming our way."

Skye laughed to herself while watching Jules stumble, trying to run away with her eyes trained to the ground.

The seventh floor was easily the most dazzling one. The cream marble floors and the ruby and gold decor made it feel like a place for royalty--a king's palace. Instead of couches, there were thrones made of soft velvet. Instead of paintings, there were mirrors of all sizes scattered around.

Randall's room wasn't hard to find. He had a giant portrait of himself right outside his door.

Jules knocked softly.

"Randall? It's me, Jules. I wanted to apologize for what happened today."

There was no reply.

"I understand if you're upset with me. I'll go away if you want me to. Can you please just let me know if you're okay?"

Jules was met with silence once again.

She suddenly felt an anxious pull in her head. It was the same feeling she had on the night of her birthday. Eventually, she gave in to the pull.

"Get away from me! Someone help!"

Jules was looking through the eyes of the person screaming. This person was kicked onto the bathroom floor.

"Shut the f*ck up. No is going to help you fagg*t."

A group of muscular guys huddled around him laughing.

"You're a disgusting pervert. I saw you looking at our junk in the locker room."

"I didn't," the bloody boy cried, "I have a boyfriend that I am absolutely loyal to."

He was kicked again.

"Are you calling me a liar?" The man towering over him maliciously asked.

The shaking boy did not reply.

The man smirked.

"Why don't we give this pervert what he wants. Someone hand me the mop over there. I need some guys to hold him down."

Jules closed her eyes, unable to watch the scene any longer.

"Please stop! It hurts! It hurts! I'll change! Please just stop!"

The painful screams echoed loudly in her ears.

"Little lamb?"

Jules opened her eyes, terrified that her hallucination would continue. She looked around frantically for the abominable group of guys. Instead, she was back at the academy with Randall crouched down in front of her.

"What's wrong? Did someone hurt you?" Randall examined the crying girl, trying to find an injury. His hair was wet and his skin looked raw and red from over scrubbing.

Did she just have a vision of his past? It had to be. It felt too real and detailed to be a dream.

Real or not, she was so relieved to see Randall uninjured that she embraced him in her arms. He flinched and froze as fear shot through him. However, he could feel Jules' trembling and knew she was harmless so he relaxed and patted her back.

Randall was warm and smelled strongly of fresh pine.

"There there, everything is okay. Did you accidentally see one of the giant furries downstairs? They look scary but it's only people in costumes. I keep telling Skye she shouldn't let new people walk around freely on the sixth floor. That horny group can get a little freaky sometimes." He tried to joke, but Jules still couldn't stop her crying.

Sometimes when the world turns its back away on someone, it can lead a good person into making bad choices.

Jules' heart ached terribly.