The foundation had been planning this for three years. Slowly gathering enough blood without giving lasting harm to the child, researching and gathering the right materials, securing the area. It was time to bring forth a larger demon- there wouldn't be any non-necessary personnel in the room, they would be observing from a different room. The other subjects would be asleep, the other demons separated and locked securely up for the night. They were ready, and it would be happening tonight.
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Riley knew this. They were terrified. They didn't want to summon a demon, didn't want to enter a pact with them, didn't want to be hurt, didn't want to meet the others. He barely remembered his parents, but he wanted them. He wanted his moms, or his dad, or just… someone, to give him a big hug. To tell him it would be alright.
But it wouldn't happen. He was dragged to the prepared room, his face was cut, the blood that had been collected for years spread out, along the lines and groves set into the floor. He cried out from the pain, but the staff just told him to be quiet, to repeat after the one staff member who stayed in the room once it began.
Riley did so, calling out to a demon, his stutter getting worse with each word, worse as the room grew colder, worse as he could feel a demon responding to him.
Then they appeared. Tall, towering over Riley, eyes hard, face and neck scarred from burns. Their voice was low and made Riley shake, terrified.
“I am Laorah, 36th Rank. Do you propose a-”
Laorah cut of as they processed that it was a kid who had summoned them, shaking and terrified and so obviously hurt on the floor. Laorah's eyes narrowed, looking at the staff member still in the room, at the other room full of observers. They knelt, gently taking Riley’s hands in their own, guiding the young human to cover their ears, to close his eyes.
Riley flinched at the touch, but followed the directions, terrified of anything else that might be done to him.
Laorah stood, assessing the runes and wards meant to protect the people nearby. Laorah couldn't leave the area, but their magic could reach past the lines- and the observation room grew colder, down past freezing, the only door out freezing over, freezing shut. The staff there started panicking, yelling orders at the staff member within the room with Laorah. He never had a chance to do anything, though, as Laorah froze the blood in his body, shaping the ice, tearing the man apart from the inside.
The observers got more desperate, banging against the door, looking for a different way out, radioing things quickly. Laorah couldn't freeze the other room as well with the glass separating them from it, so they froze the glass itself, shattering it in its frame. More able to reach, the people inside the room started freezing, being torn apart by their own blood as it froze, much like the first man.
They were about to have Riley break the protective circle, let them out to cause similar destruction to the rest of the staff in the building, when Riley cried out, their entire body tensing, shaking, though he kept his eyes closed, his ears covered. Laorah’s eyes locked onto the collar around his neck and growled softly, taking a step back and raising their hands as a new person came into the room, calm and collected.
“Riley here will continue being electrocuted until you swear to no longer hurt any of the staff here.”
Laorah glanced down at the weeping child and nodded, speaking softly.
“If you stop hurting this child, I swear I will not kill any more of your personnel here.”
Riley whimpered softly as the electricity faded from his body, still in too much pain to move.
Laorah knelt again, scooping up the poor child, watching him carefully.
“His proposed pact is a basic blood pact. He gets immortality, you get fed.” The man said.
“He does not propose it himself. I cannot accept,” Laorah stated.
“That's.. that's the pact I propose,” Riley muttered softly, starting to shake again.
Laorah looked down at the poor kid. “I refuse to harm this child, even to feed. You will provide one of your employees to feed me in his place. On that condition, and only on that condition, will I accept. Is that satisfactory for you, little one?” They asked Riley softly.
“And for you?” They asked the worker, nearly growling.
Riley nodded weakly in Laorah’s arms.
The employee considered.
“No more than once a month, we will provide you with a pint of human or animal blood, sourced from our employees if it is human.”
Laorah nodded.
“Fine. I accept this pact.”
Their pact mark- a blue tear under their eye- appeared on their face, a matching pink one on Riley’s. More markings appeared along their leg, white crystalline marks, more evidence of the pact. Those were not replicated on the child, though.
The employee approached with a ribbon, enchantments and wards embroidered onto it. Laorah growled, backing up.
“That is not happening.”
The employee stopped moving.
“You are not getting out of there unless this goes on. However, we would be willing to negotiate.”
Laorah growled further for a moment, considering the situation. They bargained with the employee for a while, then allowed the enchantment to be woven around their neck, then was led out to Riley's new room, in the common area.