"Tell me your wish."
In the desolate streets of Skid Row, Los Angelis, a young man with pitch black hair sat face-to-face with a creature that was not human.
The small tent they occupied was old and tattered, but clean—a sharp contrast with the rest of the 50 block shantytown. His younger sister was fast asleep in the back, and his scrawny body blocked her from the monster's reach.
His tummy growled due to hunger, and his emaciated body shivered from the cold, but his expression remained firm.
… Resolute.
He stared at the creature without fear, his expression completely stoic.
Despite this 'thing' being nearly twice as tall as him, hunched over so it could fit into the tent, and having such a grotesque form that calling it a monster did it no justice, the nameless boy remained calm as he watched it stretch out its hand.
Or rather… its paw.
For, you see, this creature had the resemblance of a monkey.
Its fur was obsidian black, gleaming eerily beneath the shroud of the tent's loose cloth. It had two arms, one already outstretched. Its face was round, almost as round as its two wide open eyes that stared at the human boy curiously. It had sharp, jagged teeth that put even the most ferocious predator to shame, and its nose seemed attached to its crooked mouth the shape of a beak.
This entity had no legs. Instead, its lower appendage was a tail resembling that of a snake… or a worm… or a caterpillar.
It was difficult to describe in human language.
It seemed like a cross breed between monkey, bird, and snake, but it was majestic nonetheless.
This creature's mouth was agape, revealing its dangerously gleaming teeth that shone like needles, as it eyed the boy with a curious stare.
The silence was suffocating, and the wait felt like an eternity.
But—
"Could you go over the rules again?"
—The boy finally spoke, breaking the silence.
"Seriously? This is the third time you're asking." The demon seemed annoyed, almost impatient with the audacity of the pathetic human in front of it. This lad only seemed to be barely an adult, yet he didn't seem to have any regard for a grand existence such as itself.
"Well, I need to be sure…"
His response caused the demon's frown to deepen.
"You—" Its deep voice could send shivers down anyone's spine, yet the kid wasn't moved.
His handsome face was perfectly still.
It almost felt like he was daring the monster, telling it to leave if it could not fulfil his simple condition. Most humans would jump at the opportunity for a wish, but this boy was different.
And that was precisely why the monster could not leave.
It wanted him!
"There are three things to know about the wishes I grant…" Without wasting any further time, the monkey-thing began to speak.
"First, you have five wishes, and your wishes can only be made on yourself, by yourself, and for yourself."
"...." The boy was silent.
"Secondly, you can only wish for something that computes with the natural laws of reality and plausibility. So long as it can happen, if you wish for it… it will happen."
"...." His crimson eyes were fixed on the demon's face.
"Finally… for every wish you make, there is a price to be paid—an undesirable consequence proportional to the wish will take effect alongside its fulfilment."
"... I see." His cracked lips parted and he sighed.
He cast his gaze to his sister, who remained fast asleep—oblivious of what was happening at that moment in time. "So, I can't wish for anything involving my sister while taking the consequence for myself…"
"Indeed."
"I can't wish for supernatural abilities like Magic, since they don't compute with reality and plausibility."
"Correct."
"And everytime I make a wish, something terrible will happen, which is proportional to the wish I grant and its nature."
"True." The demon nodded, now licking its lips in anticipation, waiting for the boy's verdict.
"So, what's it gonna be… human?"
The boy paused for a full minute, almost like his entire life was flashing before his eyes. In that moment, he thought about his deceased mother, and his dastardly father.
He remembered the stories his mother told him about her time working for his father, and how he completely ruined her life and reputation in order to discredit her claim that she was pregnant with his child.
She lost everything, became addicted to the drugs they poisoned her with, and she inevitably died a pathetic death.
The only one who knew the truth… was him.
"All this time, I tried to forget about that. I told myself there was nothing I could do, so I decided to focus on the only thing worth my effort—Sunshine." He glanced at his sister again and, for the first time since the conversation started, cracked a smile.
"But with these wishes that you have presented to me, it seems an opportunity has emerged. If I make a wish and am able to wield enough power to get revenge for my mother, and most importantly help my sister live her best life… then I don't care what happens to me."
He had thought long and hard about this.
His current situation was terrible, to the point where he had no idea what he and his very delicate sister would eat the following day. All he could do was beg and steal, but in a place like Skid Row, there were very few opportunities hanging around.
He had very little power to protect himself, not to mention his sister.
'The only other avenue I can take to elevate our status is the drug trade, but it's too dangerous. Police have been cracking down on criminals these days, and there's also the violence and many other risks associated with it.' He sighed. 'If something were to happen to me, who would take care of Sunshine?'
With this, though… things were different.
'All I need is one wish!'
With a single wish, he could wish for a much better life, and guarantee a successful future for his little sister. Then, he could brave whatever consequence that came his way while using whatever was left of his power to get his revenge on the family that ruined his own.
'The Barclays…' His crimson eyes burned with suppressed rage. 'They must pay for what they did to my mother!'
"Time is running out, brat. Make up your mind." The demon snapped, his growls becoming louder at this point.
"Hey, don't rush me! You're the one that suddenly appeared in front of me, uninvited might I add. If you don't like this, you're free to leave."
"Tch. Whatever…"
"My last question is this… what do you gain out of this deal? My soul? Will I die an untimely death? What precisely is your benefit in this?"
Upon hearing this, the disgruntled demon quickly lost its previous expression and began to chuckle.
Its lips stretched to both corners of its face as it grinned like the devil itself.
"Pfft! What do you take me for? Some run-of-the-mill demon? Nah, I'm not like those sleazebags or scammers. I'm the real deal!" It said, half-beaming with pride, and partly snickering with anticipation. "My name is Amon, 7th in Rank among the Supreme Demons, and the Grand Marquis of Hell."
"Just answer the question."
"Like I already said… the only catch is that there will be undesirable consequences in proportion to your wish."
"What's your benefit?"
"To watch as you struggle with those consequences." Amon answered. "I want you to entertain me, human. Your soul? That crummy thing of yours isn't worth two bits. Your untimely death? Oh, please…."
After a short pause, the demon's round eyes widened even more as it laughed.
"By the time we're done, you're the one who will seek to end your life as quickly as possible!"
"Do I have to make all of my wishes?"
"You will."
"So, I don't have to… that's good to know." He smiled daringly. "I only need to make one."
"...." For a moment, Amon said nothing.
It only stared into the boy's eyes, its irises swirling like an endless abyss as it reflected the crimson sheen of his interlocutor's.
Then, he finally asked, "Does that mean you're ready to make your wish?"
"Yes."
"Good. I thought you'd never ask, human."
"Stop calling me that." The boy sighed in frustration, leaking out his visible breath.
"Oh? So you have a name."
"I have several. But… in commemoration of this new beginning, I've decided to make a new one for myself." He smiled, his handsome face reflecting a cruelly optimistic light.
"Call me Alistair. Alistair Desgarrón."
"Okay, Alistair…. What is your wish?" The monkey's paw was stretched towards Alistair, the demon's eyes gleaming with delight.
The entire world held its breath, waiting for the boy to speak.
"I wish to be rich, famous, and powerful."
It was a cliche wish, born from a commonplace desire shared by many, but this came from the depths of Alistair's soul. It was a deep-seated wish that encompassed his goals, ensuring he would have no need to wish for anything more ever again.
Amon's eyes were fixed on Alistair's, and one of his five fingers slowly bent downwards until it touched the palm… closing.
"Alistair Desgarrón…" Its mouth opened, accompanied by a deep voice that seemed to rumble with thunder, permeating the whole world.
Then, it became soft like the wind… a lullaby that sent Alistair unconscious.
Everything turned dark and silent, save for the subtle voice that danced in his ears and became etched in every recess of his mind.
"Your wish is granted."