After more than two hours, the quiet and stillness started to wear on him.
He rubbed his temples, let out a slow sigh, and stood up.
"I think I'll just… come back tomorrow," he told the receptionist.
She glanced up from her screen and gave a sympathetic nod. "Alright, Mr. Ezraphor."
He had barely turned toward the exit when the glass doors swung open.
A tall, lean man in a deep brown coat stepped inside, every movement deliberate. His eyes scanned the room like he was marking positions on a map.
The receptionist's face lit up. "Agent Kaviru, welcome!"
"Ah, ah… my dear, good afternoon," Kaviru said, his voice slow, each syllable heavy with authority. He adjusted his spectacles before turning to Renny. "You are… Renayo Ezraphor, yes?"
Renny straightened. "Yes, sir."
Kaviru tilted his head slightly. "Hmm. Have you gotten a contract yet?"
Before Renny could answer, the receptionist cut in. "No, sir. All the other agents refused to take him… because he's an Ezraphor."
Kaviru's brows lifted, his tone carrying a mild, almost scolding disbelief. "Is that the case? Ehn… no problem. Young man, come with me. I will give you a contract."
"Thank you," Renny said, the relief slipping into his voice.
"Yes, thank you, Agent Kaviru," the receptionist added quickly.
Kaviru waved it off like a lecturer dismissing late assignments. "Ah-ah, what is thank you? Let us go, there is work to do. Time is not waiting for anybody."
He turned toward the elevator without looking back, expecting Renny to follow. Renny fell in step behind him, the doors sliding shut as they began their ascent.
They arrived at the 12th floor, and Renny followed Agent Kaviru through a maze of corridors.
All the while, Kaviru was either being greeted warmly by passersby or stopping to exchange quick words with other agents. What should have been a short walk to his office felt more like a journey between cities.
Renny couldn't help but wonder what kind of life this man must have lived on Earth to end up here yet carry such a distinct, welcoming presence.
When they finally stepped into Kaviru's office, the space reflected its owner's personality perfectly. Books were neatly arranged on shelves, the desk was organized, and a richly patterned rug added a touch of warmth.
Renny was struck by how comfortably this agent seemed to be living earthly comforts amid the bleakness of Hell. Awards and framed pictures adorned the walls, showing Kaviru with various others. He had to remind himself this was still Hell.
Agent Kaviru gestured to a chair directly across from his desk. "Please, take a seat, Ayo."
Renny lowered himself into the chair, his attention immediately caught by the massive filing system lining the left wall, a towering structure of wall-sized drawers, each labeled with meticulous precision.
Noticing his gaze, Kaviru smiled warmly. "Your name, Ezraphor, carries a rich history here. One Hell has kept tucked away for a very long time. Your presence, my friend, has brought it back into the light."
Renny nodded slowly, still taking in the enormity of the cabinet. "I'm guessing that's not exactly a good thing?"
Kaviru chuckled softly. "No, no. Not bad, just… surprising. But don't worry yourself. For now, let's focus on why you're here, your contract."
He rose and walked toward the towering cabinet. His fingers danced over the labels until he found a small section marked New. Sliding open one of the drawers, he pulled out a worn but sturdy folder.
Renny immediately recognized it, the same type of contract folder he'd seen other demons carrying, including Kev.
Kaviru returned to his desk, placed the folder in front of Renny, and exhaled deeply. "It hasn't been long since this file arrived. It's a perfect fit for a Grade One demon, if you ask me." He paused, looking at Renny as if expecting a silent nod of agreement.
Before continuing, he leaned forward slightly. "I hope you don't mind if I call you Ayo? It rolls off my tongue more easily."
Renny smiled faintly. "I don't mind at all."
"Good," Kaviru said, nodding. "Now, this is Daniel Carter, a police officer with a troublesome amount of faith in the divine." He flipped open the folder and pulled out a single sheet of paper. "This here," he said, tapping the contract, "is your mission. Read it carefully. It lists everything expected of you, the budget for the job, and the rewards upon completion."
Renny scanned the page, his eyes narrowing as he took in the details. His task was to capture the soul key of Officer Daniel Carter. His budget was set at 1,000 contract points.
Kaviru noticed the flicker of uncertainty in Renny's expression. "You know what contract points are, right?"
Renny shook his head slightly. "I heard about them at the ceremony, used to buy stuff here, no?"
"Ah," Kaviru smiled patiently. "Think of contract points as money, currency in Hell. But it's not like Earth's money, you can only spend it on certain things, demon seeds, weapons, tools of the trade. Once you sign, you'll have access to your funds. You can check your balance on your phone, even shop online, and your orders will be delivered to your apartment, very quickly, I might add."
Renny raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
"As for abilities," Kaviru went on, "they're bought with mark points. And every mark like your Ezraphor, has its own unique abilities. Since you're the only Ezraphor here, yours will be unlike anyone else's. But be wise. With only 500 mark points to start, you can't afford the most powerful abilities yet. Still, you can get some that will serve you well at your level."
Renny nodded slowly. "I understand."
"Good." Kaviru's voice took on a more serious note. "Now, your target's faith level. That's your real challenge. You must drop Officer Carter's faith below fifty percent." He pulled a photo from his desk drawer and slid it across the table. "You'll see his faith bar on his profile once the contract is signed. That's a privilege we give to demons in training here in Hell. On Earth, you'll have to figure it out yourself."
He leaned back slightly. "Hell uses that gauge to teach you how faith works. The stronger the belief, the stronger the soul guardian."
Renny frowned slightly. "Soul guardian?"
Kaviru nodded gravely. "A powerful entity protecting the soul key. Its strength depends entirely on the target's faith. To succeed, you must be strategic, willing to chip away at that belief, bit by bit."
He folded his hands on the desk. "As a demon, you have many ways to capture a key. It's a question of how clever and, frankly, how ruthless you are willing to be."
Then his expression softened. "You strike me as a good man, Ayo. It makes me wonder how you'll cope with this work. But… Hell has a way of changing even the purest of souls."
Renny studied him for a long moment before giving a small, wry smile. "I'll do my best, Agent Kaviru."
Kaviru chuckled. "Then I wish you good luck, a lot of it."
Renny rose, shook Kaviru's hand firmly, and left the office.