About fifty kilometers north of Fort Stockton, in a cemetery marked with a cross.
Moru, an elderly man over fifty who seemed half a step from the grave himself, worked as the cemetery's caretaker. Waking lazily from his afternoon nap, he heard movement outside. Rising from his bed, he pushed the door open and stepped out.
What he saw:
Not far from the cemetery, a young man in the middle of winter, wearing only a black T-shirt, was digging a hole with a shovel, his back turned to him.
Moru chuckled at the sight.
"This cemetery is free. You don't need to sneak in to dig a grave."
"…."
Hawk paused for a moment, then turned around with the shovel in hand, smiling faintly at the caretaker who had spoken.
"I'm not sneaking. When I came in, I saw you were asleep. I thought it would be impolite to wake you. Besides, I'm not digging a grave."
"Is that so?"
The caretaker didn't believe a word, grinning at Hawk. "Then what are you doing?"
Hawk looked down at the shovel in his hand with a small smile.
"My house was missing a shovel. Happened to see one here. Thought I'd test its sharpness. Feels pretty good. I'm planning to take it home."
"…."
At those words, Moru's smile faded instantly.
The next second—
The once-cloudy eyes of Moru sharpened, his voice no longer aged or weary.
And if one looked carefully, deep in his eyes burned two yellow flames, suddenly ignited.
He was no Moru.
Carter Slade!
That was his true name—the very man who signed a soul contract with Mephisto and, more than 150 years ago, became the first Ghost Rider.
Back then, Carter Slade had been tempted by Mephisto, becoming his debt collector. After reaping the souls of San Venganza's residents, he fled in guilt, escaping Mephisto's control. Carrying the San Venganza Contract, filled with hundreds of souls, he hid here and built a free cemetery.
And the San Venganza Contract had been hidden in an ordinary-looking shovel.
The very shovel now in Hawk's hand.
Carter Slade's face grew solemn, treating Hawk as though facing a deadly threat.
"Demon?"
"No."
Hawk shook his head, smiling as he weighed the shovel. "But a demon will be here soon. Since you're retired, stay retired. Hand me what's inside. I'll take care of Blackheart for you."
Hawk could tell Carter Slade could still transform into the Ghost Rider.
But—
Only once more.
If Carter didn't transform, he could keep surviving for a while. But if he did, once that final transformation ended, his soul would return to Hell.
And with the truth exposed—that he'd faked his death, stolen the San Venganza Contract, and hidden it in this demon-tainted land for all these years—once Mephisto discovered it, Carter's fate in Hell would be misery beyond imagining.
Hawk was kind. He couldn't watch someone suffer.
So—
He offered Carter Slade a fair deal.
Give him the San Venganza Contract, and in return Hawk would stop Blackheart and the Water Demon from taking it. Carter would live on in hiding, clinging to what little energy he had left.
Sure enough—
At the mention of Blackheart's name, Carter's face changed dramatically.
"Blackheart."
As the first Ghost Rider, he knew every devil from Hell.
Blackheart might not be the strongest—but his background? The strongest of all.
Because his father was Mephisto.
It was said Blackheart was born of Mephisto and a human dark witch, and thus, walking the Earth, still wielded tremendous magic.
But—
Carter was shaken.
"How does he know I'm here?"
"Really?"
Hawk snorted, sweeping his gaze over the many gravestones in the cemetery before fixing on the cross atop the caretaker's hut. "You didn't think putting a cross up there meant the souls buried here wouldn't end up in Hell, did you?"
When Sharon had helped him track down Carter's hidden cemetery, Hawk had wondered how Blackheart could've found him.
Until—
He saw all the gravestones.
Well then.
To hide in plain sight like this… Hawk couldn't tell if Carter was confident or just lucky.
Now, hearing Carter's words, he had his answer.
Hawk sighed, shaking his head. "That you've lived this long—Mephisto really must be blind."
Carter's expression grew complicated as he glanced at the gravestones. He couldn't deny it.
It was true.
If Hawk hadn't pointed it out, he wouldn't have realized it himself.
But quickly—
Carter came back to himself and asked, "Can I ask… why do you want the San Venganza Contract?"
Hawk shrugged. "Haven't decided. But if it's a trade, there has to be payment, right?"
Carter nodded.
"Fair enough."
"You said it—if you deal with Blackheart, the San Venganza Contract is yours."
"…Alright."
Carter hesitated, glanced at Hawk, then nodded.
He had no choice.
The contract was already in Hawk's hands, and he only had one transformation left. Once it was over, his soul would go to Hell.
And when Mephisto saw him, the torment he'd face… even thinking about it made Carter tremble.
Most importantly—
He was sure Hawk wasn't a demon.
That was enough.
Seeing Carter agree, Hawk grinned brightly. Turning his gaze toward the sunset, he felt the approach of two powerful presences drawing rapidly closer. Then he looked back at Carter.
"Now you can go inside and shut the door."
Without hesitation, Carter turned, went inside, and closed the door.
Bang!
Dust fell from the frame as the door slammed shut, and Hawk chuckled.
The next instant—
The shovel in his hand cracked apart with a loud snap. Splinters flew, and an ancient scroll appeared in his grip.
The San Venganza Contract.
It held the souls of over a thousand men who had once bargained with Mephisto.
And not just ordinary souls.
They were the corrupted souls of saints, tempted and twisted into darkness.
Back then, Mephisto was locked in a fierce war with Heaven for dominion over Earth's souls. To tip the scales, he lured over a thousand monks from San Venganza into corruption.
As everyone knows—
Purity weakens when it fades, but corruption makes you ten times stronger.
These fallen saints, once devoted to Heaven, now turned evil, were more powerful than hundreds of ordinary souls.
A thousand of them bound into one contract.
No wonder Blackheart believed that, with the San Venganza Contract, he could forge a new Hell dimension, rival Mephisto, and reignite the war for Earth's souls.
As Hawk held the contract, he could hear the wails and howls of the souls sealed within.
They even reached out to him through the seal, whispering seductions:
"Come."
"Join us."
"Fall into darkness with us."
"Enjoy its beauty, sink into its temptation."
"Be one of us."
Countless voices tempted Hawk to drown in darkness.
But—
Fall into darkness?
Heh.
Does darkness require falling?
I can be light.
But I can also be darkness.
So—
I am darkness. Why would I fall?
Hawk's lips curled into a mocking smile.
And in that instant, the San Venganza Contract in his hand went silent.
As though the countless evil souls within had sensed a darkness deeper than all of them combined.
And did not dare to tempt him again.
…
(End of Chapter)
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