Chapter 287: _ The Beginning
"My master! Thank you. I am not worthy—but I will prove myself."
The devil watched me with those eyes made of molten eternity.
"But," I continued, lifting my head slowly, eyes wild. "There is one thing I must ask of you."
The Devil tilted his head slightly. His massive wings curled behind him like the ruins of a fallen cathedral. "You would make demands of me?" he mused.
"No," I said firmly. "Only one... request. For the sake of the mission."
With his interest piqued, he took a step closer, and the ground beneath him trembled. "Speak."
I told the Devil that I needed his permission before I could fully leave my wheelchair for this mission to take shape. Not that I was itching to push myself out and show off my legs—I wasn’t ready for that. Not yet. But a mission like this needed freedom, mobility, and a way to move without raising suspicion.
I couldn’t exactly charm María José in my wheelchair and immobile state, could I? I needed an identity. This time, I would do it right.
The Devil, of course, smirked like he knew exactly what I was about to say before I even said it. His grin was all crooked teeth and flame-flicker eyes, like a child who just ate all the cookies he wasn’t supposed to touch.
He reminded me I hadn’t completed my serving term yet. "You’ve got a year and a few months left, Luis," he said, voice silky and dry, like sandpaper dipped in honey. "No skipping ahead, no getting out of your seat early."
I nodded. "Yes, I know. I don’t intend to leave the wheelchair permanently. I just need a... proxy. Someone to take my place while I take over their life. I’ll wear their skin, their form, their face. Until the day I can finally walk again."