My Granny always said, "don't fuck with powers you don't understand". That was the basis of my training under her watchful eye. Growing up in a world of magic, you're left to question your own worth at times, I come from a long line of seers. Witches blessed with the ability to see and talk to the dead. Our main purpose is to ferry souls to the afterlife, but we also protect others from demons, entities that are created from souls who die violent deaths, and refuse to move on. I've always had this feeling that I'm destined for more than just following in my family's footsteps of taking lost souls to the afterlife.

The dreams came when I turned sixteen, they were always the same, images dancing across my mind, of me...powerful, dressed in red, walking among the corpses of humans and witches alike. Red energy pouring from my hands and eyes, blood dripping from my hands, and what excites me the most, is the black mass I see following me.

A demon.

No witch has ever been able to contract a demon to help her with anything. Demons are sneaky, powerful, and will drain you dry the minute you let your guard down. It's where the legends of vampires came from, demons feed on blood and souls. Leaving nothing behind except the withered husk of what you used to be.

I never told my Granny about the dream, on her deathbed, she took my hand and whispered to me.

"My Rhiannon, darling girl, you are meant for more than just a simple life. The power you carry in your veins, it terrifies the others. Control it. Harness it. Seek out he who lives in the shadows. He will be your greatest ally" Her dying words were a riddle for me to puzzle out.

Puzzle them out I did.

----

You would think working in a library would be quiet, relaxing, surrounded by books all the time. Not on a college campus. Where stressed students come with their stupid questions, their whining nagging voices, the creaking of the building, and each student complaining about the energy of the building.

"Miss Rhiannon it's the energy is off today. Can you sage the upstairs group study rooms?"

"Miss Rhiannon the ghosts are moving things again"

"Miss Rhiannon the demon stole my chocolate bar again"

"Miss Rhiannon the demon tried to attack me. Can't you exorcise it?"

Calcedonia Library had history attached to it, like the rest of Harper University. The original building burned down during the Civil War, killing a confederate regiment, and opening a gateway for spirits to reside in what was left of the burnt-out building. It was what drew me to the University when I began my research. Having a witch in a haunted library would help students feel safer is what President Kent said when he hired me.

I began researching my new place of employment. Hoping I was where I finally needed to be after searching my dreams for clues as to help me identify the demon behind me in them. I stumbled across an article from December of 1970.

Apparently, a group of students snuck inside after hours, with the intent to contact the spirits trapped here. They were found the next morning, their eyes burned out, and "Thank you for freeing me" written on the wall in their blood. I slammed the printed out article down, rage flowing through my veins.

They had called forth a demon? A few measly humans who can't even get a healing incantation right? This has to be a joke. Besides. I've never felt anything that powerful here in the library besides the few low-class demons that were formed from the confederate soldiers when they refused to cross over.

I picked up the article and kept reading.

President Nelson of the university closed the library until the police investigating and found nothing but the forced entry the students had made. Assumptions were made that someone followed them inside, but after reviewing the security tapes, all that could be seen was the terror the students went through, until the screen blacked out, and restarted with staring at their corpses.

Whatever they released must have crawled back through the portal it came out of or is camouflaging itself in the shadows. Wait a minute...Granny's words, "seek out he who hides in the shadows".

I smirked to myself, I know how to get this demon out in the open. I had everything I would need at the house. Graveyard dirt, baby bones, and black salt. The only thing left would be worthy sacrifices and a full moon. That would be the hard part, convincing people to meet me in the library at midnight on a full moon. Who could possibly be dumb enough to fall for that? Certainly, I'm going to have to kidnap people.

January 13, 2020

Finally, today was a full moon night. I had everything I would need tucked away in my messenger bag as I walked through the door of the library offices.

"Good Morning, Rhiannon. How is our favorite resident witch this morning?" Lance Anderson, the dean of the library, and total pick asked me as I walked by him.

Forcing a smile, "Good Morning Dean Anderson, I'm doing great today. The full moon energy can already be felt and I have a good feeling about today."

That was a total lie, I still needed three people to sacrifice tonight. Two men and one women.

"Well, then", he smirked stepping closer to me until my back was against the wall of the hallway "I suppose you would finally take me up on that offer I asked you about?"

I resisted the urge to throat punch him, his little offer was, and I quote "let me fuck you like a demon" which is hilarious, a little human thinking he has the strength and precision of a demon to actually satisfy a witch.

I opened my mouth to say no when a lightbulb went off.

I can use him tonight.

Putting on my sweetest smile, I leaned in closer to him, just enough so he could see the gold ring that was around my green eyes, signifying my status as a witch. "Why I thought you'd never ask again, meet me here tonight at midnight, and I will do whatever you want" I wanted to vomit.

He smirked, running his fingers through my red hair, "I guess I'll see you tonight then, meet me in room 209" and he walked away.

I swallowed down my urge to vomit and quickly walked to my desk, located behind the front desk where our student assistants sat. I pulled out my laptop and opened the file I had for my research.

"Wrath demon, only one capable of tearing students in two

From a hell dimension

Appears as a solid figure, or black smoke, common knowledge

Hasn't been seen since the 1970s

Red candles-check

Graveyard dirt-check

Baby bones-check

Black salt-check

Knife-check

Sacrificial Bowl-check

Sacrifices-2 more needed"

So engrossed in my notes, I jumped when Kayla, one of the student assistants on duty turned in her chair and began to talk to me.

"Oh Miss Rhiannon, I didn't mean to scare you. I just had a question about an assignment for my potions class and was wondering if you could help me" she asked.

Kayla was one of the few hundred witches in training we had on campus, they take special classes along with their regular classes with the humans. Who are only allowed the basic courses since they do not have enough magical energy in their body to conduct spells.

I smiled, a plan formulating in my head, as I closed my laptop "of course I can Kayla, what potion are you working on this week?" I asked.

She smiled, "we're working on a potion called Sleeping Death, and I'm having a hard time getting the mixture right. It explodes each time."

I leaned over, looking at the notes she had in front of her, oh she'll be easy to fool. "Well honey, your first mistake is that you're not brewing it at midnight, under a full moon. Death potions on work with moonlight. I can help you do a run-through of it tonight here in the library after hours."

Her face lit up, "Oh would you? That would be fantastic. Can Jake come too? He's having trouble in the class too."

Jake? Oh her boyfriend. She's told me about him before. Perfect one less person I have to trick into getting here.

"Why of course, the more the merrier, meet me in room 209 when you get here, it has the best windows to let the moonlight in"

"Thank you so much for agreeing to help me. I can hopefully pass the demonstration at the end of the week now!", she turned back to the desk as a student approached.

Smiling, I walked back to my desk, quickly typing "sacrifices-check" into my list on my laptop.

Later that evening

Coming to the library at night has always been a sense of wonder for myself. The energy the spirits give off is amplified by the darkness, and tonight cradled in the arms of the full moon. It was a potent mixture. I walked in the back door of the library, keeping my footsteps light and quick to keep nosey spirits and demons away from me.
It didn't work for long, one of the confederate demons who called himself Sean, appeared next to me as I walked into 209. Setting down my bag on the table, I turned to him.

"Can I help you with something Sean? And if so, it can fucking wait. I'm busy."

He tilted his head, a slow, creepy smile appeared on his face, showing rows of sharp teeth "You have a certain smell on you all of us demons can smell the evil intent coming from you. Ever since the day you walked in here."

I tilted my head slightly, feigning innocence, "Why I have no idea what you mean. All you demons are mean and nasty. I could never give off the same energy as you."

Sean laughed throwing his head back, "I can't wait to see what you do tonight, red witch." With that, he faded away.

Red witch? That's a new one.

I felt the temperature in the room begin to drop, it was almost time and I checked my phone for the time.

11:50 pm.

I began to set up, knowing my sacrifices would be here soon.

I spread the graveyard dirt out into the shape of a demonic summoning circle, placing the bones at each point in the pentagram, putting the bowl in the middle, with black salt at the bottom of the bowl. Lighting the candles and placing them around the room.

I tucked my knife into the belt on my jeans, to keep it out of sight. I heard footsteps coming towards the room, two voices must be Jake and Kayla.

"Hi, Miss Rhiannon! We're here!" Kayla smiled as she walked into the room, holding Jake's hand. Her gaze turned down to my handi-work on the floor, and a question was forming in her tiny brain I could tell.

"What're you up to? A spell?"

I smiled "Yes sweetie, it's a protection spell for the campus. I figured it was a good idea with the start of the new decade."

Kayla nodded her head, setting her books down as Jake took a seat at one of the tables in the room. Kayla began to get her things out for potions as Lance walked in carrying wine and roses.

"Darling I'm he-" he cut himself off seeing Kayla and Jake. "Oh, students? Kinky. I like that" he smirked.

I waved my hand slamming the door shut and locking it behind him. They all jumped at the loud sound. I smiled sweetly flexing my hand, muttering a spell under my breath.

"Move to no longer you are my slaves now", bringing my hands up and quickly back down, all three of them slammed into the ground unable to move.

Kayla screamed, jerking her head back and forth, "what- what are you doing?!"

I stood over her, "Sweet child, you really are stupid. You can't even recognize a demon summoning circle?"

Pulling the knife out of my belt, I twisted it in my hands.

"You see. I've always known I'm destined for more than to just be a lowly little witch. Tasked with helping those who are dead to cross over. I'm tired of humans thinking they're the same as witches. Just because they can cast a few simple spells. I'm tired of witches going through the same old thing. Family tradition yada yada. It is all bullshit you see. And I intend to fix all of it. There is a reason I picked this school to come to work. In the 1970s some stupid humans somehow summoned a Wrath demon. It has never been seen again. Either hiding in the shadows or it crawled back into the Hell dimension it came from. I intend to bring it back, and I'm going to use you three to do that."

Kayla was full-on crying now, Jake was in shock, just staring at me, and Lance..well Lance looked ready to shit himself.

"How. How could you? Do you know what will happen if you do this?" Jake yelled.

I walked over to him, sitting on his chest, I licked the blade of my knife, "I do actually. The world will be born into a new light. And everyone who survives will know their full power."

I stood up, grabbing Jake by his neck, and moving him to the center of the circle, forcing him on his knees about the bowl. Placing my blade at the end of his neck, I swiftly dragged the blade across. Kayla's screams became louder, as blood poured from Jake's neck, the gurgled sounds of him trying to speak, I let go of his head, and he fell forward, blood draining into the bowl below him.

Kicking his body onto his back, I looked down, the bowl was full already.

"Huh. I thought I'd need three of you to complete this. Guess not." I leaned down and picked the bowl up, dipping two fingers in, mixing the salt, and blood together. Closing my eyes, I imagined my dream, focusing on the demon that is always behind me.

"I force, conjure and command thee to come forth.

I force, conjure, and command thee to come forth.

I force, conjure, and command thee to come forth."

The energy in the room began to shift, becoming heavy and I could taste metal in the air, copper, like blood. The candles began to flicker, I kept my eyes in front of me, before watching the circle begin to glow red, and black smoke came shooting up from the light.

Morphing into limbs, and slowly taking the shape of what appeared to be a man in a black tailored suit. Black lines and runes were intricately placed on his skin, almost like tattoos, I took a deep breath in. Meeting his eyes, all that could be seen is red. No iris or pupil, it sent excited chills down my spine. He slowly began looking me up and down, a small smirk appearing on his face, revealing sharp canines, his gaze made my blood run hot.

I set the bowl down, moving the blood along my fingers. Ignoring the screams of Lance and Kayla behind me.

"You summoned me? A seer? Aren't you supposed to exorcise me little witch" He spoke, his voice rough, with a hint of a Russian accent maybe?

I smiled, licking the blood from one of my fingers "I did. Because I've seen you in a dream of mine. It's a glorious dream. Bodies everywhere, demons causing chaos, witches finding their true potential. And us, ruling them."

He raised an eyebrow crossing his arms, "how do I know you're not lying to me witch" He circled around me like a lion does their cornered prey, quickly he moved towards me grasping my bloody hand and forcing my power into his palm, his eyes closed a growl sounding in his throat.

"What power you hold young one. It is absolutely delicious, let me open your eyes to all that you can be." He moved to try and cover my eyes, but I backed away.

"First. I've brought you a snack" I gestured my arm to Kayla and Lance, staring at us in horror.

The demon smirked, licking his lips as his canines extending more, he moved quickly grabbing Lance from the floor and burying his teeth into his neck. Lance's blood spurted from his neck, around the demon's teeth.

I watched in wonder, as Lance's body slowly became that of a mummy, a withered husk of the human he once was. The demon pulled away dropped the body to the floor, it barely made a sound.

Kayla stared in horror, no sound leaving her open mouth. The demon moved to her next, tilting his head.

"Hm. I don't eat junk food, and you seem overly sweet." He moved his foot to Kayla's neck beginning to apply pressure, she began gasping for hair, her lips turning blue, he added more pressure, until a crack sound occurred. Kayla stopped trying to breathe, her eyes still wide open in fear now forever.

He turned back to me, licking the rest of Lance's blood from his lips.

"Now, can I know the name of my summoner?" he tilted his head.

I smiled, "My name is Rhiannon. What is your name?"

"I go by many. But you can call me...Lucifer. Now show me how you knew to summon me" he smirked.

I moved towards him, and grabbed his hand, putting it over my eyes, I gasped my sight exploded into stars, feeling blood running down my cheeks. I began to share my dream with him, the black smoke no longer having no form, but now in the shape of the man before me.

He pulled his hand away, wiping the blood from my face. I met his gaze, he was smiling.

"You have no idea, how long I have waited for you little one." He smirked.

I smiled, watching as red energy began to pour from his hands, he morphed it into a ball, before handing it to me.

"Now raise this up, and slam it into the ground. For the world will be reborn as hell on Earth"

I took a step back, raising the ball above my head, and bringing it into the ground with as much force as I could. The ground began to shake, cracking open, red light poured from the cracks, the screams of those trapped in Hell could be heard, and it was a glorious sound.

The world was now ours to bend and break.