Rooms decorated in shades of blue usually had a calming effect on their occupants. Finn’s room had been no exception, until that night. He could barely wait to collapse into bed. A shiver ran through his body, and his joints felt weighted. Yes, the day had been tiring, but no more than any other workday. He concluded he must have caught some virus.

  “Damn, filthy delivery guys, they probably infected me”.

  He stripped off his clothes, slipped into pajamas, and gratefully crawled into bed. Sleep, however, refused to come. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to calm himself. It was no use. Pale light fell across his face. He blinked and looked toward the window. Behind clouds that had parted, the moon appeared, pale, full, like a coin. He turned his back to the window. His body still trembled, his throat pulsed with the beat of his heart. In his ears echoed: thump-thump, thump-thump.

  “My pulse is a little fast,” he thought, pressing his fingertips against his neck. It was. He rolled from side to side. The room was cold, sweat beading on his forehead.

  He drifted into shallow, fragmented dreams, waking with a jolt each time. Finally, dawn arrived. Sleep had abandoned him, so he decided to get up and wash. “”, he told himself. He was wrong.

  He made his way to the bathroom on rubbery legs. Should he shower? No, he wasn’t in the mood. He splashed water on his face a few times, wetting a few drops, and pulled sweatpants over his pajamas. Leaving the room, he brushed his hand against the bed where he had spent the night. It was so soaked it could have dripped.

  He descended the stairs unsteadily, as if they were miles away, pressing both hands to the wall. One step, then the next, slowly. The dining room was empty. There was no smell of coffee or tea. No fried eggs, no bacon.

  “”

  The clock read past eight. “”. The house was silent. He stepped into the hall and croaked up toward the upper floor:

  "Priya! Li! Hello, guys, where are you?" he started toward the staircase, grumbling, intending to check their rooms.

  Li appeared first at the top of the stairs. Pale as a rag and already thin, his appearance startled Finn.

  "Hey, Finn… I’m not feeling so great. Maybe I won’t go down to the basement today. I should lie down," he said, looking down. He blinked, trying to focus. Below stood Finn, pale and unsteady.

  "You don’t look in top shape either," Li observed.

  "And I’m not. I haven’t slept a wink all night. This moonlight is killing me. Did you see it? Like a spotlight in the face."

  "You can’t see it from my room. Where’s Priya? Is she down in the dining room?"

  "No. I thought maybe you saw her."

  Li turned toward the hallway from which he’d emerged and called out:

  "Priiiiya! Wake up!" He laughed, then coughed. "Ugh, this might be hitting me hard."

  The red room’s door clicked, inching open. A voice came through the crack:

  "You two, quiet with the yelling. My head’s splitting. Did the couriers come?"

  Li looked down at Finn:

  "Did they?"

  "No."

  "How not? That’s weird." He turned back toward the hallway. "Nooo!"

  "Don’t shout, idiot. I’ll come down," Priya snapped.

  *

  They all gathered in the dining room. Each sat in their chair at the long table. Priya leaned her elbows on the tabletop, holding her head with both hands as if it would shatter if she let go. Li’s elbows rested on his knees. He bent forward, swaying slightly. Finn’s gaze drifted toward the kitchen, blurred and unfocused:

  "Anyone want tea?"

  "I do", – Li raised his hand slightly, like a student in class.

  "Will you make it?" Finn asked.

  "Me? Make it? You offered."

  "I didn’t offer, just asked. You clearly want tea, so you should make it," Finn argued with his own logic.

  "And you don’t want any?" Li raised an eyebrow.

  " I do, so I thought, since you’re making it anyway, you could make one for me."

  "Clever, aren’t you!"

  "Enough with the tea, both of you. I really don’t feel well. We should call someone. Is there a doctor in this worthless town? Check online," Priya told Li.

  He sluggishly reached for his back pocket and pulled out his phone.

  "Ha, no signal. Looks like I’m out of range," Li waved it up and down.

  "What do you mean, no range? We’re not in the middle of a forest, far from civilization." Priya stared at him as if he didn’t know how to use a phone. She nervously grabbed hers, checked the screen, then looked at Li: "Not a single bar. Nothing."

  They both turned to Finn, as if he could pass judgment on this phenomenon. He sat pale, dark circles under his eyes, sweat dripping down his cheeks, trembling all over. Feeling their gazes, he switched on his phone. He stared at the screen, blinking to clear his vision.

  "Nothing here either. Must be some kind of Wi-Fi system crash. We should check it."

  "You know what, if the mountain won’t come to Mohammed, Mohammed will go to the mountain. Let’s go to town, find a hospital. We shouldn’t mess around with whatever this is," Priya said decisively, standing, but immediately lost her balance and fell back. "Just a moment… need to collect myself."

  *

  They staggered like a drunken troupe, holding each other for support. Step by step, they reached the front door.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "It wouldn’t hurt to call a cab," Li remembered.

  "How? We have no signal," Finn looked at him, puzzled.

  "Yeah… that’s true," Li agreed.

  " I’ll kill you both," Priya rolled her eyes to the ceiling in frustration. She grabbed the door handle and pulled. The door was locked. She tried again. It wouldn’t budge. Frustrated, she kicked the unyielding wood.

  Finn shifted her hand aside with a glance that said, “Let the expert handle it.” He pressed the handle down slowly, almost ceremoniously, like opening a safe. Same effect. Panic etched their faces.

  "Any other exits from the house? I can’t stand anymore," Li cried.

  All three were in despair. As if responding to their thoughts, the '' woke.

  A buzzing echoed all around. They spun, trying to locate its source. It seemed to come from everywhere. Heavy steel shutters began closing over the windows. The light inside dimmed. The trio huddled together. Door locks clicked ominously, one by one. Moments later, complete darkness swallowed them.

  Phones out, the faint screen glow cast ghostly light on their faces. All they could hear was their own rapid breathing.

  "What’s happening, damn it?" Li stammered, his face ghostly pale.

  The same question burned in all three minds. Eyes adjusting slightly, they stumbled through the hall, searching for the crystal chandelier switch. Finn found it and pressed. Once. Twice. Nothing.

  "Guys… I’m scared. Something isn’t right here. Is this a malfunction? System failure?" Priya’s voice trembled.

  Then a pale, flickering light appeared in the distance, through the slightly open library door. They looked at each other, wide-eyed. Nothing left to do but check. Finn gently pushed the door, expecting a ghost on the other side. Li and Priya followed closely, afraid to stray.

  The light came from a large screen mounted on the wall above a lavishly carved walnut cabinet. Pure white light, nothing else.

  *

  "How is the TV working without power?" Li stared in terror. They only shook their heads.

  The moment all three eyes fixed on the source of light, the screen went dark. A black-and-white circle appeared, counting down from ten to one. At the last number, the screen flickered, revealing a man.

  Black-and-white, low resolution. Middle-aged, in an old-fashioned suit with a wide tie. Thick black-framed glasses obscured much of his face. A neatly folded triangular handkerchief peeked from his jacket pocket. A cigarette twinkled between his fingers, smoke curling in dense clouds.

  He spoke:

  The image changed. Missiles shot into the sky. Blinding explosions ripped up trees and toppled buildings.

  The three stood hypnotized, witnessing a bizarre spectacle. They trembled, knees shaking, breaths whistling, but they watched.

  The narrator continued monotonously, waving his cigarette as if to emphasize his words:

  Images of caged monkeys intercut with human victims, underground labs, test tubes, centrifuges, people in protective suits, flowed in grotesque black-and-white sequences. The smoker continued:

  Priya held her colleagues with both hands. They stood in front of the screen like children, hand in hand, pale and sweaty, gasping. Their own hearts hammered rapidly as the broadcast reached its climax.

  Tears streamed down Finn’s face. They all cried. Trembling, choking, squeezing hands, crying. And it became terrifyingly clear what was happening.

  The screen suddenly changed. A modern laboratory appeared in crystal-clear resolution. Technicians strapped monkeys to tables, writhing in convulsions. The chest heaved violently, as if the heart might burst. A person in protective gear injected a purple liquid into the animal’s mouth.

  The camera continued. Nothing at first. Then the monkey’s chest calmed, muscles relaxed, body slackened. It blinked, moved its head.

  Watching, Li broke down, collapsing to his knees, back arched. Priya tried to support him, but she was equally drained.

  The image shifted again: a dark, empty room with bare walls and wooden floors. Footsteps echoed as if someone approached through an acoustic corridor.

  The trio, illuminated by the pale screen glow, bodies twisted in horror, looked like characters from a zombie-apocalypse film.

  *

  The figure appearing was flawless. Long black coat with golden clasps, slicked hair, high forehead. Sharp, broken eyebrows above black eyes. He stopped mid-screen, meeting their gaze.

  " I regret that we meet under these circumstances, but I trust you won’t mind once you hear me out," Lucifer spoke for the first time.

  "Ah, how rude of me. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lucifer."

  The trio’s voices choked in agony.

  "Don’t bother. Conserve your strength. I already know everything about you." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, eyes sweeping them.

  " I assume you’re fully aware of your situation? Yes?" raising an eyebrow.

  "Naturally. You couldn’t be here otherwise." He shifted weight from foot to foot, speaking indifferent, almost casually.

  "Time is short, so I’ll be brief. I offer you a contract. Watch carefully."

  Lucifer raised an empty hand. A thin mist appeared, materializing three scrolls above his palm. With one motion, he pushed them toward them. The scrolls unfurled, hovering mid-screen.

  With the little strength and vision left, they began reading. Three scrolls. Three names. Their names.

  “I, Finn Weber, pledge to faithfully and devotedly serve my master, Lucifer. In return, I shall gain access to powers the world has never seen. My word is guaranteed by my own life.”

  The same for the others.

  "All that remains is your signature. If you agree," Lucifer met their eyes with a cynical smile.

  What choice did they have? They nodded faintly. Priya, through clenched teeth, whispered:

  " I… don’t have a pen…"

  "Not needed. A letter opener lies on the table behind you. Just cut your palm and sign in blood."

  Finn turned, grabbing a silk sheet from the table, dragging it forward. The knife fell with a metallic ring. He picked it up and scored his palm. No pain, it was almost numb. Li and Priya offered their palms in a final effort. Finn cut theirs.

  Three bloody hands reached toward the glowing scrolls, slow and deliberate, kneeling in submission. They touched them.

  The scrolls rolled up, disappearing instantly. Only Lucifer’s face remained.

  "Excellent! Well done, as always. Now, open the top drawer of the cabinet," he indicated.

  The bloody hands scraped and pulled the drawer. Inside, three small purple capsules.

  "Chew them immediately. Quickly, as if your life depends on it," he winked mischievously.

  One, two, three, they vanished in their mouths. The bitterness and synthetic taste lingered. Lucifer measured them once more, satisfied, and said:

  "Rest now. You’ve earned it." He turned, heels clicking, and left. The screen went dark.

  A shaft of light flooded the library, shutters lifting. Door locks clicked open. Light raced through the Villa.

  Their hearts slowed, breaths steadied, muscles relaxed. Vision sharpened. They would survive.

  Lying on the floor, they looked at each other and laughed. Still here. Hugging, laughing aloud, experiencing relief.

  Later, when the euphoria subsided, one question remained, gnawing: