In the eighth circle of hell, where the fraudulent dwell, there’s a demon, superior to all the others residing there, whose imposing mansion sits atop a hill, surrounded by wails and flames that consume the souls of sinners trying to reach this peak, unattainable for anyone not welcomed by their master and lord. And, though he may not be Lucifer himself, this demon lord has made a name for himself in hell that would make the other circles tremble with just a wave of his hand. Mephistopheles’ mansion is undoubtedly a terrifying and inaccessible place for the lesser demons, who prefer to never cross paths with this greedy, deceitful, and arrogant being.

Behind one of the mansion's windows, a pair of yellow eyes peer through the glass, filled with longing and sorrow. It’s a small demon, with two horns sticking out from his head, who, due to his stature, could pass for any shadow, but his demonic aura was so strong that he could only be the son of Mephistopheles.

The luxurious red sofa was against the wall, and above it loomed a large window with bars and spikes, simulating a prison, right in front of the little demon who sighed as he gazed at a landscape filled with wails, torture, and horror. For him, it was like any other day in hell, nothing new, everything following its natural course, but he was tired of seeing and hearing the same thing over and over again. He was weary of not being able to find any fun in this place.

His servant, a demon faithful to his family lineage named Belzor, who has always accompanied him, isn’t enough to quench his thirst for entertainment. At that moment, Belzor leans in to greet his master who has entered the room. The little demon turns to see his father, who greets him with a big smile.

“My son, why do you look so sad?”  says one of the strongest demonic Lords from hell. His father. Mephistopheles.

“Father, I want to go out. I want to meet other demons like me and have some fun” his father lifts him up with a tenderness that seems impossible for someone like him.

“But you don’t need to hang out with beings beneath you. You deserve the best of the best, besides, you have everything  you need here, inside the mansion”

“No, I don’t have anyone to play with, Dad.”

“But you have Belzor, he keeps you company all the time” Mephistopheles points to his subordinate, who bows when his master indicates him. The young demon didn’t like the comment and pouted at his father, who put him back down on the floor. “Son, soon you'll have even more than what you have now, right at your fingertips. You’ll have someone who will give you the companionship you crave; they’ll be your lackey or your servant or your slave, whatever you want.”

The little demon didn’t say anything about it; he just thought to himself that if what his father said was true, then he would finally have the friend he always wanted. His father said goodbye to him and went back to work; he was such a busy demon that he hardly had time to talk to his son. Little Mephie had gotten used to his father’s absence, and whenever he did see him, it was, in a way, comforting, although it didn’t last long.

Mephis returned to his spot on the sofa and in front of the window to keep sighing with longing and boredom, wondering when that friend his father promised him would finally show up. He hoped it would be soon.

            ~•~• CLAUDIO •~•~

I was nervous. I almost couldn't sleep the night before because I was so excited to play with my new friend again. Plus, my mind started playing tricks on me. I thought maybe I had imagined it all or that it was just a dream, and I wondered, what if I go the next day and he's not there? What if it was really something I made up? It scared me. So, I couldn't sleep well.

I got up late for my morning lessons; my mom yelled at me for making the tutor wait. I apologized, and even though she didn’t seem too bothered, she was definitely irritated by my mom's shouting. I managed to survive the lessons, although I almost dozed off at the table a couple of times. Thanks to the snacks the kitchen ladies brought me, I was able to keep going.

I had to wait until after lunch to go out to the garden. My mom told me not to get dirty, and my dad warned me to be careful not to hurt myself. He also reminded me not to go near the twisted tree at the end of the maze. That tree has always piqued my curiosity, but its roots and branches are so oddly twisted that at night it looks creepy, which is good enough reason for me to stay away from it; besides, mom says if I climb it, I could fall and break a bone, and I don’t want any of that. Once the warnings were given, I opened the door and went out with Mr. Bunny towards the maze.

Yesterday, when I went deep into the place, I realized there was a beautiful fountain in the center. That explains why the sound of water in the distance calmed me so much, letting me read comfortably in that spot. Only this time, I wasn’t going to read but finally play with someone. When I got to the bench, I set Mr. Bunny down because I didn't want to bring him into the maze in case he got dirty or messed up.

“Wait for me here” I said as I went back into the huge bushes. "Hello? I'm back. Are you there?"

At first, I didn’t get a response, so I kept walking while looking around, paying extra attention to any sound that might cut through the air. But it didn’t seem like there was a trace of anyone in that place. I was all alone.

“Hello?”  I was starting to get worried, and my fears from the previous night seemed to confirm themselves when I heard a “Boo!” right behind me, very close to my ear.

I jumped from the scare, turned around, and looked in every direction to find whoever was behind me, but I was alone. Suddenly, I heard someone laughing.

“You should have seen your face!” said the guy from the day before. He still wasn’t showing himself, but I could hear him clearly.

“What are you doing? You almost scared me to death,” I said, a bit annoyed, my heart racing. I crossed my arms. “Stop laughing, okay? It’s not funny.”

 “Of course it was,” he stopped laughing at that moment. “Hey, let’s play again.”

I stood frozen in my spot, feeling a bit unsure. Is this really happening again? Am I really not imagining this? I gripped my shirt tightly, wanting to believe that my dream had truly come true, and if that’s the case, why can’t I just enjoy it already?

“Are you okay?”  the kid asked, sounding so close that I felt compelled to look for him, but there was still no trace of him.

“I thought you weren’t coming...”  I confessed, a bit embarrassed for even expressing my thoughts out loud, especially to someone I had just met.

 “I always keep my promises. I told you I’d come, and here I am, and if you want, I’ll keep coming. How does that sound?”

Hearing that felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders, even though there was still some uncertainty over a tiny detail.

“But how am I supposed to trust you if I can’t see you?”  There was silence. “Come on, come out from wherever you are.”

       ~•~• MEPHIS •~•~

Upon hearing the words of the little human boy, Mephis hesitated, questioning what he was doing, as it all seemed like a bad idea now. He knew that if he showed himself as he was, the boy would run away at the sight of him. They were from different worlds, and his father had filled his head with stories that, while real, were terrifying. Humans hunt demons, fleeing from them not just because of their appearance but also because of their abilities; at some point in history, there were deaths everywhere as both species fought to survive, until the demons found a place like hell to live, far away from humans.

Mephis did want to go out and play with him, to be near him and let him see without any prejudice, but it was risking everything for a slight chance that he wasn’t sure would work out. So he thought of the best thing he could say to the boy:

"Not today, but I’ll introduce myself to you soon. Plus, you still haven’t caught me, and that's what we agreed on yesterday, right?" Mephis smiled even though no one was looking. He thought his words were just right to get out of that situation and make the boy think about something other than his appearance.

"Alright, you’re right," said the boy, surrendering to his words. Mephis didn’t believe it; he didn’t think that would really work—"You’ll see when I catch you!"

The boy began to run through the labyrinth like the day before, trying to find him. Of course, he was nowhere near catching him, but seeing that the boy was getting discouraged more easily because he couldn’t figure out where he was. Mephis decided to tap him on the shoulder now and then while he was unaware. This made the boy regain his enthusiasm, Mephis was telling him that he was indeed someone real, made of flesh and bone perhaps, that existed, and this would clear the boy’s doubts, giving him more reasons to keep looking for him.

They carried on until night fell again, and the boy's mother called him from the gate just like the day before. Mefis could hear the boy's name: Claudio. Mephis thought it was a strange name; he had never heard that name before. Before leaving, the kid insisted he come along.

"Come for a bit, I'll invite you to dinner. I want my parents to see you so they’ll stop saying you’re imaginary."

That was much worse than just showing himself to the kid. If he revealed himself to the adults, what could they do to him? It would be the end.

"No, I think it’s better if I don’t," Mephis replied with a hint of sadness. From the shadows, he could see the sadness and disappointment reflected on his human friend's face, so he added, "But that doesn't mean I don’t want to keep playing with you! I had a lot of fun, and I plan to come back so we won't be alone anymore."

This made Claudio's joy return.

"Alright," Claudio said with a big smile he hadn’t shown before, and he ran home.

Mephis felt he had done the right thing by saying that to the kid because it made him really happy. Mephis smiled too, even though no one was watching, but he stayed there a long time, watching the mansion in the distance, remembering that smile of his friend, so big and full of hope that he thought it was worth every second, every word before heading back home to be alone once more.