>a lone man sits in a dimly lit room
>it's very late, but Dante's still not done with all the paperwork Vergilius dumped on him
>tired, he leans back on his chair and looks out the window
>his attempt at stargazing is cut short when an electric sound and orange glow fill the room, making him jump back out of fright
>a sharply-dressed woman stands before him
>she removes her top hat as she bows, introducing herself as Faust with a hollow smile
>it would be hard to miss her black skeletal hands or the segmented tail curling behind her, but Dante remains silent
>the woman follows up her introduction with an offer
>a contract
>she will grant any wish of his for a price
>but before she can even state what it is, he says that he wants her
>she pauses for a moment, but when she asks him about what he said, he asks for her hand again
>unable to understand him, she offers him unrivaled power instead
>"No power can rival the beauty that captured my heart"
>then she offers him eternal life
>"A second with you is an eternity to me"
>finally, she offers him limitless knowledge
>"The only thing I need to know is the softness of your hair in my palms and the color of setting sun reflected in your eyes"
>though her face remains stoic, agitated movement of her tail gives away her feelings
>that's when Faust warns him about what's at stake
>should he accept her contract, his soul will be taken too
>she almost pleads him to reconsider it
>is such a silly wish worth eternal damnation?
>"What worth is my soul if it's denied your company?"
>to her surprise, he firmly grips her hand with his, running his thumb across its hard surface
>perhaps it's no use trying to talk him out of it
>just as he finishes writing his signature on black paper, Dante wakes up, lifting his head with faint ticking
>his brain is still waking up from that weird dream
>he'd better not have overslept again
>then he notices something shift behind him with a quiet groan and something thin tighten its grip on his leg