"I love this restaurant, the food tastes great, and the wine's nice too."

The Coulsons, who had just finished their lunch, walk out of the restaurant in the afternoon.

James Coulson was Merlin's foster father and the PE teacher of Merlin's high school life.

This healthy, slightly fat middle-aged man was in high spirits; he was somewhat drunk as he had met some familiar faces in the restaurant and had a couple more glasses.

He walks next to Merlin, as Madam Coulson and Phil, who were in a bad mood, follow behind them.

"I'll say, Merlin, and Phil, what happened between the two of you? You both looked gloomy when we were eating."

James asks with his voice lowered; Merlin doesn't want to worry his family with his secrets, so he shrugs, acting lighthearted to his father:

"Just the worries of young men, dad, it's nothing much. After I leave the farm in August, I was thinking of why don't you close the farm and move back into the city with mom. You can take better care of Phil, as well as yourself."

"Can't close that farm, my Merlin."

With a strand of white hair on his head, James shakes his head stubbornly and tells Merlin, whom he sees as his own:

"The ancestral home your parents left you was torn down, and I was helpless to stop it. Later I used that money to buy this farm, and this is the only inheritance I can leave you, as well as my promise to Wilton and Mary, they were my best friends, we grew up together, I watched your birth...sigh."

James lets out a short breath as he recalls old times. He taps his eldest son on the shoulder, saying:

"Don't worry, Merlin, go study in New York; your cousin May has already made a family there. She will take care of you on our behalf. As for Wisconsin, you need not worry. I'll find someone to take care of that farm.

"You know, dad, I frankly couldn't care less about these."

Merlin supports James' arm, turning back to look at his mother and brother:

"I've hardly ever seen my parents after my birth; it was you and mom who raised me; I don't care about inheritance, you know that. I am fully capable of taking care of myself and you guys. I'm thinking; maybe we should move out of Wisconsin, maybe come with me to New York."

"New York? Nah."

James shakes his head, saying:

"My grandfather's grandfather came to this land from Europe long ago; every generation of the Coulson family has grown up and old here. I ain't going to New York, that city of endless trouble. I know you're a good kid, Merlin; you're good to us, but believe us, child, after you leave, we'll take good care of ourselves."

"Alright."

Merlin agrees that he just said whatever came into mind; maybe it has something to do with that mysterious hallucination. The sudden appearance of that thing disrupted Merlin's 18 years of peace and caused him to panic a little.

In the end, he's but a young man, maybe he experienced some strange things, but that doesn't make him better than his peers.

"I'll visit you often."

Merlin opens the car door, hesitating whether to drive himself or let Phil drive, but he doesn't think for long. He sits into the driver's seat, looks at his parents through the rear-view mirror, and says:

"I promise I'll call back once a week, I'll come to visit when college break begins, or you guys can come to find me in New York."

"When you're gone, I'll have your room,"

Phil, who buckles up on the passenger seat next to him, asks:

"And the garage, you'll leave Lola to me, right? You won't take her! right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, my dear Phil,"

Merlin winks at his younger brother,

"I'll leave everything to you, all except Lola, for she is mine."

"NO!!!!!"

The worries of young people come and go quickly; in the short period of their lunch, he's recovered from the event of being heartbroken. He screams in a pretentious-desperate tone, which leaves the family giggling.

In this cheery atmosphere, Merlin takes one last look in front of the car; there is no shadow this time. Nothing else occurred as he drove on the road and returned to the farm. 

As if...everything that happened before was but a vivid dream.

Merlin lets out his breath.

---

However, as the Coulsons were happily driving home, miles away on a mountain in the grasslands, the mysterious figure stands there. He tips his hat while looking in the direction of the Coulsons' family farm, and beneath that top hat, he lets out a meaningful grin.

"Lil Merlin, are you ready?"

He says to himself, flipping his fingers that don a black glove, he pulls out a golden pocket watch; with a neat clack, the stopwatch opens and reveals its mechanical arrays that are ten times more sophisticated than that of an ordinary pocket watch.

The mysterious man lowers his head and looks at the 'time', his lips open and close, as if communicating with someone beyond sight.

"Tonight, on this very day, the dice of fate will start rolling for the first time and be projected onto Merlin's life. I will spectate all that conspires and report back to you."

The communicator on the other side seemingly asks a question; it widens the mystery man's grin. 

"Of course, I guess...Merlin has already prepared himself. Even so, he may be expecting this, as we have. Although, 18 years is nothing but a short lunch break for us."

The mystery man seems to have a lot to say; he wishes to keep talking to demonstrate his scholarly temperament. But after a few exchanges, he looks away as if focusing on the power rising from the other side of the mountains.

Moments later, he responds to his communicator:

"Let's end our little talk...it is looking at our direction, it's coming, and I must hang up, wouldn't want to scare it off with your presence."

"That will be all; wait for my good news."

The mystery man gently taps on the air in front of him using his finger, the lights around him flickers, and just like a closing curtain, envelope this mysterious man. A gentle breeze blows away all traces of his existence as if he never existed in the first place.

The mystery man is still there, but it's as if he's in a different dimension.

As his blue cape ripples behind him, he looks at the Coulsons' farm, watching as that sinister red aura rise up from the ground and slowly forms a fog.

It's irritant, greedy, arrogant yet angry as if it's eager for the touch of its loved one, its hunger was as if its wishes to consume this realm, it is jealous of this beautiful and sunny world, this world loved by god. Timelessly, it watches from its hell; whispers of the darkness lurk, just like the unspeakable of the abyss.

It is demonic power from beyond this world.

"Trigon..."

The mysterious man shakes his head and whispers while looking at the pocket watch:

"For so many years, you still have yet to learn your lesson. But, either way, welcome to the game."

"I hope...that you have fun."

---

Merlin was unaware of what had occurred.

He knows not of the eyes looking behind him, nor does he know that on this very night, his fate will stray onto a different path.

After his family lunch, all seemed normal; nothing weird had happened. Everything seemed so peaceful, so perfect.

Until night fell, Merlin had replaced the spark plug of his favorite car with Phil's help, and once refueled, this classic red roadster will soon run wild on the fields once more.

Merlin cannot help but feel excited about the upcoming event.

His foster father, James, loves cars, although not able to collect real classical cars due to financial limitations, Lola is James' most prized possession. And now, this true beauty will become his.

"Phil, can you get me the pipe wrench, Phil?"

Merlin, who is working on the final repairs beneath the car, calls out to his brother, but there is no response; the garage was quiet...too quiet. Merlin's heart skipped a beat, and he came out from beneath the car, only to see Phil lying beside the shelves in the corner of the garage.

He had fallen asleep; his curved lips indicate him to be having a good dream.

"Alright,"

Merlin did not wake his brother from his sleep; he took the pipe wrench, made the finishing touch to the car before prepping himself for his first time sitting on Lola as her 'driver'.

He rubs his fingers across the car as if rubbing the silky skin of the perfect woman before settling both hands on the steering wheel. He lets out a smile full of pride and accomplishment.

After all, what man doesn't like cars?

Especially when it belongs to you.

"Sigh..."

Merlin leans against the driver's seat, stretching this body; he lifts his arm to look at the time. It was already dusk; the light of the setting sun shone into the garage through its gap into the dark interiors of the garage.

It all seemed peaceful, enough to make one fall asleep.

Thus he closes his eyes...

"Knock."

A slight knocking sound awakens Merlin from his nap, he was still sitting on the driver's seat in Lola, and Phil was still sleeping against the shelves. But in front of Lola, a white-haired man, wearing an old tuxedo with dazzling white hair, was knocking on Lola's hood with his finger, making clear sounds.

Merlin looks at his uninvited guest; he had never seen this man before; he notices crimson red lines similar to scars on his face, appearing less than average and more than sinister.

"Keep your hands off Lola!"

Merlin steps out of the car and instinctively warns him.

Behind him, his left hand sneakily grabs the pipe wrench; this heavy tool is capable of smashing heads when wielded with enough force.

In an odd environment, only when one holds a weapon can one find peace.

Merlin stands a few meters away from the man, and with his warnings, the strange man stops his knocking; he turns back and looks at Merlin as if looking at a rare artifact.

Until now, did Merlin notice that the man's eyes were crimson red and that he forgets about his face as soon as he looks away...

This was not normal!

His fingers clench the pipe wrench once again.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir?"

Merlin tries to sound calm as if he's ignoring the strange features of the man's face, his spooky eyes, and his evil-looking aura.

"Yes."

The man replies; his voice was deep as if smashing a hammer; it wasn't sharp, but it hurt the ears.

He looks at Merlin:

"I've come for you, mortal."

The man points his finger; a dark red flame appears on his fingertips. He tilts his head, and to the Merlin in front of him, he says:

"Sign with me a contract..."

"And with all the honor you could ever imagine with that puny mind of yours, become my 'son'."

Merlin's face, at this very moment...

Freezes.