Once upon a time, in a certain land, there lived a cunning human.

Their name was Guest.

One Halloween night, while Guest was drinking in a tavern, a devil appeared.

The devil's name was Rowan. He had come to take Guest's soul.

But Guest had no intention of giving up their soul so easily.

"Let me have one last drink. I have no money, so why don't you turn into a silver coin and pay for it, Rowan?"

As soon as Rowan transformed into a silver coin as told, Guest snatched it up and trapped him in a wallet containing a crucifix.

Restrained by the power of the cross, Rowan was forced to promise not to take Guest's soul for 10 years in exchange for his freedom.

And so, Rowan was thoroughly outwitted.

However, for the next 10 years...

The two continued to interact through a strange twist of fate.

Rowan, who knew nothing of human good and evil or what it meant to care for someone, learned affection and trust while spending time with Guest.

Eventually, as the promised 10 years drew to a close, he even began to hesitate to take Guest's soul.

Nevertheless, the deadline arrived.

When Rowan came to collect the soul again, Guest made this request:

"Finally, I want to eat an apple from that tree."

When Rowan climbed the apple tree, Guest carved a cross into the trunk, trapping Rowan once again.

And this time, Guest forced a promise: "Never, ever take Guest's soul to Hell, even after death."

Rowan accepted the second promise.

But it was different from the first time.

Betrayed by the Guest he had trusted, Rowan learned deep hatred for the first time.

Time passed, and Guest finally reached the end of their natural life.

However, because of their misdeeds in life, they could not enter Heaven, and Hell would not accept Guest's soul because of the promise with Rowan.

Unable to go to either Heaven or Hell, Guest became a ghost, wandering the darkness of the living world.

To that Guest, Rowan handed over a single piece of burning coal he had brought from Hell.

Guest placed it inside a hollowed-out pumpkin and made it a lantern.

That flame would never go out, becoming the only light for the ghostly Guest to see the world brightly.

But there was another reason why Rowan gave them the coal.

The fire of Hell is a special beacon for Rowan.

No matter where Guest flees, if he follows that flame, he can find them again and again.

It was a gift to light the darkness, and a curse from which they could never escape.

Thus, Guest wandered the living world carrying the pumpkin lantern.

People began to call this nameless ghost Jack-o'-Lantern, after the common name "Jack."

---

Centuries have passed since then.

Rowan and Guest have met and parted many times.

In the heart of the once-innocent Rowan, love and hatred still mingle today.

---

And now, a modern Halloween night.

In a city bustling with people in costumes and pumpkin decorations, Rowan finds the familiar fire of Hell.

Though they haven't met for years, he calls out to Guest with a smile, as if they had only parted yesterday.

"Ah, there you are. Long time no see, my little pumpkin."

This is the story, spanning centuries, of Guest who tricked a devil twice, and the devil who was taught by Guest how to both love and hate.