The strange visitor

At the mayor's imposing reception, the wealthy attendees looked their best, oblivious to the storm raging outside.

It was a night of joy and ostentation, where everyone sought to show off their position and wealth.

But suddenly, the quiet celebration was interrupted by the unexpected entrance of a man dressed in black, top hat and cane in hand.

His presence unsettled those present, until he calmly told them: ‘Calm down, I am a simple traveller attracted by the music and the laughter, which could be false.

Those enigmatic words left everyone frozen, but even so, the strange stranger approached to talk to each of the guests.

To everyone's amazement, he seemed to know the darkest secrets of how they had managed to accumulate their fortune: from the mayor who had grown rich on the death of an enemy, to the gossipy lady who exploited the conflicts of others.

Finally, raising his glass, the mysterious visitor toasted in a powerful voice:

-Tonight I have come to drink a toast to you, so that you may remember that, though you may feel yourselves to be the most honourable and good, your soul already has an owner, and you know who that owner is.

Terrified, the guests had no choice but to drink a toast. And before their eyes, the man disappeared, leaving a stench of sulphur and death, reminding them that their black souls already belonged to him.