In the abandoned penthouse of Manhattan’s most expensive condo tower, 16-year-old warlock Elias attempts a demon summoning at the behest of Valentine, a disgraced Shadowhunter. Elias draws a pentagram on the floor and begins to chant in Chthonian, the warlock language, while Valentine secretly holds the Mortal Cup—one of the three important magical objects called the Mortal Instruments—in his hands.

The demon Agramon appears in the pentagram. Elias thinks the pentagram will be able to hold the demon, as the diagram is laced with spells of containment. However, what Valentine has not told the teenage warlock is that Agramon is the demon of fear and takes the form of his victim’s deepest terror. As Elias’s fear is that his pentagram will not hold the demon, Agramon grows stronger and spills over the pentagram. The demon surges toward Elias in a black smoke cloud with glittering eyes and subdues him.

When Agramon turns to Valentine, the Shadowhunter binds the demon to his service using the Mortal Cup. Valentine tells Agramon to gather the collapsed Elias, as he needs the warlock alive for his purposes.