Pic made by the talented  oneiros~

Meet Alan Kane. He was a normal human guy who happened to live in an unfortunate situation. His hometown was often beset by monsters, and violent deaths were a regular occurrence. Wanting nothing more than to protect those whom he cares about, Alan made a pact with a demon for the power to defend his home. He received a dark sword that bestowed upon him the ability to create and control fire. With this new power, Alan swore to protect his hometown. Little did he know the price with which this power came. For power alone cannot defeat an enemy. Alan had never fought before, and thus, with a complete lack of combat skill, he was slain in his first battle...
The boy awoke in a hellish wasteland. When he made that deal for his powers, his soul had been forever tainted. And thus he had awakened in a hell. And this time, if he were to die, he would cease to exist entirely. In a stroke of irony, the power that had brought him here became the only thing keeping him alive...
As time went by, Alan found himself becoming less and less human. With each use of his powers, he transformed more into a demon. With the new form came increased physical ability and mastery of his fire, but also the decay of his soul and his conscience...
There is only one way for the poor man to break his curse and return to his original, human form: He must find a pure cause to which he can dedicate himself utterly and completely, an impossible task in a hellish place like this. And with every change, the changes become less frightening. And that is what terrifies him.

Backstory out of the way, Alan is actually a rather upbeat young man who does his best to remain optimistic despite the horrible situation he's in. There is the occasional (well-justified) bout of angst, but they're few and far between, and never last very long.

Original submission: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/10448215/