Warning/Disclaimer: abuse + blood (+ imagine him in his real form)
A/N: don't expect any cute romance, it's sukuna
Words count: 1.5k
•••
"The offering has been chosen"
The news quickly toured the village. A wave of relief passed through the narrow streets where the inhabitants dared themselves their first outing since the arrival of the demon, the king of curses himself, Sukuna. A demon who had proclaimed as his own the mountain in which lived the hundred villagers who constituted the village of Kyohi.
Amused by the despair of the men who had immediately abandoned the fight, Sukuna felt generous and imposed the following conditions:
"Offer me one of your lives and I'll see what I can do with the others"
The first reaction of the inhabitants had been to flee. It was impossible to trust the demon whose cruelty was such that the rumors of his repeated massacres had reached Kyohi's isolated ears. Attempts to escape followed, but after a few days and as the putrid smell of blood, from the forest, began to climb back to those whose fear had confined them to their homes, the village chief spoke out.
"The offering will be brought tonight"
They could no longer afford to wait while their lives depended on the changing mood of the demon who had found a place in a cave high up. From the ground, he could perceive the two pairs of red eyes snickering at their panic. Snickering at their weakness, their humanity.
The announcement resounded in the streets and for the first time, the villagers left the humidity of their house to take a look at the offering. Like a spectacle, the chief made the procession pass by the main road. To appease the community; here was his explanation.
"It's mostly to inflate your ego..."
"Shut up, ignorant woman. Don't waste your last words in hatred and lift up your head, be proud. You are about to save your village."
"My village..."
Who to choose? Who to sacrifice? Logically, those whose feet were already close to death should have been the only candidates. And yet, here they were, dragging a young woman through these streets.
She was scrutinized, people trying to recognize her facial features far too soft for death. Why sacrifice such a young one? And then they recognized her. One recognized the loneliness in her features, the contempt that had been spat on her face since her arrival in the village.
The refugee. The one who had fled the famine to hide in their trash.
A rat no one would regret.
"My village..." she repeated, taking a look at the half-open door around her. "It must be happy to get rid of such waste"
"Y/N! I will not repeat myself: stop those hateful words. I'm giving you a chance to thank us for everything we've done for you, so take it."
"How can I seize such an opportunity when my hands are tied?" the offering questioned as she raised her bound fists.
Arriving at the foot of the mountain, the chief dismissed his men. Now protected from the gaze of his subjects, he was able to ditch his Good Samaritan facade.
"Dirty little bitch!" he spat at her with a blow to the back, throwing her on the ground. His jaw was clenched, his frustration creating a grimace on his wrinkled face. "You should only thank me. A child like you with no future should thank me for ending its pathetic life."
Y/N didn't answer. She didn't even try to protect herself from his repetitive blows, preferring to stick her face to the ground which was so familiar to her. Years of kneeling, begging for help, or just a glance to get her out of her misery. There was some truth in his words. At least dead, she would no longer need to swallow her pride every morning and curse her condition every night.
"From now on, I don't want to hear from you." The chief grabbed her by her hair to raise her eyes to his level "Do you understand?"
It was the end. She could feel her body empty of the last dust of hope that had survived the horrible nightmare that was her life.
"Yes"
A last toilet in the mountain river before the fateful moment. The water seemed horribly cold against her rough skin. He threw another white dress to replace that soiled by his consecutive blows; it seemed that her first beating hadn't been enough. After all, the last few days were hard for the poor chief.
"You're getting in first," he commanded in a whisper.
Y/N felt her whole body shivering. It wasn't due to the sensation of his breathing on her neck. No, she didn't even feel it, she couldn't feel it with the cold wind coming from the cave facing her.
"It's the end..." she murmured to herself. " It's the end..." she repeated as she entered the darkness.
Y/N was advancing without knowing where she was putting her foot. She couldn't see, unable to distinguish anything in this complete dark. The only sound she could hear was that icy wind surrounding her and drawing her to that presence. At the bottom of this cave was her only landmark, this sinful presence.
"You've made me wait"
A husky voice echoed in the cave, a voice that froze her in place. Torches lit up afterward, blinding her sight. She took a step back due to the surprise but was quickly pushed back forward.
"Bow down"
It was the chief. She had forgotten his presence. He untied her fists in a quick gesture before forcing her to kneel.
"I apologize for the wait." He spoke loud and clear but with great respect in his tone "I came today to bring you the offering"
As he continued with his courtesy, Y/N raised her head gently. She kept her eyes fixed on her hands for a long time before finding the courage to take a look at the famous inking of curses.
"That's enough. Bring it to me instead of wasting my time."
A large figure. Muscles protruding. Four arms. Four eyes. Four pupils in the color of blood. This is the description of the demon who was about to end her miserable life.
"Of course"
This sight of horror made Y/N tremble without a possibility of calming down. She couldn't even get up. Even with the chief pulling on her arm, it was impossible to lift a body with flabby legs.
"Get up! Hurry up!" with teeth clenched, the chief was begging her. He wasn't going to lose his life because of the disrespect of a rat.
Fear is a natural response. It is the feeling that pushes us to flee, the first mechanism that comes to mind when faced with a far too great danger. Yet when these red eyes landed on her trembling form, Y/N felt her muscles empty of all energy. Her brain did the same, abandoning the very idea of trying to escape.
"What is your name?"
She hadn't even noticed that he had left his throne. Yet, it was his fingers that were cupping her jaw. This demon had squatted at her level, turning her face in random directions to have a better look at her features.
"Her name is Y/N" the leader didn't wait for Sukuna to feel insulted by her silence, he replied in her place "I allowed myself to offer you a woman to suit your preferences. I hope she suits your liking. She's not-"
A simple glare was enough to stop the man in his rant.
"Did I speak to you?" Sukuna asked while turning his gaze back to the offering.
"No but-" the chief began a justification that his head rolling on the ground couldn't finish.
That was the end.
"What is your name?"
The sound of the man's inanimate body falling by her side, allowed the woman to snap back. She attempted an answer. "Y/N.."
"I love the look in your eyes, Y/N." his hand squeezed around her jaw, his nails sinking deep enough to create a few cuts on her cheeks "It's empty, it's fascinating." He complimented with a smirk.
Her blood stained one of his nails but it didn't seem to disturb the curse. Far from it, he licked the droplet without breaking eye contact.
"Your pupils are shaking. Is it fear, Y/N?"
This time, her answer was immediate. "Yes. I'm going to die..."
"Are you afraid of death?"
His hold found its place around her jaw.
"Yes."
"How can a person with such an empty gaze be afraid of death? Haven't you seen enough of life to realize that death is more reasonable?"
Yes. That's what her response should have been. But that wouldn't change the terror that had paralyzed her body at his sight. The misery may have destroyed her motivation to live, but it didn't create one to die.
"I..."
His hand slipped to take a hold of her neck. He drew her face toward his own. He was now so close that she felt his warm breath against her freezing skin.
"You shouldn't" his lips pressed against hers, not in the form of a kiss, but simply in another way to secure his dominion over his new fantasy "It spoils the beauty of this void."