"Wake up, my sweet."
Cold fingers traced over her face and down her jawline until they stopped just before her lips.
Her eyes tiredly trickled open but she was too weak to fully open them. She felt every bone in her body ache, every muscle contort and contract. Her skin felt ice cold but burning hot at the same time, she felt numb but she also felt every ounce of pain too. With eyes half-lidded, she could only see blurs. It was dark with only faint warm light glowing somewhere and a dark figure standing in front of her.
Where was she? What was going on?
She was laying on her side with her face pressed into her arm. She was like this for hours...
The cold fingers traced over her lips and pushed her upper lip up to see her fangs. She couldn't do anything to get away. It was like she was trapped in her own flesh. Even breathing felt difficult to do.
"Your transformation is coming along nicely." The voice whispered, it sounds familiar. "But you must be in so much pain."
Each breath she took let out a small wheeze. There was a ringing in her ears that wouldn't stop.
She let out a raspy groan when two arms snaked underneath her and lifted her up. The person held her against their chest and started carrying her. As they walked, her head fell back and all she could make out was dusty concrete walls that were illuminated by that same warm light.
"Wait till mother sees how you're coming along." The voice giggled.
'Xed..?' She never saw him clearly. But he was always coming around and spending so much time with her that she memorized his voice. On occasion, others would call him Xed.
Her head was pushed back up by his arm that was holding her and she was able to see his face. Shaggy black hair, ash white skin, and grey eyes. Her vision blurred again as a sharp pain went through her skull. She groaned and fell limp again which made the demon carrying her coo at her pain and lay his head against hers. "Aw, I know it hurts, my little monster. But soon you'll feel so much better."
They arrived somewhere and stopped just before a door. He held her body tighter and soon a small kiss was placed on her forehead.
"Xed, sir." A different voice. "She's waiting."
"I'm aware." Xed mumbled as he took in her scent. She felt so nice in his arms that he didn't want to let her go. He hoped he'll be able to continue holding her like this once her body finished its transformation. She was just so weak and helpless now that he can't not keep her close to him. She was just so perfect.
Doors opened and (Y/N) had to close her already half-lidded eyes when a bright light shone down from above. It made her irises throb and another pain shoot through her skull.
"There she is!"
"Is that really her?"
"You think she's like the King? She doesn't look like it at all."
Her ears made out so many whispers and mumbles. They all talked about her. Questions and curiosity filled the room once she was brought into it. But she felt Xed stop walking and so did all of the voices. It was painfully silent. No one dared make a sound.
A cold set of claws lightly touched her skin, making her eyes trickle open again.
Through her blurry vision, she saw a tall figure. Even taller than Xed. It towered over her and looked down at her. For the first time since she woke up, she felt the need to run.
But her body refused, still keeping her trapped in her own flesh.
"My love... My King..."
A deep feminine voice, so ghostly and dry, something (Y/N) wished she never heard. It was like speaking was consuming for her. A single word could leave her breathless. But the more she spoke in that deep feminine voice, (Y/N) could swear she heard a lighter one underneath. A lighter voice that was dominated by the deeper one.
She only knew of one demon who spoke like that. Zankora.
"You come back to me..."
The cold claws moved some of her hair from her face. The girl looked nothing like Zankoku. Zero resemblance whatsoever. But what she was able to do, the abilities she inherited.
It was him. It was all of him.
"How I've waited for you... for so long." Zankora's large hands cupped her face and carefully turned her to face her. But Xed's hand gripped the girl tighter, pulling her closer to his body.
"I will nourish you. Take care of you... You will be what he envisioned. I'll make sure of it."
(Y/N)'s vision started to clear again and soon she started to notice a skull. It was old with cracks and held two large black horns on its head but no trace of teeth or jaws around the mouth area. It was just one hard plate.
For once her body sided with her. She managed to jerk her head away and use her arms to push herself out of Xed's which caught him off guard.
She bit back the pain that came from falling onto hard concrete but she pulled herself up as best as she could and tried to get away. This exert of energy made her senses go wild. The ringing grew more, her vision was failing her, and soon she had collapsed onto the ground for good. Only being able to make it a few feet away.
She heard Xed's chuckles and footsteps approaching her. "Silly girl. You can't move yet."
"She needs rest..." Zankora spoke. "I can't use her like that..."
"May I continue looking after her, Mother?" Xed sweetly asked as he crouched down next to her and placed a gloved hand over her hair, petting her like an animal. His tone was that of a child asking their parent for permission. "I wouldn't want her getting hurt during this delicate time."
A couple of seconds of silence followed before Zankora could give an answer. "Do as you must... but she needs to go through this alone... don't bother her."
"I won't, Mother." Xed smiled but (Y/N) could hear the disappointment through his teeth. He reached down to pull her back into his arms as if it was something he's grown used to. "Does he want to see her?"
"No." Zankora whispered. "He doesn't need to..."
He? Who were they talking about? Who's 'he'?
"My children..." Zankora's raised her voice just a bit higher. "We've all never expected a miracle... such as this... To be given a vessel that'll further aid our fallen King-"
A deep growl emanated from her throat. "Who was wrongfully taken from us... by the hands of those filthy humans..."
Like a chorus, every Elitist showed their anger and frustration against the humans. It was so loud that it hurt (Y/N)'s already highly sensitive hearing. She gritted her teeth at the pain it brought but soon felt relief once Zankora silenced them all with just the lift of her hand.
"You want vengeance... and I do too. Until every last pathetic human is erased from this earth..." Zankora snarled before her voice grew calmer. Suddenly filled with admiration. "And she'll be the one to help us..."
(Y/N) opened her eyes again enough to make out Xed's face. He wasn't looking at her but facing Zankora. While the other Elitists cheered, his face dropped while his gray eyes moved around the room. Did he not agree with them?
"Zankoku chose her to carry his blood... He chose her to carry out his will..." She spoke.
"He gave us a gift... and we shall use it..."
Everything began to grow silent and dark. (Y/N) began to feel weightless. No longer she felt Xed's arms holding her, no longer did her body pain her, she felt nothing.
Weightless and nothing.
She couldn't move, breathe, or see. All she could do was remain in this void space. Maybe for a few seconds or for all of eternity.
"You think you're worthy to be me?"
A deep voice rumbled through the void. It shook the space around in such an inhuman tone. The voice of a monster.
"A weak pathetic girl? A human no less? Don't make me laugh."
She couldn't feel or see anything but the voice was horrifying. It boomed in her ears and made everything shake. She wanted it to stop. She wanted it to go away.
"You're not a gift. You're a disgrace. You're just a means to an end for those desperate fools."
The deep voice started to chuckle. It felt like boulders hitting the hard ground.
"But I have a feeling that you'll surprise me."
A figure started to appear. Tall, muscular, a wave of superiority and strength...
"I'll be watching, girl. Don't disappoint me."
(Y/N) caught a quick glimpse of what looked like a deer skull before her eyes shot open and her body lift up from its sleepy position.
Sweat trailed down her skin and she was shaking like crazy. She swallowed back a lump in her throat and looked around, quickly recognizing the library around her. Her eyes stopped on the demon bear that rested on his pile of books before she looked down at her partner's sleeping figure. He wasn't disturbed by her and slept soundly.
She wasn't back there...
She was ok...
She used the sleeves of her flannel to wipe her sweat and tried relaxing back on the ground. Her body curled up and her head nuzzled against the duffel bag she was using as a pillow.
But she didn't dare close her eyes again. That voice... That figure...
The sound of rain and faint thunder did help her relax but there was no chance she was going to get any more rest. It was still dark in the library, might be hours until it grew light again.
Her eyes fell toward the bookcases. She needs a distraction.
Light fell in the old library through the cracks in the windows. The rain had long since stopped during the night but the clouds were just now scattering apart. The sun was able to shine again as it rose higher into the sky, letting the birds finally come out to chirp their morning song.
Yama shifted in his sleep before he began to awaken. His hand moved up to rub his eyes and he turned to where he thought the girl was but she was gone.
His eyebrows furrowed and looked around for her.
Soon he spotted her sitting atop a table with her legs crossed and a book held tightly in her hands. The lit candle he used last night was positioned next to her to help her see the pages and there was a look on her face that showed both focus and fear.
Her fingers flipped the pages as she continued reading. That fearful look never going away.