"She hasn't left the cage..."
"What happened?"
"You're friend left and he wrote this note for her."
"Let me see..."
(O/N) took the note from her daughter and started to read over it. Her and the rest of their team had just returned with good news about the Outsiders. But her daughter and nephew immediately rushed to her and told her about (Y/N).
They were in the carrier that the demon girl had retreated to and placed herself in the back cages again to get away from everyone. She was huddled on the floor with her knees to her chest and hiding her face from the world.
The Head Keeper read the note as sadness struck her as well. She was hoping that Yama was going to stick around this time. She missed him after so many years that seeing him again felt great.
But she was mainly saddened for the demon girl. She knew that Yama had feelings for her but she didn't know if (Y/N) felt the same way about him. This broke the poor girl's heart...
"She won't leave the cage." B muttered as she watched her friend's figure from the other side of the carrier. "I tried bringing her food but she won't eat it. I tried talking to her but she won't listen to me."
"She's going through heartbreak..." (O/N) sighed as she folded the note back up and placed it into her pocket. "I'll try to talk to her but we should give her some space."
B wanted to object to this but stayed quiet as her mother made her over to the cage. B looked up to her cousin unsurely and they gave her a shrug.
(O/N) carefully approached the girl and the closer she got, she started to hear small sniffles. (Y/N)'s claws dug deeply into her pants and put small holes into them. She was shaking slightly as she quietly sobbed and seeing the sight made the older woman empathetic.
"Hey, sweetie..." (O/N) crouched down to sit on the ground outside of the cage, staying mindful of giving the demon girl some space.
(Y/N) didn't respond to her. But her sniffling started to cease at the sound of the older woman's voice.
"I heard what happened. And I read what he... wrote. I'm so sorry, sweetie." (O/N) spoke with remorse.
(Y/N)'s claws gripped her pants tighter before they started to loosen up and she took a deep breath. The Head Keeper watched her. It felt like having to comfort her daughter again after a girl she liked called her a freak. It was something the mother felt hurt by too but ultimately couldn't do anything about. She couldn't take away her daughter's abilities then and she can't bring back Yama now.
She reached a hand out and placed it on (Y/N)'s shoulders, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Unfortunately, Yama's always been like this. As long as I knew him at least..."
(Y/N) stayed silent but her lack of crying was a sign that she was listening.
"He's always been the loner type. Even when his brother was alive, Yama never tried to stay with him for too long." (O/N) recalled as she comforted the demon girl. "Right before he left after his brother's death... he said he wanted to find himself a beach. Somewhere demons couldn't bother him anymore. I didn't think much of it... but maybe I should've."
That was his plan all along back then. She knew he had to have been hurting but he never let himself express it. Even now before he left again, he wouldn't let his emotions show. But (O/N) was able to notice cracks in the wall he was building. He may have grown accustomed to hiding his true emotions for his brother, but he wasn't able to hide them when it came to (Y/N).
The demon girl hugged herself tighter as she sniffed back a tear. "I drove him away..." She whimpered. "He left because of me..."
(O/N) quickly shook her head. "No, sweetie. That's not the reason."
"Then why..?" (Y/N) asked. She lifted her head slightly to look at the Head Keeper, her black puffy eyes desperately staring into the yellow ones of the older woman.
(O/N) sighed and reached for the demon's hands. She held them securely into hers. "It's because he loves you. And he's too scared to watch you get hurt..."
(Y/N)'s heart felt heavier at hearing those words. He loved her back but she drove him away. All because of her suicidal revenge plans. She should've just listened to him but her stubbornness got the best of her.
"He told me how he felt about you. I've never seen him be this way towards anyone else before." (O/N) spoke as she thought back to the earlier talk she and the doctor had. "But he was scared. Scared of the feelings he had for you, scared of the possibility that he can lose you the same way he lost his brother. You mean a lot to him, and I guess that's his biggest fear."
"He means a lot to me too..." (Y/N) meekly whispered.
Her eyes fell to her feet as she wiped her tears. "I lost everyone in my life. Everyone I loved. But Yama saved me and he became someone I could care about again... He made it feel like I had a family again."
He wasn't just a partner to her. He was someone she trusted, someone she cared about. After losing her family, he was becoming her new one. She loved him. She loved him so much...
That's why she was so in pain. Not just because it felt like the person she loved was gone, but because it felt like her family was taken away from her again...
(O/N) didn't know what to say. She felt like she said all that she could. She wiped away her own tear and pulled the demon girl close for an embrace. Her hand moving to rub circles on her back as she felt (Y/N) wound her arms around her and clutch her tightly.
"I'm sorry, sweetie. I know it hurts..." (O/N) whispered, feeling her maternal side take over.
The demon girl wasn't her child, but (O/N) knew her when she was. The fate of (Y/N) and her people still left the older woman in disbelief. It pained her to know that (Y/N)'s mother was gone. She enjoyed their chats together and being able to bond over their children. It was a relief getting to talk to a mother who wasn't wary about her and B.
The least she could do for (M/N) now was to be there for her child...
(Y/N) held onto the older woman and sobbed into her shoulder. She desperately needed the comfort and (O/N) always treated her as if she was her daughter ever since the Zone found her. She was slowly calming down and when (O/N) pulled back to wipe her tears and ask if she was feeling better, (Y/N) meekly nodded.
"If you want to be alone, I understand." The Head Keeper sighed. "Take all the time you need. We'll be here for you, ok?"
"Ok..." (Y/N) sniffed as she watched the older woman get up to leave. She didn't want her to go but she knew that the preparations required her attention.
After (O/N) left, but not without telling B and Tyr to keep their eyes on her, (Y/N) settled back down into the corner of the cage and slouched against it.
She was starting to regret even thinking about revenge. How could she be so stupid..?
Yama was right about her but her need to avenge her community was all that she focused on and it caused him to leave her. She never even got the chance to tell him that she loves him...
B and Tyr took their seats at a table and followed the Head Keeper's orders. Even if (O/N) didn't tell them to watch the demon girl, they would've still had. What if (Y/N) tried to run out on them again? It was too dangerous for her to be out there alone trying to find the doctor. Especially with the Elitists around.
(Y/N) could feel their eyes on her every once in a while as they silently talked. She ignored them however and eventually tired herself out enough to get some sleep.
As she started to slip away into her slumber, her eyes slightly opened up as she can feel a massive hand encase her shoulder. She heard his dark chuckles and didn't have to look up to know who it was.
"You're first mistake was ever loving that doctor." The deep voice amused.
"Leave me alone..." (Y/N) whispered as she shut her eyes again but was only laughed at some more by the King.
Zankoku stood over her as he glared down at her. If she was to be his successor, someone as trivial as the doctor wasn't going to get in her way. "Yama cannot be trusted. He's interfering with your revenge."
"I care more about him than my stupid revenge!" (Y/N) growled up at him.
"And I want that imposter dead!" He growled back, referring to the one who uses some hideous form of his name. "And you just so happen to have an excellent reason to kill her."
"You need to remember that I'm not like you!" (Y/N) stated as she pushed herself to her feet and walked away from him. She didn't know where she was going due to the darkness that surrounded her but anywhere was better than near this monster.
But the King chuckled mockingly. "You'll never be me. At least you're aware."
(Y/N) grunted to herself but soon she ran into him. He was suddenly in front of her now as he lowered down to meet her height and she can feel the intensity of his eyes barring deep into her through the deer skull he wore.
"I lost the love of my life and yet I never backed down from my responsibilities." He growled. "I put that anger and pain to use and it helped me accumulate a large army. You let your pitiful emotions get the best of you then you're no better than the rock underneath my boot."
(Y/N) glared at him as she balled her fist. He found that anger amusing. If only she would put it towards her goals then she'll be unstoppable. But the girl was too righteous for her own good.
"I'm not listening to you so stop trying to make me." She growled and turned away from him again. If she was dreaming then she wanted to wake up.
But the King chuckled and crossed his arms. "If you aren't listening, then you'll never understand the true power you hold."
"I understand enough."
"You don't even know how to make a hold."
Zankoku grinned when he watched her glance back at him. She narrowed her eyes. "A what..?"
He tsked. "Just like I thought."
"Stop being snarky and tell me!" She spoke, feeling frustrated with him.
He leaned down to her face and got so close, she could almost see his eyes. His tone became threatening once more. "Watch your tone with me, child."
Her body wanted to move away but she did her best to hold her ground. She wasn't going to let a dead demon intimidate her.
From how she had the confidence to not bow down to him, it made the King irritated. She has to be the most insolent living thing he's ever had the displeasure of meeting.
She gritted her teeth before glaring at the floor. "What is a hold?"
"That's better." He darkly chuckled as he pulled away.
(Y/N) watched him hold a hand up with his palm facing the floor. He balled his fist and used his claws to cut his palm deep enough to produce blood. Then as he opened his hand back up, the blood that fell out began to form into a non-uniform state instead of dripping to the floor. (Y/N) watched horrified as the blood began to pulse and was almost the size of a heart. Once it was done, Zankoku grabbed it and turned his hand right side up as he stared at his creation proudly.
"My hold... A way that I made so many obey me." He reminisced with an ominous tone.
The hold beat heavily and harshly. It was like its own organ.
"Insert it into your victim's heart and they'll have no choice but to obey your every command. And if not..."
(Y/N) took a step back as the hold began to beat faster before it looked like it was starting to tighten up and crumple around itself. Like I hand gripping onto an actual heart.
The tighter it became, the more it started to shake. And just when the pressure became too much, it exploded. (Y/N) yelped in fright as the blood splattered everywhere and sizzled into the air. But all she could think about was that hold being on someone's heart...
Zankoku watched the blood drip between his fingers fondly as another deep chuckle came from him. "No one has ever survived once it activates. It is a long, agonizing death."
(Y/N) shook slightly as she looked down at her hands. If he's implying that she can do that...
The thought of even using her blood in that way. It was sick. It only made the King look more monstrous than he already was.
"That's horrible..." She muttered. But then she started to remember one of her first chats with Yama. He explained how Zankoku had a way of controlling demons. It was this.
"You may believe it's horrible, but to me, it is a vital source." He sneered. "You're just too weak to understand it."
"(Y/N)..."
A muffled voice spoke out in the darkness. The demon girl looked around as she started to feel a hand on her shoulder as she was slowly drifting awake.
But before her eyes could open, she watched Zankoku turn his back to her and start fading into the darkness.
He wanted her to use the holds.
"(Y/N)..?" B carefully shook her friend's shoulder and stopped when she could see her eyes open up. They were still puffy and dark from crying.
"Hm?" (Y/N) hummed. She looked up at the Capturer. She could feel the dried tears on her cheeks so she started wiping them off.
B took a seat on the floor next to her. "Some of the Outsiders came over to discuss the plans. I think my parents managed to get them on board. But their leader wanted to see you again."
"Why..?" (Y/N) muttered as she leaned back on the glass wall of the cell.
The Capturer shrugged and leaned back as well. "He wants to know what really happened to you. From your words."
The demon sighed. She didn't want to relive or even speak of that moment in her life...
"I can tell them you don't want to." B kept her voice down. "If you want some more time alone."
(Y/N) took a few moments of silence before she started pushing herself to her feet. She wasn't going to be helpful staying cooped up inside the cell. She still felt an emptiness inside of her but pushed it back as she moved past her friend. "Let's go."
"Are you sure?" B asked as she got up as well. She can tell (Y/N) was still going through heartbreak. She didn't have to get up this instance.
But the demon quickly nodded and made her way to the exit of the carrier.
B sighed and followed after her.