Throbbing.

Endless pulsations rippling throughout my entire body.

Every throb pressed down on my skull, crushed my brain and sent my heart into a frenzy.

No oxygen reached my lungs- all I could get were shallow, meek inhales. I couldn't breathe.

With every pulse that echoed painfully in my ears, I felt my body get pressed down, forced into a fetal position. Pushed into the floor with unimaginable force.

I wanted to crumple. Wither away and die as I blinked out into nothingness. Disappear. Cease my existence. Cut off my lifelines.

Anything to stop these painful echoes that ebbed down my will- the only thing keeping me from destroying everything around me. All it did was grind and grate at the little hope I had left.

Jericho was telling somewhere distant. Something about Ban. She seemed so far away.

Where... are they?

These pulsations filled my ears, screaming at me to give. To let the demon out. Give in- be the demon that would have ruled the underworld if given the chance.

I fell to my knees, clutching my ears. Tears tried to fall but couldn't- any other sensation would overload my body.

It was so loud.

The base of my palms dug into the side of my head, where demon markings writhed. They reached out, only to be ripped back to my body. I was a ball of darkness, the little human I had left covered. Smothered.

Choked by the rage.

Suffocated by the despondence.

Crushed by the impending doom.

My eyes stared wide at the floor, which seemed so distant and foggy. Any noise was cancelled out by the insatiable need to let loose.

I was shaking feverishly- not stopping to breathe or relax my muscles. I was tense, overwhelmed.

Why... why now would I have an episode?

The Ten Commandments are coming. Ban is kissing Elaine. The rest of the Sins might be dead. I don't have a family. The whole world will disintegrate as I watch the demons destroy everything again. Children will be slaughtered. Older sisters will be too scared to save their younger sisters. People will die. They will give their lives to beings of evil. All magic but dark will cease to exist. The grass won't be green. Animals will die. Horror will cover Britannia, and soon, the world.

Why do all these thoughts flood my head in such a detrimental moment?

Stop....

Words of hopelessness flooded me. Mingling with the throbbing and shaking. Consuming me.

Stop.

I felt myself move, but I wasn't in control. I was on autopilot, my brain had shut down.

Stop.

My body was moving, I felt it, but... it wasn't. I wasn't. It was something else moving me- instinct. Predatory instinct.

Stop!

I could feel my lips moving, but I didn't hear a word I said. I wasn't functioning. My body wouldn't move on my accord.

It's useless....

"I'm freakin' out, man..!" Jericho heaved, eyes darting around. "I'm about to lose it!"

She looked over at Ban, who was making out with ghost-demon 9-year-old who nearly killed her. Not only that, but right beside her, you were a fucking mess. Stumbling up, as strangely violent demon markings ripped away, then snapped back to, your skin. You're eyes were still their normal (e/c) color, as they always were, even in your demon form, but you seemed more vacant that usual.

And that most certainly was not good.

"Uhhh so, haha, what should I do? I dunno, what should you do?" Jericho blabbed incoherently to herself. "It's not like (y/n)'a probably gonna kill Ban, and then ghost lady, who might kill me. Haha not at all. Wow, lotsa death today, huh? What's death? We don't know her. Sometimes I wish I could die, not gonna lie, but we stan a good boi who sticks through it. Suicide jokes don't count, amirite? What am I saying? Who know? What are any of us saying really, life it jus-"

"Jericho, could you shut up for two seconds, Jesus..." you grumbled, standing in front of her. "I'm going to need you to get back. We have five minutes before we need to hide."

"I'm sorry, what."

"Ban!" You shouted, teeth bared. "Get away from the demon! I could care less if it looks like Elaine."

The two pulled away from each other, looking over at you. Ban raised an eyebrow, confused at the statement. This was most certainly Elaine- he knew from the moment he saw her. Weren't you just a demon too?

"(Y/N), I know we haven't had the best experience, but this is Elaine. Nobody needs to get hur-"

"I hate you," Elaine spoke monotonously, extending her hand out toward you. A huge gust of wind thrust toward you, strong enough to barrel down a village. You remained standing easily. Jericho couldn't feel the force from behind you, but knew it was strong. The markings on your skin became more irritated.

"Elaine, stop." Ban said, "They're not our enemy."

"Yes, they are. They've both tried to take you from me," she replied, not looking at him as she made her way to the both of you. You stepped forward.

Four minutes....

"I want to make this as painless as possible," you said, "but you being here puts us in a lot more danger than you think it does. You're a beacon that will attract some very dangerous people." You grit your teeth, "If anything, thing about Ban. The person who brought you back could kill him with a single touch."

What? Ban and Jericho though in unison.

"I was watching the whole time, whore. You don't care about him, all you crave is your desires fulfilled," Elaine said, extending her hand out again.

Ban grabbed her hand, seething aside your concerning word and focusing on the situation at hand. "Elaine, stop~ Trust me, their not our enemy."

"Why do you protect this woman?" She asked, looking back at him.

Three minutes...

"Because, there's no need to hurt her. You're the only one for me. You're my only woman." He said, the words oozing off his lips, stabbing you.

"Liar!" She shouted, swiping her other hand behind her. A large gash appeared in Ban, slicing up his abdomen. The marking flared, piercing out of your skin in large, jutting spears, before forcefully hitting back. Your eyes turned a deep purple for a split second.

"I don't have time for this..." You hissed to yourself, then shouted. "Hey! Don't fucking touch him! Your problem is with me!"

"Shut up," she growled, wind of great magnitude flying against you. You swiped your arm to the side, easily stopping it with a force of your own. The ground to your left suddenly split in half, a large gash forming for at least a mile.

"You've been on countless journeys with that... that depressed monster! And now you spend your time with his wannabe Knight?!" She demanded, a whirlwind beginning to sword around her and Ban. "I've been watching all this time, Ban! All of it! I've seen every painstaking moment! I wanted to go on a journey with you! An adventure!" Her voice broke as tears began to fall, the demon attitude falling away as the real Elaine broke through the possession. "It was my only dream- all this time! And you just give my deepest desire to them without a second thought?! How can I forgive you?!"

You walked forward, feeling the pain etched in her words. She wanted the same thing as you did, you realized, which made you falter in your predatory advancement.

"Stupid Ban!" She screamed, wind slicing through his body, tearing him to shreds.

"What are you doing?!" Jericho demanded, charging at Elaine, who fell to the ground, panting. She turned her head, glaring. The demon persona came back.

"Don't be in such a hurry to die, I will achieve that soon enough." She said dangerously, whirling her hand to face Jericho. The Knight jumped up, flipping over the fairy and dodging the attack. She threw her down by her shoulders, flipping over and holding her down in her body. Your mind flew back to when you and Ban were in the same position.

Two minutes...

"Idiot!" Jericho seethed, "Demon or not, I'm fucking pissed! Do you really love Ban?!"

"O-of course..." Elaine said, flicking back to her normal self for a moment. "I love him... I love him! I love him, I love him, I love him, I love him!!"

"Well, you know what, I love him too! I love him so much fucking more than you do!"

"He would never even look at yo-" Elaine snarled back.

"Listen, you flat-chested midget fairy! You have nothing on someone like me! I have bigger boobs, I'm taller, I'm funnier, he actually likes me! You know what else?!" Jerichos face was red with rage, "I would never- never- do anything to hurt the man I love!! What can you say?!?! You're sitting here beating the ever-loving shit out of him!! He loves you with every fiber of his being and you have the audacity to treat him like this?! How fucking dare you!!"

Elaine's eyes closed in pain. She knew. She knew this. She didn't understand why she was acting like this. All of her emotions were so out of hand. Tears pricked at her eyes, then opened wide as Jericho spork again.

One minute...

"But he's nothing without you..." She continued, tears falling onto Elaine's chest. "Every waking moment all he thinks about is you...! You want to know what this adventure is for? It's for you! He would walk the planet a million times over just to find you!!

"So you're being controlled... so you're possessed by a demon... so somethings wrong with you... you're not yourself... You know what, I don't give a damn!! The fact that you're being controlled so easily- manipulated so easily to hurting him!! All of this shows how fucking weak your feelings for him are!!"

"I know..." Elaine sobbed, "I know!!" Wind brushed from around her, throwing Jericho up and to the side. Ban was wrapped in a miniature tornado. Her hand shook as she pointed it at the attack. "Please stop me!! Please stop m-"

"Calm down," you said, finally stepping in. You placed a hand on her forehead, and all of your demon markings shot and congregated at your arm. Tears streamed down your cheeks, unnoticed by you. You didn't love him strongly enough. You wouldn't go to the lengths either of these girls did. "I get it now. Stay with Ban. But get out of here, now."

You took a step back, grabbing Jericho and pulling her toward you with a ball of flames. Ban moved toward Elaine, whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

"Inter me adducere." You said, a shadow wrapping around you and Jericho and pushing you to the area in between the demon realm and the mortal realm.

Your teeth clenched. They had found you. The beacon and been followed and Ban's aura was too powerful to ignore.

"Where are w-"

"I left them..." you mumbled, crouching down as tears fell in streams from your eyes. "I left them up there... they're gonna be slaughtered..."

You choked on your words, clutching your stomach as you pressed your head to the floor. Jericho looked around, bewildered. The mystical place you were in was dark, illuminated around the both of you by a subtle, purple glow. The markings on your skin had gone flat, no longer active and eating away at your will.

"What do you mean..?" Jericho asked.

"The Ten Commandments..." you gasped. Jericho could heat the muffled voices of Ban and Elaine in the distance. Your entire body convulsed at the words. "They're here."

Time's up.

"Wow, what a specimen!" A female voice said, "And so brave for such a lowly human."

"We are two of the Ten Commandments- Scylla of Faith and yours truly, Galland of truth. You must be one of the Seven Deadly Sins!"

"Killing you will be fun."

———————————————————————————

😅

🖤❣️💓🧡💖❤️💓💚💗💚💝💛💘❤️💗💚💓💚💖🧡💗💓💚💗💛🧡💓💚💝💗❤️💛💓💚💓💓💚💗🧡💖💗💓💚💗❤️💖🧡💛💕💓💓💝❣️💗❤️💖🧡💚🖤💞🧡💖💘💚💙💚💚🧡🧡💗💚💙💙💗🧡💘❤️💜💚💖💙💛💗🧡💓💙🖤💚💓💚💖❤️💘💓💙💗💚💚💜💙💙💙🖤🧡🧡🧡💝💚💖🧡💖❤️💘❤️💞💚💝💙