Heya, guess who~? I've got something fun planned for us this evening, so make sure to meet me and the girls in the first floor bathrooms in the east wing, okay~? Half ten, don't be late or you know what happens!
How many notes like that had Elya received over the year? Swirly pink letters on fancy paper, written in loopy letters where the i's were all dotted with little hearts, as they always were. Left on her desk, slipped into her bag, pushed under her door... She couldn't escape them. She had to open them, she had to read them, and she had to obey. She just wished she didn't.
Hands gripped the Fallen's horn as she struggled to hold her breath, the laughing all around her drowned out by the sloshing of water. She gripped the toilet bowl and tried to pull herself free, but her tormentors just cackled and pushed her further in. Elya felt as though they had been drowning her for hours.
Mother said that a good girl should be able to weather all manners of torture.
The pressure relented for a moment, allowing her to pull her head out of the toilet. A dozen or so girls were all crammed into the stall, jeering and whooping at the Fallen as she staggered back, her long alabaster tresses plastered to her face. Some of them grabbed her blazer and threw her to the tiled floor, cackling like witches as others watched and recorded her with camera phones.
She knew most of them by name. Most were fellow students and classmates who hadn't even paid her a passing glance the previous year. Others were first-years who were merely joining in on the fun. And some had even pretended to be her friends.
Hacking and coughing, Elya lay limply on the bathroom floor, shutting her eyes as she tried to drown their voices out.
Mother taught her not to care about the words of others.
Over and over, night after night this happened... And for what? She was just plain unlucky. Unlucky that the self-professed queen bee had arbitrarily decided to set her sights on her this year.
The jeering entourage simmered down as the Fallen heard the bathroom door open with a click. Loud, sharp footsteps, and then a high-pitched, insidious giggle.
"Heya Elya. Having fun?" asked a cheery voice, one that struck fear into her heart.
Swallowing hard, the Fallen peered up at the figure standing before her. The rest of the girls had shifted to the edges of the bathroom, watching in awe as an elegant Nymph girl stood holding a plate in her hand. She was like a doll made from golden porcelain; complete with piercing eyes and a wide, pearly smile.
Mother would call her a whore.
Elya called her Harriet Mathers.
"Agh..." was all the Fallen could manage, spitting out some of the water that had gotten into her mouth.
Her weak reply was met with more laughing as Harriet pulled a face.
"Aha, I see! Hey, quick question, how's your dad doing? My daddy says he's in a chair now. Aw, did he take a tumble or something? You know that's gonna affect his work, right?" Harriet asked in an innocent tone that dripped with venom.
Elya balled her fists. It wasn't her fault her father was in a wheelchair. Fallen just had weaker bones, was all. It wasn't fair for Harriet to bring that up. It wasn't fair for her to keep holding her father over her like this!
"I sure hope he can keep up with the workload at the office. Daddy was saying that if he can't, he's gonna have to make some cuts. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Harriet continued, slowly walking in circles around the Fallen.
Her entourage were in bits, each member laughing herself silly at the Nymph's words. Elya just lay where she was, weathering every barbed sentence.
"I mean, you guys are struggling with bills and stuff as it is, right? Do you even get power out in the middle of the woods?"
Elya balled her fists, but still said nothing.
"Elya? I'm talking to you, you know?"
"I- I'm listening..." the Fallen guttered, opening her eyes.
The Nymph beamed down at her. A hollow smile, filled with nothing but disdain.
"But I'm feeling generous today, Elya! How about a snack to keep your strength up?" Harriet asked, cocking her head.
Frowning, Elya nodded reluctantly. The first time Harriet offered her food, she declined. That same day, her father was demoted. The second, third, fourth and fifth time, she made her eat spoiled canteen food. It tasted bad and made her sick, but she learned to just choke it down and get it over worth.
Mother taught her to be resilient.
"Here you go!"
With a theatrical flourish, Harriet set the plate down onto the floor. Immediately the smell hit Elya with full force, causing her to gag. It wasn't a spoiled portion of meatloaf or a congealed bowl of soup, but something worse. Sharp-smelling urinal cakes, toxic blue in colouration and appearing as though they had been taken straight from the boy's bathrooms. As the girls broke into hysterics, Harriet took a step back and grinned.
"Eat up. You must be hungry; I mean you're all skin and bones! What, can't even forage for food out in the woods either?"
Elya peered up at her through her sopping fringe.
"Y- You can't be serious..." she breathed.
She had read case studies about these in her spare time. Children have ingested them and died in the past.
"Oh, now you're turning your nose up at me again? Remind me what happened the last time..." Harriet sighed dramatically, folding her arms.
"I- I- I'm not! It's just...!"
"Hey, how about we make this fun?"
Dipping into her pocket, the Nymph pulled out a stylish wallet. Elya knew what came next; the tempting, the guilt, the humiliation and the eventual acceptance.
"Twenty brands for every one you eat, how about it? Surely your mommy could use the cash now that your dad's gotten himself crippled."
... it wasn't her father's fault. Mother just got a little...
Swallowing hard, Elya nodded slowly and lifted the plate up into her shaking hands. All around the bathroom, Harriet's cohort watched on, cameras at the ready. As she sat there, frozen, somebody suddenly knocked on the door.
"Occupied!" barked Harriet, turning her attention back to her victim.
The knocking just grew louder, drawing a growl of irritation from the Nymph's throat.
"Fucking janitors... Lorna, go tell them to piss off!" she commanded, pointing an Glutton girl in the crowd.
She nodded emphatically and rushed over to the bathroom door. Puffing out her chest in preparation to impress her idol, she swung it open-
- and was immediately kicked in the face by a worn school shoe. The Glutton skidded across the floor, the blood from her nose smearing a red trail all over the tiles. Everyone gasped and turned to face the intruder, save for Harriet, who kept her back turned. She grinned and drummed her fingers against her arm.
"... Enter Prince Charming," she said with a sneer.
With his Leather Whip clutched in one tightened fist, Cobalt Trayer stepped into the bathroom, his right shoe leaving red footprints beneath him. His eyes were positively ablaze with fury, and his face was contorted into a snarl. As his tail thrashed against the floor, he pointed an accusing finger at Harriet.
"You. Enough is fucking enough," he spat.
Elya couldn't help but feel a rush at the sight of the Incubus. Over the year, he had truly become something of a knight in shining armour in her eyes. Ever since what happened with Durnall last year, the two had grown inseparable. The Incubus grew more protective of his closest friend, and the Fallen... she had never felt so... happy. It pained her greatly to keep Harriet's torment a secret from him, but that was just another term of the game. If she told anyone about what was happening, then Harriet would make sure that her father was fired on the spot. She had that kind of sway with her own parents.
He must have found out somehow.
"What's up, Trayer? You just caught me having a little girly get together! Nothing wrong with that, now, is there?" the Nymph said, spinning around on her heel.
"Don't try to kid me. Leave her alone, or this gets ugly."
A round of giggles rang out throughout the girls. A few even wolf-whistled, but Harriet just rolled her eyes.
"Oh, pshaw. Look, this little 'will-they, won't-they' is cute and all, but we're all getting sick of it, and I'm busy. Get him out of here, girls," she sighed, waving her hand in the direction of a pair of Golems.
They both glanced at one another, and with a nod, advanced upon Cobalt, fixing to hustle him out of the bathroom. But the Incubus immediately let loose with his Leather Whip, lashing both of them across the face. Grabbing one by the arm, he hurled her into the wall, before snatching the other by the hair and smashing her face into one of the mirrors. As shards of reflective glass were scattered everywhere, Cobalt pointed his finger at Harriet again.
"Last chance, Harriet. Leave Elya the fuck alone, or else," he hissed.
"Or else what? You do to everyone here what you did to Durnall?" Harriet responded coolly, glancing disinterestedly at the Golems groaning on the floor.
Cobalt bared his teeth. Elya could see the hate burning bright within his eyes.
"You wanna find out that bad?"
"There's only one of you, Trayer. Don't be dumb. Odds aren't exactly in your favour here, and I'm not done with your little girlfriend."
The Fallen couldn't help but blush at her words. She wasn't Cobalt's girlfriend; the very notion made her feel oddly antsy.
Rooting through her wallet, Harriet pulled out a pair of folded bills and tossed them at Cobalt's feet.
"Here. Hundred brands to stay out of my business," she yawned, slipping the wallet back into her skirt.
Elya watched from the floor as Cobalt stared down at the money. She wasn't a fool; she knew that he wasn't exactly flush with cash. His mother was well-off, yes, but the Incubus was a proud man. He refused any and all hand-outs, even when he was barely scraping by.
Slowly, the Incubus hunkered down. He reached for the money.
Cobalt's hand passed over the brand bills, grabbed a sharp piece of glass, and with an irate roar, he flung it right at Harriet. The Nymph easily sidestepped his attack, causing her to sigh and snap her fingers.
"Sic him."
The Fallen squeezed her eyes shut and drew her wings tightly around her body. She couldn't watch this.
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The roar of battle erupted all around her, nearly deafening Elya with raucous screams and battle-cries. She heard incantations and the sound of weapons being summoned, splashing water and shattering porcelain, and the distinct sound of knuckles striking flesh. Pieces of broken ceramics bounced off her cartilage wings as water pooled all over the floor. She could hear Cobalt's grunting and growling, as well as his drawn-out cries of pain. Smashing and slashing, yells and spells... Chaos exploded all around the terrified Fallen.
Mother said those who hid from conflict were naught but cowards.
But it did not last long. After a few short minutes, the fighting ebbed, prompting her to carefully uncover her eyes.
The bathroom was absolutely destroyed. The sinks were smashed and spraying water everywhere, and shards of glass littered the flooded floor. Some of the stalls were splintered as well. Harriet's cohorts were lying slumped against the walls, each badly bloodied and beaten. As for Cobalt, he was still standing; his uniform torn and his face lightly spattered with red. Wiping a trickle of blood from his mouth, he balled his fists and ran up to Harriet.
"Your turn, you bitch...!"
Harriet was still standing tall, arms folded and face smug as the Incubus rushed towards her.
"Sure," she said simply.
She broke out into a wide grin.
"But you know what'll happen if you dare make a move, don't you?" she said in a low, insidious tone.
Cobalt stopped, his knuckles a mere inch from the Nymph's face. Elya could almost hear how fast his heart was beating.
"Heh... I can see it in your eyes, Trayer. Go on. Do it. Ruin everything," she continued, her grin widening.
Eyes flashing, Harriet glanced down at Elya.
"You can splatter me all over the walls if you want. But if you dare lay a finger on me, then poor little Elya's daddy is gonna find himself out of a job. And in his current state I doubt he'll be able to find work any time soon," she hissed, planting a foot on the Fallen's back.
She didn't even try to move. Harriet was drunk on power, sure, but it wasn't without reason. Most working-class families were employed in her dad's conglomerate; she had everyone by the throats.
"Get your fucking foot off her," Cobalt growled, his fist still-shaking.
"Or what?"
"I go public with what I know."
Harriet pushed her foot down on Elya's back as she quirked an eyebrow.
"And what do you know?"
"Like I'd fucking tell you now."
The Incubus reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope.
"I've got it all here."
Harriet's eyes narrowed.
"What's in it?"
"Are you deaf or something? I'm not telling you shit."
"Don't you know who you're talking to, Trayer?"
"Of course; Harriet Mathers, queen shit of B.I.D. And if the reigning lady wants to keep her dirty little secrets a secret, then she'll meet me on top of the Science Building to discuss terms."
There was something about his voice that intimidated Elya, chilling her down to her very bones. He was speaking calmly, but every word was dripping with hatred.
"Are you trying to blackmail me, Trayer?!" the Nymph cried, taking her food off the Fallen in order to step towards him.
"Not trying; succeeding. Roof of the Science Building. Be there in an hour, or I start making copies," the Incubus threatened, raising the letter.
For a moment, he glanced down at Elya. His burning, blistering glare cooled, replaced instead by the kindly amber eyes that had entranced her when they first met. It lasted only a moment, but she knew immediately what he was trying to say. He was telling her to hold out, and that he had the situation under control.
Harriet was fuming at the sudden act of insolence, but upon realising that her uncaring façade was cracking, she took a deep breath and folded her arms.
"... Fine. I'll hear out your little plea. But if you try anything, then know that Elya here'll be the one to suffer. Wouldn't want you to be the reason she's out on the streets, now, would you?"
With a harrumph, she pushed past the Incubus, leaving them and her unconscious cronies alone in the ruined bathroom. As soon as Harriet was gone, Cobalt immediately dove to assist the Fallen, taking her hands and helping her back to her feet. She tried to tearfully thank him, but the Incubus surprised her with a sudden hug.
"Thank Hellfire you're alright. I'm sorry for taking so long," he breathed, holding his best friend close.
Elya stood paralysed, eyes wide.
Mother didn't approve of her being so close with others.
"I- I'm sorry for not telling you about her..." she responded, choking up already as she wrapped her shivering wings around him.
"Don't. I asked everyone she fucked with last year. If you said anything, she would have ruined you."
Elya swallowed hard. Even at a time like this, his compassion was...
"What... What have you got on her...?" she asked, wondering what dark secrets could possible shake Harriet Mathers.
Cobalt shook his head.
"Nothing. It's a bluff."
"What?!"
Pulling away, the Fallen gazed frantically into his eyes. But he just looked back into hers, his calm face exuding his usual calm confidence.
"Just trust me on this, Elya. I know how to get her to back off. Just head home, wash up and get some sleep, okay? It'll all be okay in the morning," Cobalt said, reaching up to pat her head.
His hand... Small, but so warm.
Elya took a deep breath.
"O- Okay..."
~~~~~
But Elya couldn't sleep, not a single wink. She laid alone in her dark, messy room, tossing this way and that as the evening's events played over and over in her mind's eye. Once again, Cobalt was out there putting himself in harms' way for her sake, and here she was, hiding away in her room. It wasn't right, was it? He had done so much for her; the very least she could do was stand by him when he confronted Harriet.
Climbing to her feet, the Fallen booked it out of the dormitories, her feet crunching against the gravel as she took off into the darkened campus. This time of night... It reminded her of the night she found Cobalt bleeding out on the pathway, his bones pulverised by Durnall Klarke's baseball bat. She couldn't let anything like that happen to him again. She had treated far too many of his wounds, and while she relished every moment she spent tending to his cuts and soothing his bruises, the last thing she wanted was to see him hurt for her sake.
The gravel path transitioned to a concrete walkway that wound around the Brimstone Institute of Demonics campus, leading her around the older, defunct buildings that ringed the main school. Once upon a time they were populated by clubs and societies of all kinds, but when the school downsized for some unknown reason, the extraneous structures were left abandoned.
Eventually, she arrived at the old Science building. This one in particular used to house the societies dedicated to the various scientific fields; clubs so elite that they apparently received subsidies for their own independent research. At least according to rumours.
She could see that the lock had been broken off the front door. They must already be up on the roof.
"O- Okay..." she breathed, reaching for the door.
She was shaking all over at the thought of facing Harriet.
Mother hated cowards.
"I can do this..."
Swallowing hard, Elya took a step towards the door.
Something suddenly struck the concrete behind her with a horrific crack. Loud and resounding; a terrifying sound that rooted her in place.
She turned around slowly.
It was a girl; a Nymph, dressed in a pristine uniform. Her limbs were badly broken from the fall, and Elya could see bones jutting out from her left arm. Blood was seeping into the concrete. She wasn't breathing.
Eyes wide, the Fallen looked at the body, face twisted with horror as she stared at the contorted limbs and growing puddle of blood. There was a stained piece of paper clutched in one rigid hand.
Elya felt cold, like every nerve in her body had been submerged in ice water. Numb and stiff, she shakily juddered over to the body, scarcely daring to breathe as she plucked the folded paper from the Nymph's hands. Swallowing hard, she unfolded it.
Mom, Dad,
I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations. I tried my hardest. I tried until I was sick, and even then I kept on trying, but I could just never measure up. Not in the way I wanted. It's not your fault. It's mine. I just wasn't good enough. I did terrible things to try and stand above the crowd. Terrible things that sickened me to the core, but still I did them. But even in all the hollow victories I achieved, I could never find that fulfillment that I craved. Maybe it's not for me. Maybe I don't deserve it.
I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry.
Please, don't cry for me. I've already cried enough.
Your baby girl,
Harriet
The letter fell from Elya's hands.
The colour drained from her face.
The strength left her legs.
Taking a sharp breath, Elya screamed at the top of her lungs; horror and fear having finally claimed their due.
Everything after that was a blur.
Her cries rang out through the campus, drawing attention before long. A few outstaying students arrived to investigate, only to be met with a paralysed Fallen and a dead body. They tried to ask her questions, but she was completely deaf to their words. Teachers arrived on scene, then the emergency services, each trying to get answers out of Elya. The scene was quickly cordoned off by the police, and as a crowd of scared and confused demons tried to get through to her, one in particular placed her hand on her shoulder.
Looking up, the Fallen saw Mistress Viola standing by her, commanding the teachers and students to leave the poor girl be. The Succubus was pale in the face and her eyes were grim. Looking down at her, Viola took a deep breath.
"... Go home, Miss Yalfre. Don't worry about classes in the morning. Just... go home. I'll get this sorted," the Headmistress told her softly, pushing the Fallen towards the path leading back to the dormitories.
Though all the rubberneckers were crying out for answers, the police held them back, allowing Elya to slowly stumble her way down the path, her eyes wide behind her alabaster bangs. Behind her, her wings were limp, and she could scarcely breathe.
She didn't dare to blink. Every time she did, the image of Harriet's broken and bloodied corpse flashed before her, as though it were burned into her eyelids. The words in her letter played over and over in her head. There was something off about them, something that terrified her.
Mother said fear was a tool to corral the weak.
The Fallen was halfway to the dorms when she heard footsteps. She looked up to see Cobalt running towards her, panting for breath as he skidding to a halt. Taking her limp hands, he held them tight.
"I heard what happened! A- Are you alright?!" he gasped, frantically trying to peer through her hair to see her eyes.
Elya took a shuddering breath.
"H- Harriet... she... she..."
Cobalt nodded grimly.
"... She jumped."
"Wh- What did you say to her...?"
"I just tried to appeal to her. To get her to see that what she was doing was wrong. Wh- When I left, she looked like she was really considering what I said. I- I thought..."
The Incubus trialed off as he stared down at the ground. Squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, he shook his head and began to walk towards the dorms, hand-in-hand with Elya.
"C'mon, let's get you home. You're still in shock," he said, fixing his gaze on the crooked buildings up ahead.
Elya stumbled along, too dazed even to feel his hand clutching her's.
"What did she do...?" she mumbled.
"She didn't say much, Elya. She just listened to me."
Cobalt swallowed hard.
"She listened close. And she listened well."
The pair continued on in silence, until they reached the dormitories. With the entire student body in turmoil at the news of a sudden suicide, nobody paid Cobalt any heed as he led Elya into the girls' dorms and up to her room. Once inside, he urged her to take a shower, the duration of which she spent staring at her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she was doused in cold water. Eventually she got out, dried off and got changed into her nightclothes, whereupon she exited the bathroom to find that Cobalt had cleaned her room. He was sitting on her couch, wringing his hands.
"Do you want me to stay the night with you?" he asked gently, seeing the fear in her eyes.
Clenching her teeth, Elya nodded silently.
No more words were exchanged between the two after that. The Incubus bedded down on the couch, taking up his vigil by the Fallen's side. She lay upon her futon, staring wide-eyed at the ceiling as the hours slowly ticked by.
She realised what it was. The thing that irked her about Harriet's suicide note.
It was written in black ink, and the i's weren't dotted with hearts.
~~~~~
Yet another dream. Yet another memory.
Elya awoke from her slumber, eyes snapping open as she took a sharp breath of the dusty air. She was lying in the corner of an empty, abandoned room. She recognised it well from her nighttime ramblings through B.I.D.'s abandoned buildings.
WHERE MATHERS FELL.
She was in one of the upper floors of the Science building. Most of these rooms had been undisturbed for twenty years.
WHERE HE PROVED HIS LOVE FOR YOU.
Elya stood up and dusted down her filthy white coat. Immoderata lay just a few feet away, stabbed into the dead-centre of the wooden floor.
HE SPILLED BLOOD FOR YOU. AS YOU DO FOR HIM.
Light eked through the dirty windows. It was daytime. After she was kicked out from the hospital, the Fallen was forced to return to the school in order to consider her next move. She was feeling restless, and for the past few days, she couldn't focus on anything; not while Cobalt was in hospital. A lot was happening at once now. She had to be quick and decisive.
A sudden coo startled her, drawing Elya's attention to the pigeon roosting on the floor next to her. She lifted her little head and peered at the Fallen, blinking sleepily.
"Columba..."
LEAVE THE BIRD.
She stooped down and carefully picked her up, giving her a gentle stroke before placing her atop her head. Columba cooed and nestled herself in the middle of her looping horn.
YOU MUST BE BY HIS SIDE. HE HAS RETURNED.
"I know..." sighed the Fallen, pulling her dagger out of the floor.
HE IS CHANGING.
When she saw him in the hospital, she saw it again; that familiar spark in his eyes. No longer just an ember, it was starting to grow. He may not be aware of it, but the Incubus was slowly easing back into his old ways. He was slowly becoming the strong, confident, kind, gentle man she fell in love with.
The man that was willing to do anything for her.
ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING.
But there was still that shadow behind him... And that Devil that suddenly attacked... that could be no coincidence...
Elya flinched as she heard a noise. Clinking glass, coming from deeper within the building.
YOU ARE NOT ALONE.
Flipping Immoderata around into a reverse grip, the Fallen stooped down low and stalked out into the hallway.
KILL THEM.
She didn't need to be told twice .