The room was a mess. Splashes of crusted, dried blood stained the floor and the carpet, and brown-red handprints had been frantically smeared all over the door. Pieces of cracked bone littered the entire dorm, some still covered in scraps of skin that refused to give. The curtains were drawn, the lights were off, and the only sound that could be heard was the quiet, frantic buzzing of Cobalt's mobile phone on his nightstand.
The Incubus lay motionless on the bed, still dressed in his ruined clothes from yesterday. His shirt had dried a deep red, and his right sleeve was completely torn to shreds, exposing his arm. Faint scars followed the outlines of where the bone plates had grown, while his other arm had been hastily wrapped in tissue paper, concealing the horrific sight of his exposed flesh as his skin gradually grew back.
The phone continued to buzz. More missed calls and unread messages. Everyone saw his breakdown. Absolutely everyone.
"You gonna get that?" Lilith asked from her position by the couch, gazing at him with a single, concerned eye.
Cobalt didn't respond. He didn't even move. Since rushing back to his room the previous day, he hadn't spoke a word to the Devil. She tried to get him to see reason, but he was deaf to her.
"Kid. Please. Let's just talk, alright? What was all that you said about new beginnings?"
He kept his face buried firmly in the pillow.
"I know you're pissed. But what the Hell was I supposed to do, huh? You saw how dangerous the Alpha Corps were. There could be more like them coming, and we gotta be prepared."
Cobalt didn't answer.
"I'm sorry, alright? I feel bad. Contracting, it's... It's a one-way road."
The Incubus was silent.
"I'm feeling it too, you know? Like I'm slipping away into you. I read about it. Soulrot, I think they called it. I- I didn't think it would happen so soon, I just..."
He didn't say a word.
"Kid... Cobalt... please. If you're not gonna talk to me, that's fine. Just at least answer one of those calls? Please?" the Devil sighed, hanging her head in her hands.
He was stuck like this, wasn't he? This whole time - these past few agonising months - Lilith had been playing him like a fool. But there was no way out of this. Devils were going to hunt them down, rip the Iron Artillery out of her skull and kill them both like dogs. And that was only if the Incupsychosis didn't get him first.
Why did it have to happen now? Why were things taking a sudden nosedive for the worst? What the Hell did he do to deserve this?! What the Hell was wrong with him?!
Lilith rose from her seat and made to pick up his phone, but Cobalt's arm immediately snapped outwards and grabbed her wrist.
"Don't," he hissed.
"They're clearly worried about you, kid. And so am I."
He shoved her hand away, forcing the Devil back from the phone.
"I don't want them seeing me like this. They don't need to know how bad things are," he breathed, clutching his unhealed arm.
He knew why his skin wasn't growing back quickly. The hunger pains in his burning stomach all but confirmed that.
"Kid, don't be stupid. There was no missing that performance you gave in the hall. You tried to eat that Succubus girl for crying out loud!"
"No I did not!" Cobalt yelled, sitting bolt-upright.
He pointed a clawed finger at the Devil.
"I wouldn't do that! I would never hurt her! I'd never hurt any of them!" he continued, his voice choking up.
Lilith just gave him a sympathetic look.
"I know you're breaking down. I don't know how to make it any better, but I sure as shit know that locking yourself away like this is only going to make it worse," she reasoned, kneeling down to his eye level.
He just glared at her.
"Things are going to get worse regardless. They always do. No matter what I do to try and take a step forward in my life, something always grabs me and drags me back half a mile. I can't cope with all of this, Lilith."
Sighing, the Devil stood back up and folded her arms.
"Your boss... she gave you an out, didn't she? Maybe you should consider-?"
"Absolutely not! I'm not quitting! No way!"
"But-"
"I'm not going to fight you on this! Being a teacher is all I know, and it's all I want to know!"
Raising an eyebrow, she looked him up and down.
"Seriously? You're a smart guy, kid; you could do literally anything else. Hell, you could even live off your mom if you wanted. Write a book or something," she suggested.
"No, I don't... I don't want that..." the Incubus murmured, trailing off as his brow furrowed.
Why didn't he want that? She was speaking the truth; he had more than a few options open to him. Options that paid better and provided a much more comfortable lifestyle than this. But for reason, all he wanted to do was be a teacher. To be as helpful as he could.
As the Incubus stewed in his own puzzlement, the Devil slowly walked around the room, picking pieces of bone off the floor. They had taken forever to pull off by himself; by the time he had reached his room, he had run out of energy to forcefully detach them from his flesh.
"There's also the other options," she piped, tossing the first load of bone into the bin before stooping down to pick up the smaller pieces.
"What other options?" he asked incredulously.
"Remember what the Oni told you at the gym?"
Cobalt immediately shook his head.
"No. Absolutely not. That's not fair on her," he said resolutely.
"She seemed pretty dead set on marrying you."
"I don't care what she thinks she wants; it doesn't make it any less unfair."
Lilith furrowed her brow.
"You can't be that fucking dense, kid. She wasn't deluding herself. Whatever she was on, that girl genuinely believed what she was saying. Can't just handwave her feelings like that."
Cobalt scowled and shuffled over in his bed.
"Since when did you care about them...?" he muttered.
"Don't get so defensive."
"And why not?! After everything that's happened, I think I've earned that right! Besides, didn't you say that Devils could land down upon us at any moment?! I wonder why that is!"
Her shoulders slumped.
"Come on, I already told you I'm sorry," she sighed.
"I don't think sorry is gonna cut it this time, Lilith. You've basically doomed us both from the start."
"Would you rather I waited until all this was over?!"
"That's hardly the point!"
Lilith opened her mouth like she wanted to snap back at him, but something gave her pause. Taking a deep breath, she took a second to calm herself down before she continued to clean up the mess without another word. As she discarded of all the broken bone and grabbed the mop from the bathroom, he rolled over and stared hard at the wall.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Cobalt felt sick, and not just physically. Back when Beta had attacked, he had chalked down what he did to just a simple spur of the moment thing; a horrible action justified by the horrible circumstances he was under. But there, in the classroom... He was in no danger. He just... was hungry. And had he not forced his own arm into his mouth, then...
Oh Karazelle... She had seen it all up close. He still remembered the horrified look in her eyes as his own searing blood spattered against her face. There was no going back from this, was there...?
"You really need to answer some of these, kid."
Whirling around, he saw Lilith standing in the clean patch of floor she had just mopped, holding his mobile and squinting at the screen.
"Hey! Give that back!" he cried, diving for the phone.
The Devil effortlessly swerved out of the way, letting her host crash to the floor.
"The boss lady, that human, your girls... they're all trying to reach you. Hm," she mumbled, pressing a few buttons.
"I said give that back!"
"One of them says she's on her way."
He froze up as his eyes widened.
"Wh- What? When?"
"Few minutes ago."
"Send something back! Decline! Politely!"
Glancing away from the phone, Lilith looked the bedraggled Incubus up and down before she clicked out a reply, sent it, and tossed the phone back to him. Cobalt stared at the screen, and the affirmative text she had sent in reply to Jelli.
"Why'd you do that?!" he cried, waving the phone.
"Isolation's not gonna do you any favours, and neither is worrying your friends. Especially not that one."
"Lilith, you-!"
"Just clean yourself up, alright? Change clothes at the very least. I'll see to this floor."
Seething with unplaced irritation, Cobalt rushed over to his closet and threw the doors open, wrenching his tie off in the process. As he rummaged through his clothes in a blind panic, Lilith continued cleaning up the dried blood, slapping the mop against the wall in order to get rid of all the handprints. By the time the Incubus finally managed to force himself into something half-decent, he was startled by a polite knock at his door.
"Showtime, kid," the Devil told him, hiding all of the cleaning supplies out of sight before fading away into a cloud of ferromantic magic.
Swallowing hard, Cobalt knotted his tie back around his neck and stepped into the vapour, hissing through his teeth as he refused with Lilith. The thought that he was permanently bonded to her... It wasn't pleasant.
"M- Mr. Trayer, are you alright?" a quiet voice asked from behind the door.
Nearly slipping on the wet floor, Cobalt hastily unlocked and threw it open, revealing the stout form of Jelli. She had made a very poor attempt at drying her eyes before arriving at his room, and she was carrying grocery bags in both hands.
"Jelli..." the Incubus breathed, getting lost in her gaze for a brief moment.
Swallowing hard, he shook his head and stepped aside.
"Come on in," he told her, a little too quickly.
The Glutton obliged him, scuttling into the room with her tail flapping behind her. She almost slipped on the wet floor just as he did, but thankfully she managed to right herself before falling.
"I, um... I heard from Karazelle that..." Jelli murmured, unable to meet the Incubus' gaze.
She couldn't even look him in the eye.
"I'm okay, Jelli. I promise," he lied, hiding the makeshift bandages behind his back.
This time, the Glutton looked at him head-on.
"Du lügst, nicht wahr?" she asked in a quiet voice, not even expecting an answer.
Before he could even begin to try and figure out what that meant, Jelli trotted over Cobalt's kitchen and set the bags down on the table.
"Are you hungry, Mr. Trayer?" she asked.
His heart couldn't help but quicken at her words. He was starving. His stomach was aflame with a wrathful fire that screamed for sustenance.
"K- Kind of, but you needn't-!"
"Please. I- I want to help. Any way I can," Jelli interrupted, reaching into one of the bags and producing an apron.
He stared at her tail. It was thick. Meaty, even. He could feel himself salivating at the sight of it. Clenching his teeth, Cobalt tore his gaze away, terrified by his own wandering thoughts.
"Do you need me to do anything?" he asked tentatively.
"Just rest, okay? I wanna make sure you're alright."
Despite his apprehension, the Incubus did as he was told. Sitting on his bed, he faced away from Jelli as she began to work in the kitchen, fishing ingredients out of the grocery bags whenever she needed. He could hear the chopping of vegetables and the grinding of breadcrumbs, causing his heart to sink low into his chest. She was trying so hard to cook something nice for him, and she didn't even know he was incapable of digesting most foods anymore.
Cobalt remained still for what felt like hours, weathering the sounds and smells of cooking that wafted from the kitchen. Occasionally, Jelli would mutter a curse in German beneath her breath, and as something sizzled away in a pan, she hummed a jaunty tune that he didn't recognise. All the while her teacher fell further and further into despair.
"Kid? You doing okay?" Lilith asked.
He didn't respond. He didn't want to talk to her.
The sizzling stopped, and the sounds of cooking were replaced by clanking crockery. A few more moments passed, before Jelli politely cleared her throat.
"It's, ah... It's done."
Turning around, he saw the Glutton standing by the kitchen table, her hands clasped sheepishly behind her back. Two plates were served upon the table; several dark brown patties, some chopped peppers, a mound of mashed potatoes and a generous serving of a rich-looking sauce. It smelled... fantastic.
"Jelli, that looks fantastic," he breathed, trying to ignore the sinking in his gut.
"S- Sorry, it's a bit sloppy. Mama taught me to make Hamburg steaks when I was little. Heh... ironic, because I'm... um... from, uh... Frankfurt..." Jelli responded, her confidence draining with every word she spoke.
Glancing up, she pulled out a chair for him.
"Come eat? You look so skinny," she said, her face creased with worry.
Cobalt nodded slowly and trudged over to the table. As he seated himself, Jelli reached into one of her bags and pulled out two bottles; fresh spring water for him and some flavour of milkshake for her. She knew his tastes well.
"Mr. Trayer..." began Jelli, fiddling with her cutlery.
"It's okay to call me Cobalt."
She blushed.
"A- Ah, of course, sorry. C- Cobalt..."
He dragged his fork through the potatoes, creating the illusion that he was eating it. At least there was something on this plate he could eat. He'd have the steaks, and if she was worried about the rest, he could blame his poor appetite.
"Do you want to talk about it?" Jelli asked.
He sighed.
"I'd... rather not, if that's okay. I'd like to forget it ever happened."
"A- Ah. That's okay."
She kept eating in silence. Cobalt tried his best, but for some reason he couldn't muster the energy. By the time Jelli had torn through one of her steaks, he had only cut a small piece off one.
"I want to talk now. About what happened in the, um..." she blurted suddenly, already mostly finished with her potatoes.
Cobalt felt his face flush as cold sweat formed all across his body. No, now was really not a good time for this.
"Right..." he replied, pulling the fork away from his face.
"It's not what you said. Th- The suspension bridge thing, I mean."
His heart seemed to stop.
"C- Cobalt, I... Ich möchte..."
Jelli shook her head, her plaits going flying.
"I- I want to be your girlfriend. A- After I graduate, of course. Um... I just... I do. I thought about it for a long time, a- and I realised that..." she stammered, tripping over herself again and again.
As her face grew hotter and hotter, Cobalt felt like his blood was going subzero. He couldn't break her heart, not like this. He wasn't ready for this. He didn't know what to say. He didn't know!
"I asked my family. Stefan, he... he said to act and not think. Thinking makes things tricky. S- So I'll just say it."
The Glutton took a deep breath.
"Ich liebe dich. That means 'I love you'. I- I've said it to you so many times, but now... I want you to know I mean it. I- I mean, I meant it every time, but... Especially now. I want to be with you Cobalt. I- I know I'm not perfect at all, and you just... are... but even still. If I get to do one selfish thing, it's be your girlfriend."
This was her first crush. Cobalt couldn't ruin her first love with his uncertainty.
"C- Cobalt...?"
Swallowing hard, he bought himself some time to think by popping the slice of Hamburg steak into his mouth.
He knew something was wrong the moment it graced his tongue. The meat... it tasted just as bad as anything. Like ash. Like dust. Like dirt. It was horrible, and as he slowly chewed it into claggy mush, he felt his heart quicken with panic. Something had changed.
Cobalt swallowed before he could think too hard on it.
"This is very sudden, Jelli," he said breathlessly.
"I- I know it's a lot, but... I just want to hear your answer, Cobalt. It would set my mind at ease, whatever you say," the Glutton told him, leaning forward.
The Incubus took a deep breath.
"I- I..."
A flash of pain suddenly shot through his stomach, nearly doubling him over. Sliding back his seat, Cobalt gripped the table as the fire in his stomach violently churned and protested.
"C- Cobalt?! Are you alright?!" Jelli cried.
He tried to answer, but he could scarcely draw breath as another spasm of pain forced him onto all fours. With sweat pouring off his face, he looked deep into Jelli's almond eyes.
A violent retch overtook Cobalt's body, forcing him to vomit right there on the floor. Scorching his throat, bile sprayed all over the boards, staining them a disturbing shade of red. Undigested scraps of flesh and torn shreds of Hamburg steak were splattered everywhere, and though he tried to stop himself, he couldn't. His wings and tail quivered uncontrollably, his stomach heaving until he could give no more. Left shaking and gasping for breath, the Incubus wiped the vomit from his mouth and looked up at his student.
She had stepped away from him, her eyes wide and streaming. Both hands covered her mouth, and she looked... heartbroken.
His own eyes widened. She... She thought he had thrown up because of her...
"W- Wait..." the Incubus gasped breathlessly, reaching for her.
The Glutton stook a step away from him. Tears flooded down her cheeks as she shook her head.
"N- No, I... I'm sorry...! I never should have...! I- I'm so sorry!"
"Jelli, please, I-!"
Bursting into tears, the Glutton took off without another word. She threw the door open and ran off down the hall, leaving Cobalt alone in a puddle of his own sick.
"No..." he breathed, throat still burning.
Lilith appeared beside him, her only eye wide and her jaw hanging open.
"Fuck..." she breathed, unable to think of anything else to say.
Cobalt just stayed where he was, staring hard at the floor. As the Devil quietly shut the door, he felt tears begin to flow thick and fast down his own face, splashing into the sanguine bile beneath him.
"Kid?" Lilith asked, crossing the room.
He couldn't speak. He couldn't even move his face. Cobalt just sat there, frozen with horror as the tears fell.
She stared at him, unsure of what to do. Eventually deciding to leave him be, Lilith walked over to the couch and considered sitting down for a spell, only to narrow her eye at the window. Lifting the blind a little, her breath caught in her throat.
"I know you're dealing with... all that... but you need to see this," she called.
Cobalt didn't respond.
"Kid!" the Devil called urgently.
Again, he said nothing, prompting a growl of irritation from her. Rushing over, she grabbed the Incubus beneath the arms and dragged him over to the window, forcing the blind open with one hand as she directed his gaze outside with the other.
The windowsill... it was littered with grey, cartilage feathers. Not only that, but a pigeon sat upon it, calmly holding a scrap of paper in its beak. It didn't move even as Lilith opened the window and reached for it.
"I've got a bad feeling about this..."
Upon unfolding the paper, she gasped and shoved it at Cobalt. Slowly, he turned his gaze onto the scratchy red writing.
I SEE YOU, ONE-EYED DECIEVER. I
AM NOT A FOOL. YOU WILL BE
SORRY FOR WHAT YOU HAVE STOLEN