Cobalt stared at the box in his lap as his students dutifully worked all around him. He ran his fingers along the plastic casing and carefully eased it open, feeling a lump form in his throat at the sight of the metal syringe lying with. Lightly touching the needle, the Incubus felt a tingle go down his spine. To think that not even Cordelia Fesser - an expert in magic and science, and a descendent of Lady Fesser herself - could completely solve the Incupsychosis equation. This toxin, as Alison tactfully put it... It freed the mind, but destroyed the body. If Cobalt took it, his psychological torments would finally be done with, but his life would be irreparably impacted. He doubted he would even be able to live unassisted, and that didn't bode well for his career.
Was there really no other option...?
The school bell rang, but Cobalt barely even registered it. His second-year Science class awkwardly packed up and scuttled out of the classroom as their teacher kept his gaze locked firmly on the syringe in his lap. He had it for a couple of weeks now, and yet the Incubus still felt paralysed every time he looked at it. A cure to his woes, right in his lap... And the key to a whole batch of new ones. He'd be bound to a wheelchair, maybe worse. But at least he wouldn't run the risk of harming anyone.
But still...
Wincing, the Incubus shut the box as a pang of hunger tore through him, nearly buckling him over. He felt weak, and despite the school's central heating actually working for once, he was shivering uncontrollably. Tiding himself over with small amounts of his own blood seemed to have worked in the short term, but the longer he did it, the less pronounced the effects were. It seemed like he had to drink a lot just to keep himself functioning for half the day.
With a weary sigh, Cobalt laid his forehead down on the desk and raised his finger to his mouth. Slicing it open with his teeth, he began to lap up the blood, feeling relief wash over him with each drop he swallowed. It wouldn't be enough, and the pains would return soon, but still... Anything to take the edge off.
The door to the room opened and someone stepped in. Sharp footsteps clacked off the linoleum, before they cleared their throat loudly. Cobalt already knew who it was before he lifted his head, but he did so regardless.
Mistress Viola stood in front of the teacher's desk, her arms folded and her brow furrowed. Without a word, she produced her phone from her jacket and swiped through it. She turned the phone to Cobalt, showing a video taken from another person's phone, if all the shaking was anything to go by. They were in one of the school's hallways and were jostling with other students to get a clear shot of the Incubus kneeling against the wall, absolutely soaked in blood and bearing an arm completely encased in bone. He glanced up at the video's statistics to see that it had been posted online, and thousands had already seen it.
"I warned you, boy," the Succubus told him, turning the screen back to her.
Swiping through it, she tutted and shook her head.
"Now the entirety of Aporue knows. People as far as Pumice Bay are already demanding that you're fired," Mistress Viola continued, returning her phone to her pocket.
He swallowed hard and wiped his finger on his shirt, leaving a reddish streak.
"So why don't you?" Cobalt asked breathlessly.
"Because you have just as many diehards jumping to your defence, many of whom are in attendance here. If I fire you, then I could risk inciting a riot."
He scoffed.
"You have a real track record for that, don't you?" he breathed.
The Headmistress bristled, straightening up as her eyes narrowed.
"I have only ever acted in this school's best interest. At times I may have had to offer you some leeway, but truth be told I should have fired you a long time ago, history bedamned."
Cobalt narrowed his eyes in kind. It was strange; not so long ago, he could barely meet her gaze without feeling terrified. But now, what he felt towards his employer was nothing short of ire.
"You can't blame me for things out of my control," the Incubus told her.
"Choosing to expose your affliction and all the dangers it entails to your students is well in your control. Dragging the school's only nurse down with you is in your control. Weakening the confidence of the school's investors is in your control."
"I got Charles Brode back on board!"
"Do you think that really makes up for everything else you've done to sully B.I.D.'s reputation?!"
With a heavy sigh, she rubbed her eyes and tapped a sharp nail against the desk.
"One more slip-up, and I'll be calling for your dismissal. Do you understand me?" Mistress Viola commanded, her eyes flashing.
Cobalt met her gaze dead-on.
"Understood," Cobalt answered spitefully.
Shaking her head, she pulled away and left the classroom. Remaining where he was, the Incubus just sat and listened as the muffled footsteps of students echoed through the building as they rushed to the canteen, eager for their lunch.
"You sure nothing will do it anymore?" Lilith asked after some hesitation.
"Meat. Eggs. Milk. Cheese. They're not staying down anymore either. There's only one thing my body wants," Cobalt answered sullenly.
"You can't just drain yourself dry. Closed system; it won't work."
"I'm not going for the alternative, Lilith."
"Surely there's a couple people in this town that nobody care about if they went-"
"I'm done talking about this," Cobalt interrupted, standing up.
As he shoved all of his belongings back into his satchel, the Devil kept talking.
"I'm not saying it's ideal, kid. But Brimstone's full of scumbags; surely you could just-"
"I am not some sort of monster who just goes around eating people, Lilith! If I cross that line, then I am just as bad as everyone in the Undercroft!" he suddenly snapped.
"What, like your dad?"
He clenched his fists.
"Low blow, Lilith."
"Kid, I-"
"Low fucking blow."
He stormed out of the classroom without another word.
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Cobalt spent most breaks and lunchtimes in his room these days, unable to cope with the smells and sounds of either the canteen or the faculty lounge. He was less likely to run into anybody that way as well. He could bear the thought of seeing Jelli again, not after what he did to break her heart. As he marched down the hallway, he spotted Karazelle and Whitney out of the corner of his eye, but when they waved, he just kept going. He couldn't do it. Every time he thought about facing the Succubus, he remembered what he almost did to her.
He could still remember the thoughts so clearly. The intrusive drive to just take a bite out of her beautiful throat...
Cobalt stopped in his tracks, right in the middle of the corridor. He glanced over at the door to the infirmary.
"Kid?"
What he did to Elya after...
"I need to clear something up," he said, reaching for the handle.
"Wait-!"
Cobalt stepped into the infirmary and shut the door behind him.
Elya was here, as she always was. Dressed in her nurse's uniform, she sat at the desk, quietly signing off on paperwork. Columba nested in a pile of loose papers close by, and he could see Immoderata sitting next to her, lined up neatly beside her pens and pencils. Cobalt cleared his throat as he approached, but the Fallen did not stir. She kept writing, her wings fluttering gently behind her back.
"Elya?" the Incubus asked, taking a step forward.
He glanced over at one of the beds. A Golem boy was slacking off in here, but as soon as he met Cobalt's gaze, he swiftly scuttled out of the room.
"I wanted to talk to you about what happened the last time we... the last time we spoke," he said, inching closer.
Columba cooed at his approach, but Elya still said nothing. Concerned for her health, he rushed over to the desk and turned her chair around. Sat completely rigid, the Fallen wheeled around to face him, her eyes grey and glazed. She still held the pen in her hand, writing on blank air.
"Elya...?" he breathed, waving a hand in front of her face.
No response. Swallowing hard, he found his gaze tracking over to the iron dagger on the desk.
"Kid..." Lilith warned, sounding uneasy.
Taking a step closer, he stared at it. The runes etched into the metal... What did they mean?
"What is this, Lilith?" Cobalt asked in a quiet voice.
He heard the Devil's breath catch.
"It... Do you remember what Epsilon told you? About how some Devils come back after death?"
The Incubus nodded slowly as he stared at the dagger. There was something about the metal that was almost captivating. Elya always had it with her, but he knew there was a time when she did not. And yet... He couldn't remember how she wound up with it...
"He went into detail with his theory before. Sometimes, these... things... show up. Out of nowhere. Always in the form of a tool or a weapon, always made of iron. We don't know how or why, but... the people who use them... they aren't right. Epsilon thought that when Devils die they create a Curse in their passing, and that Curse manifests as whatever these things are."
Cobalt stared at Immoderata.
"I never really believed him, but... this knife... I don't know, kid, it seems almost..."
"Familiar..." the Incubus breathed, reaching for the dagger.
"Wait, don't-!"
He grabbed the handle. Cobalt had picked up the knife at points in the past, but then it had been heavy and inert. Listless. This time, however... It was light and well-weighted. It felt... perfect.
I REMEMBER YOU. YOUR HUNGER. YOUR DESIRE. YOU BURN FOR FLESH. THE PACT STILL STANDS UNFULFILLED.
Cobalt staggered back, the dagger flying from his hands as he tripped backwards. He collapsed against one of the beds as the blade keened through the air, but before it could land, Elya darted out and caught it deftly between two fingers. Gripping it tight, she turned to face Cobalt, violet eyes ablaze.
"Hello, my love," the Fallen breathed, rising from her seat.
"Elya, you're alright. Listen, I-"
She placed a finger on his lips and sat next to him on the bed.
"I understand what you want. We have grown so close now, you needn't say a word," she interrupted.
Cupping his chin, the Fallen leaned in for a kiss, but he grabbed her shoulders and pushed her away.
"N- No, hold on! I need to talk about what happened the last time we met!"
She pulled a face.
"I remember so clearly, my love. You repeated the words you spoke to me when we first truly met, and you affirmed our love in one fell swoop. I just wish to recreate the moment with you," she said, leaning in again.
Baring his teeth, the Incubus grabbed Elya's face and shoved her back.
"I was hallucinating! I was barely in control of myself! I came here to tell you that it meant nothing, alright?!" Cobalt cried.
His heart twinged as he said that.
Staring at him with wide, twitching eyes, the Fallen slowly turned her head, her burning gaze cutting right through him.
"You don't mean that," she said simply.
"I do, Elya. Look, I- I'm sorry if I've led you on. But... I can't handle all of this right now, okay?! You and I were never a thing."
"... Lies. You have just chosen to forget. You are just testing me. I saw you drive off the Glutton; I know your heart only has room for me."
He shook his head and tried to stand up, but the Fallen swiftly grabbed his shoulder and threw him down upon the bed with surprising strength. Keeping him pinned in place, she climbed atop his body, a manic grin spread wide upon her face.
"I know what you crave, my love. Here. If a kiss isn't satisfactory, then let me sweeten it for you."
Raising Immoderata, Elya opened her mouth and unceremoniously ran the blade along the length of her tongue, much to Cobalt's alarm. He tried to push her off, but she kept him pinned in place. As blood filled her mouth, the Fallen leaned in close, her eyes like pinpricks and her breaths coming short and sharp.
Prying the Incubus' jaw open, she kissed him deeply, spilling a mouthful of blood down his throat. Euphoria quickly sparked in his veins, but try as he might to resist it, Cobalt quickly found himself succumbing. Elya grabbed his face as she pressed her body against his, her bleeding tongue forcing its way around his and down his throat.
He struggled and thrashed. At least at first. But as Elya's warm, smooth blood coursed down his throat, the Incubus found himself lulled into a strange sense of comfort. He felt... safe. He felt connected. He felt like he didn't want it to end.
But most of all, Cobalt felt like he had done this before.
The Fallen eventually broke the liplock and straightened up, her face smeared with blood and saliva.
"Don't you remember, my love? The night you gave yourself to me, the night I lost everything, the night I finally found the strength to unfetter my love for you... They are all one and the same. You were beneath me like this, and you told me of how demons of old would profess their devotion to one another. You bit my tongue as I bit yours, and we drank deep of one another. We were bound. We still are. And I only wish for us to be closer."
With red leaking from the corners of her mouth, the Fallen gave him a crimson grin as she opened up her uniform, exposing her bare flesh to him. Taking Immoderata, she sliced a long line all the way from her chest down to her navel. Cobalt was frozen, horrified and entranced in equal measure.
"I want you to devour me, me love. Drink deep of my life's blood. I want you to take such life from me just as I need to take a life from you. It's a beautiful cycle, is it not?"
Tears began to pour from the corners of her eyes, but she kept smiling as she cut another wound into her arm.
"I beg of you, my love. I will be be your wife. I will be your prey. I will be whatever it is you want, need or desire! Just please! Oh for the love of all that burns, just please...!"
She gasped, her entire face screwing up with pain. Her eyes fluttered open for the barest fraction of a second.
Green.
"... Save me..."
Her entire body stiffened as she went completely still. Before Cobalt could say a word, Elya swiftly uttered an incantation beneath her breath, causing her to fade away in a brief gust of black wind. He felt her get off him, he heard her feet slap off the floor, but by the time Cobalt got off the bed, the Fallen was gone. A trail of blood led from the bed over to the window, which now lay open.
"Wh- What...?"
Lilith appeared beside him, looking just as horrified. As they both stared out of the window, she murmured something beneath her breath.
"... Iota..."