Cobalt gasped for breath, his entire system nearly going into shock as he gulped down lungfuls of cool, crisp air. The overbearing heat and pressure of the swamp was gone, replaced instead by a calming breeze that seemed to evaporate the sweat right off his skin. As he stared into the deep, starless sky, he felt his heartbeat gradually slow to a more normal pace.

"Hm? Hey. I'm talking to you," the voice of Cherry echoed, though she sounded distant.

Blinking his vision clear, the Incubus sat up, wincing as he wiped the remnants of the sticky honey off his skin. He was sitting upon a featureless pink plane that seemed to stretch on for miles all around him. Once he was about as clean as he was going to get, he unsteadily staggered to his feet, unused to being so unhampered.

"Better?" asked a voice from behind him, the same that spoke before he was rescued from the depths of the swamp.

Turning around, the Incubus saw the cat sitting dutifully in front of him, its tail swishing back and forth behind it.

"I... I'm free. Was that you?" the Incubus asked, rubbing the spot on his wrist where he was pulled.

The cat slowly blinked its bright green eyes.

"Who's to say?"

"R- Right..."

At the very edge of his perception, he heard Cherry's voice ring out.

"Hey! You better start listening to me, pup! Stop staring like an idiot and answer the fucking question!"

"The psychflensing..." he murmured, remembering why he was here.

"Your mind is fighting back. The depths of your psyche can hold tight to secrets even such a drastic procedure can't shake loose."

"I..."

He shook his head and looked down at the floor, where the mire of honey once was.

"What the Hell was all of that...?" he murmured, feeling completely exhausted.

The cat slowly began to circle around his legs, its soft fur brushing up against his bare skin.

"Provocation brought on by that young woman's spell, though she spoke the truth; it wouldn't have taken such a form if the feelings weren't already there. In the theatre of the mind, someone cannot script a performance when there aren't props already waiting in the wings."

"I don't... I don't think of my students like that," Cobalt reaffirmed, clenching his fists.

"Consciously. You don't consciously think of them like that," the cat corrected, swishing its tail.

He furrowed his brow.

"I'm sick of being told that I'm secretly some kind of... libidinous monster!" he spat, kicking the cat away.

It sat a few feet away from him, shutting its eyes as it made a noise equivalent to a sigh.

"... Hm. Perhaps its providence that I decided to speak with you in this moment of doubt. It's not, of course, but I wouldn't wish to dispel the illusion of fate."

"What are you-?"

"Come. It's about time you admitted a few things to yourself."

It began to walk away, leaving little pawprints in the vast, featureless floor. Afraid of being left behind, Cobalt trotted off after it, his feet sounding as though they were slapping against wet linoleum.

"You keep saying that, but what the Hell does it mean?!" the Incubus asked, raising his voice as he jogged to keep up.

It glanced back at him.

"A while ago I asked you to define a certain feeling, one I called the antithesis to a word that you reserve only for yourself. This feeling - unfamiliar to you in this form - is something you've fostered with those young women, whether you've wanted to or not," it explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

Walking side-by-side with the cat, Cobalt clenched his teeth.

"I don't like what you're getting at."

"Just do us all a favour and say it, Cobalt."

He looked away. In the distance all around him, he could see white roses poking up through the bleak expanse. Dead white roses.

"... I can't," he murmured quietly.

"Yes you can. You know you can."

"It's not proper."

"And? You're in no-one's company but mine and your own, and I assure you I have no problems with it."

"They're my students!"

"They're adults who made their own choices."

"But-!"

"Say it," the cat interrupted, its fur bristling suddenly, "Even I have limits to my patience."

That familiar guilty lump formed in Cobalt's throat, the one he could swallow no matter how hard he tried. He looked away again, feeling his stomach burn and his face grow hot.

"... I..."

"Go on."

"... L- Lo..."

"Come on."

"... Love. It's love, isn't it?" he said, his voice barely more than a whisper.

The cat stared at him, eyes gleaming bright enough to almost blind him.

"I don't know. Is it?" it asked, cocking its head.

"Y- You told me to say it!"

"I told you to say it, yes. Admitting it? That's all you. Though that's a task best tackled with clothes on, no?"

Suddenly aware that he was in the buff, Cobalt looked down at his body, only to find that he was inexplicably clothed. But not in the ethereal grey robes he was used to. Instead, he found himself wearing an old white jumpsuit laden with straps and buckles, just like the ones worn by the Incubi incarcerated in the Undercroft. The word RANCOUR was painted upon it in bright red.

"What...?"

Looking up, he found himself suddenly standing within the main foyer of his Deepest Refuge, though it was a far cry from how he remembered it. Much of the stately facade had fallen away; the wood paneling had been replaced with cold tiles, the carved staircases were stark metal, and the white roses were nearly all stained red. The locked doors surrounding the hall all looked to be heavily dented from the inside, and the locks holding them shut looked a light breeze away from breaking. Taking a deep breath of the stale air, Cobalt followed the cat as it walked down the only open hallway.

"Be honest. How do you feel about them?" it asked, its ears flicking as it swerved to avoid the deep gashes in the floor.

Cobalt didn't answer for a moment. They passed the open cells in silence.

"I... care about them. Deeply. More than I should," he finally said aloud, his voice echoing off the cold tiles around him.

He heard a slight laugh from his feline companion.

"More than you should?"

"Yeah."

"The Imp and the Golem?"

"They're like family to me at this point. I was at their wedding for hellfire's sake."

"The Oni?"

"We were to be wed once. I... still struggle with those memories. What they mean to me."

"The Nymph?"

"She's come so far. I'm proud of her. And I've been seeing her differently. I- I don't know why, but even so... she was hurt because of me."

"Mm. The Fallen?"

"Elya... there's something about her. She scares me. But I still wonder... I can remember her taste, and I feel... like I want to go back to that."

"The Glutton?"

"... I blew it. I ruined her first love because I couldn't be decisive."

"And the Succubus?"

Cobalt didn't answer that one. He didn't know how to. Surprisingly, the cat seemed to understand, deeming to close its eyes and nod as the pair arrived at the door at the end of the corridor, dented and battered from his previous rampages through the Deepest Refuge. Reaching up, Cobalt slowly ran a finger across the word painted upon the metal.

"Resentment..." he murmured, pushing it open.

They stepped into the circular room beyond; passing by the hoses and the ruined jumpsuits as they approached a door Cobalt had not seen before. The cat sat outside it, prompting him to pull it open. It lead to a dark stairwell that went on for further than the light would go.

"You resent the love you feel for how it's complicated your life, don't you?" it said, descending the first set of steps.

The Incubus hesitated for a moment before following.

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"Maybe. I don't know."

"And yet you still care for these girls."

"Of course I do. They're..."

Cobalt sighed.

"They're everything to me at this point. Through all else, they've stuck by me."

As they descended, the stairwell grew darker and colder, all the while the roses growing from the walls became thornier and more sinister. His jumpsuit kept snagging on them, but the cat didn't stop to wait whenever he got stuck.

"Go on," it encouraged, its voice echoing off the dark tiles.

"But they keep getting hurt because of me. Whitney lost her arm. Jelli's heart was completely broken. Elya... she's just wrong all over. And it's my fault."

"And even so they keep loving you."

"But they shouldn't!" the Incubus cried, raising his voice, "I- I'm not someone worth ruining your life for! I can see where my life is headed, and its no place for them!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm falling apart. I don't have much faith in my own longevity, and... and I don't want them to see me when I finally lose the will to keep going."

The cat stopped for a moment, peering back at him with those inscrutable eyes.

"You think I'm crazy," Cobalt said dourly.

"I don't think anything one way or another. I'm not going to offer you solutions either. I'm just here to guide you through this."

Eventually, they arrived at a basement; the deepest point of the Deepest Refuge. Illuminated by a single lightbulb, it was nothing but a simple padded cell, empty save for something lying on the floor in the very centre.

A collar, made from steel.

As the Incubus stared at it, the cat stepped into the room and sat down, staring at him.

"You've thought of a solution already, haven't you? A way to keep them safe," it said.

"... I have," murmured the Incubus.

"Well, do tell."

He took a deep breath. His chest hurt, only growing worse as he forced the words out.

"... Push them away. Keep them at arm's length. Deny them the opportunity to get any close. To... save them the heartache," he choked.

"And if they start to despise you for it?"

"All the better. I- If they can't stand to be near me, then they won't be there when I... when I finally..."

He clenched his teeth, doing everything in his power not to cry. He remembered vividly that first day back after New Years. The day he almost attacked Karazelle because of his unfathomable hunger.

He couldn't let something like that happen again. Even if it meant ruining everything, he had to keep them safe. Especially from himself.

"And that word you reserve only for yourself? Have any idea what it is yet?" the cat asked, slowly turning its head from one angle to the other.

With shaking hands, Cobalt picked up the collar and turned it around. There, scratched deep into the metal, was the word he was looking for.

HATE

"Yeah. I think I do."

Taking a sharp breath, he snapped it tight around his neck.

~~~~~

Cobalt's eyes slowly opened, reawakening him to the reality at hand. He was chained to the middle of the Punishment Chamber, staring up at the gallery. The Fesserites were all in shock. The Matriarch looked stunned. And Karazelle... her eyes were wide and her face was pale.

Glancing down, he saw that Cherry was yelling, demanding for him to keep answering her questions. He had no clue exactly what she made him say, but he had an idea. Everything he felt about the girls... it was all out there. Taking a deep breath, he clenched his fists and swallowed hard, feeling the collar around his throat bite deeper into his skin.

Deep down, something was different. He had felt frustration scorch his insides. He had felt anger blaze like a wildfire. But there, in the pit of Cobalt's stomach, something new burned. A hateful flame, so hot it chilled him to the bone. A bloodlust so intense that it completely blanked his mind, leaving him more clearheaded than ever before in his life.

Cobalt felt detached from himself, like he was a completely different person. The Devils he had faced in the past, they had all inspired similar feelings, but Cherry...? This was no new rage.

This was an anger as old as the Incubus himself. Twenty-three years in the making, left buried and forgotten.

But those blackened embers never truly died.

"I swear to all that burns, pup, if you don't start talking right now, I'm gonna take that flask and shove it right up your-!" the Succubus ranted.

"Cherry," Cobalt breathed, silencing her.

The enervation that had rendered him so weak before... It was gone. Like the contract didn't even matter. Glancing up, Cobalt glared at Cherry. Something about his eyes caused her to falter, almost dropping the flask that she had forced him to drink from not that long ago. Though stunned, a shaky grin formed on her face.

"Well, I'll be damned... you've gotten ornery over the years," she said, tossing the flask aside.

It shattered into pieces against the floor. Gritting his teeth, Cobalt wound the chains around his wrists, gripping them as tightly as he could.

"I'm gonna kill you," he said simply.

The Succubus laughed.

"Ha! Is that a fact?"

"You better believe it."

The black flame flared. His blood vessels lit up. His scars glowed. His wounds hissed red steam. All around the Punishment Chamber, red roses began to bloom as the crimson haze settled over Cobalt's vision, forming a tunnel between him and Cherry.

He pulled on the chains. They snapped, just like that.

"Wh- What the Hell...?" the Succubus breathed taking a step back.

Grabbing the chain anchoring his collar to the floor, he snapped that one too, completely freeing the Incubus. The gallery was in an uproar; the higher-ranking Fesserites were already running for the doors to call the guards.

"So," Cherry said, clenching her fists as she gritted her teeth, "looks like you finally got your mojo back, eh pup?"

"Shut up."

"Haha! There he is!"

Cobalt stared right into her eyes, and for the first time - perhaps in his entire life - he saw a flash of fear glinting within them. Taking a step forward, he swiftly wound the chains around his wrists, the individual links rattling in protest.

"Come off it, pup. I was just helping you along with a little introspection. What; see something you didn't like in there?"

"I told you to shut up."

"Well you're gonna have to make me."

"Fine."

He lunged forward, arm outstretched. Cherry seemed to anticipate an attack, as she immediately dropped low and tried to intercept, but that hateful flame in Cobalt's gut had tempered his reflexes to a razor sheen. He swiftly grabbed the Succubus' arm-

- and crushed it. Like cardboard.

A moment of silence passed between the two as all of her bravado vanished. She held her breath and turned to look at her broken arm, still clutched in Cobalt's grasp. Once the pain hit, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped open, but Cherry did not scream. She was tenacious, struggling to catch her breath as her broken bones grinded together beneath her skin.

"F- Fuck. You got strong," she wheezed, tears lingering in the corners of her eyes.

Narrowing his eyes, Cobalt dropped her arm and swiftly grabbed the Succubus by the throat. Hoisting her off her feet, he raised his other hand and allowed the cold heat to intensify, setting his blood aflame. Plates of bone burst from his flesh, effortlessly guided into place by his writhing muscles, whereupon they bit down upon his skin and seared themselves into place. The gallery cried out in shock at the sight of the bony armour encasing his arm. His fingers clicked as he flexed them, allowing sharp teeth to push through his knuckles.

"Cobalt, stop! Stop this now!" the Matriarch shrieked.

Balling his gauntleted hand into a tight face, he brought Cherry's face close.

"I am not your dog. Not anymore," he hissed, glaring deep into her eyes.

She spat onto his face.

"Y- You'll always be my dog, pup," she choked, grinning despite her depleting oxygen, "I'll have you h- heeling again, collar and all. Heh, I- I'll even give you a bone to chew on-!"

His veins alighted, spurred by rage. The world around Cobalt seemed to fade into nothing, drowned out by the thorns and roses all around him. He could smell the blood coursing through Cherry's veins, and he could hear her sumptuous heart pounding within her chest. As he tightened his grip, the beating grew faster and faster, urging him to get it over with before the meal was spoiled. He raised his fist, ready to shatter the Succubus' skull.

He heard the sound of someone hitting the ground behind him. Baring his teeth, he wheeled around to find that someone had leaped down from the gallery. A Succubus girl. Second-stager. Kind blue eyes, stylish black hair, a face that sparked something deep within him.

Karazelle.

"Sugar, listen to me. Put her down," she said in a calm voice, raising her hands.

The flame ebbed, but Cobalt shook his head. Starvation was gnawing at him; he couldn't let this opportunity escape.

"C- C'mon Beast...! Your Beauty is calling...!" Cherry guttered, laughing despite the pain she was in.

Baring his teeth, Cobalt slammed her against the floor, planting his foot upon her chest in order to pin the Succubus in place.

"Easy now. I get that you're mad," Karazelle continued, taking a step towards him.

"Get away from him, girl!" one of the Fesserites called from on high.

"But you gotta think clearly, okay? Take a second and breathe."

Beneath him, Cherry choked out a dry laugh.

"Try giving him a bone! Maybe that'll work- KUH!" she spluttered as Cobalt pressed his foot down upon her chest.

The Incubus slowly turned his head, staring hard at the Succubus before him. Her jugular. Her heartbeat. Her skin. Her bones. Her flesh.

He could already taste them.

"Are you listening to me sugar?" Karazelle asked, her voice softening.

Stepping over Cherry, the two Lust demons drew closer. She kept her hands raised, but as he approached, her arms began to lower. For a moment, the pair just gazed into each other's eyes. Slowly, Karazelle reached for him.

Cobalt grabbed her wrist, his bone-clad fingers locking tight around them.

"Cobalt...?" she breathed.

He tightened his grip. He could feel an urge rising from deep within him, but what exactly that urge was, the Incubus just couldn't fathom. His breathing grew quicker, his heartrate accelerated, and his blood threatened to blind him through his skin. All around him, Cobalt could dimly hear the sound of screaming voices all around him. They called for action, screeching for the guards to apprehend the rogue Incubus, but through the deafening cacophony, he managed to hear the sound of doors flying open.

The pounding of boots. The squeaking of wheels. And above all else, a powerful voice.

"HEY! MAY I PLEASE HAVE YOUR HELL-DAMNED ATTENTION?!"

The noise died down. The Fesserites stopped screaming. Cherry stopped laughed. All eyes slowly turned to the entrance of the Punishment Chamber, where a contingent of security guards clad in heavy padding had just entered, each nervously clutching their batons. Between them all stood Lilith, looking rather irritated as she clutched the handles of a wheelchair.

Cobalt's heart nearly stopped at the sight of the man sitting in it.

Another Incubus, older than he was and looking much worse for wear. His jumpsuit was badly shredded, exposing the countless old wounds that marred his flesh. His hair was long and his face was unshaven, but his eyes... Cobalt would have recognised them anywhere.

He had Cobalt's eyes.

"Sweet hellfire, I don't remember you ladies bein' so damn loud," he murmured, rubbing his temples.

His hands were heavily scarred; wounds sustained from countless years of brawling. High above, Felicity Fesser gasped.

"What...? H- How...?" she breathed, shaking like a leaf.

The Incubus chuckled. Despite his emaciated appearance, he had a hearty laugh, punctuated by a strong West Country accent.

"Y'know, been ponderin' that myself on my way up here, but this big ol' cyclops ain't tellin' me shit," he joked, grinning as he gestured to Lilith.

She scowled and rolled her eye. Every time she moved or adjusted herself, the guards all flinched.

"I- Is that a Devil...?" the Matriarch asked in a terrified voice.

"Yup. Least as far as I can see. Down an eye and up some attitude, but Hell, nicest Devil I've ever dealt with."

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the wheels of his chair and eased himself into the chamber, frowning as it got stuck on a small ridge by the door. As he drew closer, Cobalt felt his heart seize up. The fire in his gut died, his blood cooling as the strength ebbed from his body. He stumbled to his knees, the only thing keeping him up being Karazelle as she lunged to support him.

"It's been a hell of a long time from what I'm hearin', but I'm afraid I ain't got time to gab with you, Miss Fesser," the bedraggled Incubus called, his tattered tail dragging through a gap in the back of the wheelchair.

Rolling himself around Cherry, he let out a low whistle.

"Damn. Someone's had a little too much fun."

"What are you doing here?!" cried the Matriarch.

"Ain't it obvious?!"

Wheeling himself around, he rolled over to Cobalt and grabbed his arms. He was strong, despite everything. As their eyes met, a wide grin formed upon Brass Trayer's face.

"I'm here to see my son."