Another work day, but at least today you get your paycheck. You finish off work late at night and walk out. You stop for a moment and light a cigarette and take a long, deep puff of it before letting it out. You cough a bit still. Despite how you've done this plenty of times before, it still aggravates your senses, but you don't care enough to not. You walk off, headphones on and music playing again. Leaving the club and people behind for the night, you tune everything out and go on autopilot as you make your way home. You're walking until you see out of the corner of your eye, there are people in an alleyway. You turn and look more and recognize the bright colored stockings of Esmerella, a dancer at your work. You watch a moment more as the demon she's talking to inches closer. Another comes from behind her. She's grabbed and everything stops. Time passes quickly but also seems frozen. You look around and see nobody else on those streets. You rush across the street and into the alleyway to sock one of the demons in the face. He stumbles back and glares at you, eyes full of fury. You take your cigarette and shove it down on the hand of the other demon that still had his arms around Esmerella. You're not entirely sure if you're processing everything and you sure as hell can't hear. You growl and feel fire behind your eyes as you ready your claws and lunge at the first demon again. Once he's knocked back and on the ground, you grab the other one and tug him away from Esmerella.

"Get out of here! Now!" You shout. She doesn't move and you can't waste time focusing on her. You take on the two demons at once. You've never been a fighter and rarely ended up in fights when alive, but right now you're using all the knowledge you have to get through it. It's all a blur before you're on the ground and being beaten by them. It hurts, it fucking hurts like hell, but it feels so numb. You try to get a look to see if Esmerella is still there, but if she is, you can't see her. You decide to just pray she's gone. You still try to claw at your assailants, but mostly stick to trying to block their hits. You can hear their curses now, your headphones knocked off and thrown aside. They call you awful things, but it isn't the worst you've heard. It barely registers anyway with the hits being thrown at you.

You shut your eyes tight and let out a few tears, unable to keep everything back. Then it all just stops. Part of you wonders if you've died again, but another part of you is oddly sure it's not possible. You open your eyes the tiniest bit and see the two demons frozen in fear, staring at something in horror. Attempting to look, you can barely make out a demonic form, dark with red highlights and large glowing eyes. Your eyes hurt, your body hurts, and you're not sure if that's a savior or not so you shut your eyes tight and attempt to dissociate and force your mind elsewhere. It'll be over soon, one way or another. Just let it end! You think of a different place and for a moment, all your senses seem to just stop.

"Are you okay?" The words feel fuzzy and come from a familiar voice with an accent. You don't move. You don't want to. Your breathing is feint and you curl up more, trying to cover yourself. You shut your eyes tighter, begging for it to all be over. "Hey, hey, it's okay. They're gone. You're safe now." The words seem true, but everything feels so fuzzy to you and an internal voice is screaming at you not to trust it. Tears still fall from your eyes, rolling down your cheeks and a soft whimper comes from you though you barely recognize it as a sound you made.

"(Y/N)..." A more feminine voice came. You barely open your eyes and look up. Bent down above you is Prince Stolas and standing just behind him is Esmerella. "Thank you." Tears streamed down her cheeks and her voice was quivering.

Your body hurt with even the slightest movements yet your muscles were tired from holding yourself tightly in that curled up, defensive position. Letting your body relax felt more like losing all control. It felt so much like your body was jelly.

"Can you say something, dear?" Prince Stolas asked. You open your mouth, but only a strained squeak comes from it. You feel tears flow harder and you shut your mouth. It isn't real. It's too familiar.

"Miss dancer, I'd feel better if I saw you home. I'll be taking them back with me to my place to ensure their safety and health." You felt fabric be placed atop your figure before two arms slide underneath you then you were scooped up. You couldn't think to protest and you couldn't think to do anything at all. You felt truly frozen and just accepting whatever may come. The words hit your ears, but nothing felt directed at you even when logically, you were aware they meant to speak to you.

"Thank you...it's um, right this way."

Stolas carried you off, walking Esmerella home. Your head felt odd and airy, like everything was merely floating on a cloud. Sometimes you'd just stare, feeling fuzzy and odd then other times you'd be sobbing uncontrollably as if everything in the world, in you was broken. Stolas gave you some looks, but you didn't pay attention to them. You just stared up at the sky.

As Stolas said goodbye to Esmerella, you felt everything finally seem to stop. A wave of tiredness washed over you and your eyes became heavy.

"Sleepy..." You mumbled, barely coherent before you passed out.

~*~

Chapter Art Credit: Jo-Vee-Al on DeviantArt