The same darkness*

THE Night Grew Cold, as the moon stood high in the sky. The cold breeze did nothing to him as he was perched against the branches of the trees as he gazed at Serah as she walked through the forest.

'Silly girl' Dante thought, his black hoodie covering his face, as he blended into the shadows. But the smirk that formed on his face was impossible to miss under the moonlight. In the blink of an eye, he materialized a sword that was made out of his essence. Jumping a few feet behind her, he was ready to strike until she halted in her footsteps. Lifting her gaze at the sky, she whispered the words that made him freeze.

"I cry out from the inside for you to wash away this pain. I want to let go of this suffering so I can fight another day." She didn't notice him behind her. Her mind drifted back to the conversation she had with her demon side.

'The moment your heart has succumbed in darkness, we will take over your body. You cannot hide your dark side for too long. Even you know that you're fighting a losing battle.'

Her dark side was inside her, waiting for the day when she finally gives in to everything, everything that she is running away from. Her mind was so clouded that she couldn't even notice him behind her. That was the bad thing about her being stuck in this world. She was like a normal human being, powerless...

So if anyone did come for her, how would she protect herself? She snapped out of her thoughts. She needed to be strong. He glared at her, with a scowl on his face. 'So pathetic' he thought. He growled lowly, quietly, but the sound he made, made her skin crawl. She spun around, taking a few steps back.

'How long has he been there?'

Little did they both know that this encounter was what made their fates entwine again. His eyes were the only part of his face that glowed silver, like the moon. Even though the current of the wind was so heavy, his jacket remained as a cloak covering his face. Serah stood still as she watched him with a careful eye.

"Who are you?" She asked. He was the same person that she had met earlier. She touched her arm that was burned from his touch.

"You should know by now who it was that sent me. Who am I? Well, that is none of your concern." An ominous chuckle vibrates through the air as his clouded eyes gain a menacing gleam as the ground beneath them slowly begins to heat, then bursts with twisting flames.

The dark flames absorbed the life from the trees as they grew in mass, throwing radiant purple shadows fleetingly across the land around them. He stood in the center of it all as his flames rose around him, licking across his flesh with seemingly no effects.

The dark flames ran across Serah's skin, like tendrils of darkness, seeping through. On the surface it was harmless, but as it soaked into her. Her cries could be heard. Poison entered her body, eating her alive from the inside. This kind of poison she knew was different. It wasn't like the other substances that they plunged into her body when she was locked up. This power was entirely a new sensation and it opened the old wounds that had once been sealed shut.

"W-why?!"

"That's a very good question. Why did a stranger come to kill you..." He chuckled and waved his hand in the air. The dark tendrils disappeared from her as she fell gasping, her body was in immense pain, she lay on the ground, unable to move. He bent down to her level, lifting her face, caressing it.

"N-no, why do you have the same darkness? Why do you have the same essence as mine?!" She whispered those words but he heard. The words seemed to make him freeze yet again but he never believed a word she said. He was the only person in all of the realms that had a darkness that could destroy, so why did this creature say those words.

"You're so weak in this form. So pathetic." His face became cold as he pushed her against the tree, like a puppet being controlled by her master. Her body became numb. All feeling had vanished.

'Maybe if I die by someone that's just like me, maybe the pain will finally end'

With that final thought, she had given up. It would have been better if she never had existed. Her mere existence had caused so much catastrophe in the realms. Maybe being killed by this stranger is all that she needed. No one had cared for her. She was an outcast in her kingdom.

His fingers on her skin felt like pricks, like thorns of a rose. The numbness slowly disappeared. But the pain in her body was getting worse. She looked him in the eye. Her jet black eyes struck his silver-white eyes.

"I have come to kill you." He spoke lowly with interest. Their bodies were inches away from each other. The heat that radiated from her, warmed his blood.

"Really? Then we have a problem." She muttered. Her voice melded with her Darkside. The other side of her that was ready to fight to survive.

"Why?" He grinned evilly as he forced his face in front of hers, causing her to recoil. She could feel his hot breath caress her cheeks.

"Because I don't plan on dying." She bit down on her bottom lip, feeling his lips trail mischievously over hers. She shoved her face away from his, flushing from the light contact.

"You're a fiery little demon." He whispered, running his fingers down her arm.

She couldn't believe her own words. She wanted to die. She was prepared for it. But deep down inside her. There was a side full of hope. She wanted to survive. She wanted to prove everyone wrong. The turmoil inside her, the war that raged within her. Hope against despair.

"The poison should be taking its effect now, this puny human body that you're in will start to die. And once it dies, you'll return to what you once were. Consider it a favor; I'm relieving you from the wrath of the council." He says as a dagger appears in his hand.

She let out a yelp of pain as she felt him carve through her shoulder, perfectly slashing lines across her skin, as blood slowly began to seep out. Serah was already getting dizzy at this point, her vision fading from the loss of blood. Her body limped forward as she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, though she struggled to keep her consciousness awake.

"Over already," He says with disappointment.

"I guess it's time to go. But just a little gift to remember me by...sweetheart." She had no time to defend herself as he had already claimed her lips with his own.

She tried her best to turn away, but he held fast to her chin, keeping her in place. She whined as she tried to bite down on his lips, but it only gave him easy access to slither his tongue inside her mouth. He nipped at her tongue, grinning wickedly as she let out an undesirable moan. The tainted and intimate moment ended soon as it had started, leaving her flustered as he drew away from her.

He stood up and smirked at her fallen form. His first intentions were to kill her, but the fire that burned inside her made him curious about this demon. They always say that curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. He waved his hands in a slight motion. Dark tendrils formed over her body yet again. She looked at him, one last time. She would never forget his face. She would get back at him for what he did. Her vision went black, as her mind went to a deep slumber.

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