Wicked Promise

by Azurela

For Nijuuni and based off of her piece, Wicked Promise. Roxas x Xion, onesided Akuroku.

Rating: M

A/n: I find Nijunni to be so inspiring. I was beyond thrilled when she gave me permission to write pieces based off of hers.
Wicked Promise belongs to her. If you have not seen it, you are missing out. Also, the following are her words:

"Don't cry.
Give me your heart, and I will free you.
Give me your heart, and I will save you.
Give me your heart and feel fear, pain, hurt no more.
I will make it all stop."

I don't own Kingdom Hearts either. But you of course know that.

Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy what I've written. Reviews are welcomed and appreciated. I would love to know your thoughts... if you love it, or hate it, etc.

WARNING, DO NOT IGNORE: For mature audiences only. So if you do notlike yaoi, horror, rape, please, please, please leave.
I'm probably making it seem worse than it is but eh. JUST IN CASE.

Also sorry I haven't updated recently. Been working on this for over two months and talking to thecrowseye, who is amazing c:

Oohh and if you squint, you'll see that I made a Doctor Who refrence. Hehe~

I hope its alright. My apologies if it ends up being late, I had trick-or-treating to take my guy to tonight :P

Wicked Promise

-x-X-x-

There was mild chatter amongst the students of the advanced photography class at Twilight Town's University. It was a gloomy day and cold for late October, however the room was bright and cheery—a perfect contrast. Murmurs of excitement thrummed throughout the room as the young adults discussed possibilities for their final project for the term. They were to procure ideas, as assigned by their Professor—Naminé White.

One lone student, however, was exempt from such chatter. The petite golden blond with brilliant azure eyes brooded, resting his head on his arms, waiting for the discussion amongst his neighbors to end, wishing he could be on his way. He already knew what he wanted to do as well as that fact that he wanted to do it alone, and so he was itching to claim it before anyone else could. He stared out the window, at the bleak sky. There was supposed to be a cold rain today but tomorrow was supposed to be nice in the afternoon. Roxas didn't mind it though. He preferred gloomy skies.

"Roxas," the soft, feminine, voice of his teacher called, garnering his attention. The blond flushed before raising his head to meet Professor White's gaze. "Why aren't you discussing?"

"I already know what I want to do ma'am." She smiled kindly.

"You should have told me sooner and then you could have been on your way." The gloomy student perked up a bit, making his teacher laugh. She smiled appreciatively. Roxas had always been an overachieving student. She knew that it wasn't an excuse to slack off. "Go ahead, sign up."

"Yes ma'am," he murmured, gathering his things and heading toward the list.

Roxas visibly brightened when he saw that the house on Twilight Hill was still available. He adored old abandoned buildings. Eager to begin, he smiled to himself and hastily he wrote his name next to it, as well as 'solo'.

Pleased with himself, he left without a backward glance and walked across the grounds at a relaxed pace. There was no need to hurry—nothing more could be done today.

When he was halfway home, he dug out his cell phone, dialing a number and scheduling for a cab bright and early for Saturday morning. The ride alone would take over three hours, yet he couldn't contain his excitement.

Tomorrow was going to be a good day.

-x-X-x-

Roxas groaned a bit when the buzzing of his alarm permeated his dream, ruining it and slowly bringing him to awareness. He scoffed a bit, smacking it and making it fall off of the bedside table before he stretched, its beeping becoming muffled by the carpet. Roxas sighed heavily before reaching down and shutting it off. He'd always hated mornings and so he was in a sour mood. It wasn't until he remembered why he was waking up that his lips tugged upward into a smile. Grinning a bit, he turned to the body that was beside his own, still asleep, kissing the raven locks gently before leaving his fiancé to go start some coffee.

Hurriedly, Roxas went to the kitchen, beginning the brewing process and setting out the sugar and French Vanilla creamer. He inhaled the wonderful scent, sighing contentedly before going to take a shower.

Not even ten minutes later, the young photographer was drinking his coffee and watching the news. There was nothing special about the way he was dressed—he'd just thrown on some clean clothes; jeans, an old t-shirt, and a hooded sweater. Glancing at the time, he hurriedly downed the still hot beverage. The heat surging through his body felt nice since it was such a cold morning. Then he wiped his brow, left a note for Xion, and headed for the door.

Securing his bag that he'd packed the night before and zipping up his jacket as he locked his apartment behind him, he descended the complex's stairs. The taxi was due to arrive any moment now. The blond exited the building, shivering at the nippy autumn air. He was disappointed when there was no sign of it, even in the distance. He found himself fidgeting a little as he waited before finally settling down on the curb impatiently.

Long minutes drug by and Roxas' impatience grew. Idly, he played with some frost covered grass, just to keep busy. It wouldn't be long till it snowed, he mused. He smiled a little to himself, already imagining Xion in her oversized sweaters. The raven-hair had always worn them, ever since she was a little girl and they were always too big. His smile widened. She always looked so cute but so fragile because she was so tiny. He shook his head and looked skyward. They were to be married in the spring and he was already dreaming of it.

Yellow entered his peripheral vision and Roxas found himself turning his full attention to the cab entering the drive. It was older looking and beat up but, Roxas reminded himself, it was a ride and that he didn't have a car. Being a poor college student saving up for a wedding, he couldn't afford one. He stood, waving to it as it pulled into the lot, hailing it to himself. The driver, an old man with white-blond hair, squinted before grunting and rolling down the window.

"You the one that called?"

"Yeah."

"Well get in then." Roxas did as he was told, more than happy to comply. "Where to, lad?" The driver asked as Roxas settled into the back seat.

"The mansion on Twilight Hill in Twilight Town, please."

The color drained from the man's face as he stared at the boy in the rearview mirror. "Don't be goin' to that place alone, son. It's evil." Roxas audibly sighed and rolled his eyes. Such were the rumors surrounding the place. He could hardly believe how ridiculous people could be.

"Look, I don't care about the nonsense rumors. I have a project to do and I can't get it done if I listen to silly superstitions." The man grunted and muttered something like 'on all hallows eve too, no less. Dumb snot nosed kid.' Roxas pretended he hadn't heard the taxi driver, hiding his irritation from the man, just as he pretended that the next three hours weren't incredibly awkward.

The boy let his mind wander, blatantly ignoring the towns they drove past, overeager to reach his goal. He had seen pictures of the mansion in its prime. The building had been elegant and grand—a frequent place for parties for the elite of Twilight Town, Hollow Bastion, and Radiant Garden. That is, until the massacre just over two hundred years ago.

No one quite knew what had killed everyone inside… but ever since, people claimed that it was haunted and, as the rumors had it, anyone who went there alone disappeared and never came back. Not a soul had entered in fifty years because of it. Not since the groundskeeper had died. The blond had scoffed at the wild stories. They seemed wild and contrived, more than blown out of proportion over the years, and Roxas thought it was completely preposterous.

He was jerked back to the present when the car abruptly stopped and peered out the window. He didn't see the mansion anywhere.

"This' it?" The old man shook his head.

"No, you got a five mile walk to go. I ain't goin' past these gates, boy." Roxas flushed a little angrily, gathered his things and gave the man his fare. "Was a pleasure knowin' ya'."

"Sure, uh…"

"Cid."

"Right. Well… if you want to come back around-"

"Nope, no can do. Already jinxed m'self enough." Roxas blinked, stunned, watching the cab peel out of the drive. Then he scuffed in its general direction, kicking up dust at its retreating form. "Superstitious idiots, making me walk the last five miles, and not arranging for a ride back to town," he muttered. Irritably, he fiddled with his cell phone intending to complain to the company.

He exhaled heavily through his nose, growing more pissed off by the second. There was no service out here. "Perfect," he grumbled, pocketing his phone before moving forward.

-x-X-x-

The walk to the mansion hadn't been bad all, although the tree lined drive was horribly overgrown. Roxas got some decent pictures along the way, anyway.

When he finally got to the impressive front gate surrounding the house, he stopped, gazing up at them and the mansion beyond in wonder. The paint was peeling and tiles were missing and it was in need of repair… but they were both still very beautiful. He pulled against the bars and they groaned in protest as he coaxed them open. Grunting in triumph, he slipped inside and began walking the cobblestone path that led to the house, already deciding to take pictures of the perimeter in the morning. He'd wasted too much time with his walk to do it today.

Weeds had sprung up between the cracks in the cobblestone, making it barely visible, but it was still there and he was grateful for the defined path. Roxas turned, startled, when there was an eerie creak, just before the gate slammed shut behind him. He felt his veins constrict in fear and adrenaline pooled in the pit of his stomach. He relaxed, however, when a chilly breeze brushed past his face. "Just the wind," he murmured, facing the mansion once more.

He arrived at the mahogany door, brimming with grandeur despite its age and wear. He let his fingers brush against the cast iron knocker but hesitated when he distinctly felt eyes on him. A thorough look around was fruitless. Roxas frowned to himself and then shook his head. He was being ridiculous. He shouldn't be letting the old man's words be getting to him. Gingerly, he grasped the handle, giving it a testing turn. The unlocked door swung open with a nasty groan, revealing the interior.

Roxas' nose was immediately assaulted by the scent of musky decay. It reminded him of an old library with musty old books. He stepped forward, cringing a little as the floor creaked horribly. Yet, excitement thrummed through him as he explored. The paint was curling off of the walls and there were antiques everywhere. Everything had been left in place from that night, long ago. Every disturbance was original and covered in layers of filth. The blond stepped inside, shutting the door behind him, not wanting to unwittingly invite wild animals inside.

As he walked, he was quite pleased. Roxas smiled a bit as he became absorbed with taking photos. Nature hadn't reclaimed the building much at all and it made it all the more fun to explore the old building. He paused when he heard a crunching sound. The blond made a face as he realized that he'd stepped on a dead bird. "Ew," he muttered, kicking it to the side and wiping his sneaker on the dusty carpet before moving forward, snapping photos of the beautiful architecture and murals on the walls as he went. When he was thoroughly satisfied with his exploration of the downstairs, he climbed the dusty stairwell, going into a bedroom at random.

Roxas was horribly startled when he caught movement in his viewfinder. His stomach dropped to the floor. There was a figure across the room. Cautiously and slowly he lowered his camera carefully, his heart pounding. "H-hello?"

There was nothing. Eerie silence was all that met his ears. Slowly, he crept forward, absentmindedly playing with the golden cross around his neck—a nervous habit. It wouldn't surprise him at all if someone had broken in. He'd heard of vandals trashing buildings like this, gangs marring it with graffiti—all of which he still had yet to see. He took a shaky step forward refusing to believe in the rumors surrounding this place. Roxas did not believe in the supernatural.

The photographer inched forward cautiously, his heart thudding wildly, his tension growing. Anxiety began to eat at the pit of his stomach and creep up into his chest making it tighten. Just as he was feeling overwhelmed, he stopped. Roxas chuckled a little and visibly relaxed when he saw himself in an old mirror. His chuckle turned to laughter and he scolded himself a little for getting frightened by his own reflection. Then, he examined the mirror more closely, blinking in surprise. It was exquisite. The sheer attention to detail made it absolutely breathtaking. Roxas snapped a photo of it and, as he changed his angle for another, something struck him as odd, his eye for detail getting the better of him.

The blond frowned as he looked around the room. It was so strange. Everything else in this room was in disarray, broken and dirty, but this mirror… was perfect. There wasn't even a thin coating of dust, whereas the rest of the house was blanketed in several layers of it.

Another thing was bothering him, making him direly curious. He reached out, his fingers gently brushing against the wooden hand crafted frame, and he was completely taken by its beauty. His eyes clouded and everything felt surreal, almost as if he were in a trance. Yet it didn't scare him. "Haunted house or not… who would have wanted to leave you behind?" he whispered dreamily. He'd never understood why people abandoned things. Especially if it was because of silly rumors.

He shook his head to clear it, even as his mind insisted to him that he should take it with him when he left. He nodded without thinking, as if in agreement—it was better than leaving it where it was, to rot, after all. Besides, he was certain that Xion would love it. With that final thought, he smiled a bit, completely oblivious to the cold, cruel eyes that watched as he wandered from its reflective depths.

-x-X-x-

Darkness began to settle over the house. It was getting late and Roxas was tired. He sat on the steps that led upstairs, eating the sandwich he had packed as he contemplated what to do. The taxi had only taken him to the drive, refusing to go any further, and he was miles from town. So, he could either walk five miles in the dark braving whatever wild animals that might be roaming about and hoping that the old man, Cid, would have a change of heart and venture to this place in the dark to see if he was alright, or he could stay the night. Frankly, the latter seemed like the more viable option. The blond shook his head at the silly superstitions that surrounded this place. It was old, yes, but he'd found that it was generally harmless. Deciding to stop for the night and to find a good place to rest, Roxas packed his camera away.

His mind wandered back to the room with the mirror. There had been a fireplace in that room. He could gather wood and start a fire to stay warm through the night. Roxas' brows furrowed a bit and he questioned himself. He hadn't remembered seeing a fireplace, yet he was so sure. A chill crept into the room and he was reminded of the frigid autumn air. It was cold this time of year and the promise of having a fire to keep him warm was comforting as it whispered in his mind. Without much thought, he went outside in search of wood.

-x-X-x

Roxas smiled a little to himself, warming his hands by the fire as the cold dissipated, wondering why he'd ever doubted himself. He shook his head and got up to explore the room, hoping to find blankets to keep himself warm throughout the night. He spotted an old cedar chest near the mirror and went to it, lifting the lid before rummaging through it. There was an old quilt at the bottom. It had yellowed with age but it would serve its purpose well. Smiling a bit, Roxas picked it up and shook it out. Then, he went over to the bed, stripped off the dusty, dingy, bedspread, and wrapped himself up before lying down. It would suffice for the night. Comforted both by the thought of being home by tomorrow afternoon, and ahead of everyone else with his project, Roxas smiled a bit. He'd even be able to boast about braving the night in 'the haunted house'. With that final thought in his mind, he let himself fall into a deep slumber. Unbeknownst to him, he was not alone.

-x-X-x

It watched and it bided its time as it had from the very first moment that the house had been disturbed in nearly half a century, waiting. It could be patient, after all.

The crackling fire extinguished with a violent hiss and smoke seeped into the room. The entity, which had been trapped in the mirror – beautiful, but a prison nonetheless—smiled wryly. It didn't need light to see and it preferred darkness. Walking to the human's sleeping form, it ran a long, sharp, black talon along the peaceful, sleeping face. The boy was pretty and had golden hair. It liked that. It wouldn't simply kill this one as it had done to the others. It was lonely. It didn't want him to ever leave.

If it could influence the boy to take it with him and let it inflict more pain and suffering until it claimed him, so be it. Regardless, it intended to do whatever was necessary to make certain that they would always be bound.

The blond had picked the perfect night to awaken it for what was intended, even if I had been unwittingly so. After all, it could only perform the curse of the Nobody on Halloween. A cruel smile worked its way across its face. It wanted the boy. Therefore it would force him to comply. The blond shifted in his sleep and it pulled its hand away, simply observing. The boy shivered a little. The chill that had crept into the room was unwelcomed. He was already feeling the absence of the fire.

"Mmn," he murmured, rubbing at his eyes and feeling around blindly, grasping his cell phone and illuminating the room. The creature didn't like the light but it simply watched as the blond sat up and grumbled groggily, muttering that he'd only been asleep for an hour and that the fire shouldn't have gone out already. "What the hell?" he muttered, shivering. His breath made a visible plume as he went to the fireplace. He examined the wood. It was still hot, yet the embers were gone. Snickering as the blond puzzled over the fire, the entity snapped its fingers and the flames jumped back to life, right before Roxas' eyes.

Crying out in alarm, Roxas fell back with a painful thump, shook his head and pinched himself. He paled a bit. "No, I must be dreaming… I'm dreaming…" he muttered. The entity in the mirror grinned devilishly, watching its prey get back into bed. The moment Roxas was comfortable, the fire went out with another violent hiss and the blond curled up into a ball. Oblivious to the other's laughter as he murmured, "…just a dream, just a dream, just a dream…" and tried to will himself to sleep.

Bright green eyes observed the boy as he settled back to sleep. Midnight was fast approaching and a nasty sneer came across its face. "Sleep and dream while you can, little one, for soon, you will be mine and nothing will save you," it hissed.

-x-X-x-

Roxas woke to something wet dripping on his face. He groaned sleepily wiping at his face, only to be dripped on again. He blinked up at the ceiling, realizing that there was water damage above his head and that it was leaking. That meant…

He got up, putting on his jacket and gathering his things together before going to the window and pulling the filthy curtains open. It was pouring rain outside. Roxas groaned before glancing at the mirror. He didn't really want to carry it in the rain but...

He stared at it longingly for a moment or two and, without thinking, he went to it, brushing his fingers against it as thoughts about how lovely it was whispered to his mind. "It would be a shame to leave it…" he murmured in agreement with the thoughts. His eyes fogged and he took it off the wall without thinking.

The entity purred, pleased, as it continued to whisper to Roxas, bewitching him all the way to town.

-x-X-x-

Roxas went into the first building in sight. A bar. It reeked of alcohol and still harbored its regulars. He sneezed, completely soaked. His clothes were dripping and he was shivering violently.

"What're you doin' son? You're gonna get sick, gettin' soaked like that!"

Roxas snapped to awareness and locked his eyes with the speaker's. When he did, the other man visibly paled and Roxas flushed from anger, pointing accusingly.

"You! You owe me a ride for abandoning me! If any of my stuff got damaged you're paying for it!" He yelled angrily. The old man winced as the men across the room stared.

"Yea, yea, okay, I'll take ya' back for free, just quiet down." Roxas scoffed as the man stared at him and then the mirror in his hands. "Uh, rough night?"

"It was fine, but would have been better if my ride had come back to get me rather than make me sleep in an abandoned building," the blond hissed.

"Okay, okay. I get it." Roxas huffed indigently and the man went back to a door behind the bar. "'Lette! Get this boy some breakfast while I get 'im dry!" He yelled, gesturing for Roxas to follow him up a flight of stairs. After a moment of hesitation, the blond followed in a horribly sour mood.

-x-X-x-

Roxas inhaled deeply, shuddering as the warm water caressed his body, finally relaxing as he took a shower. He smiled happily at the wonderful feeling, the cold that had clung to him was finally dissipating. He melted into the soothing feeling, just enjoying it. Not even the warm meal had calmed him down this much. Cid had even offered him dry clothes for when he was done, to keep, since his clothes were soaked.

He heard a noise and froze. Roxas' pulse spiked and he grasped the shower curtain. Hesitating for a moment longer, he listened. Then he ripped the curtain open. But there was nothing. No one was there and nothing had been disturbed. The mirror was where he'd left it—he'd been half afraid that Cid would attempt to find out where it came from and destroy it if he found out, so he'd brought it into the bathroom with him.

Shaking his head and feeling foolish, he rinsed his hair out, completely oblivious to the entity that was inches from him.

It watched, closely, very closely as the water trailed down the boy's tanned skin and dampened his golden hair. Green eyes lit up as they took in every inch of skin. It smirked, pleased. The boy was beautiful. So, so beautiful.

Roxas jumped as he felt phantom fingers trail down his spine and spun around, nearly falling in the process. He blinked at the empty space and ran a hand though his dampened hair before shaking his head once again. He was being silly, listening to the words of deranged old men when he should know better. There were no such things as ghosts. No phantoms of any kind existed.

The entity's sharp eyes caught the glistening chain around Roxas' neck. It grinned wickedly at the religious object, for it knew that the boy's God would not save him. Nothing would. However it did nothing more than watch up until Roxas got out of the shower. It didn't want to alert the boy of its presence. Not yet anyway.

-x-X-x-

Roxas descended the stairs, barely catching the remnants of the conversation between Cid and the girl that had brought him breakfast.

"Grandpa! You can't abandon customers because of silly superstitions!" The old man huffed.

"I don' like that boy. There's somethin' strange about him." Roxas cleared his throat and the girl, Olette, jumped, startled, and stared at him, horrified that he'd heard bits of their conversation.

"I'm ready to go now," he mumbled. The brunette flushed as she bent down, retrieving something.

"Uh-hm here are your clothes…" she murmured, handing them to Roxas. Cid grunted.

"Let's go then. It's a long trip and I got stuff to do." Roxas flushed angrily.

"You have no room to complain!" The man simply grunted again, walking away and gesturing for the boy to follow. Roxas did, grumbling offendedly the entire way to the cab.

When they got there, he buckled the mirror into place, taking precautions despite getting rained on, not wanting it to get damaged if Cid were to be a reckless driver at all, and then he placed his camera and bag beside it and pocketed his cell phone before getting inside as well. He huffed indignantly and made himself comfortable as Cid started the car and began to drive.

As they got onto the main road, the old man glanced back at the mirror, grunting a bit before turning his attention to the road. He'd never seen anything like it in his sixty-one years at twilight town. That alone made him suspicious of where it was from. One more casual glance revealed something truly horrifying. Cid slammed on the breaks, making the tires screech and the back end fishtail when his eyes locked with those of the monster in the mirror. The entity grinned wickedly at the old man, only revealing itself to the driver for a moment longer before disappearing.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" The man was horribly white.

"T-that mirror, where did you get it, boy?" He asked hoarsely.

"I got it from a nice place in Twilight Town for my fiancé." The entity was displeased when it heard Roxas say that. It wanted the boy and it did not want to share. Nor did it want to be shared. She would be the first to go after this bothersome old man.

"Didn't get it from that mansion, did ya'?" Roxas scoffed.

"Don't worry about where I got it. It's none of your business since you just abandoned me, you superstitious old coot!" The man shuddered. His unease was palpable but he said nothing more. He knew the boy would be foolish and not listen to a word he said. Instead, he did his best to ignore Roxas and the mirror for the duration of the car ride, as well as old folk tales.

When they arrived and it was finally time for Roxas to get out of the car and return home, the man visibly relaxed. He watched Roxas carefully as he gathered his things, up until the moment he vanished into his apartment building with the mirror. Exhaling in relief, he switched gears and began the return trip home.

He switched on the radio and thumbed through the stations as the wipers screeched against the windshield. The rain was finally letting up. He stretched, a bit, finally settling on a station, but stopped when icy cold talons trailed along his throat, completely frozen in fear. Cid looked up just in time to see the wicked creature in his rearview mirror. It grinned wryly, nastily, as the old man's eyes widened and he cried out in alarm, slammed on his breaks and squeezed his eyes shut, nearly causing the vehicle behind him to crash into him. There was an angry honk but the blond refused to open his eyes, merely shaking his head as he trembled.

"Look not at the mirror, for that which beholds the monster becomes the monster," he whimpered the old tale, shaking horribly. "That stupid kid!"

"Thou art most clever but it will not save thee," a breathtakingly beautiful voice purred into the old man's ear, the soothing, enchanting, tone slowly coaxing him into opening his eyes. The monster was gone and in its place was a beautiful young red-headed man sitting directly behind him. Cid relaxed marginally before tensing up when it chuckled darkly. "For you see, bewitchment, dear fool, spares no one..." Ten talons dug into Cid's neck simultaneously, ripping it apart before another word could be spoken. It moaned, trembling with need from the bloodlust that was building as Cid choked on his own blood. It wanted to devour the man, to rip him apart and drench the vehicle with blood. It struggled with itself, its fingers twitching, still embedded in the man's neck. No… no not yet… but soon.

Only Roxas…

Soon, soon, soon, soon, it reminded itself before vanishing in a plume of black smoke.

-x-X-x-

"Xion, I'm home!"

"Roxas, I missed you!" The raven hair called, entering the room hurriedly. Her eyes lit up when she saw the object in his hands. "Oh! What a beautiful mirror!" Roxas grinned happily.

"I thought you'd like it," he said, beaming. "I know I can't get you nice things very often… but when I saw this I immediately thought you'd like it, so I hope that it makes up for it a little." Xion replied with a hug.

"Oh Roxas, don't worry about that! I love it! I love how sweet and thoughtful you are! That's what matters the most." Roxas grinned happily and kissed her excitedly. She beamed at him before her expression became serious.

"Roxas I… I have to tell you something…"

"Oh?" the blond asked curiously.

"Yeah… I went to the doctor today…" Roxas felt his stomach drop to the floor, the worst scenarios immediately going though his mind.

"Is everything okay?" She nodded.

"I just had a check-up but… I found out some exciting news! We're going to be parents!" Roxas grinned widely. The entity frowned, fixating on Xion and snarling.

"That's… really?" The raven-hair nodded her head. "That's wonderful!" She smiled happily just before he kissed her, touching her stomach lovingly. "How far along are we?"

"Six weeks." Roxas smiled happily, pressing his forehead to hers.

"I'm so glad. You've made me so happy!"

Acidic green eyes stared at the girl, burning with rage. It hissed unhappily when the pair kissed and dragged its talons along the reflective glass. Xion pulled away from Roxas, wincing and covering her ears.

"What is that?!" Roxas blinked.

"What's what?"

"That horrible noise!" Roxas looked at her perplexedly.

"I don't hear anything, Xion. Maybe you should lie down?" he offered. She nodded.

"Y-yeah… okay…" She murmured, hesitating when she felt eyes on her.

"You don't want to overdo it… C'mon… you're really pale…" Hesitantly, she nodded.

"Y-yeah… you're right."

The entity watched and waited, its eyes following the raven hair's every movement, following its prey, up until the couple went into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

-x-X-x-

The raven-hair hummed to herself as she hung the beautiful mirror in her and Roxas' bedroom when the blond went out, saying he needed to get something from the grocery store. She was feeling much better now, and so she'd decided to catch up on some cleaning.

When it was perfect, she smiled happily as she polished it before continuing to dust the rest of the room. She paused when she got to a framed photograph, her smile widening. It was her and Roxas' engagement photo. She smiled happily at her boyfriend's handsome face. However, her brows furrowed when the glass began to crack right before her eyes, for no reason whatsoever.

Frowning in confusion as a large chunk of glass fell on the floor, she took the photo out of the frame. When she did, she gasped in horror as it burst into flame, dropping it instinctively to avoid getting burnt. Her confusion only grew as she stared at the charred photograph. Only Roxas' image remained of the photo. She shook her head, unsure of what to make of it but decided to get the vacuum to clean up the mess nonetheless.

Carefully, she bent down and picked up the remnant of the photograph, puzzling at it as she turned. When she did, something horrifying greeted her. Her blue eyes widened in terror and her mouth opened wide as she gaped, frozen in shock. She yelped when Roxas' image heated up, singing her fingers burning them until she was forced to let go. Yet her eyes never left those of a red-haired, snarling, monster.

"Mine," it hissed. Xion screamed and as she turned to run, icy fingers dug into her scalp, sharp talons scraping against it and cutting it open.

"Roxas! Roxas help! No!"

-x-X-x-

Roxas smiled as he entered their apartment. Something smelt burnt but it only made Roxas' smile widen as he guessed that Xion was attempting to cook him something, to be sweet. He didn't judge her for her inability to even boil water. He loved her as she was. He peeked into the kitchen, a bouquet of purple carnations in hand, Xion's favorite.

"Xion?" he called. She was nowhere to be found. Roxas frowned. "Odd…" he murmured. Then he shrugged, guessing that she went out to do something before her night class. Stretching a bit, he set the flowers down on the counter and decided to work on his assignment. He smiled a bit, knowing that Naminé would be impressed by his work ethic.

Lazily, he went into their shared room but stopped as soon as he entered and the burnt smell assaulted his nose, much more intense than it had been. Roxas frowned, walking toward the bathroom to retrieve Xion's perfume, intending to mask the smell.

When he switched on the bathroom's light, he gasped in horror. There was blood, everywhere. And in the middle of everything was Xion.

She was hanging in the shower limply, the hose of the showerhead wrapped around her neck like a makeshift noose, her eyes blown wide with horror, even in death, bloodied and battered. Blood dripped from her wounds into the tub at a slow, steady pace.

Roxas screamed. "No, Xion, no!"

-x-X-x-

The next few hours were a blur for Roxas. The police had come and investigated the scene before taking away the raven hair's body on a gurney and covered with a sheet. Roxas had been horribly shaken and in a state of shock and had an alibi as well. The police had been just as baffled as he had been.

Xion had had no enemies, and neither had Roxas. Nor had there been any signs of forced entry. Whoever had committed the crime had been invited in, they'd concluded.

When they finally left, to question the raven hair's friends and family, the blond curled up on their bed, hugged her pillow and cried himself to sleep.

-x-X-x-

Roxas woke screaming, a horrible pain erupting in his upper back. He felt like he was being stabbed. Then the pain descended, as if he were being sliced open. The entity smirked, watching the boy struggle and scream as it held him in place and carved the symbol of the Nobody into his back, cursing him in its native tongue. The symbol glowed red before sealing itself, becoming rough scar tissue. It smiled, satisfied, sucking on its bloodied finger and leaving the blond to shudder and cry in pain. Cringing, Roxas reached back, and gasped in horror when he felt the roughness instead of smooth skin. He got out of bed quickly, stumbled and fell. The entity watched, amused, as the boy searched for something. When he appeared to have found it, he ran to the mirror, nearly tripping on a piece of furniture along the way.

Roxas took a few calming breaths, pulled his ruined shirt away, turned his back to the mirror, and then took a photo of himself with his Nikon. He looked at the picture and dropped the camera out of shock. Without a second thought, He bolted for the door, disregarding his back. It hardly seemed important when, in the picture, there was a man standing behind him in the mirror, staring right at him. Something that the blond knew was impossible. The door slammed shut in front of him and Roxas desperately tried to open it, jerking on the doorknob violently. He cried out in both surprise and pain when the metal of the knob heated up and burned his fingers. Roxas immediately regretted thinking that Cid was a fool. He trembled in fear… He didn't want to die. Tears spilled down his cheeks as his mind wandered back to Xion. It was his fault… all his fault.

The entity purred, pleased with itself. It had been successful. The boy was trapped and he would never be out of its sight again. However, it wasn't satisfying enough. It wanted Roxas to truly share its prison. It wanted to touch the boy, to feel, and be touched and felt in return. To have him truly belong to it.

It smirked, an awful, wicked thought coming to life in its mind. It would make the small human give it his heart willingly and then the boy would never escape him. Even in death he would not be free. It watched the boy cowering on the other side of the room, a cruel smile gracing its lips but it made no effort to approach him. It knew that he would come willingly.

Roxas hesitated for a long moment, finally calling out, "W-who's there?" Overwhelming silence met his ears. Feeling his breathing accelerate he called again, "What do you want from me?" Nothing. He hesitated again, his heart pounding erratically as he considered approaching the mirror. If nothing else, he needed to see if his camera was damaged. Slowly, he stepped forward, retrieving his cell phone, checking the time before using it as a flashlight. It was thirteen minutes to midnight. Shaking, he illuminated the mirror from three feet away, every movement making him cringe in pain.

There was nothing but his own reflection staring back at him, looking horribly pale and frightful. Trembling, Roxas knelt down, picking up his camera and examining it, looking for damage. The flash went off and he screamed.

The entity laughed, fascinated by the device. It had never seen one before. It heard the boy telling himself to calm down and it watched him from its prison. Roxas took a deep breath and stared at his illuminated screen as he examined his latest picture. The man looked very handsome and elegant. Roxas felt his heart pound a little. The man's features were shadowed, yet he could tell that he was very beautiful.

Roxas took a shaky breath. He knew this wasn't a trick of the light because there had just been the flash from his camera. The man had really been there. His skeptic mind wanted to disprove it but the proof was in his hands and on his body. He laughed in disbelief. Of all the objects in the mansion, he'd ended up bringing home the haunted one for Xion. His lips trembled and he became upset as he thought of her, wondering if there were more entities in the mirror besides the man. Something that had caused her death…

Fear washed over Roxas yet, slowly, the boy stood. His eyes squeezed shut as he found himself braving the unknown and he strived to calm himself. When he finally got brave enough to open his eyes and illuminate the room again, any remaining color drained from his face.

There the man was, standing behind his doppelganger. Taking a shaky breath, he peered over his shoulder. There was nothing. Shaking, he looked back into the mirror. The man was still there, frighteningly calm. He stiffened when the man approached him. The hair on the back of his neck stood on end when the tall figure stopped directly behind him. It went dark and Roxas fumbled with his phone, illuminating the space once more. The man was still there, watching. The blond swallowed, staring into the handsome yet pale face. The tall, lanky, figure appeared to be noble from the way he was dressed in a dark, regal, coat with the frills of his shirt coming out of the sleeves, to the way that his shocking red hair was tied back with a black ribbon. Strange markings under his eyes made him curious, however.

Suddenly, it struck him that this man appeared to be perfectly harmless. "D-do you need my help? Is whatever attacked me keeping you in there?" he asked stupidly as questions filled his mind. Who was he? Why was he in the mirror? The red-headed man simply stared at him and Roxas flushed. "S-sorry, if I'm bothering you… I'm… I wasn't trying to invade your space or anything, I just wanted to take pictures at the mansion and thought the mirror was too lovely to leave… So I-" A slow smirk worked its way across the red-head's unbearably handsome face and the man's green eyes sparkled. Roxas' heart pounded as the beautiful man vanished. "W-wait!" he called, searching the mirror franticly. He cried out in alarm when something touched him, just before it went dark. This time, no matter how much he fumbled with his phone, it would not light up.

Deathly cold ebony talons trailed across Roxas' skin. The blond whimpered at the phantom touch and hissed in pain whenever it touched the scars on his back. A name whispered in his mind over and over and Roxas shuddered.

…Axel, Axel, Axel… Axel, Axel, Axel… Axel…

"A-Axel?"He gasped when he heard a pleased purr beside him.

"Your heart…" A deep, beautiful and warm, husky, voice whispered into his ear invitingly. Roxas' throat went dry and his heart pounded.

"H-heart?" He rasped.

"Yes, Roxas. I want your heart." Something sharp dug into the boy's shoulders and the blond cried out in alarm as blood trailed down his chest from shallow cuts. "And I will have it," the man hissed. The lights jumped to life, revealing the man in the mirror once more and Roxas screamed, horrified.

The man looked absolutely feral. His wild hair was spiked out every which way, the dark markings on his cheeks had elongated, and Roxas watched in stunned disbelief, as his beautiful emerald green eyes rolled to the back of his head turning them white and terrifying, making him look like a man possessed. The blond dropped his phone and his camera in shock, giving a pained cry as those ebony claws dug into his flesh further. The man in the mirror… Roxas shook his head... The monster in the mirror gave him a nasty, toothy, grin, revealing sharp, pointed, teeth.

Roxas' hand shook violently as he clutched the golden cross that hung around his neck and the monster laughed maliciously. "You think that will save you? You that think you can escape?" Itsnarled. Roxas cringed. "Foolish child. You are mine." Terrified beyond words, the boy bowed his head, folded his trembling hands together and did the only thing he could think of—pray to God.

"Our F-father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name," he began, his voice betraying his fear, "T-thy kingdom come, Thy w-will be done in earth, as it is in heaven," He trembled violently, any attempts to hide his horror ruined by the violent sobs that wracked his petite frame as tears streamed down his face, "G-g-give us this day our d-daily br-bread. And f-forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from e-evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever and ever. Amen," he whimpered, trembling, yet slowly becoming more confident when the touch subsided. When he dared to look, the mirror was empty. Relief and hope washed through the boy and he foolishly relaxed when he touched the cool, reflective surface.

The monster's horrifying face replaced his own and Roxas screamed, stumbling away and tripping over his feet. It smiled cruelly.

"Miss me?"

"No!" Burning hands grasped him, forcing him to his feet, and Roxas cried out in alarm, flailing violently. He howled in pain when they began to singe his skin. "L-let me go!" There was a dark chuckle and the searing pain intensified. His eyes widened comically when its face began to crack. It was as if its face were a mask.

"Where is your God, Roxas?" It hissed. "Are you giving up on Him already?" It chuckled cruelly, "At least give Him till dawn to save thee," it spat. Talons dug into the blond's scalp and the boy emitted an anguished whimper. Axel held back a pleasured moan, drinking in the delicious agony.

So began his night of terror.

-x-X-x-

Early morning light filtered into the room. Birds that hadn't ventured south for the winter yet were chirping, singing a cheery melody. The world went by, completely oblivious to the pain of the poor soul unfortunate enough to be trapped inside a seemingly harmless room, in a seemingly harmless apartment complex.

Said soul—the young blond photographer—bowed his head, grasping the mirror as he hunched forward, trembling in agony. Tears streamed down his pretty face. He let loose an audible sob before whimpering. "Why—why do I deserve this? What have I done wrong?" He cringed, crying out in pain, as warm, fresh blood seeped from his scar as the monster ripped the flesh open for the eighth time since the ordeal had begun, making the symbol ache and burn. The scar tissue had become more irritated and raised, each time. His body convulsed when the monster's hot breath ghosted across his ear and his golden blond locks were singed. The foul smell of burnt hair assaulted his nose and he screamed when the creature's searing hot tongue ran up his neck, literally burning the skin. Then, with little to no effort it raised Roxas' chin with its unfurled, taloned, hand, careful not to cut the boy's pretty face yet forcing him to meet its gaze.

Terrified cerulean met with pure white demonic eyes. He stared in horror, face draining of color, and his entire body went cold. Fresh tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Don't cry," it whispered, one of its talons piercing the skin centimeters above his right nipple. Roxas whimpered, more tears falling from his pretty blue eyes. It wiped them away from his left cheek with its thumb. The blond sobbed.

"L-let me go," he begged. The monster smirked wryly, deciding to humor the boy with a promise. A nasty, wicked, promise.

"Give me your heart, and I will free you," it murmured, its voice mockingly soothing, capturing the boy's attention. "Give me your heart, and I will save you," it continued, amused by the flicker of hope in its prey's eyes. "Give me your heart and feel fear, pain, hurt no more." Roxas' brows furrowed and he gasped as the entity leant close to whisper in his ear, the seriousness and finality of the words that were to come, emphasized by its tone. "I will make it all stop."

It would put an end to Roxas' miserable life of mortality and keep him forever—a fate far more cruel than being tortured to death.

Roxas bit his lower lip, thinking for a long moment. He took a shaky breath. "No," he spat, defiantly. Smaller cracks stemmed from the ones that were already visible on the monster's face and Roxas gasped. It snarled ferally, angered by the boy's defiance, and sharp nails travelled from his shoulder to his neck, severing the chain around it. Roxas could only stare, horrified as the monster played with his cross idly as it began to melt. Hot metal hit the floor with an audible hiss as it dripped beside the young photographer's feet and sheer terror rose inside the boy.

"Believe me, when I'm through with you, your voice will be raw from your begging for an end," it promised, its razor sharp witch nails tearing through the boy's clothing with an audible rip.

"No!" Roxas screamed, struggling vainly. Axel simply laughed as the short male's clothing fell away, despite his efforts. Then, the entity took him roughly, possessed him, but it wasn't the same as it should have been. It wasn't satisfying as it rammed into the frail body and listened to him scream. It felt nothing and it wouldn't—not until the curse was completed, not while Roxas was outside the mirror. It hissed in irritation. Even Roxas' pain and fear were meaningless, compared to what they should have been. It bit the human's shoulder hard, filling his mind with the mantra running through its own.

Your heart, your heart, your heart, your heart, your heart, give it to me, I want it, I need it, need it, need it, I need it now, forever, mine, the beautiful voice with harsh undertones whispered to Roxas' mind incessantly, yearning and demanding. Its movements became erratic and painful, making the boy scream and sob in pain.

Roxas cried out when it finally finished, burning him deep inside as it climaxed before doing it again and again. His resolve was beginning to crack, just like the monster's face. There was so much pain wracking his body that he couldn't think straight. His body was adorned with cuts, burns, and nasty bruises from earlier that night but it wasn't enough for the displeased entity. His left arm twisted behind him and he heard sickening crack as it broke. Sobs, cries and screams filled the room and yet again, the dark promise whispered to him as he was raped again. Don't cry. Give me your heart, and I will free you. Give me your heart, and I will save you. Give me your heart and feel fear, pain, hurt no more. I will make it all stop.

Icy ebony nails traced his scar, making it sting and burn far worse than it had ever stung and burned before and Roxas screamed one more time, his voice raw, before caving in.

"I can't, n-no," he sobbed, his voice cracking, he was going mad from the pain and he couldn't handle much more, "make it stop, just make it stop," he begged, "take my heart."

Everything went still. It was no longer inside of him. There was an unsettling calm that fell over the room at the utterance. Roxas panted, hissed and cringed at the pain as he grasped his useless arm. Nauseous and half blinded by it, he threw up violently. The silence ensued, even after he was done retching.

Just as he looked up, another large chunk of the mask fell away, the red-headed monster's skin taking on a grayish hue as it snarled, half of its true face revealed. Roxas screamed in terror. It grinned wickedly just before it lunged forward, vanishing into a wisp of smoke. Roxas looked around wildly, his pupils dilated in fear, trying to locate the monster. He barely had time to catch sight of the towering form beside him before he was sent to the ground painfully. Roxas' head spun. He fought, kicking, screaming and biting as something heavy pinned him down. There was a dark chuckle and the blond was frozen in fear.

"H-how? How did you get out?!" It loomed over him and grinned maliciously. Sheer terror wormed its way into the pit of Roxas' stomach.

"It is your doing, foolish boy, you are the one that invited me here," Roxas heard it hiss. He cringed at the warped two-toned demonic voice. "And now, I am going to take what is mine." Ebony nails sank into the blond's chest, right above his heart, and Roxas screamed. The vile creature merely watched the boy struggle, amused.

Roxas broke out in a cold sweat, whimpering and sobbing pathetically as nausea pooled in the pit of his stomach, mingling with the fear as his blood pooled on the floor. Tears rimmed his eyes and he fought both the pain and the bile rising in his throat. "Please, no," he begged. The monster laughed, the sound eerie and terrifying. Another chunk of the mask fell away, turning to ash. The debris fluttered around Roxas' face, some of it landing in his golden hair, tainting it. The entity stared at him with cold, unforgiving, merciless eyes. Then it twisted its claws, tearing apart Roxas' chest with ease. The boy screamed as they were ripped out and Axel lunged forward.

Blood curdling screams could be heard only by the one who drowned in pleasure from them –the red-head itself—as the monster devoured the boy's still beating heart. Axel reveled in the blond's delectable pain, moaning at the squelching and crunching sounds as it devoured flesh and bone, savagely tearing him apart even after he went still.

When it was satisfied and bloodied, it kissed the corpse's still warm lips, purring pleasurably when they were painted red and staring into lifeless cerulean eyes.

Soon.

-X-x-X-

Roxas woke to a dark, dreary, vast, emptiness. He felt nothing. Not fear, nor pain, hurt, joy, love… Nothing. There was a strange hollowness that he'd never experienced before. It was as if he were a void that could never be filled.

"Welcome back, pet." Roxas' senses came rushing back to him and his eyes fixated on the horrifying creature that was beside him. All he could see was Axel and darkness. He should have been terrified. However, he simply felt nothing.

"What have you done to me?" He hissed, backing away. He did not trust Axel, even in death. Amusement flickered in now emerald eyes, the mask restored. Even so, all Roxas could see was a monster. No illusion would ever fool him again. The entity grinned wryly.

"I have done as you asked. You feel nothing and you are nothing—a nobody." Its grin widened to Cheshire proportions. "That is, unless I wish it. You will only feel what I want you to feel, except what I have promised, for I have your heart." It leant closer, placing its ghastly white fingers on the boy's shoulders. "You are now bound to me inside my prison." Roxas gasped.

"No!" A dark, ugly, frown marred the red-head's handsome face.

"Yes," Axel hissed, fisting blond locks and kissing him possessively, despite how Roxas struggled, taking his mouth savagely and letting him feel pleasure from it to prove its point. It only pulled away when Roxas submitted to its advances. "Such is the price you have paid," it growled against the boy's lips, angered by his denial. Roxas stared into those faux green eyes and just absorbed what the creature had said. That was all he could do—he had nothing else to feel.

"I will never let you go. You are mine. Forever." The hollow ache returned to Roxas' chest and he whimpered as his emotions slipped away once more.

It half purred, half hissed when it claimed the pretty boy's lips once more, only to be met with resistance. The defiance as irritating but it knew, with time, that Roxas would be forced to accept the vile words and that was enough. For everything the creature said, every promise it made, no matter how wicked, was true.

-x-X-x-

-End-