(Author's Notes)
Hi guys! I'm here with a new story!
First off, I feel I have to warn you all that this story may be upped to an M rating in the coming chapters, for gore. I also feel I should say that, at its core, this is a reverse harem style fic, but it will also have a lot of horror elements, yay! But anyways, this story is a major experiment for me, so we'll see how it goes. But don't worry, I still fully plan to finish "I'm Your Devil!". I just needed a break from it since I'm really stuck on the latest chapter. Not entirely sure how far I'll get on this one, but if you guys like it I may continue it passed the next few chapters. ;)
So, the female protagonist for this story is Mayu again. I actually considered a few different options but she just seemed to fit, haha. The boys for this one will be Kaito, Yuma, Len, Luki, and Mikuo! Might switch Len out for Oliver, but we'll see.
Anyways, hope you enjoy!
The rustle of the white cotton dress against her skin, the steady rhythm of light breaths, and the feeling of the leathery pages betwixt her fingers as her eyes scanned and memorized each word. These were all things that Mayu knew very well, and these were all things that she was very familiar with, and yet, somehow, it always seemed like she knew so very little. So, she read more to quench her thirst. In fact, that's all she did — all day, every day, she read. For a hundred years she had read like this, her attention never fading as she turned page after page, reading the same books over and over again. They were all she had.
She shifted slightly on her white arm chair, feeling thoughtful as she turned another page. Come to think of it, she wondered pointedly, she had never seen her reflection before. This was because no mirrors were available to her here — they were unnecessary, she supposed. However, Mayu assumed that like most angels, she was at least moderately beautiful and tall. She had never heard her own voice, either, though. Thinking about it made her slightly weary, and she couldn't help scratching idly at the ribbon tied around the lower portion of her face, wishing she could untie the bow and spit out her gag. She knew, however, that this was not only ill advised, but completely impossible, as there were certain preventative measures taken. She had learned that the hard way when she was younger. And besides that, Mother Matilde knows best.
Her books, after all, had taught her many things about Mother Matilde and her Nephilim brethren. According to her beloved books, Mother Matilde had united the Nephilim children against the armies of Hell all those years ago, after the angels had become extinct from the onslaught of the demons. Mother Matilde had synthetically created her, a pure angel, and given her the name "Mayu". She also knew that this stark white room she called home was nothing more than a closed space in Mother Matilde's heaven, where she was being kept safe until the time that her people needed her. Mayu was the only angel left, but that didn't matter much to her. All that mattered was that the Nephilim were righteous, and therefore had her allegiance. Mayu would fight with them. That's what the books had taught her, and that's all she knew.
Tossing the last few words around in her mind, Mayu carefully closed the book and set it on the table beside her. Shifting her emotionless eyes over the white washed walls and carpet that twinkled like snow, her gaze fell upon the simple bed lying inconspicuously in the far corner of the room. She wondered vaguely if she should sleep. Being an angel, things like food and sleep were unnecessary to her, however, she had learned that naps helped pass the time, especially since there were no windows in her room, nor any other way to tell time. Each move was meticulously timed as she got up from the chair and slowly came over to the bed, unfolding the carefully made sheets and inserting herself between them. She closed her eyes and sleep came to her immediately, as it always did. Mayu always found it slightly disappointing that she never dreamed.
When Mayu's eyes flew open several hours later, she found that the light reflecting off her pale ceiling seemed somehow brighter than before. This was very strange indeed, as Mayu had repeated this ritual of unnecessary slumber many times in her hundred years of life, and not a single time had there been any change or abnormality. Feeling neither excitement nor worry, she sat up and glanced about the room. Everything seemed to be in place; the armchair sat quietly against the wall, and her book was still placed on the carved table beside it. The carpet, walls, and wainscoting were all still the same bright white. The permanently lit chandelier still hung overhead, its candlelight flickering, but bright, and her books sat silently on their shelves.
However, when Mayu's gaze fell upon a certain section of the wall on the far left side of the room, she found the change. Strangely, a small square seemed to be missing in the wall. The hole was no more than two feet tall, and all that could be seen through it was a bright, unfiltered light. Mayu cocked her head to the side, staring blatantly. For a moment, she puzzled over this new appearance, several theories floating around in her mind. Finally, deciding this must be a calling of some sort, she got up from the bed, carefully arranged the bedding, and calmly walked over to the square of light. Without a moment's hesitation, she dropped to her knees and crawled through the aperture. For a moment, she could see nothing, but her eyes quickly adjusted and she found herself on all fours in an extravagant and brightly lit hallway. Intricate tapestries depicting Mother Matilde and her followers hung on the walls, along with golden cases whose shelves were lined with various expensive looking trinkets. Mayu swiftly got to her feet, eyes scanning her surroundings carefully. She took a few steps forward, and seeing nothing particularly negative making itself known, she strode down the hall, careful to keep her wits about her. Was this the day she had been waiting for? Was she at last needed by her creator?
It seemed like hours passed as she walked on with the same scenery repeating over and over again. When at last the end was in sight, Mayu was greeted with a massive, golden door that was so heavily filigreed that she wondered if she was looking at the very gates to heaven. For a moment, she simply stared at the elaborate, lion shaped door knocker that protruded from its front. Making her decision, however, she raised a small hand and pulled back the knocker, listening carefully as the resulting sharp sound rung out. Immediately, the door swung open and a gust of wind blew outward, causing Mayu to raise a hand to shelter herself as her hair and dress rustled about.
Once the wind had died down, Mayu lowered her arm, and was greeted by a scene like nothing she had ever seen before. A large, round room with impossibly tall ceilings was spread out before her. On the ceiling had been painted a scenery of angels and cherubs relaxing in the clouds, their expressions hard to read. Their faces looked so real, that Mayu almost expected to see their wings shifting as they gazed at one another. The rest of the room was covered in gold and red decorations, elaborate carvings, and dainty filigree. Lining the outer walls sat five intensely extravagant arm chairs, the central one being the most delicate and beautiful. Each of the outer chairs were occupied by tall, black hooded figures draped in velvet robes, and in the central one sat a woman Mayu instinctively knew was Mother Matilde. Mayu had seen many pictures of her in her books, and although she had most certainly aged, her elegance and prettiness was apparent. She was clothed in a red and gold court gown that put Mayu's simple white dress to shame. Mayu could only stare, expressionless as the woman smiled down at her. She could hear quite a ruckus in the room as the advisers whispered to one another, though she could not make out their words. Without another thought, Mayu dipped into a low curtsy, though she was unable to speak.
"Ah, my precious Mayu, it is wonderful that we should meet our savior!"
Mayu stared at the mirror, transfixed, as she sat before the dressing table. Two Nephilim women, who's clothes indicated they were maids, fussed about her hair and outfit as she stared blankly. Mayu was surprised by the smallness of her body when compared to the others she had seen that day, although she knew her body should have been mature at this point in her life. She found that her eyes, though large, were a bright golden color that seemed strange to her. Her skin was a milky white, and her pale hair fell in fluffy curls down passed her knees, the hue varying at the ends to create a rainbow effect. What she found the most odd, though, was her expression. It seemed so… lifeless. Not at all like the angels in her books. And yet, it never changed, not even slightly as she watched.
At Mother Matilde's (who was currently seated behind the trio, watching intently) command, the maids had dressed her up in an elaborate tea-length empire waist dress with several layers of glittery ruffles at the bottom. Mayu found herself very confused as one maid began to braid her hair, and the other placed a large, white flower headdress on top of her head. Why were they so concerned with her appearance? Wasn't she going into battle? She wished fervently that they would remove her gag so that she could question Mother Matilde. She had waited so long for this day, and yet everything seemed so unlike what she had imagined. Once they were satisfied, the maids had Mayu stand and approach Mother Matilde. The older woman looked her over carefully, and seeming satisfied dismissed the two maids. They quickly made their exit out into the hallway beyond the only door in the room. Mother Matilde eyed Mayu carefully over a cup of tea, her short brown hair curling close to her cheeks.
"Ah, now you look the part, dear!" She said, smiling. Mayu could only stare in response.
"You know, I feel a bit nostalgic. It's finally time for you to unite us…" She continued, taking another sip of her tea. Mayu cocked her head to the side, her only way of questioning. Unite who? Wasn't she supposed to fight the demons?
"Oh? You are confused? Now why is that… I assumed that you could put two and two together." Mother Matilde mused, setting down her teacup. She then removed herself from her chair and made her way to the door, placing her hand on the knob as Mayu's confusion grew.
"Fortunately for you, there are several candidates, so I'm going to let you choose the one you like the best. You'll have a year to make your decision." As she spoke, the doorknob in her grip began to glow red as if heated. Slowly, she turned the knob over and began to open the door. The brightly lit hallway had been replaced by a wall of inky black darkness that even Mayu's gaze could not penetrate. Mayu stared blankly, her expression unwavering but her eyes asking a million questions. The woman before her chuckled.
"Well, go on. Find a prince to marry! Although… they're all a bunch demons, so I don't envy you." She said, smirking. Turning her gaze to the doorway, Mayu attempted to make sense of the situation, but nothing seemed to add up. What was she talking about? This wasn't what she expected at all.
But, somehow, one thought kept repeating in her mind.
Mother Matilde knows best.
And so, with one last look at her creator, Mayu stepped into the shadows, watching uninterestedly as they devoured her body and left her in darkness.