Arthur couldn't help staring at those piercing cerulean eyes. Not out of admiration, but out of fear and heartbreak. His eyes filled with tears until he could no longer hold them back and fat tears ran down his pale cheeks as the sounds of wind disturbed the otherwise silent streets. He couldn't speak, only backing away further and shaking his head. He refused to accept that the black haired devil before him was the same male that he had been holding hands with just a few minutes ago. He tried to deny it, looking around for the one that had been replaced by the devil, but his gaze returned to cold eyes and that mocking sneer and he eventually learned to accept his reality.
The devil flapped his large wings, his tail whipping about as if it had a mind of its own. His sneer had disappeared, but the sick smile on his face was still mocking. As if teasing Arthur and making fun of him for being so weak. He resembled Arthur's love so much aside from the sickly pale skin, black hair, and everything about him that screamed 'demon' from his enormous wings to his sharp, slightly chipped horns. It almost seemed as if everything around the devil was dead and dark, but perhaps Arthur's perception of reality and the current situation had affected how he saw this sick demon.
It was likely, considering what he had just witnessed.
"Lost for words, Arthur?" The devil asked in a sinister voice, putting emphasis on Arthur's name as to remind him that he was there for those three years Arthur had been with his love. This demon was not 'Alfred', however. And yes, Arthur had to admit that he was lost for words. What would one expect after they forced someone to watch their significant other turn into such a monstrous…thing?
"Wh-Who are you?" Arthur asked, his tone defensive. He wasn't going to fight and he didn't have the energy to run, but he did want to know who this devil was and what they wanted. Though, at this point, their ulterior motives seemed obvious and this seemed like nothing, but a game for this Alfred look-alike.
"Who am I? I'm 'Alfred', Arthur. Isn't it obvious?" He put on this act of seeming offended and hurt, as if he was innocent and Arthur was in the wrong. Arthur's expression contorted into a sort of anger, possibly rage as he attempted to keep himself from spitting words of venom at the demon. God knows what he would do if Arthur actually angered him. Arthur took a deep breath, simmering down his anger.
"I asked 'who are you'. I want an answer, you-!" His voice was barely recognizable as his choking sobs messed up any attempts to talk. He was trying to keep his cool and trying to keep from jumping the demon or breaking down, knowing it would either encourage the demon further or anger him. Arthur wouldn't be able to handle either one no matter what he tried to tell himself at that moment.
The demon's wings flapped once more, almost as if it was done out of habit and the demon's face seemed to hold in many emotions at once from amusement to confusion. Arthur winced when hearing the demon sigh, wary of what might happen to him right here. This imposter may just decide he wants to do more than torment Arthur. "You're so rude, really. I just wanted to show you something special. After all, lovers aren't supposed to keep secrets, right?" He put emphasis on 'lovers', causing Arthur to inhale sharply as his chest tightened to where it was nearly suffocating.
"Or can you not accept me as I am, Arthur?" The demon began walking in Arthur's direction and Arthur's first reaction was to get further away. But his knees were weak and his body felt cold and as if it was being forced to stay put, so he could only settle for backing away. Arthur felt his tears coming back, but not out of heartbreak. He was afraid of what might be done to him and what more he would have to witness.
This was only made worse by the demon's warm smile. But this smile didn't belong to the demon. Arthur vaguely remembered this smile being like Alfred's 'default'. But on this unholy creature's face, it was a reminder that Alfred was never even real in the first place. And it was only another fun way to torture Arthur.
And oh, did this devil have a lot of methods in mind.
His smile growing wider and the air around him seeming more open and comfortable, the demon spoke.
"I would have accepted you, Arthur."
But that voice didn't belong to him. That voice belonged to Alfred. Only Alfred. And Arthur was a mix of afraid, angry, and almost entranced. But he didn't want that demon tainting the only things that were left of Alfred. Arthur didn't want a tainted memory of his voice, his smile, and those three years they spent together. Arthur refused to accept that this ungodly thing was what Alfred 'really' was.
"Alfred wouldn't have-"
"Oh, but Arthur. You didn't know a lot about Alfred. You didn't even know something like this. How could you possibly have known what he would and wouldn't have done?"
Arthur was once again lost for words as the demon stepped closer to him, his leathery wings folding and dissolving, seeming to disappear into thin air. His black hair faded into straw blond and it was at that moment that Arthur realized what the demon had planned. He covered his eyes, refusing to watch as the demon's appearance and demeanor changed completely. The dead, cold air that surrounded him disappeared and was replaced by something that somehow managed to bring Arthur comfort even if he couldn't actually see what the demon looked like and despite the current situation.
Arthur flinched as gentle hands held on to his own. But he didn't fight back as his hands were removed from his eyes and his chin was lifted, gently. His eyes widened in shock and his body froze as he looked up at that familiar face and welcoming smile. In any other situation, Arthur would have hugged this man who looked exactly like his love, but this wasn't that sort of situation and he was only frozen in fear and shock.
"Wh-Why?" He muttered, mostly to himself, but the devil didn't hesitate in giving him an answer.
"You were acting so cold to me. So, I thought that maybe you'd act a little nicer to 'Alfred'."
That warm smile seemed more and more sadistic as Arthur stared at it for god knows how long. He didn't know if he was crying or not and his entire body felt numb. He was surprised that he could even find the strength to push away his tormentor and even more surprised when he yelled in red hot anger.
"You're not Alfred! So, stop saying you are! Alfred would never hurt someone like this! Alfred wouldn't-Alfred wouldn't lie to someone like this!" The demon's smile, which had turned into something more like a smirk, didn't waver and that only angered Arthur more. He would do anything to wipe that smile off of that horrible thing's face. "Just go back to where you really came from, you-you-you-!" He couldn't find an insult that would convey just how much he hated that deceitful devil enough. His voice became weak as he faltered and his shoulders slumped. "Alfred would never hurt me like this…."
"But what do you know, Arthur?"
Arthur wasn't expecting that kind of retort. But then again, he didn't know what he was expecting. This devil was unpredictable and who knew what other methods of torture he had in mind? Arthur only glared at the demon which he took as acknowledgment and permission to speak.
"You act like you knew me so well, but who knows what else I haven't told you? Your Alfred could be the complete opposite from me, Arthur. Your Alfred could have been lying about much, much more."
Arthur felt a chill going up his spine as the imposter put emphasis on that very last sentence. He wanted to deny that Alfred would have lied, but at this point, who knows? What more could his Alfred have kept from him? Perhaps his Alfred really did have more that he lied about and really faked.
Maybe his Alfred wasn't real at all.
"And you were so naïve that you actually trusted your precious Alfred. And now, look at you, Arthur. You're a mess."
The demon's voice was tinged with something that sounded like pity, but Arthur wanted to ignore it. He was trying so hard to ignore it. This demon did not feel pity. This demon did not feel remorse. This demon was not pitying Arthur. This was all part of his game.
"You trusted me so much. You told me all of your strengths and weaknesses and everything about you. You believed me because you trusted me. I know everything about you, Arthur."
Arthur felt numb, his energy seeming to drain from him with every word the demon spoke. He covered his mouth, quietly begging for the night to be over and trying to quiet down his sobbing. He didn't want the demon to know any more of his weaknesses. He didn't want to know what more Alfred's imposter knew and what more he could find out. He didn't want to give the demon power.
He didn't bother communicating, settling with quietly mumbling to himself while the demon went on and on about how stupid Arthur had been. And it was true. Arthur was stupid to trust so easily. He was stupid to trust that smile and that warm tone and he was stupid to believe that all those times Alfred had comforted him were genuine.
Those three years were not real and the imposter before him was proof of that.
But Arthur knew those three years were real and he had experienced them. This world was not made up by a nightmare or a memory. His body was real, the cold air was real, and so was that taunting voice that was once so warm, but was now only a grim reminder of the years that were really a game.
"I could do whatever I liked right now and you wouldn't be able to do a thing because I know everything about you. Even the darkest parts of you that you would trust with no one. I'd be able to ground your reality into dust right at this moment if I wanted to."
Arthur silently begged for the demon to leave him alone and wished that this demon would somehow magically hear him and leave to wherever he came from.
But Arthur was not that lucky. Not tonight.
This demon wasn't done with him.
"You saw me as your saviour, as your soul mate. You worshipped me as if I was some kind of God to you. You depended on me for everything. And now, look at you, Arthur. Just look at how pathetic you are now. Look at how your weak empire crumbled so easily. Look at how this has broken you in the worst way possible."
The demon was spot on and knew just how to rip out Arthur's heart without even grazing the surface. He knew how to crush Arthur more and remind him of his mistake without even needing to mention those three years. He could crush him, ruin him, break him however he wanted and he could render Arthur powerless and completely humiliate him. With just a few words, he had already taken away Arthur's voice and power and had already taught him that hope wasn't an option.
"Have you even learned a thing, Arthur? You just blindly trusted me and acted as if I was so, so precious to you. You talked on and on about stupid ideals as if they would happen and now, you're powerless and look absolutely pitiful. What have you learned, Arthur?"
This question wasn't rhetorical, but could Arthur really form words at this point? He felt like his body had shut down on him as he looked up into eyes that once belonged to his love. But now, they were tainted and Arthur only felt the need to shrink away further.
"D-Do you think this is funny?" Arthur could only manage that, answering the demon's question with a question. Though, his tormentor didn't seem to care. He was getting a kick out of seeing Arthur's face, distorted by tears, snot, and an expression of pain and longing.
The demon shrugged, apathetic to Arthur's pain. "It's not about whether or not this is funny to me. I'm merely trying to show you what happens when you hold on to hope and trust people blindly."
Arthur had no words as he shrunk into himself and cried harder than before, wishing he could turn back time just so that he could prepare himself for this night. But he'd never be able to prepare himself even if given the chance. His love wasn't real. He made a mistake of trusting someone who seemed nice. That was his mistake and here it was to haunt him and show him just how stupid he was.
So stupid.
"This is who I really am, Arthur. I'm not your fairytale lover or a part of your stupid human ideals. I'm not something you can just weave into your plans and expect to go with them every step of the way. I don't get any satisfaction from needless things like love nor do I get a kick out of talking about the future and wishes for relationships." The demon had gone from terrifyingly 'kind' to flat out cruel so fast, crushing Arthur without hesitation and too quick for him to recover. Every word he spoke stung, felt as if a knife had been jammed into his chest and twisted. He felt as if he was suffocating as every true word came out of that demon's mouth and realization hit him.
"I just wanted to see your empire fall. Humans live on these little ideals and ideas as if they'll come true. Hope, you call it. But don't you realize how useless that is, Arthur? You're living a meaningless life, only basing everything on stupid plans and hopes that pop into your head."
The demon knelt down to Arthur's level, warm smile returning as if it really was Alfred speaking. Arthur shook his head, staring into empty eyes that once belonged to his love. The memory was tainted and Arthur felt nothing, but fear and hate. The same went for the smile and Alfred's trademark bomber jacket. Everything was tainted.
Even the memories of the past were tainted.
"This is your mistake, Arthur. This is what happens when you live on ideals. You trust just one nice smile among so many ugly faces and you end up alone, in the cold, crying like the pathetic parasite you are."
Hearing those words with that face, that smile, and voice could have ruined Arthur if it was possible to make his current condition any worse. He curled up in a ball, quietly sobbing and silently wishing for everything to just stop. He had been proven that these things were stupid, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't help, but wish for something to turn back time or some way to just make the world stop. He wished that when he looked up, he'd see his Alfred and not this devil.
He hoped that he would be hugged by his love and Alfred would apologize, ask if he was alright. Arthur would tell him that he's okay and Alfred would hesitantly accept it and move on. The two of them would continue walking together, discussing random things and laughing together. That's what Alfred would usually do. Alfred was always there.
But when Arthur looked up, he only felt dread. His Alfred wasn't there. Not this time. His Alfred had a new appearance that only hurt Arthur to look at. Tail whipping about and wings instinctively flapping, the demon distanced himself from Arthur, sick smile still on his face to remind him that he was the same person that had just thrown all of Arthur's existence out of the window. And he was also the same person that had given Arthur's existence purpose.
"Now, what have you learned, Arthur?"
Arthur had no voice nor did he have strength left. He wanted to will himself to talk, but just couldn't manage it as his voice and power left him. When opening his mouth to speak, he only managed to choke on his sobs, his heart hurting to where it physically hurt. He couldn't prove the demon wrong or show him that the demon had no power over him because it would be a lie to do so. This demon did have power over him. And he took it in the most evil of ways. He gave it to Arthur, building it up for a long time to where he thought he was secure, safe, that it was okay to be weak.
And he took it away in what felt like minutes, dragged on into hours. He made a second feel like an eternity as he drained Arthur and destroyed his precious empire that Alfred had built for him.
Arthur only choked, his power leaving him as he allowed himself to break completely. He curled up on the ground, hands covering his mouth as he sobbed for god knows how long. He closed his eyes, avoiding the devil's gaze, but fully aware that he was watching. And he was amused. He heard the demon laugh and flinched, shrinking into himself as he listened to hard footsteps. They seemed distant, but Arthur didn't dare look up. The demon had played enough manipulation games for him to learn to not trust himself or anyone.
The footsteps stopped.
"I hope you've learned something from this, Arthur. And I hope my face has been burned into your memory. Until we meet again, then."
Arthur's eyes snapped open, his body jerking up as his voice suddenly returned to him. He called out for the demon only to see that he was gone. Questions raced through Arthur's mind as he looked around, confused and scared. He was alone in the cold night, not far from civilization, but very far from home. He got up, his body weak to where he almost thought he was going to fall over, but he caught his footing and sighed deeply. It seemed he'd have to walk home alone.
Alfred's face was very much burned into his memory. His face, voice, the air around him. But Arthur grimaced, his body suddenly cold and shaking. Those years weren't real and neither was Alfred. He had to tell himself that. He had made memories with that thing only a short while ago. The two of them often walked down this road together, talking about all kinds of meaningless things. Things that would have made Arthur happy to remember.
But now, there mere thought of Alfred just made him feel empty and left a sour taste in his mouth. It was tainted now and nothing could fix that.
Arthur sighed, pulling out his phone and dialing any random number. Whoever would answer. He pressed the phone to his ear, pausing on the walkway and waiting for an answer. He somehow managed to get one as a soft voice spoke through the receiver.
"Arthur? Why are you calling this late?" It was Matthew, Alfred's brother. This only brought more memories of family dinners and how the two brothers constantly gave Arthur trouble and teased him. But it just made him shake. "It's almost 1AM. Are you okay?"
Arthur took his sweet time to answer, but eventually managed a few words. A simple response that didn't waste too much energy. "I'm sorry, Matthew, it's just that...Alfred broke up with me. So, I needed some company." It was a lie, obviously. Who would believe that Arthur had encountered a devil and this devil had crushed his existence so easily? No one would believe that and Arthur knew it well.
"I'm sorry, Arthur, but..." Matthew trailed off, obviously wondering how he would put what he was about to say. "I don't know who that is."