+18 WARNING!

Very dark , uncomfortable and mature themes soon to be included.

This story may not be for everyone

Read at your own discretion

A flicker of discomfort crossed her face as her lidded eyes gradually shed the oppressing fatigue. Her breathing became more apparent to her own ears as she softly lifted her head. A sigh made it's way out of her body , though that action alone seemed to require more effort than she would have deemed necessary.

Her large chocolate orbs were finally clearing from the haze that clouded it , only to be greeted with a questionable sight.

Darkness.

As far as her eyes could see. Though not complete , there was something about the lack of visibility in this setting that left a chill down her spine. This darkness was not a natural occurrence , rather it appeared induced.

Her eyes were still adjusting to the new scene around her , unable to take the details of where she was currently in precisely , all she could make out was the subtle glow of what could be considered candlelight positioned not too far from her , but that alone barely did anything to clarify her surroundings.

That then though lead her to question ,

Where was she?

As her consciousness began to flood back into her body , she made the effort to move about , however in doing so she had these instant realisations. Her body felt heavier than she remembered , her movements seemed to demand a strange amount of focus for something that should have been effortless. And it didn't stop there.

With the little she had been able to make responsive of her body , she found a strange force restricting against her own weight , her wrists to be exact. As she became more aware of the circumstances , a subtle soreness in her arms and weight around her neck became apparent to her.

Something wasn't right.

Her eyes widened as this feeling of restriction seemed too familiar for comfort. This reaction evoked a sense of urgency in her as she tried to pull against bindings that held her arms clasped above her. Alas it did nothing for her but inform her of futility.

Her arms only pained further against the force that her body already dragged against , and in doing so the unusual tightness around her neck increased . With her efforts though, what she did find was the sound of thick shackles scraping against what she could presume was a cold stone wall , only inducing further anxiety into her.

She could barely see , she could barely move , she could barely do anything.

Just like all those years back.

She could feel her breath hitching in her throat as her mind simply connected the present to her dark past. Once again the torment and torture , the vulnerability and brutality was so fresh in her mind. Her body tensed up in response as those memories cut even deeper than skin , fueling her with the need to escape.

She didn't even know where she would escape to. Hell , she didn't even know where she was in the first place. But in her defense she didn't need to. This strange reality was already beginning to incapacitate her and she wanted nothing more but to be free from it. That's why she needed to go , she needed to escape.

Anywhere else but here.

That would be sufficient.

Gritting her teeth , she mustered the confined strength she possessed to try and fight the odds that faced her. With her body slowly wearing down it's lethargy , she found herself more capable of moving against her bounds despite in doing so she only brought further struggle and difficulty upon herself.

"RE-EQUIP!"

The words came out with tenacity and determination. She was not going to let these bastards make her helpless. No, she was more than capable of defending herself. She wasn't the same helpless girl all those years ago. No, she was a wizard.

She was the wizard.

She was Titania.

One of Fairy Tail's most reputable and feared. The mere mention of her name was enough to make others tremble and cower. Her foes would be left begging for mercy in the wake of her wrath , and anyone who was unlucky enough to lock horns with her would regret so dearly.

And she would do the same to whoever was involved with subjecting her to this restriction.

That was something she'd promise.

"RE-EQUIP!"

She was stronger now. She had always been able to push through even with the odds against her. Even when life had been cruel , her strength would always pull through and she would seize victory. She wouldn't let this time be an exception. She would free herself from these bindings no matter what.

"R-RE-EQUIP!"

She wouldn't let herself be subjugated by whatever evil probed at her.

"R-Re-e-equi-hck!"

But with what lacked to come forth in terms of results , only instilled the brutal truth in her mind. Her raw willpower and emotions were proving futile in helping her at this moment. In fact with all the struggling she had done , she only made things worse. The shackles attached to her wrist only increased the tension that was transferred to her neck by the collar which was conveniently linked to her bounds.

The chain itself was not short or pulled taut despite she would have imagined from the tension she caused , instead from what she could hear and feel behind her as she had moved about was there was a decent length of it between the collar and the shackles of her wrist , allowing her to move normally about with little discomfort but attempts to break out would punish her severely.

Any more rash movements like that could have proven critical , whoever she was dealing with had really gone with the extra measure to make it that much harder for her to resist. This alone already told her she was dealing with someone who was meticulous and as a result , dangerous.

They didn't leave any room for mistakes.

If she hadn't made note of the sensation that was being induced out of her own struggle , she would have either broken her own neck from the tension or choked herself as a result. And she'd be damned if she was to be so careless with her own life.

She had no choice but to reduce her physical resistance , to which she simply allowed her body to slump against the cold , hard wall but in doing so alleviated the stress she caused on her wrists and neck to a more bearable degree.

She took deep and steady breaths , rather contradictory to what her nerves were trying to make her do. The understanding of the situation did nothing to calm her down , in fact there was now a light tremble across her body as she realised she had no control over her fate as of yet. But her desire to panic would do nothing for her , and with what she attempted , any further loss of control would only compromise her further.

She needed to keep as level headed as possible.

She needed to evaluate the situation without getting worked up. With the blood rushing properly to her brain again , she started to make deductions of all that was apparent.

For some reason , she had been restricted , and with a clearer mind she had the notion that these cuffs holding her weren't just for the sake of bondage. Possibly restricting her use of magic? Hence her attempts to summon her weapons all failed. But then , that didn't explain the fact that even now she felt in a state of disarray. She was fully aware of the situation yet for some reason , it felt like her mind and body were at odds in how present they were. Sensations existed within her , she could feel pain , frustration , panic yet at the same time it all felt strangely subdued or even confined.

Though that wasn't the only thing that made her wrack her understanding.

Another queer detail that she noticed was what she was wearing. A light and flowy white dress-like piece which left her arms , parts of her back and ample cleavage exposed . Though she could barely make out the details of the garment , she could make out that it was of a modest length , reaching just above her shins. The fabric itself was light and breathable , so she could admit at least it wasn't another source of irritation , but it was still incredibly puzzling why she would be dressed in such a manner in the first place?

Many questions simply ran rampant in her head

Who was doing this?

What would they get out of doing this?

Why were they doing this?

The more she became aware of the situation , she just found herself becoming further bewildered. Such riddles could not be her priority at the moment though , despite whilst her curiosity ate away at her , it had to be subdued for the time being , at least until she had gotten out of these conditions.

Her eyes searched around for an option to be of use to her , now that her vision had adjusted better to the lack of lighting , she could make out more of the area. The space seemed generous and not too far ahead could she make out the shadows of cell bars out in the distance where there was a more eminent light source. She definitely was in some prison cell , and whoever had the responsibility of capturing her made sure not to leave anything out of place which could aid her escape.

Actually , now that she focused her mind onto this place , something about it seemed eerily familiar about this place. She might not have been exactly where she was now , but this vacant , isolated , stony prison wasn't anything from new. The icy grip of steel , the suspense that filled the air , the enshrouding darkness. It was almost the same. All that was missing though were the heart wrenching abundant cries of pain and agony from the poor souls held captive, however before her mind could be thrown back into another horrid flash back , something drew her attention.

Or specifically….

Someone.

"It's been quite some time , hasn't it Erza?"

She felt her being turned to near stone as her mind instantly related who was the owner of that low voice. All of a sudden the shaking in her body seemed to intensify to an unsettling degree , she could feel her weight almost wanting to collapse on herself , reluctant to even look in the direction of the approaching footsteps emerging from the darkness.

Her eyes remained wide , her breath caught in the middle of her throat and her skin was washed with a new surge of blistering sweat as the footsteps rang loud in her ears. Though contrary to what she may have been portraying , Erza's emotions were far from being fueled with just sheer fear.

Her fists clenched together tightly in order to keep herself composed as her chilled blood was already beginning to boil at the realisation of who was the perpetrator behind it. Of course it would be him , in fact why did she not make the connection sooner?

Only someone as wretched as him would be capable of this.

But how was this possible?

How could he have done this without her even catching wind of this ploy? Where did he even get the opportunity to kidnap her , and at what cost? It honestly wracked her brain as she couldn't even recall what the situation was like before she had been awakened into this new reality , any attempt to recollect her memories just made her brain throb , almost like her mind was specifically blocking out that part of her memory for God knows why.

Without her realising it , the pressure she was applying from her fists was already beginning to transfer stress that tugged the collar in a manner that would simply induce more suffering to her. Erza however was too blinded by her own rage to make judgement of that. Simply the closer she could feel his presence come , the harder it became to contain the urge to fight.

Of course her actions didn't go unnoticed , but the reaction that was evoked was something she didn't expect , well at least from the likes of him.

"Please don't struggle as much my dear , I do not wish to make this any harder on you than it already is."

She felt her hands being covered by a gentle grip , the leather of his gloves making a warm contrast between her clammy skin. Another hand supported her body weight , using her shoulder to push her onto the wall for support. In doing so the tension that she was applying to her neck and arms had been put to a stop , which wasn't desired , as the last thing he wanted was for her to go and injure herself or worse out of an abrupt impulse.

Erza's flash of anger became rather confused by the tender words and tone that were being spoken to her , in effect she did grasp understanding of the situation once again which made her reluctantly comply with reducing her resistance but the hostility still remained. Her muscles remained tense from the feeling of his touch on her skin.

Just because he might have said something in a considerate manner didn't mean that she would let her guard down. No , not even for a second. And she would damn well let him know that.

"It's been so long since we have seen each other."

His voice remained soft and mild , potentially longing. She could feel his heated breath fanning against the side of her face as his fingers remained stationed where they were on her body , using his finger tips to lightly massage the skin , almost becoming accustomed to the touch of her and trying to alleviate her of any tension that may have existed.

Of course his actions did naught but only cause her to stiffen further as she simply swallowed in response to his 'care'. Her fingernails started to dig into the palms of her hand as she reminded herself strictly not to be swayed by his act.

"You've become even more beautiful….Just like I thought."

To be honest the more she heard his voice , the more it irked her. Whatever he was putting up , it wasn't him. It wasn't her friend , it wasn't the boy that she had come to love and admire for his strength and care for everyone else to the point he would even put his own self at risk. The boy who fiercely would do whatever was necessary for justice and to protect what he believed in. That boy...It wasn't him.

Who was in front of her , was the absolute opposite. An atrocious devil that simply shared the appearance of her once dearest friend. A devil that possessed the same memories and voice of her beloved friend , which he was using to simply twist for his own convenience. This wasn't the one she held dear.

"Erza you can't imagine ho-"

These weren't his words.

She felt his hand on her shoulder carefully make it's way up her neck before using his fingers to caress the side of her jaw before he tried to tilt her to look in his direction. And in that moment the blaze erupted in her eyes , disgust vivid in her expression as she solidified her will.

This wasn't him.

"What do you want Jellal?"

Her tone came out with spite and venom , finally shifting her gaze to look him straight on. Dark eyes that burned with abhor met obscurity as she made out the matured features of his face which were illuminated by the subtle candle glow not too far from them. Her sight on him remained strong , trying to decipher the true intentions of the demon in front of her but it was proving difficult.

Whether it was because the hood which covered his face had concealed some of his expression or he simply was that good at hiding his feelings , she didn't find what she was looking for. Rather she was met with a split second of his face coming to a still , existing presence in his eyes slowly hiding away as the light curl of his lips became non existent. She found him now staring back at her near vacantly , scanning her face with his piercing gaze like she did with his.

Jellal let out a sigh , her reaction wasn't favored , but did he really expect her to be compliant after what he did? Even he knew what he was expecting was too idealistic. Either way , regardless of her stance , his grip on her didn't match her hostility , rather he remained to allow his fingertips brush against the spans of her skin ever so lightly.

"Is it wrong for me to wish to see you?"

Those words , she felt her heart twist as he simply used the same form of delivery that she had been despising. She couldn't deny that what he said tugged on a few strings , but she didn't allow herself to become overthrown by a moment of pity as she could still see the darkness that was evident in his eyes.

"Don't play me for a fool , you wouldn't have gone all this way to do this if your intentions were that simple."

Her words were as sharp and merciless as the blades she would wield. Her eyes watched to see if that flicker of irritation or anger would come out , exposing his true persona as there was no way he would be able to keep up this act for long if she kept challenging it.

"Tell me clearly...What is it you really want?"

She felt the pressure from his fingers come to a still , almost as he considered her words before doing what she didn't expect. His fingers gradually detached from her skin as he brought his hands back to his side and made a comfortable space between them.

"...Why must you make things so bitter, Erza?"

She felt her heart clench uncomfortably again , the anger inside her had not completely subsided but the softness of her heart was beginning to permeate through. Her lips slightly parted , something was about to leave her lips before she caught herself.

That's what he wanted , and she couldn't allow him to get that from her.

"Stop avoiding the question and answer me!"

Erza stressed her impatience to which the male simply became quiet once again , much to her dismay. What just played on her mind even further was how contradictory his personality was coming off compared to what he had just done.

He was here , acting like she was unjustly accusing him , when in reality he was the one who had bonded her in such a cruel manner. He was the one who was behind her building tension and distress. If anyone had to be named a victim here , it certainly wasn't him.

"What do you want Jellal? Where have you taken me? How did you manage to even-"

"I believe you have the answers to most of that yourself."

Hearing him abruptly cut her off with no warning caused any words that were rambling from her mouth to be thickly swallowed back down in a sudden stillness.

To be honest , he was correct. Deep down she had the answers regarding her queries the minute it became evident he was the culprit. There was a reason why she felt so unnerved in this cell and him saying this simply confirmed exactly why. There was no shadow of a doubt where he was holding her prisoner.

The Tower of Heaven.

She didn't actually know why she would have asked for confirmation of her deepest fear , maybe for the sake of giving her mind something else to focus on rather than accepting reality as it was. Maybe to save her from showing her true emotions and showing her vulnerability. Either way , it all proved pointless as the truth struck her like a cord.

That stark realisation caused her skin to quake with renewed trembles. Her breathing once again fighting on the urge to become shallow as her eyes tried to cover the fear that pierced through her chocolate coloured orbs. Her gaze never left his own , however it was clear that the confidence she had been displaying had started to unveil the flaws inside it.

"By that look on your face I can tell you've recalled your connection to this place."

His remark was quiet yet unlike the everything else he had told her , he seemed rather detached and if not , even forlorn when stating so. That though didn't change the fact that he was the one who was responsible for all of this, the fact that he was the one responsible for dragging her back into her worst nightmare.

As the initial wave of paralysing shock wore off , Erza found that it was now her who was incapable of finding anything to say , her mouth simply becoming dry as she failed to even think of anything past the possible fate that awaited her.

"You remember where you belong after all...I was beginning to worry you'd just forget it all so easily ."

Rather than irritation , his words now coursed a sense of trepidation through her body. Though with how sinister his words came off , what really disturbed her was the lack of presence behind them. The quiet tone he spoke with remained yet the warmth that had been there not too long ago seemed non existent.

"...W-Why..."

Erza began , the strength in her speech fading with each word that left her throat. Though subdued , her voice was loud enough to earn the bluenet's attention , who had weirdly turned his back on her , focusing his gaze elsewhere in the cell.

"...Hmmm?"

"...W-Why did y-you….b-bring me back?"

She could feel her heart beginning to pound hard in her chest as the notion to breathe was becoming incredibly difficult. She could faintly hear the ringing of her own breaths as she felt her eye stinging from the sensation of welling tears that threatened to fall.

Her chest almost felt like it would close in on itself , simply getting those words out

"To fulfil our destiny…"

"Why else?"

His words cut through her like steel , despite the fact that his tone seemed to hold no sense of malice. She felt a chill run down her spine with the lack of hesitance that he answered her with , as if he was just waiting for her to ask this exact question so he could fire the brutal ammunition.

She didn't know if his question held any other meaning , there would obviously be no other reason for him to bring her back to this wretched place other than to fulfil his dream. However the subtle raise in his words seemed to tell something else.

" O-Our...d-destiny…? "

She choked out , horror tinged with disgust being evident in her speech. Unknown to the scarlet haired knightess , her tone did not go unnoticed by the bluenet and rather it was an unfavourable reaction in his eyes that pained him more than it should have , but for what reason , that was obscured.

"...Yes...We were the ones who had been predestined to help construct the tower in Zeref's will...Whilst we might not be bound by the same desire...It's clear fate has played out the way it has for this specific cause."

As she listened to his reasoning , despite being distressed , she couldn't help but think his words came off as rather distant , to the point it was difficult to tell if he was speaking to her or what.

For someone that spent near his whole life serving in the cause of resurrecting Zeref , wouldn't he have come off more ardent? Compared to the subtle warmth he had when first speaking to her , any sense of emotion was near void , as if he was simply relaying another person's thoughts through himself.

Though before Erza could ponder on that train of thought any further , his voice once again drew her attention.

"Did you really believe that you'd escape from the cruelty of this world….Knowing what you've come from?"

The sudden underlying darkness in his voice caught her off guard. The lingering lack of presence was somehow replaced with a gravelling hate that practically came out of nowhere.

Erza honestly did not know what to make of what he said , or what it was meant to mean. Was he referring to the fact she had been a slave at the tower and was the only one able to break away from it and live a proper life? It had to be that right? She couldn't think of any other possible explanation. There couldn't be another one?

Could there?

But then that thought spurred another one in it's place.

Why did he sound so malicious regarding it? Wasn't he the one who spared her? Who gave her the means to try and start again? The one who only gave her freedom from the tower? So then why was he?

From the side of her eye , she caught the minute movement of one of his hands clenching tightly into a fist beside him , making the redhead apprehend what was going to come next as she simply couldn't answer that. But all that happened as the moments passed , was silence drowned the both of them with a flooding tension as she could faintly hear stressed breathing in his direction.

Was he waiting for a response from her about this or? Because if that was the case , then he wasn't going to get one. That being said , the thick silence was suffocating and admittedly it was less preferable to his forbidding words. She didn't want to stay in the dark like this , she had to say something to prevent her uneasiness from getting the best of her.

"How much….o-of the t-tower has been…"

It might not have been the best move on her behalf , but she honestly could not think of anything more suitable considering his state and how swift he was switching between different emotional states , it honestly was perturbing. Not to mention , gathering such information would have been useful in deciding a proper course of action when the opportunity would show itself.

This time it took a few seconds for Jellal to take notice of her words , his hand gradually relaxing as the stiffness that seized his body came to a halt and he adopted yet again another neutral stance.

"...It's already completed."

Erza swallowed thickly , surprised by the instant change yet again. His voice once again laced with near apathy , all traces of venom had dissipated. It was like she was speaking to a different person each time. She had never come across something so baffling like this. And it only made her wonder why he was like this.

That being said , the reality of the tower being complete was another thing that shook her to the core. This damned thing should have taken at least 20-25 years minimum to have reached completion and this was counting from when she left the tower. How was it possible that he could have accomplished this feat in a fraction of the time?

"W-What…?"

She couldn't cover the disbelief that seeped from her lips as the graveness of the situation just intensified.

"..Do you not believe me?"

Though of a hostile nature , the words were not conveyed with threat. But she didn't know if that even gave her semblance of relief.

"..H-How?"

As if such information would be of any use to her , she already knew what a pointless question it was she posed as she wouldn't be able to do anything worthwhile with the details revealed. But that didn't stop the sheer curiosity eating away at her with how such a great and demanding task could be done that much earlier than the estimated date.

"...They became more appreciative when someone who could make them properly understand the cause was put in charge."

'They' obviously he was referring to as the slaves of the tower , which she found incredulous that those who had their freedom stripped and their rights to the world beyond the tower taken from them , would just agree to such a heinous effort.

Was the precious lives lost , the endless torture endured , the constant violation suffered through not a strong enough cause to rebel? Even with the promise of a new appointed 'leader'?

"I know what you're thinking Erza...There's been so much loss for the sake of the tower...Believe me...I know better than anyone else how much blood , sweat and tears have been shed for ensuring Zeref's revival."

Something new could be detected in his speech , yet she didn't want to go ahead and give it a name lest it throw her off from her resolve yet again. And with how irrational he had been as of now , she didn't think she could take anything with sincerity. Not even if his voice could mimic believable guilt and remorse.

"Even under my own directive , there have been misfortunes which I wish could have been avoided but...things sometimes have to be that way."

As those words came to an end , she saw him finally turn back in her direction , once again being greeted to another expression that crossed his face. Conflict by looks of it , eyes looking almost downcast as he couldn't hold her gaze steadily.

"But I promise...Everything I have done has been out of good heart….I...have been just , I have been kind….I made it my duty to treat them with respect...dignity...honour...Unlike those bastards who could stripped us of any form of humanity and defiled us without a second thought."

The gritting undertone was slowly wormed it's way in between his last sentences as she heard him become the most expressive he had become. The sheer despise that ached through told volumes of torment that he was making an effort to suppress. But it all slowly simmered down as he closed his eyes briefly and gave sigh , only opening them once again once composure was regained.

"Believe me when I say...I never committed the same sins as those who hurt everyone…Who hurt us..."

His sight flicked between her and the darkness around them before finally finding resolve in looking at her directly and that's when Erza felt pain yet again.

"...Who hurt you."

His footsteps echoed against the stone as she found herself looking directly at her captivator who seemed to show the first glimmer of true emotion. She found her insides twisting at the sight of the male in front of her , not because he resembled a monster , but because he resembled the boy she knew all those years ago.

"Jellal…"

His name left as a whisper from her pert lips as she could feel her unshed tears finally taking the opportunity to fall as she watched her vision gradually blur. She knew she would loathe herself for showing her weakness , but in this moment she couldn't resist the urge.

"Please...don't cry Erza...You don't understand how unbearable it is to see you like this."

Having closed the distance , his gloved thumb flicked away the crystalline tears that leaked out of her left eye before leaving his hand to rest on her face once again to resume his caressing touches.

"This world is a cruel place...It's only out to get us...Any security we feel is momentary...It's always taken away...don't be fooled by the small glimpses of kindness that is shown...It's never ours to take for granted."

"It never was."

His thumb lightly stroked the elasticity of her cheek as his words struck a chord inside her as the memories of all the sorrow , misery and anguish she and many others endured flashed before her eyes.

"I want nothing more than to set this injustice right Erza...I know that you too...Are sick of seeing innocent and vulnerable people suffer , being subjected to grief , despair and abuse when they have done nothing to mandate it."

"You...believe me...right?"

Erza swallowed thickly , unable to make a rational distinction between her own ideals and his because with what he was saying and the amount of conviction that she could hear , it was making it difficult to find the disagreement. But of course that state of mind he induced in her didn't last.

"...This world will not change on it's own...That's why we need Lord Zeref...Why we need to offer ourselves to him...So he can make everything the way it's meant to be...So all this corruption ceases to exist."

Being reminded of the dark mage was enough to stop the knightess from falling victim to the false reality he was painting. Zeref was no saviour of humanity. He was a being who craved destruction and darkness. Who would leave nothing but an abyss of depravity in his wake. This was an indisputable fact in the world of wizardry. Guilds who served the darkness and light alike knew of the terrible power Zeref once wielded and the mere mention of him could make even the strongest mage a cowering dog.

So how was it possible through such a being that the world's problems would be eradicated? What logic was behind this inherently flawed belief that she could not decipher? And what state of mind must one have had to be in to believe salvation would be attained through him.

"He promises Paradise...A world where there is no harm or sorrow...A world where we can live our dreams as we desire and there is no sin in doing so...Isn't this something we all want?"

"Is this not the freedom we crave?"

Yet here was her once closest friend , somehow entertaining the idea with serious intent. Actually being delusional enough to believe in the feeble promise that was obviously used to placate the followers of Zeref. Whether it was true or not , she didn't know nor care , as anything which advocated the total destruction of humanity could not be answer , she refused to accept that.

"Jellal….T-This isn't the way...H-How can y-you believe any of that?"

The bluenet's eyes shifted downwards as his fingers started to apply a growing pressure , which caused her to wince from the change of motion.

"I believe it...because it makes sense.."

He started , his words coming out slow , as if he had once reverted back to the robotic state he was in previously but this time more passion existed , despite the fact she could hear the underlying hesitancy in his answer.

"...He'll destroy what exists and replace it with what is better...The only way to ensure his new world does not risk being tainted is to obliterate any threat that could try to defile it...What about that is hard to understand Erza?"

It was obvious there wasn't a choice to try and persuade him out of it. Despite his switching emotions , he made it clear that his resolve was with Zeref all along and he was so far gone regarding his fallacy that he couldn't see the obvious flaws that even contradicted what she thought were his own desires.

"...I guess it's reasonable that you may not see it the way that we do...yet..., but you'll see...Yes sacrifices need to be made...but they will not be in vain...Your sacrifice will not be in vain...It all will mean something...Everything will count in the end...I promise."

"You'll...receive the highest eminence in the eyes of Zeref...For being the one whom he will permit us his heaven for...What...could be a greater respect achieved than that?"

Though such was being spoken in regards to her own fate , the level of thought and reluctance that was used to convey the message made her wonder if she was the one who was the intended recipient.

However , on saying that came the grim reminder of her own fate. The fact that her life would be cut short and she would serve as an oblation to humanity's enemy. Hesitant or not , he would give her up to the sole cause of prodigious sin.

That hard reality just brought things into perspective and she couldn't help but feel so trapped at the thought and feeling of what was left of her own life and also the lives of others before Zeref would be awakened.

There was no way anyone would be coming to her rescue , not when she didn't even know what had to be done in order to even bring her all the way out here. She dreaded to think...was it possible her friends had been hurt during the process? Or was he more merciful and conducted the kidnapping with no intention to cause alarm? Whilst the latter gave her more peace of mind regarding her comrades , it didn't change the fact that it would all be the same in the end anyway.

Because the ceremony would be conducted.

Erza's breathing became audibly ragged as more salty tears streamed down her face and she hung her face down , unwilling to comprehend that this is where it would all end. And by the hand of none other than the boy who had once been so dear to her.

The person who had been one to come to her aid and save her from the cruelty of Zeref's lunatics was going to be the same one to offer her life on a silver platter to the dark lord himself.

The irony of it all was actually unbelievable.

Whilst the indication of her grief was not as prominent , Jellal's features did soften and his hold on her did lose any oppressive force as he let the leather of his gloves catch the dripping tears before he swiped them away promptly.

"But that's not the sole purpose of why you're here…"

"...There's something more to it than that."

Those words drew her attention in an unsettling manner. What on earth could he mean by that? So she wasn't to be sacrificed to Zeref as of now? Then what else could he have wanted her for?

She found her queries being answered as her face came to a still as she felt the hand on her cheek temporarily being removed from her body , until she felt it find it's way snaked around her waist.

Her nerves tensed sharply at the sudden embrace , which only got stiffer as his other arm enveloped her waist and his head buried itself into the crook of her neck. Her heart was beating wildly , her skin cold to the touch as she felt his heated breath brushing against her skin , whilst her body was being pushed smoothly onto the wall until she was simply sandwiched by the stone and his encompassing embrace.

Erza didn't know what to make out of this situation , feeling her apprehension only intensifying with confusion as she was not expecting this sort of behaviour from the one who was her sworn enemy. But then again nothing that had been happening from their encounter was expected or she could have even thought to expect. And that all left her on edge as she didn't know what to be prepared for or how to deal with it.

She could feel him taking deep breaths against her skin , the heat from his body simply radiating onto her own as he simply just submerged himself into her presence. Erza's face took on a light hue as the sound of his breathing rang clearly in her ears , a direct opposite to how her own was , his being heavy and paced , she could hear it all.

What was he actually doing?

Whilst the gesture wasn't anything particularly distressing , with how all the events that had led up to this , it made her feel she could not put her guard down. And in all honesty how could she? He was just speaking to her about being a sacrificial lamb to the tower and now he was swamping her in a deathly embrace as if she was his long lost lover.

Erza made the effort to wriggle lightly as his grip on her was becoming overwhelming , however any relief she was able to attain from her movement was overshadowed by his arms gripping tighter as he closed their proximity further. Whilst there was no actual discomfort , the thought of him being so close was making her feel in a way she wasn't ready to give mind to and also with all he said and done , she was in disarray with what to believe or not.

The heat on her face grew as she felt one hand that was laced around the curve of her waist creep up behind her back , leather lightly ghosting over her exposed skin before his fingers lifted a handful of her luscious scarlet locks and allowed his fingers to stroke through them gently as he brought them near his face and nuzzled in closely.

"J-Jellal?"

His name left her lips with barely any vigour , as a result failing to draw any attention at all from the hooded male. Erza continued to make the frail (yet failed) attempts to talk to him , but all she found was his questionable behaviour furthered. The feel of his breath caused the hairs on her skin to raise as she felt him thoroughly inhale against her deep tresses. The act undoubtedly caused her to stiffen up as she became aware of a disguised tension that had been created between them.

"W-What are you-"

"Your hair has always been one of my favourite things about you…"

The comment made her heart pang as he said this , due to the resemblance it held from the boy she once knew. He had always liked her hair , she remembered when he would take time to brush through it with his fingers in an effort to keep it looking neat when the slave hoarders would get too rough their treatment with her.

Looking back , it was these little things he did that made her feel a sense of security and comfort even during the degraded life of a slave. But now , that same action did not make her feel the same safety that it did back then.

And the reason why did not take long to be revealed.

"But with how beautiful you've become...I can't deny there are now other things that I want to love just as equally…"

Though his voice was quiet , she picked up the connotation behind those words loud and clear. Her breathing became empty as he finally lifted his head and she caught sight of the darkness that tinted his eyes , evident in what his true intention really was.

Her efforts in trying to resist meeting his intruding gaze were naught , as his hand that had been attending to her hair broke away to grab a hold of her jaw , still tender in touch , tilting her face upwards to meet his longing gaze in all it's rawness.

"Erza…"

As he breathed out her name in a low voice , he finally made the situation clear of what course of action he wished for things to go in. He made no effort to be demure about how his eyes lingered on the sight of her soft lips , using his thumb near her jaw to rub against the pink flesh before allowing himself a quick scan of her face as he formed his resolve.

Before the knightess could voice any protest , she found her lips being introduced to his , though she was already apprehensive for some cause of action , the act still instilled surprise. To the point the initial kiss made her become motionless , which allowed Jellal the freedom to continue his actions with no resistance.

Despite the nature surrounding it all , his kisses projected nothing of it. They were delicate and fleeting , one that would be drawn out would soon be replaced with another. There was no malice conveyed in his affection despite the perceptible lust. Rather than disgusted , it made her feel treasured , cherished , preserved...She didn't know what to think.

Was this really the same man who she was made a sworn enemy by?

She could feel her cheeks taking on heat as each kiss just left her more flustered than the last. The feeling of his lips on her's , made her more conflicted than she would imagine. The parting of their lips would be incredibly brief , only to meet again in another ripple of warmth.

Erza found that for some reason her lips wanted to move against his in the same manner , to replicate the affection , but before she could act on that impulse one thought rang clear in her head.

She mustn't give in.

Recovering from her shock , she made the attempt to move her head away from the kiss , finally showing the resistance which should have been anticipated.

That being said , it wasn't anything bothersome to him , a few unconvincing jerks of her head trying to break away , which only became less frequent as the hold on her jaw became more rigid. Yet even then , there was no intention to cause discomfort.

The situation only got more flustering as Erza felt his body pressing deeper into her's , the wall behind them being the only thing that enclosed the tension between them as his arm around her waist drew her closer against him.

She felt his kisses start to build in power , not to an oppressive amount but to the point they were restricting her movement to resist. Though to be honest her 'resistance' was nothing close to being anything fearsome to begin with as some part of her was enjoying this and that part of her was mixing up her affairs.

After he had pressed a few more long kisses on her lips , he gave way for her to give the breath she was holding in so dearly until now. Hazel eyes opened to meet her's , lidded with deeper lust as he allowed his breath to mix with hers as the air around them grew thick. His gaze briefly swept over her face , taking in the sight of her heavier looking orbs and lightly flushed complexion with admiration.

Leaning back in , he continued with his display of desire , his hand that was at her waist beginning to travel to different curves around her body , the leather that covered his hand becoming familiar with the smoothness that hid under her the flowy fabric which draped her. His lips took her own once again , allowing the steadiness of his mouth to build up with heat as he remained consistent in his affection.

All that could be heard was the subtle clink of her chains along with the friction of their clothes as lust began to seize the both of them. Though still trying to fight her own temptation , she found her body was already disobeying her will. Where his hand traced her ,she felt a flare in her skin , the skin becoming incredibly sensitive and longing to be probed. Not to mention she could feel a faint ache that was forming between her thighs , which slowly were pushed apart by his own limb trying to close even more distance.

Seeing that her physical resistance had become a thing forgotten , he allowed his hand that had been stationed at her jaw , to make another journey down the scape of her body. Allowing his touch to skim the sides of her curves before his fingers rested on her clothed thigh.

He gave himself some time to get accustomed to that part of her , allowing his hand to run up and down the length of the area , mentally deducing what would be waiting for him once he got to the means of disrobing her.

Giving a tender squeeze , he could make out the flesh hidden was plentiful and plump , his eagerness growing as he continued to take shameless handfuls , flattening the fabrics of her dress against her thigh until it felt more than a second skin.

Erza winced at the sensation , the heat beneath her only seemed to grow despite her telling herself otherwise. The kisses he gave her were beginning to fog up her already clouded brain , making her idea to resist become a laughing matter.

God...Why was this becoming so difficult?

Before she could even give thought to that question , she felt a pressure clasp around one of her mounds. Her generously full breast welcoming the touch as excitement began to bead through her clothing , much to his satisfaction.

Erza gave a light moan , finally giving way to what he had been anticipating. Once her mouth gave a slight way , his tongue swiftly entered her cavern , intensifying the want between the both of them as he sought out her existing passion that was needing to be edged out.

Her eyes went wide as the impact of lust was truly beginning to take over. She had the urge to want to press into him , to allow her heat to rub against something , to entertain the erotic muscle that was slithering about in her mouth.

She felt that heaviness from before beginning to surface once again yet this time it was mixed with the tantalizing temptation of lechery. She could feel the lower half of her face increase in levels of heat as each close kiss he gave resulted in something deeper and engulfing.

His hand, which had been massaging her thigh for the meantime , brought the limb up and directed it to wrap around the side of his waist. In effect entangling their bodies together tighter as he let his hand slide up the spans of her lifted leg and under thigh until his hand had travelled a decent distance up her body and allowed it to become stationary once again around the svelte curve of her waist.

The warmth beneath pulsed as her breast was groped yet again and a subtle moan worked her way up her throat. The swell of desire was becoming avidly bothersome for the knightess , tears beginning to prick her eyes from these unprecedented sensations that were hijacking her virgin body.

Without realising , her tongue already had begun to replicate his actions , though of course nowhere near as fervent. Regardless, the new friction introduced was welcomed wholeheartedly as his tongue took the chance to entice her into a heated dance.

As she felt strands of saliva being swapped between the two of them , there was a faint underlying taste of something akin to a pleasant sweetness , which served in making the deep kiss thoroughly enjoyable between the both of them.

A soft moan emanated from his being , making her cheeks darken a shade or two whilst the sinful battle of dominance waged within her mouth. For the most part , he was winning , despite not being anywhere near a formidable opponent.

Rather his tongue stroked and coated the inside of her mouth with the feeling of him and that delectable taste , her senses going into overdrive as pleasure began to course through her body. Her mind started to become dense as the blood inside her felt like it was slowly lighting ablaze with it only getting warmer.

This wasn't good...how was she giving into this so willingly? Was she really going to forget what existed between them?

But...how could someone treating her so tenderly consider her with hatred?

She felt a force beginning to probe at her lower half , her breathing becoming ragged as her heat made contact with the bulge that was grinding on her. The throb between her legs only intensified as she felt her body being secured in a deathly grip yet again around her waist , pulling her firmly into him as the both of their lust met.

This had to stop.

Then again... if he wasn't doing anything alarming...

What was the need to stop?

The hand which had been fondling her breast decided to give her tender body some attention elsewhere , already making a journey towards the destination. The heat that was calling for him that is.

She couldn't let this happen.

But it was happening already so why fight it?

The fabric of the dress inched up her leg as his hand went underneath and made his way up. Allowing a generous feel of the sumptuous soft flesh that she possessed. The pulse only grew.

Why was she being so compliant?

But was he really doing anything for her to be otherwise?

Blood rushed to her head , thoughts abstruse and feeling foreignly laggard , as heated fingertips slid up her inner thigh.

Why wasn't she stopping him?

But then again...

Did she truly want him to stop?

That heat begged to be touched , to be caressed...To have the same gentle attention that he had been displaying her all this time since they had been together and he had….

That's when she felt the excitement in her blood force to a still and she firmly remembered the reality of the situation.

Of what it would return to once this all died down.

That she was nothing but a sacrifice at the end of it.

All this sweet and tenderness was nothing but a distraction for what he truly wanted.

And that's what made that one truth stick out against all the fallacies trying to confuse her.

Why was she allowing herself to be deceived?

Renewed with conviction , Erza would not entertain his games any longer. Her body became seized by that crippling tension , though this time fear did not run abundant. Anger flashed in her eyes, as she bit down mercilessly onto his tongue with no warning.

It wasn't long before she had evoked a reaction , feeling the body that was intertwined with her suddenly being subjugated by a chilling stiffness. His blood briefly leaked into her mouth , the taste of copper dripping down her throat as he retreated from his endeavours immediately , allowing his possessive hold on her body to completely slacken.

She felt a sense of accomplishment , seeing that look of disturbance plaster his face. His eyes being wide with disbelief , features unable to conceal the shock that took over when he felt the full brunt of her resistance.

Her own chest heaved , trying to recover from the aftermath of their deep lip locking , but the whole time she kept her sight trained on the azure haired male who made no attempt to challenge her gaze , rather his attention was focusing on his newly dealt injury.

With the tip of his middle and ring finger , he glided his touch against his lower jaw , catching the trickling of his blood on his heated leather before drawing back his hand and simply staring back at the sanguine liquid with returning obscurity.

"Why…."

His voice was barely audible , yet the silence of the room did enough to carry it through to her. Though what she expected was to be a tone full of irritation , it did not meet her ears.

"...Did you…?"

Rather a frail voice was what was sounded. One that was devoid of any reaction that she was anticipating , merely filled with genuine confusion and hurt as he looked up from his blood coated fingers and at her with eyes that asked nothing of her but the truth.

All of a sudden the triumph that she had been feeling was swept away and replaced by a pulling at her heart as the desolate look he was giving her had her feeling a way she couldn't help but feel guilty for.

"I see...we still don't quite…understand each other yet…"

The words uttered were more directed towards himself rather than her. Oddly though no advance of threat seemed to emerge after such a comment like one would have expected.

As she kept waiting for something more to happen , it never came. It was weird as she was fully anticipating him to switch for the worse , for him to come for her throat , to desire nothing but her pain...Not what she was seeing. Yes she caught the initial flash of darkness that crossed his face , but the thing that troubled her was his lack of response to what she did.

Was he really not going to do anything about it?

Before she could voice anything to break the tension , the sound of footsteps coming from another part of the cell caught her attention.

"I knew I was right in expecting such insolence from you Scarlet."

Her eyebrows furrowed , unable to make sense of what was happening. That voice , that was Jellal's voice...But she had been watching him all this time , he hadn't barely said anything after , nor had he moved from where he had become stationed...So who could it...?

Her sight focused on where she could pinpoint the entrance of this disembodied voice , following where it moved in the shadows before the said figure decided to emerge itself in the candlelight that bathed the both of them.

Erza could feel her eyes becoming wide with disbelief as the appearance of this new figure was practically identical to the man who had been keeping her company all this time. Well identical save for the condescending and dark glare that was vivid on the male's face.

"...Sieg...rain?"

Author's note:

Alright I am not sure how that chapter has been received but trust me it will all make sense by the end (hopefully) once I have gotten to finishing it. It was initially supposed to be a one shot , but because of how much I want to explore certain themes and the length that I found that I was reaching through following with my plans , it just wasn't going to be best for the reader's interest to do it like that.

So I have decided I will still write it as a one shot but segment it into chapters. I hope it will be more convenient that way to anyone who decides to read this.

I am still in the process of finishing the story. Actually , I've got a decent amount of it written out, but I got too excited , wanting to share what I was satisfied with as of yet lol.

To be honest I am rather nervous writing this story as I have never done Jerza , despite them being one of my favourite couples of all time and also reading so many fanfics of them over the years. I am trying to craft my own strand of their dynamic whilst being inspired by many other writers takes I've seen , so please do forgive me if Jellal or Erza seem OOC , there is a reason for that and it will reveal it's self by the end!

Also just to quickly make mention , I am going to be intentionally straying off canon elements too for the sake of the plot I am trying to push forward. But that will hopefully make it's self clear in the end too and I am trying so the compromise isn't too great and hopefully deliver further depth to what is existing.

Either way before I ramble on ,

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this if you have , I dearly appreciate it.

You won't be hearing of me until I've finished the whole piece I believe , and just to quickly reiterate that with what I have planned for this one-shot it may not be for everyone (as it will get incredibly dark , twisted and adult) which I completely understand, so for those who choose to continue , I hope I can do my best in delivering an enthralling story that I really want you all to enjoy! If possible I would love to hear what you think of it as you're going along , but if not , it's okay , I just really want this to be a notable piece like all the other Jerza fanfics I have read!

Thank you once again for your time! ^_^

PS : Since I forgot to include this first time around , just to make sure I cover myself , I own nothing of Fairy Tail , the characters or anything more , that is all of Hiro Mashima's intellectual & creative property , all I just own parts of the plot/head-canon I have crafted and this story.