I'm not sure if anyone is reading, but firstly I'd like to just inform everyone that I haven't written stories for about 7 years! I'm also not a big reading but I am getting back into FanFiction reading! I am extremely rusty with my writing, I really want this story to be written as I imagined it to be. So if it's not the most elevated writing I do apologise.

TRIGGER WARNING:

Themes for this series include suicide, violence, and sexual violence.

I expect as the story progresses, so will the dark themes.

18 mature audiences please

At this stage I'm unsure if it will be completed, but stay tuned and please comment your thoughts/feedback!

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Chapter 3: Despair

Estarossa was shocked. After all, he just saved the young girl, and for what? … What games was she playing? Little did that matter - Estarossa loved games.

"You wish for me to take your soul? You wish to die?" Estarossa asked, his mind whirling with excitement and curiosity. Firstly, this Elizabeth had green hair. Secondly, she was strong, much like the very old, fainting memories he had. But that Elizabeth was filled with light, happiness and hope. This Elizabeth stared at him with discontent. Almost boredom. An emptiness resided within her.

"Do it" the girl replied, her voice soft and sweet like chimes in the wind. Her chin tilted to the sky with anticipation, her eyes watering and her lip quivering.

He could feel her negative energy pulsating from her. A dark hole in her chest, the pins and needles rippling on her skin. It was almost disappointing knowing she wanted death, that she craved it.

Such trembling would normally delight Estarossa, he would soak up every tremor of his prey, feeding his thirst for the distribution of anguish. But this was not what he felt from the girl, and it intrigued him. Though she was not Elizabeth, he couldn't have her dying before he could research further into how she had such a likeness. And furthermore, her potential.

Estarossa chuckled to himself "I wouldn't dream of snatching your soul after all the effort I put in to save it, you really should be thanking me" he replied, wrapping his arms around the back his neck, relaxing his head on them, and closing his eyes with confidence and content. Already this was getting tiresome, perhaps it was time to snatch the girl up— but that thought only lasted a split second before he realised the girl was running away. What a pointless endeavour, surely she knew, you can't run from a demon.

But nonetheless it was pleasing to see her from behind, a thought ran through his mind of him chasing and capturing her. Perhaps he could make her beg for death. Perhaps it wouldn't take much at all for her to scream his name in desperation. As her shape shrunk in the distance of the fields, towards a forest, he couldn't help imagining a hunt. Her hiding in the trees, him feeling her heart race silently, and feeling her trembles through the earth. This girl couldn't hope for an escape from him.

He imagined this for Elizabeth. After she and Meliodas betrayed him in the forest over 3,000 years ago. Revealing Meliodas's lies and Elizabeth's utter disregard for Estarossa's existence. It would only be fitting for a girl of Elizabeth's likeness to snap like a twig under a forest similar to that of the one that hid such deceit.

Estarossa closed his eyes and searched his mind forward, tracking the girls movements through the forest. He could sense her mind and body whirling with emotions - but where was this going?

That was quite enough. Estarossa braced himself, feeling the crumble of the earth beneath his armoured boots before descending to the air, and before long, landing outside a small cottage where the Elizabeth double —Alayah— resided inside.

The cottage was covered with forestry. He had never seen such a garden, this little cove of forestry and greenery was possibly more impressive than even that of the fairy realm.

He took a moment to take in the nursery that surrounded him, strange flowers and shrubbery he had never seen before. Bulbs of strange fruit— but even more curious, some even glittered and sparkled. He could feel the magic that resided within the plants. Estarossa grinned. Didn't Fraudrin say that the old magic had slipped away into the earth? When all the Titans of the old world had perished, the magical energy seeped back into nature? How strange that these plants held such power. Of course, nothing that was overpowering in any shape or form - but still impressive and extraordinary nonetheless.

It was then he heard the sheath and clattering of steel inside the cottage. Estarossa huffed - would she really try to challenge him? How bold.

He quickly entered the residence to see the girl holding a large sharp knife, in what appeared to be a human 'kitchen'. Such nonsense almost made him laugh. Human were so fragile and pathetic, they had to feed on the products of the ground to survive, and far worse, to add to the absurdity, humans even had to prepare and cook the plants to eat it. Ridiculous.

Estarossa focused back to the girl, noting her hold on the knife like it was an unfamiliar weapon. She really was going to use it on him? He felt his heart race with excitement. In that moment he yearned to overpower her.

But her face changed from sadness and desperation - to cold and enraged. But if this hatred was towards him, she would fall under his commandment of love and be rendered still. And for a moment, even though he didn't feel his commandment engage, he thought she was subjected to it as she held so still with the knife firm in her right hand.

But all of a sudden she grasped the knife with her left hand also, quickly rotating it to face her chest, and lunged it to her heart.

Estarossa quickly intervened and braced her hands with his. The knife inches away from her chest.

"Give me the knife, child" Estarossa demanded, his eyes brooding. This would not be her demise.

Suddenly Estarossa roared with laugher as he effortlessly held her arms from impaling herself with the knife.

———————

His laugher softened to yet another chuckle that irked Alayah. "I have plans for you, don't spoil the fun so early" he grinned at her, as if there were no knife, as if she didn't just try to kill herself.

Alayah looked down at her hands, feeling the desperation to plunge the knife shook throughout her. Tears fell from her eyes, and she felt an overwhelming rage boil through her body. She let out a grievance scream of agony.

Continuously trying to move the knife closer to her chest. She felt her entire being collapse inside her, her heart sank to her stomach and her mind on fire. She desperately wanted to die. She had made up her mind. Her breathing stuttered and her body shivered, clenching her teeth and allowing her deep anxious breathes scream through her. Her noises fluctuated from a calm growl, to waves of squealing despair.

She looked up to see a smile on the demon. And released an explosion of anger that she had never felt before.

She found herself on the ground, opened her eyes to see her kitchen in a wreckage. Jars smashed, glass windows shattered to the outside. Shelves broken and chairs flipped over.

"I don't see any magical energy in you at all. I've seen some humans with at least some attack, defence or magic power levels, even in the lowest of scales. But I see nothing in you, not a trace of power. And yet, you managed to explode enough power to break my grip on you" Estarossa said, followed by a short chuckle "and you completely destroyed, a good chunk of your home, how fascinating" he continued.

Alayah took no regard for what the man just said. And flickered her eyes around the room for the knife. Catching it in her sights, she lunged towards it, crawling across the floor.

She quickly reached out for the knife, but her efforts were quickly snuffed out, like a fire beginning to catch, only to be extinguished before its destiny of ruin.

"Now now, let's not play that boring game again" Estarossa said, with his boot firmly holding down the knife.

———————-

Estarossa looked down on the girl, her hair now a mess, but still that did not hinder her beauty. He savoured the view before him, the girls eyes pulsating as she held back her tears. Her hips openly displayed for him as her dress clung to her body. Her knees up to hold herself forward, allowing her to straddle the blade with her hands. The dress fell from her waist, defining the features he remembered so well during his days eyeing Elizabeth. What a gorgeous sight indeed.

It was if she was waiting for the moment he would release the steel.

But suddenly the girl recoiled from her advances, rose from her feet, once again attempting to leave Estarossa's presence without his permission. So he snatched her wrist as she turned for the unhinged door.

An image struck his mind, coming directly from the girl. It was not uncommon for demons to enter the minds of other beings. With practise, you can inflict interesting psychological damage. But it had been 3,000 years, he was a tad out of practise. But it was an endeavour he once thoroughly enjoyed. Humans were far easier to invade, especially one like this girl with no power whatsoever. At least, for what the eyes can see.

Clearly she had something hidden within her. It wasn't very strong, based on her little outburst, nothing more than a child with a few tricks up their sleeve. He felt that little tantrum was actually quite cute.

Alayah tried to snatch her hand away, but Estarossa held it steady.

"I see" he said "you're going to find some rope to tie a rock to your feet, and throw yourself into the river? I must admire your determination but as I said…" Estarossa paused, noting the shock on her face as she realised he could see her plans for death. He would not allow it. He looked down at her small, milky white hands, appreciating how little her wrists looked in his grip. It would only take a flick of the wrist to snap her. If only Meliodas were here, what would he say? He wondered. "I have plans for you".

———

Suddenly darkness projected from his body, beginning to swirl around him, coiling like a cloud with a mind of its own. Alayah attempted to step back, but Estarossa yanked her forward, until the other hand was forced onto his chest to balance herself, and as an attempt to give space between herself and the demon.

He looked down at her smiling with content. The darkness starting to surround her body, intertwining between the two of them, braiding around her curves, between her thighs and slinking the curves of her hips and breasts, before finally beginning to circle her wrists.

Alayah felt light headed, the feeling of dread filled her stomach once again, like a heavy emptiness. Clearly the eruption of this dark matter was a release of stronger power. Even after adjusting to his presence earlier when he caught her from falling, this power was too much.

The darkness began to spiral in circles around her arms, like a small tornado gravitating around them. What was happening? What was he doing?

Suddenly the darkness became solid, and snatched her wrists like a whip. A snapping sound occurred and she felt the puncture of its heaviness on her.

Estarossa let go of her wrist and stood back. Alayah held out her hands, examining the rope-like darkness on both her wrists.

Suddenly the ropes around her wrists thread together, forcing her hands to connect. The dark cloud continued to change, manifesting a chain from the binds that wrapped her wrists. The chain fed out until the cord was held in the hands of demon man. He had tied her with his darkness, and she was bound to him.

"What have you done!?" Alayah accused, her voice shaking, eyes shifting from wrist to wrist, acknowledging the spell placed upon her. She tried to pull her hands away, but with a tug of the chain, Estarossa effortlessly snatched her forward.

——

He peered over her, his eyes in admiration of the work before him. He leaned over and smelt the top of her head, her dark green hair tickling his lips.

Then using the other hand that wasn't restraining the girl, to brush her hair behind her ear. Breathing her in like the many souls he consumed, acknowledging the win before him. Hovering his lips over the top of her forehead, imagining eating her soul. Would it taste as delicious as she smelled?

"Now, we have a journey ahead of us" Estarossa began to say "oh—but first, tell me about that glowing garden of yours? And of coursing the begging question… The kind of creature you are"… Estarossa pinned her eyes with his own, he smiled with confidence, and finally the delicious reaction he had lusted to see from her— fear.