As consciousness started to awaken back in Levy's cloudy mind, she first felt searing pain. Her head was throbbing and her throat was searing. Her wrists were burning along with her ankles. As she started blinking her eyes open, she saw below her grass. A dark figure stood below her, his thick black hair flowing slightly in the chilly wind. He looked up at her, sharp teeth and red eyes glistening.

"G… Gajeel?" she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

A manic laugh sounded from his lips, "Not quite, love,"

She blinked, darkness fading in again. Looking up, she saw the dark mage before her. He had a disgustingly satisfied smile on his face as he gazed on her. She felt wide-eyed fear suddenly claim her. She struggled against the bonds holding her.

Her arms were tied to the ceiling, suspending her in mid-air. Her legs, too, were tied. She felt the cold invading places on her that they shouldn't. Hot tears pushed against the backs of her eyes as she realized she was in nothing but her bra and underwear. As the mage saw her realization, his smile widened.

"You are such a pretty little fairy," he said, stepping towards her, "I couldn't just let something like that go to waste,"

"Stay away from me!" she yelled, pulling against the ropes that held her. He just laughed and continued his approach, each step echoing off the empty walls around them. He lifted a hand to her chin, bringing her face up to his.

"Go ahead and struggle," he smiled, "I like it when they squirm,"

"Who the hell are you?! And what do you want?!"

"Oh, my apologies," he said lowly, his breath filling her nostrils, "I'm Elisio, and I'm just a simple man of simple… pleasures…"

He ran a finger from her knee to her inner thigh. She felt sick to his touch, the feeling making her skin crawl. He brought her chin closer to his face and forced her into a kiss. She felt him force his tongue past her lips, consuming her mouth.

Before he pulled back, she bit onto his tongue hard. He jumped backwards, his hand coming to his mouth. Blood trickled down his chin and he brought back his hand, staring at it with outrage in his eyes. For good measure, Levy spat at him, his own blood splattering onto his face. She glared at him defiantly; mentally preparing herself for a blow she knew would come.

Instead, his laugh filled the room, "You're full of fire. I like that," he gave her a disgusting smile, "It makes breaking you all the more fun,"

Suddenly, she noticed a table she hadn't seen before. On it were various devices that made her stomach feel sick, one in particular being a nasty looking whip. He walked over to the table, the ease of his steps making her hate him. How many women had he done this to? How many lives had he ruined for his own sick pleasure?

And now she was next.

"Before we begin," he said, picking up the whip and looking at her out of the corner of his eye, "I thought I might inform you that you don't have to worry about your friends any longer. Where they're at, no harm will befall them anymore,"

Horror. Greif. Disbelief.

"No…" she whispered, denial engulfing her heart like eagle's talons, "You're lying…"

"Why would I lie, love?" he smiled, pulling a long black feather from his coat, "It's sad really. Your name was the last thing that left his lips before his final breath,"

Levy felt her heart breaking into tiny little pieces.

"I hope you put up a better fight than him," he brought his arm back and swung it across his body. The pain that went through her made her back arch and grit her teeth. She wasn't going to scream. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to give in to his disgusting game. Another hit sent fire across her stomach and blood trickling down her skin. Again, she refused to scream.

"Now this won't do…" he said, something dark and malicious in his eyes, "I want to hear you scream…"

The next hit sliced across her chest, eliciting a painful moan from the Script Mage. Another hit cutting her flesh made her choke in a cry of pain. Each hit became more and more relentless until she couldn't bear it anymore. She screamed from the pain. Each hit brought tears to her eyes.

He circled around her, giving her no mercy. Her tears were flowing freely and her throat was raw. It seemed like hours that she was suspended there, enduring the pain despoiling her skin. Her blood was dripping off her legs and feet and forming a puddle on the ground.

"You're not giving up on me, now, are you, fairy?" he growled, walking up to her and grabbing a fistful of her hair. She tried to keep the defiance in her gaze even though she knew she was broken. He frowned, "I guess you're going to make me do it, aren't you?"

She felt the end of the whip push between her legs and force itself against her womanhood. She let out another cry of pain.

"No… no please…" her tears were coming harder, the pain that had been wracked through her body still throbbing.

"Mmmnh… I like it when you beg…" he purred, and she felt something else pushing against her underwear.

"No… Please… Stop…" her vision was starting to cloud from the blood loss. Screams started to sound from outside the room and the frown returned to Elisio's face. He turned just as the door burst open. A growl made the room shake and for a brief moment fear flashed through his eyes.

"You sick bastard!" he was thrown out of her sight but she was too weak to look up to see who had saved her. But the voice…

"G-Gajeel?" she whispered, trying to muster up enough strength to look up at him.

"He grabbed Elisio's face and slammed it against the wall, dragging him through the concrete and then throwing him against the table, sending him flying against the wall. Gajeel looked feral and wild, like a starved lion that had just been let loose on a trapped gazelle. His skin turned to iron scales and his eyes glistened sinisterly.

"I was like you once," he growled, grabbing Elisio by his throat and lifting him off of the ground, "I used to get off on the pain of others and seeing their blood spilt for no damn reason. I bet you can't even get it up without causing someone to suffer," he threw him across the room again, sending him sprawling against the ground, spitting up blood, "I used to be someone that people feared. A monster that killed anyone that got in my way…" he lifted him up by his throat again, this time digging his claws into his soft flesh, "I promised myself I'd never become that man again, but for you, I think I'll make an exception…"

Levy's vision faded and her head started to feel heavy and light at the same time. She heard a sickening snap and then some screams. Someone was begging… there was another snap followed by more screams. The sounds were starting to get distant as a palpitating darkness started to claim her.

On the edge of her consciousness she heard a growl, "No merccccyyy…"