Engulfed by utter darkness. The feeling of standing on complete emptiness — the ground neither solid nor liquid; neither there nor absent. The sensation of falling, though he knew he was not moving at all. Fear, confusion, anger, curiosity — all emotions coursing through the young hunter tried to orient himself in this surreal location. It was absent of smell, absent of anything to grasp onto. It felt tiny and suffocating and wast and endless at the same time. Hot and cold, everything in this world seemed to be a contradiction. It was no surprise that Avery felt sick and overwhelmed.
He swallowed hard, grasping his own shirt as he was glad to discover he was still wearing it. Never before had he felt so vulnerable and naked in the entirety of his life.
Then he noticed them. Candles in all colors, floating around in the darkness, bathing the narrow path ahead of him in a deep, orange glow. Avery too, was illuminated by the light. He took a deep breath, mentally telling himself to calm down as he tentatively took one step ahead. His heart was racing, his palms sweaty yet he did his best not to panic. He was here for a reason. His sister. If he failed her now, her future would be taken from her. Avery could not allow that. Holding on to his motivation, he called out in as steady a voice he could manage.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
Minutes ticked by, though one would not be able to tell within this space, before there was an eerily creaking sound from the abyss, the candles wavering slightly. Red broke the lack of colour as two orbs glowed hauntingly a short distance away. A yawn broke the silence...
"A human...Hunter, right?" It asked, tone apathetic as more red slithered into place of the unidentifiable form. The new glowing additions made limbs slightly recognisable, shown now to be steel black armor. Though one had to have good sight to even seen notice it.
"Let me guess...You bear my mark and want to try create a contract with me?"
The voice coming from within the shadows was a comfort, somehow. It confirmed he was not alone. Although, however that ominous presence could possibly be comforting was anyone's guess. He glanced around, his eyes eventually settling on the red orbs in the distance. They looked a little bit like eyes, so he assumed there was where he ought to be looking.
"Uh…" Sliding his hands into his pockets, he appeared a lot more relaxed than he felt. "I think so…? I mean, yes. That's why I'm here. Totally because I want to." The sarcasm was unmistakable in his voice. Then, as though none of this bothered him at all, he smiled quite broadly.
"But since I'm here, I better make the best of it, no? The name's Avery, by the way. I... take it you're Sloth? Zehaseal, was it? Nice to meet'cha!"
The newly revealed Zehasael knitted her brows together as she brushed away the shadows with a flicker of her hand. The abyss like environment remained but now she was at least visible. Standing tall, Zehasael had porcelain white skin with deep red eyes and waist length snow white hair, the tips finished with small ringlets. Black armor adorned her arms and legs as gauntlets and boots with crack like designs running over the material, glowing with a familiar red hue, her outfit finished off with a short black sleeveless dress.
Her lips pursed slightly as she hummed, tilting her head. "Your far to happy...you know people die in these trials right? Or at least end up brain dead...Why are you so...peppy?"
Being able to see a bit more certainly boosted Avery's confidence somewhat and he found himself grinning up at Zehasael. She was beautiful, in her own, intimidating sort of way. Well, if he died he would at least do so knowing it was at the hands of a beautiful woman. That was it. If he just thought of her as a hot chick, she'd suddenly seem a lot less scary.
"Isn't the imposing threat of death all the more a reason to smile?" he retorted, "If chances are I'm going to die anyway, I may as well do it with a smile. It'd be a waste spending my last moments despairing over the inevitable, wouldn't you agree? Besides," Avery paused for dramatic effect, "Out of all possible ways to die, being killed by a beautiful lady such as yourself certainly ain't the worst."
There was a deafening silence around sloth as she simply stared, she would mentally call it studying, at her newest guest. The demoness actually looked shocked. Eventually, after a few moments she seemed to pout slightly before narrowing her gaze. "...I think you should of gotten Lust's mark instead..." She mumbled, avoiding her embarrassment as she raised her hand out before him till it looked as if the claw shaped armor was prepared to grab him.
"You are interesting...Unlike many of the humans before you...." Zehasael still did not believe he would pass in any way. Her sin was simply to make people give up, become uncaring and fail to strive...Zeha liked to test them to see if there was something that could make them push forwards...It was enertaining, especially as fears normally worked best. The sound of metal sliding against metal echoed in the depths before the glowing blue had wrapped around his form, encasing him and spreading the influence of 'sloth' into him.
"...Mhm~ Maybe it would be interesting...to have a contract...." Zehasael added.
Avery didn't really pay attention to what she was saying, too distracted by the fact that the abyss had begun to swirl with mist that slithered and curled, slowly altering the landscape around them. The ground became a polished wooden floor, the walls shelves lined with books and at the far end; a desk behind which an elderly man was seated. In case Avery hadn't felt hopeless before, he was well beginning to do so now. It was a creeping feeling. A premonition that made him believe he would fail regardless of what he tried. The man's ice cold blue gaze so full of scorn was all too familiar, instilling this faint sense of unease he always experienced when faced with his grandfather.
Red eyes glimmered in faint amusement as the she simply seemed to float a short distance behind the trapped human. "Your grandfather?~" Her voice cooed before fading back into the dead silence.
"Right." Avery murmured in response, smiling wryly. "I suppose that's what he is."
The icy figure of Avery's grandfather remained seated but it did not work to lessen the sense of authority and fearsome nature he held. His lips had twisted dangerously at the 'sight' of Avery as his eyes held a spark, one that would send a shiver down the spines of many. "Avery..." The image even worked to capture the tone perfectly, though it was mostly through the memories of Avery himself that it was recreated.
Avery felt sick, yet he managed to keep his composure. He glanced around at Zehasael, a slight frown creasing his forehead. There was something that bothered him about this, and it was not the person sitting behind the desk. Well, he did bother him somewhat, as seeing his 'ugly mug' as he would have put it sort of pissed him off. Yet it wasn't that.
"Cutie, however unpleasant the fact that you seem to be able to look inside my head may be, it won't work if I'm aware of that this is an illusion."
Zehasael just hummed softly, tilting her head slightly in response as she seemed to be closer now, watching his face, her own expression apathetic, as usual. "Mhm...~" The sin hummed before she touched the 'ground', facing him. "I see...its not painful enough..." She cooed softly as she reached out to poke his forehead.
The demon seemed slightly curious though irked at the same time. Humans normally begun to break, if only slightly. "The past two trials....the past two deaths...they were your father and brother, were they not?"
Avery tensed up as she mentioned his father and brother. Up until now, he'd forced himself not to think about them. It was the only way he could keep himself from starting to panic. Once he panicked, once he let her get to him, he'd lose. He knew that.
"So what?" he asked rather cautiously, "It's not like I cared about that old bastard anyway." He knew that wasn't the main problem here. It was the knowledge that if his father and brother both had failed — people who to his knowledge were quite powerful… surely Avery would die too. And Sebastian… he didn't even want to think about it.
A small smirk seemed to worm its way to her lips as she reached out to hold a lock of blonde hair, mostly for her own amusement and to prove that she, in this realm, had the power. After all, the other was unable to even move. "So you don't care...Tell me, how are you going to pass a trial they both failed? Both them and you held my mark...they are dead and Its all my fault, hunter. What chances do you have to pass?"
Zehasael paused before she continued, grin all the same. "You know...they got to this point as well. So strong willed, both wanting to get back to your family...it was sweet." She muttered, releasing the blonde lock as she tilted her head. "You have the exact same expression as them...but they broke when I continued." Her grin faded, once again harboring a stoic expression.
"You were in both of their trials, Avery. You were a part of what broke them..."
As she spoke, his expression shifted — from smiling to determination to guilt to pain to anger and then pain again. The changes were minor, barely noticeable. But they were there — in the way his eyes narrowed and mouth twisted. His throat felt tight. His heart was racing. He so wished he could move, but unable to do so, he felt utterly helpless and exposed.
"You're lying." He said, sounding surprisingly meek. "There's no way my father… he hated me. I was just in the way, unwanted. I could never live up to his expectations…"
His words only worked to further her own amusement as her grin grew "Really~ you were definitely in them. It took me a while since you were slightly different in his mind but it was definitely you in both his and your brothers..." She chimed happily, seeming to fall back in her space as if to float on the air, propping her elbow up as she settled her head in her hand. "Do you know...they cried when they broke...~"
Avery didn't want to hear it. She was planting images in his mind he didn't want to see. He wanted to imagine they fought bravely to the very end. He wanted to believe they died with their honor intact. Not like this. He wanted to cover his ears, but he could not. He wanted to shut her out, but he could not. He tried closing his eyes, yet it only caused the images to become clearer.
"You're lying." Even as he said it, his voice wavered. "You're trying to break me but it won't work. I can't afford to lose to you." Tears were burning in his eyes, blurring her out, yet he refused to let them fall.
Zehasael almost felt bad...This human was way more entertaining than his families previous sacrifices. They pretty much were in her opinion. Her smirk faltered slightly as she simply shrugged her shoulders. "But I am not...They broke...their mind died in a similar position to the one you are in now..." Zehasael pointed out as she shifted slightly till she appeared to be sitting properly. "Give up, Avery...the pain will end...all the images and pain will go away..."
She was right. The pain would end. And he'd be dead. No matter how much this bothered him, he could not allow it to take over. No matter how tempting it was to give up, that temptation was not strong enough to break him. It was as he'd said. Avery could not afford to lose to her. He had not yet lost sight of his objective. Of why he was here in the first place. It was not for himself.
So he smiled. It was forced and all but happy, but it was the only way he knew how to hide his pain. He could feel a tear spill onto his cheek.
"I told you, sweet cheeks. I can't afford to lose to you."
Sloth just blinked as her eyes seemed to widen a fraction or so. Zehasael even went as far as to gather herself up to stand, walking towards Avery with predatory steps before she paused in front of him. "...You are ruining my fun..." She murmured before she reached out to brush her fingers against his cheeks, an action that brought a brief hue to her gaze before vanishing as his memories were once more accessed. "Why dont I show you how much I can do from this bloody pendant..." She cooed as the space was enveloped in a sapphire hue as her sealing circle began to paint itself slowly onto the ground beneath them. "Do you know...I can reach out to those with my mark...Normally it is to much of an effort to even consider but it seems appropriate." Zehasael murmured, smiling viciously.
"So...guess what I am able to bring here, Avery Nolan~"
Overcome by a sudden sense of dread, Avery was sure he must have looked like he'd just witnessed a ghost.
"You wouldn't…" his voice was a mere whisper.
"Of course I would...I am terribly hungry and...you two could at least die together...~" Fake sympathy laced her tone as she headed over to the circle where she stood illuminated by her own powers glow. It took a few moments for a figure to slowly appear within the center before chains soon enough, encased this human as well. His sister was revealed before him. Her expression was one of fear and shock as Zehasael's hand settled upon her head, smile back full force.
"Your going to die here Avery...at least, shouldn't I do your sister a favour and not let her suffer... she would just end up here eventually...you humans are quite cruel for continiously sending sacrifices to us..."
Avery was completely paralyzed. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. He only started. Stared at the entire reason he'd agreed to do this trial in the first place. Stared at the only thing that had kept him from breaking down in grief and regret. She looked so tiny. So vulnerable. So scared.
"Avery…" she sniffed. "Avery… where are we? I'm scared." She sounded so meek. So powerless. It was as though Zehasael was holding his very heart in her hand, crushing it with brutal, inhuman force. He wanted to scream. He wanted to call out to her. He wanted to tell her everything would be fine. He wanted to hold and comfort her…
"Why can't I move? W-who's that lady over there? Avery, what's going on?"
Zehasael looked softly at the girl as she crouched down to meet the girls height, her clawed armor hand still on the much smaller head of the girl. "Sweetie...Do you know that mark you have?" Zehasael asked softly though she didnt await an answer. "Thats my mark. I'm the scary demon who took your father, your brother and now...Avery~" Sloth cooed out, grinning. "And you...I think I'll end you first, little one, so you wont have to suffer~"
"D-don't…" Avery's voice was barely audible.
It was the horrified look in Caroline's mismatched eyes that finally got to him. He was shaking all over. It wasn't fear. It wasn't even despair over his own inability to act or sorrow due to his failure. It was pure rage.
"You…monster…" he hissed under his breath, his eyes wide, almost appearing to glow bright red in the darkness. "Don't you dare…"
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE EVEN DAMAGE A HAIR ON HER HEAD!" he screamed it into the darkness, pulling so hard at the chains, he thought his limbs might break. They were biting into his skin, bruising him badly, yet he didn't stop. He wasn't thinking anymore. He was acting on pure instinct, the flames of rage consuming him completely. All he knew was that he needed to get Caroline away from that demon. And he needed to do it fast. He'd sacrificed everything for her. If he failed now… there was nothing for him left.
Only one person before had reached this point in the trial and so Zehasael remained firm in believing that this would break the hunter before her. That he would shatter and plead for his sister, that he would give up and accept the fate or in the very least, go numb and not even respond. Humans were easily broken and it only took a matter of time and the right things to show them. Avery was screaming and shouting but it did little to sway her actions, only the rows of sharp teeth bared in a grin at him...
"STOP TOUCHING HER! DON'T EVEN LOOK AT HER! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"
The chains glowed brightly then, and with a loud crack they broke like glass. Zehasael's eyes, a deep bloody red, snapped wide open as she watched the stray fragments of the chains go soaring in every direction to be lost within the abyss. It was unheard of.
Some of them grazed Avery's skin — he was bleeding, yet he didn't even seem to notice. As soon as he could move he pounced at the demon, tackling her to the ground as his hands locking around her throat.
Her lips parted as if to speak but eventually snapped shut when she noted his gaze. Sweet, sweet insanity. Tackled to the floor and a pair of hands around her throat, her eyes hidden behind the mess of white locks, Zehasael couldnt help but giggle. This was so odd, Zehasael couldnt help but let the hunter practically wring her neck, wanting to see if he would actually 'kill her'.
His nails were digging into her throat, his heavy breathing continuing as he tried to regain his breath. His heart was hammering in his chest, so hard he almost thought he could hear it. And yet he did not loosen his grip of her, firmly straddling the demoness between his knees as he leaned down, his lips only inches away from her ear.
"Don't you ever try something like that again." he growled in a low, threatening voice. Next time, he truly would not hesitate to kill her. Or at least try to. Still not relaxing his grip, he ignored her giggling as he glanced towards where he thought his sister was standing… except she was gone. Swallowed by the abyss like the rest of the illusions. It wasn't until then that it dawned on him that the Caroline he'd seen had been just that. A mere illusion. The moment he realized it, his grip on Zehasael relaxed… and he laughed. Not the crazy, high pitched kind of laugh one might expect after all this. It was a genuine, if not somewhat exhausted laugh.
"You… you got me!" He couldn't believe his own stupidity. "You totally got me! You had me completely fooled!" still laughing and panting, he got off her and stood up. Then he smiled at her rather charmingly — that typical, boyish kind of smile you'd expect from a young man his age, and offered her his hand. "I'm sorry. I usually don't approve of raising a hand against women. Especially ones as beautiful as you."
Zehasael had begun to feel the influence of her own sin seep in and already she felt the need to sleep, though currently she was too engaged with the situation to allow that to happen. She watched him quietly go through a range of reactions before she ended up just blankly staring at the human. "You keep complimenting me...why?" She asked, taking his hand as she gathered herself to her feet, any marks from her neck gone.
"I keep complimenting you because I really do think you're beautiful." He said it so smoothly and shamelessly, it was almost ridiculous, considering all that had just transpired.
Zehasael had yet to mention it but she could already feel the weight of the contract burning into her flesh. Regardless of her personal opinion she had set the rules for her trial and it had been passed, so either way it was now in effect...not that she would tell the human that yet. "You do know I'm the demon who has practically killed off members of your family plus many others from the other hunter families?"
Avery's expression turned more serious as he carefully considered his answer. It was so hard to put into words. There was sorrow in his eyes. But there was also something else. A deep hatred. So deep, it could not possibly have been directed at Zehasael whom he's smiled at so warmly just moments ago.
"In the end, whether to take part in the trial or not is something only oneself can decide. My father chose that destiny. So did my brother. If anyone should get the blame, it's probably the old geezer you tried to scare me with before. Except… I don't think even he is to blame in their cases. Knowing my brother and father, they didn't just do it out of loyalty for the family or because they had to. They were both hungry for the glory and fame that comes with being a hunter. When faced with the possibility of contracting one of the strongest demons of all time, they didn't even think twice about throwing their lives on the line. In fact, I don't think they even believed they could lose. Not even my brother, who always used to brag about how he one day would surpass my father." He paused before adding. "Of course, I could be wrong. But… I don't think I am."
The demon for Sloth hummed gently in response as she folded her arm across her torso, tilting her head. "I..." Zehasael felt slightly bad for her actions before...sort of anyway. "I may of exaggerated your brother and fathers trial to you." She ended up pointing out, sighing tiredly. "You have definetely proven yourself to be different from them today..."
There was a silence as Zehasael ended up yawning, her eyes already having become lidded in exhaustion. The sin looked much more docile without the sadistic gleam to her gaze. "Well...That was it. Avery Nolan, you are the first hunter to be in a contract with Sloth...Congratulations?" She mumbled. "I think..."
Avery was smiling. No, he was actually grinning from ear to ear. Regardless of how much he had hated going in, regardless of how much he dreaded the future… right at that moment, he couldn't help but feel proud of himself. For the first time in his life, he'd succeeded with something related to this business. He knew he would not be praised by his grandfather. His mother wouldn't even look at him and Flynn would probably still give him the cold shoulder… but he'd managed to do something his father and prodigy of a brother had both failed. And above all — he would now be able to keep Caroline out of harms way.
Her eyes blinked tiredly in response as she found her head dipping to the side. "Mahh....The only reason I failed so many people was really because.." She yawned once more. "I didnt want to leave...you know...I'd have to actually work..." Zehasael muttered, her voice slowly becoming quieter. "All you hunters seem to want to contract us...my siblings and I, simply for selfish reasons...all seems troublesome." She looked into his eyes, lips pulling into a frown. "So why have you taken the trial...?"
"Because I have someone to protect." The answer was so simple and it came to him so naturally. "Because I'm the only one who can. From that monster, and from the curse once placed upon my bloodline." He watched her catiously. She really did seem like she'd collapse any moment now.
Zehasael ended up watching him carefully before there was a slight tug to the corner of her lips. "What...What a heroic thing to say, Avery..." She struggled to make out words by this point, her hand already pressed against her right eye lid. "It's...interesting...I think I may look forward to my time with you...Though I should warn you...Im going to look differe...n...t..." Within seconds of trying to form the last words, Zehasael's form simply fell as her eyes had long since shut. Sloth really was the sin she held.
Avery caught her as she collapsed, gently holding her against his chest as he smiled down at her softly.
"I look forward to spending my time with you too." He murmured softly before adding. "Sweet dreams, Zehasael."
With the final echoes of Avery's words, there was a deep silence as white shone through cracks that began to form from no where. Each one, each thread like line had the echoing sound of glass to accompany it before they to began to collapse and shatter. As if the space they were in was a glass box.
Soon enough white enveloped them and they were gone.
