Sarah Anderson, Bedroom, Demon Lord's Castle.
My eyes flung open so incredibly wide that, each pupil was vastly dilated. Startled, I jolted up, grabbing onto the sheets, as if my life depended on it. My breathing was shallow but oppressive at the same time, and I was sweating profusely. Frankly, I looked around, trying to recognize my surroundings. Was I in heaven? To answer my own question, I took my hand to my chest, searching for any signs of a heartbeat. My heart was still pounding in my chest, although being quite fast from all that adrenaline rush. So, the answer was no. I put my head back and closed my eyes for a short time, but the pounding headache and the burning in my throat only intensified. I tried to piece together the last events in my memories but, my mind was totally empty. The last thing I remember was... I hoped that, regaining consciousness of what had happened, would come to me slowly, I hadn't expected it to form so fast or so strong. I took my trembling, slight pale hands to my throat, encircling it gently. Pain throbbed at the simple touch of fingertips. It hurts! It hurts! I immediately pulled them away. Was it that bad? I reached out to the small mirror standing on the bedside table to check it. My neck was a wreck! It was completely bruised, with extent purple welts were scattered around my throat like a disease that, against my new, ghostly skin, was definitely looking grotesque. I dared myself and touched it again. I hissed in pain."This is going to take its time to disappear..." I whispered to myself. I sighed, feeling in my core a sense of helplessness. I should be glad, after all, despite the odds, I was very much alive. Independent of 'how' things had turned out like they did, it was a huge mystery to me; the imagery of Irene's face right in front of me suddenly pop into my mind. It made me shiver and gulped down some thick saliva upon acknowledging how closer I had been to death.
- Knock - Knock -
The door opened to reveal Erik, holding a plate with food and leaning against the door's archway."How are you? Did you have a good rest?"
"Y-Yes..." That was all I could say. I was in shock, overwhelmed with the fact that he was finally before me.
"Good. A good rest is always important, especially to humans." He said with the most kind, charming smile. How I've missed that about him.
E-Erik... I refused to look away. I was afraid if I did, he would disappear again from my sight.
He approached and set the tray on top of the bed. "I brought you a little something for you to eat. I assumed you would be hungry." The plate contained bread with cheese, it also had an average cup and a chubby-like-form jar with what I assumed to be juice.
I lowered my head. My dark lashes brimmed heavy with tears, my lips trembled and my shoulders heaved with emotion, unwilling to back down.
"W-What's wrong? Are you hurt?" He rushed to my side, crawling into bed to check out my injuries.
"N-No..." A lone tear traced down my cheek, dripping down from my chin and landing on my lap. And just like that, I could no longer hold myself back.
"I... I'm s-so sorry for what happened before with Sarah! I don't know what went through her min--!"
Not being able to just stand there anymore, I jumped forward and embraced him with all my might. I let my face sank into his chest as if asking him to never let go as I put my arms around him. I wept; tears streaming, and loud, heaving sobs tearing from my throat.
He didn't embrace me back, just gave me small pats on my back. "There, there. It's over now." He said somewhat distant.
"It's so good to be in your arms again!" I murmured as I nuzzled my nose into his neck.
Erik remained silent, dropped an awkward bow, and straightened, his mouth lax.
In realization... "Wait--!" ... I pulled away. "Can you repeat what you just said?" I suddenly ask.
Erik frowned his eyebrow in confusion. "«There, there. It's over»?"
"No, no, no!" I shook my head "Before that!"
"Uh.. «sorry for what happened before with Sarah... I don't have a clue what went through her mind»?" He raised an eyebrow at me, "That?"
"Exactly! That!" I shouted as soon as he repeated his words. "What do you mean by «Sarah»? Don't recognize me?"
"Should I?" He asked puzzled.
"Yes!" I desperately fought to shake him out of his stupor.
Erik squinted his eyes; he had this look on his face that screamed, 'you crazy person'.
I took a step forward and gently cupped his face in my hands. "It's me, your Sarah... please remember!" I begged.
"That's... That's impossible... Sarah is... in the royal chamber..." His voice was barely audible, although acknowledging that to be his truth, he still didn't break eye contact with me, not for a split second, it was like a tiny part of him was looking for the real Sarah, in me.
"It's me, I swear..." Courteously, I slid my hands across his shoulder, entwining my fingers on the back of his neck. I leaned my body towards him and tilted my head to the side, ending with the remaining space between us. My focus was on his lips. Why? In 'Cinderella's story - a Twist in Time', all it took for the prince to remember was a simple touch of hands. Maybe a kiss would make Erik remember. Or maybe not... But, it was worth the try. What did I have to lose anyway? So, I grabbed his hand and positioned it on my hips, instructing him to pull me closer to him; he obeyed, following the movement with his eyes, very attentively. His eyes glimmered as he finally turned to me. I could see that he was utterly confused about what I was doing. I slightly parted my lips, shifting my gaze between his eyes and lips while biting my lower lip. I knew he was feeling something unusual growing inside of him and, somehow, wasn't fighting it. His physical response said more than a thousand words; he was tense and his breathing was short and superficial. What would happen if I... As the sudden thought crossed my mind, I brushed my moist lips slightly against his; Erik let escape a small, enthusiastic gasp. I smiled satisfied, seeing the very reaction I pretended to provoke.
"Y-You... I-I... we shouldn't..." He murmured through clenched teeth. His hand slid down and below the various layers of my dress' fabric, playing like a 7-year old kid with his toys outside on the playground.
I shut my eyes firmly and let out a minor moan as I felt energy being drained out of my body from the spots ulterior touched. "Ahh--!"
"Something about touching you feels..." He stopped mid-sentence.
"F-Familiar?" I completed his thought. I moaned with pleasure. His hands were making me feel dizzy; astonishingly took me to cloud-9 in only a fraction of a second. A demon who could bring heaven to earth was definitely a keeper.
"Yeah..." He grabbed me by the chin, forcing me to open my eyes and stare at him. "Why is that tho? Why don't I feel this with my Uxor?"
"I-It's because... a-ahh--! H-How do you expect me to answer if you continue to touch me in places that are sensitive? Ngh~ ahh!" I asked in an almost muted tone.
"It almost feels... " Erik dropped his gaze, absently looking to the floor, seemingly lost in thought. "--right..."
"O-Of course it feels like that, we're meant to each other..." I shortened the explication. Soon, Erik's hand left the space among my inner thighs; the sight that escaped my, now, dry lips was slow, as if my brain needed that time to process what had just happened. He broadly took the finger filled with my love juice and put it in his mouth, and licked the sweet nectar out of it. I watched him with half-opened eyes. "How does it taste?" I asked, slowly returning to my senses.
Erik said nothing, just looked my complexion up and down. He reached out, slipping his huge hands between my arms, gripping me from behind, and pulling me to him. The intensity he forced into his deed made the plate with food fall flat on the floor, but he didn't seem to care. I gazed up, his head lowered and he locked eyes with me. Then, I felt his fingers trace the back of my dress, seemingly searching for something in the dress' splice. What is he doi-- "Ah--!" I let out a surprised yelp at him ripping my dress open so unexpectedly; the clawed edges slid off my shoulders, as expected, so I held the front with my hands so it wouldn't show too much than necessary. His fingers ran down my spine, making an electric wave reach my sensory nerves. "Erik--!" I moaned his name. He kissed my shoulder, softly nipping my skin as he strode forward. His hand moved again to underneath the skirt of the dress. My eyes rolled back and I threw my head backward in sweet pleasure. God! His teasing... was torture.
An unforeseen, strange glimmer crossed his eyes upon hearing his human name; its color shifted from purple to gold almost imperceptibly. With a frustrated grunt, Erik rose out the bed in a burst of speed, sprinting across the room enough to set a meaningful distance between him and the bed. He stopped by the door and roughly pinched the bridge of his nose.
I stood still, my arm over my bosom holding the dress in its place. I blinked dumbfounded. What was that just now?
"I-- I need to go!" He whispered more to himself than to me. He started to head out of the room.
I got up and tried to stop him from leaving before we even have the chance to talk about it, "W-Wait!" but he shoved my hand away, "E-Erik..."
His purple eyes widened a moment, a flare of sudden overwhelming emotion to which he could only stutter. "I'm so sorry but I have to leave." and gawkily, he excused himself. Before leaving the room, he ensured I would eat something since the one he brought got spoiled. "I'll bring you something later. You're still too frail, you need to eat." After that, he actually left, closing gently the door behind him.
I was left alone once again, unsure how to feel about all of that. What the heck just happened?