The night was cold, and the high moon illuminated the clearing with its silver light. The trees around Elysiel twisted under the force of an icy wind, as if the kingdom itself was responding to what she was about to do. Her heart pounded in her chest, the sound ringing in her ears like the echo of a final decision.
She had accepted.
The words had left her lips earlier, but now, as she stood alone in the center of the clearing, Elysiel felt the weight of those words more intensely than ever. "I accept the pact". That simple declaration had sealed Elandor's fate—and hers.
She knew she couldn't go back. The fate of her people depended on her courage, but also on her willingness to pay the price. The darkness surrounding Seraphis wasn't just something she feared; it was something that would now be part of her. The power he offered came with consequences, and Elysiel was about to discover just how profound those consequences would be.
The air began to change. A thick mist spread across the floor of the clearing, crawling up her legs like cold fingers that entwined themselves with her skin. Elysiel prepared herself for was coming next.
— Are you ready? — Seraphis voice sounded deep, almost resonating inside her.
Elysiel swallowed and nodded, not daring to look away.
— Yes. — Her voice was firmer than she expected.
Seraphis stepped forward, his dark wings lightly stirring the air around him. He raised his hand, and Elysiel could feel the pulsing power coming from it, something that seemed to blend with its surroundings, as if it were connected to the very fabric of the world.
— By accepting this pact, Elysiel, you bind yourself to me irrevocably. It won't just be a simple contract between two parties. This goes beyond flesh and blood. Our souls will be intertwined. I will touch your essence, just as you will touch mine. — Seraphis's voice was seductive, but also full of warning.
Elysiel took a deep breath, feeling the gravity of his words. Their souls would be linked. She didn't know exactly what that meant, but the depth of that promise scared her.
— I understand. — Elysiel replied, despite the turmoil in her mind. — I'm willing.
Seraphis watched her with dark curiosity. He seemed to study her every move, every beat of her heart, as if he were trying to predict what would happen next.
— Very good. — He said, an almost imperceptible smile touching his lips. — Let's seal the pact.
He extended his hand towards her, and Elysiel, with her heart racing, extended hers too. When their fingers touched, something extraordinary happened.
A wave of energy coursed through Elysiel's body, traveling up her arm and spreading through her veins like liquid fire. She felt her body shudder with the shock of the power that flowed from him to her. It wasn't just a physical sensation. It was as if something much deeper was being awakened within her. An invisible connection was forming between them, a bond that could not be broken.
She gasped as she felt the intensity of that connection. Her mind opened to something beyond what she had known. The surrounding shadows seemed to come to life, moving unnaturally, as if responding to the pact being formed.
But then, something even more intense happened.
Seraphis approached slowly, his eyes shining in the dim moonlight, and before Elysiel could comprehend what was happening, he leaned in and kissed her. His lips touched hers with surprising softness, but the impact was devastating. It wasn't an ordinary kiss. It was as if darkness itself were flowing from him to her, and the light she possessed mixed with that shadow.
A whirlwind of sensations took over her body. She felt the weight of eternity on Seraphis's lips, the immensity of the power he controlled. He wasn't just a demon; he was a primordial force, an entity that existed far beyond mortal comprehension.
The kiss didn't last more than a few seconds, but to Elysiel, it seemed like an eternity. When Seraphis pulled away, she felt an immediate change. Something inside her had broken, and at the same time, something new had formed. She didn't know exactly what it was, but she knew she wasn't the same anymore. Her body was different. Her soul, part of her, now belonged to the darkness that Seraphis represented.
She took a deep breath, trying to process the feeling that something much bigger was beginning.
— Now, the pact is sealed. — Seraphis said, his voice soft and dark.
Elysiel looked at her hands. Something was different. She could feel a power flowing within her, a strength that hadn't existed before. Her body felt lighter, but at the same time, something dark was crawling under her skin, as if the darkness was waiting for the right moment to fully manifest itself.
— What happened…? — Elysiel asked, her voice shaking slightly. She no longer recognized herself.
— You have been touched by the underworld. — Seraphis replied, approaching her with a satisfied look. — From this moment on, part of me lives in you, just as a part of you now lives in me. This is what a true covenant means. There's no going back, Elysiel. You accepted power… and now you have to deal with the consequences.
Elysiel felt the impact of those words. She had made the pact to save Elandor, but now, the reality of the consequences was beginning to set in. She was no longer just the princess of the fairy kingdom. Now, she was bonded to a demon, bonded to him in a way she didn't yet fully understand.
— And Elandor? — She asked, feeling the desperation return. — What happens to my kingdom? Will you keep your word?
Seraphis tilted his head and smiled slightly. — Yes, Elysiel. As promised, I will save your people. The plague will be stopped. The cycle of death that has taken over your kingdom will be reversed.
He raised his hand, and suddenly, the air around Elysiel changed. She could feel a pulsating force moving around them, as if the very bowels of the underworld were stirring. Seraphis closed his eyes for a moment, concentrating, and then the plague that had enveloped Elandor began to dissipate.
Elysiel felt as if a wave of relief had swept across the kingdom. It was an indescribable feeling. She could feel the lives of her people being restored, the land regaining its vitality. Seraphis's power was real, and he had fulfilled his part of the pact.
She glanced at Seraphis, who was now watching her with a look she couldn't completely decipher. There was something else there, something that scared her but also attracted her.
— What will happen to me now? — Elysiel asked, her voice softer, full of uncertainty.
Seraphis approached again, his eyes locked on hers.
— Now, princess of Elandor, you are mine. — He said, his voice a whisper that seemed to encompass every part of his being. — And together, we will face what's to come.