***41 YEARS AGO - THE HUMAN WORLD***

"Okay, one more drink, and then I really need to head home. The woes of a working class gal."

Rolling my eyes, I tapped the bar-top, signalling the bartender to bring us another round.
"Hey, I work too, Beth, I just didn't sell my soul to the corporate wolves." I snickered.

"You work, like, three shifts a week at that dinky little book-store. Must be nice, having daddy's money to fall back on." My friend, Bethany, bit back, though I took no offence to it whatsoever.
"You say that like I'm rich. Have you seen my apartment? That possum has been living in my ceiling since before I even moved in."

Accepting our drinks from the bartender, we each took a sip in unison, our bodies shifted so we were partially facing each other as the tune of Karma Chameleon droned through the building.
"That possum is the closest thing you've had to a long term relationship though, you can't lie." Bethany pointed out, her snort sending me into my own eruption of giggles.

"You're not wrong." I chuckled, picking some fluff from my striped cardigan and discarding it on the floor. "Maybe I should start charging him rent?" Bethany took another sip of her drink as she looked me up and down, brow quirking.
"Or...you could look to actually date, and settle down. You're not getting any younger, you know."

Her suggestion wasn't anything new. At least once, every time we got together, she would find a way to bring this up.
"Twenties are for fun! I'll think about it when I'm thirty or something." I waved her off, tapping her shoe with the toe of my own.

"I swear, I don't get you sometimes. You look like a conservative little nerd, then boom, get to know you and you're...you. the complete opposite. What's so wrong with finding a good guy to settle down with? Look, speak of the devil, there's a real cutie checking you out right now."

Trying, and failing, to look inconspicuous, I turned to follow her gaze, locking eyes with a young man across the bar, seated at a table with a few other people. He was cute, I'd give her that, and there was no ignoring the slight flutter of my chest when he smiled at me.

"Yeah, he's cute...but is he my type? Flings are one thing, but you know I'm picky when it comes to someone I'd wanna be with long term." I replied casually, watching as Bethany's lips spread into a sly smirk.
"Well then, you may just find out, because he's coming over here."

Again, I wasn't at all subtle when I whipped around, the attractive man sidling up to the other side of me. Strawberry blond curls framed his sharp jawline, and those baby blues were a real sight to see.

"Evening, ladies." He greeted with a smile, and not even a second passed before Bethany had downed her drink and hopped to her feet, slinging her handbag over her shoulder.
"Well, I best be off! Have fun with your new friend, (Y/N)! Byeeee!"

Traitor!

All I could do was force a laugh and wave as she hurried away, leaving me with the handsome stranger.
"(Y/N), is it? I'm Harvey. Mind if I join you?" He was bold, that was for sure, but I didn't see the harm. Sure, I got attention from guys sometimes, but they were never this cute.

"Sure, why not? It's nice to meet you." I gave him my full attention, now that Bethany was gone. It wasn't like I was totally opposed to a relationship, I just wasn't interested in actively pursuing one. Casual dating was more my speed.

Harvey and I got to talking, and we had a lot in common. He was a reader, which had struck me by surprise, and he seemed to have no aversion to me launching into chatterbox mode about my favourite authors.

"So, you're in a band?" Two drinks further in, I rested my chin in my hand, wanting to learn more. This was a small, rural township, so we didn't often get musicians in these parts.
"Yep, trying to make it big, but...it's a lot of work." He laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "We call ourselves Born Starving. Those knuckleheads over there are my band mates. Care to join us?"

What harm could it do?

Accepting his offer, I followed Harvey over to the table of guys, and they all paused their conversation to smile and greet us.
"Harvs, who's the pretty girl?" One asked teasingly, shooting me a wink that made me fluster, just a little.

"(Y/N), this is Lucas, resident flirt and bassist." Harvey introduced his fellow blond, then turned his gesture towards a younger man with short, dark hair, who looked somewhat more shy. "Ty, the band baby, drummer."

That only left one more person at the table, and honestly, he was hard to ignore. Chocolate brown waves and olive skin, but those eyes even put Harvey's to shame. It may have been the odd lighting of the bar, but they seemed to be split in colour, half brown, almost black, and half gold.

He's...kind of spooky...but in a really cool way...

"And, our honorary manager, Rez. Everyone, this is our new friend, (Y/N). Play nice." Harvey sat down and motioned for me to sit beside him, and I did just that, my curiosity growing.
"I apologise in advance for this lot." Rez spoke up, and his voice matched his appearance, smooth and rich, accompanied by a smile.

As opposed to the more casual clothing his band members wore, the man was donning nothing but black, an equally as dark coat hanging on the back of his seat.
"No, no, I'm just happy to be included." I smiled back at him, feeling kind of excited to be meeting new people. I wasn't lacking in the social department, but in such a small town there were only so many new faces one could meet.

As the night progressed, lots of questions were sent in my direction, along with drinks. What I did for work, what I did for fun, what music did I enjoy. After every few questions, I noticed the guys turning to look at their manager, as though seeking some kind of confirmation, but I soon began to ignore that, especially after a few more drinks.

"Ah, crap...it's getting pretty late." Lucas muttered, looking up at the wall clock. It was nearly midnight. I sure had lost track of time. "You have a ride home, missy?" Now that he mentioned it, Bethany had been the one to drive us there, so no, I didn't have a ride home.

"I...don't. Dammit..." I mumbled, unsure why my words were so slow. I hadn't had all that much to drink, no more than usual. Slinging an arm over my shoulders, Harvey leaned over a little, his boyish smile still causing a fluster.
"Why don't we drop you home on our way back to our motel, huh? I don't like the thought of you walking all on your own, and there aren't any taxis out in these parts, are there?"

He was right on that, and while I usually would refuse such an offer, I didn't really have any other options. At this rate, anybody who I could call from the bar's landline would be asleep, and walking definitely didn't sound fun.
"Well...I guess, if it isn't any trouble..?"

Before I knew it, their tab, along with mine, had been paid, and I was under Harvey's arm in the parking lot, standing before a large, black panel van. It definitely screamed small-time band, but it also screamed something else.

Maybe...this isn't the best idea...

"You okay?" Harvey leaned in and asked me quietly, his voice gentle, but sounding a little too far away than it should have. My legs felt weird, and my head even more so. Had I really gotten that drunk?
"Uh...yeah...I just don't...usually get into vans with strangers..."

It was cold out tonight, but as the side of the van opened up, I knew that it wasn't the reason for my shivering.
"Smart girl, but I promise, we don't bite. Come on, up we go." I was helpless as Harvey picked me up and passed me over to whoever was inside, the door quickly being shut behind me.

Wait...

I struggled to free myself from whoever had me in their arms, and they seemed happy enough to release me, though when I dragged myself to the door, I quickly found that it was child locked. I barely even had the strength to lift my hand to the handle.

"Why the sudden concern?" Rez spoke, his voice close, and I squinted into the darkness as the engine coughed and wheezed to life. Eyes adjusting, I could faintly see his face, still smiling. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Oh, how I wanted to believe him, but everything inside of me was now telling me that I had made a grave mistake. It wasn't uncommon for people in our town to give each other rides, to and from, even if we hardly knew each other, but these men weren't from around here.

For a while, it seemed as though I had been forgotten, left to silently panic and sway with each bump and break as they spoke amongst each other. Instruments twanged and creaked, covering my quiet whimpering. I hadn't told them where to drop me off, so where were we going? We'd been driving far too long at this point.

"I dunno, are you sure about this one? She doesn't seem like the type." One asked, snapping my back into focus now that I was the topic of conversation.
"One way to find out. Hey, sweetheart, you a virgin?" I could pick Harvey's voice out of the others, and my whole body froze.

Was that what they were after? A good time with a drunk floozy? God, I really was stupid. I shouldn't have listened to Bethany, and gone home when he'd approached.

"Y..Yes! I'm a virgin! I..I've never done sex before!" I insisted, voice several pitches higher than it usually was. "I swear, I'd be bad at it! P..Please don't..!" I flinched when  they all erupted into laughter, and even more so when I felt a cool hand on my head.
"Don't worry," Rez whispered, too close for comfort. "I can assure you, they won't."

How long we were driving for, I'd never know, but the second we stopped and that side door slid open, I tried to shove my way out and make a break for it. Lucas let me past, but I only managed a few steps before my legs gave out, sending me sprawling onto sticks and stone.

"Sorry, sweetheart, but we need you to stay with us for the time being." Harvey chuckled, seemingly amused by my absolute terror when I began to cry, plucking me from the ground by my waist. "What now, Mr. Manager?"

With what little energy I had left, I kicked and thrashed, but my efforts were futile. Whatever they had slipped me back at the bar had me completely at their mercy, and that was going to be the death of me.

"Put her down on that stone slab over there. You might have to pull some of those weeds and vines away." Rez directed them, and I could see him from over Harvey's shoulder, opening an old, leather bound book. The mere sight of it had my blood running even colder than it had been before. "Oh, strip her down, first."

No-

I screamed, I cried, I bellowed and begged, fighting against them as my clothes were yanked from my body, discarded in tatters across the forest floor. Unceremoniously, Harvey dumped me down onto the slab of stone, and it hurt, but before I could try to roll away, my hands and feet were held tightly in place by strong hands.

"LET ME GO! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed as loud as I could, until my lungs began to burn, but all I got in return were amused chuckles, and the returned echo of my terror.

"You've got the book, man. Now what? I don't wanna do this any longer than we have to..." Ty muttered, his head turned completely away from me as he gripped my ankles, struggling to keep them stilled.
"The blood I collected from you all earlier. She needs to drink it. Careful, it may be messy." Rez instructed, as though he was walking them through some kind of recipe, and not ritualistic torture.

Just the mention of blood and drinking it had me thrashing even more, twisting my head left and right, up and down as Harvey pulled a small vile from his pocket, moving to stand beside my top end.
"This would be a lot easier for all of us if you'd quit being difficult, (Y/N)." He snorted, shoving four of his fingers to my mouth, prying my teeth open.

The putrid tang of copper didn't want to go down my throat, and I coughed and hacked, trying to force it back up and out, but again, like everything else, it was hopeless.
"Is...all this really...Do we have to do this..?" Ty spoke again, nerves and distaste apparent in his tone.

"Do you wanna make it in this business? Yes? Then shut it. All the big names do it to make it a sure thing. Man up." Harvey snapped, resting his hand on my rapidly thrumming chest as he turned around to face their 'manager'. "So, do we kill her now, or is there more? This is dragging on."

Kill?!

"WAIT! NO! D..DON'T KILL ME!" I shrieked, curling my hands so I could claw into Lucas's skin, but he didn't release me like I had hoped. "I'LL PAY YOU! I'LL LET YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE TO ME! P..PLEASE!"

Nothing I said, screamed, was working. Above me, I could see the moon, full and round, and nothing seemed colder. Not the stone beneath my naked back, nor the men around me, readying to end my life.

"Here's the dagger, and right here are the words you need to speak in order to summon his favour. You need to say them exactly, or this will all be for naught." Rez handed the aged book over to Harvey, along with the dagger he had mentioned, before he approached the side of the slab. My struggling stopped dead when I met his gaze.

He's...

Not once, in all my twenty two years of life, had I seen such excitement in the eyes of another. A kind of sick, demented pleasure, all at my expense. I would never forget it, in this life or the next.
"Thank you for your sacrifice. I've been wanting to test this out for a while."

I didn't have it in me to try screaming and writhing again. Everything I was feeling became trapped inside as I watched him step back, and Harvey take his place, one hand holding the book, and the other with the dagger raised above my chest.

"I call upon the bringer of night, he who waltzes through time and marries with shadows! On this night, of full moon rise, we offer you this virgin lamb, marked internal with our lifeblood, in return for your benevolent favour! Offerimus tibi hoc sacrificium!"

There is no way to describe the feeling of a dagger being forced through one's chest, nor the agony of the blade being dragged down your torso, unzipping you beneath the pale moonlight. I could feel every cell of skin, every layer of fat and muscle, being lacerated and pulled open.

My death was not quick, nor was it normal. Even I could tell that much, as I laid there, silently gasping and choking on my own blood, feeling it spill out over the split seam of my torso and down onto the slab of stone.

My lungs were the first to fail me, then my ears, then my eyes, the last thing they saw being the swell of the full moon, the audience to my end. What lasted, however, was that pain. Searing, burning, continuing on even after the moment of my death.

On, and on, and on, and on...

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***PRESENT DAY - THE DEVILDOM***

"It's okay. You're okay."

Barbatos pulled me into his arms as I curled in on myself, succumbing to my emotions. I could almost feel it all over again, the pain of my body being torn open. The silence in the room was heavy, broken only by my pathetic sobs.

"I...have no words. I am so sorry, (Y/N), to make you relive such a traumatic experience..." Diavolo spoke low, yet so softly, reigning in the usual boom of his voice.
"As am I..." Lucifer added, though his tone was more rigid. "A virgin sacrifice...to think, they still do such things. Could this all be because you were not-"

"I believe it best to refrain from further questions at this time." Barbatos warned, his arms tightening around me, only slightly. "On that night, I sensed something, and came upon her, not far from the Reaper's Cave, terrified and in the form of a demon. That's what happened, in the entirety."

I wanted to go home, back to the quiet safety of that cabin, even if just for a little while. This was too much, too fast, and I regretted begging for it. To be shown to this world.
"You really should have come to me, Barbatos." Diavolo sighed, and my companion shifted a little, still comforting me, but showing respect to his master.

"Can you say, with complete certainty, you wouldn't have locked her up in such an unstable state, and would not have seen her as a threat to the Devildom, My Lord?" By the lack of immediate response, I knew he would have done just that. "Even now, I see your hesitation, but I vouch for her. You trust my judgement in all other instances, so I would hope you will do so now."

You're too kind to me. I haven't done anything to deserve it.

As I remained hidden away in the demon's side, I heard the scraping of chair legs against the floor, then the sound of heavy footsteps drawing near.
"I trust you, Barbatos, and (Y/N), I want to help you, but we need to discuss this, at length, to figure out how to best work through it. If I allow you to remain in the Devildom, do you swear to adhere to any rule or regulation we place upon you?"

Timidly looking up, I saw nothing but kindness in the Demon Lord's features, and even though part of me wished to simply be done away with in those moments, I nodded.
"I promise...I'll do anything you ask..."

I don't want to be here, but I don't want to die again...

"I will take full responsibility for her, My Lord. You can ensure that she will follow your orders without fault." Barbatos added, helping me to sit upright again, keeping one hand on my back.
"That's very noble of you, Barbatos, but you have far too many duties here. Taking charge of...I guess a newborn demon, would be far too much on top of that. I've arranged an alternative."

As though on cue, there was a rhythmic knock at the hall door, and as Diavolo moved to answer it I felt Barbatos' hand grip tight into the back of my shirt, his demeanour shifting into something I hadn't seen from him before.
"That better not be who I think it is..."

Ignoring his attendant's words, Diavolo opened the door, and in stepped a being who looked almost out of place amidst the obvious demons. Snowy white hair melted into pale skin, and a bright, almost too-cheery smile, eyes honing in, straight to mine.

"Sorry I'm late! So, is this our newest little enigma?"

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***Yes, this part was HEAVILY referenced by Jennifer's Body. Sue me. (Please don't sue me, Fox).

Barbatos may seem a little out of character, but there's a reason for that.

Next Time: Solomon The Wise***