✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤໒꒱ ‧₊˚

───── Ｖｉｃｅ #３─────

️
✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

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𝙒𝙚𝙚𝙠 𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚: 𝘿𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙡

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⋆౨ৎ ₊˚ 🖤・₊✧

꒰ ୨୧ 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳 𑂂 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐨𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐨𝐧𝐞'𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲.

⋆౨ৎ ₊˚ 🖤・₊✧

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┆

┆

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Ｓｕｍｍａｒｙ: Banished from Heaven for the forbidden act of loving a human, Hinata now faces the ultimate consequence—a degree from the highest order that tore her from the skies and cast her into the depths of darkness, where an even graver fate awaits her.

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭: 𝘈 𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘯, 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺, 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘮𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳.

❦𝘋𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯: 𝘈 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴, 𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭/𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘧𝘵, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

❦𝘍𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭: 𝘈 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘺𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘣𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘦.

Ｔａｇｓ:

Read Carefully.

Angel • Angel Corruption • Angel/Demon Relationship • Angel/Demon Sex • Angel Wings • Body Worship • Burning • Celestial Punishment • Coming Impure • Coercion • Corruption • Dark • Dark Character • Dark Content • Divine Fall • Fantasy • Dacryphilla • Deals • Deal-Making • Degradation • Demon • Demon Naruto • Descent Into Madness • Desperation • Dirty Talk • Dom/Sub • Emotional Hurt • Emotional/Psychological Abuse • Enemies • Eternal Damnation • Extreme • Fallen from Grace • Fantasy • Fantasies & Fantasizing • Fellatio • Forbidden Love • Hard-core • Heavy Angst • Heavy BDSM • Horror • Humiliation • Hurt No Comfort • Intense • Isolation • Loss • Loss of Control • Loss of Identity • Mental Instability • Mind Control • Monster • Master/Slave • Masturabtion • Marathon Sex • Multiple Orgasms • Mythical Creatures • Non Con • Non-human AU • Overstimulation • Petting • Psychological Thriller • Psychological Torture • Rough Sex • Scratching • Sexual Coercion • Size Difference Kink • Spanking • Supernatural • Temperature Play • Tail(s) • Transformation • The Void • Vaginal Sex • Wings •  

Ｗｏｒｄ Ｃｏｕｎｔ:

Part 1: 8.7K

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Ｍｕｓｉｃ:

"Bring Me To Life" – Evanescence

"Panic Room" – AuRa

˚₊‧꒰ა 🖤 ໒꒱ ‧₊˚

Ｎｏｔｅ:

So, uh, this is a little awkward—I'm here posting a Halloween-themed one-shot in January when Halloween is long gone. Not just "a little while ago" gone, but last year gone, too.

I blame time. It just goes by wayyy to fast.

Also, my sister and I did say the Halloween (Vicetober) event wasn't gonna be anything super serious—it was our first attempt at something like this, so thanks for bearing with us, haha. Still, I couldn't just leave this unfinished, even if Halloween is long gone.

So, I've got a three-part dark story for you all.

But this is not like the one-shots I've updated recently.

This is not a wholesome one-shot.

This is not a jolly, happy one-shot.

This story is dark.

This story is not for the faint of heart.

It contains disturbing themes, non-con rape being one of them, so if that's something you can't handle, please don't read. This story is sad, intense, unsettling, unapologetic, and, well... very Halloween-ish.

Read. The. Tags.

This is one of those "psychotic, mind-bending one-shots," so brace yourselves.

I understand that calling despair a vice might seem a bit off... but when you think about it, it really can be.

Despair isn't just a fleeting feeling—it can turn into a constant, overwhelming presence that consumes a person, becomes that person.

It becomes a vice when one allowz it to control their thoughts and actions, locking them in a cycle of negative emotions that prevents growth or healing. Rather than pushing through pain or finding a way out, they get trapped in that pit, clinging to it like it's the only thing that's real. It becomes a self-destructive force, feeding on their weakness and making you feel as though there's no escape.

And this story, embodies all of this and then some.

You're probably gonna need some therapy after this one, and some serious prayers. No lie.

I went overboard.

But uh...

Ｅｎｊｏｙ

... I guess. 

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Descension 

Hinata Hyuga

Hinata had always been acutely aware of the rules, the sacred commandments woven into her very essence from the moment she was crafted from Heaven's purest light.

As an angel, her purpose was clear.

She was to remain pure, untouched by the temptations of the mortal world, and to serve as an unwavering beacon of virtue, eternally loyal to the Creator.

Yet, the unthinkable happened.

Her gaze had fallen upon a human—a mortal whose soul was steeped in sin. She had watched him from afar, her heart-stirring with emotions she was not supposed to feel—was not designed to feel.

His struggle, his pain, had pulled her toward him, and despite the warnings echoing in her mind, she had descended from her celestial home to be close to him, to understand the life he lived.

Her descent, then, was an intoxicating plunge she repeated over and over again, each journey to Earth more captivating than the one before. Her heart was irresistibly drawn to her human lover, captivated by his flawed yet beautiful humanity. The love she felt was unlike anything she had ever known—a fire so intense and consuming that it burned brighter than the heavenly light from which she was created.

Hinata knew it was forbidden, a transgression of the highest order—in fact—yet she couldn't resist.

She could not deny the truth—could not forsake her own desires.

And before she knew it, she had fallen madly in love with him—a human.

She cared for him, embraced him, and even offered her body to him as comfort in his darkest hour. Yet it was that choice—mating with a human—that ultimately sealed her fate.

She was foolish to believe it would go unnoticed, that she could hide it.

Yes, foolish indeed.

Her punishment was imminent.

She remembers that day as vividly as if it were yesterday, every excruciating second of it imprinted in her mind.

That day happened so long ago, and yet it remains so clear.

On that fateful day, she was summoned before the celestial council, and she remembers painfully how her heart pounded harder than ever before. A tense, unsettling feeling clawed at her, something she would later come to know as dread, tightening around her as she stood before the council's gaze.

Their silent scrutiny pressed down on her like the heaviest of stones, a weight unlike any judgment she had ever faced. She would never forget the look in their eyes—once so warm and compassionate, now cold and merciless, their piercing, disappointed gazes cutting straight into her soul.

At that moment, she knew—oh, she knew—even before a single word was spoken, that her world was on the brink of changing forever.

Every transgression, every misstep, every secret visit to Earth, and the forbidden love she had shared with a human was laid all exposed under a harsh, unforgiving light that left no room for denial—no room for mercy.

The council's unrelenting gaze illuminated her sins as if they were written in the very air around her, stripping away the last shreds of secrecy she had desperately clung to. And there, standing vulnerable before them with all her sins revealed, she was judged as she feared...

Guilty.

The celestial council pronounced that she had utterly failed in her purpose, tarnished her divine purity, and betrayed the very essence of her celestial nature.

For this, she would pay the ultimate price—a punishment that would last for all of eternity.

And so, her sentence was delivered.

Her wings were the first to be stripped away.

Brought to her knees, she could do nothing but endure as her wings were consumed by flames.

But the fire that engulfed them was no ordinary blaze; it was a manifestation of celestial wrath—cold and unforgiving. Rather than the searing heat of typical flames, this fire ravaged her wings—and her entire being—with a torturous, excruciating pain that burrowed deep into her soul, leaving her with the haunting sensation that the very essence of her being was disintegrating.

For once in her entire existence, she truly felt like she was going to die.

She remembered screaming so loudly that the sound seemingly echoed endlessly in her ears. It was a sound that ripped through the Heavens, a desperate wail with no hope of reaching anyone who might come to her aid.

She could still hear herself screaming.

Her wings had once been a magnificent display of beauty and strength, but after the burning, they turned to ash, leaving only charred stumps in their place. The precious gift of flight was torn from her in an instant, leaving a void that no amount of pain could ever fully fill.

The agony of it was excruciating, but her punishment was merely just beginning.

Next came the Fall.

She was cast down, not to the Earth she had longed to be, but into a dark, empty void—a pocket dimension of sorts, a purgatory where only darkness prevailed. She fell for what felt like an eternity, the descent endless and relentless, until she finally landed.

It happened so...

...suddenly.

One moment, she was plummeting downward at breakneck speed, and the next, she struck the ground with a bone-jarring thud, crushing her withered wings. The ground beneath her was cold and stiff, a harsh contrast to the soft, fluffy clouds of Heaven she had always known.

Hinata lied there for a moment, her body broken and her spirit shattered. Her once-pristine white gown was now torn and stained from the Fall, and her hands and knees, once delicate and pure, were scraped and smeared with blood.

With great effort, she struggled to her feet, her legs trembling beneath her weight as if they might give way at any moment. She peered around with her lavender, pupil-less eyes, but what she saw nearly gave her a heart attack.

Darkness.

That was all there was.

The world around her was swallowed by an endless pitch-black void, a desolate expanse where nothing existed, nothing thrived. The gentle, comforting breezes of Heaven had been replaced by the harsh, biting chill of this abyss.

A realm of eternal night.

Hinata couldn't even tell whether her eyes were open or closed; the darkness was so profound it engulfed her senses entirely. There was no direction, no sense of time, and no sign of life—only an endless, oppressive darkness that closed in on her from all sides.

She could feel it, too; the darkness slowly acknowledging her presence and beginning to creep into her, gnawing at the edges of her soul. Its chilling tendrils wrapped around her heart and mind, filling her with an overwhelming sense of despair that threatened to swallow her whole.

It whispered to her, spinning tales of sorrow and hopelessness, unveiling a truth that finally dawned on her for the very first time in her existence.

She was alone.

Completely alone.

A tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another, then another, until she was sobbing uncontrollably, collapsing back on her knees. Her cries echoed through the void of darkness, her sobs bouncing back to her in an endless loop. Over and over again. And there was no one to comfort her, no one to hear her cries—only the darkness.

The weight of her sorrow was suffocating, pressing down on her chest so heavily that it was hard to breathe, let alone cry. She gasped and choked, struggling to draw in air as tears steadily streamed down her cheeks, each sob tearing at her heart like a jagged knife.

Behind her, her once-beautiful wings now hung in tatters, blackened and scarred from the searing fire that had consumed them. They drooped heavily to the ground, their feathers, once pristine and radiant, now marred and disfigured with dark, gaping holes that resembled the depressing state of her heart.

Broken and scarred.

It was in that moment, realizations began to hit her.

The principles Hinata had once held sacred now felt distant and foreign, as though they belonged to someone else entirely. The sense of purpose and purity that had once defined her seemed utterly out of reach, swallowed by the darkness that surrounded her now.

Wave after wave, more realizations.

She was no longer an angel.

She could no longer live among her celestial sisters, her place among them irrevocably lost.

She could no longer reach her human lover, the one she cherishes and loves so deeply—no longer able to hold him, see him, or even hear his voice.

She had fallen.

Fallen from grace, cast out from the light, and condemned to an eternity without any hope of redemption.

And she knew with a crushing certainty that she had no one else to blame but...

...herself.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Time seemed to have lost all meaning in the void.

Hinata had no way of knowing how long she had been here, isolated in this dark, unending expanse.

Days, weeks, months, she didn't know.

She fell into a routine as she navigated through the darkness, though it took her some time to reach this point. At first, she had spent her time huddled in a tiny corner of the void, paralyzed by fear of what might be lurking out there in the shadows, terrified of the unknown—of the darkness itself.

She didn't have to worry about basic needs like eating or sleeping, which made staying in one spot manageable—for a time. Gradually, her heightened senses adjusted to the stifling darkness of the void, and slowly, faint shapes and shadows began to take form before her.

She could see once more.

Still, it took time, but as her confidence grew, she finally summoned the courage to leave her small, safe haven and venture into the vast unknown of what was now her new "home."

Inch by inch...

Step by step...

...she pushed forward.

However, it didn't take long for her to realize something...

Walking was hard.

Relying solely on her legs for travel was a lot harder than she'd ever imagined.

She finally understood why humans struggled so much.

Her feet weren't used to the rough terrain of the void, so every step was a grueling challenge. After all, she had always flown, and when she did walk, it was mostly during her brief stays on Earth.

But even those moments were fleeting.

Now, having to walk every single moment across the rough, uneven ground felt almost unbearable. Every step felt like her bare feet were constantly walking on sharp knives.

Her feet ached.

Her feet bruised.

Her feet bled.

And to make matters worse, the divine healing she once took for granted was gone. Her own body didn't even have the power to fix the damage anymore, leaving her to trudge through her own blood most of the time.

Every step was a painful ordeal.

Every inch of progress felt like pure hell.

The void was relentless, magnifying every discomfort she experienced and forcing her to confront each one directly. There were no breaks, no moments of peace; it was a never-ending struggle against the heavy darkness that surrounded her.

Every time she tried to move, it felt like the air itself was working against her, pressing down on her chest and making it harder to walk. The darkness seemed to suck the energy right out of her, taking whatever she gave, and more often than not, it came out on top.

She just felt drained and exhausted all the time, like she was running on empty.

She missed her old wings—their strength, their grace—more than she could ever put into words. If they were as they'd always been, they would have carried her far beyond this void, granting her a freedom she could only dream of now.

Just remembering how they once looked—so big and majestic, unfurling under the sunlight and catching the breeze with each powerful stroke through the air—was just so bittersweet.

But that comfort was only a memory.

Reality was anything but.

What remained of her wings now offered no comfort, no lift to her spirit.

Yes, they had once gleamed with flawless, white feathers that shimmered in the light, each one a delicate, perfect piece of heaven itself.

Now, no longer.

They were ruined, their ends burned black, as if they'd been dipped in soot, with streaks of darkness stretching like clawed fingers from base to tip. The feathers were brittle, fraying, and filthy, with grime clinging to every edge.

With every step, they dragged on behind her, the charred tips grazing her ankles, scraping through the dirt and leaving their already filthy feathers even more filthy.

But that didn't stop her.

Somehow, it didn't.

She wasn't sure what kept her going—maybe it was the fear of being completely consumed by the void, by despair, or maybe, a small, unbroken part of her just refused to give in.

Maybe.

Whatever it was, it kept her moving through the darkness with a determination to stay unbound.

Every day, or.. well, moment, she forced herself to push deeper into the void.

Her steps echoed through the endless darkness as she tried to figure out this new terrain she was cast in, to fully grasp just how vast and empty it was. And just as she'd feared, the void seemed endless, sprawling out infinitely in all directions, cloaked in the form of a forest—but it wasn't a real forest, not truly.

It was more like an imitation, a hollow replica stripped of everything that made a forest real or alive. There were trees, but they stood unnaturally still, as if frozen in time, their branches twisting into strange, unnatural shapes that clawed at the dark sky above.

Not a single leaf rustled.

And there wasn't a trace of life to be found—no insects buzzing, no animals rustling through the underbrush, not even the distant whisper of a breeze.

Nothing moved.

Nothing breathed.

It was completely deserted, as if the world had simply stopped.

No sounds, no scents, no life.

Just an endless, haunting silence that seemed to swallow up everything around her.

Indeed, she was utterly alone.

Hinata could walk forever, and the void seemed to revel in pulling her further in, with the darkness parting to reveal new areas she had yet to discover.

Each time she thought she'd mapped out her prison, she realized it was far larger than her mind could grasp. Early on, she had the smarts to start marking trees with a stick to keep track of her surroundings and navigate her way around.

And she'd done a pretty good job at it.

She allowed herself a small smile, thinking about how she was actually getting better at this survival thing.

She even managed to construct a makeshift living space—a home of her own.

It wasn't beautiful or perfect by any means, but it was hers—crafted entirely by her own hands using what little she had picked up from the humans.

She scavenged whatever materials she could find, constructing a refuge from the remnants of her environment. Jagged rocks formed the foundation, while sturdy sticks and barks of trees crafted a skeletal framework, and larger debris was repurposed into walls, offering the shelter she so desperately needed.

Inside, the space was small and cramped, yet it served its purpose well, providing a pretty basic protection against the relentless cold and of course, the darkness itself.

When she ventured outside her shelter, during her downtimes, she learned to battle the persistent shadows by making a fire. But learning to create and even master building one was slow and painstaking, but she managed.

Before her breaks, she'd gather whatever kindling she could find, arrange it carefully, and use a piece of flint she'd found to strike a spark.

The fires she made were always small, but they did the trick.

They kept her warm.

They helped her see.

There, she would sit by them, and think.

She would sit there for what felt like hours, trapped in her own thoughts, struggling to fend off the crushing loneliness.

The warmth from the flames was her only companion and it offered her a much needed comfort against the cold, casting a flickering glow that pushed back the oppressive darkness around the brittle walls of her shelter. Sitting by the fire, enjoying its warmth and light, was a welcome relief under the circumstances—a brief escape from the endless night.

Yet, even this small comfort was often interrupted.

Sometimes, while she was taking a break by the fire, the flames would flicker and then suddenly go out, like someone had blown them out with a single breath.

The sudden darkness always startled her.

She'd jump up with her heart racing and scramble to relight the fire, her hands shaking.

But, this was nothing new—it was an incident that has happened over and over again.

The void seemed to get a twisted kick out of tormenting her, constantly playing tricks and making her doubt her own senses. There had been other moments too, strange and unsettling occurrences that left her questioning her own sanity.

Once, Hinata felt a cold draft near her ear that seemed to murmur her name.

"Hinataaa," It would whisper, but when she turned to look, there was nothing there.

Another time, she caught brief glimpses of shapes that looked like the outline of a man at the edge of her vision, but as soon as she turned to look directly at them, they vanished.

She had learned to deal with these pranks of the void.

Ignore them.

Just ignore them.

She refused to let her mind's tricks or the void's cruel games get to her. Every time her fire was extinguished or she felt something eerie, she forced herself to ignore it—to not give in to fear.

Instead, she'd just build another fire, gather more resources, and keep pushing forward, determined to remain strong.

That's all she can do anyway.

Remain strong.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Hinata let out a weary sigh as she cupped a handful of murky pond water and splashed it over her naked body, to cleanse herself.

The pond was as still and shadowy as everything else around her, its surface reflecting the void's endless darkness with its stagnant, lifeless waves.

She'd stumbled upon this pond not far from her makeshift shelter, and upon seeing it, she immediately thought she struck gold. It was a rare and precious find in this dark hell, and it quickly became an essential part of her daily routine.

She would visit it regularly, right after her wanderings and just as her breaks began.

The pond's water was far from crystal clear, yet it was her only refuge for washing off the grime from her long stretches of exploring.

Hinata moved slowly, carefully, as she dipped her hands into the cool, dark water of the pond, scooping up a handful before letting it cascade over her shoulders.

The chill of the water felt sharp against her pale skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

Starting at her neck, she tilted her head back slightly, running her fingers along her throat, letting the water drip down from her fingertips.

She exhaled deeply, savoring the feel of each droplet as it traced a path down her skin, washing away the dirt.

Moving to her collarbone, she cupped another handful of water and let it glide over her chest, the coolness making her breath catch slightly. The water trickled between her breasts, pooling briefly at the base of her ribs before continuing down her stomach.

She followed the rivulets with her hands, smoothing them over her skin in gentle, circular motions. Her fingers moved over the curve of her waist, her touch light and tender as she tried to wash away all the grime.

She took extra care cleaning her legs, as they were particularly muddy.

She leaned down, running her hands along her thighs, down to her knees and calves, smiling as she watched the mud just wash away. A deep sigh escaped her as the tension in her muscles and the weariness from her seemingly endless walking seemed to melt away with each rush of water that hit her.

It felt amazing.

The silky, dark strands of her midnight blue hair were remarkably long, cascading down her back in soft waves that reached the curve of her buttocks. The damp strands clung to her skin as she moved, practically shimmering in the darkness.

She reached behind her, gathering the damp strands and pulling them over her shoulder. Slowly, she threaded her fingers through her hair, taking her time to work out each knot and tangle, savoring the smooth slide of her dark blue strands slipping between her fingers.

She closed her eyes and sighed yet again, indulging herself in a mini scalp massage.

The soft glide of her fingers through her silky hair and the gentle massage on her scalp offered a momentary escape from the sadness and self-loathing that shadowed her days. For just a few precious moments, the weight of guilt, regret, and self-hatred seemed to dissolve, fading with each slow, circular motion of her fingertips as they worked across her scalp.

It felt pleasantly tingly, a soothing touch in the midst of the darkness.

It was an immense relief.

Hinata let out a soft moan, "Mmm, so good."

Normally, she wouldn't speak.

Talking to herself felt like it might push her closer to madness. But the silence of her isolation was one of the cruelest parts of the void.

She was utterly sick of it.

With no one else around, the void was a relentless expanse of eerie quiet. Going without talking for long periods of time was so painful.

Her voice had dwindled to a rare whisper, and she found herself longing to hear it again, if only to shatter the oppressive silence that engulfed her moment after moment.

The lack of conversation left her feeling hollow, as though a part of her had been stripped away. Her mind would often times subconsciously replay snippets of past conversations and familiar voices, fragments of memories from before.

But these memories only added to her pain.

Longing, nostalgia, and regret—Hinata learned early on that these emotions only made things worse for her, all feelings she desperately wished she could escape from.

Hinata sighed deeply as her thoughts began to drift again.

"That's enough of that." She chastised herself.

She turned and ran a gentle hand down her broken, tattered wings, now spread out, hovering just above the pond.

She carefully washed her wings, gently dragging the darkened feathers through the murky water. She let the water flow through them, but she winced in pain at even the slightest touch due to the lingering sores there.

Despite this, she pressed on, carefully running her fingers over her wings until all the dirt and mud were rinsed away.

When that was all done, she leaned forward slightly, letting the water reach her lower back. And finally, she cupped more water in her hands and let it spill over her hips, crotch, and down her buttocks, the cool liquid tracing the contours of her body.

Every inch of her body carried the marks of her time in the void—scratches, bruises, and a few scars. But she took pride in them—all her scars and imperfections—because each one was proof of her strength. And even in the simple act of washing and caring for herself, she found a reminder of who she was and her worth, despite everything she'd been through, despite it all.

It felt good—really good.

She hummed softly.

"This... this feels nice," She murmured softly, her voice barely above a whisper, but even still, it echoed in the emptiness around her.

She paused for a moment, then spoke a bit louder, as if trying to convince herself.

"You're still here, Hinata... You're still you." She told herself. Her words were more than just a whisper, almost a plea, a way to remind herself that she was still alive, still holding on.

"You're still...."

"Nice ass."

Her heart instantly sank to her stomach.

The sudden voice cut through the oppressive silence, stopping her words dead. Her eyes flew open, her naked body tensing as a wave of fear settled heavily on her shoulders.

That wasn't her.

That voice was not hers.

Hinata spun around quickly, sending water splashing in all directions, her lavender eyes frantically searching the void. But there was nothing—only the same infinite darkness.

Her eyebrows furrowed.

Was this another one of the void's cruel tricks?

In all her time here, she had only ever heard distant whispers, never a clear, distinct voice like that.

No, nothing like that.

She stood there, frozen and tense, trying to make sense of what she just heard, her ears straining to catch anymore sounds.

But all she heard was silence.

Her lips quivered as she spun around again, her lavender eyes scanning the trees, "I-I must be hearing things. I m-must be g-going crazy."

"You're not."

Hinata shook her head, trying desperately to dismiss the voice she was hearing, to push away the creeping unease that made her spine tingle.

No, there's no voice.

There's not!

But Hinata couldn't shake how real it sounded.

Her keen hearing had always been a reliable asset, never once failing her when it counted the most. Her mind, on the other hand, was an entirely different story, always prone to wandering, overanalyzing, and conjuring up the most ridiculous ideas at the worst moments.

But even with her thoughts threatening to cloud her senses, she was absolutely certain of what she'd just heard.

100% certain.

And now, an unsettling realization began to settle in—she wasn't as alone as she had initially thought.

All those times she'd been pranked, the whispers she'd heard, the moments when she sensed someone was there—she was starting to wonder if maybe they weren't just figments of her imagination.

Maybe, they were...

...real.

"No," Hinata murmured, her voice trembling with disbelief, "I must be imagining things. There can't be anyone here. It can't be."

Her heart pounded in her chest, and her breaths came in shallow, rapid gasps as she stared aimlessly into the oppressive darkness.

"There's no one here," She insisted with a wild shake of her head, her voice rising in a desperate pitch.

"No one!"

But everything she just said fell apart the moment she heard a laugh.

A dark, skin-crawling, bone-chilling laugh.

"Someone must've been really angry with you to have sent you here—to me, Hinata."

Those words cut through the void with chilling clarity.

There was no mistaking it now—someone else was there.

They knew her.

They knew her name.

The realization washed over her like a frigid wave, sending a bone-deep chill through her entire body that paralyzed her where she stood—far colder than the water pooling around her or the suffocating darkness that surrounded her.

Her lips quivered, barely able to form words.

"Wh-Who's there? Who's—"

Suddenly, she went completely still, her senses straining as she heard the unsettling sound of water rippling behind her.

Then, all at once, she felt an unmistakable presence looming right behind her, a dreadful, powerful aura radiating from behind. Another chill washed over her, even more intense than the last, freezing her spine and leaving her paralyzed with fear.

She was too terrified to turn around, to look behind her, dreading what she might find if she did. Instead, she kept her trembling lavender eyes fixed on the water before her, cowering. But when she looked down, the horrifying truth she tried so desperately to avoid was reflected in the water's surface, as clear as the liquid that surrounded her.

And her heart sank to the depths of her stomach at the sight before her.

Instinctively, she raised her hands to shield her breasts, desperately trying to cover her nakedness from...

The thing behind her.

She saw it.

Black, twisted horns.

Crimson, glowing eyes.

Sharp, gleaming teeth and claws.

Huge, bat wings.

There was no mistaking it.

Only one word could serve as the answer to the reflection staring back at her from the water.

Demon.

But not just any demon.

As she stared at the pond's surface, she began to recognize the monstrous figure—his chiseled, tanned skin, spiky blonde hair, distinctive whiskered cheeks, and the demonic tattoos that adorned every inch of him.

It all became chillingly familiar.

The words of this being echoed in her mind once again.

"Someone must've been really angry with you to have sent you here—to me, Hinata."

"No... no, this can't be real," She whispered, panicking, "They wouldn't send me here. They wouldn't do that."

Suddenly, everything snapped into place.

Memories and realizations she'd been missing hit her all at once, like a sudden wave of clarity. Her fall from grace had left her completely blind. She'd been so naive, so foolish, letting her guard slip away. She had been so caught up in her own despair that she failed to see the true nature of this place—the subtle hints, the warning signs, the red flags.

But now, it was all clear.

This void, which she had believed to be her own personal prison, was never meant for her.

Never had been.

The place where she had been abandoned and left to wander alone was not her confinement at all.

She had been completely mistaken.

It was crafted for him—Naruto Uzumaki.

The Yoko no Hōkai.

Fragments of stories she had heard from her sisters began to flash through her mind. They had spoken of a place like this—a dark, infinite void where the destructive one was imprisoned, sealed away by the celestial council themselves.

Every angel was aware of him.

Hinata knew of him.

The Yoko no Hōkai was a legendary figure known across all realms—a demon born from the deepest circle of hell, feared by humans, angels, and even other demons. His name was tied to an extraordinary power of a different breed, infamous for a long history of brutality and bloodshed in his battles with the celestial realms.

His crimes were no laughing matter.

Corruption was his specialty, and he reveled in it.

War was another of his talents.

He had laid waste to entire realms, defeated some of the most formidable heavenly fighters—angels, her sisters—tortured and perverted humans, turning them into malevolent beings capable of murder and even other unspeakable acts with just a touch or a whisper.

When he ran amuck, chaos knew no bounds, spreading far and wide, challenging the very fabric of existence itself. Everything he touched turned into darkness, a very reflection of the void that surrounded her now.

It all made sense.

She had been such a fool.

This place was never built to contain her—it was crafted specifically to contain The Yoko no Hōkai.

And now, she had been thrown into this nightmarish void with him, like a mouse tossed in a snake's den.

Completely vulnerable.

The dread that washed over her now was immense, mixing with the cold fear of knowing she was stuck in this prison with one of the deadliest enemies her kind had ever faced.

She didn't have her magic or halo anymore—those were stripped away during her Fall. All she had left was her physical strength, stronger than a human's, and her speed.

But then, there were her wings...

But given their condition now, they'd only slow her down.

They won't be able to help her now.

Hinata whimpered, biting back tears.

She can't fight him, not in her current state.

She can't—

Just as her thoughts began to scramble, a deep, menacing growl cut through her mind.

A hot breath grazed her ear, causing her bones to lock in place.

"Hello there, Hinata."

The blonde demon's voice rumbled beside her, thick with dark amusement, causing her to shudder, as if she was touched by a ghost.

"I gotta admit, it's been a real pleasure having you drop in and keep me company."

Hinata heard the demon laugh.

"I have to thank you, you've certainly kept me entertained, darling."

Naruto leaned in closer, his presence looming behind her.

"Ya know," He drawled, "I haven't had a piece of ass for centuries—been ages since I've seen a woman's body. And now..." He purred, a sound that made Hinata's skin crawl, "seeing you here, naked and unaware, ripe for the taking, well, that's a fine fucking treat, indeed." He took a step closer, the water splashing and hitting the back of her legs.

Hinata shuddered.

"Mmm, don't be shy. Come closer now—I've been dying to have a taste of you."

In an instant, something inside Hinata snapped.

A surge of fury and disgust erupted within her, igniting a fire unlike anything she had ever experienced. His words acted as a trigger, setting off a chain reaction that coursed through her veins. Every fiber of her being screamed to strike, urging her to lash out and silence the perverted creature lurking behind her that dared to objectify her so brazenly.

She gritted her teeth.

"Silence your tongue, demon!" She yelled, her voice fierce with defiance.

In a flash of desperation, she turned and swung her arm back, aiming to strike him squarely in the jaw.

But her fist met nothing but air.

Her arm was caught mid-swing, his clawed hand clamping down on her wrist with a vise-like grip.

Hinata gasped, her lavender eyes darting to his clawed hand, her body now facing him.

Naruto's deep chuckle reverberated through the void, filling the space like a surround sound echo.

And there he was, his very essence fully revealed, now reflected in her eyes.

He tightened his grip on her slender wrist.

"Oh, still feisty, I see," He purred, a shiver of anticipation running through him.

"Mmm, I'm really going to enjoy breaking that spirit of yours."

Hinata whimpered, the sound escalating as an overpowering wave of dread surged through her the moment his skin made contact with hers.

But that wasn't even the worst part.

She watched in terror as a weird black ink began to consume her skin, spreading from where his fingertips pressed against her. Slowly, the dark ink oozed outward, spreading across part of her palm, creeping down her wrist, and snaking up toward her forearm, transforming into a creeping infection that sullied her once-clear complexion with a sickly discoloration.

As if that wasn't enough, the chilling darkness burned through her like molten lava coursing through her veins. His touch was so intense that it made actual smoke rise into the air, accompanied by a sound similar to sizzling on a hot stove.

Hinata cried out in pain.

In a panic, she quickly yanked her arm away.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed, her voice cracking with terror. Driven by sheer instinct, she warped herself out of the pond and collapsed onto the grass, her wet, naked body trembling uncontrollably.

She clutched her right hand with the other, breathing heavily as she stared at the grotesque transformation of it.

Her hand felt numb, as if it had been severed from her body entirely, no longer a part of her. The once-smooth, pristine skin she had always taken pride in was now marred by a spreading black stain, like that of ink seeping through fabric.

Her palm, knuckles, and fingertips had all darkened to a shade of black that seemed to rival the very void around her.

The corruption was merciless, relentlessly creeping up her arm like a dark vine, threatening to engulf her entirely. She could feel the heaviness of it, a malevolent force that weighed down her spirit as it inched closer to her shoulder.

"Wh-What is this?" She panicked.

"What's h-happening to me?" She whispered to herself but Naruto's keen ears caught it.

Another dark chuckle.

He waded further into the pond, the scant clothing he wore dripping with the murky water.

"Oh, that?" He snickered, nodding toward her corrupted hand.

"Heh, that's just a little taste of my power—something real nice." He said, a wicked grin spreading across his whiskered face.

"Consider it a welcome gift from me to you."

He extended his hand toward her, tilting his head, his blonde hair falling and brushing against his horns.

He beckoned her over, "Come on back. I'd love to give you more."

Hinata's lavender eyes widened in terror as she snapped her head up at him. And for the first time since his appearance, she took a good, long look at him.

And the sight of him was deeply unsettling.

Standing in the middle of the pond she had just used to bathe in, Naruto was disturbingly calm, eerily still.

He was taller than anyone she had ever seen, towering over the average human male.

Shirtless, his massive, sculpted physique was adorned with a network of jet-black tattoos that coiled and twisted across his rock-hard muscles. His deep, sun-kissed skin made the dark ink stand out even more, spiraling down his chest, shoulders, and arms, and disappearing behind him where she could only guess lay more.

The blonde demon's tattoos were downright disturbing to Hinata, making her feel sick to her stomach.

They formed a web of twisted symbols that laid bare the darkest corners of human desire and demonic horror. It was a display of sin upon sin, and it made her skin crawl with revulsion.

On his chest, sprawling across his pectorals and abs, were detailed images of bound and restrained figures—women caught in various states of distress, their naked bodies tangled in chains and ropes, mouths gagged, and eyes blindfolded. The dark ink coiled around his bulging muscles, capturing the women's agony in every detail.

His arms and shoulders were covered with cruel, geometric symbols and swirls of satanism, mixed with a network of sigils and pentagrams. Interspersed among them were images of skulls and tortured souls, their faces locked in perpetual agony.

The sight was infuriating, and seeing him flaunt such grotesque images only fueled her disgust even more.

Downward, he wore loose, traditional black hakama pants secured by a thick leather coil belt tied in a knot. His legs were protected by tough, black leather shin guards, while the rest of him remained submerged in the water.

Behind him, his massive bat-like wings drooped low, with spiky horns jutting from the tips near his ears, twitching as if reacting to some unseen stimuli. His tail swung back and forth slowly, like a whip, occasionally smacking against the water's surface with a soft, stinging splash.

Hinata whimpered, her heart racing as she fully grasped the terrifying presence of Naruto.

But before she could take in more, she was startled by his devilish grin—just as suddenly, he vanished.

Hinata gasped sharply.

He's fast!

She whimpered as his presence suddenly reappeared behind her, the force of his wings sending a rush of wind that made her long hair whip wildly around her.

Her body froze in terror.

She could feel him standing there, his burning crimson eyes searing into her back as she trembled, cowering on her knees in the grass. Everything around her was eerily still, even the pond's ripples, leaving only the relentless pounding of her heartbeat to break the silence.

Hinata heard the demon click his tongue.

"Ooh, darling, your wings don't look too good," Naruto mused, his voice soft but the cruel amusement that he tried to disguise was unmistakable.

He couldn't hide it.

Not from her.

He took a slow, heavy step to her side, beginning to circle her like a predator sizing up its prey.

"Tell me, hun, what happened?"

"I don't have to tell you anything," Hinata stammered, trying to sound defiant, but her voice wavered with fear.

Naruto's lips twisted into a smirk as he sensed it, his gaze locked on her naked form.

"You were burned, weren't you? By the very beings you once trusted?"

The blonde demon scrunched his face, as if feeling sympathy, "That's pretty harsh, don't you think?"

He clicked his tongue again.

Hinata flinched as she felt his tail slap her shoulder before brushing across her neck.

"So, tell me, what did you do to deserve this...punishment?" Naruto's voice was almost a purr.

Hinata's breath hitched, and she clutched at the grass beneath her, her tears falling freely now.

"I—I fell in love with a human," She admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Naruto heard her.

"A human, eh?" His voice gave away his amusement this time around, the edge of a smirk evident in his tone. He practically perked up at her confession, continuing to circle her with slow, but powerful steps.

He didn't touch her, but the weight of his presence alone was suffocating enough.

"Well, come on!" He bellowed in response to her silence, his sudden outburst causing her to jolt in fright, "Don't keep me hanging, darling. What else did you do?"

He snickered, "Did you fuck it?"

"Wh-What?" Hinata gasped, her eyes widening in shock. She could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth.

Naruto leaned in slightly to her left ear from behind her, his voice a low, dangerous whisper.

"Did you fuck the human?" He repeated, savoring each word as if they were a delicacy.

Hinata's face instantly flushed with deep, burning shame.

She felt a surge of anger and desperation to scream at him, to deny every word, but she knew it would be futile. Denying the truth would achieve nothing, so she reluctantly mustered a small, defeated nod, her gaze fixed downward, unable to meet his mocking eyes.

Naruto's grin stretched wider, his crimson eyes gleaming with a twisted satisfaction as he saw her nod, confirming her sins. He looked genuinely pleased by her admission, which only made Hinata feel even more disgusted.

"Oh, Hinata, what an absolute delight!" He cheered, giving her backside several sharp smacks with his tail. She jerked away, her shame deepening as she faced both her admissions and his mocking laughter.

"Tell me, how was it? How was the sex? How hard did he bang ya?"

"St-Stop it!"

He took another slow step around her, his eyes raking over her trembling form, "Did he make you scream? Did he make you beg for more?"

'Ignore him, Hinata. Just ignore him,' She told herself, but it was too late for her sanity.

The demon's tainted words had already seeped into her thoughts.

Yes, he made me scream. He made me feel so good. I wanted more.

"Stop this!" Hinata shouted, her voice cracking with fear and frustration. She was terrified of her own thoughts, unable to distinguish them from his cruel taunting. She pressed her hands tightly against her ears, but the sound of his mocking voice seeped through, twisting her emotions.

Naruto leaned closer, his voice a mere whisper, but she could still hear it, crawling underneath her skin.

"Ooh yeah, I bet ya did, didn't ya? You were just screaming that pretty little head off, weren't ya?" His words echoed in Hinata's mind, and she fought to dismiss them.

No, he's lying.

But a darker voice whispered back.

He's not.

His cruel follow-up stung like acid.

"I bet you begged him for it, bet ya enjoyed every second of it—taking a human's cock." Naruto probed further, with a laugh thick of sadistic pleasure.

I didn't!

I did.

"So, in that case, how did it feel, Hinata? Being with a human, knowing what you are?" His voice was relentless, wrapping around her like a snake tightening its grip.

He just wouldn't stop.

He just wouldn't stop talking.

Each word seemed to shatter her more and more, as he went about toying with her soul, breaking her apart piece by piece.

Hinata shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face. Her voice broke, and she found herself doing something she never imagined she'd do—especially not to a demon.

She pleaded.

"Please, stop..."

She sobbed, her shoulders shaking violently.

"I-I beg of you."

Her mind was in turmoil.

Her body was in tatters.

...in just seconds of being in Naruto's presence.

With every sinful filthy word he spat, forced her to recall things she didn't want, experience naughty, sinful things a being such as she shouldn't.

Hinata recalled Naruto's touch—how his contact had felt—the dread she endured as his power seeped into her, as the darkness of corruption took over her.

She remembered the transformation of her hand—what his touch did to it.

Her lavender eyes shifted to look at her right hand as she lowered it from her ear. She whimpered at the sight of it again. It was still as it was from when he touched her, marred and stained with a sickly black.

The corruption didn't appear to be fading, and her hand didn't seem to be returning to its normal state either.

She shook her head in disbelief.

This shouldn't be happening.

If she were still the being she once was, Naruto's dark influence would never have come close to touching her, let alone overpower her so easily. But now, the ease with which he had corrupted her with just one touch was a harsh wake-up call.

She had become weak, far more than she realized.

She had underestimated her own decline—her strength, her defenses, and her very essence had all been worn away. Naruto's dark power was far beyond anything she had imagined, a force capable of swallowing her whole.

Hinata trembled.

She can't let him touch her again.

She can't!

If he did, she truly feared what would happen.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a low, sinister chuckle.

Naruto took a few more steps around her before coming to a halt directly in front of her. His red, slitted eyes fixed on hers with an intensity that made her shudder.

She whimpered, looking away, "Leave me alone, pl-please."

"Not a chance, darling," He purred quite maliciously, "We're just getting started." He snorted, watching the midnight blue-haired angel sulk, her eyes downcast, fixed on the grass as if that could somehow shield her from him.

The blonde demon hummed, "I've been bored out of my fucking mind in this shithole, and you... you seem like the perfect chance to finally get the entertainment I've been craving." His voice trailed off as he curled a wing around his body, slipping it under her chin. With a gentle but firm lift, he forced her to meet his gaze.

Hinata watched as he tried to hold back a laugh at the sight of her tears, a pout forming on his face.

"Damaged goods like you, love—they're the life of the party. Makes everything so much more... fun."

Hinata growled, jerking her chin away from his wing with a sneer, "I'm not your plaything," She snapped, her voice rough.

"I'm trapped here just like you, so just leave me alone."

"Oh, but I could help you, ya know." Naruto tilted his head, a smirk curling on his lips as he noticed her naked body tense.

"I could heal those pretty little wings of yours," He said, his tone almost playful.

"Aren't you tired of trudging around like a mere human? Don't you miss the freedom of flying, Hinata?" He coaxed, as if he was dangling a carrot just out of reach.

But Hinata wasn't fooled.

She knew there was always a cost with him, something much darker hiding behind those seemingly sweet offers and deals. Humans always made the mistake of striking bargains with him and ended up paying dearly.

But not her.

Not...

Hinata bit her lip and glanced over her shoulder at her wings. But she frowned at the sight of them, feeling let down yet again.

She still couldn't get used to seeing them like... this.

They were ugly and marred now, broken, and a complete far cry from the vibrant, beautiful appendages they once were. For an angel, wings weren't just part of their body—they were a symbol of freedom and grace, a piece of their very soul. They were everything to an angel, and to Hinata, they were the most important part of her.

Losing them meant losing a piece of herself, the part that represented her purity, her strength and grace.

She remembered the days when her wings carried her through the sky, through her celestial home, surrounded by others like her, her sisters—serene, flawless beings who knew nothing of sin, nothing of the turmoil of human emotion. Her wings were white, radiant shimmering with the brilliance of the sun, and they were huge, incredibly huge.

She trusted them with her life, trusted them because she knew by design they would never fail her, never would allow her to fall. Her wings had always been a natural extension of her, and now, being forced to live without them had been pure torture—the most painful thing she'd ever gone through, even more so than being abandoned in a dark void.

No matter how much she tried to deny it or hide the pain behind a smile, the loss of her wings was a wound that cut deeper than anything else.

She missed her wings.

She missed them dearly.

The thought of her wings restored—whole, strong, and free from the torment they had endured—was almost too tempting to resist. Those wings had been everything to her, and so the idea of having them back, of soaring through the skies once more, was like a dream she desperately longed for.

But she knew better than to let even a flicker of hope or desperation show.

She couldn't afford to give that bastard what he wanted.

"No, I don't need your help," She whispered, her voice barely steady as she tried to keep the tremor out.

But it didn't matter.

She'd already given herself away.

Naruto's smirk grew wider.

Her hesitation was like a thrill for him—the doubt, the inner struggle, the constant tug-of-war of "maybe" or "maybe not" that his victims often get caught up in.

It was all so thrilling.

It was the sign he needed that he was on the right track to getting exactly what he wanted.

A yes...

He slid his long tongue across his lips, savoring the taste of the fallen angel's fear and uncertainty in the air.

He'd had his fun.

Now it was time to back off and let her wallow in it.

The blonde demon shrugged casually, "Hm, suit yourself," He murmured, stepping back but keeping his gaze locked on hers.

"But remember, darling, when you ever feel like changing your mind... just say my name," His voice dropped to a dark, sultry whisper as he brushed his tail across her cheek, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Naruto."

And then, in a blink of an eye, he was gone.

Silence enveloped Hinata once again as she sat there...alone.

She stared blankly at the spot where the blonde demon had once stood, her naked body half-buried in the grass that now felt like a thousand needles prickling her skin, sullying her all over again.

She could hardly believe what had just happened.

He...left?

She hadn't expected him to just leave like that.

But she knew why.

She understood the game demons played all too well. They never forced their victims; instead, it was more about the game, the manipulation, the temptation.

She knew Naruto had no intention of forcing her into anything.

His aim was to draw her in, to entice her to come to him on her own terms, to be the one to make the deal and give herself up willingly. It was all part of the perverse enjoyment demons took in bending their victims to their will, making them choose their own destruction.

This was the twisted game he was playing with her—the game of surrender.

But she wouldn't fall for it.

She wouldn't.

She couldn't.

Lowering her tainted hand, she clutched a handful of grass, the rough texture pressing against her palm.

But despite her best efforts to ignore it, Naruto's words kept echoing in her mind.

"I could heal those pretty little wings of yours,"

"Aren't you tired of trudging around like a mere human? Don't you miss the freedom of flying, Hinata?

"But remember, darling, when you feel like changing your mind... just say my name,"

...Naruto."

Hinata spared another glance back at her battered and broken wings. Her lip quivered as she bit down on it hard, trying to push back the tears, the longing, the temptation.

No... she wouldn't give in.

She couldn't let herself fall into his trap.

Not now.

Not ever.

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

End Of Part 1