When Cobalt was about to cross paths with a stranger, his natural response was to offer a polite greeting. Raise his hand, nod his head, smile a little.

But before he could even consider saying hello, the figure spread a great pair of stony wings and suddenly rushed forward in a blast of cold wind. Unable to react, the Incubus was swept up in a pair of ash-black arms as the smell of dried sweat and acrid bleach washed over him. The feeling of cold, bare flesh pressing tight to his skin made him shiver, and he cried out as a sharp sting suddenly made itself known in the side of his neck. Held in place by the stranger, Cobalt could only struggle as a payload of dubious chemicals was injected into his veins. As the wind rushed by and the arms tightened around his body, the Incubus dully realised that he was being kidnapped right there on the school campus. It was not something he was unfamiliar with, as horrible as it sounded to admit.

As his vision grew hazy and the sound of his heartbeat loudened and distorted, he just about picked up a cold, monotonous laugh.

"In my arms once again, my love. Sleep now... waste no strength with struggling..."

His head lolling back, Cobalt's eyelids slowly slid shut as the world gave way beneath him.

"E- El... ya...?"

------

It was disconcerting when Cobalt awoke that morning with his shirt pulled off and his room broken into, but at least he was partially dressed and somewhere familiar. As he slowly came to, the Incubus realised that he had been stripped completely naked, with little more than a dirty sheet protecting his modesty. Crying out with shock, he pulled the cloth protectively around himself and huddled into a ball, scared out of his mind.

He had been lying atop a pile of old mattresses in a cold stone basement, with little more than an electric lamp to see by. Shivering, he took a deep breath and tried to steady his nerves.

"H- Hello...?" he called, hugging his knees beneath the sheet.

Footsteps echoed from somewhere around him, but the lamp must be low on batteries, as he was barely able to see a few feet in front of himself.

"Wh- Who's there?!" cried Cobalt, raising the lamp in an effort to aid his sight.

As his eyes began to adjust to the dark, more features of the basement revealed themselves. The stone tiles underfoot were ancient and cracked, yet resembled those of the storage rooms beneath the main school buildings, where supplies were kept. Figuring that he was likely in the basement of one of the unused buildings, he peered around for any sign of his captor, a deadpan chuckle sent chills along his spine.

But it was familiar. Far too familiar.

"I- If you are who I think you are...!"

Cobalt swallowed hard. Even after his graduation, even after heading to England to become a teacher. how many months had he spent looking over his shoulder, expecting her to be standing there, camera poised and recording?

"... then please...!"

It all made sense now. The cryptic writings were a staple of her modus operandi, and the letters gouged into the classroom blackboard could have only been made by one, particular tool.

"... come out and talk to me, Elya!"

A gust of cold air washed over him from behind, just as a long pair of arms embraced him from behind. Fridgd breath tickled his neck, and the soft sensation of a woman's chest pressed into his back.

"I've spent so long looking for you, my love. And now I have you, held close to my heart. I visited you in the night, you know. I gazed upon your perfect flesh. I partook of your nectarous sweat. I even took that which you hold most dear, in the hopes that you would come looking for it. And now... now I have you... now I have you... now I have... you... and I will keep you... just... like... you... promised..." a breathy voice spoke in his ear, causing every hair on Cobalt's body to stand on end.

Pushing his captor's hands away, Cobalt firmly pulled the sheet around himself and got to his feet.

The woman before him was undoubtedly a Fallen. Skin like blackened ash, wings bedecked with grey cartilage, and a single horn that looped around her head like a halo. Her alabaster hair had been slashed short, exposing her maddened purple eyes that looked almost out of place on her unmoving face. Taking a deep breath, she rose to her full height, towering over Cobalt. Naught but a filthy white coat covered her slender body, but clearly she was unashamed of her near-nakedness.

At least at that moment, considering she was technically more clothed than he was.

Swallowing hard, Cobalt met her gaze.

"I- I told you before, Elya! You have to stop this nonsense!" he cried, voice cracking.

Elya Yalfre tilted her head and gave him a cold, unfeeling smile.

Since he was sixteen, she had constantly followed the Incubus around, hanging onto his every word and worshipping the ground he walked upon. But as the years ticked by, she grew more and more unhinged in her exploits, to the point where he was downright scared of her. The last time Cobalt saw Elya, it was the night before graduation, just before the Summer Festival. He gave her a curt goodbye before leaving for Earth, whereupon she proclaimed that she would hunt him down, one way or another.

And here she now stood, a full-grown Fallen bearing down upon the stunted Incubus. Where he could once fight her off, her advancement to the third stage of growth meant that Elya now held a physical advantage over him. Getting free by force was no longer an option, not that he considered it lightly.

"Nonsense? Marraige isn't nonsense, my love. You promised yourself to me, just as I promised myself to you. And in your absence, I've been improving myself. Training, so to speak," she spoke, taking a step towards him.

She reached into her coat and produced the very thing Cobalt was hoping she didn't still carry with her. It was a dagger, forged from pitch-black iron. The warped blade was around ten inches in length, and covered in indecipherable runes.

Before he could comment, Elya suddenly pushed the Incubus against the wall and stabbed the blade clean through the stone, right next to his ear. Pressing her bare chest against his, she laughed hollowly.

"Immoderata has not forgotten your promises, my love, and neither do I. Come, greet me as a good husband greets his wife...!"

"W- Wait, st- MMPH!"

In an instant, her hand was at his throat, her leg was around his waist, and her tongue was in his mouth. She overpowered him in an instant, pinning the Incubus in place as she brutally kissed him, her tongue cold and serpentine as it thrashed inside of his mouth. After several long, uncomfortable seconds, Elya broke the kiss, a long string of saliva still connecting their mouths.

"Your lips... like ambrosia for the soul..." the Fallen breathed, pulling her dagger from the wall as she took a step back.

While he fell to the ground and choked for air, Elya turned on her heel and stretched her wings.

"I've been living beneath the old club building for a few days now, since I tracked you back here. But don't worry, my love, I brought you a gift, to wish you luck on your new career path...!"

With that, Elya flitted off into the gloom of the basement, leaving Cobalt alone once more. Grasping at the electric light like his life depended on it. After some fumbling around, he found that Elya had gathered his clothes upon what appeared to be a shrine build from old desks and schoolchairs. He wasted no time in getting clothed, and after another quick search of the odd shrine, he finally found his tie. Having it around his neck settled his nerves and bolstered his courage a little, but before he had a chance to think, the basement was suddenly flooded with light.

Construction lights illuminated the huge underground chamber, drawing his gaze to one of the support pillars in the very centre. There, bound in a heavy amount of duct-tape, was a trio of B.I.D. students - none other than Karazelle, Jelli and Izzbelle, who had been knocked unconscious. The other two began tried to scream upon noticing their teacher, but the tape covering their mouths left their pleas as muffled whimpers. Jelli was in tears.

"Three decieving little whores, all after the same prize. I'm sorry, but this man is spoken for," Elya announced, passing Immoderata from one hand to another as she approached his students.

"Elya, stop!" Cobalt cried, reaching out.

She regarded him with a cold gaze, but did not stop her advance. Hunkering down, she lightly wiped Jelli's tears with the flat of her blade.

"Shh, little one... It shall all be over soon..."

"You can't do this!" yelled the Incubus, stomping his foot.

Elya's head snapped around irritably.

"And why not, my love?! Why shouldn't I prove my devotion to you?! Why shouldn't I spill their treacherous blood now for the sake of our future?!" she screamed, gripping her weapon tight.

"B- BECAUSE THEY'RE MY RESPONISBILITY!"

His scream echoed throughout the basement, stunning her. Elya stepped back, her purple eyes wide with shock. But her surprise slowly gave way to something worse: anger.

"I see... They've already seduced you... tainted you... polluted you..." she mumbled, running a finger along the knife.

The Fallen chuckled lightly.

"Well... the good wife knows when the lightest touches need be applied..."

She looked up at him, eyes wide with madness.

"... AND WHEN THE HEAVIEST DISCIPLINE CANNOT BE AVOIDED~! GYAHAHAHAHAHAHA~!"

Elya suddenly kicked off the ground, wings spread wide to aid her flight. In blast of stale air, she lunged at Cobalt, her dagger aimed straight for his throat.