<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: teal">{Haha, alright. And your posts are not lame D: They're awesome!}<br/><br/>At first, things had been going well. Despite how dangerous the situation had been, like usual, she'd been playing it off as she would any other encounter. She could now successfully cross 'taunting a demon' off her bucket list. And Isra was prepared to commend herself for that. However, while her plan to agitate and possibly throw him off managed to work, it didn't work in the way that she was entirely hoping for. In fact, she wasn't prepared for this at all. Up until now she'd been going only on a whim to keep her mask on- for she would not change, even for a demon. At least... that's what she first thought.<br/> But now, things would be different.<br/><br/>She wasn't used to persistent beings. Because for all her life, humans had been her only enemies. But most humans were cowardly, and ran quickly from any threat to their safety- with a select few, the <span style="font-style: italic">special</span> few, that she had to be smarter than in order to throw them off. With her dangerous accurate throwing knives and an appearance that read 'Mess with me and you'll regret it', Isra had constantly been left alone. Some thugs who walked the streets avoided her- petty thieves whom she'd dealt with prior. Avoiding people and getting them away from herself. Protecting herself. Standing her ground, and not having to be afraid. She was used to being alone and guarded. Always able to handle every dangerous situation life threw at her when she was most vulnerable. <br/><br/>And now, those sturdy, lifeless walls were steadily crumbling down. Isra had never needed to act so arrogantly in charge for this long. Not for anyone. But then again, this was her first time running into something that wasn't a human. It was a demon. Not some worthless mortal who needed to fear getting hurt. His kind didn't need to worry about anything, as far as she knew. So he was able to retaliate everything she could throw at him, and more. He was capable of putting up with her harsh words and stone cold exterior. He was something that she wouldn't be able to push away like she had everyone else. And that bothered her greatly. Not just because she hated having to talk with it, or because she was bound to it. But mostly because she <span style="font-style: italic">was</span> afraid of him. Logic told her to try desperately not to let him know that. If he knew, she feared what may happen.<br/>She listened to him as he mentioned things of magic about her world. As though her world ever had it. It didn't exactly feel that 'magical' to her. But of course, things like that were out of her understanding. It also meant that there were countless priests who lied about demonic possessions. Not that she ever believed in those announcements- she didn't trust the church. Ghost hunting was interesting. But anything involving demonic 'possession' made no sense to her. Demons would be smarter than to get caught by the likes of a human- even one who claimed to be 'holy'. In any case at least she understood why some things may be unusual to him, just as he was strange to her.<br/><br/>Against everything she'd been saying before then, when his wings tore out and filled the space behind him as he yelled in what seemed to be exasperation at her lack of fear, she flinched and her eyes closed for the briefest of moments. For even though she'd acted as though her fear was nonexistent, it was all too real. Inwardly she cringed. Her fear was escaping, now. Her mind was swarmed with 'Why's and 'What if's. When she opened her mouth to intervene, to say anything- she found that she couldn't even utter a whisper. Had her voice been scared out of her? Had she really been stunned into silence? Nothing was working. Her control was no more. Now it would be his turn to pull the strings. <br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">"I'll also get your soul,"</span> He had said. <span style="font-weight: bold">"The bound links your soul to mine, so you will never escape me..."</span> Her eyes had widened to their fullest extent. <span style="font-weight: bold">"You will be mine... even in death."</span> <br/>She froze. Her entire body stiffened, and her fists both clenched from shock. In the back of her mind these thoughts ran rampant. She should have known. That seal wouldn't have been for nothing. Death was too easy. The sudden slap caught her off guard and she stared blankly at nothing- gaze aimed at him, and yet not looking<span style="font-style: italic"> at</span> him. Where his hand had struck, her skin tinted red and now stung. It wasn't the shock of the actual blow that was getting to her- it was picturing the Warden, standing before her. For a moment she was in a memory- the shining blade of the kitchen knife being drawn across her skin, the psychotic laughter... <br/>But what truly broke her were his next words.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">"Otherwise you will never see those children again, and I'd just hate to think about what would happen if you weren't around..."</span><br/></span><br/>Her glass wall shattered.<br/><br/>Instant pain and regret. Everything she had struggled so hard for was being taken away, all in one evening. Never before had the children been her one weakness. Having bonds, she knew, would one day cause her pain. This was that day. Because there was no possible way she could leave them behind- not with that monster... that insane woman would kill them... <span style="font-weight: bold">She would kill them <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">all</span></span></span>. That was when she realized she would have to give up what she longed for the most. Freedom. She was always so far from it. And now, even further. This was why she didn't believe in God. This was why she hated the world. <br/><br/>Without any ability to speak, she hung her head low, eyelids drooping in defeat. He really did know where to hit hard. It had taken him long enough. Or perhaps... he wanted to do this. Wanted to be able to watch her fight then break her. Her shoulders slumped, begrudgingly waiting to see what happened next. <br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">'Damn it all,'</span> She thought bitterly.<span style="font-style: italic"> 'Damn it all to Hell...'</span> </span></div>