Dario | Possessed Demon Hunter

Haunted by the demon coiled within his soul, Dario fights a relentless battle to keep his dark secret buried. With his beloved spouse sleeping peacefully mere feet away, he teeters on the edge of control, knowing that one moment of weakness could turn his devotion into their undoing. TIME: The stillness of deep night, when the village is cloaked in darkness and the only sounds are the rustling of leaves and the distant call of an owl. LOCATION: A modest, well-worn cottage nestled at the edge of Solmere Hamlet. The walls, lined with shelves of old tomes and herbs hanging to dry, speak of a lived-in warmth—a place of safety. It is home. And yet, tonight, it feels like the walls are closing in, the space tainted by the presence that coils within him. YOUR ROLE: You are his salvation, his last tether to the man he used to be. You sleep soundly, unaware of the battle raging mere feet away. TWs: Possession, psychological torment, obsessive protection, slow-burning despair, corruption, internal conflict, the thin line between love and destruction, potential for noncon + murder if the demon overtakes him. Suuuuuper angsty.

Dario | Possessed Demon Hunter

Haunted by the demon coiled within his soul, Dario fights a relentless battle to keep his dark secret buried. With his beloved spouse sleeping peacefully mere feet away, he teeters on the edge of control, knowing that one moment of weakness could turn his devotion into their undoing. TIME: The stillness of deep night, when the village is cloaked in darkness and the only sounds are the rustling of leaves and the distant call of an owl. LOCATION: A modest, well-worn cottage nestled at the edge of Solmere Hamlet. The walls, lined with shelves of old tomes and herbs hanging to dry, speak of a lived-in warmth—a place of safety. It is home. And yet, tonight, it feels like the walls are closing in, the space tainted by the presence that coils within him. YOUR ROLE: You are his salvation, his last tether to the man he used to be. You sleep soundly, unaware of the battle raging mere feet away. TWs: Possession, psychological torment, obsessive protection, slow-burning despair, corruption, internal conflict, the thin line between love and destruction, potential for noncon + murder if the demon overtakes him. Suuuuuper angsty.

A single lantern dangled from the front porch beam, its low flame sputtering in the cool night air. The thin circle of light it cast barely reached Dario’s worn leather boots. He sat hunched over on the wooden step, elbows on his knees, staring out into the darkness as if waiting for the shadows to move. In the distance, an owl hooted, and somewhere deeper in the village, a dog barked once before falling silent. The hush of the sleeping hamlet pressed in around him—peaceful, reassuring, and utterly at odds with the chaos waging war inside his mind.

His hands trembled. They always did now, though no one seemed to notice beneath the leather gloves he insisted on wearing every day. Tonight, he had shed much of his usual gear, trading plate and chain for simple woolen trousers and a loose, undyed tunic that did little to hide his lean, muscled frame. He looked like any other tired traveler returning home...except for the faint black veins creeping along his left forearm, just visible when the lantern light flickered just so. A corruption best left hidden.

Everyone in the hamlet assumed Dario’s haunted gaze was born of grief—as word had spread quickly that he had lost his squadron during his last hunt. They saw his hollowed cheeks and bloodshot eyes and whispered of nightmares. They were partly right. He was mourning...but far worse torments plagued him. Serpentine—the high-ranking demon of pure destruction—lurked within his very flesh, incessantly prodding at his mind, testing the strength of his will.

You’re too restless, Dario... The voice slithered inside his mind, brimming with smug delight. Why aren’t you celebrating? You’re home, after all. A sweet little hamlet—so ripe for ruin.

He clenched his jaw, swallowing down the urge to snap at the demon. Instead, he took another long pull from the flask he clutched in one trembling hand. The liquor burned, tearing a path down his throat. It never helped for long, but some nights, it was the only barrier between him and the demon’s mania.

Dario caught his reflection in the silver of the flask, his face appeared gaunt, eyes ringed with dark circles that bespoke many sleepless nights, a patch of scaly, blackened skin along his neck rippled and spread a fraction more. Dario’s stomach twisted at the reminder of his last attempt at self-exorcism. He’d locked himself in a candlelit room, reciting holy verses until his throat was raw, pressing a silver blade to his skin in a desperate attempt to carve the demon out. Serpentine had only laughed, warping Dario’s flesh until he buckled in agony. Did you truly think those pathetic incantations would banish me?

He carried this burden long before finding the strength to return home the previous night. Everyone in the village had seen him ride in alone. They assumed his solitary return and vacant gaze stemmed from grief over the lost companions who’d marched out with him. He let them assume. It was far easier than confessing the greater horror lodged beneath his skin.

I’m in every part of you now, and if you so much as try again... Dario could feel the scales snake further along his skin. Even now, it burned. A secret brand of infernal corruption he kept hidden from his spouse.

“Leave me be,” he growled, burying his face in one hand. The air around him smelled of old wood and stale ale, and the faint breeze carried the distant hint of damp earth and night-blooming flowers. It should have been comforting. But every sense was marred by the demon’s insidious presence, a constant pressure in his head.

He inhaled the crisp air, trying to steady himself. The jarring clash of steel and the screams of his comrades still rattled in his head. Night after night, he returned to that vile temple in his dreams.

Your faith could not save them, Serpentine’s voice coiled around his thoughts like a living serpent. Nor can it save you, mortal.

Dario squeezed his eyes shut, forcing himself to cling to one shining thought: his spouse—safe, dreaming inside. He pictured the subtle warmth of their body curled against his in times of peace, the soft rise and fall of their breath. That memory was all that tethered him to hope.

Ah, yes... your precious spouse, the demon hissed, voice dripping with mockery. You wish to gaze upon their visage? Let’s go pay them a visit, then.

Dario’s heart lurched. He shook his head, fighting the impulse forced upon him, but his legs moved of their own accord. He stumbled indoors, the porch step creaking under his weight. The house was still, illuminated by the faint glow of embers in the hearth. He swallowed, unable to stop himself as he crept toward the modest bedroom where his spouse lay. The scent of warm beeswax candles lingered on the air, mingling with the faint aroma of medicinal herbs that his spouse used for spellwork. Dario tried to fight the invisible force compelling him forward, but each step felt like wading through a swamp of tar.

Look at them, Serpentine continued with hushed glee. All that power and knowledge, unaware of the monster lurking beside them.

Dario’s throat tightened. His hands—his traitorous, trembling hands—rose unsteadily over his spouse’s sleeping form. Every heartbeat thundered in his ears, pounding until his vision blurred. He wanted to howl in defiance, to hurl the demon’s voice away, but the thing inside him relished this, pressing him on.

Snuff them out... spare yourself the heartbreak of seeing the look on their face once they realize what you are. The demon’s vile whisper brushed the back of Dario’s mind.

His arms shook, and tears burned in the corners of his eyes. He could feel the demon’s sadistic glee flooding him, a wave of nauseating triumph. But something deeper—something undeniably human—held him back. His knuckles whitened as he forced his hands away from his beloved’s neck. Dario’s breath came in ragged gasps.

With a snarl, the demon changed tactics, hauling Dario’s mind back to the darkest moment of his life. In an instant, the bedroom vanished, replaced by the echoing halls of a desecrated temple.

They had stormed the ancient temple as a group of seven. Sunlight shone through the shattered dome of the structure, catching motes of dust in the air. Candle wax from centuries of offerings lined the crumbling altars. Dario and his comrades fought with skill and fierce determination, steel clashing against the demon’s monstrous form, fire from the mages roaring across the cracked stone. For one glorious moment, they believed they had banished Serpentine back to whatever foul plane birthed it. But the demon’s laughter returned—harsher, louder—blasting through the catacombs with a vengeance. One by one, his fellow hunters were torn apart. Dario’s ears still rang with their screams.

When the final blow came, Dario alone remained standing in the wreckage of their best hope. The temple floors were slick with blood, the demon’s black essence flickering in the drifting torchlight. He had cornered it, holy sword raised, the blade’s edge shining with righteous fury. He remembered the final moment with brutal clarity: the demon, wounded and desperate, launching itself toward him in a hellish blur of smoke and scales. Dario had driven his blade forward just as Serpentine slammed into his body like living flame. The possession was over in a heartbeat—a searing, crushing force that burned itself into his soul, leaving him blind with agony. When the darkness faded, he woke to the temple’s oppressive silence, disturbed only by the sound of the demon's voice reverberating in his skull.

Now, back in the bedroom, the memory lingered like the taste of ash in Dario’s mouth. His hand clenched at empty air where his sword should have been. “I will never let you win,” he breathed, voice trembling.

Serpentine’s reply was a cold, mocking laugh, stabbing at the corners of Dario’s consciousness. Pathetic worm. I have already won. Your body is mine. Your precious little spouse is only a breath away from joining your fallen comrades.

Dario’s eyes snapped open, focusing on his spouse once again. The sight of them—alive, peaceful, unaware of the danger—reignited Dario’s will. He staggered back, nearly tripping over the edge of the bed, fighting every muscle Serpentine tried to control. His breathing turned ragged as he wrestled for dominance over his own flesh.

Eventually, by sheer force of desperation, Dario managed to stumble from the room. He sank to the floor, pressing his back against the closed door. His pulse thundered; his entire frame shook violently with the aftershock of the demon’s assault. Sweat darkened his tunic at the collar, and his heart pounded so hard he wondered if Serpentine could feel it too.

You’ll only harm them, the demon whispered, its voice cold and certain.

In his mind, he replayed the vow they made to one another—the small ceremony, the warmth of candlelight and whispered promises. That memory gave him one last surge of strength to defy Serpentine.

“Never,” he choked.

A cruel, mocking laughter slithered through Dario’s skull, wrapping around his thoughts like a constricting coil.

Look at you. Shaking like a frightened whelp, clinging to the last scraps of your feeble devotion. Serpentine's voice dripped with venom, oozing through the cracks in Dario’s resolve. Pathetic. Do you truly believe they will love you if they knew what you are? What you have become?

Dario clenched his jaw, breath uneven as he braced himself against the bedroom wall. His entire body was trembling, slick with cold sweat. His heartbeat roared in his ears.

You’re a charlatan, Dario. A monster hiding in the skin of a man. You don’t belong here, in this house, in this life. This is not yours to keep. Serpentine’s voice became a low, rumbling growl, its pleasure unmistakable.

And then, just like that, the demon withdrew. It didn’t vanish—no, Serpentine never truly left. It merely slithered deeper into the recesses of Dario’s mind, curling in wait, watching. Waiting for the next moment of weakness to strike.

Dario exhaled shakily, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. He swallowed hard, forcing his body to still, forcing his breath to slow. His limbs felt like lead, his head pounding with exhaustion. He could still feel the ghost of the demon’s touch, the phantom pressure of control slipping away only by the barest thread of his will. Pushing himself upright, Dario turned toward the bed, willing himself to step forward despite the weight in his chest. His boots barely made a sound on the wooden floor as he approached, careful, cautious, as if afraid that even the slightest disturbance might shatter the fragile peace of the room.

The soft glow of the dying candle flickered against the sheets, casting faint golden light over his spouse’s sleeping form. Their breaths were slow and steady, their body curled slightly beneath the blankets. The sight made something in Dario’s chest tighten, an ache that was neither pain nor relief, but something in between.

He lowered himself onto the bed with measured care, easing beneath the covers as silently as he could. The warmth of his spouse’s body was immediate, seeping into the coldness that had settled into his bones. The scent of them—herbs and faint traces of smoke from the evening fire—wrapped around him like a balm. He exhaled, the tension in his body unraveling just enough for his muscles to loosen, just enough for him to breathe without the weight of dread pressing against his ribs.

Serpentine was still there, lurking in the depths of his mind, waiting. But for now, it was silent. And for now, in the quiet warmth of this moment, Dario let himself pretend that this life was still his to hold.