Found | NaLu Fanfiction

I

Bright and high, the full moon dominated the darkness of the sky. As she walked down the Strawberry Street, Lucy Heartfilia swallowed the lump in her throat while taking out her phone from her school bag with her eyes blinking twice, lips trembling from every whisper of the wind.

The screen lit up, showing that it's already past ten on Friday night. Swarm of thoughts flooded her head in an instant, most were about the myths of Demons lurking around their town at this time and day. Not to mention she's alone in the street, so she guessed her knees had all the right to tremble as she halted on her feet.

Now she couldn't help but blame everyone for talking about it. It wasn't funny, well, at least for her because her friends seemed to be having fun teasing her as they discussed it right in front of her face like they're just talking about some joke and not a terrifying story.

She was a scaredy-cat, alright. If something was real to appear in front of her, she's pretty sure she'd pass out in a blink of an eye.

Where did this story about Demons in their town begin, anyway? She didn't know. All she could remember was that a woman was reportedly found unconscious in an alleyway years ago and started talking about how she encountered a demon right after she woke up, crying and shivering in fear.

It's a miracle she's alive, don't you think?

It was investigated heavily, especially after maidens kept experiencing the same thing the following weeks and months while a few men started going missing and never found, but the investigators and professionals were always brought in the dead end. No evidence found. Not even a clue of who's doing these crimes.

This case went on for years but no progress, and the number of victims were just increasing...until it suddenly stopped at one point.

Only a year ago.

People were relieved about it. No one was reported missing again. No woman was found struggling for her life anymore. It felt as though Magnolia was finally freed from a dark curse.

Everyone was celebrating, but Lucy's fear never faltered. Because she knew they were real. It's something she wanted to forget, but kept on haunting her until the present. She wanted to share it to anyone to at least lessen the burden and fear she was feeling, that she saw a Demon when she was still young.

He had scales of a feral dragon, and a sharp gaze of a predatory demon.

He looked young, probably around her age, when he saved her from an accident and received nothing from her but horrified glare. Even if years had already passed since then, it was clear to her head how his red eyes looked; sharp, deep, and blazing, yet having that sorrowful gaze at the same time.

She was just a kid back then and hadn't understood a single thing. But as she grew up with those memories that kept visiting her dreams no matter how much she tried to forget it, she could feel a string of connection with him that never failed to send shivers running down her spine.

He's a Demon...

Lucy shook her head in an attempt to shove her thoughts away. She then started scolding herself for not checking the time, though she admitted that she had fun in their group study that she forgot to do so. Brown eyes were staring at the darkness in front of her, she cursed the clouds for suddenly covering the moon completely.

Every corner had actually a light post, but the one where she was heading to was blinking nonstop. Lucy could clearly feel her heart already in her throat. 

Damn it.

Now she regretted not accepting Gray's offer to drive her home. Well, it was all because Levy's house was only two streets away, while Gray still had to drive Gajeel, Juvia, and Erza home. She didn't want to burden him when her house was only a walking distance away. And so she was here, trembling in fear.