---
The night the heavens split open, Rayan’s life changed forever.
The wind roared like a wounded beast, rattling the wooden shutters of his small cottage. Lightning cracked across the sky, revealing a shadow with massive, torn wings plummeting from the heavens. The villagers screamed, temples rang bells, and prayers filled the air.
They said a demon had fallen.
They said the cursed Devil Birdie had returned.
But Rayan didn’t believe the stories—not until he saw him.
---
The Tower
The creature was chained inside the old cathedral’s abandoned bell tower, a place villagers avoided. By day, priests whispered blessings to keep him bound. By night, the air trembled with his growls, a sound that made even the bravest men shiver.
Rayan, however, felt only curiosity. He was nineteen, restless, and tired of being told to fear shadows. Something about the figure with broken wings stirred him.
On the fourth night, he could no longer resist.
Carrying a lantern, he slipped into the cathedral. The heavy door creaked, dust choking the air as he climbed the spiral staircase. And there he was.
The Devil Birdie.
Chained by glowing runes, his body was lean, scarred, and breathtaking. His wings, though torn, shimmered faintly like midnight silk. His eyes—red as embers—snapped open at Rayan’s approach.
“You’re not a priest,” the creature rasped. His voice was low, dangerous, yet fragile, as though unused for centuries.
Rayan’s lantern flickered. “No… I’m just… me.”
A smirk tugged at the demon’s lips. “Then you’re either very foolish, little human… or very brave.”
---
The Forbidden Visits
He told himself it would be only once. But once became twice, twice became countless.
Every night, Rayan returned with food, water, and bandages. He tended to the creature’s wounds, though he never knew if his touch was welcome. The demon—Eshan, as he finally admitted—never pushed him away.
In time, the conversations deepened.
Eshan spoke of skies he once ruled, storms he once commanded, and battles against angels and men alike. His voice was bitter when he spoke of betrayal—how humans feared what they didn’t understand, how they caged him for eternity.
“You should hate me,” Eshan said one night, shadows dancing across his sharp jaw. “Your kind chained me here. I should crush you for daring to come close.”
“Then why don’t you?” Rayan whispered.
For a moment, silence hung heavy. Then, softly: “Because you look at me differently.”
And Rayan did. Behind the wings, the scars, the red eyes, he saw not a monster but someone unbearably lonely. Someone aching for warmth.
One night, Rayan reached out and touched Eshan’s wing. The feathers were cold, trembling under his fingers. Eshan inhaled sharply, eyes locking on him.
“You’re not afraid?”
“I should be,” Rayan admitted, “but I’m not.”
---
The Bond
The weeks turned to months. Their closeness became undeniable.
Rayan’s heart beat faster each time he entered the tower. He found himself memorizing Eshan’s voice, the way his smirk softened when he teased, the rare laughter that broke the silence.
One stormy night, when the chains burned Eshan’s skin from another failed attempt to break free, Rayan couldn’t hold back. He knelt by his side, pressing his forehead to Eshan’s shoulder.
“Stop hurting yourself,” Rayan pleaded, tears slipping down his cheeks. “I can’t bear to see you like this.”
Eshan stiffened, then tilted Rayan’s chin up with trembling fingers. His eyes glowed like fire but softened like dusk.
“You… care?” he whispered, almost disbelieving.
“I do.”
The air thickened, every heartbeat echoing like thunder. Slowly, carefully, Eshan leaned in until his lips brushed Rayan’s.
It was tentative, fragile—like a bird testing its wings after years of captivity. But it ignited something neither could deny.
---
The Choice
Their secret didn’t last forever.
One morning, the village discovered food missing, footprints in the cathedral dust. The priests warned of a traitor aiding the demon. Punishment would be swift, death inevitable.
Rayan’s mother begged him to stay away, but he couldn’t. That night, he ran to the tower, breathless.
“They’re coming for you,” Rayan gasped. “The priests… they’ll kill you this time.”
Eshan’s chains glowed brighter, reacting to the priests’ chants. His body writhed in pain, but he forced a smile. “Then run, Rayan. Save yourself.”
“No!” Rayan shouted, clutching his hand. “I won’t leave you!”
The tower shook as chants grew louder. Eshan looked at him, despair in his eyes. “If I break these chains now… I’ll never be free of the curse. Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Unless someone offers their soul willingly. A bond that can’t be broken. But if you give it, you’ll never be the same. You’ll belong to me… forever.”
Rayan’s chest heaved. His choice was clear.
“I already do,” he whispered.
---
The Release
Eshan’s eyes widened, then burned with unrestrained fire. Their lips met again, fiercer, as Rayan pressed himself close. At that moment, the chains shattered like glass, the runes exploding into sparks.
Wings unfurled in their full glory, vast and magnificent, shaking dust from the rafters. Eshan roared, not in rage but freedom, lifting Rayan into his arms.
The priests burst into the tower, holy light blazing—but they froze at the sight.
Not of a demon devouring a human.
But of a demon cradling him, protectively, tenderly.
The villagers whispered. Fear warred with awe.
Eshan’s voice echoed, thunderous yet soft as he gazed only at Rayan:
“This boy has bound himself to me. Harm him, and you harm me. I am no longer your prisoner.”
And with a sweep of his wings, they vanished into the night.
---
The Sky
High above the clouds, the world spread wide and endless. Rayan clung to Eshan, wind in his hair, heart wild with exhilaration.
“You’re free,” Rayan whispered against his ear.
Eshan laughed, a sound rich and alive. “No, little human. We’re free.”
They soared until dawn painted the sky gold. In that endless horizon, there was no cage, no curse, no chains—only the beating of two hearts, finally unbound.
Rayan glanced at Eshan, who flew with joy, his once-broken wings shimmering like starlight.
And Eshan, the Devil Birdie, looked back with a smile so tender it could break the heavens.
Together, they disappeared into the horizon.
Free.
And in love.
---
