Chương 8: 8 - Broken
As Erza approached the dimly lit chamber where she knew Jellal was, thanks to Sasuke for coming from this direction, her heart pounded in her chest. The corridors of the Tower, once oppressive, now felt like they were closing in on her. She had ignored Sasuke's warnings, his cold insistence that Jellal was beyond saving. But she couldn't believe it. Jellal, her friend, her brother in arms, couldn't have changed so drastically. She had to see for herself.
The door to the chamber was slightly ajar, and as Erza pushed it open, she hesitated, her breath catching in her throat. The room was barely lit, only a few torches flickering on the walls, casting long, eerie shadows. In the center of the room, Jellal was standing there, his head hanging low. His once vibrant blue hair was now matted with blood, his clothes tattered and stained. But it wasn't the physical state that alarmed Erza—it was the aura of darkness that seemed to cling to him, an oppressive energy that sent chills down her spine.
"Jellal..." Erza's voice trembled as she stepped closer, her hand reaching out as if to touch him, to bring him back to reality. "It's me, Erza. I'm here to get you out. We can escape together, just like we planned. Please, come with me."
Jellal slowly lifted his head, his eyes locking onto Erza's. But instead of the warmth and familiarity she had hoped for, there was only cold indifference. His eyes, once filled with determination and kindness, were now empty, hollow, and distant. There was a flicker of something darker behind them, something twisted.
"Erza..." Jellal's voice was eerily calm, almost serene, but there was an edge to it that made Erza's blood run cold. "You're still clinging to that old dream? Freedom… what does that even mean? The Tower, Erza… it's the only path to true freedom."
Erza shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears. "No, Jellal, that's not true. The Tower is a prison! It's taken everything from us—our friends, our lives. We have to escape it, not complete it! Come with me, and we can be free together."
But Jellal's expression didn't change. Instead, a twisted smile curled on his lips, and he leaned forward slightly, the chains clinking as he moved. "You're wrong, Erza. The Tower is the key. Zeref's will... it's the only thing that matters now. Once the Tower is complete, we will all be free. I will be free."
Erza took a step back, her heart shattering with each word that left Jellal's mouth. "Jellal... what are you saying? This isn't you. Please, fight it! We can destroy the Tower, together!"
Jellal's smile widened, but there was no warmth in it. Only cold, calculating malice. "You're so naïve, Erza. Always clinging to the past, to meaningless ideals. Freedom is an illusion. The only truth is power. And once the Tower is complete, I will have all the power I need to reshape this world."
Erza's tears flowed freely now, her heart aching for the friend she was losing. "This isn't you, Jellal! The Jellal I know would never say these things! You're being controlled, otherwise how—"
Before she could finish, a new voice cut through the chamber, cold and sharp like a blade. "You're finally starting to understand, Erza."
Erza's head snapped around, and her breath caught in her throat as Sasuke stepped out of the shadows, his Sharingan spinning ominously. His expression was unreadable, his eyes cold as they bore into her. But there was something different about him now, something sinister.
"S-Sasuke..." Erza stammered, her mind reeling. "What are you doing here?"
Sasuke's gaze flicked to Jellal, then back to Erza, a cruel smile playing on his lips. "What I should have done from the beginning," he said, his voice low and mocking. "Jellal has seen the truth, Erza. The Tower... Zeref's will... it's all part of a greater plan. A plan that I've decided to be a part of."
Erza's eyes widened in horror as she took a step back, her voice trembling. "No... no, that can't be true. Sasuke, you can't be serious. You were helping us... you were—"
"Helping you?" Sasuke's laughter was harsh, filled with scorn. "You think I was ever on your side? That I cared about your pathetic attempts at escape? You're a fool, Erza. Everything I've done was to bring Jellal to this point. To open his eyes to the truth, he is just a toy in my palm."
Erza shook her head, refusing to believe the words coming from Sasuke's mouth. "You're lying... You're lying! Sasuke, we fought together! You saved me! This isn't you!"
But Sasuke's eyes were merciless, devoid of any empathy or regret. "People change, Erza. They grow, evolve. Jellal has found his purpose, and so have I. The weak will always be crushed by the strong. It's a simple truth of this world. The Tower... Zeref... I will bring a new order, one where only the strong survive."
Erza's heart pounded in her chest, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of what was happening. "This can't be... Sasuke, you wouldn't—"
Sasuke's expression hardened, and he took a step closer, his presence overwhelming. "If you want to kill me, despise me, hate me, and live a loathsome life... Run away, run away. Cling to life. And then someday, when you have the strength to challenge me, come before me." The Uchiha's eyes and tone didn't waver at all, sending those words straight to the girl's head.
Erza's breath hitched as Sasuke's words sank in, each one a dagger to her heart. "Sasuke... you..."
But before she could say more, Sasuke's only hand shot out, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her off the ground. Being a little taller than her, it wasn't complicated. His grip was firm but not crushing, more a display of dominance than intent to harm. "You were never a part of this, Erza. Just a pawn, like everyone else. If you want to survive, forget about me. Go back to your little friends and live a life of weakness."
Erza struggled in Sasuke's grip, her mind reeling from the betrayal, the shock of his words. But as she looked into his eyes, she saw something that made her heart freeze. The eyes, once kind, are totally different. Beneath the cold, the cruelty, there was something else, a flick of pain. But it was buried so deep that it was almost imperceptible.
"Why... why are you doing this?" she managed to choke out, tears streaming down her face.
Sasuke's expression softened for a fraction of a second, but then it hardened again, and he released her, letting her fall to the ground. "Because it's the only way," he said quietly, turning away from her. "If you want to hate someone, hate me. But know this, Erza. I will not hesitate to kill you if you stand in my way."
Erza lay on the cold floor, gasping for breath, her mind in turmoil. This couldn't be happening. Sasuke, the one who had fought beside them, who had saved them... he was the one who had pushed Jellal into this madness? It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense anymore.
But as she watched Sasuke walk away, something inside her snapped. The despair, the confusion, the pain—all of it coalesced into a burning, seething hatred. She had been betrayed, and not just by anyone, but by someone she had begun to trust, to rely on. The one she tought she had a crush on.
"All your friends will stay here, you will be the only one to survive. Remember this, if you say even one word about this Tower to the government, or anyone, I will come and kill you with my own hands." His Sharingan looked at her with contempt and coldness, only adding salt to the wound.
"You're a monster," she whispered, her voice trembling with rage. "I will never forgive you, SASUKE UCHIHA !!!"
Sasuke paused at the doorway, his back to her. "Good," he said coldly. "Hold on to that hatred, Erza Scarlet. Let it fuel you. Because one day, you might be strong enough to use it."
Sasuke gave Erza one last pitiful look before he disappeared into the shadows to make his way to the top of the Tower, leaving Erza alone in the chamber, her heart shattered, her soul filled with a darkness she had never known before.
'Sorry, Erza. Itachi's words and manipulation on me were useful.' A slight sad smile formed on his face. A third Tomoe can be seen in his Sharingan.
As she lay there, tears streaming down her face, Erza made a vow to herself. She would become stronger. Strong enough to protect those she loved, strong enough to destroy the Tower, and strong enough to make Sasuke pay for his betrayal. She would not let this darkness consume her—she would use it, harness it, until the day she could stand before Sasuke and make him regret everything he had done.
But for now, all she could do was cry. Cry for the friend she had lost, for the innocence that had been stolen from her, and for the path she now knew she had to walk alone.
"You heard him, didn't you?" Jellal's voice was sharp, cutting through the silence that had settled after Sasuke's departure. "Sasuke's words were nothing but lies, Erza. He never had control over me, nor did he ever influence my decisions. Everything I've done has been of my own free will."
Erza blinked up at him, her mind still reeling. "But… why, Jellal? Why would you go along with him? Why would you allow yourself to become a pawn in this madness? He is controlling you !!"
Jellal's expression softened, but only slightly. "You still don't understand, do you? The Tower… it's more than just a prison. It's a path to power, a means to an end. Sasuke's interference was unexpected, but it changes nothing. My goal remains the same."
He stepped closer, and Erza instinctively recoiled, the pain of Sasuke's betrayal still fresh in her heart. Jellal's eyes narrowed, and without warning, a dark mist began to swirl around his hand, coiling and writhing like a living thing.
"I can't let you interfere with what needs to be done, Erza," Jellal said quietly, his voice almost regretful. "You've become a liability, just like Sasuke said. But I won't kill you. No… I'll send you away, far from here. You'll live, but you'll never return."
Before Erza could react, the mist shot forward, wrapping itself around her throat like a vice. She gasped, struggling against the dark magic, but Jellal's grip was unyielding. The mist tightened, lifting her off the ground as Jellal's eyes glinted with a cold finality.
With a surge of power, the mist hurled Erza backward, sending her crashing through the walls of the Tower. The force of the impact knocked the breath from her lungs as she hurtled through the air, her vision blurring from the speed. Below her, the dark waters of the sea waited, but just before she could plunge into the depths, she collided with the deck of a small boat that had been moored nearby, hidden from view.
The impact left her dazed, but as she lay there, gasping for breath, she could still hear Jellal's final words echoing in her mind, mingling with Sasuke's cruel voice.
"All your friends will stay here, you will be the only one to survive."
Erza looked at the boat paddles with tears and fear, Sasuke had instilled terror and hatred in her. How could such a caring person become so evil? Even Jellal was fooled by him. She swore to herself that she would save her friends and Jellal. Having no home to return to, or a village, she decides to take a trip to find the Fairy Tail guild, as Grandpa Rob said.
---
Back in the Tower, Jellal turned away from the hole he had just sent Erza through. His expression remained impassive, as if casting her out had been nothing more than a necessary task. As he made his way back through the Tower, he found Sho, Wally, and Simon, each of them looking anxious and determined.
"Jellal!" Simon called out, his voice filled with urgency. "Where is Erza? We need to escape before it's too late!"
Jellal's gaze turned cold as he regarded them, his mind quickly formulating the lie that would bind them to the Tower. "Erza?" he said, his voice laced with deception. "She's gone. She destroyed the boat and fled on her own, leaving you all behind. She never cared about our escape; she only wanted to save herself."
Sho's eyes widened in disbelief. "No… that's not true. Erza wouldn't do that!"
But Jellal's expression remained unwavering, his voice calm and authoritative. "She did. You saw how determined she was to escape. She betrayed us, just as Sasuke did. Both left us in this place. But don't worry… we don't need them. The Tower will give us everything we need."
Simon clenched his fists, his heart torn between disbelief and anger. But Jellal's influence, his calm assurance, began to seep into the group, their doubt slowly eroding as the seeds of manipulation took root.
Meanwhile, at the very top of the Tower, Sasuke emerged from the stairwell, his eyes hard and focused. The sky above was a deep, bruised purple, the sun barely visible on the horizon. The air was thick with tension, and as Sasuke approached the edge of the platform, he could sense another presence nearby, a dark and familiar energy that made his blood run of anger.
From the shadows, Ultear appeared, her expression inscrutable as she stepped forward. Her eyes locked onto Sasuke's, and for a moment, neither of them moved, the silence between them heavy with unspoken intentions.
"So," Ultear said, her voice a low purr, "you've finally decided to show your true colors, Sasuke Uchiha. That was so good that even I almost believed, you should become an actor, you know?" She said teasingly despite Sasuke's icy expression.
Sasuke didn't flinch, his Sharingan spinning as he met her gaze head-on. "I'm not here to play games, Ultear. I did what I wanted here, lets head on."
Ultear's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. "Fine, if our cute boy says so."
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