she woke up with a gasp, hair sticking to her sweaty face, and she spat as she realized her mouth tasted of copper. she waited for her eyes to adjust in the darkness, thinking she was in her bedroom and woke from a bad dream, but when they adjusted to the blackness, it wasn't her room. she sat on stony ground, her back pressed against giant boulders, facing a cave opening, but the cave seemed too homey to be abandoned. there were clothes scattered on the ground, cloaks and such, and... her tank from last night. lucy's heart raced as she looked down and saw gauze cover her chest and shorts. questions started flooding her head as she was attempting to fill awake. where was she? how did she get here? and most importantly, who brought her here?

"ah, the princess is awake." a soft-spoken voice whispered. lucy jumped and whipped her head left and right to see the person that had spoken. it's too dark. lucy squinted in hopes of it helping her see, and soon enough a figure's lower body stepped in front of her, a black cloak draped to the floor, black boots, and as she gazed up, black hair and red beady eyes. adrenaline coarser through her as it clicked: it was zeref.
"z-zeref?