I've fallen back into the fandom and finally decided to finish up this chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it!

CHAPTER ONE:

TRANSMIGRATION

To say Eliza Harris was confused would be the understatement of the year.

Maybe even the century.

The last thing she remembered was getting back to her apartment after a double shift at work and faceplanting into her bed, passing out as soon as her head hit the pillows. If falling asleep was the last thing she'd done, then where the hell was she now? The bed she was laying on felt way too nice and expensive to be her shitty mattress. That thing felt more like a rock than anything else. This, however, felt like absolute heaven.

She attempted to turn onto her stomach, but found herself struggling. Eliza heaved a sigh when she was finally able to flip over, her fingers curling into the soft furs. Her brow furrowed at the feeling, and she squinted down at her hands. Were they always that… short and pudgy? Something white fell across her vision, and she clumsily grabbed it between her fingers. It was hair, and more importantly, her hair.

Dear Lord, was she getting white hairs already?!

She was only twenty!

Eliza sat up on the bed, only to fall on her back with an undignified "oof". Sprawled like a starfish on the bed, she took the time to look around the room. It was big, easily more than half the size of her whole apartment. The pale curtains on the large, open windows fluttered with the breeze and allowed the sunlight to pour into the room. The floor looked like it was made from polished stone. Limestone, maybe?

During her inspection, one of the large wooden doors of the room opened. In came a young man with messy blond hair carrying a tray with colorful fruit and a jug of something to drink. She watched him intently, both confused and intrigued, and felt her breathing stop when he raised his head to meet her eyes. A bright smile spread over his face, and he put the tray to the side to approach her.

Oh.

"So, you're finally awake, Elizabeth." Meliodas greeted happily, leaning down to peck her forehead before helping her sit up.

Oh.

Elizabeth more or less gawked at him as Meliodas propped up a wall of pillows behind her so she could sit comfortably. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realized how tiny she was compared to him— the certified midget of the Seven Deadly Sins. God, what the fuck was going on? Was this even real? She reached out with short, fat fingers and pinched her arm, hard. She yelped, which quickly caught Meliodas' attention. If he'd been human, his neck would've snapped with how fast he turned his head to look at her.

"Hey, hey, Ellie, why'd you do that for?" Meliodas cooed, taking her arm between his hands to rub soothing circles on the reddened spot where she'd pinched herself. She said nothing, just stared at him in disbelief.

What the hell.

Over the course of god knows how much time, Eliza came to accept that she'd… isekaid? Was that even a word? Whatever, the point is that she reincarnated into an anime. One that she hadn't really finished? Well, she finished the manga like a year ago, but she refused to watch the anime. The animation had gone downhill after season one (and the Prisoners of the Sky movie). Also, realistically speaking, the series had a lot of disturbing themes plus a serious case of oversexualization of its female characters. But then again, it was made by a middle aged japanese man— what else was there to say?

Feeling a bit uncomfortable over that, she avoided spending time with Meliodas, making a fuzz and crying whenever he tried to pick her up. His relationship with a young Elizabeth was shown very briefly, and their closeness was both strange yet extremely dangerous. If Fraudin realized the goddess was so close by, he'd murder her just like he'd done with Liz. Unfortunately, she had to give up on avoiding Meliodas on the fourth day after he looked to be on the verge of crying himself when she once again rejected his platonic affections.

Eliza let out a quiet grumble, fiddling with the flower crown she was weaving. She despised being a toddler. Baby fingers were too short and fat, they made everything awkward and far more difficult that it needed to be. Her flower crowns kept turning out a hot mess, all bruised and lopsided. Meliodas didn't seem to mind, plucking it out of her hands to perch it on his head with a grin. He reached out and booped the tip of her nose affectionately. Then, suddenly, she was no longer there.

She was sitting, leaning back against a tall tree and basking in the gentle warmth of the morning sun, a soft breeze tugging at her long hair. She held a single daffodil between her fingers, its petals the same color as Meliodas' hair. His head was perched on her lap, his expression one of peace— his eyes closed and a soft smile playing on his lips. His clothes were made of dark leather that clung to his body, and there was a sword resting on his hip.

Were these… Elizabeth's memories?

Meliodas' eyes fluttered open, the emerald color catching the sunlight in the most mesmerizing of ways. The sheer amount of affection that came to the surface nearly left her breathless. Something must have shown on her face, because Meliodas sat up to cradle her face between gloved hands. "What are you thinking about?" He asked gently as he pressed their foreheads together.

She let the flower drop from her hand and pursed her lips. "I'm worried about the war." Came Elizabeth's soft voice, pouring out of her mouth in a quiet confession. "It keeps getting worse, not to mention that Ludociel is—" Meliodas silenced her with a kiss, his lips pressing tenderly against hers.

"Today is our day." Meliodas reminded her, tucking some of her silvery white hair behind her ear. "The war can wait until tomorrow." A mischievous grin stretched across his lips, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he pulled away from her. He playfully tapped the tip of her nose with his index finger. "You're it!" Meliodas snickered, a pair of large wings made of shadows sprouting from his back to launch him into the skies with a single beat.

"Hey!" She found herself — Elizabeth — calling out, her own white wings sending her airborne, abandoning the daffodil at the roots of the trees.

Like a dream turning into a nightmare, she found her hand coated in blood when she grabbed his. Meliodas' eyes stared unblinkingly at the clouds, his throat torn open along with a grotesque hole that took up most of his torso. Her fingers shook with the effort of interlocking with his, her body wracked by painful tremors as her remaining wings hung limply from the mangled flesh of her back. She heaved a sigh that was more like a sob and pressed her cheek against the wet soil, closing her eyes and letting the curse take root.

A warm hand on her cheek brought her back to the present. Eliza gasped softly, and Meliodas' concerned face came into view. He was here, with her. He was alive. "Where did you go?" He asked with a sliver of fear in his eyes. Eliza had no doubts he was concerned that she'd regained her memories, thus activating the curse. Meliodas ran his thumb along her cheekbone, wiping away the tears that had spilled without her knowledge.

Eliza sniffled, the image of his empty stare burned into her eyelids, and nuzzled into his hand. "M'tired." She mumbled, making grabby hands at him. Meliodas looked unsure, but he sighed and scooped her up into her arms. Eliza buried her face into the crook of his neck, and his hand stroked her back comfortingly as silent tears dripped from her eyes. It was one thing seeing something like that on a screen or in the pages of a manga, but Meliodas was real now. He was alive, made of flesh and bone.

And she never wanted to see him like that again.

In the series — the original timeline, she supposed — the Seven Deadly Sins had been formed when Elizabeth was a year old. Eliza was four, nearly five years old now (technically twenty-one). Meliodas had begun his search the day after she cried in the gardens over Elizabeth's memories of the Holy War. He'd become her shadow, knowing something was up, but she made sure to act the same as always and the curse hadn't activated. Which she sincerely doubted was ever going to happen. Would it even work? Could Elizabeth's curse activate?

Eliza knew everything about it, and Elizabeth's memories were steadily becoming her own— disorganized and murky as they were. Maybe it couldn't affect her because she technically isn't Elizabeth. If she died, would she come back? Or was it curtains down for her? So many questions and no answers. She had a little notebook that she hid in her room, filled with scribbles of all her theories and what was to come. Speaking of scribbles, her handwriting was embarrassing. So childish and ugly looking in comparison to the neat and elegant handwriting she'd slaved over.

She was in the middle of a lesson with Miss Myrtle and her sisters. To her misfortune, Margaret and Veronica seemed much more interested in the lesson than she was, which meant she was forced to bear through her boredom. There was a bit of a ruckus in the hall, a group of servants announcing the arrival of Meliodas and the infamous Sins. Eliza promptly shut her book and raced out of the room with no regard for the calls of her name. She nearly tripped three times over that stupid yellow dress Margaret forced her into.

If only she didn't love her sisters so much.

Pants, she decided, were her new priority— after meeting the Sins, of course. Eliza gathered her skirts in her hands, racing down the halls and dodging both knights and servants in her way. She found Meliodas in the courtyard, speaking to the group. A squeal left her mouth (which she was going to get hell for later, she just knew it). Escanor was in his smaller form, a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He looked like a normal young man, lanky and a touch nerdy. Diane was a sight to behold, sitting cross legged and twirling her hair between her fingers. King was seated on Chastiefol, which was in its pillow form, disguised as a round human man. Gowther stood silent, his body completely covered by dark armor, while Ban stood casually by his side.

They were so different from their drawn counterparts! It was so weird yet awesome to see them in real life. Diane's size was impressive, a bit of a shock despite Eliza having known she was like thirty feet tall. Ban was also a sight to behold, his silvery locks pooling over his shoulders in messy spikes.

Meliodas turned at the sound of her voice, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Ellie!" He called out happily, crouching to her level and opening his arms for her to dive into.

Except she never did.

Eliza ran past him to stop in front of Ban, making grabby hands at him. "Up, please! Up, up, up!" She giggled excitedly, bouncing on the tips of her toes. He tilted his head at her, scarlet eyes gleaming with interest, and Eliza resisted the urge to squeal again. Good god, that man was gorgeous! So damn fine— scrump-dilly-icious.

Ban bent down to pick her up, and she didn't miss the utterly betrayed expression on Meliodas' face as she giggled in delight. "Who's this, Cap'n?" He asked in that sing-song voice of his, poking at her chubby cheeks with one of his fingers. Eliza took some of his hair between her fingers, admiring the surprising softness and its silvery blue shade.

"I'm Eliza!" She chirped, busying herself with making a tiny braid with the hair in her hands.

Diane held her hands close to her chest, squealing. "You're so cute!" The giant gushed, "I'm Diane!"

"Hi, Diane!" That sent the brunette into another round of squeals.

The envious expression on Meliodas' face softened considerably, and he ran a hand through the unruly golden curls on his head. "You've already met Merlin," He began, gesturing to the dark haired woman that certainly had not been there before and who Eliza had been avoiding at all costs. Merlin's eyes glimmered with mischief, the corner of her rouge lips curling into a smirk.

Eliza's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her ribcage and swan dive to the floor. She had the feeling Merlin knew far more than she let on, and that alone made fear curdle in her belly. Despite that, Merlin said nothing, merely inclined her head in a bow that was more mocking than anything.

Oblivious, Meliodas continued, "This is Ban," The immortal man wiggled his eyebrows at her, making some of the fear melt away. "King, Gowther, and Escanor." The three men gave acknowledging nods, the fae giving her a small smile.

Eliza took a breath and plastered a smile on her face, "It's nice to meet you all." She told them, giving a curtsy as well as her position could allow.

Hurried footsteps made their way around the corner, and Miss Myrtle came into view. "Princess—" The words died in her tongue when her eyes fell upon the group. She froze, hands fisting her skirts, and sweat beaded her brow. Another thing Eliza had noticed was that, despite Meliodas' friendly behavior, most of the servants were scared of him. On the bright side, they could never protest when he decided to save her from boring lessons and monopolize her time. Miss Myrtle bowed her head, "My sincerest apologies, Sir Meliodas. Princess Elizabeth heard of your arrival, and I couldn't stop her."

The Sins, sans Meliodas and Merlin, spluttered in shock at her title.

Meliodas brushed away the words of the governess with the dismissive wave of his hand. "It's fine," He said easily, "any chance to see Eliza." His smile turned into a pout, and he shot her a look as he crossed his arms over his chest. "Even if she's more interested in other men…" Meliodas mumbled.

Eliza rolled her eyes with a giggle, patting Ban's glorious chest so that he would set her down. Miss Myrtle ran her hands along the front of her skirt, both smoothing out the wrinkles and wiping away the sweat on her palms. "Come along then, Princess Elizabeth. Our etiquette lessons aren't finished."

Oh, fuck that.

She let out a theatrical groan that was truly worthy of the child body she inhabited. "But Miss Myrtle," Eliza whined, keenly aware of the way Meliodas' eyes sharpened almost dangerously, "I don't want to be a lady. I want to be a knight!" She declared, and the woman paled drastically.

The laugh that left Miss Myrtle's lips was borderline hysterical. She looked scandalized, on the verge of either running away or kicking the bucket right then and there. Meliodas looked amused and only mildly surprised, like he'd been expecting this. Aw, she wanted to surprise him.

"Princess Elizabeth," Miss Myrtle squeaked, "please don't joke about such matters."

"I'm not joking," Eliza said as seriously as a child could, setting her small fists on her hips. "I want to be a knight. Like Melly, Gil, Howzer and Griamore!"

Heh, she could basically feel the smugness radiating from Meliodas.

"I think it's alright." Meliodas chirped over Miss Myrtle's nervous stammers, successfully silencing the governess. "You'll have to work hard to catch up to them. It's not easy, Ellie, even Little Gil struggles."

Eliza shot him an unimpressed look, "Gil's a wuss."

"Princess Elizabeth!" Miss Myrtle screeched, her voice nearly drowned out by Ban's loud cackles and Meliodas' startled laughs.

"You know," Eliza began, her voice far too shaky to sound casual, "I thought you'd corner me way earlier than this." She said, a wobbly smile on her lips as she held on to the wooden sword in her hand. "It's been, what, a year now?"

Merlin pushed some of her inky black hair away from her face, "Almost." She replied casually. "I wanted to see how long it would take you to die."

Eliza choked, feeling the blood drain from her face, "What?" She squeaked.

The sorceress smiled, amusement clear in her expression. "You've always been far too aware for a normal child. Meliodas might be too afraid to confront it, but you know, don't you?" She asked, intrigued, and moved closer.

Eliza took a step backwards and gasped when her back bumped against the wall. Her eyes darted around for an escape route, but the only door was behind Merlin. Realistically speaking, even if she wasn't blocking the door, there was no way Eliza was escaping one of the most powerful magic users in the world. God, she just wanted a glass of water! Why does this shit happen to her?!

"Know what?" She chuckled nervously, refusing to meet Merlin's eyes.

"About the curse, of course."

Eliza gaped at the woman. She said that so casually! What if she hadn't known? What if she was just an odd incarnation of Elizabeth? That response could have activated that curse and she would've died! That was so reckless—

Ah.

Merlin was toying with her.

Eliza huffed at the chuckling sorceress and fiddled with her braided hair. Merlin wanted a reaction and she got one. "That's so mean…" She mumbled, then sighed. "Yeah, I know about it."

The look in Merlin's eyes softened just a tad, "Have you found a way to delay the process?" She asked in a quieter voice.

Eliza grimaced, looking away from her. "It's… more complicated than that, I think. I'm not…" She hesitated, biting the inside of her cheek. "I remember things," She said instead, "and I remember things that haven't happened yet."

She looked up at Merlin and — for a split moment — saw the gnarly scars covering the bottom half of her face and the look of pain in her eyes. "I'll take these burns upon my body… as a symbol of the one man who ever loved me."

The back of her eyes burned with tears, and Eliza blinked them away, taking a shaky breath. When she looked at Merlin again, void of scars and grief, the sorceress looked startled and astonished. "Big Sis—"

Eliza tried not to flinch, guilt coiling around her heart like barbed wire. "It's really hard to explain right now, and a lot of things won't make sense, but I need your help. And I need you to trust me." She said quietly.

There was a small moment of silence, and Merlin's gaze softened. "What did you see?" She asked, voice equally as quiet.

"Thank you, everyone, for meeting me. I'm sorry I can't come to the wedding…"

"I wanted you to find me sooner. I wish it had been 3000 years ago, so that I could…"

"It seems time is running out. Take care, everyone."

"I'll see you at the end, my friend."

"Please… I don't want you to go!"

Eliza shuddered, and her hand came up to her forehead as tears finally spilled, rolling down her cheeks. She could hear their voices, see them and their pain as if she had witnessed it firsthand. Eliza shook her head and swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Something I won't allow to happen. I promise." She vowed, swiping at her wet cheeks.

She would give them the happy ending they deserved.

Even if she had to suffer for it.

Merlin reached out to touch her, her lips parting to speak, but someone interrupted her. "Ellie."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit, shit—

Both of them froze at the sudden stillness that settled in the atmosphere, the tension so thick that it could be cut with a knife. Eliza mustered up the courage to look over, and found Meliodas standing in the doorway. There was a terrifying blankness in his expression, his green eyes dark as they focused on Merlin's outstretched hand. The hair on the back of her neck prickled when those eyes lifted to take in her tear stained cheeks.

"Is everything alright?" Meliodas asked. The question was meant to be casual, but his voice was too low and threatening to be considered that.

Eliza took in a small breath and forced a bright smile. "Melly! I was getting some water and something fell in my eye." She lied as easily as she would, skipping over to join him. Instantly, his hand came up to settle on top of her head, and his eyes focused on her. "Lady Merlin helped me though!"

Meliodas cast the sorceress a brief look, but Merlin's expression revealed nothing. He cupped Eliza's face in his hands to wipe away the remaining moisture from her face. "That's good. I was getting worried." He murmured, his smile a bit strained.

She pursed her lips and looked down at the wooden sword in her hand. "M'sorry." Eliza mumbled sheepishly. Surprisingly enough, she didn't feel scared of him. It was like a safety blanket had been draped over her the second he stepped foot inside the kitchen.

"It's okay, just warn me next time." Meliodas chirped, lightly patting her head.

She sighed, partly in relief and because of the way all the tension in her body always melted under his gentle touch. "C'mon, I wanna beat Gil!" Eliza grinned up at him, and Meliodas laughed. As they left, her hand grabbing his, Eliza looked over her shoulder to give Merlin one last look.

I promise.

Too soon.

It was all happening way too soon.

She wasn't ready— she didn't feel ready yet. Eliza ran down the halls of the castle, her heart thumping in her chest as the shouts of the knights grew louder. Fraudrin was here, inside Dreyfus and feeding venom into Hendrickson's soul, and Zaratras was dead. He was gone, just like that. And now the Sins were being hunted down like a bunch of criminals. She needed to find Merlin right n—

Something whistled through the air as she made it past one of the windows. She turned, and something sharp suddenly pierced through her throat. Eliza gasped and spluttered, gagging on a thick liquid that tasted like copper. It spilled from her mouth and dripped down the front of her shirt, staining the white of her shirt in crimson. Her vision blurred with pained tears, and she reached for her neck with shaking fingers to feel the arrow embedded deep into her skin.

No way, no way, no way, no way—

I'm dying—

In the blink of an eye, the castle was gone, replaced by hills covered in green grass. The sky was caught in a battle of night and day; the clouds on the right side had a golden glow to them, while the left side of the sky was dark and littered with dozens of stars. Fantastical shades of greens, pinks and purples danced where the two sides met.

She gaped at the breathtaking sight, then quickly put a hand on her neck. "What the hell?" Eliza whispered in astonishment when she didn't feel the arrow, much less a wound.

A chuckle made her jump. Her eyes grew wide, and Eliza turned on her heels to meet the amused stare of a man. She swallowed thickly, fingers curling into tight fists as she stared at him. He was handsome, with regal features and pale, unblemished skin framed by thick black curls that were tied back in a ponytail, dark bangs left to fall messily over his forehead. The vermilion color of his irises was highlighted by the smokey eyeshadow painted onto his lids. He watched her in silence, the corners of his mouth lifting in something like amusement.

He was seated at a round, black table meant for two people. That seemed to be a recurring theme for him. "Did I startle you?" He asked, his voice pleasantly deep and smooth. "My apologies. I was quite eager to finally meet you, Elizabeth Harris."

What the fuck.

"Please, take a seat." He said, gesturing to the empty chair across from him with the ridiculously elegant wave of his hand. Eliza dumbly complied, all but collapsing onto the chair. "Would you like something to eat? Perhaps something to drink?" The man asked, presenting her with a tray of pastries and tea that certainly hadn't been there before.

Eliza stared at him incredulously, "Who are you?" She breathed.

He smiled, a devastatingly handsome action, "My name is Diaval, you may know me as Death."

What the fuck.

"Am I dead?!" Eliza nearly shrieked, her hands flying to her head in sheer panic. "Is this the afterlife?!"

Diaval laughed heartily, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "You're in Limbo, Eliza. And no, you're not dead yet. At least not in this life." He answered, tossing some of his long black hair over his shoulder. "As if I'd let your journey end before it even begins." Diaval let out a light scoff.

"My journey…?" Eliza echoed, slowly lowering her hands onto her lap.

He gave her a look, resting his cheek against a fist. "To save your friends, of course. Isn't that what you want the most?" Diaval queried, raising an eyebrow. "I've seen the rise and fall of countless individuals, but your will— your selfless love and need to protect others has transcended lifetimes! Worlds, Eliza!" He leaned closer, something like excitement shining in his eyes.

Eliza's eyes grew wide, warmth blooming over her cheeks and probably staining them an embarrassing shade of pink. "Um, I don't…" She trailed off.

Diaval's expression softened, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's right, you don't remember yet." He murmured, sighing softly. Eliza went to open her mouth to ask what he meant by that, but Diaval spoke again, "Your predicament is extremely rare, and I refuse to let your potential go to waste. You will not die until you wish to, only then will I welcome you to the other side with open arms. Until that time arrives, you will have my favor."

"What does that mean?" Eliza asked, her eyebrows furrowing. "You're going to help me?"

The Lord of Death nodded his head. "Whenever you find life slipping through your fingers, you will find yourself here while your wounds heal." He explained, then gained a thoughtful look on his face. "Though I wouldn't be opposed to visits." He added, tapping his chin with a finger.

The aurora connecting the two sides of the sky pulsed, gaining a streak of gold amidst the dancing colors. "Woah…" Eliza breathed, amazed.

Diaval smiled, "It seems like our time together has come to an end." He said, lifting a hand to give her a small wave. She found it ridiculous how a simple gesture seemed so elegant. When Eliza blinked, she found herself back in the hallway. The wound on her throat was gone, but blood still caked her skin and the front of her shirt. "Good luck, dear." Diaval's voice purred.

Eliza shook her head, laughing incredulously before sprinting down the hall again. "Merlin!" She called, turning around the corner. She found the sorceress speaking with Meliodas, who whirled around to stare at her.

His eyes grew wide at the sight of her blood drenched form. "Elizabeth!" Meliodas gasped, hands shaking as he reached out for her. "What happened? Who did this?!" The emerald shade of his eyes darkened, turning into a flat black as a familiar sigil appeared above his brow.

She realized she was still holding the arrow in her hand and promptly tossed it aside. "I'm fine!" Eliza said quickly, turning to Merlin. "You need to go, now. Fraudrin is here and—"

Meliodas took a hold of her arms, an alarmed desperation written over his face. "How do you know that name?! Elizabeth, please answer me!" His voice shook, and the shadows around them grew.

Eliza exhaled, giving him a sad smile. "I'm so sorry, Meliodas." She said, lifting her eyes to watch Merlin as she came closer. "Everything is going to be okay, I promise."

"Forgive me, Captain." Merlin said, and Meliodas collapsed the moment her fingers touched his forehead. "What happened?" She finally asked, her golden eyes sweeping over the crimson on Eliza's attire.

Eliza gave her a crooked grin, feeling a bit hysterical at this point, "Looks like we have Death on our side." She said in reply.

Merlin's eyebrows rose, "Lord Diaval?" Truthfully? Eliza wasn't surprised Merlin knew who he was. She ran a hand through her hair, an uncomfortable feeling tightening in her chest as she glanced at Meliodas' unconscious form. "He'll be alright."

"I'm going to miss him." Eliza admitted, breath catching on a sob. She lifted a hand to brush his hair away from his face and let out a slow breath. "I'm going to miss all of you." She continued, trying to calm herself. Why was she crying, dammit?! She knew this was going to happen!

So why was she such a mess?!

Merlin set her hands on her shoulders, lowering herself to be eye level with Eliza. "We'll see each other again in ten years, remember?" She reminded her, rouge lips curled in a teasing smirk. Eliza forced a smile despite the tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Ten years."

That seemed like an eternity.

Eliza: it's not a meltdown

Eliza: it's an emotional release

—

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed and please tell me what you think!