"Oh? And are you certain about that, Sebastian?" Ciel asked, his cerulean eyes scanning the old mansion critically. Supposedly, it was haunted by the ghosts of people who had died in a horrible fire that had occurred well over two decades ago. Ciel found himself doubting the veracity of anything that the locals told him.
Sebastian just smiled, crimson eyes flashing. "I am quite positive, Bocchan. This mansion is indeed haunted, but not by ghosts." Ciel scowled at the enigmatic demon, almost tempted to order Sebastian to answer him directly. Still, if he was forced to resort to such measures, Sebastian would have won this round of their never-ending dance.
Turning back to stare up at the dark mansion, Ciel sniffed disdainfully and moved forward, heading for the large wrought-iron gates. This mansion looked just like every other typical haunted building, gloomy and dark, with dead trees in the yard and broken down shutters. Grime coated the cracked and broken windows, and the yard was overgrown and coated with dead leaves. The sidewalk was full of cracks and dips, so that Ciel had to watch his step or risk tripping.
As they drew closer, Ciel noticed the spider webs that hung from the porch ceiling and the pillars. His nose twitched as the scents of age and mold and dead rodents reached him. Obviously, this place had been allowed to fall into a state of disrepair for quite some time, probably since the rumors of it being haunted had begun.
Refusing to dirty his hands, Ciel glanced at Sebastian and tipped his head toward the door. With a short bow, Sebastian moved ahead of him and pushed open the heavy wooden doors. They swung open with a grating creak, and Ciel coughed as dust and dirt flew down from the rafters and surrounded them in a thick cloud.
Reaching back, Sebastian placed a cloth over Ciel's mouth and nose, filtering out some of the dirt. His eyes watering, Ciel stepped inside, his footsteps echoing in the large, hollowed-out room. The entire inside of the building had been gutted, the floor and walls covered with black ash, the stairs broken and the banister nearly completely burnt away, only a few scraps of metal holding it together.
Ciel eyed the staircase warily for a long moment before deciding to check the lower level first. According to the floor plan, there was a cellar below this floor, and two floors above it, in addition to an attic. As mansions went, it was relatively small, consisting only of the main building, with no additional wings.
Their footsteps echoed in the parlor as they walked through it towards one of the back hallways, stepping over debris as they moved forward. Ciel's eyes roamed the entire place, blinking occasionally as flashes of a roaring fire and glimpses of his deceased parents overlapped the burn out carcass of the mansion. He suppressed a shiver when they came suddenly upon the statue of a broken angel, one wing torn off, the bust and left arm crumbling away.
Fighting the urge to order Sebastian to grind the damn thing into dust, Ciel turned and continued on his way down the hall. He didn't expect to find what they were looking for here, but he wasn't quite ready to chance the stairs, either. It was highly unusual behavior for him, and he was rather disgusted with himself, procrastinating over such a small thing like a potentially lethal staircase. Sebastian wouldn't allow him to die, not from something as common as that, at least.
Still, something urged him further down the hallway, Sebastian a silent, amused shadow at his heels. Ciel itched to snap something at him, but as the demon hadn't actually done anything just yet, he really had no reason to be so irritable. Passing what he guessed was a servant's quarters, Ciel paused, turning to stare at the door intently, his single visible eye considering.
Sebastian chuckled behind him, and Ciel asked, "The hauntings originate from here?" Sebastian confirmed his suspicions with a nod, and Ciel reached out towards the handle. Before he could touch it, however, the doorknob twisted of its own accord and opened silently, probably the only door in this place that didn't creak on its hinges.
Ciel didn't hesitate as he walked in, something drawing him forward and into the room, Sebastian right behind him. Batting cobwebs out of his way, Ciel took a moment to look around, his skin tingling pleasantly. Something about this place felt like home, almost. The room wasn't much, though, small and cramped, no windows, the air stale and suffocating. Dust motes floated in the air, stirred by the fresher air pouring in from the hallway.
A small bed sat in one corner of the room, neatly made, the wooden chest next to it covered in a thick layer of dust. The fire hadn't destroyed this room as it had the rest of the mansion, and Ciel looked around, seeking something that he couldn't identify. Beside him, Sebastian gave a small purr of contentment, and Ciel glanced up at his butler, surprised.
Crimson eyes were half-lidded, Sebastian's face tilted up towards the ceiling as he basked in whatever was in this room. Ciel was starting to get a pretty good idea. While there might not be ghosts in this place, there was certainly magic. And it seemed to be centering somewhere near this room.
"Where is it, Sebastian?" Ciel asked softly. For a moment, he wasn't certain that the demon had heard him, too enraptured by whatever it was that was tingling across Ciel's skin, but moments later, he moved to look down at Ciel, blood-red eyes slowly refocusing.
"I believe, Bocchan, that while what we are seeking may be upstairs, there is something here worth investigating as well." Ciel shrugged; as long as they got what they had come for originally, he didn't much care if they made a small detour. Besides, he was rather intrigued now. Whatever was here had seemingly infected Sebastian, as well, the demon's eyes sharp and focused, intent on whatever was permeating the room.
Well, they certainly weren't going to find anything here, Ciel thought, then set his mind to work, hunting for the hidden passageway that was sure to be here. Still, none of the furniture looked like it hid a trapdoor, or was a secret lever to move a portion of the wall. Frowning, Ciel stepped further into the room, allowing the door to click shut behind him.
A sudden sinking sensation overtook him, and Ciel glanced down, his eyes wide. The room's shadows were swirling around him, pulling him down through the floor. His head snapped up and he called for his butler. "Sebastian!" The demon turned to look at him, his eyes bright and almost manic. Still, even looking not-quite-right, he moved forward and grabbed for Ciel's hand, managing to wrap long fingers around Ciel's thin wrist.
Cursing, Ciel struggled against the shadows that continued to try and pull him down, while Sebastian's firm grip kept him from sinking any further. He ignored the pain of his wrenched shoulder, more interested in keeping himself alive. Still, even with Sebastian's pulling, all he was successful in accomplishing was to keep Ciel from sinking further. Realizing that both the shadow and demon could outlast his own endurance, Ciel used his other hand to slap Sebastian's hand away.
He sunk quickly then, all the force that the shadows had employed to keep Sebastian from pulling him up was now crashing back down, yanking him through the floor, Sebastian's surprised eyes the last thing he saw before he was drowned in darkness. Unable to breath, Ciel scratched at his throat, trying to pull away the tendrils he could feel wrapped around his neck, cutting off his airway.
His sight gradually faded, as his lungs continued to fight for air that wouldn't come, his struggling limbs slowing, weakening as his body lost, slumping as he lost consciousness. The last thing he heard before passing out was a low chuckle that sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. "Welcome to my lair, beautiful child," a voice purred, claws brushing lightly against his face. Ciel blacked out.