The young earl couldn't breathe.
A venomous pang erupted through his collapsing lungs; the cloying air abandoned his fragile body and left him to be devoured by darkness. He was suffocating, being buried alive by the tight grasp of the ocean waters, slowly fading into the polluted abyss.
He lingered under Terror's control, the overwhelming strength of chains clung mercilessly to his petite ankle as it dragged his naked flesh down the depths of the sea. The child tried to scream, however, the clawing itch of his parched throat prevented his outburst.
Tears mingled with the tingling of the warm current, illuminating the boiling sensation that pounded against his sore nose. He began to tremble as terrifying memories of past trauma sprawled through his veins, bringing him into a new found panic.
Above him a lengthy canoe floated over the surface, reflecting a sadistic smile onto the air bubbles he frantically gave life to. The eerie humming of an old fashioned tune faded in and out as the stranger worked the oar in his gloved palms. Ripples pinged over the boy again, vanishing as strong arms yanked him from death's company the very last second.
Then there was silence...a never ending quiet.
He awoke to a blinding light, body convulsing in fear as the aftermath of desperation flowed evenly around him. The boy tried raising his hand, the attempt in vain as he was brought into a bone crushing embrace. His ribs were broken, throbbing in pain as he tried twisting away from the tight hold to no avail. His fingers were bloody and raw, splinters jabbing into his skin as they dug into his captor's dark coat. The demon allowed no escape, squeezing the boy more as the twelve year old screamed in retaliation; it was too late.
A few grains of dirt shifted as footsteps approached the two, echoing through his frightful demeanor. His heavy lids blinked at the dust, tasting its foul flavor as he tried once more to break free from the man. Night had fallen when the boy finally reached peace, inhaling large amounts of oxygen as if it'd be his last. His lithe chest heaved violently; pounding into his weak stature as he carefully listened to the conversation going on to his left.
"After a week of searching we finally found him! I'm surprised he survived that long living in the earth." The voice was foreign, strange as if it held obligation rather than sincerity. The second came from the being cradling him, a soft reverberation of melancholy reflected from the statement.
"I found him... I found him... My master...is safe."
Master? W-who...a-are these people? D-do I know them?
The man above him securely wrapped the child in a thin sheet, lifting the boy and escorting him away from the scene.
Sebastian was in an uproar, contemplating the exact punishment for whoever treated his master in such a way. Whatever decision he made it would without a doubt be deadly. The demon would torment the one responsible to the ends of hell; always put him through the brink of death before saving him and repeating the action. He would paint the walls of the manor in the person's own blood. Slice them to bits and piece them back together just to skin them and burn them to a crisp. He would steal everything they had and crush them for his amusement. He would make the young master's captor rue the day they kidnapped him. Most importantly, he has failed as a butler. He was supposed to protect the boy; instead, the young master was taken from him right under his nose. He couldn't stand being outsmarted; he loathed how he was the wrong one about the case they were currently working. He shouldn't have ignored the boy's suspicions on where to find the actual culprit, he should have took his master's advice and accompany the earl on his private investigation. Now, Sebastian only had himself to blame.
No, I won't abandon hate.
If I did, nothing would be left of me.
The boy's words no longer held any meaning, they were lifeless now, dead, and Sebastian couldn't help but feel it was all his own doing.
The long curtains draped open to reveal a slumbering child, lazily stretching from the sudden sunlight in his eyes. He looked cute, vulnerable like a stray cat. It wasn't until the boy fully took in Sebastian's face that he began to thrash out, kicking and screaming while demanding to be left alone. Ciel gripped tightly at his ultramarine strands as the manor's staff tried their best to calm him down, their effort so little considering the boy's shocking strength. It took an hour before he fell back to sleep, bringing a sense of dread to Sebastian.
He is frightened...of me... Sebastian felt hopeless, his capabilities only allowing him to drift off to how it was before the accident. Those days are forever out of the demon's grasp now, stuck in a place of eternal rest as he skimmed over his master. He swore he would return Ciel back to normal, give him his memories back. There was only one way to accomplish that kind of task, he knew he had but one direction to take, to visit a certain grim reaper. He hadn't the location of his target, but specially knew someone who did.
In a heartbeat
Chapter 1
"Are you sleeping?" He hesitated, stopped himself from showing his consciousness to the new sound. He held his breath and tried to stay still, faking his emotions into a monotone and calm manner. He was scared to wake, feared being pulled into a pitch dark pit and never returning, or forever living in torment.
He couldn't understand what the voice asked, causing him to face his monstrous thoughts and expose his mismatched orbs. He couldn't believe what he saw, a scarlet haired maid with broken glasses and a cup of tea. She asked how he was feeling and nearly stumbled out of place as she tripped over her uniform, coming off as a clumsy yet heartfelt servant. She felt his confusion and asked one simple question, immediately receiving his undying attention.
"Do you remember who you are?" He leisurely slipped into deep thought before shaking his bandaged head, his blue brows creasing as she left his side and returned with a full length mirror. The maid patiently waited for him to crawl off the bed, letting the bed sheets fall to the floor as he stepped in front of the reflector. He studied himself, long and hard, as he took in the image of his body.
His chin length hair clung onto his boney cheeks, his body quivering helplessly as he came across the mulberry iris to his right. His nimble fingers traced over his sockets as he stared intently at the intricate symbol over his reddened pupil. He saw the maid glance over at him, a look of envy in her saddened expression. Whether it was because he escaped death's clutch or that he had no recollection of his life, he will never find out.
Sympathy
The word ceased to elude him, becoming truer as time went on. The woman showed him to the kitchen, informing him of how crazy the mansion's daily routine was. He can hardly understand why a chef would cook a piece of meat on the counter with a flamethrower, bringing a smile onto both of their faces as they laughed over other events. What snapped them from their reverie was the commanding tone of a butler, glaring at the two's closeness. The coral whirlpools slit in the middle with diamond shaped lens sent a shiver down Ciel's body, a profound crashing sound reaching their ears as the glass of milk offered to him shattered to bits on the hard tile. The man had the eyes of the devil himself, no soul present in his obvious living body. The man's eyes widened in response, reverting to their usual size as he announced his leave, ordering the maid to not wait up, insisting she stay on her toes. The boy hated the aura coming off the raven haired stranger, wondering why a feel of resentment was given.
"Undertaker, are you here?" The butler slid the entrance closed, taking in the mountains of spider webs trailed around the entire inside of the building. A shadow emerged from the side of a small coffin, a grinning madman cuddling beside it with a dog bone hanging from his mouth.
"I knew you'd come, this was made just for him, courtesy of myself." The smirk on his face grew ten times as he faced the agitated demon, laughing at the seriousness he possessed. "That's good, yes very, entertaining. You, a demon, going to such measures to save a mere boy. Is he that good? Haha...hahahahaha..AHAHAHAHAHAAHAA!" The funeral director played with the doll to the far right, focused immensely on its dissected areas. "I am aware of what brought you here, take this." The Undertaker grabbed ahold of the miniature bottle within the mannequin, throwing it towards Sebastian and waltzing around the room. "You can use that to find him, good day demon."