Chapter I:
The Spider in the Dark

Dawn. It was almost twilight, and Sebastian Michaelis could not have been sorrier for it. It truly was, as the mortals had come to say 'always darkest before the dawn'—and there was no other time that the demon butler liked better. He longed for the darkness, and the inevitable solace it brought. As he strolled down the abandoned halls of the Phantomhive Manor: the heels of his finely-polished shoes clicking against the marble floor, his sharp and watchful eyes carefully examined each room for the third time, scanning for any hidden threat that might trouble his young master. Normally, he did not take such extreme precautions, but, over the course of the past few nights, Sebastian could not shake the feeling that he was not alone in the darkness.

Left… or right? The aura seemed to constantly shift direction, overcome, each time, by the fleeting aroma of pomegranates and vanilla. Strange, but, in the service of Ciel Phantomhive, he had seen stranger. Nevertheless, the fact that he seemed to lose focus on the aura at the most key moments irritated him immensely. Something was thwarting his sense of direction—purposely taunting him—and this puzzled him greatly. A demon had flawless tracking skills. So, what was this madness?

Sebastian's gaze darted back and forth: his complacent mask not once breaking as he made another turn down the hall, towards the library. Having regained focus once again, he noted that the aura seemed to be getting stronger with every step he took—only, this time, it did not escape his notice that, when he shone the dim light of the silver candelabra he held, that the shadows had ceased to dance, or to be visible at all. And, there was only one explanation for that.

A demon. Sebastian's eyebrow twitched menacingly: the only emotion he allowed to leak to the surface. The Phantomhive Manor was an impressive fortress, guarded only by the ablest of souls… and the hungry demon who masterfully orchestrated their every move, as a puppet master would his prized puppets, could not help but feel enraged that his legendary senses had been undermined. How could a divine being have gotten past the Phantomhive Manor's superlative defenses—not to mention navigating with such impeccable skill through its vast labyrinth of pathways? It would be impossible for even an immortal to achieve such tasks, unless said immortal had been to the Manor before….

No. It couldn't be. But yet—no, it had to be him. Only he could have evaded Sebastian with such skill: a feat not easily accomplished.

"I shall have you know that if you so much as touch my young master, not even the Devil himself will be able to save you from my clawed grasp," Sebastian whispered into the night air: "Claude Faustus."

A contented laugh emerged from behind Sebastian, only further enraging the demon butler. "I'm impressed, I must say, Sebastian Michaelis. What gave me away?"

"Even a spider cannot lurk in the shadows forever," Sebastian with a small growl.

"Such hostility—you really ought to be ashamed of yourself, Michaelis. What kind of a butler treats his house-guest in such a fashion?" Claude asked, placing an icy hand on the Phantomhive butler's shoulder. Leaning in close, he whispered in his ear: "Come to think of it—you really should be thanking me. Had my intent been to steal away your young Lord's soul, I would most assuredly have done so. If I succeeded in evading your notice this far, then what would have stopped me from making a grand feast out of your master?"

Sebastian paused for a moment, thinking pensively. Faustus had a point. Why had he not been able to accurately sense his presence sooner? It was certainly true that demons had the ability to mask their auras from others when they wished to do so, but, even then, being the superior demon butler that he was, Sebastian had to acknowledge the fact that he should have been able to locate Claude sooner than he had. Was he slipping? No. No, it couldn't be. He was one hell of a butler. Then, perhaps, were his demonic senses, somehow, subconsciously distracted? Was it possible that it had not been Claude, but, that heavenly aroma, that had caused him to lose track of all else: dulling his abilities?

"—Has that boy's soul so completely beguiled you?" Claude continued into Sebastian's ear, sounding a tad disappointed. "I daresay, I had expected more of you. You were once a legend amongst our kind, but now, integrity… and loyalty to that aristocratic brat has tamed you. Did it ever occur to you that, for once, I might not be here to snatch away your precious dinner?"

Sebastian grunted as he wrestled out of Claude Faustus's grasp. "We have been vying for the same souls for thousands of years, old foe, yet, somehow, you still manage to speak in riddles."

Claude furrowed his brows: clearly confused. "Truly? You have not sensed it?! The heavenly perfume that lingers all about us yet strangely eludes us…so close, yet so far? It is enough to drive one mad!"

It was then that it hit him like a thunderbolt: moving to the forefront and taking him over completely, jolting his senses into a state of shock and pure ecstasy—drowning him in the sweet aroma of pomegranates and vanilla. So that was what had hindered him from locating Claude earlier. The presence of that pervading scent—a scent unlike any Sebastian had smelled in a long, long time. The scent of a pure and sinless soul.

A contented smile spread across Claude's face. "Ah… so, you have finally realized it. A pure and sinless soul—a deadly elixir all demons crave to taste, but only get the chance to consume—once every two hundred years. As there has only ever been one human born without sin in her heart…."

"Eve, the mother of all mankind," Sebastian responded in a hushed tone. "The time of her re-incarnation has arrived once again. But… why are you telling me this?"

Claude pursed his lips. "Why, as you so aptly put it earlier, Sebastian—we have been rivals since the day we fell from heaven with our Master. I would like to offer up a challenge. Should you succeed in locating and marking the naïve, innocent re-incarnation of Eve, and form a binding contract with her before I do, I can personally guarantee that my master, Alois Trancy, will cease in his pursuit of Lord Phantomhive. And, if you lose—as a reward for my excellent prowess, you will surrender Ciel to me. Are the terms agreeable?"

"I would never sacrifice the safety of Lord Phantomhive—I vowed to serve him, always, and I intend to do so, regardless of what you may put before me."

"But you cannot deny that you are not tempted," Claude smirked. "A demon cannot change his sensibilities—much less a starving one such as yourself. I can see the hunger and thirst in your eyes. And, besides, I am out of practice. Even I tire of endlessly changing day into night, sugar into salt, living into dead, and dark blue into gold." He paused, as if waiting for a response, but… none came. Sebastian looked away, trying to mask any expression. Seeing this, Claude continued: "Well, then, at least let me make you an offer." He whipped out a polished white envelope from the breast pocket of his uniform, and placed it inside Sebastian's. "Have your young master read this at his breakfast tomorrow morning. No doubt, he will be intrigued by the fact that my young master wishes to socially engage him once again."

"Indeed, he most likely would," Sebastian scoffed under his breath, letting out a small chuckle.

"I am quite certain he would also accept such a lucrative request, as he still suspects that my master's family was involved in the death of his own," Claude prodded. "Would you not agree?"

"On this matter, I cannot argue with you," Sebastian acknowledged, then, he began hesitatingly: "Very well. I shall give this invitation to Lord Phantomhive with his morning news… provided you vow on your eternal life that your pursuit of my young master will cease until this issue is resolved."

Claude cleared his throat in agreement, albeit a bit hesitantly. "But of course," he replied. "I am a demon of my word… that is the way of a Trancy butler."

AN./ I sincerely hope you all enjoyed the opening to this story I have crafted! I am relatively new to this fandom, so please, any sage advice is much appreciated! ALSO... I wish to make it known that, as a Christian Black Butler fan, I have decided that, for the sake of story-telling, even though it makes me slightly uncomfortable, I will be referring to Biblical heroes and heroines throughout, and weave them into integral parts of this story (also, keep in mind, in my rendition of this story, Sebastian and Claude may not be all they initially appear to be). Thank you all for reading, and, please, REVIEW!