A Warm Smile
Background Information:
Being someone who claims to have supernatural powers is bound to spell disaster, for not only will you be humiliated in public, but your life will also be on the line. Those who possess such great power are known to be descendants of Satan and deserve to be exterminated immediately.
Ceil's soul on the other hand is randomly floating around in the streets and alley ways of London, while his physical body is possessed by a demon that acts like Ceil.
Sebastian, determined to seek out Ceil's soul, takes form of a tutor and searches for his master.
Summary:
As Sebastian searches for his young master's soul he disguises himself as a wealthy professor and comes across a small shop in an alleyway unnoticed by many of the London citizens. He soon meets a young girl who claims that she can grant anybody's wishes as long as she gets something that is quite precious from her client. She agrees to give Sebastian the soul of Ceil, but will the price make Sebastian regret his choice?
Chapter 1
IT WAS RAINING.
I didn't expect it to rain, for it was supposed to be a clear day today. So I strolled around the streets drenched. I was aware that everyone was staring at me, the well-known tutor who taught for the wealthy, because I was in an area where not many people come out alive when they are alone. However it wasn't the horrific reputation of the small town that made this tense situation it was the strange feeling from the warped eyes of Grimm Reaper Grell Sutcliff, which were drilled into the back of my head, or more specifically every part of my figure. I will still and always will shudder every time those eyes were present.
I know I'm being followed. I'm being followed by some of the local hooligans in this part of London. As a demon I would teach those boys a lesson. As the butler of the Phantomhives I would teach them a lesson and sully the reputation of the Phantomhive Family. But I was a tutor, so they weren't welcome in the rough parts of this town.
"Hey teacher!" the ring master of the boys hollered. "Are you that stupid enough to walk in the rain!"
"He's the biggest fool around here to even dare to step into our territory," his fellow comrade in crime snickered as the others nodded in agreement pounding their fists against their palms. They were apparently looking for a fight.
I turned at every random corner I could find to hopefully lose them. I felt foolish for running off. I could simply get rid of them in one blow. Nonetheless, there was a warning for all beings in the underworld that there was something trying to get rid of us. Most of us are most certain that it comes to attack when we create contracts with humans. Alas, all demons were forbidden to oppose violence upon mortals.
At one point I stopped and found myself in a place that I never been before.
It was a dead-end. It seemed like an alley, but it was too wide and welcoming. The ivy vines clung to the edges of the cobblestone roads and worked its way up the sides of the walls slightly covering murals of cranes flying into the sunset.
There were a couple of small, white marble fountains on the wall. Each one had, what seemed like, a dancing crane in the center with pink, glowing lotus flowers floating in the water.
But despite the exquisite details that surrounded me, I was more attracted to an old store at the end of the alley.
It looked small. The ivy that grew on it wasn't a dark green; instead it was a powdery white. The warm golden lights that hung beside the rotten wooden door came from the inside of the multiple collections of bell-shaped, yellow flowers that were the size of the palm of my hand. And the music. The person who sang was a female, but the voice was at a very abnormal high pitch. It made this person sound innocent?
Could this be a trap? I wondered taking a few steps attempting to go inside the shop. That's strange, there are no windows.
The rotten wooden door made a low, loud moan as I opened it, but the person kept singing.
At first my footsteps were at a slow pace, but it then became faster and faster until I finally realized that I wasn't controlling my own feet anymore.
I was moving on my own. I was moving toward the sound of the person's voice. And then I realized this person was chanting a spell. It was in a strange language, but I was positive it was a spell.
I eventually stopped, and I found myself in a large spacious dome-shaped room (despite the fact at how small and cramped it was outside). The ceilings were made out of stained glass of various vibrant color patterns allowing the only light source be the moon and the chandeliers that hung on the side of the walls that contained the same murals as the ones I saw outside.
"Hello," the high-pitched, innocent voice said.
I looked down to see a small young girl sitting on the cold floor holding a magnificent, tall, dainty, white crane in her arms.
"Why did you send me here?" I asked skeptically helping her to stand.
"Aren't you a curious one," she chuckled letting the bird free, and the crane magically melted back into one of the murals. She took my hand and stood.
She was still short, and her short hair, which was tied back with a dark blue ribbon, was as white as snow just like her skin. Her eyes were a distant icy, blue color as if she was alone for some time and faced many hardships.
She wore a simple dress with a dark blue, ruffled halter top and multiple pale blue skirt layers. A pastel blue ribbon that held a dark blue rose pin was tied across her waist.
"Are you an angel?" I asked. That was the first thing that came to my mind, for I had crossed paths with many of those horrifying winged beasts.
She shook her head trying to hold back a laugh. "My name is Felicite, and I'm not an angel. I'm just a mere wish grantor."
Personally as a human, I wouldn't call the power of a wish grantor insignificant, but as a demon, a wish grantor was considered the lower class of power in this world. They were like humans, but they had a small amount of power that made them unique and special.
Foolish mortals would think that one with this amount of power was quite dangerous and thought to control the world. Nevertheless, for a demon a wish grantor is just as vulnerable as a human.
"Miss Felicite," I said in the utmost mock respect, "if I am too much of a burden to you, you are more than welcome to show me the way out. It just seemed like a mere coincident that I had to meet you."
The white-haired girl turned toward me and showed two passageways. Both had dark corridors with no signs of warmth. "Meeting me was inevitable mister…"
"My name is Sebastian Michaels," I said, "and what do you mean by inevitable?"
"You came to me for a reason Mister Sebastian." Felicite said taking the passageway to her right, which led to a flight of descending stairs.
"I don't believe I ever reserved for a meeting with you," I remarked following her into the depths of darkness.
"Is that so?" she asked in a disappointed tone. "Then, I will ask this only once, what is it that you, a demon, truly desire?"
I made my eyes glow crimson red hoping to intimidate her. "What's the cost of it my dear?"
"Oh, it's quite simple really." Felicite turned to me as we reached the end of the stairs to a room with an office desk and two more doors behind it. "All I need is something that is precious to you."
"Something precious? But we demons care for nothing but…"
"Human souls, I know. So tell me, what human soul is so precious to you?"
I stared at her silently. She was a small, powerless child, but I knew something was lurking behind those icy blue eyes. "May I make a wish first?" I asked taking a seat in front of the desk.
Felicite shrugged. "You may."
I leaned close to her making sure I was looking at square in the eye. "I wish for you to give me Ceil Phantomhive's lost soul."
She stood and turned towards the two doors behind her. "I wonder who was going to claim that one. If you shall please follow me, your wish shall be granted."
We took many turns and entered multiple passageways. Most of the corridors we entered were dark, so I had to hold the girl's hand to make sure I wouldn't get lost.
Felicite finally stopped and drew back a heavy, velvet curtain to reveal the strangest things that one could ever collect.
At first there were just stacks of books that were multiple genres, which looked quite worn out and in terrible condition. Then there were some scrolls, that looked as if they were about to crumble, on top of glass cages that contained insects that ranged from ants to gigantic, glowing butterflies. There were also many multiple things, which would be too long to list, stuffed or placed in the built-in shelves on the tall walls and hung from the triangle-shaped ceiling.
"It's a hobby of mine," Felicite said examining the things I was looking at. "The majority of these knick knacks are found in the alley way outside of my shop. Otherwise, I go out into town and stumble upon the useful tchotchkes that humans discard."
She went to the end of the room and picked up a small, blue-eyed, black kitten.
"I'm pretty sure this is the thing you wished for," Felicite said handing me the black ball of fur.
I just stared at the cat in her hands. This kitten was my master? His essence was strong in the room, and it was coming from the animal that I was quite fond of. I was quite disbelieved and thought that this was a hoax until the cat spoke.
"Sebastian, this is an order," the cat exclaimed squirming in Felicite's hands, "return me to my real form now!"
"He's quite the feisty one, if you ask me," the wish granter sighed struggling with Ceil. "I found his soul wandering in the streets of London and the essence was slowly dying. So the only thing closest to him to place his spirit into was a small black alley cat."
"I thank you for helping my master," I bowed taking the kitten into my hands. I quickly regretted on what I said.
"He is your master?" Felicite purred smiling tapping her chin. "I think I know what your payment is."
I froze in my tracks and glared at her.
"If you want money, the Phantomhives are happily willing to give you as much as you need," Ceil scoffed squirming in my arms.
"Oh, I don't want money Mister Phantomhive." She circled she like a shark examining its' prey. "All I need is something precious, and you seem to be precious to Mister Sebastian."
"If Ceil is what you want, you can have him as long as you need under one condition." I said trying my best to negotiate.
Felicite summoned two lions to block the only exit. "I'm sorry, but I don't need that child."
I stood in front of Ceil defiantly. "What do you want then?"
Her smile grew wider. "You will no longer work under the Phantomhives and have no contact with them what so ever."
Even though this sounded really bad, things were about to get worse.
Ceil's cat form soon transformed into his regular human body and everything around me started to dissipate, until there was just Felicite in front of me in a white world.
"You will forever serve under my dear sister, Marvelle."