Chapter 01

Ciel stand near a huge portrait of his family that hangs on his private library. His parents, sister and he were smiling happily on the portrait. It was beautiful moment forever captured and frozen inside the portrait. Somehow Ciel felt coldness every time he saw that particular portrait. He knew those days would never return.

Sebastian approached the Earl and said, "Young Master, Lord Camelot has arrived."

"A-ah." Ciel nodded without looking at the butler. His eyes still caught on the portrait, particularly of his sister.

"I'm sure someday Young Mistress will awake from her sleep, Young Master." Sebastian said when he noticed the Earl was staring at his sister's figure in the portrait.

Ciel didn't respond to the rare comfort Sebastian offered because he knew that demon's show of affection is fake act of loyal butler that sees his master's distress and offered comfort. Ciel wished the demon is right though, that someday his sister will wake up from her deep sleep. But Ciel has long known that every hope inside his heart will only be shattered by God. God who had abandoned him during his hellish month and him, in return, had abandoned God and formed a contract with a demon.

Ciel turned around and suddenly said, "She will never wake up."

"Young Master?" Sebastian raised an eyebrow at what he said.

"God would never let her come back to me. He will take away everything I cherished just like when He abandoned my family three years ago." Ciel said coldly.

Sebastian didn't respond on the Earl's word of anger upon God.

Ciel sighed. "Lead the way, Sebastian."

"Yes, My Lord." Sebastian bowed politely before leading his young master toward the living room where their guest at.

Ciel masked himself with the iron mask of Phantomhive Head Family as he greeted his guest for the day.

Sebastian watched the young boy's act with amused smile.

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It was cold and dark.

A young girl dresses in white night gown standing on a cold marble floor of black and white. She opened her midnight blue eyes. It was so dark but slowly small light illuminated the area and she found herself, strangely, standing on top of what seem to be a chess board.

Serena scanned the surrounding around her and saw various big pillars shaped oddly like chess pieces of black and white. She touched one of the pillars and an image flashed on her mind. Images of people are screaming and splatter of blood everywhere. She gasped as she pulled her hand away from the pillar as if it burns. She slowly took a few steps backward and her back hit another pillar. Another image flashed on her mind again. Images of great fire surrounded a town and million screams that come along with it.

Serena gasped again. Every time she touches those pillars, it showed her horrifying images. Eventually all she heard is of people screaming in horror and pain. She closed her ears with both hands attempting to block those miserable screaming. Serena's eyes are wild with fear. "Stop it…" she whispered.

Before her eyes, the pillars started to melt away which cover the chess board. Serena closed her eyes. "No, please…" The scream had stopped and the young girl opened her eyes, only to see thousand of corpses all over the place. She screamed in horror and attempting to run away from that place.

A harsh and cold wind suddenly blows through her followed by thousand of black feathers. Serena opened her eyes and saw someone sitting on a black throne. It was a young man whose face she couldn't quite see. However she noticed the mismatch eyes color of the young man and of the cold smile that etched on his face. A dark figure hovered behind the young man; it has a pair of blood-red eyes that is twisted with cruelness.

"Who…?" Serena whispered. The young man's mouth moved to say something however she couldn't catch what he said.

A flash of lightening-like arrow and the scene before her shattered as the ground beneath her disappeared. She fell into nothingness and she screamed…

------

Serena opened her midnight blue eyes suddenly and gasped. Her eyes wild as she scanned the room before her. Her hands grasped the sheet of her bed until her knuckles turn white as if she is scared. Outside the window, lightening strikes twice as heavy rain fell on earth.

&&&&&&

Ciel is on his room when he received a panic phone call from hospital staff where his sister is hospitalized. He was shocked when they told him that his sister had gone missing. "Sebastian, let's go." He said hastily.

"Yes, My Lord." Sebastian said as he bowed politely before giving the Earl his hat and coat. The butler than led him to the carriage he had prepared and they went their way to the country hospital.

In the hospital, Ciel and Sebastian investigated the matter immediately. They scanned the room where Serena used to be. The window is opened. The staff didn't know whether Serena has escaped herself after awaken from come or someone else got into her room and remove her somewhere else.

Ciel was upset and demanded responsibility from the hospital staff. He even threatened to close down the hospital if anything happened to his sister, especially if she is indeed kidnapped.

Madam Red who had also heard the news came to the hospital to comfort Ciel and also got mad at the hospital staff for their carelessness.

Sebastian calmed them both and mentioned that their priority right now should be about finding Lady Serena. A search party is immediately organized in search of the missing young Lady.

Ciel look really worried. He pondered the possibility that his sister is kidnapped. If so, who and why? The young Earl wondered if it was one of his enemies trying to get on his nerve or getting revenge. If so, he could never forgive those very people for this sin. He would definitely find them…and crush them to pieces.

&&&&&&

The sun has set and covered the sky in orange-reddish color. A young girl is standing on the great Phantomhive Mansion's garden. Her eyes widened as the images of the burning mansion flashed before her eyes. She could still feel the hot feeling of the burning fire and smoke. She blinked and realized the Mansion is not on fire. It almost like it has never been burned in fire ever.

Inside the mansion, Old Tanaka look worried over the fact Lady Serena, his young mistress had gone missing. The other three, Brad, Finnian and Meilin, couldn't stop bugging him to ask what the ruckuss their young master had made earlier is all about. Tanaka couldn't tell them anything because he himself hasn't heard any news from their young master or Sebastian about Lady Serena.

Finnian, who just happened to look outside a window, is surprised to see a girl standing there alone with a lost look in her face. "Huh? Who is that girl?" he asked suddenly.

Bard and Meilin joined the boy to see what girl he is talking about.

Tanaka is surprised to see the girl. He immediately recognized the girl as Lady Serena, the missing young mistress. "Lady Serena…" he whispered.

The other three looked at Old Tanaka in shock.

Tanaka quickly got out the mansion to approach the said girl. "Lady Serena…" he yelled. He was out of breath.

"Tanaka-san!" Meilin yelled as she followed him from behind with the other two.

Serena watched the new comers and suddenly feeling so scared. She took a few steps backward.

Tanaka approached cautiously when he saw the fear and confused look on her face as if she didn't recognized him or something. He noticed she didn't wear any shoes. Her feet are dirty and a little marred with scar and dried blood. "Lady Serena, don't you recognize this old man? I'm Tanaka..."

Serena tiled her head as if she couldn't understand what he was saying.

"My Lady, let get's you inside. Master Ciel must have been worried sick about you…" Tanaka said.

"Ci…Ciel…" Serena whispered weakly.

"Oi, is she Young Master's older sister?" Bard asked as he approached Tanaka.

"But…but why is she here? And look like that?" Meilin asked.

"That's right. Where are Young Master and Sebastian?" Finnian asked.

Seeing the sudden movement from those people, Serena took another step backward. Her body is trembling either from cold or from fear. Suddenly she turned around and run away.

"My Lady!" Tanaka yelled in concern. The old man turned toward the other three and said, "Bard, you go with me after Lady Serena! Meilin, you stay behind on the mansion and prepare Lady Serena's needs for when she return to the mansion! Finnian, find someone to inform Young Master in the hospital or in Madam Red's resident about Lady Serena! Immediately!"

"Yes, sir!!" The three servants yelled loudly. They were kind of surprised by Old Tanaka's sudden leadership command but obey it nevertheless.

Unfortunately, both Tanaka and Bard lost track of their young Mistress inside the Phantomhive private woods. They managed to make it back to the mansion. They need some lightening to see through the woods.

Ciel and Sebastian had just returned and being informed about Serena. Ciel immediately knew where his sister had gone if she indeed went into the woods. He commanded Sebastian to accompany him to the woods while ordering the rest to wait in the mansion.

"Young Master, do you know where young Mistress has gone to?" Sebastian asked.

"If she is here, the place where she would have gone to is that place…" Ciel said with determination. "That secret place only Sister and I know…"

There is a small gate to a secret abandon garden there where the siblings used to play together secretly. Not even Elizabeth knows about the secret garden. Serena would have tea party for two for them. They would eat together and she would read him fairytale stories. Their parents would scold them if she knows they have been to the woods without proper guidance from the servants. Of course, their parents, or rather their father knew about the secret garden but he didn't say anything about it.

Ciel had never come there even for once ever since he had returned. He intended to forget about the garden. The Earl and his butler have finally arrived in the so-called secret place and they saw a young girl is standing by the gate. "Sister!!" he yelled.

Slowly Serena turned around and looked at Ciel and Sebastian but didn't respond.

"Sister, it is me, Ciel. Don't you recognize me?" Ciel asked almost pleadingly.

"Ci…Ciel…" Serena whispered weakly. "The mansion…is on fire…"

Ciel looked confused for a second. "Yes, the mansion was destroyed on fire three years ago…but I…re-built it. It is our new home…"

"Home…" Serena said and she shuddered in cold. Her feet are cold as well from the chilling air. She collapsed suddenly on the ground.

"Sister!" Ciel yelled and meet her half-way. He tried to catch her to lessen her fall.

Serena looked up toward the boy and smiled as tears started to come out from her eyelids. "Ciel… My Little Brother… I'm home…" she whispered.

"Sister…" Ciel forced a smile and forced himself not to shed a tear, not in front of his sister and certainly not in front the demon. "Welcome home…" he whispered back.

Serena smiled weakly and tried to get up but found her knees are weak.

"Sister!" Ciel yelled his concern. He noticed his sister didn't wear shoes or slippers. He couldn't believe that his sister had walked bare-footed from the hospital to the mansion all by herself. It is a real luck that nothing bad happened to her during the walk. "Your feet…"

Sebastian took off his coat and covered the young Lady's body with it.

Serena stared at Sebastian cautiously. She didn't know this man.

"It is alright, Sister." Ciel said. "He is our butler."

"Sebastian Michaelis, at your service." The demon butler said as he bowed on his knees to the young Mistress.

"We should return to the mansion." Ciel said. "We need a doctor to check on your condition, Sister." The boy offered a hand to help the sister stand up.

Serena tried to stand up but her head suddenly went spinning when she did. She almost collapsed again but the butler caught her this time.

Sebastian picked up the young Mistress bride-style.

Serena almost blushed but she was too tired to feel that way. She could only feel grateful for now.

Ciel himself looked like almost wanted to scold Sebastian and snatch his sister away from the demon's hold. He felt a little protective of his sister, especially from this particular demon. But he held his tongue. He knew his sister needed Sebastian's help to get to the mansion since she was in a weak state.

Together, they both returned to the mansion.

TBC