The gateman of the Mansfield mansion had dozed off to sleep thinking of the impossibility of arriving of any more guests was awakened by a sharp horse neigh. He hurriedly got up and ran towards the gate and found a carriage waiting outside. He opened the gates and was quite surprised to find a guest at that point of time, though he knew that in big parties like these the party lasts for about midday of the next morning so receiving guests at this point of time was not surprising to the host. The surrounding was covered by thick fog and through that curtain of fog only outline of two ladies could be seen who were coming out of the carriage. Among them one was quite tall while other was only an adolescent. He crept towards them in order to get a closer look. The tall lady was a blonde wearing a black and red mask and a red and black gown while the girl was wearing a knee length black dress with a large black feathered mask decorated with jewels at the edges. To his surprise neither of them was heavily dressed as other ladies. They neither had large feathered hats nor carried oversized purses. While thinking of these unusual visitors he accidentally tripped over something furry and black which spitted on his foot and vanished. He was first frightened but he realized it was some stray animal who somehow managed to get inside the complex. He peered again but he found no one, it seemed like they have vanished magically into the mist.

Sebastian knew his job very well. He was always quite proud of himself for that. He knew that being a Phantomhive butler and above all for the sake of his contract it is his sacred duty to accomplish any task his master gives how much tough it maybe. But in comparison to other tasks this task is easier than one can imagine. He smirked and gracefully walked towards the dance floor.

Being excessively handsome he didn't has to spend slightest of his energy in order to woo a lady, with only a warm greeting he achieves his goal successfully. Above all he has been there as young masters tutor not butler so he has the full opportunity to dance with anyone he likes. So he grabbed his partner and joined in the circle of dance.

The music was playing and the dancers with their respective partners were dancing in circles. Sebastian being an excellent dancer shifted his partners until he reached between Ciel and Elizabeth. He was now dancing with girl of his owns masters age. She had a cold touch and was likely interested in something else outside rather than dancing but it was none of his business, he passed her to his own master.

Ciel when first saw the girl he felt an uneasy coldness in her. Her hands were as cold as ice but he was most surprised when she ran away in the middle of the dance without apologizing. He stared blankly at her for some time but regained his senses on hearing some screams and suddenly everything in front of him was plunged into utter darkness.

Everything was dipped in pitch darkness. He dashed through the room trying to find Elizabeth who he knew was terribly afraid of darkness. He was not worried for himself, he was never afraid of darkness. He had spent most of his life running through the dark but had never yearned for help from anyone. He is the only person in this game and wants to remain the only one. Darkness has become his life and his withered left eye is the biggest proof to it. He doesn't regret staying in darkness but prefers to stay away from the, light. He somehow managed to find Elizabeth who was almost in tears. But before he could understand the situation he heard two gunshots one after another and ran down stairs trying his best not to trip.

He reached the terrace and saw the most unusual sight. He saw that the girl with whom he had danced a while ago was now pointing a revolver to a man in a black overcoat who was screaming madly and rolling on the ground holding his right knee and before he could do something the revolver fired another time and the man lay dead on the floor with blood spilling out from his left abdomen.

Ciel was going to shout but before he moved a step he was pulled back strongly by the icy cold hand of Sebastian. "It would be very unwise to expose ourselves young master. Let us wait and watch." he murmured to his ears.

The girl handed over the gun to the blonde lady standing behind and walked towards the dead body and knelt beside it and pulled out his mask. But her next action was marrow freezing. She pulled out a knife from underneath her cloak and with a quick twist slashed opens the body exposing naked flesh and raw blood. She dipped her hand deep into the wound and draws it back clenching something looking like a bloody lump tightly in her hands. The girl smirked at it and they vanished abruptly in the wisps of mist. Ciel ordered "Sebastian! Get them" and Sebastian was gone. Ciel walked towards the lying corpse in order to remove the mask of the victim. He had seen many a bloody corpse while doing his job; he was not affected by it largely. But as it is written in proverbs "curiosity kills the cat" on bending down to the corpse he could smell something funny in it, but when he realized the source of the odor it was already too late. He felt awkwardly dizzy his head was spinning; he could hear some muffled footsteps. He staggered a few steps and everything went black in front of him.

The first golden ray of the dawning sun peeped through the leaves of the fern trees of the Phantomhive mansion. Sebastian had just returned from the forest, he kept on thinking about the last night incident, they were not ordinary people he was sure of that. Whoever they were he will come to know about them very soon he expects.

The morning started with a pleasant ray of sunlight which entered through the pale colored netted curtains of Ciel's bedroom. When Ciel opened his eyes slowly and the first thing he saw was the face of Sebastian. Ciel recollected the previous night's incident and asked Sebastian, "What had happened to me? And how did I reach here?" Sebastian pulled the curtains of the casements of the master bedroom apart filling the dark room with bright sun light and replied, "You fainted near the corpse for there was some sort of chloroform leak from a dropped bottle assumingly from the murderer, on the other hand I won't deny that the scene was indeed unbearable and was enough to give one nightmares for a week." Ciel was somewhat irritated on hearing the last part, "Shut up! you know well that the scene was nothing whatsoever horrifying than the few similar other cases dealt by me, so it would be shameful for me to get frightened and faint near the corpse like a teenage girl….by the way … there is something I am forgetting right?". Sebastian poured down his masters Earl Grey tea in a bone china cup and handed it to his master. He added "But this incident did put on an adverse effect on me indeed. And I am quite surprised for the first time in my long life that indeed there is other soul on the earth and that of a 'teenage girl' whose soul is far impure than my young lord." he ended and licked his lips baring his fangs. Ciel was nevertheless more irritated and in order to change the subject he asked him about the whereabouts of Elizabeth. Sebastian gave a direct confident reply that Lady Elizabeth was sent back into her manor by that night. As they finished their conversation Ciel was dressed up, he chose scones for his breakfast and was lead towards the dining hall. "Oh! By the way there is something I got when I chased them. I gravely apologize for my inability to catch them but I got it as a souvenir, the next time when I will meet them I will make sure to return it to them." He said with a wide smile and with this he brought out the beautiful sapphire set black feather mask of that mysterious girl. Ciel only smirked.

Sebastian served the breakfast, which was a plate of medium-sized premium chocolate hot cake half dipped in London's most delicious butter and having chocolate sprinkles stuffed in the hot cake and fruit salad with fresh cream ordered from the nearby farm and of course scones {as always}. Sebastian handed the dailies to his master in a silver tray. Ciel glanced at the headlines and was not quite surprised to see the picture. The headline states "MURDER AT THE MANSFIELD HALL" and below it there was the picture of that corpse. He read on-

October 19th; Mansfield hall, London:The most wanted and one of the infamous criminal of London is Jem the killer who had killed 24 people and theft 36 homes was most treacherously murdered in the Mansfield mansion last night at 1am. According to the postmortem report the murder was done with a revolver and later his right abdomen was ripped off. But the question that arises is "why would one do such a thing? Was something hidden in it?" The answer is still not known. The Scotland Yard has taken up the charge of this case. According to the Chief Inspector of Scotland Yard…..

Ciel closed the newspaper and put it on the table. He tried to recollect the incident of previous night; the girl drew out his hand from the wound clenching something tightly in her hand. It looked like a bloody lump, but what actually was it?

"Speaking of this, there is something I forgot to tell you master and I apologize for that". Sebastian's deep voice rouses him from his thoughts. "There been a construction area in our neighbor." Ciel nodded. "Well, they have finished their work unnoticed quite long ago and the owner of the mansion has checked in too I suppose." Sebastian replied. Ciel looked at Sebastian with his deep blue uncovered eye lifted a brow and exclaimed, "What? Somebody constructed as well as checked in a mansion here in the outskirts?" Sebastian nodded and said that it's not possible for a person who has lived his life in the city and wants to shift here in the outskirts also in that kind of plot near the haunted graveyard. Ciel finished the hot cake and ordered "Sebastian, check them up, I do not want pests living next door." Sebastian replied in his dark voice, "Yes, my Lord." He instantly vanished in thin air. Ciel still frowned for a while immersed in his own thoughts.

Sebastian reached the place wasting another minute, he really don't like wasting time. He entered into the complex unacknowledged by anyone. It was a magnificent mansion, with extending grasslands. The wind was blowing softly, and the grasses rippled under his feet as he advanced to the main entrance. A shaft of wind made the roses of the backyard garden of roses to move their soft petals and green leaves. The dew drops made the grass floor shine in the sun. The mansion was bathed in the warm autumn sunlight. The name plate states "The Phoenix Mansion". The fountain let out sprinkles of water shinning like specks of diamond in the sunlight. The fountain was a large beautiful Phoenix set upon four unicorns with blazing hair and front legs feeling the warm thin air. "My! My! A gorgeous masterpiece indeed." he exclaimed in admiration.

While Sebastian was busy admiring the fountain he heard the muffled hooves of horses and rolling of carriage wheel. He became aware and hid himself behind a bushy tree of the garden. Through the smooth pebbly path came a carriage and from it to his great surprise got down Earl of Trancy with his butler Claude Faustus. They made their way to the mansion, reached the door and rang the doorbell. A maid opened the door and welcomed them inside. It was highly suspicious for Alois to be here, thought Sebastian and became more curious about the owner of that mansion.

As Alois went in the mansion he looked at the mansion with his impressive eyes. A girl assumingly 15 aged entered into the drawing room accompanied by a tall young blonde lady. Sebastian cannot make their faces out as they both were facing their back to him. The girl took her place and asked Alois to take his seat to which Alois refused [Sebastian was unable to hear their speech he could only assume from their body language]. Alois was walking around the room casually when suddenly he took out the grey shiny antique piece of gun, pointed it towards her and said something. The reaction was immediate, the girl grabbed the neck of the gun and pulled Alois by his collar and said something to which Alois smirked and nod and the girl let him go and excused herself to Alois. After a lot of try Sebastian could not discover the face of that young lady. The Trancy got up bowed down and left the room. Sebastian returned to the Phantomhive mansion without wasting time.

"So, do you find something interesting?" Ciel asked. "Yes, my lord quite interesting" Ciel removed the eye patch and thus the Faustian contract glowed purple in the mist of steam on his right eye. Ciel's left eye was as blue as the extending sky but it was still without a glint of spark or strip of happiness. Sebastian rubbed his back and narrated the whole story to him. Ciel on hearing the whole narration was a little confused but his anxiety arose and a good number of questions flowed through his mind. At last unable to control his curiosity he ordered, "Prepare my coat Sebastian; we're going to give a visit to our neighbor."Sebastian smiled wickedly.

The riot of colors spread across the sky was slowly darkened and was now a hue of deep blue with stars spread all over like spots of white. The rusted rays of setting sun had faded to a great extent and darkness had fallen over the countryside of London.

Ciel made a knock on the door of the mansion. A maid opened the door and Ciel asked, "Is the mistress available now?" She looked at Ciel and Sebastian and smiled. The maid declared, "No, I am sorry My Lord but she's really busy now. You can come later I will make sure to inform my lady." Ciel excused himself and stepped back with Sebastian. The maid closed the door. Sebastian suggested that they can have a peek if Ciel wish. Sebastian lifted Ciel up in his arms and jumped over the roof top on the balcony and landed beside thick foliage of leaves. There were pebbles scattered on the ground. "Pebbles? At the Centre of the mansion!" thought Ciel. He suddenly got a very refreshing scent and saw steam coming out from the direction of the center. He started to creep to get a closer look of the source and then he felt the touch of soft bushes. There was a huge hot spring pool at the center and it was surrounded by long palm trees, thick foliage of fern, thin bamboo trees, lianas and blue orchids. Large swirls of steam were rising from the hot waters. The sides were bordered with sandstones and Italian marble and then by lush green grass. There sat the mistress of the mansion with her arms stretched out and back faced to Ciel so he couldn't see her face. Her hair was tied up into a messy pony. The blonde lady sitting there was messaging her neck. "So! What's your opinion Katherine, about this matter" the girl asked. "Whatever you please, my lady." Katherine replied, "I'll be always there at your side, my mistress." If that's so I'll be pleased to accept his challenge." The cold voice replied. The maid who opened the door arrived and delivered a letter to them. Ciel could clearly see that to his surprise the envelope has photos of four people and they were none other than himself Alois Trancy, Sebastian and Claude! It had a letter attached to it; Katherine opened the letter and was going to read it when she heard a faint sound the rolling of a pebble. Someone is there inside the mansion!

A pebble rolled under Ciel's feet and in an instant a knife just zoomed cross past his ear and stuck in the nearby bamboo stem.

Within a wink of time he was in Sebastian's arm and was safely out of the mansion. "That was really a close call. You must put your foot carefully my lord and it will not harm you if you try to maintain a distance from trouble as peril is always your best comrade." Sebastian chuckled and went on, "So shall we call it a day young master."