Chapter 3 - Torment

Claude went out to the park at around midnight, making sure no one saw him, making sure there was no one around him. He preferred being alone, for he didn't like the thought of going through reasons as to why he was in the park, alone, so late in the night. His eyes slightly glowed when the moonlight shone on them; becoming a dazzling gold. He looked up and just stood on the brick road for a few moments, savoring the scream of silence, before scratching his neck and walking off to the woods.

Claude entered the fresh and cool air, giant trees surrounding him, the darkness veiling him from the world. He found this small patch of the forest quite satisfying, so he found a grassy spot by a tree a sat down, looking at the sky. He heaved a small sigh and took out the book and fountain pen he had brought with him, and began to write, yet again.

He suddenly froze when he heard a rustle behind a bush near him. "Michaelis."

"Good evening, Faustus. Well, what are you doing here, may I ask?" He purred.

"I was doing nothing but having a midnight stroll. I believe you were looking for me?"

"Yes, I was."

"Well? You are here to kill me, aren't you?"

Sebastian looked away. "Not quite."

Claude turned his gaze towards Sebastian's hands and pockets, making sure he was holding no weapon of any sort. When he was certain, he looked back up and questioned: "Then why are you here?"

Silence.

"To torture you."

"Pardon me?"

"I will torture you, Faustus, for the situation you have put me in."

"Ah, you mean, the situation Alois Trancy and Hanna Anafeloz had put you in? And since they are both already gone, you feel the need to take out your revenge on me."

"You do not know what I have been through. Yes, I despise Anafeloz, but I hate you more than any demon out there…since you are the one who started everything." Sebastian growled.

"…Oh?" Claude raised an eyebrow.

Sebastian's eye twitched and he leapt forward, pinioning the other demon to the grass below them. He dug his nails into Claude's neck, dragged them along the soft flesh, leaving long red lines. "Do not try to mock me, for you are in no position to." He breathed.

Claude was still weak, so his energy was limited. He slowly edged as far away from the opposing demon as possible, to lessen the possibility of him finding out about the wound on his torso.

But Sebastian realized, and gripping Claude's shirt, he shredded it off the one below him, smirking. "Is this your secret?"

"Oh, drat..." Claude muttered to himself so Sebastian wouldn't hear. He turned his head a bit to the right, gritting his teeth and prepared his mind for the 'torture' he was going to receive.

Sebastian trailed his hand over to the end of the bandage, and slowly unwrapped it, letting them fall to the side, revealing the dark reddish skin, which indicated the deep gash he had made a century ago.

"Quit messing around, Michaelis." Claude panted, the pain slowly bubbling to the surface.

Sebastian slightly frowned and scraped along the reddish skin, getting rid of the scab and thread, causing blackish blood to gush out. A sneer crept along the corner of his lips.

Claude let out a cry of agony, "You…you coward! How dare you attack the wounded?" He gave Sebastian a look of disgust. Claude reached out and gripped Sebastian's hair, pushing him away with the strength left inside him, which was, unfortunately, not much. His hand fell limp to his side as a drop of blood trickled down his lip, onto his marble-white skin.

The crimson-eyed demon ignored him and dug his own fingers deeper into the gash, bit-by-bit, blood spurting onto his face and causing Claude to tremble with every movement, the pain tormenting his mental self.

"S-Stop…Michaelis…" He rasped. Claude lifted one hand and gripped onto the other's tie, tugging it sideways with unexpected strength, sending Sebastian crashing head first into the tree beside him in surprise, knocking him unconscious…

Moments later, Sebastian slowly leaned back to glare at the wounded demon who had already staggered deeper into the forest, before checking his pocket watch and scowling, wiped some blood off the side of his cheek and lips, and rushing back to the hotel.