AU: Hello everyone! Thank you very much for all the feedback, I really appreciate it! Please, continue to review, your opinions are important to me.

And, of course, my Beta deserves flowers for working so hard on this chapter. Thank you!


He was there again, amongst the many types of trees, standing close to the pond filled with colorful lilies. He could see his reflection. Once again, he was wearing the same light blue outfit, with the apron and black and white striped stockings. And his physical appearance… His eyes, bright and shining, unharmed, unmarred. His skin; porcelain perfection, no signs of black stiches on his neck, nor bruises. He felt completely at peace here, nothing seemed to matter, as if all his problems had been taken away from him. In fact, he couldn't even recall what they were anymore.

He turned around when he suddenly heard a chuckle. A large black cat sat beside him, smiling at him with sharp canine teeth.

"Hello there," the creature spoke in a deep, male voice, his gaze never leaving Ciel.

Ciel looked at him with disbelief. "You... talk?" he asked ineloquently.

The cat waggled its tail angrily, clearly offended. "Well, what does it look like I'm doing?" he huffed with annoyance.

A light blush tinted Ciel's cheeks before he spoke again. "I was just surprised," he muttered, giving the animal an unpleasant glance. "Who are you?"

The cat hummed, grinning at him again. "I'm The Cat. And I have a message for you," he announced. "Two, in fact. Firstly-"

Ciel interrupted him. "Messages? What kind of messages? From whom?" he demanded the answers, confused and frustrated.

The Cat snarled his teeth, looking as if he was about to attack. "I was just about to tell you what kind of messages they are!" he snapped angrily. "Must you interrupt?!"

Ciel crossed his arms, turning his head away. "Fine, tell me then." His foot was now tapping the ground.

The Cat, proudly holding his chin up, recited, "'Memories define our lives and they renew us. Collect them, nurture them and experience forgotten, never was'," As he recited, his whiskers moving slightly. "'Forgetting pain is convenient. Remembering it, agonizing. But recovering the truth is worth the suffering."*

For a second, something in Ciel's eyes changed. There was a sudden recognition and understanding there, but most of all: unimaginable pain and guilt. As soon as they appeared, however, those emotions were gone, leaving only puzzlement and disorientation in Ciel's gaze.

"That's rrright…" purred The Cat, noticing his first reaction. It looked as if he was talking to himself only. "Your Other Self remembered, if only for a second…"

"Other… Self…?" slowly repeated Ciel. "Remembered what? What do you mean?" he asked again, his tone of the voice confused. "I don't understand." He appeared utterly lost, his eyes wide, looking at the animal.

The Cat stared at him with what seemed to be pity. He sighed, licking his paw and scratching his pointy ear. "If you follow the guidance from the first message, you will find out, one day," he replied. Before Ciel had a chance to respond to that, he spoke again. "This is another message. Listen carefully. On the bottom of the pond, there is an item, which you need to obtain."

Ciel kept looking at him, as if expecting some more information.

"Well, what are you gaping at? There is nothing else I have to say to you. Bye."

"Wait! I-"

The Cat grinned at him again, before disappearing.

Ciel sighed, the cat's words still on his mind. Not having anything else to do, he approached the pond and carefully stepped into the water. After taking a few steps, he discovered it wasn't deep. He was in the middle of it and the water wasn't even reaching his thighs. Determined to find the item The Cat told him about, he kneeled, his hands wandering under the surface. He hissed when something sharp suddenly cut his finger. It appeared that he had finally found something. His palm reached out for the item, taking it out from the water.

It was a large blade.


Everything blurred in a matter of seconds.

"Master?"

He heard a voice, but it wasn't very clear – he couldn't even make out what it was saying. He felt hands on him; touches trying to shake him back into consciousness.

"My Lord, can you hear me?"

Did that sound like concern? He wasn't sure. Something brushed against his cheek, trying to get his attention again. His palm instinctively reached out, wanting to hold on to the comforting touch.

"Master, what's wrong?"

Ciel suddenly realized that his eye was wide open and that he could see again. Sighing with relief, he noticed that he was still in the carriage, his head on the demon's lap. He was now staring at the pale face hovering over him, his butler's dark hair tickling his face. And his hand was wrapped around the demon's wrist tightly. He let go, slowly, almost as if unwillingly.

"I had… Such a strange dream," he murmured finally. "At first everything was so perfect, but then that cat said something that for a second-"

Sebastian interrupted him, his eyebrows furrowing slightly. "Master, you weren't asleep," he said carefully, as if not wanting to upset the boy.

Ciel looked at him, not understanding. "What do you mean by that? Of course I was, I was dreaming," he mumbled, semi-coherently.

Sebastian just shook his head, but didn't argue with him. Ciel felt Sebastian's gentle hand beginning to stroke his hair again, attempting to calm him down.

"It's okay, Master," the demon assured him, his voice even and soothing. "There is nothing to worry about. It was probably caused by the fever and shock; you went through something traumatic today," he told Ciel.

"No," protested Ciel, suddenly seeming panicked. He tried to get up, but the butler didn't let him, forcing him to stay in place. "Something's wrong. That cat said that I must recover the truth and my Other Self remembered what happened," he was muttering again, his voice tired and slurred, words barely understandable. "And for a second it was so-"

Sebastian covered his lips with his hand, effectively silencing the other. "Shh," he murmured quietly. "Please, calm down, my Lord. Everything is going to be okay. Don't worry," he repeated again. "You really need to rest now. You must be exhausted."

Ciel nodded his head slowly, listening to the demon's words, finding them and his touches oddly comforting. There was no point in thinking about that 'dream' anymore. It was probably just like he said, tiredness and illness made him imagine it all.

"That's it. Just relax."

The demon's hand shifted, now covering his eyes.

"Go to sleep, Master. Don't think about anything now. Sleep."

That whispering voice was hypnotizing him, clawing its way straight into his mind, and commanding his body to shut down. He welcomed it; it was giving him comfort.


As Ciel woke up, he didn't know whether hours or simply minutes had passed since they came back. After quickly washing him and changing his clothes, Sebastian put him to bed. Ciel sighed, feeling the cozy quilt covering him and the fur of the stuffed rabbit that he held to his chest. His mind seemed hazy, his vision blurred. He heard Sebastian in the background, moving around, his footsteps mixed with the wood cracking in the fireplace and his own, unhealthy, erratic heartbeat.

He shivered when he suddenly felt a cold, wet rag being placed on his forehead. Still, he didn't find it reason enough to open his eye. He was too exhausted.

"Sebastian," he murmured weakly.

"Yes, Master?" replied the demon immediately, his tone, as always, devoted and serious.

Ciel shifted a bit, getting more comfortable. "Don't leave," he muttered finally, his voice scratchy and tired. He was shivering badly, despite being covered under the warm blanket. All his limbs felt heavy and his muscles ached. "Sit," he commanded, as if speaking to a dog.

"As you wish, my Lord," answered simply Sebastian and sat on the bed, close to him.

Ciel seemed relieved when he felt the mattress shift slightly under the demon's weight. He seemed to fight an inner battle for a moment, as if thinking if he should speak or not. He decided to do so, after all.

"The Asylum…" he started slowly, his voice sounding very weak. "Was my second hell," he added, keeping his uncovered eye closed. "I escaped the members of the occult once." He didn't know why he was saying this but he felt like he had to. Maybe it was just the fever talking.

"I know, Master," said Sebastian suddenly, his voice void of emotions.

Ciel's eyelid partially lifted. He stared at the demon with confusion. "How?" he mumbled finally, licking his lips that all of the sudden seemed dry.

Sebastian helped him sit up and placed a glass of cold water to his mouth, forcing him to drink at least a little bit, trying to prevent dehydration. After completing this task and making Ciel lay down again, he answered.

"You were meant to summon me two years ago, Master," the demon said, placing the now empty glass on the nightstand.

"W-what? Why didn't I, then?" Ciel didn't understand, and the mere thought of it all made him feel even worse. Is it possible that he could've escaped all the suffering he went through for the past two years?

"It's… A bit complicated. Perhaps-"

"Explain!" demanded Ciel, his voice a bit louder.

"That night you were supposed to be killed," started explaining the demon. "You'd call me to you then, exactly like you did a few days ago. But you escaped from them. Still, you were often very close to summoning me… There was that time when you felt so much hatred, directed at everything, especially God, but-"

Ciel interrupted him. "When?" he asked quietly.

Sebastian looked as if he wasn't sure whether or not he should answer but he did. "When you were being raped, Master," he said, his tone calm and emotionless.

A pained expression appeared on Ciel's face for a short moment but he forced himself not to remember. "What went wrong then?" he asked, trying not to sound shaken up.

"You gave up, my Lord," Sebastian said simply. "You allowed your mind to shut down for a while."

Ciel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. "I see," he whispered finally. "It was my own damn stupidity then. If I only were to discard those stupid delusions about the almighty God earlier, I wouldn't have to go through half of all those things," he added, his voice getting slightly hysterical.

"Perhaps you just needed a right trigger," suggested Sebastian. "And being on the verge of death was that trigger, Master."

Ciel chuckled humorlessly, feeling even more exhausted than before. "I was just weak and naive. I'm not anymore, though." He couldn't help but yawn; the talk seemed to tire him out completely.

Sebastian, noticing this, commented. "You should sleep some more, Young Master. You need to rest as much as possible."

"Fine," murmured dryly the boy, briefly glancing at the demon. "Stay until I fall asleep," he ordered.

"Yes, my Lord."

"Sebastian," sighed Ciel weakly after a few minutes of silence, not even fully aware what he was saying anymore. "I want the mansion back…"


His blood was dripping on the marble floor, slowly, without any rush, drop by drop. His wrists were bleeding, the deep cuts made by lancet slowly draining life from him. He couldn't move, the leather brown restraints painfully preventing him from enforcing movement. It was difficult to breathe; the air too heavy and musty.

The blindfold covering his blue eyes made him even more panicked.

"My pretty… perfect… broken little doll…"

The husky whisper made him shiver. A cold hand was on his lips now, three fingers slowly crawling their way into his mouth.

"You have been misbehaving again…"

A fearful whimper escaped him as rough hands violently caressed his thighs with fingernails, leaving red bleeding marks, and then spread them apart.

"So, so naughty."

The sudden pressure made him lose his breath, together with all his senses. And pain, pain, pain.

Ciel woke up with a gasp, his eye frantically looking around the bedroom, his breathing still ragged. Before he could open his mouth to call him, Sebastian already appeared in the doorway. The demon was holding a candleholder with seven candles placed upon it. They immediately lightened the room, bathing the walls in a soft yellow glow.

"A nightmare?" questioned emotionlessly the dark haired male, his gaze scrutinizing Ciel from head to tone, immediately noticing all the signs of distress and the unhealthy flush on his cheeks.

Ciel simply nodded his head, trying to calm down. A cool palm on his forehead made him jump slightly. Sebastian's expression changed a little, but it was impossible to tell whether it was concern or something else.

"Your fever is worse, Master," said the demon, still looking at him. "Please, give me your permission to call for a doctor," he added.

"I… hate doctors…" muttered Ciel in a slurred voice. His gaze was hazy and unfocused. He felt absolutely horrible.

"I know, my Lord, but you are ill," replied patiently Sebastian, placing a new wet cloth on the boy's forehead.

Ciel sighed softly, finding this action comforting. He let his eyelid fall again.

"Do whatever you want…" he murmured uncaringly. "I won't let him touch me, though," he continued, semi-coherently. "They are… all liars."

Shortly after, before Sebastian could even leave the room, Ciel passed out again. By the time the doctor arrived, he was still unconscious, and to Sebastian's delight, there was no need to coax the boy into letting the doctor examine him.

The doctor removed the stethoscope from Ciel's chest and placed it back into his large leather bag. He then put his finger on the boy's neck, at the same time looking at his silver pocket watch, measuring the pulse.

"He is very weak," he announced finally. "The heartbeat is too fast and erratic, and that puts additional strain on the body; his heart clearly has trouble coping with the illness. His breathing pattern also suggests that the disease is already quite advanced. I'm afraid this is yet another case of pneumonia."

"I see," replied Sebastian, standing close by and observing. He seemed deep in thought. "How to cure it then?" he asked.

The doctor shrugged, his eyes scrutinizing Ciel's fragile, unconscious form once again. "There isn't much that can be done for him now," he sighed. "I can recommend that he rests a lot. Stress also may worsen his condition so, if possible, he should be kept as calm as possible. You may keep trying to lower his body temperature, and perhaps he could also use some change of air, as well as bloodletting," he suggested.

Sebastian had to force himself not to show his annoyance. It was clear to him: the man did not have a clue how to cure that illness. Bloodletting. How he almost wanted to laugh at it. As if cutting someone up and letting the precious life fluid go to waste would help anybody with the infection. He couldn't believe how stupid humans were. It was obvious that bloodletting was only going to make a person weaker.

"Still," the doctor continued. "I would not get my hopes up, there is a chance that the boy will die because he is in a really bad condition. The prognosis is unfavorable in his state. Please, also keep in mind that delirium may supervene. It is always a serious symptom and its appearance will suggest that the patient's condition has worsened."

Die? Sebastian grimaced slightly. How problematic. No, that was most certainly unacceptable. He couldn't let that happen to his unprepared meal now, when he finally had him in his demonic grasp, after two years of being haunted by him, waiting to be finally called.

"I understand," the demon replied, wanting to get rid off the human as quickly as possible.


It's been almost two days since the doctor left and Ciel's condition only got worse. He was waking up for short moments only, most of the time completely oblivious to everything. His body was often tormented with a fit of hacking coughs. Despite Sebastian's efforts, the fever didn't go down. Ciel was constantly shivering, now covered only by a thin sheet to help get his temperature down.

The demon, standing by the bed, shifted slightly, his hand checking Ciel's pulse. He was displeased after finding it even weaker than before, though still very irregular. To him, the vulnerability of human bodies was astonishing; it was hard to believe how quickly their condition could go from just fine to critical.

Now being that close to the boy, he couldn't help but lean down slightly, his face close to Ciel's. It was that smell. Completely, inarguably intoxicating. He was attracted to that fragrance like a bee to honey; it was drawing him.

Ciel smelled of death.

And it was allowing the demon to sense Ciel's dark yet absolutely pure soul even easier than always, just like when a predator can smell and feel his pray in the open. It was just like an invitation; a body slowly giving up, a soul so close to leaving it.

How tempting it was, to just think of breaking the contract and devouring the soul now.

Just as his hand instinctively touched Ciel's face, titling it slightly, Ciel chose this moment to wake up.

Ciel's blue, hazy and glassy gaze turned to a frightened one as it landed on Sebastian, who was leaning over him, his face so close to Ciel's and his touch on Ciel's skin.

The look on the demon's face was showing surprise; he didn't move for a moment. He almost chuckled. How reckless of him. He was so absorbed in worshipping his meal that he didn't even notice it was regaining consciousness.

"What… the hell are do you think you're doing, Sebastian?" finally rasped Ciel, his voice filled with panic.

The demon quickly composed himself and moved away immediately.

"Pardon me, Master, I was just-"

Ciel didn't let him finish, still looking at him with mistrust and shock.

"You were what?" he hissed, trying to hide the trembling in his voice, his hand grasping the sheets harder. "This is an order! Explain what you were trying to do to me! Don't you dare lie!" he demanded, trying to suppress the cough.

Sebastian sighed slightly. How… awkward. Well, an order is an order and there was nothing he could do about it. Still, the mere fact of being caught and having to admit to his actionwas taking away some of his pride.

"I was sniffing you, my Lord," he said at last, clearly not willingly.

The fright in Ciel's eye changed to disbelief. "What? Are you," he coughed, "serious? Why? Would you do something so… stupid? Are you mad?" he asked, looking at his butler with puzzlement and suspicion.

"Simply because you smell even better than usually, Master. And I just… couldn't resist," answered Sebastian. He couldn't help but grin at the boy's expression. Who would've thought that such a simple action would ruin Ciel's usual cold and emotionless demeanor.

Ciel sat up and just shook his head but it was impossible to not see how relieved he was. When he saw Sebastian hovering over him like that, in such a close proximity, it frightened him and brought back past memories. But now, the demon's explanation amused him.

"You mean my soul," he muttered, almost wanting to laugh. "You scared me," he admitted after a second. "Why would you suddenly…" he broke off abruptly, a sudden look on realization on his face.

Sebastian was silent, standing close to the bed.

"I think I get it," Ciel chuckled weakly, not an ounce of humor in his voice. His eyes narrowed slightly, clearly in fury. "What kind of butler are you? Your Master is almost laying on his deathbed and you, like a damn vulture, are just waiting for him to kick the damn bucket," he hissed.

Of course, he knew from the start what the demon was after, but the fact that the demon showed it in such a way, when he was so ill and suffering, angered Ciel immensely. How dare he?

Ciel's hand suddenly grabbed Sebastian's collar harshly, and without any hesitation pulled him closer, so that their faces were almost touching. "You better get a good last sniff, because if I ever see you doing that again, you are going to pay for it, you damned dog!" he growled in rage, his voice hoarse.

Sebastian's expression was unreadable. He licked his lips in a teasing manner before answering. "Yes, my Lord."

"You still have the nerve to mock me?" Ciel gasped with rage, stopping himself from ripping the butler to pieces. "Does my illness really amuse you that much?" he snarled, finally letting go of the demon and looking at him with hatred.

"No, Master. Only your attitude does," Sebastian replied, in a voice void of any emotions. He fixed the collar of his shirt, making it look perfect once again. "Please, try to calm down and rest some more, that's the doctor's recommendation," he added.

Ciel stared at him, clearly surprised, forgetting about his anger for a moment. "The doctor was already here? What did he say?" he murmured.

"Almost two days ago, you were still unconscious. He diagnosed you with severe pneumonia, my Lord. As for the treatment, he suggested bloodletting and a change of air," the demon explained, sounding skeptic and not even hiding it. "Perhaps you would like me to find another, more competent doctor who could advise another, more accurate treatment?" he offered.

"No, they are all useless anyway," sighed Ciel uncaringly. He lay down again, suddenly tired. The whole situation exhausted him.

"Are you sure, Master? That doctor said that you may die because-"

Ciel interrupted him. "I already said no. Don't make me repeat myself."

"As you wish, my Lord." Sebastian bowed his head slightly.

Ciel looked at him for a moment before he spoke again. "There is no way you will get to eat my soul if I die now, I won't allow it because I didn't survive all this just to die of some stupid disease," he murmured firmly, a note of annoyance in his voice. "I refuse to die until I obtain my revenge. So, this is an order, Sebastian. Don't let me die now," he commanded.

"Very well, Master. I shall prepare you a meal now, to help you get better soon."


Ciel didn't want to admit it, but the illness frightened him. It felt as if he was getting weaker with every hour, and he didn't know how to stop it. In front of Sebastian, he was pretending that he wasn't concerned in the slightest, but in reality he found himself very lost. He was cold; he couldn't stop shivering even though a thick quilt covered him now. He also had trouble taking deep breaths and his chest hurt mercilessly. Not to mention the muscle aches, the weakness, and the constant nausea.

He brought his hand to his mouth, covering it as another fit of violent coughing began. He hated it; it was both painful and tiring. When it finally subsided, he took his palm away, his eye widening in horror.

Red. His palm was covered in blood.

He immediately felt a rush of panic. What if he was really going to die? It wasn't normal to cough up blood, and he knew it. What was going to happen if he actually did die? Panic turned to anger. No. He couldn't. It was impossible. He had only started to make things right, it was only the beginning. His hand grasped the sheet tightly, and he nibbled on his bottom lip subconsciously. God, it would be pathetic, to survive this much, only to meet death days after regaining freedom. He wouldn't let go of life. His hatred was too strong to let go of it.

Ciel pushed away the covers and grabbed the stuffed rabbit doll, hugging it to his chest. He then slowly got up from the bed. He wasn't going to depend on that demon all the time, he didn't need him now. Especially after the earlier occurrences. For a short second he saw black spots in front of him, but he figured it was because he stood up too quickly. Swaying a little bit, he began to make his way to the washroom. When he finally walked through the dark corridor and entered it, he was out of breath. He couldn't believe how exhausted he was, just because of such a trivial action.

He stood by the sink, washing away the blood from his hand. Listening to the running water, he stared at his reflection. How horrible… He looked like death was really just around the corner. So, so pale, and his right eye was obstructed by a dark shadow, even though he had slept for so long. It seemed like he had lost weight again, despite Sebastian's efforts, for his cheekbones were more prominent again, almost as if ready to protrude from his porcelain skin and cut it.

Suddenly, he felt very dizzy and he had to clutch the sink with both his hands to hold himself up. The rabbit toy fell to the floor. His breathing was erratic again and he felt his stomach turning. The nausea suddenly worsened and he vomited into the basin. When he finally stopped, he couldn't help but grimace with disgust. He splashed his face with cold water, closing his eyes for a moment. He was certain now; he wasn't going to make it back to his bedroom, he had no strength left. Feelings his legs go even weaker, he clumsily slumped down, sitting on the cold tiles and leaning against the wall.

How pathetic. He absolutely loathed his own weakness. He was supposed to be working on his revenge now, and there he was, shaking, curled up on the floor, unable to even get up. He almost felt like crying when he felt sick once again. When was this torment going to end?

He only managed to turn to the side slightly, before he started throwing up. Coughing, sputtering, and choking. It was absolutely awful. It even sounded terrible, and his throat hurt so much more now.

He wiped his mouth with a hand without thinking, his teary, unfocused gaze locked upon the puddle of vomit. Red. Red. Red. Crimson, thick blood.

He didn't know how he felt anymore. Was it resignation or fear? He couldn't tell.

The chest pain was unbearable now, and so was the tiredness. Still, he attempted to get up, only to collapse a second later. Giving up, he lay on his side, away from the vomit, his cheek pressed to the cold tile, his whole form trembling.

His stared at the wall, his gaze glassy and unfocused. It seemed to be moving… Closer to him, and then far away. All colors appeared to mix together. Everything around him blurred and seemed to be spinning, making his head hurt. He tried to take a deep breath and failed.

He fainted again.


When Ciel's eye opened hours later, he found himself in bed; half covered by the quilt, the first few buttons of his nightshirt undone. He felt strange. He couldn't remember when he fell asleep or even what he was doing before that, as if someone wiped away his memories. He didn't even have the strength to attempt to sit up so he just lifted his head a little bit, looking around. He was in the bedroom… A sudden dizziness forced him to lay back again, letting his head fall to the pillow.

"Master, how do you feel?"

For a second, he didn't recognize the urgent voice, not until the demon stood close to the bed, staring at him. Ciel didn't know what to say, still dazed and confused.

"I… don't know," he murmured finally.

"You lost consciousness in the washroom," explained the demon, watching him carefully. "Can you remember, my Lord?"

"No…" Ciel whispered, his voice weak and tired, his hazy gaze fixed on Sebastian. He sighed softly. "I'm not getting better… Am I?" he mumbled, barely coherently.

Sebastian was silent for a moment, as if considering what he should say. "You should have stayed in bed and asked me for assistance," he replied finally. "It was pointless to overexert yourself and make your condition worse."

"Why?" Ciel asked quietly, a lost look on his voice. "Why am I not getting better…" he mumbled, as if not hearing Sebastian.

He suddenly heard a noise and quickly turned around. There was something running across the room. White and furry. Such a… well-known sight. Was he having a déjà vu moment?

"Sebastian! What… what is a rabbit doing here?" he exclaimed with disbelief, his eye widened with surprise.

Sebastian instinctively looked the same way, finding nothing. Not like he expected to, anyway. "Master, there is no rabbit," he explained patiently, turning his eyes to stare at Ciel again.

Ciel blinked, the adrenaline finally giving him enough strength to at least sit up. "But there was," he argued weakly, sounding more childish and stubborn than ever. "It's the same rabbit from before," he added confidently.

Sebastian's hand reached out to touch his forehead but before it could reach its destination, Ciel lashed out, violently slapping his palm away.

Ciel, absolutely horrified, was watching demon's hand, where in the place of fingernails, were black, long inhuman claws.

"Get away from me, you demon!" he shouted in fear.

Sebastian was looking at the boy, now without any puzzlement. It was obvious to him what was going on now. "Master, I was only going to check your temperature," he said calmly.

"No," hissed Ciel angrily, crawling away from him, to the corner of the bed. "Don't you dare touch me with those filthy claws!"

Sebastian stepped back, his gaze never leaving Ciel. "As you wish, my Lord," he answered quietly.

Ciel averted his gaze. In a matter of seconds, a hatred coughing fit came. It was far more painful than the others because his throat was very sore, and no matter how much he tried to suppress it, he just couldn't stop. He just wanted to crawl out of his skin, anything to escape it. When the cough finally ceased, after what seemed like ages to him, he saw blood on the snowy white sheets and the inner side of his hand.

Sebastian sighed, watching the scene in front of him. There was no denying it; Ciel was just keep getting worse, the disease slowly eating him away. Crimson eyes narrowed slightly. That wasn't right. The illness was consuming his meal from the inside out.

Before he could do anything, Ciel spoke, in a weak voice.

"I'm… going to…"

Ciel, even paler now, didn't finish the sentence. A wave of nausea assaulted him, and he leaned over the side of the bed, throwing up on the floor. When he finally stopped retching and gasping for breath, he noticed blood in the vomit. For a long moment, he just sat there, frozen, looking at it and not knowing what to do.

"It's alright, Master, I will take care of this immediately. Then I will help you wash up and change the sheets," quickly reassured Sebastian, trying his best not to let the boy get upset.

The demon walked away to the wardrobe, quickly finding the fresh white sheets.

"Do you still feel like you are going to be sick, Young Master?" he asked, closing the wardrobe. He turned around to look at Ciel, only to find him lay on the bed once again, completely unresponsive and passed out.


"Wake up, Young Master."

A firm yet gentle voice brought him back from the depths of nothingness. He knew he was asleep, but didn't have any dreams… He opened his eye groggily, staring at Sebastian, who was standing right next to his bed.

It was too bright. He grimaced, covering his eye with a palm, but couldn't even bring himself to speak. He felt so exhausted.

"There is a letter for you, my Lord. It's from the queen. Would you like me to read it to you?" asked Sebastian, watching to see his reaction.

To the demon's surprise, the boy didn't even flinch, as if not caring in the slightest.

Ciel sighed, not moving his hand away. "Just… briefly tell me what it says…" he muttered quietly.

Sebastian opened the letter and his eyes quickly skimmed the text, looking out for the most important details. "The Queen wants you to solve a new case. It involves a serial rapist with an unknown identity. Some of the victims claim to have seen him, though, and all the statements match. Apparently, he always wears a black coat and a white mask. All the rapes took place in London but in different areas," Sebastian said finally.

"I see…" murmured Ciel apathetically. "Maybe I will feel better soon so I will be able to…" he broke off abruptly, turning to his side, his back facing the demon. "I just want to sleep now," he whispered, letting his eyelids fall.

"My Lord, you should eat and drink something first," Sebastian insisted, still observing him. "If-"

Ciel didn't let him finish the sentence. "Leave," he muttered.

"Yes, my Lord," replied Sebastian, a hint of annoyance in his voice.


Hours later, Sebastian found himself next Ciel's bed again. Even from the distance, the intoxicating fragrance was impossible to ignore. To him, it was like the finest perfume. So sweet, tempting and simply… Divine.

The truth was, however, impossible to deny. Ciel was dying.

With every passing second, his death was closer. He was not going to get better because his body was far too weak to beat the disease; it already gave up.

The demon stared at the fragile looking body with pale skin; a living porcelain doll. So vulnerable. So easy to ruin, shatter and crush. If he'd only had his hands on the doll's neck now, putting the lightest pressure on it, it would unavoidably snap under his fingers.

He sensed Ciel's pain just as much as he could hear Ciel's pulse; weak, slow, irregular. His heart, almost like some pathetic dying butterfly, seemed on the verge of giving up, but still fought, barely fluttering.

Well, it looked like he couldn't wait any longer. As much as he enjoyed seeing the prey so helpless, completely left to his mercy… There was no way he could let his meal slip away from him, when he wasn't done with preparing it. It still lacked… certain ingredients, to make it even more perfect. And, of course, he had his Master's orders. And Master's orders were absolute.

Sebastian placed his hand close to his lips. In a matter of seconds, his sharp teeth bit deeply into the wrist, immediately spilling dark crimson blood. He sat on the edge of the bed and placed his palm on Ciel's shoulder, shaking him.

"Master, wake up," he said loudly, as the red fluid started making its way down his hand.

The noise and movement seemed to rouse the boy, because his eyelid lifted slightly, staring at Sebastian with confusion.

"What…" he whispered semi-coherently.

Sebastian brought his bleeding wrist to Ciel's slightly parted mouth without any hesitation. "Drink, my Lord," he commanded.

As soon as Ciel tasted the metallic liquid, he tried to move his head. The demon made it impossible, not letting him. The feeling of being trapped made Ciel feel even more scared and he thrashed with panic, like a wild animal blindly trying to squirm away, but Sebastian roughly pushed his body into the mattress with his other arm, effectively immobilizing the boy.

Blood freely poured into Ciel's mouth, and he instinctively swallowed it, feeling the demon's wrist still pressed against his lips. His blue eye was widened with fright and confusion, but he couldn't even move an inch now, completely restrained.

"Now, that's not so difficult, is it, Master?"


* This quote comes from the game "Alice: Madness Returns". I do not own it.