After they finished the dessert, Michendros said his goodbyes, tightly hugged his brother and before he left, he turned to Credence and said: "Look out for him, will you? Sometimes I doubt his judgement," Michendros chuckled and with that Stolos angrily replied: "Mich, would you stop that. He has no obligations to do so. And I do not need somebody to look out for me."

"Of course, he doesn't. That's why I am politely asking," Michendros replied and received a light nod from Credence which was satisfactory enough for Michendros to suddenly vanish from the spot he had been just standing in.

Credence couldn't hide is surprise and widened his eyes in disbelief. He then glanced at Stolos who seemed unfazed by such display and turned his head to meet Credence's gaze.

"It's getting late. Maybe you could wash yourself up, hm?" Stolos said and walked closer to the boy who was still sitting in the tall woodden chair. Credence still wasn't used to his informal attitude. Credence held the eye contact until Stolos leaned on the dining table, waiting for an answer.

"Sure," he said quietly and looked down, slowly getting out of his seat. Stolos made a gesture so he would follow him outside onto the hallway. They walked up the grand staircase in silence, only Stolos always looked back to reassure himself that Credence is following him.

Stolos stopped at a door and opened it, letting Credence enter the room.

"Should I help you out like-"

"That's fine... I rather... do it by myself," Credence said, knowing that he wasn't sure how he would react if another adult man would touch his naked body. Stolos only nodded and added: "The towels are there, the soap and stuff like that are in that little cabinet and," he made a small movement with his wrist, gesturing to the small green stool in the corner on which suddenly boy's clothes and slippers appeard, "you can change into that."

Credence watched the clothes in amazement and then looked back at Stolos who gave him an innocent smile.

"All good?"

"Yes, thank you," Credence answered and watched Stolos close the door, leaving him alone.

It was a long time since Credence took a proper bath. And he couldn't remember a time when he had a bath alone by himself. Sebast- Stolos always helped him with everything. Stolos bathed him, dried him up and clothed him. Every day. Credence looked at the empty bathtub.

Maybe I should call him back? How do I do this?

...

In the meantime, Stolos cleaned up the dishes and talked with his brother who was giving him tips and advice on how to approach this situation further.

Don't you want to check up on him? What if he gets ideas again?

Don't worry, I am listening. His breathing and heartbeat are normal. I guess he's only struggling with the bathing.

Struggling how?

Well... I always used to help him with that. But I guess he doesn't want anyone... well.

Touching him?

Hm, especially when he's naked I think.

Yeah, makes sense.

How's your mom?

Well, you know moms, they have a sixth sense. She knows there's something up with me.

Are you going to tell her?

I don't know yet. I don't think she would appreciate having a God of Death for a son.

Maybe she won't mind.

Hm.

...

After about forty minutes, Stolos heard light footsteps walking down the woodden steps. Stolos closed his book he was reading to distract himself and stood up from the armchair he had been sitting in.

He sensed out Credence's uncertainity when he didn't find Stolos in the dining room they had been before.

"I am here," Stolos raised his voice and put the book back from where he had found it. Credence managed to find Stolos pretty fast and when he walked into the room, finally finding his ex-butler, he kept standing in one spot, unsure of what to do next.

Stolos came closer to him and sat down on his haunches, examining the way how Credence managed to dress himself. He could have done better for sure.

Credence sensed out what Stolos might have been thinking and blushed in embarrasment. He was almost twelve and didn't know how to properly put everything on.

"May I?" Stolos asked and pointed to his wrongly buttoned shirt. Credence only nodded and watched Stolos' fingers quickly fix everything up.

"Good," Stolos smiled and put his hand on Credence's shoulder reassuringly, "You'll get the hang of it soon."

Credence averted his gaze and only hummed a: "Uhuh" in response.

"Look, in the morning, I'll have to go and check the orphanage. If you want you can stay here by yourself... I wouldn't want you to unnecessary recall any trauma with being there. Would that be alright with you?"

"All alone?" Credence asked quietly.

"Well... I could find a nanny-"

"No, no. I can manage. You won't take long, right?"

Stolos was surprised to hear that. It sounded as if Credence genuinely wanted him to be around.

"A few hours maybe."

Credence nodded and unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself.

"Would you mind... if we made this... little spell. So, if you needed me... you'd be able to call for me? It would only work this way. Only if there was a crisis or something. I know that it is unlikely but I'd be calmer if you had this possibility."

"How would I be able to call you?"

"Mmm, it would require for you to drink a bit of my blood. And with it in your body, I'll be able to create a little mark somewhere on your skin that would make it possible to call for me. With your thoughts, you know."

Stolos saw the anxious expression in the boy's face, so he quickly added: "We don't have to do it."

Stolos began standing up again but was stopped by Credence's petite hand that grabbed him by his wrist.

"No, I want it," he said confidently.

"Are you sure?" Stolos lowered himself again, so their heads were in the same height level and looked him in the eye.

"Yes."

"Alright, then. Let's sit down," Stolos said and led Credence to the armchair he had been sitting in before and sat down in front of him on a small cushioned stool.

"So, I'll make a small cut right here," Stolos began and slid his index finger down his palm, creating a thin bleeding wound, "and we'll need just about this amount," he continued explaining while Credence watched the red liquid float above Stolos' palm now, "maybe we should use a glass," Stolos thought out loud, creating a small glass in his other hand and letting the blood flow into it, "and here you go. It won't taste that good... so think of it as medicine or something.

Credence obediently took the glass and drank it in one sip, he then rested the glass in his lap and awaited further instructions.

"Good, and now for the mark, where would you mind it the least?"

"How big is it?"

"Not that big, size of a dime."

"Hm, here maybe," Credence said and pointed to the left part of his chest.

"Alright," Stolos said and closed in onto him while Credence's large dark eyes followed his every movement carefully.

"Don't worry, it will be quick," Stolos reassured him and put his left hand on his shoulder and slid two fingers underneath Credence's shirt, making contact with his warm skin. Stolos closed his eyes so his color-change wouldn't scare the boy off and started working on the spell in silence.

It was done within seconds. Stolos reopened his eyes and gave a soft smile to Credence who only stared at him.

"It's done. Now you can always summon me, but don't misuse it. The more urgent your calling will be the less will I be able to disobey," Stolos grinned and rose to his feet, taking the glass from his lap away.

Credence quickly looked underneath the shirt and checked out the peculiar mark on his chest. He looked up again at Stolos who folded his arms on his back and watched him curiously as well.

"Thank you," Credence said quietly and jumped off the armchair.

"Credence?"

"Uhuh?"

"How are you feeling?"

"I am fine. Why?"

Stolos shrugged and looked away. "Am just worried," Stolos admitted.

Credence, again, wrapped his hands around himself as he said: "You don't need to. I already owe you a lot. I am not going to do anything against your will."

Stolos innerly cringed at the way the child phrased the sentence. It made it sound as if Credence was Stolos' property and that made him feel uneasy. However, Stolos decided not to get into it, at least not that evening and only sighed.

"It's getting late, you can go and choose a bedroom, what do you say?"

Credence only nodded.

The young boy then went alone up the stairs again and chose the first bedroom he found. He looked around before he entered it. On the right was a large bed with white covers, on the opposite side was a dark-woodden wardrobe and by the window was a desk with a chair. Otherwise was the room filled out only with decoration and plants. This would do, though.

Credence climbed into the bed and covered himself with the duvet up to his chin.

The next morning came too early. Credence, in spite of his intrusive thoughts that kept him up, eventually fell asleep and now was awaken by the sunlight shining into his eyes.

After he got himself out of the wide bed, he opened the bedroom's door so he could go wash up. Once he opened the door, he noticed a letter lying on the floor next to a bundle of clothes.

I've made you some breakfast. It's in the kitchen. I'll be back soon.

The message was written in French which made Credence smile a bit. He held onto that letter, picked up the clothes and went to the bathroom. He washed up and put his new clothes on, stucking the letter into a pocket in his pants and hurried downstairs.

He already felt his stomach grumbling. It didn't take long for him to find the big shiny kitchen and the food Stolos had prepared for him. It was still warm.

Being alone, Credence didn't really mind his manners and ate all the eggs, toast and ham as quickly as he could. He then laid back in his chair and enjoyed the herbal tea.

After a few minutes, he heard suddenly something from the hallway.

That was fast, he thought and stood up so he could carry the dishes to the sink. Credence was kind of looking forward to see Stolos again. He wasn't sure why.

I suppose he might actually like me a bit, too. And he seems to want to keep me.

It was a long time since somebody genuinely cared about Credence and that made the boy's heart jump in hope.

"He's supposed to be here!" Credence suddenly heard a harsh voice sound from the dining room and he froze at the spot. It wasn't Stolos. It were some strange men, probably to collect him.

His twin brother had to find out about him escaping the place he had sold Credence to. That was the only explanation why would somebody try to hunt him down, right?

Credence quickly looked around the room. Hide. I need to hide.

His eyes fell on a quite narrow closet door to which he immediately run to. The quietest way possible, he closed the door behind himself and sat down. The room was pretty tight, already the broom which was inside made it hard for Credence to fit in.

The boy hugged himself to stop the trembling and tried to suck in the tears. Stolos, why are you taking so long?Wait.

Credence looked down at his chest, winking away his tears. He put his hand on the mark Stolos created the evening before and started intently thinking of Stolos' sudden arrival.

I need you. Come right now.

At once, a man crouching and leaning against the opposite wall appeared in the room, trying not to step on the boy underneath him.

"Fuck. Why would you summon me in such a cramped up space, Credence!" Stolos raised his voice but immedietaly stopped at the sight of Credence's terrified expression while he was pressing his index finger to his lips.

Before anyone could say anything, the door to the closet was torn open by a shaggy looking man who hollared: "Found him, fellas!" and aimed his gun at Stolos.

"You are aiming that at me in my house?" Stolos wondered, his eyes turning bright red as his rage grew and stepped out of the room, making the man take a few steps back.

"The fuck-" the man cried out at the sight of Stolos' sudden eye color change and started to shoot without hesitation.

Credence covered his ears and started to whimper loudly. He only stopped once he started smelling something to burn and he raised his head to see what it was. At that moment, the head of the man fell to the floor, his expression ghastly and the lasting parts of his neck burned to a crisp.

Credence gulped slowly at that sight and glanced at Stolos' hand from which was blood dripping down on the white tiles.

"Good, you're all gathering here by yourselves," Stolos smirked at the other three men who just entered the bizzare scene and pointed their guns at Stolos who moved his bloodied hand slightly, making all the men drop to their knees and turn the barrels to their temples.

Stolos already wanted to do the deed, however his attention was caught be the boy crawling out of the closet carefully, observing the scene.

Stolos sighed. "I guess that for your age you've seen enough monstrous things, haven't you?" he said in French, looking down at Credence whose glassy eyes glanced up.

"Alright, come here," Stolos said and leaned down to pick up the boy with his clean hand, positioning him so he would somehow sit straight on his arm. Credence automatically put his arm around Stolos' shoulders so he wouldn't fall down.

As the boy looked behind Stolos' shoulder, he noticed that the dead body was suddenly gone. Turning around, he saw how all the men were staring at the place where their mate was with terror in their eyes.

"So," Stolos began and walked closer to the three kneeling men, "let's make this clear. What just happened to your buddy there, so something similar is going to happen to two of you. You seem to be the leader of this pathetic attempt to steal a child away. Listen, then, because you'll be the one to carry the message to Ciel, is that right?"

At the sound of his twins' name, Credence dug his fingers into Stolos' shoulder. So, it was him. Does he hate me so much that he desires my suffering so intensly?

Stolos let the blood on his right hand disappear and then laid it on Credence's head, turning it slightly so he wouldn't see what he intended to do next. Stolos kept his hand on Credence's head who obeidiently stared in front of himself, knowing why Stolos did so.

"You see what's happening to them?" Stolos asked coldly as the other two men's skin began to slowly change color to an unhealthy brown-red color, progressing to rot away, "Tell that arrogant kid that if he won't leave Credence alone, I'll come up with something worse to do to him than this and believe me, I am creative enough."

The third man watched the horrifying scene. His men were visibly in pain but for some reason, they were suffering in silence.

"And you are seeing only the outside of it all," Stolos added and with those words, the two men whose bodies rotted with a disgusting smell which Stolos blocked off from him and the boy in his arms finally fell apart.

"You go now, take your little gun and tell him what you saw here. Credence is mine now and I won't let you touch him."

The man felt the weird pressure holding him down on his knees lifting off and without a word, he run away from the kitchen, leaving the house at once.

The rests of the two corpses also vanished into thin air as if nothing like that had ever happened. Stolos moved his hand from Credence's head to his back again and pulled him a bit tighter, hugging him.

"I am sorry, Credence," Stolos said quietly. Credence pulled away a bit to look into his ex-butler's eyes with a confused expression.

"Why are you apologizing? You saved me. Again."

Stolos run his hand through Credence's hair, tousling it.

"Forget it. Are you alright?"

"Now I am."

"Good."

...

"After that, I just took care of him as if he was my kid basically. Sometimes Mich visited for a few months, but mostly he was with me. I sent him then to a school so he would socialize, too. And when he was 21, I told him that he needs to get more independent. Sure, I'd support him financially if needed, but you know, he was human and I wasn't. I wanted him to be happy, find somebody, have a family."

"So how did he become a vampire?" Lydia asked, letting the smoke out.

"Well, he wasn't very happy about me leaving. And I did leave the country even, so he would have no choice than to live his life. However, in a year or so, I suddenly noticed that something is wrong. The mark I gave him when he was small disappeared for some reason. So, I went looking for him, fearing that he might be dead. And yeah... he was in a way."

"He got turned?"

"Yes. I found him in a shady place where he somehow persuaded a girl who eventually turned him. When I arrived, he gave me a light smile and said that now we don't have to part ways. The vampire girl immediately left the room when I appeared, probably not wanting to get involved. And well, what could have I done?"

"That's kinda sweet that he didn't want to leave you."

"Yeah... eternity is lonely, though. And look through what have I made him go. Six years imprisoned, god."

"Hm, well, then again, you saved his life. He has to treasure you a lot. I did wonder that... well, when we escaped the caves and you were all broken up... even though he was six years locked up, he really took you as... I guess a father figure, huh?"

Stolos shrugged. "Yeah... I would wish him some happy ending, though. I never wanted him to become a killer like myself," Stolos said quietly.